In the Haze - Psychedelic Jams; featuring Amber, The Machine, and The Crystal Caravan

Amber - Pearls of Amber

Amber are certainly a band I'd never heard of til this disc was dropped on my desk by Postman Sal, and it appears I'm not alone.  Active from 1970-71, Amber were a duo of Keith MacLeod and JulianMcAllister, with a little help on these recordings from Ray Cooper on tabla.  The recordings that make up Pearls of Amber come from their only two studio sessions and date back to those days but were not released until a very limited vinyl press run in 2000.  Now, Merlins Nose Records makes them available world-wide for the first time. 

So, what does it sound like?   Like a time machine.  Like a glimpse back to a day when people were tuning in and dropping out and really thought that if they played that guitar with enough passion and sang with enough honesty, they could change the world.  And that's a good thing.

Sitar is the prominent instrument here, taking the lead role in several of the songs.  And I mean sitar in the hippiest sense of the word.  "She Shell Rock Me" is an ode to free love and hippy days long gone by.  There's two versions here, one a touch more guitar-based in the intro before the sitar comes in, the other a bit more laid back and cool.  Either way, the song is a long-lost hippy anthem, with an absolutely gorgeous melody and vague lyrics about . . . I don't know . . . hippy stuff.  I mean, look at the song title.  These guys weren't necessarily writing "slice of life stories" from the mean streets of Brooklyn.  But it's gorgeous, evocative stuff. You can almost smell the jasmine and frankincense burning.  My lava lamp is calling.

"White Angel" is a bit less hippyish, in the sense that the sitar takes a back seat, instead replaced by acoustic guitar and some percussion.  Still, folky and mellow, it's a moving song, with another perfect melody and arrangement.  And that's one of the things I dig about this album. As tripped out/laid-back hippy commune, love-in vibe as it is, the guys never let the chemicals take them too far astray.  Each song adheres to a structure while leaving plenty of space to move and breathe. 

Overall, it's a killer glimpse back to the long-lost acoustic psych days of yesteryear.  A sneak peak into one bands space.  A dreamy trip into times long gone.  A joyful listen. 

The Machine - Drie

Dutch trio The Machine blast off into the stratosphere of space/psych with this 2011 release, Drie.  Signed to Elektrohasch, (who else?) The Machine proudly take their place next to Colour Haze in their stoner-psych-rock, but toss in more than a thimbleful of Hendrix to really make their space ship take off.

"Pyro" scalds my speakers.  Yeah, I know, cheap pun, but I mean it.  The guitar work searing through the psych groove and melody is positively on fire.  Think Hendrix in the best sense, warped out and fuzzed out.  Full on psych guitar madness.  Yep, that's what the guys load into the spaceship Drie and prepare for liftoff.

"Sunblow" is a full on 9 minute epic of space rock indulgence.  Leaving Earth's feeble gravity behind, our spaceship has no problem reaching into the outer extent of the solar system.  There's lyrics, but I have no idea what they're singing about, I'm too busy doing somersaults and spins in my gravity-less world. Spinning and floating and ever reaching farther.  "Medulla" grounds us a bit with the heavy bass and thunderous riff, but it's a false gravity.  Like passing close to a star but never actually falling into it's field.  Because shortly, we're off soaring again into the cosmosphere.  Nebulas pass.  Red Dwarves fall behind.  I'm sailing.

Start to finish, a fine addition to the Elektrohasch label.

The Crystal Caravan - Against the Rising Tide

Damn do I love this album!  I've had it forever and never reviewed it cause I just can't get it out of my car stereo where it's taken up permanent residence.  Released in 2010 by one of my favorite labels, Transubstans, The Crystal Caravan take a different approach to retro-70's rock.  Rather than mine the more common Zeppelin or Sabbath roads, CC bring in the funk.  And I mean big time funk.

Think later-era Deep Purple, mixed with Sly and the Family Stone.  Maybe some Graham Central Station.  Some Grand Funk Railroad.  A little Free.  No matter who the influences are, the sound is as potent and vibrant as anything I've heard in a long-time. The Crystal Caravan are the latest Swedish retro-rockers to make my radar. In existence since roughly 2002 this seven member outfit have got their sound down pat.

The first thing I notice about this release is the energy.  It bleeds through the blasts of rock/funk like "We Always Lose," and "Love and Direction."   It all sounds so spontaneous and sweaty like the whole thing was recorded live in an intimate club with dancers and alchohol and happy chemicals.  And people are dancing.  They can't help themselves.  

A buring intensity sears through the mix, all filled out with a warm, analog vibe.  The passion is infectious.  And the funk, man, the funk.  I can't stop listening to this one. 

--Racer

Amber


The Machine


The Crystal Caravan

Black Bombaim - Titans

In the beginning, there was darkness. 

The first rumblings of creation starts off with a bass, so thick and heavy it has the power to condense gas and energy into matter.

A cosmic fire of guitar feedback screeches through the primordial blackness, searing the newly formed planet.  Light erupting across the freshly surging mass.

The beat of this new entity is jazz, complex, life-giving.

Titans isn't so much a new album.  It's a new world. 

Doom, sludge, stoner, psychedelic, progressive.  These are but continents on this new planet, ever-changing, interlocking components of the shifting Terran plate.   With Teutonic force, these plates move and collide across the Continental Divide, cross-pollinating the emerging lifeforms with their varied essences.  Heavy riffs bring about new heart beats.  Psychedelic explorations expand the developing minds.  Stoner grooves add movement and balance.  Doom lends gravity.  Life emerges with passion, power, and intent.

And in this new world, the world of Black Bombaim, Ricardo Miranda, Paulo Gonçalves and Tojo Rodrigues, truly are the titans, wielding the power of ancient Gods to create and destroy. They can effect with terrific beauty or decimate with the ugliness of the dark. 

Over the 4 sides of this double LP, Black Bombain have created a truly epic masterpiece of experimental heaviness.  Each side is composed of one 10-20 minute song named in a way that is incomprehensible to me.  I have no idea what that album is supposed to mean, just how it makes me feel.  Mostly instrumental, I was destined to ignore this album.   Instrumental stoner bores me.  Instrumental doom bores me even more.

Not here. 

Every freaked out guitar solo captivates me.  Every change of riff is crushing.  Every bass line is heavier than the one that preceded.  Every beat transmutes between styles.  Vocals (when they appear) are ugly accompaniments.  An organ is a light of beauty.   Synthesizers radiate depth. 

The acoustic breakdown 2/3 way through side one steals my breath.  The free form jazz bass that follows is stunning.  When the Heavy crushes back down on me I'm devastated.  The dynamic packed into this one album side tops entire catalogs of lesser artists.

