Promo picture by Heidi Tuulia | Photography @portraitsbyheidituulia
Finnish stoner/punk rock band Alkemia released their debut Alkemia EP via Inverse Records.
Alkemia’s debut EP recordings began in 2023 with drums, bass, and rhythm guitars tracked at the professional studio of Ammattiopisto Live in Espoo. The remaining guitar overdubs, solos, and vocals were recorded at the band’s rehearsal space in Helsinki.
The goal was to capture a live, groovy sound in the songs. Initial mixing difficulties were resolved by switching mixers, with the final mix completed by Ville Siikamäki. The EP aimed for a sound blending Eyehategod and Bad Brains, keeping the overall vibe raw and rock-driven without overly polished details.
The EP’s creation took time, as all good alcoholic, er, alchemical processes do. There was no rush, and the band worked around other commitments, as they noted in their press release.
Alkemia – Alkemia EP (EP 2025) Cover by Zehra Fulya Köksoy
Track list:
Unida
1+1
Höyrypää
Piru Merrassa
Kääntöpuoli
The band has no concrete plans for the future. Only to keep playing and writing new songs. Some gigs are also lined up for the fall, including the EP release show at Playhouse Bar in Helsinki on November 1st 2025.
Promo picture by Heidi Tuulia | Photography @portraitsbyheidituulia
The Electric Highway Festival is excited to announce the full lineup for the 2025 edition of the Festival being held inCalgary, AB on April 4 & 5 at Dickens (1000 9 Ave SW).
Canadian veteran sludge metal band BISON headlines the whole festival while doom metal band CASTLE headlines Friday night. They will be joined by Southern California band FEVER DOG, and various Western Canadian bands including LA CHINGA, BUFFALO BUD BUSTER, THE GETMINES, 88 MILE TRIP, and more.
The Final Full Line Up by Day:
Friday, April 4, 2025 Castle (San Francisco/ Vancouver) Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary) Blacksmith and Brewer (Vancouver)) CHÛNK (Vancouver) Hydracat (Edmonton) The Astral Prophets (Calgary) BUNS (Calgary) Doors 5pm – Show 6pm
Saturday, April 5, 2025 Bison (Vancouver) La Chinga (Vancouver) Fever Dog (Southern California) The Getmines (Vancouver) 88 Mile Trip (Vancouver) Lover (Calgary) GEOFF (Calgary) Doors 5pm – Show 6pm
Advance 2-day passes are available for $75. Advance single-day tickets are $40 for Friday and $45 for Saturday
The Electric Highway Festival hosts various genres that range from Desert Rock, Stoner Metal, Doom, Sludge, Trippy Psychedelic, Surf Rock, Acid Rock, Noise Rock, Fuzz Rock, Space Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Psych, Heavy Blues, Southern Rock, Fuzzy Punk, Sludgy Hardcore bands and variations of any of the previously mentioned styles. The festival includes a vendor area with interesting goods for attendees to take home with them.
Previous editions of the festival featured one of the event’s past favorites Californian headliners Sasquatch, Juno Award-winning Canadian band ANCIIENTS, Vancouver’s La Chinga, Space Queen, Dead Quiet, and more, Gnarwhal from Yellowknife, NWT, Calgary’s Gone Cosmic, Hombre, Flashback among many more, and a whole host of other great bands.
Ontario’s premiere doom/stoner rock gathering Rhüne Mountain Festival are pleased to announce ECSTATIC VISION, ACID MAMMOTH, THE DEATH WHEELERS and SONS OF OTIS are confirmed to play the festival.
Set to take place on June 26-28th in Stoney Creek Ontario, this year’s edition of Rhüne Mountain Festival is one for the history books with legendary bands DOPETHRONE, INDIAN HANDCRAFTS and SONS OF ARRAKIS previously confirmed to play.
January 31, 2025, PORTLAND – Red Fang kicks off their 20th-anniversary celebrations with the March 14 release of Deep Cuts, an extensive 26-song collection of non-album tracks, covers, and previously unreleased singles.
