REVIEW: Sleep - "The Clarity" (EP)

By: Jake Wallace

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 10/02/2017

Label: Southern Lord

“This track sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a huge robotic entity slowly trudging through space. ‘The Clarity’ is exactly what every Sleep fan wanted to hear after being dormant for such a long time. If these guys can pull an album out of the bag in the near future with anything remotely close to the calibre of power involved in this, then we are in for a serious slab of mind-altering, heavy doom.”

“The Clarity” DD//LP track listing:

1). The Clarity

The Review:

Sleep. The undisputed lords of doom. Ever since ‘Dopesmoker’ was released back in 2003, enthusiasts of monolithic, weed-steeped music have been crying out for more new material from the holy trio of Al Cisneros, Matt Pike and Jason Roeder. 

In 2014, it was announced that Sleep would be releasing a single entitled ‘The Clarity’ via the Adult Swim Singles Program, recorded by Neurosis’ Noah Landis and mastered by John Golden. It was pummelling, it was cataclysmic, it was tripped out and it was fucking stoned to the backbone. 

Now, in 2017, Sleep have re-issued ‘The Clarity’ via Southern Lord and this time round it has been recut by Adam Gonsalves/Telegraph Mastering and pressed onto a kick ass 180 gram 12-inch vinyl.

‘The Clarity’ begins with a series of morse-code sounding noises, transmitting some form of ethereal communication from a deep void in space. Suddenly, we are met with the crushing sound of the trio in full force as the track takes off and the Weedian proceeds. The nostalgic sound of Al Cisneros’ low-frequency chanting breaks through the extremely dense wall of sound provided by Matt Pike’s astounding tower of Orangeamplifiers. This is also the first piece of material with Neurosis’Jason Roeder on drums and he has completely found his place in the universe’s heaviest trio. 

Around the 2:20 mark, the track breaks down into more tripped out otherworldly sounds via Pike. I saw Sleep play this track in London back in July and this section blew my mind out the back of my head. No matter what anyone tells you or how sure you think you are… get earplugs before you see Sleep. It’s a no-brainer… meaning you will cease to have an encephalon should you disregard this advice. 

The lyrical themes of this track are very expectedly dominant on marijuana. The short, deep chants are a perfect compliment to the riffs with lines such as ‘Stoned chariot ascending, Smokes the true believer’ and ‘Heavy dry weight, hasheeshian smoked relief’. It really isn’t that difficult to see who the target audience are. 

Around the 5:20 mark Pike lays down some Sabbath-worshipping lead guitar licks and the solo actually comes across very cleanly compared to some of his earlier lead parts in the infamous ‘Holy Mountain’ back in 1992. This track sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a huge robotic entity slowly trudging through space. The sustain from the guitar is insane and Cisneros’ bass is flawlessly hefty as always. 

‘The Clarity’ is exactly what every Sleep fan wanted to hear after being dormant for such a long time. If these guys can pull an album out of the bag in the near future with anything remotely close to the calibre of power involved in this, then we are in for a serious slab of mind-altering, heavy doom.

Sleep headline Desertfest Londonand Berlin this year along with Primavera Sound Festivalin Barcelona and another performance at Psycho Las Vegas in August. 

“The Clarity” is available to preorder/buy here

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Psychedelic Witchcraft - Magick Rites and Spells"

By: Jake Wallace

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 27/01/2017

Label: Soulseller Records

'Magick Rites and Spells' is a fresh, authentic display of classic occult rock being performed in the present day. It's a blessing to see a band who are truly absorbed in this genre, leading the way for all modern day occultists to follow. It's a very well-balanced mix of old, new and cover songs and an incredible follow-up to the masterpiece that was 'The Vision'. This band are only getting started and I'm truly excited to see what the future holds for Virginia and the guys.