The jazz beat and thickness of bass that starts Side 2 are the pulse of space as the celestial organ brings the grandeur of the cosmos.  As the organ fades, like a dawning sun, the resumption of the bass is frightening.  The crash of the heavy terrifying.  The psychedelic mix intoxicating.

The groove of Side 3 is stoned-out infectious but it's the screech of the saxophone that is inspired, playing out like the heaviest Pink Floyd song never created. 

Side 4 cruises through the already created soundscapes like an effective period.  Or an exclamation point.

Each moment of each song needs to be listened to.  Not heard.  Listened to.  Each instrument is intent.  Each second focused.  And each moment liable to shift and change as dramatically as the surface of our newly created world. 

Black Bombaim have created a remarkable album. The first true epic, progressive masterpiece of psychedelic doom that I've heard.  One against which all following epics will be judged.

Let the titans be praised.

--Racer

MOS GENERATOR 10th Anniversary Re-Issue Test Pressing to be Auctioned Off for Wounded Warrior Project Charity

Continuing with the company tradition of giving back to the community, Ripple Music will auction an extremely Rare Original Test Pressing of the Mos Generator 10th Anniversary vinyl, with proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). With the mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors, WWP is the hand extended to encourage warriors as they adjust to their new normal and achieve new triumphs. Offering a variety of programs and services, WWP is equipped to serve warriors with every type of injury – from the physical to the invisible wounds of war.

Only 5 of these test pressings exist, and this is the only one made available to the public.  You can jump into the auction, win a cool heavy rock collectible and benefit the guys who throw their lives on the line every day so that we can have the liberties that we do at the same time. To do so, just visit us at the Ripple Music Ebay Store! The auction will start on Monday, April 23rd and end on Monday, April 30th.

The Mos Generator test press auction is the latest in a growing line of charity auctions that Ripple Music has created.  Previously, rare JPT Scare Band, Stone Axe, and the Heavy Ripples test pressings were auctioned with proceeds going to Gulf Disaster, Japan Tsunami and the Joplin Tornado disaster relief agencies.  With the sacrifices made by the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, Ripple founders John Rancik and Todd Severin thought the time was right to release another rare test pressing from their vault and raise money for a worthwhile effort.

Donations can be made to the charity outside of this auction by visiting www.woundedwarriorproject.org


Press raves about Mos Generator 10th Anniversary Edition:

"Frontman/guitarist Tony Reed continued to assert himself as one of the underrated guitar heroes of the past couple of decades." -- New York Music Daily

"Reed wears his influences on his sleeve not only in terms of what he plays but in the way he engineers his records – every instrument comes through CRYSTAL clear, there are no fancy studio frills or tricks, or the “wall of guitars” effect that is found on so much music deemed ‘heavy’ of late. To be sure, everyone in this band is playing loud and note-perfect through very cool old gear (the cover gives you a handy rundown of what they use!), but it’s the sheer energy and talent that has gone into writing the music that makes this record heavy."  --  The Sleeping Shaman

"Of all the second-wave Sabbath types, these guys were and remain by far the most original, with tricky prog tempos, tunefully sludgy Tony Iommi-style lo-register riffage and a sense of humor to rival their sense of purpose. If metal is your thing and you slept on this stuff when it first came out – and a lot of people did, this was before myspace, let alone youtube – now’s a good time to rediscover them."  --  Lucid Culture

The Heavy Company - The Heavy (Please Tune In . . .)

It's Sunday morning. Third cup of coffee is already drained but the desired caffeine effect is evading my brain. Hiding from my cortex as if I was a movie slasher and it was my prey.  Details are hazy, but I remember last night something about some Gin.  And some Bourbon.  There may me more to the story, but until pictures appear on Facebook or an embarrassing video on YouTube breaks 1,000,000 hits, I'll deny it.

Just setting the stage here.  Giving you a peek into my brain as I plop down at my Ripple desk.  There's submissions to go through, reviews to write, and the ever present threat of needing to catch up with the Record Label accounting.  I need some music to get my brain moving. Something heavy but not damaging.  Something with enough energy to clear the cobwebs and kick that caffeine into effect, but not enough to make my eardrums shudder.  I want it slightly dark, definitely psychedelic.  I want some bleeding guitar effects to swirl through the clouds in my mind but enough of an edge to cut through that haze like a ray of sunlight blitzing down from the heavens.  I want it to light up my brain.

I want The Heavy Company.

Metaphysical psychedelia is the name of the game here and The Heavy Company do it just about as well as anybody out there.  First and foremost is the understated, yet always effective guitar work of Ian Gerber.  Psychedelic rock of this irk has a tough fence to straddle.  Somehow, the guitarist has to find a way to evoke the hallucinogenic dreamscapes that he sees in his mind, layering his tone with effects and variety, yet never lose himself up his own ass.  Too much masturbation and the music become boring.  Not enough variety and it feels empty.  Ian finds that place.  Each note seems perfectly chosen; not necessarily planned--because that would lose it's spontaneity--but felt perfectly in time with the music and the flow.

Behind Ian, Jeff Kaleth on drums and Ryan Strawsma on bass propel the compositions forward, filling in the spaces between the strobe-light guitars and smoky haze.  Again, no over playing here.  No bass lines trying to compete for attention.  It all just flows into one seamless swirling flow.  One kaleidoscopic river, currents of sound and colors, smells and visions.  A mushroom trip of music.  Perfect.

I suck again at my empty coffee mug.  Nothing but air.  Yet, I'm feeling better.  Somewhere within the six songs of this free EP, I've started to revive.   "Please Tune In . . ." opened the doors for me slowly, an introductory opium den of gentle drums and cloud-puffs of guitar.  Nothing too harsh, just an invitation for what's to follow.  Then somewhere during "The Heavy," my brain starts to awake.  Slowly, nothing jolting.  Ian's guitar reminds me of passages of Colour Haze or My Sleeping Karma.  Spartan and clear, tracing out a delicate harmony.  Vocals are a bit buried in the mix, but by the time they come in, something new is hinted at.  Maybe it's because the boys come from Lafayette, Indiana, but there's a definite earthiness to the song.  A lone cowboy riding the prairie feel.  Western-tinged, rootsy, yet still defiantly psychedelic.  That's not a mix I'd heard too often and lays claim for new territory.  Like a prospector staking out a claim, The Heavy Company have declared their piece of land.  Midwest psychedelia.