A preview of the album arrives today with the release of “It’s Always There” (https://orcd.co/redfang-deepcuts), a track from the deluxe version of Whales and Leeches. “I remember really liking the melancholic vibe of ‘It’s Always There,’ but Aaron and I had no vocal ideas coming to mind,” recalls Bryan Giles. “When I lived in San Diego, I became friendly with Pall Jenkins, and was always a fan of Three mile Pilot and The Black Heart Procession, so it was exciting for me to enlist his help bringing the song to life. I think he did a really beautiful job on it!”
Deep Cuts also includes several covers, such as the Wipers’ “Over The Edge,” and Tubeway Army’s “Listen To Sirens,” along with rare Red Fang originals like “Antidote” (from the mobile game, “Red Fang: Headbang!”) and “Wires (demo),” which makes its vinyl debut.
“Perhaps unremarkable to anyone else, it’s fucking amazing to me that we have made it TWENTY YEARS,” Aaron Beam shares. “Before we started jamming in John Sherman’s basement, I’d already been in 40 (maybe more!) bands, none of which lasted more than a year or two. Yet somehow in 2005, for the first time since probably 1987 I found myself without any band to play in. It turned out this was also true of John, David, and Bryan! So it was only natural that we’d start playing together.
All we ever wanted to do was make music that we knew our friends would be stoked to hear at a basement party. Our first show was in David’s basement, and no matter how big the stages were that we ended up playing, we always tried to bring as much of that basement party feeling as we could.
In that regard, this double album feels very much at home. It’s got a sampling of the weird variety of covers that reflect the different shit that inspire us. The computer drum-laden home demo for ‘Wires’ gives a little peek into the process that we pretty rarely but sometimes used for writing (more often than not, all the writing happened in the jam space). There’s of course a generous helping of rare B-sides and bonus tracks that might be hard to find even in today’s digital world. And there’s even a smattering of pretty atypical GarageBand demos that are some of my favorite things to listen to on this record. They could probably never make a regular Red Fang release, but really let you see what is going on in our heads when we’re not banging them!
Please enjoy this record that we are happy to have made for you.”
1. Antidote (from the “Red Fang: Headbang!” mobile game)
2. The Shadows (from Scion AV Presents – Red Fang)
3. Murder The Mountains (bonus track from Whales and Leeches Deluxe Version)
4. Weird Poly *
5. Hollow Light *
6. Over The Edge (Wipers’ cover)
7. Listen To The Sirens (Tubeway Army cover)
8. Stereo Nucleosis (from the Adult Swim Singles Series)
9. Black Hole (bonus track from Murder the Mountains Deluxe Digital Version)
10. Through (No Talent cover)
11. Champ Chugger **
12. Ice Ice Baby *
13. It’s Always There (bonus track from Whales and LeechesDeluxe Version)
14. Black Water (bonus track from Whales and Leeches Deluxe Version)
15. Pawn Everything (bonus track from Murder the MountainsDeluxe Digital Version)
16. Wires (Demo)
17. In 5 With Keys *
18. Bad Places (Played on the band’s first U.S. tour, one of the first ever Red Fang songs)
19. Forgot To Write *
20. Endless Sea (from the Spelljams soundtrack)
21. Suicide (Dust cover)
22. OMG OMD *
23. LSP (from “Wires” single)
24. 50’s Tremors **
25. AGB Fruit **
26. Feeder (bonus track from Only Ghosts Deluxe Version)
*-Written/recorded during the pandemic lockdowns at the band’s practice space
**- Songs recorded at Aaron’s house “almost certainly while legally high on marijuana”
Photo credit: James Rexroad
Red Fang is Aaron Beam (bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards), Bryan Giles (guitar, vocals, synthesizers, happy accidents), John Sherman (drums) and David Sullivan (guitars). Over their 20-year career the Portland, Oregon based band has released five studio albums: Red Fang (2009), Murder the Mountains (2011), Whales and Leeches (2013), Only Ghosts (2016), and Arrows (2021). Their music videos have captivated a generation of heavy music fans, racking up tens of millions of views. From the beer-can armor of “Prehistoric Dog” to Fred Armisen’s cameo in the zombie-themed “Blood Like Cream,” and the katana-gone-wrong chaos of Arrows,” Red Fang has mastered the art of the music video like no other band.
