ALBUM REVIEW: Throneless, "Cycles"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/04/2018

Label: Black Bow Records

Throneless do not break any musical barriers on “Cycles” but their mastery of riffcraft and ability to create massive, awe-inspiring compositions sets them high above the competition.

“Cycles” DD//LP track listing:

1). Born In Vain

2). Cycles

3). Senseless

4). Oracle

The Review:

Right from the opening subsonic bass rumble, you know you are in safe hands with Throneless. The Malmö trio’s new LP “Cycles” is a master class in monumental sludged-up doom bathed in a cosmic glow.

“Born In Vain”immobilises the listener with a ten minute onslaught of crushing riffs, each one striving to reach a higher plane of heavy perfection. The reverb-laden vocals and hazy atmosphere recall the rural horror of Electric Wizard’s“Dopethrone” recast as a science fiction epic. After this pulverising introduction, the title track initially offers some respite. Beginning as a laid back jam, there is an almost optimistic mood reminiscent of Colour Haze at their most blissed-out. It’s not long until Throneless unleash the full power of their earth-shaking backline once more, taking the track into lumbering Torchestyle thunder pop territory.

The second half of “Cycles” shifts towards slower tempos with an increase in punishing heaviness. This metamorphosis reaches its peak with the gargatuan “Oracle”. Over the space of fifteen glorious minutes, Throneless gradually build a sonic fortress of epic proportions from huge slabs of dense riffage worthy of Bongripper.   

Throneless do not break any musical barriers on “Cycles” but their mastery of riffcraft and ability to create massive, awe-inspiring compositions sets them high above the competition. This is a hypnotic trip that will have you coming back for more throughout 2018.

“Cycles” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

INTERVIEW: "A Body of Work" - An Interview with Stefan Koglek of Colour Haze

By: Victor Van Ommen

Ah, Colour Haze. For 25 years, this German band has been gently making big waves in the heavy psych genre. Their grainy, organic sound and melodies are unique to Colour Haze and have set a blueprint to which other European psych bands are trying to play to.

This month, Colour Haze – Stefan Koglek on vocals and guitar, Philipp Rasthofer on bass, and Manfred Merwald on drums – released on CD yet another masterpiece of an album, “In Her Garden,” on their own Elektrohasch Records. The review for this album is pending until I receive the vinyl release, because that’s the best way to take this band in. The vinyl won’t be out until May so you'll just have to whet your appetite for more Colour Haze with the interview below.

Band info: official || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Demonic Death Judge - "Seaweed"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/01/2017

Label: Suicide Records

The Finnish quartet deal in a potent blend of filthy sludge-encrusted riffs tempered by hypnotic stoner grooves and nasty gravel gargling vocals. The band conjure up the sound of a bar room brawl between Weedeater and Colour Haze.

“Seaweed” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Taxbear

2). Heavy Chase

3). Seaweed

4). Cavity

5). Backwoods

6). Pure Cold

7). Saturnday

8). Peninkulma

The Review:

There’s nothing better than a boatload of no-frills, weapons-grade riffage to blow away the January blues. Demonic Death Judge deliver the goods in fine style on new album “Seaweed”.  The Finnish quartet deal in a potent blend of filthy sludge-encrusted riffs tempered by hypnotic stoner grooves and nasty gravel gargling vocals. The band conjure up the sound of a bar room brawl between Weedeater and Colour Haze.

“Taxbear” kicks things off in punishing fashion. Gargantuan riffs pummel the listener into submission until they are enveloped in waves of swirling guitar noise and menacing samples. The pure low-end dirt of “Pure Cold” and the dangerously addictive “Heavy Chase” run “Taxbear” close for heaviest track on the LP but quality riffs abound throughout “Seaweed”.

Demonic Death Judge demonstrate that they don’t need to rely on constant hard-riffing to be effective. The title track begins the introduction of more melodic elements into the mix with suitably aquatic effects-laden guitars providing a hazy calm before the storm of the band’s arrival at full bore. “Cavity” sees the band explore this relaxed side further to achieve powerful psychedelic results while the brooding first half of closer “Peninkulma” creates an almost post-rock slow-burn before being crushed under one final tonne of leaden riffage.