"Black Tuesday," adds a touch of classic 60's-70's rock to the mix.  I hear a touch of Bad Company in the main riff, while the bass percolates behind, before the song wanders into pure jam territory.  Bring that harmonica in, let the riff dirty up a bit, pick up the pace.  Yep, I'm feeling stronger now.  Maybe I'll actually be able to face the day.   "Wormweed," brings in even more muscle to the tone, effectively toughening up the sound, getting my heart beating just a bit, pumping that long-awaited caffeine to my limbic system.  It's all been a perfect progression from the haze to the rock, as if the whole EP tells one singular story.   "Monsignor Charlie Bird," brings the sky down, the requisite coolness, before the final cut "Caged Bird," kicks my mind back into regular time.  A chugging guitar riff, still earthy and classic.  Good stuff.

The Heavy Company find that rare balance for many psychedelic bands, effect-laden and THC-adled, yet still focused and rocking.  I dig the rootsy-vibe under the fuzz, it keeps the album rooted in terra firma even as they float off and explore.  The riffs are driving enough to keep the song moving, the jamming is spontaneous and extended enough to fuel the imagination synapses.  Dig into this album for your own hangover, or make it the focus of your future hangover to be.  Heck, get the hangover out of the way completely, just dig into this album.  If you're a fan of the Elektrohasch label brand of darkened spectrum psychedelia, this album will hit your sweet spot.

Download it all free here

--Racer

Heavy Glow - Midnight Moan

With her long red dreadlocks wrapped high up on her head, my hippy neighbor from across the street stops by for a visit.

"Who's that?" she asks as soon as she walks through the door and hears the excellent blues-rock pumping from my speakers. She notices the tunes before I let her in because I have the volume up pretty high. I'm surprised I hear her knock. "Where are they from? I could totally hear them on the radio."

"I know. Right? They're called Heavy Glow," I tell her after turning the groovy-ass song down just enough for us to speak without yelling at each other. "They're from Cali. San Diego. You'd like them, I'm sure."

She doesn't hesitate and sits down, joining in the rock-fest I'm enjoying. I explain to her that she's listening to Heavy Glow's new full-length album, Midnight Moan, and what I already know about the three-piece band. I tell her how the group formed about 3 years ago and have released remarkable music about every year since. And how the new recording is legitimately FREE, along with their self-titled debut ep.

I go into detail what I know about twenty-something Heavy Glow front-man Jared Mullins after hearing his songs and exchanging a few emails with him. He's an extremely talented singer-songwriter/instrumentalist who listens to everything rock-oriented, from the 50's to the 90's. Doesn't care too much for the 80's. I let her in on the fact that the self-taught guitarist used to be the drummer with virtuoso Heavy Glow bassist Joe Brooks in another band, but later strapped on a Gibson and moved up to the mic himself. He was the one writing the songs anyway. Then I point out how Mullins and Brooks added a fantastic drummer, Dan Kurtz, on Midnight Moan and their rockin' 2010 ep, The Filth & The Fury.

My neighbor expresses that she really likes Mullins' voice, along with his guitar licks, and we bask in the light that is Midnight Moan by Heavy Glow. I let her know that I'm going to call Mullins later tonight to talk a little about the 9-song rock album. She can tell I'm excited. I really love this band.

I'm so excited I blow it and forget most of what I wanted to ask, but one of the very first things I have to know is: what is a Heavy Glow? I search the web for a reference but the only thing I find is a song by a band who I'm not gonna mention. Anyway, the song goes, '...standing in line to see the show tonite and there's a light on...heavy glow...'. Mullins assures me that's not where his band's name came from, but when people ask about it he always says (that group I'm not gonna mention) were writing about Heavy Glow. We share a chuckle. It was actually the name of one of the first songs the band recorded and it's featured on their first release.

Then I wanna know about the new album's title - Midnight Moan. What is that? Is that what I'm gonna make the woman do tonight? "Exactly," Mullins tells me, but adds that's it's also about a certain "longing."  I think the dynamic purple and blue artwork is captivating and I ask about that, too. "Our drummer (Kurtz) came up with it. He put it all together," he said.

Midnight Moan continues the tradition of the band's previous two efforts and contains some spectacular blues-oriented rock songs. The opener, "Lose My Mind", is a prime example and gives me a Stevie Ray Vaughan flashback, but it doesn't take too long for me to learn the seductive "Slave Dance" while listening at the same time. You don't move your feet around a lot but you gotta have one foot a little forward and then you rock your hips slowly to the sexy groove. Focus about 5 feet in front of you and nod your head once every couple seconds or so. Look to the sky when the guitar solos kick in, but be sure to keep your hips shakin'. It's easy. Anyone can do it.

"All My Money", "Collide" and "Purgatory Blues"  add to an already heavy dose of rock but I'm also treated to a few unexpected moments on Midnight Moan. One of my favorites is an acoustic song, "Smithereen". It's just Mullins and his 12-string on this one and it highlights his songwriting, guitar-playing and mass-appealing voice. I'm surprised when Mullins tells me he's had this one on the back-burner for a long time. "It's probably the oldest song I had written," he said, adding that he wrote it during his college years, before any of the Heavy Glow stuff. I'm delighted that he finally decided to put it out.

"Smithereen" transitions perfectly into the short and beautiful instrumental, "Midwestern Lullaby," which contains a purposely-placed bit of silence before the final song. It's the calm before the storm, if you like, because on "Diggin' a Ditch", Heavy Glow pull out all the stops. It's impossible for me to sit still during Brooks' frenzied bass lines and Kurtz's rambunctious drumming. Mullins' 'specializes in mud' here and the riffs are dirty-n-nasty. Lovin' it.

Not only do I love the music, but I can relate to many of the lyrics on this album, which bring to light Mullins' own reflection on various relationship and life issues. "I tend to write the music and bring it to the band. Everything I write is very personal," he says.

Mullins is a song-writing madman. Don't be surprised when Heavy Glow start recording more music for us early next year. The songs are already there. "They're already coming into the live set," he said.

For now, download Midnight Moan  - and Heavy Glow - free from Bandcamp. Then do yourself a favor and fork out a few bucks for the band's other release, The Filth and The Fury, so you can have all their music so far.

--Heddbuzz

http://xj793a.bandcamp.com/

http://heavyglowmusic.bandcamp.com/album/heavy-glow

Sleestak -The Fall Of Altrusia

While walking along the beach in the early hours of the morning I discovered something curious.  I noticed a small, dark object a good distance away from me being buffeted by the waves hitting the shoreline.  It didn’t appear to be moving much at all however, so I didn’t quicken my pace to save it from the tide.  As I came closer the object resolved itself into what at first appeared to be a simple box, then a box made up of material that looked like darkly stained wood, and eventually a finely wrought wooden box covered with beautiful ornate carvings across its exterior. 