“Magick Rites and Spells” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Come a little closer (Exclusive to this release)
2. Godzilla (Blue Oyster Cult cover, Exclusive to this release)
3. Set me free (Re-recording, Exclusive to this release)
4. Wicked dream (Re-recording, Exclusive to this release)
5. The dark Lord (Originally performed by Sam Gopal, with Lemmy)
6. Angela (taken from the “Black Magic Man” EP)
7. Lying on iron (taken from the “Black Magic Man” EP)
8. Black magic man (taken from the “Black Magic Man” EP)
9. Slave of grief (taken from the “Black Magic Man” EP)

The Review:

Psychedelic Witchcrafthave just brought out their latest album 'Magick Rites and Spells'. This band certainly know how to churn out songs as their last album, the critically acclaimed 'The Vision' only came out back in April, 2016. 

We dive into the mystical land of the occult with 9 tracks comprising of 3 brand new tracks, 2 covers and 4 tracks from the “Black Magic Man” EP, released back in 2015.

Track 1, 'Come a Little Closer', starts the album off with some elegant, flowing guitar sounds before the main riff begins and Virginia Monti takes control, doing what she does best. Such a powerful voice which can also be toned down for those hypnotic lyrics, entrancing you as the song goes on. There's some great lead guitar work in this track too, providing just enough of a taste without overcompensating. It's a very enticing opening track and a great start to a superb album. 

Track 2 is a cover of 'Godzilla' by Blue Oyster Cult. This is the first time I’ve heard a female sing this song and it sounds absolutely fantastic. I saw Blue Oyster Cult a few months back and they played this song but to be perfectly honest, Psychedelic Witchcraft do a better job than B.O.C did live. It's also very refreshing seeing a couple covers. A lot of bands have strayed away from covering songs in recent years but when you can add your own signature touch, like these guys have, then by all means, cover that shit! 

Track 3, 'Set Me Free', is a true piece of Sabbathian occult rock. Everything blends incredibly well and there's still a lot of breathing room with the guitar and bass tones so it's not total overkill. Virginia's vocals soar over the top of some very tight riffage before a great breakdown with just drums and bass involved. This leads way to another ripping solo from Jacopo Fallai as the track comes to a close. 

'Wicked Dream'is the 4th track on the album and the last of the brand new, original material that is exclusive to this release. These guys create such a dark, gloomy vibe to rock and roll but it works a treat and the visual imagery and lyrical themes all work as a cohesive unit.

'The Dark Lord'is another cover of the famous Sam Gopal song that featured Lemmyon lead vocals. It is in itself a fucking incredible song and it's so great to see recognition of it and Psychedelic Witchcraft do a superb job at doing it justice. As much as I love original material, I'd love to see these guys do a full cover album just to see what they would pick and see how Virginia can lend her voice to pretty much anything and do a fantastic job.

Track 6'Angela' is the first track taken from the “Black Magic Man” EP from 2015. This time round it sounds much more polished and it's great to see their older stuff rearing its head again. Psychedelic Witchcraft defined their style early on and they still stay true to the Coven-esque style of occult rock. There are also more current influences such as Blood Ceremony or Ruby the Hatchet who play very similar styles of music but I think Psychedelic Witchcraft are the most authentic occult-styled band. 

Track 7 'Lying on Iron' is another track from the “Black Magic Man” EP. It is a beautiful, yet haunting piece of music and one of the more mellow tracks on the album. The musicianship in this band is of a very high standard and the fusion of guitar, bass and percussion is extremely affective in creating this sound. The guitar solo uses a Jimi Hendrix 'Little Wing' sounding tone and works fantastically with the backing music. There are a million ways to describe how good Virginia's vocals are and yet again, she delivers an impeccable performance. 

Track 8 'Black Magic Man' is the title track from the EP of the same name. This was one of the first Psychedelic Witchcraft songs I heard and got me into listening to them. It definitely sounds a lot fuller this time round and reminded me why I love this band. Parts of this song remind me of early 90s desert rock but tainted with a hint of darkness. 

