Boris - Noise

Do not be mislead by the album title “Noise”. Anyone who is 
expecting another “Heavy Rocks” will have to think again. Boris 
have said they wanted this album to sum up everything they have done 
in the past.

So naturally, this is a fucking masterpiece. Throughout the album’s 8 

song, 58 minute duration, the band masterfully intermingles sludge-rock, 

blistering crust punk, shimmering shoegaze, epic thunderous doom, 

psychedelic melodies and just about everything else they’ve ever done. 

Returning to their classic trio lineup, guitarist/vocalist Wata has upped 

her game of sonic exploration and produced some stunning work that 

redefines the term ‘epic’. Some of the fastest songs they have tackled 

are sprayed over this album, driven by frenzied psychedelic riffing. 

Elsewhere colossal doom rubs shoulders with shoegaze atmospherics 

which lead into delicate tracks of shimmering vocals and contemplation. 

“Angel” is the album’s nearly 19-minute epic centerpiece that builds from 

entrancing chiming guitar notes and softly pulsing toms, ultimately 

breaking into a massive wall of drop-tuned sludge and a howling 

guitar lead reminiscent of Boris tracks “Feedbacker” and “Flood.” 

The song continues to shift gears several times as it builds in tension 

and emotion toward a very satisfying resolution, taking the entire track 

full circle to where it began.

This is the good stuff.

Get from Bandcamp

Facebook

Thanks to Sargent House Records for sending this to me.

Zeppheroin - Methadone Jesus

It is that time of the year where once again I make an album

instead of just reviewing it.

Slow, heavy as fuck riffs but no mention of the occult or 

burning witches - is it still Doom?

Hypnotic grooves and shit loads of distorted guitar but all in the 

spirit of The Stooges or VU - is it still Stoner?

Recorded on cheap equipment and all the vocals and solos were 

limited at two takes so the attack and intensity were not lost - 

punk still runs in my blood.

Play it and make your own mind up.

Better still, send it to people you hate.

Spread the word if ya can.

Free Download at Bandcamp

BLUE CHEER - "VINCEBUS ERUPTUM" 1968

Formed in San Francisco in 1967, Blue Cheer are often named checked in association with a wide range of current loud and noisy musical genres. Heavy distorted blues stoner with a bit of an experimental edge is my favoured description of this early 3 piece powerhouse.

The band is said to have been named after a type of LSD manufactured by one Owsley Stanley, who's very "far out " ramblings are featured on the reverse of the sleeve pictured here.

He became infamous for his association with The Grateful Dead and for his part in the rise of the psychedelic drug culture on the West Coast during the late 60's. 

Here's a link to see them performing to their debut single, a version of the classic rock'n'roll standard "Summertime Blues", which, along with the album, charted in the States. 

I wholeheartedly recommend that all you lovers of loud and heavy things in this world check out the entire album. Its 6 tracks being a 50/50 split between self penned songs and cover numbers, which I'm certain you will find a great way to pass 32 minutes of your lives !

The band continued to gig in one form or another right up until founder and bassist Dickie Peterson's death from cancer in 2009. 

words by DOUG E DOGG - thanks for filling in

during my break.

Always Wanted War - "C.R.E.A.M."

from: Germany

sounds like: grunge 2.0

just one song: Stars hollow

Here are the five reasons why I daily listen to this EP for more than one month:

1. The intro: it features a banjo AND it sounds good, and it is the long awaited proof 

that hardcore bands can go accoustic without playing wimpy tunes a bunch of 15 years 

old scouts wouldn’t even welcome to their firecamp sessions. Which means three good 

surprises in less than 2 minutes. Good job.

2. Mixing the stoner riffs and rythmics with the screamo vocals is just a perfect idea 

I keep wondering why nobody thought about it before: you got the heaviness, you got 

the emotion, what would you need more? 

3. The good surprises happen all the time, be them the choruses in Stars hollow and 

the way they play around the traditionnal gang vocals ; the time bomb bridge in Derry ;

 the blink of groovy disco beat in Gotham ; the distorted new-wavy verse “It seems 

so far away from me” in Coldmoat ; or the falsely quiet bridge that ends in a dirty heavy 

metal solo in Blashyrkh. These seven songs are nothing but a succession of small birthdays 

for your ears. 

4. I am waiting for a decent grunge revival for years, and I finally found a band that sounds 

like grunge should do in 2013. But don’t get me wrong. Grunge was desperate but naïve, 

ironic but sincere, heavy but melodic, primal but complex. If C.R.E.AM. fulfills brillantly 

all these requisites, it also twists the model in order to propose a fresh alternative, namely 

by swapping 70’s heavy metal for stoner rock and hardcore punk for screamo. It manages to 

definitively keep the spirit, but also, and moreover, to play with your ears and expectations 

in a way you wish your girl/boyfriend would do with your body.
 

5. Last but not least, I fancy hairy butts and extreme choregraphy:

the bandcamp, where you can download the EP for FREE.

the facebook, just in case.

the wordpress, because you deserve it.

If you don't want to order the EP directly from them, just check:
- Moment of Collapse

- Black Lake Records

- Fake Art Fake Music

- Throatruiner

- SickmanGetting Sick Records

- Shivery Productions

- Tief in Marcellos Schuld Records

Always Wanted Objectivity:

- slightly less enthusiastic SWNK

- short What are blood Wings

-  german winterhimfruehling

- portuguese Misantropia Extrema

words by Matthieu

THE VANDALS - "PEACE THRU' VANDALISM" (1982) US Import 12" EP

The legendary track "Urban Struggle" first assaulted my earholes in the pub I've mentioned before where I first met Mr Maim...that's the one which played music at gig-like volume. This song was always very well received especially as it usually reared its ugly head later on of a Saturday evening when countless tins of Colt45 lager/beer had been consumed by all and sundry !!