Canadian heavy psychedelic rock ensemble AAWKS has announced the release of their latest single, “Death Trip (Naglfar)“, a preview of their eagerly anticipated album On Through The Sky Maze scheduled for release on March 21, 2025. This new track is available now for fans who appreciate a blend of intense rock dynamics and mystical lyrical themes.
“Death Trip (Naglfar)” sets a bold tone for the upcoming album with its powerful lyrics and immersive soundscapes. The single reflects AAWKS‘ continued evolution, incorporating heavier riffs, grooves, and a compelling narrative of otherworldly voyages and cosmic battles. The band encourages listeners to delve into the track, whether they think they’re cool or not, with a tongue-in-cheek nod to their laid-back ethos.
Lyrics from the single paint a vivid picture: “Beware of these towering sails, This death ship is heavy with nails. Now is the time of the storm, These angry spirits begin to transform.”
AAWKS continues to captivate with their unique blend of stoner, doom, fuzz rock, and sludge, all while exploring fantastical themes. The upcoming album On Through The Sky Maze promises to take listeners on a darker journey through themes of the occult, life and death, and demonology. With the addition of new bassist and vocalist Ryan “Grimepup” Mailman, the album showcases a heavier and more intense version of AAWKS, perfect for those late-night hours spent in the shadows of forests and swamps.
About AAWKS: Hailing from the mysterious foothills of Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie Ontario Canada, AAWKS make heavy-psych, stoner-doom music. They mix melodic songwriting with pummeling riffs and grooves and their music is as influenced by newer bands such as MEPHISTOFELES, MONOLORD, WINDHAND and the MELVINS as it is by classic rock bands like BLACK SABBATH, PINK FLOYD and DEEP PURPLE.
They explore fantastical themes of the occult and spin tales of mind expansion and spaced out exploration of the multiverse. AAWKS released their debut full length album (((((HEAVY ON THE COSMIC))))) in June of 2022 on Black Throne Productions which landed at #2 on the Doom Charts that month.
Quebec stoner rock sensations SONS OF ARRAKIS have been confirmed to headline Day 3 of the Rhüne Mountain Festival which will be held in Stoney Creek, Ontario, from June 26th to 28th, 2025. Created by Ryan Hilton of Black Throne Productions and Paul Cameron of Toten Industries, with assistance from Tarantula Tapes, members of AAWKS, Z Hollow Studios, Fuzzed and Buzzed, and Bonecrusher Presents, the festival was born from a desire to fill a void in Ontario’s stoner rock and doom scene. It offers fans a unique festival experience with camping and multiple stages.
The organizers comment: “We’re excited to finally be gearing up for next June with an incredible team of Ontario record labels, promoters, tour bookers, sound engineers, local businesses, investors and project managers to bring this idea to life.
This is where talent and creativity meet. Immerse yourself, camp out for the weekend and discover new music while making memories in the Ontario music scene. Be a part of what’s sure to be the biggest event in Dunnville, Ontario in 2025 – don’t miss it!”
May 31 | Portland, ME *^ Jun 01 | Norwalk, CT *^ Jun 02 | Rochester, NY *^ Jun 04 | Grand Rapids, MI *^ Jun 05 | Indianapolis, IN *^ Jun 07 | Madison, WI *^ Jun 08 | Palatine, IL *^ Jun 09 | Chicago, IL *^ Jun 10 | Des Moines, IA *^ Jun 12 | Lawrence, KS *> Jun 14 | Memphis, TN *> Jun 15 | Oklahoma City, OK *> Jun 17 | Little Rock, AR *> Jun 18 | Nashville, TN *> Jun 19 | Birmingham, AL #> Jun 21 | Richmond, VA #> Jun 22 | Charlottesville, VA #> Jun 23 | Silver Spring, MD #> Jun 24 | Pittsburgh, PA *> Jun 26 | Patchogue, NY *> Jun 27 | Bensalem, PA *> Jun 30 | Stroudsburg, PA *>
March 6, 2024 – Baroness and Red Fang have announced five special co-headlining performances this May, bringing back-to-back sets from two of heavy music’s most beloved bands, for the first time ever.
