The new album is an experience and should be taken in as a whole. It’s an album that flows, jumps, and jives. It’s what Brant wants to do. It’s the Brant we know. It’s the Brant we love. Long story short, this album is a fine extension to his varied discography.
“Mankind Woman” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Chocolatize
2. Lazy Wizards
3. Charlie Gin
4. Mankind Woman
5. Pisces
6. Swagger & Sway
7. Somebody
8. Pretty Hairy
9. Brand New Old Times
10. 1968
11. Nation Of Indica
The Review:
Brant's a cool dude. That's a fact, Jack. Be it his cool blues of 'Saved by Magic,' or the cool drummer-dude-from-Kyuss-on-a-solo-trip with 'Jalamanta,' all the way to the cool-guy-on-a-couch vibe of 'Local Angel.' No matter which album you pick up, one thing’s for certain; Brant'scool. Always has been. And if his new album, 'Mankind Woman' is anything to go by, Brant will remain cool.
This time out, Brant's joined by Bubba DuPree on the songwriting credits. You know Bubba as the guitarist on Brant's last 2 albums. Branthas also opened the studio door for his 'special guest' Sean Wheeler, who steps behind the mic on 2 tracks. By opening up this release to the influences of his friends, Brant is also opening up his mind to a new songwriting approach.
Don't fret, Brant's box riffs and blues solos are still here. The 60’s and 70’s are still very much at the forefront. As is Brant’s desert home. It’s just that this time out, Brant’sgiven his riffs even more room to breathe. This is found in his slow, almost reggae like approach to how he performs these songs. And it’s also abundant in the album's production. The space creates a much more open atmosphere this time out. Certainly in comparison to his 3 album run over at Napalm Records. With this approach, Brantbrings the listener directly to the studio. Don’t be shy. Come on in, the door's open!
Given that riffs have more space to breathe, so do the songs. The general pace on this album is slower but no less ripe for some good time live jamming. Yeah, there's a scorcher here and there, but for the most part, Brant has cooled down considerably and is playing it cool. And that's cool by me.
There's no sense cherry picking songs for this review. The new album is an experience and should be taken in as a whole. It’s an album that flows, jumps, and jives. It’s what Brantwants to do. It’s the Brant we know. It’s the Brant we love. Long story short, this album is a fine extension to his varied discography.
So if it's cool you're looking for, dig in to 'Mankind Woman.' The world's tense enough as it is nowadays, certainly for Brantas an American artist, so why not give yourself the opportunity to enjoy the things you love. Be it your partner, your weed or your rock and roll, there's something on this new Brant album that'll help you put things into perspective. Just be cool and let it happen.
Yawning Man have upped their game. They’ve always been life affirming, but now they’re just plain vital. ‘The Revolt Against Tired Noises’ is nothing short of sheer sonic perfection.
‘The Revolt Against Tired Noises’ CD//DD//LP track listing:
1. Black Kite 2. Revolt Against Tired Noises 3. Skyline Pressure 4. Grant’s Heart 5. Violent Lights 6. Catamaran 7. Misfortune Cookies 8. Ghost Beach
The Review:
It’s been a long, strange and beautiful ride for Yawning Man. From their infamous generator parties in the Californian deserts in the late 1980s to their stunning 2016 third album ‘Historical Graffiti’, guitarist Gary Arce and bassist Mario Lalli have built their musical legacy at a snail’s pace and with scant regard for commercial considerations. Their lush, trippy, widescreen instrumental compositions have thrilled those in the know, with live shows becoming borderline religious experiences. ‘The Revolt Against Tired Noises’ is easily and by some stretch the best Yawning Man album to date.
Opening cut ‘Black Kite’ is the finest piece of music they’ve put their name to. Indeed, it might just be the most perfect five minutes of rock you’ll wrap your ears around in 2018. Ambient, achingly melancholy, it tingles and shines and soars and sounds like heaven. There are several other equally breath-taking Yawning Man classics here, but the big curve ball and shock news for hardcore fans is that two songs feature Mario Lalli on vocals. And wonderful they are too: ‘Grant’s Heart’ benefits from his wondrous syrupy crooning, adding a whole new emotional layer over the sumptuous lead guitar lines underneath. The second sung song sees Yawning Man finally commit ‘Catamaran’ to vinyl: their own composition, but one made famous by Kyuss on the stoner kings 1995 album ‘The Circus Leaves Town’.