“Seaweed” is a killer effort from Demonic Death Judge that strikes a good balance between no-nonsense sludge and minor excursions into more tuneful territory. In an often overcrowded genre, the band stick out by rocking hard while bringing their own distinct character to the fore. 

“Seaweed” is available here

Band info: Official|| Facebook|| Bandcamp

FFO: Cough, Dopethrone, Weedeater, Colour Haze

ALBUM REVIEW: Colour Haze - “Live Vol. 1 – Europa Tournee”

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/06/2016
Label: Elektrohasch Records

The live feeling pierces through, enhancing the flavor of these songs when compared to their studio counterparts, and thusly staking the claim that Colour Haze are masters of their craft.

“Live Vol. 1 – Europa Tournee” CD//3XLP track listing:#

1). Persicope (Frankfurt)
2). Moon (Frankfurt)
3). Überall/Call (Frankfurt)
4). She Said (Paris)
5). Aquamaria (Würzbug)
6). To the Highest Gods We Know (Paris)
7). Circles (Paris)
8). Transformation (Berlin)
9). Grace (Berlin)
10). Tempel (Paris)
11). Love (Paris)
12). Peace Brothers and Sisters (Frankfurt)
13). Get It On (Köln)

The Review:

What’s left to say about Colour Haze that hasn’t already been said? If you’re (still) unfamiliar with the kraut-rock meets Jimi Hendrixjams of Stefan Koglek (guitar), Philipp Rasthofer (Bass), and Manfred Merwald (drums) – collectively known as Colour Haze – then you better get your priorities straight. This three piece makes a special kind of noise, one that uses repetitive, wild, and hypnotic melodies as their building blocks. Their songs range from two minute sprints to thirty minute creations, each one as good as the last. They’re as creative as they are skilled, and speak to both the casual as well as the intense listener.

Last August, about ten months since their last studio release, Colour Haze released a live album, “Live Vol. 1 – Europa Tournee.” On CD, it’s a double disc whammy, and I can only imagine the wonderful packaging the three Germans have made for mammoth 3 LP vinyl edition. The set list draws songs from each album in Colour Haze’s vast discography, making a pretty good case for what Colour Haze does best.

From the riffy “Get it On” to the constant crescendo in “Love,”all the way out to a mash up of “Uberall” and “Call,” Colour Haze nails this live set from front to back. Even at its two hour run time, there’s not a dull moment. It’s mixed so well that each little detail in the music can be heard, and the mix gets even better when headphones are applied. The live feeling pierces through, enhancing the flavor of these songs when compared to their studio counterparts, and thusly staking the claim that Colour Haze are masters of their craft.

Here’s to counting down the days to the next volume of this live series! Cheers to you, Colour Haze!

“Live Vol. 1 – Europa Tournee” is available here

Band info: official|| facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Asteroid - "III"

By: Jake Wallace

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 11/11/2016
Label: Fuzzorama Records

It is a hugely diverse record and shows the advanced musicianship between the band, blending all kinds of stoner rock and fuzz. This is a band who are firmly on the rise to the top and know exactly how to get there. One of the best releases of 2016 without a doubt.

“III” CD//DD//LP Track listing

1). Pale Moon
2). Last Days
3). Til' Dawn
4). Wolf & Snake
5). Silver & Gold
6). Them Calling
7). Mr. Strange

The Review:

The Asteroid has landed. Swedish heavy psych giants Asteroid have set the release date for their highly-anticipated third album for 11th November through Fuzzorama Records. It has been almost 7 years since their well-renowned second album ‘II’ was released and the band are back with their most polished, solid record to date. A 7-track album following the naming trend of its predecessors, this is Asteroid - ‘III’.

Firstly, the album artwork is strikingly brilliant. Whoever is in charge of the design and creative direction of Asteroid deserves credit for an unbelievably eye-catching and vintage styled arrangement of their instruments taking pride of place as the album cover.