“It will be great to get out and play some shows with our old friends in Red Fang,” Baroness collectively shared. “Surprisingly, we’ve never properly toured together, so we’re all excited to bring these shows to you this spring. Furthermore, it will be great to have another opportunity to support and perform songs from our latest record, STONE, with you!”
Red Fang’s Bryan Giles adds: “We’re stoked to be paying shows with Baroness this Spring! I’m pretty sure these shows are gonna go off!”
Baroness/Red Fang tour dates:
May 13 Winston Salem, NC The Ramkat May 14 Norfolk, VA Elevation 27 May 15 Baltimore, MD Ram’s Head Live May 16 Asbury Park, NJ The Stone Pony May 18 Harrisburg, PA HMAC
Tickets for the newly announced, non-festival dates are on-sale this Friday at 10 am local time. Ticketing links can be found on: YourBaroness.com.
Baroness – photo credit: Ebru Yildiz
About Baroness:
Founded in 2003, Baroness is John Baizley (vocals/guitar), Gina Gleason (guitar), Nick Jost (bass) and Sebastian Thomson (drums). The Philadelphia-meets-Brooklyn foursome have released six full-length albums to date: STONE(2023), Gold & Grey (2019), Purple (2015), Yellow & Green(2012), Blue Record (2009), and the Red Album (2007).
Red Fang – photo credit: James Rexroad
About Red Fang:
Red Fang is Aaron Beam (bass/vocals/guitar/keyboards), Bryan Giles (guitar/vocals), John Sherman (drums) and David Sullivan (guitars). The Portland, Oregon-based band have released five studio albums: Arrows (2021), Only Ghosts(2016), Whales and Leeches(2013), Murder the Mountains(2011), and Red Fang (2009)
Swedish hard rock act Hong Faux recently signed to Golden Robot Records and today they release their latest single ‘Drop the Reins’ which is available now on all digital platforms.
‘Drop the Reins’ is a heavy riff-based classic Hong Faux track written exclusively as a homage to Miles Davis and rock ‘n’ roll. Can you spot all the Miles references?
The band recently released a newly remastered version of their 2013 hit and fan favourite ‘Feign Death to Stay Alive!’
Ever since Hong Faux’s very first recorded notes that started their journey from blog, to magazines, to radio and MTV, people have tried to label the music and try to figure out the meaning of the band’s name. A London promoter called it “Old school super sludgy riffology with blues wailin’ vox”. Listening to the songs ‘Present Tense-Less’ and ‘Bad City Blues’ on their debut album, it would be foolish to argue against such a statement. On the other hand, you’ll find the sound that brought together four guys with very diverse musical tastes and backgrounds.
One of the things the band members all dig on the same level is the harder bands that came out of Seattle in the early nineties. So, all put together, with a few added ingredients, you get heavy stoner riff galore with strong melodic vocals that honour the harmonic complexity of the grunge era.
“Our ambition is to combine the guitar riffs from the 70’s, the grunge scenes more melodic arts from the 90’s with modern rock. We have always enjoyed pop choruses and were convinced that the harder rock crew would think we were wimpy. But we were wrong… I guess even the cool dudes like to be tickled on the thighs every once and a while.” – lead singer Nik Serén.
The four-piece has done shows all over Europe, sharing stages with such diverse bands as D-A-D, Clutch, Graveyard, Danko Jones, Coheed and Cambria and Babyshambles. 2022 will see the release of new material, developed sound and live shows. You can count on Hong Faux delivering both weight and melody, just like they always do.
Oregon’s REDFANG will begin their headlining tour of the U.S. (with three dates in Canada), on July 28th in Seattle Washington. Their fifteen city trek will conclude in Boise Idaho, on August 14th.
Check out the tour flyer (above) for the full tour listing!
Near Dusk, the hard riffin’ mile high stoner rock, psychedelia and heavy blues drenched band, return with a brand-new single, ‘The Way It Goes’, which is out now on all digital platforms via Iron Head Records / Golden Robot Records.
‘The Way It Goes’ is the first single lifted from Near Dusk’s forthcoming sophomore record and crosses all borders of modern rock ‘n’ roll. With woody riffs throughout, this track is about someone who’s destined to let you down every time.