Yawning Man have upped their game. They’ve always been life affirming, but now they’re just plain vital. ‘The Revolt Against Tired Noises’ is nothing short of sheer sonic perfection.
‘The Revolt Against Tired Noises’ is available here
For such a new outfit, Howling Giant brings sophistication to the lyrical and musical aspects that you might not expect. The result will astonish those fans who have been eagerly awaiting this sequel.
"Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2" CD//DD track listing:
1. Henry Tate
2. The Pioneer
3. Visions
4. The Forest Speaks
5. Circle of Druids
6. Earth Wizard
The Review:
Nashville, Tenn.'s Howling Giant, a relatively new addition to the stoner rock lexicon, has generated high hopes early. The first EP in this thematic series gained reams of positive reviews. Such coverage was earned fairly. Part One of the story was quite fuzzy, as well as robust, and drew comparisons to Electric Wizard, among other performers.
Yet can "Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2" draw the same lofty praise as the initial recording?
The concept recordings – it is still a bit unclear if the story will carry on into a third EP, or more than that – tell the tale of humankind's rise and ultimate vanquish through the eyes of a protagonist. Such a heady vision can easily collapse under the weight of presenting that depth of a story with any hope of coherence. Howling Giant indubitably plumbs this mythology, but make it clear the music comes first. Arrangements are dexterous and vocals plaintive when needed, urgent the next. For such a new outfit, Howling Giantbrings sophistication to the lyrical and musical aspects that you might not expect. The result will astonish those fans who have been eagerly awaiting this sequel.
Howling Giant has garnered a lot of support for its sound and been likened to bands like The Sword. Although you can hear many classic-tinged acts in Howling Giant's sound, repeated listens may conjure diverse parallels. The album's opener, "Henry Tate," for example, has a sound and vocal delivery reminiscent of NoMeansNo circa "The Day Everything Became Nothing." Given NoMeansNo's pioneering post-punk bona fides, that comparison is a high compliment, but it gives you a glimpse at how deceptively talented this young band is on the new release.
The new music seems like an impressive leap from Part 1. The washed-out vocals get a much better mix this go around. Drumming here is standout. The storyline, without spoiling anything, is furthermore going to keep you listening, especially if you enjoy a story with your songs. All said, Howling Giantdemonstrates early accolades were deserved.
"Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2" is available here
The group merges many influences into a package that still sounds true to the subgenre. Stonebirds is adept at exploring concepts in their music that make it even more intriguing. To put it simply, the trio is one of the Europe's more intriguing stoner/doom performers today. "Time," far exceeds expectations and situates Stonebirds as a band to keep an eye on.
“Time” CD//DD track listing
1. I
2. Sacrifice
3. Blackened Sky
4. Only time
5. Shutter part I
6. Shutter part II
7. Animals
8. II
The Review:
Rostrenen, France's Stonebirds received much acclaim for its 2015 release "Into the Fog… And the Flithy Air." The stoner/doom crew was noted in particular for its originality. If you scan that record again, you will hear why it was so appreciated. The group merges many influences into a package that still sounds true to the subgenre. Stonebirds is adept at exploring concepts in their music that make it even more intriguing. To put it simply, the trio is one of the Europe's more intriguing stoner/doom performers today.
It was easy then to catch elements of inspirations like the Melvinsor a style like Cult of Luna before. Its previous works seemed more sprawling, in part due to a five-piece lineup. The group returns smaller and with an edgier vibe. On the band's 2017 return, "Time,"Stonebirdsfeels intent on forging its own road, to some of its best results yet.
"Time"opens with "I" – and yes, it is bookended with closer "II"– which harkens to the impeccably ethereal rhythm you know of Stonebirds. When it rolls into "Sacrifice," however, the comparisons halt. The ten-minute track is still atmospheric and multi-layered, but in the end the overtures are devastating. Rough guitars, rattling bass and jarring vocals make this a nice profile of a band that has renewed focus. Later, the cut, "Animals," offers a similar kind of heft. The rumbling end of "Sacrifice"segues well into "Blackened Sky," which takes its fallow beginnings into sinister territory as the music arcs, then shambles into the darkness.