The final track on the album 'Slave of Grief' is also re-released from their debut EP. It has a very simple chord progression which is perfect for letting Virginiagrab your attention with her lyrics and vocals. It slowly chugs along and opens up around the 3 min mark with another ripping, fuzzed out guitar solo. Some of the tones on this album are very thick and fuzzy and some are clean and appropriate to the style of each song. This one is steeped in that classic vintage fuzz tone. The drums are absolutely on fire towards the end of this track and it all culminates in a witch's cauldron of musical brilliance as the track fades out. 

'Magick Rites and Spells'is a fresh, authentic display of classic occult rock being performed in the present day. It's a blessing to see a band who are truly absorbed in this genre, leading the way for all modern day occultists to follow. It's a very well-balanced mix of old, new and cover songs and an incredible follow-up to the masterpiece that was 'The Vision'. This band are only getting started and I'm truly excited to see what the future holds for Virginia and the guys. 

“Magick Rites and Spells”is available here

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Whores. - "Gold"

By: Jake Wallace & Victor Van Ommen

 

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/10/2016

Label: E.One Heavy |

SPV Steamhammer

 

“Gold” is more than an album, it’s an invitation to get your ass down to the rock show and have it get beat in the pit.

“Gold” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Playing Poor

2). Baby Teeth

3). Participation Trophy

4). Mental Illness as Mating Ritual

5). Ghost Trash

6). Charlie Chaplin Routine

7). Of Course You Do

8). I See You Are Also Wearing A Black T-Shirt

9). Bloody Like the Day you were Born

10). I Have A Prepared Statement

 

The Review

Atlanta 3-piece noise punk merchants Whores. have returned with more no-holds barred behaviour on their new release 'Gold' which came out on October 28th on E.One Records. This band certainly need no introduction but for those unfamiliar, it can be described in a couple words... nasty fucking noise.  

The album has an impressive 10 tracks and each one is a brutal, unrelenting assault in its own right. The other mind-blowing aspect of this band, is the fact that despite only having 3 members, they manage to create a towering, heavy sound.  To kick things off, Track 1 is called 'Playing Poor'. The first few seconds give you a taste of what's to come with that rumbling fuzz bass and before you can register what's going on, the song takes off into their trademark style of aggressive noise punk. It's a super tight unit and the vocal style fits the tempo and heaviness of the riffs wonderfully.  

'Baby Teeth' comes next and tips the scale into sludgier territory. The guitar and bass tones are heavy as Christ and the drums pummel away like a sledgehammer. The breakdowns towards the end with isolated bass are great and once the whole unit comes back in again it is carnage. If you had any baby teeth before this song started, you'll be sure to be spitting them out once it's over.  'Participation Trophy' is the third track on the album. Another ripping riff to begin with and then the vocals start to take the lead, shouting every syllable with utmost viscerality. Parts of the vocals on this track remind me of Maynard James Keenan after smoking 100 Marlboro with a throat infection. Very heavy shit indeed.  

'Mental Illness As Mating Ritual' has one of the many excellent song titles on this record. Whores. are merciless when it comes to riff writing and every last one of them are ferocious. The thick, fuzz bass fills every crevice of space in the low-end and the guitar has freedom to run riot on top of it.  'Ghost Trash' comes next and begins with a Clutch-styled riff before going into one of the many isolated bass breakdowns. The dynamics of having little touches of clean guitar among this monstrosity is a great effect and when the pedals are kicked in, you really notice how powerful the riffs are. The drums are particularly great on this track with some excellent fills between the episodes of manic noise-craft.  

'Charlie Chaplin Routine' ups the tempo and delivers a crucifying barrage of instrumentation. High octane behaviour that crosses a brief area of sludge halfway through before returning to the fast-paced wrecking ball that the song started with.  'Of Course You Do' is a straight up stoner rock track in the vein of Kyussor Melvinsand has some fantastic drumming keeping the ship afloat. There are some killer riffs in this track and it never loses steam as they keep churning out the goods. The last section at around 3 minutes sounds like a flight of hornets besieging a burning city to eradicate any living survivors. Devastatingly heavy.  

