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Biblical - Monsoon Season

3/28/2014

Toronto's Biblical have created a majestic, yet heavy, throwback on their debut album, Monsoon Season (New Damage Records). The first track, "Second Sight", kicks off with a drum sound that's so huge, you can just picture these guys loading a 28" bass drum into a van with a unicorn airbrushed on the side. And one of those weird round windows, probably.

The Biblical quartet is definitely going for a 70s sound here, with fuzzed out riffs occasionally giving way to haunting, reverb-drenched clean tones. When the band is in full gear, the overall sound is kind of bass and drum heavy, but the guitars don't ever really take a backseat. Between the killer tones, strong riffs and outstanding bluesy leads, Monsoon Season is a guitar album, through and through. Check out the menacing tone on the epic 11+ minute title track that closes out the album.

Biblical have shared the stage with Red Fang and The Sword, so you can get an idea of where they're coming from. On the stoner rock spectrum, these guys are definitely leaning more towards the spacey 70s sound than the dirty, riff-heavy 90s sound. Overall, Monsoon Season is a very enjoyable listen, but I think it's a little bland for the metal crowd. I don't waste my time reviewing subpar records, so that should tell you that this is definitely one to check out. It's probably not going to work its way into my regular rotation, but if you're into the 70s throwback revival and Uncle Acid and all of that stuff, I think you're really going to dig Monsoon Season.

Biblical

New Damage Records

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Space Chaser - Watch The Skies

3/21/2014

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I haven't really paid much attention to the thrash revival that's been going on for the last 10-15 years because (a) I've been much more interested in other forms of metal, (b) you can't really top the early Metallica and Slayer, so why bother trying, and (c) I just can't get past all of the cartoonish artwork and goofball lyrical content associated with some of the top American bands within the revival. So when the debut album from Germany's Space Chaser came across my desk, I was intrigued but not exactly salivating.

As it turns out, Watch The Skies is an early candidate for my year end Top 10. I am extremely impressed by the tightness Space Chaser plays with and the overall production of the album. Every instrument is clear and crisp and the bass sounds incredible, almost as good as the killer tone on the last Skeletonwitch record. Some of the riffs sound recycled, but that kind of goes with the territory whenever you're part of a revival scene, I suppose. But the majority of the riffs sound as good as anything from the 1980s thrash heyday. Watch The Skies will definitely get your head banging if you have even the slightest amount of metal flowing through your veins. The leads are stunning, too. A+ stuff, guys.

Two complaints here, one minor and one major. First, the big one...the singer sounds a little too much like a Joey Belladonna clone for my liking. The lyrics are all about space which is kind of lame, but these guys are German, so that's forgivable. The vocals, however, just don't fit with the music. I'm a Belladonna guy (at least versus that other turd who replaced him and killed Anthrax), but I'm just not feeling this guy for most of the album. He has some moments where he channels Geoff Tate and solo-era Bruce Dickenson and if he can harness those moments, he's going to be a hell of a frontman. There's also a killer scream/growl thing at the end of "Predator" that is absolutely insane. Loved it.

The minor complaint is the track order. The 'B-Side' of Watch The Skies absolutely blows the first 5 tracks away, beginning with a killer instrumental, "Space Chaser", that I would classify as "must hear". The entire second half of the album is amazing and I'm left wondering why Space Chaser put the weaker stuff up front. Maybe I'm missing something. I mean, the first 5 tracks are great, but they just don't hold a candle to the last 5, excluding the penultimate track, "Thrashold", which is just a terrible play on words. Again, forgiveness granted due to the German thing.

Overall, this is a highly impressive debut. The young German thrashers take everything that ruled from the old thrash and cut out the fat from the new wave to put together one of the best releases of 2014 so far. Keep an eye on these dudes. I'm expecting big things in the future.

Space Chaser's Watch The Skies will be released in North America and the UK thru This Charming Man Records on May 5, 2014. The rest of our European friends can look for the album on April 12.

Space Chaser via Sheltered Life PR

This Charming Man Records

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Mos Generator - Electric Mountain Majesty

3/20/2014

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I have to admit that I was a little bummed out when I first listened to the new album from Mos Generator, Electric Mountain Majesty. The album features some bad ass cover art and not being familiar with the band, I expected the music to match the artwork; something heavy and doomy as fuck. What we have instead are 10 tracks of Monster Magnet worshipping stoner metal. There are some solid doom moments on Electric Mountain Majesty and the overall sound is great, if you can disassociate the music from the cover art.