Laden with heavy woody riffs, slow driving tempos, and plenty of fuzz to go around, Near Dusk is fronted by guitarist and vocalist Matthew Orloff, low end soldier Kellen McInerney, and rhythm heathen Jon Orlof. The band maintains an original style while crossing all boundaries of classic stoner Rock.
On January 14 2022 psychedelic rockers SPACECOKE will release their new album Lunacy.
The band comments: “We have an origin theme that a trip to space is a breakaway from a society gone mad. A planet that has built up civilizations based on power and oppression. Also mix that with the SPACE COKE scene from Cheech and Chong’s movie. Reno grew up in a diverse multicultural household and likes his music and musical companions to reflect that. SPACE COKE is aural magic to ground us in how small our planet and its affectations are in an immeasurable existence.”
Lunacy is a Twilight Zone-like journey and will be both darker and more occult themed than previous albums. Each musician’s influences add to the complexity of the album and lend to something far beyond the traditional hallmarks of fuzz and bass. Reno Gooch pulls from his childhood of listening to Indian classical, as well as contemporary artists such as SUN RA, SONIC YOUTH and ANTHONY BRAXTON, plus some of rocks most well known godfathers: BLACK SABBATH, MOTHERS OF INVENTION and JIMI HENDRIX.
If you’re ready to embark on a journey from which you may not return, SPACE COKE will be your guide. As they say: If the amp don’t smoke, it ain’t SPACE COKE.
Psychedelic Stoner Doom collective GREEN DRUID will release their debut full-length Ashen Blood via Earache Records this March. Brooding, atmospheric, and isolationist with weighty riffs summoning the Lovecraftian horrors of the cosmos, GREEN DRUID‘s music entrances listeners with tales of the Old Blood and of dismal worlds too soon forgotten.
Hailing from the land of Denver, Colorado – the first US city to legalize marijuana – GREEN DRUID worships at the feet of the monolithic amplifier, and performs holy communion with the tremorous onslaught of murky tones that emanate from its maw.
“While our first EP and foray into the world of doom could be viewed as us learning the ins-and-outs of the genre, Ashen Blood is where we really started to hone in on our own voice,” issues the band. “Taking influence from the dark fantasy landscapes of games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, we strove to create a truly doomed psychedelic experience.” Fans of Sleep, Electric Wizard, Sunn O))), Thou, Khemmis, The Sword, and Bongripper pay heed.
Ashen Blood will descend upon the ears of the worthy on March 16th on CD, LP, and digital formats. For preorder bundles, go to THIS LOCATION.
In the meantime, sample GREEN DRUID’s “Dead Tree” video at THIS LOCATION.
In related news, GREEN DRUID will rumble the stages of several venues in the coming weeks with additional performances to be announced soon. See all confirmed dates below.
GREEN DRUID – Concert Dates:
1/20/2018 Surfside 7 – Sort Collins, CO w/ Chieftain
1/21/2018 Buckhorn Bar & Parlor – Laramie, WY w/ Stoic., Euth, Old Haunts
OAK – This very cool band known as Oak are not your run-of-the-mill Stoner Rock meets Desert Rock outfit. Oak have absolutely entertained my brain with their self-titled debut EP. This four song EP was released back on November 15th of 2015. I fell for the grooves, the fuzz, the vocals, the bold riffage and sincerity of Oak from the very first listen. To me, Oak should be able to satisfy a vast majority of fans from 70’s Black Sabbath to The Sword, with Masters Of Reality in-between. Dig it.
Andrew Wisbey has damn strong vocals and I admire his ability to channel a touch of Ozzy Osbourne, Glenn Danzig and Rob Zombie. Andrew is an original, however. Hell yes, he is. Kevin Germain on guitar is happening, man! I love his post-psychedelic 70’s guitar tones and his monster licks; all which occur on each song.
Photo Credit: Renatha Bianchi
Scott Masson on bass and Rob Emms on drums are two more reasons why their EP sounds so damn good. Nothing fancy, just straight-up, in-your-face with heavy beats this rhythm section serves up. I like to call Oak an underground, old-school Stoner Hard Rock band; hell, that’s what my ears and brain tells me anyways. Now go get yourself some Oak, below. Whoa.