Contemporary social commentary is a perennial part of extreme music, and "Time" does not disappoint. The centerpiece of "Time"is undoubtedly "Shutter Part I & II," a narrative on climate change. Given the catastrophism that accompanies what was formerly called global warming – skyrocketing hunger, mass extinction and an upsurge in natural disasters are among the issues scientists cite the world will see more of – it remains a marvel as to why more acts have not examined climate issues further. In this instance, Stonebirdsdoes it in a non-preachy, understated way. What is ostensibly “…Part I” mostly set the mood. It is “…Part II” with the lyrical attack. Again, it is no 350.org manifesto. Rather, the sound comes across as the crest of a storm, with lyrics that inject fear ("time has come/for you to die" comes at you again and again) into this story. By song's crashing end, you are struck by how good it is, maybe the best track of "Time."
If there are any quibbles with the latest Stonebirds release, it may be that the mood changes can be a little abrupt. Songs bounce from sludge to much heavier and perhaps the composition could be a little different. However, overall, "Time,"with a smaller group and focused sound, far exceeds expectations and situates Stonebirds as a band to keep an eye on.
"Time" is available to preorder/buy hereand you can check out an exclusive stream of the track “Shutter Part II” below
The musicianship is some of the best out there, and QOTSA knows its lane and sticks with it. Suffice to say, if you are already a QOTSA fan, chances are this recording will not disappoint, or may just a little. For others, there is an entirely different dialogue.
“Villains” CD//DD//LP track listing
1. Feet Don't Fail Me
2. The Way You Used to Do
3. Domesticated Animals
4. Fortress
5. Head Like a Haunted House
6. Un-Reborn Again
7. Hideaway
8. The Evil Has Landed
9. Villains of Circumstance
The Review:
Queens of the Stone Age is easily in the top-five of metal music's guilty pleasures. Having arisen as nearly a parody of itself, QOTSA has morphed into alternative rock and at moments a hard-tinged Megatron. Although the band isn't quite Nickelbackor Ariana Grande status, Queens is unquestionably on that arena group level. Such big mainstream recognition inevitably elicits emotions of all kinds from anyone. Among metal enthusiasts, who are probably among the most opinionated when it comes to the music they love, judgment can be swift and harsh. New albums for bands on this tier are sure to get tons of press and analysis. For the purposes of this review, the central question has to be how hard Queens of the Stone Age's latest bangs.
Listening to "Villians" has to be done in a particular context. As a body of work, there is little to complain about. "Feet Don't Fail Me,"the kickoff track, is played well, with plenty of progressions and a polish to the production that is simply dazzling. Up next, "The Way You Used to Do" is going to end up on the public-address system of a minor-league baseball team's seventh inning stretch somewhere. It's crowd-pleasing and may someday soon get a teenager curious about the funkier sides of hard and alternative rock to do a little digging. At the end of the day, gateway bands are a great thing. The music needs ambassadors, groups who make heavier rock palatable to new audiences. "The Evil Has Landed" is another one of these songs. The musicianship is some of the best out there, and QOTSAknows its lane and sticks with it.
There is a great deal to appreciate on the group's new release. "Domesticated Animals" rolls like a prizefighter, lithe and yet muscular with its guitar work. In truth, the overall song selection is pleasing enough. Metacritic notes "Villains"scores 80 out of 100 points among nearly 30 reviews. Suffice to say, if you are already a QOTSAfan, chances are this recording will not disappoint, or may just a little. For others, there is an entirely different dialogue.
What is most perplexing about "Villains," in spite of the bawdy tales and wild storytelling in the lyrics, is just how sterile it all feels. There are several captivating departures on the release. "Head Like A Haunted House"walks a weird line being potentially corny and idiosyncratic, and pulls off a respectable track by the time it is finished. Yet the chances a band with this big and accepting of a fan base is willing to take seem to be shrinking, especially if you have observed the group over the years. "Fortress" comes across as a token alternative-rock-radio-slow-song. So does "Hideaway." No shots at the performances, which are serviceable on the whole and brilliant at various turns. Yet streaming and Youtube have completely changed the heavy music game. There are no shortage of artists willing to push beyond the expected and unprecedented audience interest in doing just that. By the last note, it feels simply safe, even a tad empty. And that may be the biggest of disappointments.