When you hold Mos Generator up against their stoner metal contemporaries, they actually sound quite good. The singer has a heavy Dave Wyndorf influence, but there's some Wino Weinrich and Paul Stanley in there too. The guitars are fuzzy, the riffs are everything you'd expect from a doom/stoner band and the hooks are present in abundance. I don't know much about these guys, but I assume they set out to make a classic rock and roll record and they came pretty close. Upon repeat listens, the album is actually pretty killer. The trio from Washington state just write really good rock songs. That's rare in the world of underground 70's inspired stoner metal. It's nice to hear a straightforward approach once in a while.

Overall, the album is a little too upbeat for my tastes and there's a reason I got bored with my mid-90's Monster Magnet albums fairly quickly. This is good driving music, but it's not something that I would keep in heavy rotation at the Fortress of Doom. I would absolutely check these guys out live and I'll keep an eye on them to see what they're up to in the future. I just hope next time they don't dupe me with the album cover.

Electric Mountain Majesty will be released stateside on April 15, 2014 on Listenable Records.

Mos Generator

Listenable Records

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Unsigned Band of the Month - Grey Widow

3/19/2014

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London's Grey Widow has crafted a brand of blackened, doomy, sludgy noise metal that has to be heard to be believed. The band simply describes their sound as "filth" and that is the most apt description I can think of. On their debut full-length, simply titled I, Grey Widow unleash a storm of heavy sounds that absolutely punish the listener, but it's not just noise for the sake of noise. There are great songs in here, too. I was mesmerized by this album, and I'm not usually into blackened sludge, so these blokes are doing something right. It just sounds like something that you shouldn't be listening to.

http://greywidow.bandcamp.com/

Honorable Mentions:

A heavy blues trio hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Child recently released their self-titled debut album and if you're into the bluesier side of stoner/doom, you're going to want to check this shit out. Imagine Stevie Ray Vaughn jamming with Black Sabbath...

http://childtheband.bandcamp.com/

London's Possessor, a doomy, evil, occult metal outfit, recorded their debut on a 8-track recorder and the starkness of the album is incredible. There are some volume swells here and there, but these guys are definitely on to something. This is some pretty creepy stuff...

http://possessor.bandcamp.com/

Perish, a stoner rock foursome from the Iron City, bust out riffs as heavy as their hometown steel on their debut album. I think when these guys find their style, they're going to be devastating. Sometimes they sound a little too much QotSA, but that's not totally a bad thing...

http://perish.bandcamp.com/

Editor's Notes: I plan to run this feature every month, so keep the submissions coming. We listen to everything that comes in, so feel free to submit your unsigned band albums and recommendations. Please stick to metal, though. I heard enough indie rock last month to last a lifetime. - JO

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The Shrine - Bless Off

3/12/2014

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Hey, man, do you like stoner rock? How about some SoCal skate punk? Maybe a little New Wave of British Heavy Metal? Then I've found the perfect band for you. Los Angeles' The Shrine have just released their latest record, Bless Off, on Tee Pee Records and it's a damn good one.

I have to admit that I had never heard of these guys prior to this album and I had no idea what to expect when I pressed "play". My very first reaction was along the lines of, "Oh, they're another retro-NWOBHM band. Cool." The first couple tracks sound like they came right out of a Paul Dianno-era Maiden recording session, right down to the signature Fender bass sound and the snarling vocals. These dudes definitely know their way around a fretboard, but the NWOBHM label doesn't quite do them justice. I'm not a punk guy by any means, but when Bless Off kicks into overdrive and The Shrine launch into skater punk mode, it doesn't get much better. I'm seeing a lot of Black Flag comparisons, if that means anything to you. If you're not really into punk, you'll still find plenty of guitar solos and killer riffs throughout. Like I said, these dudes know how to jam.

Bless Off has an early 80's sound for sure, but it somehow doesn't sound or feel dated. It basically sounds like Steve Harris joined Fu Manchu and they wouldn't let him write any songs longer than 5 minutes and they all listened to Screaming For Vengeance while taking massive bong hits in an empty skate pool. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, I have some good news for you. Bless Off is now available worldwide and The Shrine is in the midst of a European tour that stretches into April. For more info on these SoCal degenerates, check out their Bandcamp page: http://theshrine.bandcamp.com/.