OAK Band Bio:
Formed in the summer of 2015, London-based fuzz-heads Oak combine the bluesy groove of early British Rock acts like Cream with the spaced out Desert Rock of Kyuss and the aggression of Hardcore Punk Rock.
Their brand new self-titled EP was recorded completely live (withstanding a couple of vocal and guitar overdubs) in the space of 24 hours, using vintage gear and microphones to capture the raw sound of the bands they idolize.
Fronted by bearded mad-man Andy Valliant, Oak are itching to unleash their pummeling live show upon the British Stoner/Doom scene in the new year.
Feb. 10, 2016, PHILADELPHIA – Portland’s Red Fang has announced a new run of North American dates this coming April, which will see the band playing venues across the U.S. West Coast and British Columbia with support from Golden Void, Bison and Black Wizard on select dates. Red Fang recently celebrated its tenth anniversary with a trio of Northwestern U.S. performances.
The band returns to the studio later this month, recording the follow-up to Whales & Leeches with famed producer Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, The Cure, Sepultura) and mixing handled by Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Melvins, Tool). Red Fang will trek from Portland to Robinson’s Venice, Calif. studio with two shows en route: Feb. 17 at Jub Jub’s in Reno and Feb. 18 at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz.
Red Fang Live:
Feb 17 Reno, NV Jub Jub’s
Feb 18 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
April 6 Santa Barbara, CA Velvet Jones*
April 7 Las Vegas, NV Backstage Bar*
April 9 Pioneertown, CA Pappy & Harriet’s – Desert Generator Festival^
April 13 Victoria, BC Distrikt#
April 14 Vancouver, BC Venue#
April 15 Whistler, BC Merlin’s$
April 16 Tacoma, WA Real Art
*w/ Golden Void
^w/ Brant Bjork, Acid King, Ecstatic Vision, Golden Void
#w/ Bison & Black Wizard
$w/ Black Wizard
Whales & Leeches was released in October 2013 via Relapse Records. The 11-song album landed the band on The Late Show with David Letterman and in a world of trouble in the zombie-infused video for “Blood Like Cream,” which featured guest Fred Armisen (view it now at THIS LOCATION). Alternative Press said Whales & Leeches was “bigger, bolder, heavier, catchier and even more savagely fun.” Hear Whales & Leeches in full via the band’s Bandcamp page HERE or below:
WHALES & LEECHES FOLLOW-UP SLATED FOR FALL RELEASE VIA RELAPSE RECORDS
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Jan. 11, 2016, PHILADELPHIA – Red Fang, who recently celebrated their tenth anniversary with a trio of Northwestern U.S. performances, return to the studio in February, recording the follow-up to Whales & Leeches with famed producer Ross Robinson.
“I’ve never been more excited about making a record in my life,” said drummer John Sherman. “The writing process for this album has been super fun and full of energy and good vibes. And the opportunity to work with Ross Robinson is so crazy – I’ve got goose bumps just talking about it!!”
“Red Fang is the extreme mix of cool, wisdom, fire, life dedication and taste,” offered Robinson. “I’m stoked to see who they are at the deepest level on tape; anyone touched by Red Fang swim in coolness, they are true messengers of inspiration.”
The band, who are trekking from Portland to begin recording at Robinson’s Venice, Calif. studio, will play two shows en route: Feb. 17 at Jub Jub’s in Reno and Feb. 18 at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz.
Whales & Leeches was released in October 2013 via Relapse Records. The 11-song album landed the band on The Late Show with David Letterman and in a world of trouble in the zombie-infused video for “Blood Like Cream,” which featured guest Fred Armisen (https://youtu.be/elfuaxHQWlQ).
Alternative Press said Whales & Leeches was “bigger, bolder, heavier, catchier and even more savagely fun.”
Long-running Ohio riff rock peddlers, LO-PAN, are pleased to unveil the details of their long-awaited new full-length fittingly titled, Colossus.