...it is so refreshing to find a release that is all at once heavy, accessible and frankly beautiful in its construction.
"Slow Wander" DD//LP track listing
1. Home
2. Rat King
3. Oak
4. Endless Ocean
5. Stone
6. Fog
7. Cellar Door
8. Acid Wedding
9. Returning
The Review:
Among the bins and bins and terabytes upon terabytes, it is so refreshing to find a release that is all at once heavy, accessible and frankly beautiful in its construction. While popular music fans may recoil at metal – who hasn't gotten the wrinkled noses before? – It is oftentimes because they don't understand its diversity. A band like Red Mountains may certainly create a greater appreciation for what the music's power can be.
Norway is known for a range of extreme music. Stoner rock that sounds like it was crafted on a porch just south of balmy Joshua Tree, California is not one of those styles you associate with the country. The city of Trondheim and musical group Red Mountains may well change that.
You first heard this psychedelic swirl on the quartet's 2015 debut, "Down With The Sun." The band toured widely on the strength of that sound, which feels inspired at turns by groups like Electric Wizard and Dead Meadow. What makes Red Mountains, however, so distinct is their songwriting and overall arrangements. Guitarists Magnus Riise and Jostein Wigenstad are peerless in their respective lead and backing vocals. The songs offer uncomplicated chronicles that are at turns personal and at still others rich with fantasy. "Fog"and "Oak" among other tracks tell engrossing stories that carry on as a thread elsewhere. Another standout, "Cellar Door,"demonstrates the picturesque lyrics you catch throughout, to convey vignettes you do not expect.
A band this sharp with its recording has to see its drum and bass acknowledged. Percussionist Simen Mathiassen and Sverre Dalen on bass shine on several cuts. They command the best songs, including "Acid Wedding" and "Rat King." Again, much mystical storytelling that is aided and abetted by the emotional marks Red Mountains' rhythm section lands. You will not catch a blast furnace of music. "Slow Wander" is exactly what it says: a slow and purposeful wander through a universe Riise's words bring to life. A wondrous world it is too.
Welcome back the sweet scent of freedom. Breath in the greeheen! BRANT BJORK has come to revive your spirit: The Kyuss- and Fu Manchu legend has just announced his first ever live recording
From the opening guitar riff of "Europe '16", recorded in Berlin, one can sense the buzz of classic rock electricity that transcends into new spheres. This is controlled madness between trippy and doomy, groovy and sludgy!
Set for release September 22nd on Napalm Records, BRANT BJORK has now revealed the cover artwork and track list of his first and highly anticipated live record. Not only that you can check out an exclusive track from the album below
“This record is live. Live records are ugly and they should be. When a band plays live, they let their hair down. Live is all that really matters. There are those moments in life when everything is ok and these are the moments when you are doing exactly what your here on the planet to do. You're right where you are supposed to be with no shame, no fear, no regret, no envy, no hatred and no apology. I always say this band brings a feeling. The feeling is always primary and the sound, secondary. At least to me. In the book of Tao, there is a passage..."naming is the origin of all particular things". I use here the term ugly to refer to my naming of my particular relationship with my soundscape. my my my. Why the term ugly? Because its the opposite of pretty. As the popular saying goes, "It is what it is". As for my music, my band and this live record, I prefer to say, "it is what it isn't".” - Brant Bjork on Europe '16.
