We're moving right along; another week down in 2023. We didn't have that one big release that everyone's talking about this week a la Obituary, but it wasn't a bad week for January. I haven't had a chance to listen to the new albums from Katatonia or Faithxtractor yet, but I'll rectify that today and I don't plan on being disappointed. I did really enjoy The Lord Knows, the latest release from Swedish heavy stoner rockers Tidal Wave. It's the kind of meat and potatoes riff rock that we've come to expect from Ripple Music and while it doesn't hit quite as hard in the middle of a cold, gray winter, I'll be bookmarking this one for warmer days ahead when I'm cruising down the highway with the windows down in my Trans-Am, I mean minivan. I also dug the Cosmic Reaper side of the split Doom Sessions Volume VII on Heavy Psych Sounds.
So what did we miss last week? I think I'm covered there. I had a couple more releases trickle onto my radar, but nothing that made me take notice. There were a few big tour announcements this week. Mastodon is heading out with Gojira. That's a pretty huge tour right there and it's coming to Cincinnati, which is notable due to the fact that metal bands forgot the city existed for like 20 years. I can't say I'll be checking that one out. I could never get into Mastodon despite repeated tries. What am I missing? I did see them live once. Did they open for Slayer or am I imagining that? I think that's the one where I went last minute after work and caught a Slayer/Mastodon/Bodom show in business casual. The Black Dahlia Murder is going out with Terror and Frozen Soul. And then there's Elder hitting the road with Ruby the Hatchet. That one's not coming to Cincy, but I do need to see Ruby again, and not just because I already outgrew my t-shirt from the last time. So good stuff there. Catch them all if you can.
Let's see...what else? Metallica released another underwhelming single from their forthcoming album. I just don't understand how you guys do the 21st century James Hetfield voice. It's nails on the chalkboard for me. If it was just some rando Joe Schmo Rock n' Roll Band and didn't say "Metallica" on the front of that record, that shit would be openly mocked, right? Didn't even make it past the first verse. I give one-man black metal projects more time. Just turrible.
I want to start a new feature here where I highlight an older album that revisit each week. This week we're listening to Sheavy - The Electric Sleep. Released in 1998 on Rise Above Records, this is the only Sheavy record I own and I think the only one I ever listened to. I probably hadn't listened to this in nearly 20 years before I popped it on this week and I instantly remebered nearly every riff and lyric. Either I listened to this way more than I remembered or it's just that catchy. Either way, it's kind of strange that I never pursued them further. That probably has a lot to do with the availability of stoner and doom in the pre-streaming age. I have no idea where I even picked this one up; maybe mail order or something. Anyway, it's fantastic Sabbath worship from back when that wasn't so ubiquitous. I always loved the dreamy ballad "Savannah" and it's still a banger. Do you have a favorite Sheavy album or track? Every caught them live?
Okay, looking ahead to next week we have some promising stuff coming out from Malleus, the blackened death unit out of Boston. I also like what I've heard so far out of Seer of the Void and Sorrowful Land so we'll probably talking about those in more detail next week. Until then, have a great weekend and remember to keep doomin'.
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