This is a band who take neither themselves or the world at large particularly seriously and just appear to want to have an enormous amount of fun. This EP is their debut release from 1982 and could best be described as full throttle US garage punk. You are no doubt already aware of my affinity with vinyl and boy did this take some finding. 

Having spent several hours visiting all the likely outlets in central London, I travelled west to Portabello Road  where I spied a copy hanging on the wall of a fairly new independent record shop.....Excellent !!

 I was pleased to find the other 5 tracks, besides "Urban Struggle", were as equally good fun to listen to at great volume....my other personal favourite is "H.B. Hotel" which is a very loose interpretation of Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel" and includes the immortal chorus of "I get so lonely, so fucking lonely, I get so lonely I could shit !!".....

Here's a handy link to listen to the whole EP....just 13:27 mins.....enjoy !

The Vandals are still a going concern although bassist Joe Escalante is now the only original band member. Interestingly, Joe spent the first 8 years in the band (1980-88) playing drums !!

Their debut album, "When In Rome Do As The Vandals", released in 1984 is well worth checking out although it is rather more produced than the EP, whose rather rough and ready approach I find to be part of its appeal.

words by DOUG E DOGG

Archiv Hate / BIL joint project.

From Latvia to London, Artūrs Vilmanis has designed a joint 

Archiv Hate/BIL shirt. Show your disgust with the world and wear 

with pride!

See shirts here!

Desertfest - London, Sunday 27th April

Arrive in Camden and meet the boys from Robot (A) and

First Process Church Of Mars.

Get a drink.

First band of the day is at the Underworld - Lifer

These guys come on and start the day off with slabs of hate 

filled sludge that is loud and furious. Inbetween the singer

telling us they are a  "bunch of Welsh cunts" we are told that

it is the new guitarists 2nd gig. Stood at the side of the stage quietly

but  played wave after wave after wave of sonic destruction.

Saw the singer afterwards and he told me they had had no sleep since

the day before and spent the night in their van. Nice one!

Get a drink.

War Wolf were on next and they should of been higher up
in the running order. Hardcore doom played with full intensity
and passion. I though had seen the guitarist/singer before.

Bumped into him later on that day - he is also in Sea Bastard
who were great at last years Desertfest. War Wolf like short
songs that attack and mangle your ear drums. One of the fastest
bands of the day and were great.

Get a drink.

Run over to The Electric Ballroom to see Black Rainbows.
This was worth the admission price alone. Powerful, driving
psych stoner which sounded all the better because of the Ballrooms
sound system that could actually cope with the vast volume these guys
cranked out. Their excellent set was rounded of with an insanely great
version of "Black To Comm" which was simply the best MC5 cover
version that I have ever heard.

Get a drink.

Stay there for Lonely Kamel. Never heard these guys before
but it was a real treat of stoner grooviness.

The band really got the crowd going and I made a mental note to track
down the albums. According to those who know about such things,
the version of "Grim Reefer" was note perfect and awesome.

Refuse a drink - getting a bit wobbly!

Run like a bastard to see the start of Wolfs Head at the Black
Heart. In this tiny venue, Wolfs Head seen an unstoppable force of nature
mixing elements of almost black metal with hardcore. Special mention must
go to the drummer. He produced the best drum sound I have heard in a
long time - sounded like a machine gun being fired in your ears.

Get a drink.

Radio Moscow back at the Ballroom. As always they were good
with the guitar player in full Hendrix/Marino mode but I kinda got the
feeling that the (really fantastic) solos were thought up first and then the
songs fitted around them.

Get a drink/refuse ..... not quite sure!

Next up were Elder. Lots of pounding riffs and hooks, great song
writing and real driving attitude.

Left after a bit to check out the Underworld. Eurostar had fucked up the
arrival of Graves At Sea & Sourvein and everything was about a hour late.
I think we saw 10 minutes of Graves At Sea but still am not sure!

Get a drink.

Back to the Ballroom for Church Of Misery.

Never seen these guys before and was plenty hyped for this.
They looked cool - they looked serious - they performed old
and new material with an intense manic energy ......... and they sucked.
They sucked because some cunt of a soundman totally lost the
guitar in the mix, resulting in a very bass heavy sound which made the
guitar player looking like he was miming, such was the lack of power
coming through the P.A.
A real shame - let's hope they return to these shores with a new engineer!

Boris more than made up for my disappointment by playing a set of
such gigantic and epic sound that people left at the end looking
stunned and dazed.

Picture copyright Giant Robot. I was too pissed to work my phone!

The guitar sound was fucking immense and murderous. Huge walls of
controlled feedback rumbled deep in my stomach and made an insane
grin that stayed on for the whole set. Drawing from the Heavy Rocks album
was always going to be a winner but the last 2 new songs just blew me
away. 15-17? minutes long was an epic that started off with delicate
picked notes that rang into silence and, oh so slowly, built up into
something that could only be described as a cross of Floyd, Sabbath,
The Melvins, Electric Wizard and Sgt Pepper era Beatles.

I went happily home then, trying not to fall asleep on the train
and miss my stop. Roll on Desertfest 2015 who have already
confirmed the mighty Sleep!