I knelt down beside the box in order to get a closer look at the carvings.  They were extraordinary!  There were several highly detailed moth-like creatures pictured alone or interacting with other humanoid yet reptilian creatures. Situated all around these moth-like and reptilian beings were glyphs, uniform in height, which must have been writing of some sort.  Never in my life had I seen anything like this firsthand.  The only comparison I could draw in my mind was to Egyptian hieroglyphics.  Would someone have dumped this artifact here on the beach?

Combing the surrounding area revealed only one set of footprints arriving or leaving, mine.  Also there were no other people anywhere near my position on the beach.  I quickly made the decision to take the box back to my apartment, where I would safeguard it until I could notify a museum or historical society about my discovery.  With my mind made up I proceeded to lift the surprisingly heavy box from the sand and began the long walk home.

Matters quickly grew more complicated after I arrived back at my apartment.  I set the box on my kitchen countertop, went into my bedroom and turned on my computer.  Once it was booted up I searched the internet for locations and phone numbers of major museums located near my place, turning up three.  Unfortunately my calls to all three museums were met by automated messaging services, each of which stubbornly refused to let me leave a message.  If I wanted to talk to an actual person, I would have to wait a few hours to allow the museums to open.

Waiting was not my strong suit, so I went back to the kitchen to further examine the box.  I ran my hand over one of the moth-like creatures carved into the top of the box.  Shockingly, the slight pressure I applied caused the carving to sink into the lid!  A muted click followed, and the lid rose ever so slightly off of the box.  Throwing caution to the wind I tried to lift the lid further, but it would not budge.  It did however tilt up on hinges hidden inside the box/lid frame.  Not knowing what to expect I crouched down behind the countertop before I opened the lid completely.  Several seconds passed and nothing jumped out, nothing bit my hand, and nothing appeared to be released into the air above the box.   Feeling safe I stood back up and let my gaze fall on the box contents.

The very first thing I noticed was a sheet of paper.  The glyphs on the outside of the box also appeared on the paper, but incredibly there were English translations!  The first English translation read, “If you are reading this, I am most likely dead.  My name is Enik and this is the story of the Altrusians.”

Can I have a moment of your time waveriders?  Thanks.  I’d like to focus your collective attention towards an incredibly interesting band.  Their name is Sleestak, and they’re here to take you on an exciting musical journey you won’t soon forget.  First things first however, let’s get what’s obvious to some out of the way.  Based on the group’s name and their album title some of you astute waveriders will have undoubtedly made the connection that the members of this band are fans of the show Land of the Lost.  If you are not a fan of that particular show have no fear.  Knowledge of that fictional universe is not required to enjoy this musical offering.  Now let’s get to the good stuff.

Sleestak is a four piece band out of Milaukee, Wisconsin.  Trying to pigeonhole them into one genre is impossible.  Are there doom metal passages present?  Yes.  Is it psychedelic at times?  Definitely.  Do stoner rock elements make themselves felt throughout the album?  Absolutely.  Would portions of this album fit well on any 1970’s era progressive rock album?  Indubitably!  And that’s part of the beauty of this band.  They are not going to fit into your pre-rendered mold.  They are Sleestak, plain and simple.  Take it or leave it (here’s a hint…take it!).

The Fall Of Altrusia is the band’s second full length album, and it packs a wallop.  It’s a fifty minute long concept album divided into seven chapters.  One of the first things I noticed about this album is the fluid and seamless song progression, and I do mean seamless.  While listening for the first time I was literally shocked to look down at my player’s LCD readout to find I was listening to track 3.  I was so enchanted with the ebbs and flows of the music that when I attempted to determine when the first two tracks might have ended I came up blank.  That my fellow music lovers, is a rare and special gift.

Another talent this band clearly exhibits is the ability to keep the listener’s attention.  The songs easily transition from righteous heavy riffing to quieter, more introspective psychedelic/progressive passages that keep the listener glued to their seat waiting to hear what comes next.  The vocals are of special note here.  During the loud, doom-laden, riff-heavy portions the vocals are sandpaper-harsh.  The growls and yells help accentuate the band’s aggression.  On the other hand when the band settles down into their calm and pensive gear the vocals completely change.  Gone are the yells, replaced with clean singing…but there is a catch.  To maintain the other-worldly vibe the band has going, the vocals are put through some kind of filter to make them sound as if they were recorded underwater.  It’s weird, but it works very well.

Waveriders, The Fall Of Altrusia by Sleestak is an album that you need to hear.  It will take you away from your day to day grind for as long as you need it to, and it will do so with a fearsome smile all over its green-skinned, scaly face.  Remember, it’s not just an album.  It’s a journey.  Buckle up!

--Penfold

http://sleestakmusic.com/store.html

Yob - Atma - Two Reviews by Two Ripplers

 

An album that struck our writers so hard we had to review it twice!


 I’m glad the new Yob album is finally out so I can go on a doom metal diet. There’s a lot of good doom out there but Yob blows just about everybody else out of the water. Their power, originality and ungodly heaviness is something to behold. Yob’s popularity has greatly increased the past few years and even the New York Times has raved about the band. When they came to NYC in July a lot of curiosity seekers got their doors blown off by their pure molten metal. It was obvious some of these people had never seen a real metal band that plays loud and headbangs through the whole show. That’s probably the thing I admire most about Yob. They have a lot of experimentation and diverse set of influences in their music but everything they do is METAL. These aren’t dudes who grew up on indie rock and heard Black Sabbath for the first time in college. These are true followers of the One Commandment – intense metal is all that you need.

Atma picks up where 2009’s The Great Cessation left off and climps higher on the scale of hardness. Yob songs are long and the new album is no exception. Skull crushing opener “Prepare The Ground” pounds for a full 3 minutes before guitarist/vocalist Mike Scheidt starts screaming his mystical lyrics. Mike’s vocals are a turn off for some people but I love his voice. At times he reminds me of the clean metal singing of David Wayne from Metal Church and other times of the harsh grunts of Blaine Cook of The Accused. Either way his vocals are impressive and the way he can switch between styles reminds me of the almighty Jim Dandy of Black Oak Arkansas. Mike’s guitar playing is also great. Ultra heavy and downtuned yet you can still hear the notes in the riffs. Bassist Aaron Rieseberg pummels a Gibson Thunderbird bass and it’s pure filth but stays in the pocket with Travis Foster’s drums. Heavy! And how the hell do these guys remember all the parts for these long-ass songs?

The title track has a strong Black Sabbath influence, right down to the rain and tolling bells of the intro. When the riff kicks in, it’s a long slow ride that brings to mind Black Flag’s water torture experiments on side two of My War. “Before We Dreamed Of Two” is a 16 minute mind fuck of psychedelic guitar, trippy samples and guest vocals from Scott Kelly of Neurosis. This is what happens when you listen to Animals by Pink Floyd after a ride on the mescalator at a Slayer show on the Hell Awaits tour. Weird but still totally metal. “Upon The Sight Of The Other Shore” must be the single since it’s only 7 minutes. The album wraps up with the 13 minute “Adrift In The Ocean.” The first third of the song is pretty quiet with some definitely David Gilmour influenced guitar playing before the band kicks in with a heavy groove.