“Europe ’16” track listing
1. Buddha Time 2. Controllers Destroyed 3. Humble Pie 4. Stakt 5. The Gree Heen 6. Lazy Bones-Automatic Fantastic 7. Stokely Up Now 8. Dave's War-Dave's Peace 9. Biker No. 2 10. Freaks Of Nature 11. Low Desert Punk 12. Let The Truth Be Known-Jumpin' Jack Flash
To also celebrate the release of the record, you can catch BRANT BJORK on tour in Europe here:
Live Rituals
04.08.17 GR - Almiros Magnisias / Los Amiros Festival 05.08.17 AT - Waldhausen / Lake on Fire 06.08.17 HU - Budapest / Tixa 08.08.17 DE - Hamburg / Sommer in Altona 09.08.17 DE - Stuttgart / Universum 10.08.17 CH - Duedingen / Bad Bonn 12.08.17 BE - Kortrijk / Alcatraz Festival 14.08.17 CH - Martigny / PALP Festival
'Gree Heen Europe 2017' with special guest Sean Wheeler:
26.09.17 Stockholm | Debaser Strand 27.09.17 Stavanger | Folken 28.09.17 Oslo | John Dee 29.09.17 Gothenbourg | Sticky Fingers 30.09.17 Copenhagen | KB 18 01.10.17 Hamburg | Logo 02.10.17 Leipzig | UT Connewitz 03.10.17 Bielefeld | Forum 04.10.17 Amsterdam | Melkweg 05.10.17 Eindhoven | Effenaar 06.10.17 Pratteln | Up In Smoke 07.10.17 Aschaffenburg | Colossal 08.10.17 Brussels | Botanique 09.10.17 Rennes | Ubu 11.10.17 Bilbao | Kafe Antzokia 12.10.17 Porto | Cave 45 13.10.17 Lisbon | RCA Club 14.10.17 Madrid | Caracol 15.10.17 Barcelona | Bikini 16.10.17 Marseille | Jas Rod 17.10.17 Torino | Blah Blah 18.10.17 Ravenna | Bronson 19.10.17 Zagreb | Vintage Industrial Bar 20.10.17 Wien | Arena ( with Stoned Jesus + Beastmaker ) 21.10.17 Munich | Keep It Low
Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to discuss feel. Feelis the word is the word that you heard, it’s got groove it’s got the real thing.The essence of any music, especially the man I was lucky enough to converse with, is the way you nod your head when you hear that first chord or that ethereal chorus that grabs you like a mother bear from the Revenant and keeps you in check while your auditory system finds an elite place to plateau.
The actual 2 and 4 on the floor is what I am talking about. Locking of guitars with a tight rhythm section, letting you air out after that nice head space of the burn down period, eloquent and decisive, keeping a collective mind and body, becoming one, hence the music is your Sherpa, driver of your emotional and being of substance.
It is the few that can harness the kinetic energy from exploding and slowly funneling itself through you like a 12 year old Scotch, like Robert Redford would dig on.Why Robert Redford, because the guitar player behind this Slo Burn is Chris Hale, one of the coolest mother fuckers to slap on a Gibson and let you dig in on the journey that he and his brothers collectively drive the train to eternal synthesis and yes, FEEL.
So please sit back and enjoy my chat, and you will be dammed, if you’re lucky.
Sludgelord:Thanks Chris for taking the time to speak with me.
Chris: Thank you
Sludgelord: So how did the Slo Burn get together happen?
Chris: John had invited us out to the desert to work on some original ideas he had for his solo record. He had an idea that it would be cool to have a track with some of the Slo Burnguys on it. So we went down and it was really fun, was great to be back in a room together and just hang out and make some music and that was it for a while. So we went out had some Magarita’s and some more fun and Damon laid down some bass on his record and we just started talking more and more that we should do this and then somebody threw out, 2017 is going to be 20 years so we said let’s start to do something then. So we got a booking agent involved and it just kind of happened.
Sludgelord: From being so young when the band started to now, do you feel as if you and the band are playing better?
Chris- It is night and day, I was a 19 year old kid, Brady was 18, Damon was 19, we all have had 20 plus years, just the couple of rehearsals we have had and at the first rehearsal, Brady and I just stopped and starting laughing as it was so much better than it ever was that we were just laughing. Holy shit, It is funny to hear, people saying Slo Burn was so great and for us, being the musicians playing it, I mean I guess it is like a child actor that gets to go back and watch a show they were in and it is so much better now, it feels right now, vision is easier made now then back to then.
Sludgelord: Your thoughts are a bit clearer now?