Track 8 ‘I See You Are Also Wearing A Black T-shirt' wins my award for the best song title of 2016. Coarse screaming vocals leading the onslaught with pure disdain for whatever makes him so angry. This track has a bit more of a traditional punk structure and the riffs are so weighted that Chuck Norris may need a few extra eggs in the morning to attempt to carry them.  'Bloody Like the Day You Were Born' is the penultimate track on the album. It is maybe one of the angriest sounding tracks on the album and the atmosphere is filled with psychotic fury. Yet again, they make superb use of the sections without guitar, allowing the bass sounds to permeate through and provide a pedestal for the 6 string to rear its ugly neck.  

The final track on the album 'I Have a Prepared Statement' is without a doubt my favourite track. Saving the best for last and all that. It begins with some guitar feedback which gives way to the beast lurking behind. The patient drums help build the moment up and the faint sound of the bass riff under the feedback makes you want to beg for the guitar to rip in and complete the trifecta. And it does. One of the best riffs I've heard in a long while and the vocals linger nicely between words to drag out this powerhouse. The lyrics 'I'm gonna sink this ship, down, down down!' are extremely catchy and seem to use up every last drop of energy that Christian Lembach has. The brief false stop at 4:40 makes you desperately hope the riff will return and before that thought has time to process... it's on top of you. It's a hugely impressive track and definitely what I would've picked to close the album.  

Whores. displays a keen sense of what makes a song a song by making sure that each riff, verse, or drum fill spins violently around a hooky chorus, like water does a drain. Coupling hard rhymes with a gruesome distortion on pretty much every instrument is the formula that makes these songs burst at the seams, literally. “Gold” is therefore more than an album, it’s an invitation to get your ass down to the rock show and have it get beat in the pit.

“Gold” is available everywhere now

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

REVIEW: Ten Ton Slug - "Brutal Gluttonous Beast" (EP)

By: Jake Wallace

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 25/10/2016

Label: Independent

'Brutal Gluttonous Beast' is an unbelievably solid debut EP from Ten Ton Slug. Absolutely crammed with riffs and the stories behind the songs combined with the imagery of the beast provide a superb visual accompaniment to their auditory devastation. Extremely promising beginning for a band that are deeply rooted in the sludge/groove metal genre and can deliver the goods with devastating power and magnitude.

“Brutal Gluttonous Beast” CD//DD track listing:

1). Trollhunter

2). Bloodburns

3). Subterranean

4). Unit

The Review:  

Ten Ton Slug are a 5-piece sludge/groove metal band based in Galway, Ireland. With one of the finest band names around, these lads provides some mind-numbing music that totally lives up to their image. Their debut EP 'Brutal Gluttonous Beast' was released on October 25th and the 4-track record is thoroughly crushing. With gig dates coming up in Dublin, Germany and the UK in 2017, you might just be lucky enough to bear witness to it. The Slug is hungry. The Slug shows no mercy. 

 'Trolhunter' is the first track on the EP and the onslaught begins viciously. A dual-guitar riff machine courtesy of Sean Sullivan and Adomas Trakumas provides an extremely dense wall of sound. The vocal work of Ronan O 'hArrachtain is ideal for this style of music and his range between deep growls and piercing screams is hugely extensive. This calibre of metal featuring on a debut EP is extraordinary and from the get-go it sounds as if these guys have been slugging (ha) away for years and years. Around 5 mins there's a great breakdown and Ronan incites more carnage before the riff machine takes hold again. The section at 5:40 where the pace begins to drop is a fantastic intro into the hell that awaits. The Slug unleash a massively powerful doom section with some siren-like guitar sounds and it seems like the troll might have met his demise. 