Named for the Colossus of Rhodes, a ninety-six-foot statue of the titan-god of the sun, Helios, constructed in 280 BC to mark a failed siege and the indomitable nature of the Greek city of Rhodes itself, LO-PAN‘s fourth opus serves as their most personal manifestation to date and a true testament to their evolution both as a band and individually.
In the three years since of the release of third long-player, Salvador, the Columbus four-piece have logged countless miles, crossing the country multiple times over on headlining tours and supporting the likes of Torche, High on Fire, KENmode, Whores, Fu Manchu and Weedeater. They’ve become one of the most ferocious live acts in American heavy rock, and Colossus stands tall to reap the rewards of their experience.
For the first time in their near decade-long existence, LO-PAN knew exactly what they wanted when they hit the studio. They’d road-tested songs like “Eastern Seas” and the title track for over a year, and partnering with producer/engineer Andrew Schneider (Unsane, Rosetta, East Of The Wall et al) at his Translator Audio studio in Brooklyn just days after headlining Small Stone showcases in that city and Boston last March, they belted out songs that reveal just how much they’ve moved beyond their influences and arrived at their own sound — a style built on aggression without caricature, fuzz without cliché, melody without redundancy and their meanest groove to date.
Complete with cover art courtesy of Jason Alexander Byers (ex-Disengage, Black Black Black), Colossus, like its namesake, was built in defiance of gods and men, and while LO-PAN‘s loudest statement has always been made on stage, the material they craft and the power with which they execute it on this album is bound to stand for years to come.
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Colossus Track Listing:
1. Regulus
2. Land Of The Blind
3. Black Top Revelation
4. Marathon Man
5. N.P.D.
6. Colossus
7. Vox
8. Eastern Seas
9. Relo
10. The Duke
Colossus will be released via Small Stone on October 7th, 2014.
Critical Praise:
“LO-PAN could easily stand as one of the most important bands of their generation in the genre.” – The Obelisk
“With enough stoner rock goodness to destroy bridges and skyscrapers alike, LO-PAN show that they are one of several absolutely essential rock outfits working today and a major force to be reckoned with.” – Sputnik Music
Massachusetts hellions, GOZU, will take their riffs overseas next week for their first-ever European takeover! Set to begin at the legendary Roadburn Festival, the band will wage a full-on volume ambush through ten select locales in the Netherlands, Germany, Slovenia and Italy, concluding with a performance at Desertfest in Berlin.
GOZU will be touting the fruit of their The Fury Of A Patient Man full-length released last Spring via Small Stone. The self-produced ten track monster earned widespread praise for its Chris Cornellian vocal swells and robust, heavy rock swagger. Describes The Big Takeover of the release, “Besides wielding bruising riffs like katanas, the Cambridge, Massachusetts quartet shows an impish sense of pop culture humor with titles like ‘Charles Bronson Pinchot,’ ‘Disco Related Injury’ and the Welcome Back, Kotter referencing ‘Signed, Epstein’s Mom.’ But the primary reasons GOZU stomps most pot smoking riffmeisters into the ground are their two frontdudes. Guitarist Doug Sherman maintains a melodic touch even as his amps scream for mercy, and singer Marc Gaffney exudes as much soul as bravado.”
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Adds MetalSucks, “GOZU play the tunes on their sophomore album with a pair of great grizzled gonads. We’re talking balls, people, some truly tremendous twin testes. The kind so deeply and scraggily forested that those epic ball-beards have epic ball-beards; the kind that require a high quality wide-angle lens to get any real perspective on… At times, The Fury Of A Patient Man plays like a de-progged Mastodon after a dozen successful anger management sessions, or a laid back King Giant. The consistently competent delivery, the thick lowdown chords, dynamic proficiency and attention to density all point that direction. It’s the kind of heavy rock that just about anybody can enjoy over a few foamy brews in a hazy basement bar on a Saturday night. And when your date agrees to take the evening back to your place, you can even pretend she’s thinking of you the whole time.”
A special deluxe edition of The Fury Of A Patient Man was recently released via Small Stone in celebration of the upcoming European journey. Limited to 500 copies, the 2XLP set comes on 180-gram wax with a wide spine jacket, poly-lined sleeve, and two colors – LP one is “clear green” while LP two is “solid purple.” Sides one, two and three feature tracks from the original album, while side four offers up exclusive vinyl-only numbers with one original tune (“Break You”) and GOZUed renditions of Simply Red’s “Holding Back The Years” and D’Angelo’s “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker.”