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Hellbenders - Brand New Fear

3/7/2014

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I'm not sure if there's a big stoner rock scene in Brazil, but if there are more bands down there as good as the Hellbenders, I'm going to need to head down there to do a full investigation. On their debut full-length album, Brand New Fear, the Brazilians unleash a massive dose of up-tempo, hard-edged stoner metal that is bound to impress fans from all corners of the stoner rock/doom/metal universe.

Kicking off with a riff that would fit right in on a Valley of the Sun record, Brand New Fear grabs the listener by the balls immediately and doesn't let up through the first five tracks. There's something for everyone here; Orange Goblin-esque rockers, Kyuss-influenced jam parts, smooth Fu Manchu California grooves, gravelly vocals, a killer bass solo on "Whorehouse Murder", tons of gang vocals for the East Coast thrashers, spectacular chorus hooks, riffs, riffs, and more monster riffs, and even a sub-two minute punk rocker about female genitalia. (Note: I don't usually condone goofball lyrics, but this one works for some reason.)

The production is clear and the sound is huge. This is definitely one to crank up on the highway in your conversion van or El Camino. The album does drag a bit in its second half, but I wouldn't say that there's any filler to be found on Brand New Fear. Every track has something that grabs your attention, and the record is absolutely worth a second and even third spin right out of the box. While I'm giving Hellbenders the dreaded "stoner rock" title, I think Brand New Fear is more of a beer drinking album than a pot smoking album. That said, I'm sure you'll all enjoy this one no matter what you're imbibing. This is just super fun rock and roll, played loud and fast and heavy. Highly recommended.

Editor's Notes: Hellbenders will make their American live debut next week (3/12) with a couple of showcases at SXSW: Casa Brasil showcase @ Icenhauer's (1 PM) & SXSW official showcase @ Metal & Lace (11 PM). To purchase a digital copy of Brand New Fear, or to hear samples, click on the link below. - JO

Hellbenders BandCamp

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Salem's Pot - ...Lurar ut dig på prärien

3/1/2014

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When I received an advance copy of Salem's Pot...Lurar ut dig på prärien, I was immediately skeptical due to the terrible pun in the band's name. Okay, we get it. You're a stoner band. Ten seconds into the first track, however, I realized that "pot" may be referring to a witches kettle rather than dope. Lesson learned, once again. Don't judge a book (or album) by it's cover, even though ...Lurar ut dig på prärien has one of the best album covers that I've seen in a long time. You can actually judge this record by it's cover. The weirdo, creepy, sexy late 60's vibe on the cover perfectly relays what's inside.

...Lurar ut dig på prärien definitely falls on the stoner side of the doom scale, but that's a good thing here. The album only contains 3 tracks but it clocks in just over 33 minutes in total. That should give you an idea how deep these Swedes delve into the psychedelic side of things. The overall sound reminds me of The Munsters theme song, if everyone was on acid and Herman slaughtered the entire family at the end of each episode. I really can't think of an apt band comparison, because this sounds like nothing I've ever heard before. Perhaps you could say Salem's Pot is like a heavier, more malevolent Uncle Acid. It's like a combo of the 60s and 70s, which is pretty cool in my book. These guys sound like they are dooming out in Mod-era London, a few years before Sabbath wrote the book on doom.

The guitars and bass are predictably fuzzed out throughout the record, but the tone and tempo never drag, even considering the extra long songs. The vocals are heavily processed, but one can still make out the lyrics, which deal largely with agony and despair. The vocalist really nails the part here, sounding like he's pleading for his life with every shriek and wail. The extra instrumentation - organs and such - are what give the album it's unique feel. I listened to this album three times in a row in the car and it seemed like I was listening to 90 minutes of new music, and it still creeped me out the third time through. Via the magic of internet translation, I found out that ...Lurar ut dig på prärien translates to "fooling you out on the prarie", which makes absolutely zero sense and only adds to the weirdo vibe.

...Lurar ut dig på prärien comes out on April 29, 2014 on EasyRider Records. I can't recommend this album highly enough if you are looking for the psychedelic soundtrack to your nightmares.

Salem's Pot BandCamp

EasyRider Records

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Biblical - Monsoon Season

Space Chaser - Watch The Skies

Mos Generator - Electric Mountain Majesty

Unsigned Band of the Month - Grey Widow

The Shrine - Bless Off

Hellbenders - Brand New Fear

Salem's Pot - ...Lurar ut dig på prärien

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