Chris- Yes, I mean the thought process now is easier to execute the process. When you are a kid, 19, 20 years old you would say that will do, now you know what you are doing and you can actually do it. Let’s make it better. I’ll be honest some of these songs I have not played in a long time, so when it came time to play them and re-learn them, I have a box of old Slo Burn videos, and I have to be honest, I was fucking embarrassed. I was saying I can’t watch this. I would say to Brady you were great and John has always been bad ass but watching myself, I was like “fuck, I can’t watch this”.
Sludgelord:Good thing is when you can really understand and admit that. No falsifying in your head.
Chris: It would be terrible if you were watching back and were like, Dam I used to be so good. I wish I could play like that again.
Sludgelord:If I thought that way, I would say fuck it, time to buy an accordion.
Chris: Yeah, I think like that, sorry guys this reunion isn’t happening anymore.
Sludgelord:Would you become a baseball pitcher?
Chris: Yes.
Sludgelord:It is the 4 original guys, first show is Desertfest?
Chris: Yes, so originally we were just going to do some shows in June.We went into this, and we were not like, let’s get back and do a fucking world tour. Another record. We were all like, hey, we are all busy with other stuff. Damon and I have Brave Black Sea. The most important thing was, Slo Burn, we are not a pop band, we didn’t look at it as we are going to do a tour and be set for life. We are doing this because we wanted to do it. There are so many Slo Burn that never got a chance to see us play, maybe discovered the band, 5 or 10 years ago, so we are doing it for that. It was never about this is going to get us rich. Fuck that, it might help pay my gas bill. That’s about it.
But you know the goal was let’s do a few shows and see how it feels. If we are all having a blast then let’s talk more and see what else we can do, The response was kind of overwhelming for us and then we got offered to do Desertfestin April and we were like, fuck let’s do that. So now we are doing that in April and these other shows in June and then the Psycho Vegas in August came up and they wanted to do an exclusive thing with us as where it our only US show in 2017. You know, it felt right at the time and if we are going to do that then what better place to do than Vegas. If we were gonna do it in MobileAlabamaI don’t know how many people would want to come and see us. Nothing against Mobile but it is not a destination place. So we are gonna see, so far we are getting along great and it is sounding better than ever. Who knows what the future holds. I have a hard time imagining we are gonna do this and go, that was fun, see you guys.I don’t see us getting fully back together as the main thing but I also don’t see us saying that was fun and never doing it again
Sludgelord: Psycho Vegas is so much fun.
Chris: I live in Vegas and I was sick during that time and I was so bummed because I couldn’t go. I had buddies showing up and playing and also my kids were sick so I didn’t even end up going. I am reallystoked to be playing this year.
Sludgelord:It is amazing the people that come. It solidifies why bands do it.
Chris: Right on, you know living in Vegas you know it is like Mariah Carey and fucking Elton John, and to have this stoner doom metal fest come and do so well that the immediately want to do one next year, it is awesome to see and hear that. You wanna be a part of it
Sludgelord:So you have this going on, what are you playing now? I know you are a Les Paul guy but really there is never enough gear.
Chris: I know. So I have been going back and forth thinking should I use different gear for Slo Burnthan I do with Brave Black Sea. Different sound, it is a one guitar band, a simplified heavy sound. I worked very hard and long for that sound that I said I might as well use it and tweak it. I am using a different guitar, I am using, what I was using, funny story, for Brave Black Sea I have 2 Marshall 4-12 cabs, one with Vintage 30’s and one with Greenbacksin it. Then one was powered by a 1978 Marshall JMP, and one with an Ampeg V2, 1976. I found this amp just sitting on the floor out here in Vegas. I always go to the same place and I was like, what is up with this and he said, it is one of the best sounding amps u will hear in your life that no one wants to buy because it looks like an old bass amp or something. So I wanted to try it out, took it to a practice and was fucking blown away. So I bought it and then the first Slo Burn rehearsal it blew up.
Sludgelord:Oh Fuck
Chris: Now for Slo Burngoing with 2 JMPheads and 2 cabs.Brave Black SeaI usually use old Les Pauls and in Slo Burn I am going with my SG. It is not much of a change but it is enough of a different feel and sound I guess. I get all my dirt sounds from pedals. Between different overdrives and fuzz pedals.