GOZU Spring Tour 2014:
4/12/2014 Roadburn – Tilburg, NL
4/13/2014 Hafenklang – Hamburg, DE
4/15/2014 Feierwerk – Munich, DE
4/16/2014 Channel Zero – Ljubiljana, SI
4/17/2014 Magnolia – Milano, IT
4/18/2014 E20 Underground – Montecchio, IT
4/19/2014 TBA
4/20/2014 TBA
4/22/2014 Das Bette – Frankfurt, DE
4/23/2014 Musicon – Den Haag, NL
4/24/2014 The Underground – Cologne, DE
4/25/2014 Astra Kulturhaus Desertfest – Berlin, DE
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Order the vinyl edition of The Fury Of A Patient Man at THIS LOCATION.
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GOZU:
Marc Gaffney – vox/guitar Mike Hubbard -drums Doug Sherman– guitar Joe Grotto – Bass Jeff Fultz – guitAR
Considered one of the greats of the European stoner rock scene, France’s MARS RED SKY have gained international recognition due to a unique sound, based on thick infectious grooves and melodic aerial guitar riffs. This is truly a one of a kind experience, wrapped up by Julien Pras’ ethereal vocals, Matgaz’ powerful rhythms and Jimmy Kinast’s pachydermic bass lines. Somewhere between doom metal and 70s psyche pop, MARS RED SKY intrigues and attracts the masses to celebrate this cosmic ritual of solar burning fuzz and reverberated atmospheres.
Driven by the huge success of their eponymous debut record, recorded in Spain’s mystic Bardenas Desert and released in 2011, the band was invited to play on the largest European stages with Kyuss Lives!, Dinosaur Jr. and Sleep, as well as popular festivals like Eurockéennes de Belfort, Roadburn, London & Berlin Desertfests, Sziget Festival and SXSW (USA). All in all, MARS RED SKY has played in more than 20 countries.
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With their incredibly heavy and hypnotic performances, MARS RED SKY have been considered as one of the most thrilling live acts among the international stoner rock scene. In 2012, they paired up with French doom metal monsters Year Of No Light, to release a three-track split record, which sold out in a blink of an eye.
The release of their Be My Guide EP in 2013 opened the path for an extensive tour across Europe, then across the Atlantic for gigs in Latin America. This is where the band recorded their new album, due out this spring on Listenable Records. A limited edition 7″ EP containing exclusive material will be released in March, more details coming shortly.
INAUGURAL RELEASE THIS JANUARY FROM CANADIAN TRIO SIERRA
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Dec. 11, 2013, Savannah, GA – Kylesa (Phillip Cope, Laura Pleasants and Carl McGinley II) launch Retro Futurist Records in January with the Jan. 28th release of Canadian prog trio Sierra’s album Pslip.
“The idea behind Retro Futurist Records is to provide an artist-friendly home to bands we like and bands we feel are relevant in aesthetic, sound, concept and/or ethics,” explained Pleasants.Dec. 11, 2013, Savannah, GA – Kylesa (Phillip Cope, Laura Pleasants and Carl McGinley II) launch Retro Futurist Records in January, with the Jan. 28th release of Canadian prog trio Sierra’s album Pslip.
The first release to come from the Savannah-based label is a vinyl release of Sierra’s debut album Pslip. The Kitchener prog trio will join Kylesa for a leg of the band’s European tour (Jan. 19 to Feb. 2). Pslip was produced by Cope and recently described by Caught in the Carousel as “so wrought with high-octane power, crunching riffs, catchy melodies, and good old-fashioned rock and roll that you’ll want to hear it over and over again.”
Retro Futurist is offering music lovers a six-month vinyl subscription series, which includes Sierra’s aforementioned release as well as original albums from Jagged Vision, Darkentries,Wet Socks as well as subscriber only collectibles including a Kylesa 7” (hand-printed and numbered), a Retro Futurist t-shirt by Santos as well as a mystery 7”. More information is available here:
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
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