'Bloodburns' follows with a slightly different vibe in the vein of Orange Goblinexcept with Ronan putting Ben Ward to shame with his inner monster sounds. It is an incredibly tight unit and Sean's brother Micheal Sullivan is a total powerhouse on drums, allowing the guitars to run riot. Bass player Eoghan Wynne is in charge of the low-end territory by capturing the deep sludge sound and allowing the two guitarists to add layers to the crucifying delivery. The breakdown around 01:30 is another section which is hugely reminiscent of the artwork and I can't escape the thought of this brutal gluttonous beast slowly sliming along leaving destruction in its wake. (It'd make a hell of a music video guys). The tempo changes are rife in this track too and provides a true appreciation of how diverse this band can be.

The third track 'Subterranean'is the shortest on the EP with a run-time of 04:53. For me, this just means that these guys are gonna squeeze 7 minutes of riffs into a shorter track which is even more enticing. This tells the story of the Kraken rising from the depths to carry out some terror upon mortal men. So yes... we now have a combination of the Slug and the Kraken. There are some utterly filthy riffs present in this track again, especially in the section around 2min 20secs - it comes in like a hammer blow and doesn't subside until the Slug deems fit. The section at 3:15 has a slight Mastodon vibe to it and is executed with deadly precision courtesy of a ripping lead part. The outro is a great ending to the track with Ronan's roars of 'Let the Kraken rise!' slowly fading into the deep subterranea. 

The final track 'Unit'is another 7 minute titan. This contains by far my favourite riff from the whole EP. It's the kind of riff bands spend decades looking for and the Slug lads just blast it out like it's another day in the office.  It's simply a piece of beautiful savagery. This track was also probably the highlight of their performance on the New Blood stage at Bloodstock Festival this year which you can find on YouTube. Around 5 mins they introduce a sweet breakdown which opens up into another monstrous riff procession. Finally, the last riff at 6:15 is a perfect close to this song and to the whole EP. It allows each member to really shred out their last drop of sweat and Ronan's fierce roar slowly drifts away. 

'Brutal Gluttonous Beast' is an unbelievably solid debut EP from Ten Ton Slug. Absolutely crammed with riffs and the stories behind the songs combined with the imagery of the beast provide a superb visual accompaniment to their auditory devastation. Extremely promising beginning for a band that are deeply rooted in the sludge/groove metal genre and can deliver the goods with devastating power and magnitude

“Brutal Gluttonous Beast” is available now

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

REVIEW: Goya - "Doomed Planet" (EP)

By: Jake Wallace

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 30/10/2016

Label: Opoponax Records

'Doomed Planet' is an EP executed with absolute ferocity. The first two leviathans are earth-splittingly heavy and the varying in styles is notable, with the dark acoustic elements in 'Sorrow' and the raging cover of Marilyn Manson's 'Dogma'. Goya are definitely not messing around and in times of a 'Doomed Planet', the title is very apt.

“Doomed Planet” CD//DD track listing:

1). Doomed Planet

2). Hood and Bone

3). Sorrow

4). Dogma (Cover)

The Review:

3-piece doom metal outfit Goya are back. Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, their new 4-track EP 'Doomed Planet' was released a few weeks back on October 30th via Opoponax Records. 2016 marks Goya's fifth year as a band and there is no slowing down from this absolute powerhouse of riffs.  

The first track on the EP happens to be the title track, 'Doomed Planet'. Goyahave went straight off the bat with a 9 minute track and they take no prisoners whatsoever. The main riff trudges along at a savagely slow pace and sounds like it has been dragged through the mud. The low end in this track is enough to shake your foundations and satisfy the lust for doom. There are also some spacey guitar sounds rearing their heads in the background which add another layer to the mental image of a Doomed Planet. The band have self-proclaimed themselves as being in the vein of Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard and Sleepand despite the cliché of these three being the trifecta of doom metal, you can absolutely hear the individual influences of each in the music. 