Atma is not for the faint of heart but repeated listens can pay long term dividends. Definitely one to play loud as you drop out of life with bong in hand.


 --Woody

Okay, so, not as "metal" as previous effort Great Cessation--more hippy, more earthy, tuned up from A to B-- but just as cool.

Warm, ritualistic, definitely-spiritual somehow, maybe religious-in-the-formal-sense, while at the same time being friendly, accessible, again, hippy-ish in its lack of hostility and openness to the listener.

Opens with the simple B riff of "Prepare the Ground" with its blend of tribal-funky and crushing. (No easy feat, that.)

Mike Scheidt and his Geddy Lee-ish high-end vocals welcome you, though direly, after one minute of rain and distant church bells at the beginning of  the title track, and about halfway through it revolves around a triplet-on-the-low-string riff, the rhythm section lurching in and out, a voiceover popping up now and again.

"Before We Dreamed Of Two," with its chant-like backup vocals at around 4:00, reminds me of every Zen retreat I've even been to-- and is also metal as fuck.

Scheidt and his voice reiterate the great juxtaposition here: the vocals are the venom in the syrup, the arsenic in the punch-- they're raspy, often rageful and somewhat black metal-ish, and they contrast well with the slow, reverent riffs from which Atma is built.

How does it compare to older releases? It's more immediate. Whereas the beginning of The Great Cessation, when that first low A chord bottoms out and just fucking resounds like a heartstring from the House of Usher, was a mighty, distant, massive Heraldic Summoning by the Gods (seriously-- when you meet your God, if it doesn't sound like that, change religions), Atma is a much subtler, more organic kind of mighty, like the old hippy playing his low tuned lapsteel guitar on the street corner, who gives you the impression he's the embodiment of some Very Old Wisdom, and is only toying with you by being in the human form in the first place.

Atma is just as powerful as its predecessor, but much more "after-hours jam session at a tiny bar" versus Cessation's Roar From The Temples.

Frankly, I would've been just as satisfied with Cessation II-- but this is an awesome surprise and riff on/evolution of that classic Yob sound. Definitely top 5 of the year.


--Horn

www.myspace.com/yobdoom

Bandcamp Ripples - The Shovel's Latest Bandcamp Finds for Great Free Music

http://thinningtheherd.bandcamp.com/

Hard to think of a similar band but Gozu sprung to mind. A very well conceived and executed album, good songcraft on display here. Made all the more attractive by the price - tis free! Bit of a grower this one, can see these chaps doing well off the back of this with enough exposure.

http://greyhost.bandcamp.com/album/1-11-demo-session

For fans of Sleep-styled bludgeoning riffage and lets be honest, who isn't? One of the best demos I have heard for a while. To my humble ears good enough to be a proper release. Can't really go wrong this formula - if they were to throw in more psych stylings they could really be on to something. A band I would like to see live - if you get the chance, check them out.

http://warchief.bandcamp.com/album/for-heavy-damage

One track here spanning twenty and a half minutes. You wouldn't guess it though, the sounds contained therein are more the ample to keep your ears happy. Another band to keep an eye on, there seem to be some serious musicians here, this track was merely a jam...someone sign them up and give them a studio to play with.

--The Shovel

Poobah’s Award-Winning LP, Let Me In, Back In Stock at Ripple Music

 

 

Due to massive demand from the clamoring horde of heavy-psyche rock, proto-metal, and Poobah fans world-wide, Poobah’s Let Me In vinyl edition has seen a second pressing and is now back in stock at Ripple Music and the labels dedicated group of distributors. Earlier this year, the award-winning multi-colored vinyl edition of Let Me In sold out, yet the calls and orders continued to come in. Second and all subsequent pressings are on classic sleek and sexy black wax, and like the first pressing of the double LP, include a download code that allows access to two additional tracks that can otherwise only be found on the CD edition.

Not to rest on the laurels of past successes, Jim Gustafson is currently leading Poobah into the future with a fresh new album aimed for a late 2011 release. But for more current Poobah revelry, catch the band as they assail the senses throughout Ohio this summer!

Times and locations are subject to change – for up to the minute details, visit: www.poobahband.com

July 16^th: Mud Mayhem Festival – Logan, OH  7:00pm
July 22^nd: Lemon Grove – Youngstown, OH  9:00pm
July 23^rd: Iron Saddle Rock Club – Akron, OH  9:00pm
July 30^th: Charlyfest 3 – Toledo, OH  6:00pm
Aug. 6^th: Fishbone Grill (Alzheimers Benefit) – Vienna, WV  4:00pm
Aug. 13^th: Birdies Rec – Sebring, OH  8:00pm
Aug. 19^th: YRRH Rockfest (Jam night) – Youngstown, OH  5:00pm
Aug. 20^th: YRRH Rockfest – Youngstown, OH  10:00pm

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

www.ripple-music.com

Legendary Acid Rockers, JPT Scare Band, Drop Hard Rocking New Single and Video “Long Day” to Celebrate National 420 Day. Exclusive World Premiere on The Obelisk

After more than 3 solid months of Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, holding down a top 5 spot in CD Baby.com’s Extended Jam Category, legendary acid rockers, JPT Scare Band come roaring back with a blitzing assault on their newest single, “Long Day.”  Featuring the sizzling guitar work of Terry Swope, “Long Day,” tears through more than 7 minutes of searing guitar leads, massive bass riffs, and mammoth drum jamming, all in the definitive JPT Scare Band style.

To make things even more appropriate, JPT Scare Band and Ripple Music will release the single and world-premiere of the psychedelic video on April 20, 2011, National Weed Day.  The term 420 originated from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in California in 1971. The teens met after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke out at the Louis Pasteur statue.  Since then, the date has become legendary in the Stoner Rock community.  An ethos JPT Scare Band embraces whole heartedly.

After years of plying their frenzied, hard-rocking, acid blues trade in near obscurity, the love and accolades keep pouring in for JPT Scare Band.  Classic Rock Magazine honored JPT by including their last single “Not My Fault” on their November cover-mounted CD.   After previously naming JPT Scare Band one of the “lost pioneers of heavy metal,” Classic Rock continued the love fest proclaiming that “JPT Scare Band plied a terrifying form of ear-bludgeoning hard rock that was so far ahead of its time, people are still trying to catch up.”