The album kicks off with ‘Pale Moon’delivering a thick, rumbling bass line which gives way to some eerie psychedelic slide-guitar work. It has a triumphant sounding vibe with lots of dark nuances that give it a truly evil sound. It also has a somewhat spacey feel, with effects playing their part in the backdrop towards the end as the song comes to a close.

‘Last Days’ is the second track from the album and was the first track that was publicly released on Bandcamp by the band after announcing the news of the record coming out this fall. The intro has some nice big chords and paves the way for what’s to come as the vibe changes abruptly. Robin Hirse’s vocals begin as the song slows down and takes on a very similar vocal feel to Alice in Chain’slate great vocalist Layne Staleyin ‘Love/Hate/Love’. Memories of the opening track, ‘The Great Unknown’, from their first release are also re-kindled in this track. The guitar effects bring some very unique sounds to the table and the drum breakdowns are instrumental in making those parts as hard-hitting as they are around the 3:40 mark. The chord section comes back round again at 4:06 and reminds me of a Dead Meadow or Screaming Treeskind of feel. Two tracks in and we already have a diverse selection of music and it’s evident that Asteroid haven’t rushed into their song writing, it was most certainly worth the wait.

The third track ’Til Dawn’ rips back into the classic stoner rock style that we know and love Asteroid for. Their dynamic skill of switching from fuzzed riffs to beautiful, clean sounds is remarkable and they flit effortlessly between the two styles. The middle-end section slows down and each chord is powerfully punched out with some impeccable harmonised vocal parts between Hirse and Johannes Nilsson on bass. Drummer Jimmi Kohlscheen stands out on this final section as the drums are building in power and ferocity as the track climaxes before winding down with ease and ending on another sweet, clean chord.

‘Wolf & Snake’ has a very mellow vibe and reminds me of something that should be played as the sun sets on the beach at the infamous Dunajam Festival. This specific style of stoner rock is extremely pure and incorporates both the calm, mellow vibes and the earth-shaking fuzz. The intro section reminds me a lot of bands like Colour Haze and Sungrazer although Asteroidhave their own brand of heavy psych and it’s still incredibly unique. At the 2:00 mark, the song takes off with a blasting rhythm section and some lead parts from Hirse, showcasing his searing guitar abilities. The drums and bass are extremely tight and give Hirse a blank canvas to let rip. Near the 3:50 mark, the tempo drops and the fuzz doubles and we’re witnesses to a crushing, sludgy section. The final outro section is another sharp contrast with clean guitar playing some beautiful sounds.

‘Silver & Gold’ begins with a slow, angelic sounding guitar section before the vocals come in and bring so much to the sound. This track stands out on its own and its superb blend of layered vocals and guitar, gives it that kind of Tarantino movie soundtrack feel, definitely one of my favourite songs on the album.

The penultimate song ‘Them Calling’takes things back up a few fuzz gears and we’re dropped into an Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats style riff which just rumbles on ferociously throughout the song. It also has elements of the late Graveyard from Sweden. Around 3:35 they flick on the ‘evil’ switch and the riff gets steeped in gloom.

The final track ‘Mr Strange’ makes use of some awesome guitar harmonies to begin with before progressing into a lighter sounding, almost Zeppelin-esque section. Around 3:20 the vibe changes again and we have another killer, thumping riff with some spaced out lead guitar dodging and diving through the mix. The end section has some chanting vocals which go extremely well with the harmonies and it all blends into a perfect stoner rock package.

‘III’ is a masterpiece of an album from a band who need no introduction or a manual on how to create masterpieces. It is a hugely diverse record and shows the advanced musicianship between the band, blending all kinds of stoner rock and fuzz. This is a band who are firmly on the rise to the top and know exactly how to get there. One of the best releases of 2016 without a doubt.

“III” is available here

Band info: facebook

FFO: Colour Haze, Graveyard, Sungrazer, Dead Meadow