Track two 'Hoof and Bone' begins with more solid fuzzed out guitar and bass and the riff is as equally devastating as the first track. The beauty of doom metal is the simplicity and the power you can wield with some basic riff-work and this is a shining example of how it's done. This track has a lot more lead guitar work and Jeff Owens displays his skills in the opening couple minutes. As the track moves on, I can't help imagining this as the soundtrack to Hell itself. If Dante Alighieri was able to capture the terrors of Hell in writing, then this is definitely the auditory equivalent. The massive wall of sound continues and around the 7min mark we get some more fiery licks from Owens as he gives some balance to this low-end beast. The track ends as the riffs slow down to a crawling pace and disapparates into the hellish mist. 

'Sorrow' takes a slightly different approach to the previous two songs. Firstly, this one is only 2min 40secs as opposed to the 10min behemoths that came before. A ferociously fuzzed out riff is repeated with acoustic guitar playing alongside and when the bass kicks in as well there's a very obscure sound created. It is indeed dripping with 'Sorrow' hence the name and creates a very morbid atmosphere throughout.  

The final track on the EP is a cover of 'Dogma' by Marilyn Manson and again, it takes a different style to the previous songs. It's an absolute thrashing cover and the guitar tones far outweigh the tones used in the original, making it a fucking solid endeavour. If Goya had written the song first, Marilyn'shypothetical 'cover' would never have matched up.  

'Doomed Planet' is an EP executed with absolute ferocity. The first two leviathans are earth-splittingly heavy and the varying in styles is notable, with the dark acoustic elements in 'Sorrow' and the raging cover of Marilyn Manson's 'Dogma'. Goya are definitely not messing around and in times of a 'Doomed Planet', the title is very apt.

“Doomed Planet” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Mother Mooch - “Nocturnes”

By: Jake Wallace

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: Out Now

Label: Krauted Mind Records

Their blend of psychedelia with grunge and stoner rock/doom is a highly sought after formula and Mother Mooch are keeping the secret closely guarded - and rightfully so.  ‘Nocturnes’ is an astounding album from a band that have the potential to conquer the world.

“Nocturnes” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). This Tempest

2). Sinners

3). My Song 21

4). Into the Water

5). L.H.O.O.Q.

6). Misery Hill

7). Hive Mind

8). Out On the Western Plain

The Review:

Mother Mooch are a 5-piece psychedelic doom grunge outfit from Dublin, Ireland. Originally releasing their highly-acclaimed debut album ‘Nocturnes’ back in November 2015, the band have now re-released it on vinyl through Krauted Mind Records (GER) and it is a stunning album from start to end, showcasing the amazing talent bursting out of Dublin’s stoner rock scene. 

Comprising of 8 tracks in total, the album has a diverse range of styles in the mixing pot. The first track, entitled ‘This Tempest’ kicks off the album and straight away you get the psychedelic grunge sound with a superbly tripped out intro that gives vocalist Chloë Ní Dhúada all she needs to give you a taste of her incredibly soulful voice. It’s an effortless display of vocal-work and becomes very hypnotising as the album progresses. The track slows down into a great jam around the 3-min mark and guitarist Sid Daly provides the flaming lead guitar work over a great grungy chord progression. 

‘Sinners’ is the next track on the album which starts off with a swinging guitar riff that you could listen to all day without it losing it’s initial impact. The band make great use of this rhythm and it works extremely well with Chloë’s vocals and the subtle touches of backing vocals adding an extra layer of depth to the song. There are so many different elements coming into play with this band and just when you think you know what it sounds like, it changes ever so quickly. They have a huge slab of the Palm Desertscene in their sound with a raw Seattlegrunge sound as well as the psych/stoner rock sounds of bands like Purson, Blood Ceremony or Electric Citizen.  