The world premiere of the hard-rocking, definitively heavy psych video for “Long Day,” will make its debut April 20^th exclusively at The Obelisk, one of stoner rock’s premiere websites and the home of The Obelisk Forum, a watering hole for thousands of fans of hard, heavy, stoner and doom rock.  You can find the video here: The Obeliskhttp://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/04/19/jptvid/

 “Long Day” will be available as a digital single from CD Baby and all fine digital music emporiums.   Meanwhile, Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is still available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com

Go here to check out the world premiere video.

Poobah’s "Let Me In" Tops Rolling Stone Year End List!

As 2010 came roaring to an end, Poobah’s Let Me In, released on Oct. 12th found itself at the top of many Year End Lists, being hailed as a Re-Issue of the Year by David Fricke, senior writer for Rolling Stone Magazine, Pat Prince of Goldmine Magazine, Ray Van Horn, Jr. of The Metal Minute/Retaliate Magazine, and even going as far as being called “album of the decade” by Ray Dorsey of Ray’s Realm!

So, congratulations go out to Jim Gustafson for creating a piece of music with the vitality and staying power that Let Me In has, as well as a big round of applause to T. Dallas Reed for his countless hours of blowing off the sonic dust from the original 1972 analog tapes, and graphic designer Vic Jong for laboriously toiling over the details of the packaging reproduction in an effort to retain the visual feel of the original LP!

Here are a few more words to carry us into 2011:

“Between Jim Gustafson’s primal vocals to his gut wrenching licks on his Les Paul . . . they should have been huge, Black Sabbath Huge, because they were on par as far as sound and attack but it was not to be." -- Metal Exiles

"One of the highlights of the year!  Let Me In is an album deserving of any status this reissue can give it, be it “classic” or otherwise.” – The Obelisk

“On the basis of Let Me In, Poobah is more than just a shaggy curiosity from the Me Decade – it’s a band worth discovering for fans not satisfied with endless Grand Funk retreads on classic rock radio." -- Sleazegrinder

Catch Poobah on the road throughout the winter of 2011!

Fri. Jan.7 WRANGLER Whipple, OH 8:30pm
Fri.Jan.21 MARIETTA BREWING Co., Marietta, OH 9:45pm
Fri. Jan. 28 JACKIE O's Athens, OH 9:30pm
Sat. Jan. 29 HOME Tavern, Logan, OH 9:00pm
Fri. Feb. 18 IRON SADDLE Akron, OH 10:00pm     
Sat. Feb.19 HAPS Bar New Waterford, OH 9:45pm
Sat. Feb.26 LAKEVIEW Tavern Albany, OH 8:30pm
Fri. March 4 NICOLOZAKES Fairpoint, OH 9:45 pm

Ape Machine – This House has Been Condemned

“Mister Peabody, the controls have been set on the Way-back machine.”

“Excellent, Sherman.  What year have you set the date for?”

“1971, sir.  That’s when rock and roll really exploded into something heavy. Proto-metal came about with bands like Sabbath, Toad, Bang, Alice Cooper, and Blues Creation.”

“Perfect, Sherman.  Then make haste.  Rush us back to the days of the dawning of the heavy!”

A button is pushed.  The Way-back machine’s lights flash, sirens wail.

But something unexpected happens.

Rather than sending our intrepid rock adventurers back to 1971, the machine’s controls have been manipulated.  In a massive time-meld of Einstein-ian proportions, dimensions fuse, time warps, decades overlap, and without warning, the year 1971 is brought forward to the present, falling in perfect synchronicity with 2011.  40 years flashes without missing a beat.

And the music they’re listening to is Ape Machine.

It isn’t often that an album will make my top 10 list for the year when I haven’t even reviewed it.  But This House Has Been Condemned has.   And for good reason.  This album is a monster of retro-fueled, bell-bottomed, Zep-rock.

In truth, I blame Ape Machine for the massive delay in this review coming.  If they hadn’t recorded an album of such depth and warmth, performed it with such musicianship, crafted it with such Gods-of-rock perfection and a hefty set of Jimmy Page-sized balls, I’d a written this review a long time go.

But they did, and it took me this long to wrap my head around this organic blitzkrieg of modern proto-metal.   It took this long for each layer to unwrap within my skull, each riff to take root in my inner ear, each nuance to be fully digested.

Simply put, This House Has Been Condemned is one helluva album and Ape Machine is one helluva band.

Coming from Portland, this 5 piece takes all the right tones from that glorious year of early rock, infuse it with a modern sensibility, churn it up in an electric blender hooked up to an analogue tape machine, put it on frappe, and pour out one tasty, frothy concoction of legendary-inspired rock.  Quite a few bands delve into these fertile fields, but only a few can pull it off with such ease.  Most get caught up in posturing and watered down riffs stolen from dad's record collection, like The Answer.  Not Ape Machine.  These guys live it, they breathe it, they are it.

I haven’t been this caught up in an album since the reissue of Siena Root’s debut and that's a good launching point for thinking about these guys.  Think of Ape Machine as a Siena Root without the deepness of the Purple influence, or a heavier, less-stoned Dead Man, or a just-as-heavy-but-less-progressive Kamchatka.   If any of these bands ring your bell, then you gotta check Ape Machine out.  Think of them as a rock and roll band with a finger on the pulse of the 70’s and their asses firmly in the present.  Real heavy-psych for the iPhone generation.  True guts and glory rock and roll.

“Under Your Skin,” kicks the affair off with a charging proto-metal riff of such epic proportions it must've been handed down by Sir Lord Baltimore from the top of the Mountain and handed directly to Lucifer's Friend. After a rocket-fire drum attack, the riff is propelled on the backbone of Brian True’s bass.  Ian Watts and Jimi Miller explode in flourishes of incendiary electric guitar while Monte Fuller holds the anchor that keeps this song from floating off in a THC-induced haze.   Then comes Caleb Heinze, who brings a Robert Plant swagger to the proceedings, in spirit and confidence, if not in the wail.  Caleb has a voice that sounds like it came directly from the early ‘70’s from the tone to the phrasing.   He's not trying to sing like the singers from the 70's, he is from the '70's, a beneficiary of our Way-back Machine mishap.  As with the rest of the guys, there’s no pretending here, this is real.

As the song whips through its motoring riffs, bluesy inflections, and shooting leads, the band demonstrates one of their most remarkable traits.  Rather than let the adrenaline let the song burnout in a frenzy of hypercharged playing, the guys know nuance.  Suddenly, they let it all drop away.  A “Whole Lotta Love”-styled feedback-and-vocal drenched interlude gives way to a jazzy passage of tom drums, percolating bass, and fusion-minded guitars.   Not a lot of bands would give a song so ferocious as “Under Your Skin” this much space to breathe, but Ape Machine pull it off effortlessly, dropping right back into the main riff with a minute left to go.  The whole thing just evolves so organically, so naturally, with such a feeling of live spontaneity and free form (yet structured) jamming.  Everything you need to know about the band is right there.