.
Sludgelord:Are there certain pedals that u love?
Chris:Yea, as far as overdrive pedals, I love the Fulltone OCD pedal, it is just a fucking killer sound, it is very honest and you can get it to sound really heavy. I love the Earthquake Device pedals for fuzz and I sometimes use the V Vex Wooly Mammoth, it is a bass fuzz and it’s fucking pummeling. I usually put all those pedals through a G Vexwhich may or may not have had something to do with blowing up my Ampeg. I don’t know if you have ever played one but they are crazy, the super hard ons are super hard on your tubes, that’s for sure. Then I will use different delays and wah’s but the pedal board for Brave Black Sea is much bigger than for Slo Burn. When you have just a guitar and bass player, you can’t go off too much whereas Brave Black Seayou can go off a little more, psychedelic, just a different thing.
Sludgelord:Playing wise, do you play everyday?
Chris: Everyday. You know right after Slo Burn I got into Another band and we were together for like 3-4 years and then after that into another band for like 3-4 years and after that I had a bad taste in my mouth for the music industry and I took about year, year and a half off where I was like, fuck this and I felt a huge void in me so ever since then whether I was going to be in a band or not I was always going to play guitar.
To this day now, I have days where I will work on music, I have a studio in my house and somedays I will be in there for 6-7 hours and the next day could be 20 minutes. It has to be at least that 20 or 30 minutes, it is funny as my wife and I joke about it. I will be in a crappy mood and she will say to go in my studio and play guitar because you need to get yourself straight. If I don’t get some kind of playing out or a song that is in my head, if I don’t play then I feel different. I will be in an irritable mood and it is something I have to do.
With that being said, I don’t sit and practice scales for hours upon hours. I am not a shredder and it has never been my thing. If someone puts on a Dream Theatercd and says jam along with this, I can’t. I love to jam, I like to jam old blues, I always have to be playing. How about yourself, are u the same way?
Sludgelord:I find it is therapeutic.
Chris: It is, that’s the word I was looking for.
Sludgelord:If I am a little bit off, even playing for 10 minutes, it helps put things in perspective, my hands still work and I can still play so it does help and things aren’t that bad after playing. I am not someone that would sit down and listen to Rising Force and let me match what Yngwie is doing. It is great guys can shred but that has never been my thing.
Chris: Exactly, It has never been about a solo or lead work for me, it is about the vibe and journey of the song. Never my spot to shine or show all my years of practicing and I have never tried to play like that. If I really dedicated myself to that then maybe, but it has never been my thing.
Sludgelord:Yea I am into the groove of the song, it has to fit or I’m not feeling it at all.
Chris: Totally, you know I love to throw on a delay or something, it is really about changing up the sound or vibe of it. Never about, hold on here it is (making a solo sound).
Sludgelord:Here it is, 2 minutes and 42 seconds
Chris: Look how fast I can play this scale.
Sludgelord:That’s great, the whole wanker thing is a bit much for me.
Chris: I remember there was this period as I was living out in Hollywoodfor a while after Slo Burn and I guess there was this time after Kornand all of that but every member of the band had to showcase their individual playing abilities. It was like watching the drummer play a 30 minute drum solo, bass player 30 minute solo, guitar player a solo or an effects solo. The songs weren’t there anymore. Nobody was writing songs.Check out our abilities. I would much rather watch someone like Bill Ward or John Bonham, they are playing these beats and it is like the one fill comes along and holy fuck that was amazing. They don’t need to do a ton of stuff you know, they do what benefits the song.
Sludgelord:Right on. In terms of listening to music, do you like pretty much everything?
Chris: Kind of, I guess. Mostly I am guilty of just listening to older stuff as it’s hard for me, a lot of the newer stuff that comes out now feels like people are writing strictly to be on the radio and I’m not going to be someone that hates on that. I get it, if people are making a career out of it by playing music then fuck man, do your thing. It is not something that I can get into. I am not gonna lie, I have some guilty pleasures. I am not going to buy a CD but if I hear it I will secretly get into it. I’m not gonna be yelling, turn this fucking shit off. I listen to a lot of old blues stuff you know Lightning Hopkins, Jr Kimbrough that type of stuff, Zeppelin, Sabbath, ZZ Top, I love that type of stuff and I still love bands like Fu Manchu, trying to think of newer stuff I listen too.