‘My Song 21’ is the third track on the album and is probably one of their most grungy punk sounding songs. Very upbeat and packed with energy, it’s a hell of a wild ride. It’s also the shortest track on the album at 1:29 but it’s a great little blast of energy to remind you these guys can put on an action packed live show. 

‘Into the Water’ is the fourth track on the album and begins with a beautiful clean sounding guitar riff. It patiently glides along while the drums and bass wrap themselves into the mix so perfectly. Yet again, Chloë’s vocals are so soulful and powerful and the entire intro section is a work of art. Then before you know it, the main riff of the song comes in and it is dripping in bluesy stoner rock goodness. The coalescence between the clean sounding passages and the main riff is incredible and they gel together perfectly to construct a truly outstanding track. Around the 3:27 mark, the track takes flight into a final wah’d out section of blasting tempos which brings it to a close.

Track 5, entitled ‘L.H.O.O.Q’  kicks off with a bang and doesn’t fuck about from the get-go. Straight away we have riffs, solos, ripping bass lines and crushing drumming. This is a total rocker and the chorus section is undoubtedly catchy. ('The Mona Lisa in your head!')

‘Misery Hill’ is track 6 on the album and yet again we’re slapped in the face with more killer riffs. The tag ‘psychedelic doom grunge’ is definitely the most accurate way of describing this music. I just love the unreserved sense of calm in Chloë’s vocals no matter what the music is doing. The chorus section in this track is one of my favourites of them all. The way the riff leads the way and the backing vocals give her a pedestal to belt out those sublime lyrics. 

Track 7 ‘Hive Mind’ is definitely my favourite song on the album. Believe me, seeing this live is a hell of a solid performance and something you have got to see. It reminds me heavily of Tooland the vocals are just out of this world. They capture this incredibly dark, morbid sound so vividly. The drumming from Danni Nolan adds so much to this track and really makes it a primal, intense experience. This song also contains one of the most disgusting and filthiest riffs I’ve ever heard and just around 2:50 you will understand why. Total destruction everywhere. Danni returns in with the drums, building the atmosphere once again. Guitarist Farl also does some incredible work throughout this song and his precise style of playing goes incredibly well Sid’s lead work. 

The final track on the album is ‘Out on the Western Plain’. This is a story about cowboys and it ticks every box on offer. Such a solid, driving rhythm throughout and the phaser sounds on the guitars sound absolutely magnificent. Chloë’s vocal style is completely perfect for this type of music and her nonchalant aura emanates through the music - it’s controlled and soulful but loose and elegant at the same time. There are some serious bass lines present and some more ripping cosmic solos from Sid on this track and both guitars sound like the amplifiers have been erected on the moon. This is probably my silver medal winner after ‘Hive Mind’. 

‘Nocturnes’ is an astounding album by a band that have so much potential to get recognised on a global scale. They are without a doubt one of the best bands on the Emerald Isle in the present day and this record is hard evidence to support such a claim. Their blend of psychedelia with grunge and stoner rock/doom is a highly sought after formula and Mother Mooch are keeping the secret closely guarded - and rightfully so. 

“Nocturnes” Vinyl Limited Edition is available through Krauted Mind Records here and you can download the album from Mother Mooch’s official store here

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

FFO: Electric Citizen, Purson, Blood Ceremony

"The Asteroid has Landed": INTERVIEW with Robin and Johannes of Asteroid & SONG PREMIERE of "Wolf & Snake"

The Asteroid has landed with new album “III”, 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. For well over a decade, Asteroid, one of the scenes leading lights in the heavy psych community and with a sound firmly rooted in the hard-hitting field of stoner rock the third instalment in Asteroid’s spectacular ascendancy 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. Armed with one of the best releases of 2016, Jake Wallace caught up with band for a quick interview and if that wasn’t enough we have an exclusive stream of “Wolf & Snake”, which you can stream and share at the end of this article. 

SL: Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. How are you guys doing today?

Robin & Johannes: Hey! Well actually I'm a little bit sick at the moment, got a bad cough after the last tour. But it's getting better so next week it's buissiness as usual.