I’ve seen the band called stoner rock, but I couldn’t disagree more.  They don’t have any of the redundant pounding of most stoner bands or a big wall of fuzz and feedback. Ape Machine are the return of true festival-worthy, '70's arena rock. 

“Monte Malady,” is even more of a beast, riding out on a riff pinched from any number of 1971’s proto-metal, blues-ified purveyors.   Heinze and the the band as a whole really let their early Zep influence show here, and I mean that in a tone, bluesy, and ballsy sort of way, not a glammed up, dumbed-down “Coverdale/Whitesnake/Tawny Kitaen/Here I Go Again” kinda way.  Check out out Heinze’s Plant-esque vocal phrasing during the song’s ending a Capella parts.  Right before the mean guitars tear on in and rip the ending to pieces.  These guys leave eat and breathe the spirit of early ‘70’s rock.   There’s just nothing forced, trendy, or retro about them. 

The rest of the album is just as strong, but I'll leave that for your exploration.

It’s always tempting to try and pick out a group’s influences, but it’s really not necessary here. This House Has Been Condemned bleeds droplets of ‘70’s blood which I’m sure hints towards the depth of these cats’ record collections.  The end result is a monolith of heavy, blues-infested jam rock that feels timeless in its execution.   An infinitely listenable album.

"Mr.Peabody, it looks like our experiment didn't turn out as we'd planned."

"That's right, Sherman.  It's even better.  Rock isn't dead.  Even in this day and age of over-produced, iTune-downloaded, fill-the-masses with quantity not quality- musical pap, the spirit of those heady days of real rock and roll still lives."

--Racer

buy here: This House Has Been Condemned

Hypnos 69 – Legacy

Simply put . . . I am not worthy. I am not worthy of the exquisite sounds, the illustrious tones, the magnificent melodic overtures that make up the songs of Legacy, the latest release from Belgium’s Hypnos 69. I’m not worthy of the monumental high and emotional thrill ride that this music takes me on. I’m not worthy of having this epic piece of music in my collection. I am but a mere mortal in possession of a gift from the Immortals.

Legacy is an epicurean journey of the mind set to the beat of off-time music and explorative musical tones and chord progressions. Hypnos 69, from what I can tell from listening to this recording, is a band that’s influenced by the progressive flourishes of Pink Floyd, the dooming crunch of Black Sabbath, the compositional intrigue of Camel, and the heavy tones and melodies of Deep Purple. All of these sounds are in plain sight throughout the album, and I’m sure that for the more experienced music listener who is deeply rooted in the sounds of the early to mid 70’s, there’s even more to digest. The album is absolutely that rich in sound . . . progressively heavy psychedelic, brimming with incredible musicianship and overflowing with infectious melodies. This is a definite Top 10 for 2010!

The album starts off with a near eighteen minute sprawling opus that never feels like it’s more than five minutes long. There is so much going on in this one song that I could probably write a thousand words on it. “Requiem (For a Dying Creed)” blasts out of the speakers with these great Hammond organ passages that are accompanied by a fantastic guitar run from both the six string and four string variety  . . . the sounds are immediate and chaotic, but never so all over the place that the music doesn’t flow. No, my friends, the musical intro of the first minute and a half to two minutes is the stuff of legend. The howl of the Hammond immediately brings to mind those fabulous days of Deep Purple’s most glorious moments. In fact, the vocals of Steve Houtmeyers have a little bit of that bluesy Ian Gillian grit. They’re rough, but rich in texture. Then there’s the melodic theme that runs through the entire length of this track! Crom! It’s one of those melodies that you’ll find yourself humming throughout the day. And, like all good eighteen minute epics, this song breaks into a luxuriously mellow passage about five minutes in, capturing those extra elements of emotion and intrigue, before the song returns to the main theme and rocks us into the ether. Oh . . . here’s a new wrinkle for you . . . Hypnos 69 utilize a lot of wind instruments, both in brass and wood, and they work the instruments to perfection. They’re never overused and when they make an appearance, it’s of a grand scale such as the jazzed out break at the 7:30 minute mark of this track. As far as extended prog-rock fair goes, “Requiem (For a Dying Creed)” is perfection!

Waveriders, let me put it to you this way . . . I don’t want to play any other album right now. I have a stack of discs that I’m supposed to be listening to for future review and I just don’t wanna’. Legacy ranks right up there with Stone Axe II and Les Discrets’ Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées in albums that call to me like a haunted voice in the night. By the end of the first track, the music takes an uplifting quality of hope and success over challenges faced. Stunningly moving!

“An Aerial Architect” follows the lead track and doesn’t let up in intensity. Opening with a massive attack of saxophone that lends a weight to the riff, this song evolves (or devolves, depending on your perspective) into a grooving off-time Sabbath inspired riff. What I dig about this track is how the band work the horns into the riff . . . the guitars almost have the feel that they’re complimenting the other instruments instead of the other way around. Check out the great synth work going on at the midpoint of the song and how they act as an interesting transition to the softer passage of the song. The guitar work in this break, though really subtle, has a ton of flavor . . . and then as the music transitions once again, the guitars explode with aggression, trading licks with the saxophone to create a conversation of various tones.

“My Journey To The Stars” as of the writing of this review is my favorite tune on the album. There’s an inherent creepy groove in this song that makes me think of some of the quieter moments that a band like Opeth works into their oppressive sound. This one is a fairly laid back number, leaving a lot of space between notes and is propelled by Houtmeyers’ voice. The mixture of the understated guitars and synths makes this song a psychedelic standard, taking the listener on the same journey to the stars, but it’s the flute and/or woodwinds that make this song a masterpiece. Now, add in the searing Gilmour-esque guitar solo the morphs into a heavy rhythm in the last half of the track, and I hope that you all strapped yourselves in for this cosmic flight. This is the kind of prog-rock that I can get behind! Hypnos 69 write a great song and use their technical and virtuosic talents to expand on the ideas. They make sure that the song has substance before they garnish the hell out of it.

“The Sad Destiny We Lament” is another softer song, at least on the outset. Powered by infectious melody over a softly strumming acoustic guitar and the ebbing and flowing hum of synths, the vocals tell tale of personal challenge and torment. “The Empty Hourglass” brings back the heaviness with the thunderous pounding of a bass drum and the distorted throes of the guitars and Hammond organ . . . damn, this song is near eleven minutes of outright bliss! Heavy, yet tasteful. Listen to the break just after the three minute mark . . . straight up Brubeck off-time stuff akin to “Take Five” or “Blue Rondo A La Turk”. Throughout this review, I’ve yet to mention the drum work, so let it be known now . . . the drums are phenomenal and this song is one of drummer Dave Houtmeyers’ standout performances. Psychedelic genius!