Whenever I am writing I don’t let myself listen to anything for fear of it creeping in, we have been writing a new Brave Black Sea album so I am in writing mode so I have not allowed myself to listen to anything that is around now. I guess it sounds boring that I don’t listen to anything, ha. But I do, I love The Black Keys, not so much their newer stuff but older. When it was just 2 dudes, bad ass. It reminded me of old desert bands. Like if someone would have told me that this record is from 2 guys from PalmDesert in 1992 I would have totally believed it. That kind of stuff and more recently, I like a lot of singer songwriter type of stuff. Like Rocky Bottalado, it’s very honest and cool.
Sludgelord:I find to not listen to all kinds of music you are doing yourself a disservice.
Chris: Totally, and on the other hand I will throw on old soul albums or Hank Williams. It is just good stuff. I feel in a weird sort of way that I will allow that sort of music to influence me. There is no way you are going to listen to a Slo Burnsong or a Brave Black Sea song and say, he is ripping off Otis Redding. It is not gonna happen, when you put the vibe of that in and layer it with heavy drums and heavy guitars, it gives it this non-intentional thing.
Sludgelord:I love that, makes it sound great. I think that is the best stuff. It makes it easier for white people to find the one they can clap their hands to it.
Chris: It is so try, I guess that is a good way to put it. (Both of us are laughing and have been laughing).
Sludgelord: When I write I want stuff like Joni Mitchellor CSNY. Stuff with feeling.
Chris: Totally, great harmonies and melodies and really dynamic. When I was younger I always thought 3 or 4 guys is all you need. Now I really respect bands with 9 guys. Keys and percussion. To make it all sound great is such a cool thing.
Sludgelord:I remember the first time I saw Chicago, I was like Holy Shit, it was so heavy. A great Rock n Roll band with horns.
Chris: Definitely. It is almost sad when you see people shut it down because it is Chicago. If you give that shit a chance you will be blown away. Some people take my wife, not really into a lot of the radio acts, Linkin Park for example, we shared management and rehearsed next door, they were playing a show in Vegas and I told her, just see the difference between an arena show and in a small venue. She went and after she was blown away. The production and Chester’s voice were amazing. She wasn’t converted or will be buying the cd but it was a breath of fresh air to see something like that. It is cool to see full bands and then you see ZZ Top which is on the opposite end of the spectrum and it is just 3 older dudes up there and they just fucking kill it. You go from being blown away, saying we need a 7 piece band and horns and then 3 guys killing it, Billy Gibbons is like, fuck you, amazing.
Sludgelord:As soon as he breaks into “Just Got Paid”, you are like. Ok I guess we only need 3 dudes.
Chris: One of my favorite riffs of all time. Billy Gibbons tone man, people would say its tons and tons of fuzz pedals, and then he comes out and it’s the cleanest tone but so heavy, in a different way and then the groove those guys get, fuck. It is unreal.
Sludgelord:So you have Slo Burn being lit up again, after many years and it sounds better than ever. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time and speaking to me as it has been a true honor brother.
Chris:This was amazing talking and thank you. As I said, who knows what will be in store for Slo Burn, but we are writing new songs and will be definitely playing 2 new ones at these shows so I can’t wait.
Sludgelord:So you better get on the treadmill in 2017.
Chris: Yes, I’m looking to forward to it.
What you have read folks was glittered with Class. Chris Hale, ladies and gentleman is a player’s player. He outs the song first and let’s his groove flag fly, ya heard.
Being able to converse with a player as such for a guy like me is pure pleasure. This was one of those times when the people you revere and in actuality hipper than you could ever imagine
The thing that gets lost on many neophytes of the rock is that without pioneers such as Mr. Hale, there would be no Psycho Vegasor Desertfest. For that I am thankful and really excited for what is to come from Slo Burnand their volume of goods to follow.
Remember, you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the winds blow
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