SL: Your new record 'III' is a phenomenal album as I highlighted in my review for The Sludgelord. The first thing I’d like to ask is how the idea for the artwork came about?

R & J: Thank you very much, we are very proud of how it turned out. The art work for the album was put together by the amazing Mr Jerker Josefsson, who also worked with us on our new merchandise. We were throwing around ideas for the cover and came up with a couple of different concepts. This being one of them and actually the first one we tried. The photo turned out so good we didn't even try the other ideas...

SL: Can you give an overview on the main thought process for the album and which direction you wanted to take the music in comparison to your second album?

R & J: There has never been a main thought behind any of the albums. As soon as two or three songs come together, the rest of them sort of come natural and fill in the gaps of what we think is needed to make an album feel complete. It's very important that an album has a flow to it, ups and downs, ins and outs.

SL: Who were your main musical influences for the style of the songs on 'III'?

R & J: Hehe, I think we have the same influences as we've always had, we've just gotten better at making the songs sound the way we want them to.

SL: How do the songs usually come about? Does it begin with a guitar riff or do the lyrics set the theme for the music?

R &J: It can be any number of things. A guitar riff, a drum beat or a lyric. My phone is full of 10 second riffs or just me humming something. It can come from anywhere. I've used lines my friends and family say for lyrics and some have started from a beat I got from a machine. Most of “II” was written when I worked with Elvis at a printers standing across from an old cast-iron machine doing different rhythmic patterns. The mind starts to make up fun stuff when you do something monotonous.

SL: Was it a difficult process to write and record this album or did you find it to be manageable?

R & J: A bit, yes. We didn't have as much time to write and rehearse the songs as we did with “II”. So we had to do things a little different this time. The last song was actually written and recorded when everything else was already done. We have our good friend Mr Philip Saxin, who mixed and mastered the album, to thank for making it sound as good as it does! But it was hard work getting it done in time for sure.

SL: Asteroid is now a very well-known name in the world of stoner/fuzz rock, did you ever think you would achieve such recognition?

R & J: When me and Johannes started the band back in 2004 we didn't think much more of it than any other time you've started a band when drunk. So now, almost 12 year later, it feels very cool to still be able to make music that people find enjoyable. We never thought we would end up where we are today.

SL: What is the music scene like in Sweden? Were there many other bands playing similar music when you were first starting out?

R & J: When we started we were kind of the"odd man out"... Only a hand full of bands in Sweden were doing similar stuff and it was tough getting people to understand what the hell we were doing. When people don't understand something, they tend to get a bit uncomfortable, so it took some time o find our audience.

SL: What has been your most memorable gig/festival to date and where would be the ultimate venue to play?

R & J: Well that's a hard one... I remember one gig when we first started out, playing at a high school senior dance. Talk about being out of place! The weird ones always stand out. Utimate venue... Hm, hard to say. I like it when people dance and sing along to the songs, so I guess anywhere where people are happy and enjoying themselves.

SL: What bands are you guys listening to at the minute? Who is the hottest talent in the genre today?

R & J: Well our friends in Blues Pillsare great, Dorian was kind enough to lay down a solo for the album. Uncle Acid & The Dead Beats are good to, as well as Kadavar. Not to mention the darling lads in Limestone Whale, whom we spent the last couple of weeks on tour with.

SL: What is the future for the band? Where do you see yourselves in 5 years time?

R & J: I guess we'll keep making music and exploring what we can do, keep moving forward. We'd love to be able to do this for a living, but as you know that's not easy these days. We've started booking for next year and we're gonna try to visit a lot more places we've never been. And new music is on the horizon as well. But first we 're gonna spread the gospel of Asteroid“III”.

SL: Cheers for taking the time to chat, I wish you guys all the best in the future!

R & J: Thanks, it's been a pleasure. All the best to you all.

The End

Band info: facebook