Released on the Elektrohasch label, Legacy is my first foray with the label and after perusing their coffers, I’m very, very intrigued by what I see. Back to Hypnos 69, these guys have apparently been around since 1995 and have released a bunch of stuff since 2000, even a split 10” with Ripple favorites Colour Haze. Oh goody . . . it also appears that Legacy has been released on double vinyl just for my pleasure! Seriously, Waveriders . . . if you like the sounds of heavy psychedelic progressive rock from the 70’s, Hypnos 69 are the band that you must investigate further. These guys do it right. Their compositional skill is first and foremost and they expand on the music from there, not the other way around so that it all sounds like senseless noodling. The solos are impassioned expressions of the individual performers much like one might find on a jazz recording from the late 50’s or early 60’s. In all, Legacy makes me feel good.  For the past three weeks, I haven’t wanted to listen to much else . . . sure, I’ve forced myself to, but I keep running back to this album, trying to find any excuse to put this in front of everything else in its way. Thank you, Universe. Thank you.

Pope

http://users.skynet.be/sb158053/

http://www.myspace.com/hypnos69

Proto-metal Report - Featuring Lucifer's Friend and Night Sun

What was going on in Germany in the early 70’s that they were able to produce such kick ass world class heavy rock? And what’s wrong with the world that the music of Lucifer’s Friend and Night Sun are not being played on your local classic rock radio station right now? The debut albums from both of these bands are required listening for all fans of the mid-tempo hard n heavy realm.

The debut album from Lucifer’s Friend was first unleashed in 1970 and the opening song “Ride The Sky” is something everyone needs to hear. Released the same year as Led Zeppelin III, the song was accused of ripping off “Immigrant Song” but it turns out “Ride The Sky” came first. Take a listen for yourself and see if the opening fanfare played on French horn sounds similar to Robert Plant’s wailing vocals. Zep has been known to pinch some riffs here and there, but this might just be a weird co-incidence. But you never know. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jimmy Page was intrigued by a band named Lucifer’s Friend given his interest in the occult.

Even though Lucifer’s Friend were a German band, they were fronted by British born belter John Lawton. His high pitched voice soars above the heavy, gloomy music perfectly. I must admit the first few times I listened to this his voice reminded me a bit of Mickey Thomas but luckily there are no cheesy songs like “Fooled Around & Fell In Love” or “Jane.” The heavy organ sound makes for immediate comparisons to Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, but Lucifer’s Friend are probably closer to early Atomic Rooster in their blend of doomy guitar/organ interplay and they rarely venture into full on Emerson, Lake & Palmer prog.

All 8 songs on the original album are great. There’s everything from creepy slow ones like “Keep Goin,” mid tempo groovers like “Toxic Shadows” and faster ones like their theme song “Lucifer’s Friend. The latest edition of the CD comes with 5 bonus tracks that vary quite a bit. “Horla” is from 1970 and fits in perfectly with the album. However, there are some songs from 1973 that are pretty lame pop-rock junk like “Our World Is A Rock N Roll Band” with horrible synths and David Cassidy style vocals. Just goes to show what happens when the record company demands a hit!

Lucifer’s Friend went on to make a few more albums but changed their style quite a bit from the debut, which is where Night Sun comes in. Another German band with a high pitched screamer and pounding organist, this sounds like it should have been the second album from Lucifer’s Friend. Their debut album Mournin’ from 1972 has been described as Lucifer’s Cousin or Lucifer’s Friend That Came With The Other Guy.

Album opener “Plastic Shotgun” is an insanely complex song that will make your head spin. Night Sun has a bit more ELP in their sound than Lucifer’s Friend but are too heavy to be a full on prog rock band. “Got A Bone Of My Own” and “Slush Pan Man” are dead ringers for Death Walks Behind You-era Atomic Rooster outtakes. “Blind” has a nice jazzy groove to it similar to Deep Purple’s “Lazy” with some nice guitar work. Fast ones like “Crazy Woman” and “Nightmare” use the “Speed King” template to excellent effect.

Sadly, both of these albums are out of print but used copies can be found in all the usual places. Both of these albums belong on your stereo if you love Captain Beyond, The Groundhogs, Hard Stuff and all of the bands already mentioned. It might cost you, but heavy rock this good is hard to find.  -- Woody

Buy here:  Lucifer's Firend

Buy here: Mournin' [2010 Reissue Vinyl]

JPT Scare Band - Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden

This is the first release on The Ripple Effect’s home grown label, Ripple Music, but before you start yelling about nepotism let me set the record straight. I have nothing to do with the label. Racer and Pope are in California and I’m over here in Brooklyn, NY. We’ve never met. What brought us all together is a mutual love of kick ass heavy rock, especially obscure stuff from the 1970’s and it doesn’t get more obscure than the JPT Scare Band. Truth (and Janey) be told, I’d be drooling all over this even if I wasn’t lucky enough to be associated with the Ripple crew.

With that public service announcement out of the way, let’s get down to business of talking about Acid Blues Is The White Man's Burden, a collection of unreleased gem’s from these acid rock freaks. If you’ve never heard the JPT Scare Band before, you’re in for a treat. This is the stuff that weirdos who like the Tommy Bolin-era of The James Gang (like Pope) cream over. Guys who own over 100 hours of UFO bootlegs, including the Paul Chapman years (like Racer). Losers who wish that Fuzzy Duck made a 2nd album (yours truly). This album will sit proudly next to your worn out Leaf Hound, Dust, Budgie and Ram Jam albums.

“Long Day” is the first song and has a more commercial feel than some of their other material, but at 7 minutes and with a typically blistering guitar solo from Terry Swope, there was no chance this song was ever gonna get on the radio. “Not My Fault” is a catchy mid-tempo ditty with a laid back Blind Faith groove and some “Hey Jude” inspired background vocals at the end.

If those 2 songs aren’t your cup of tea, then chances are the rest of it will be. “Death Letter 2001” is a raunchy take on the old Son House classic. This is pure power trio blues rock. Terry lays down some furious licks over a powerful rhythm section featuring some truly filthy bass playing. “Stone House Blues” and “Amy’s Blue Day” are slow ones captured live and dirty in the garage. “I’ve Been Waiting” is almost 10 minutes of guitar orgy ecstasy that sounds like Tommy Bolin sitting in with Budgie.

The title track is the official anthem of JPT Scare Band. Acid Blues has been this bands burden since the early 70’s. Their toil is our reward.

--Woody

Buy here on CD or double colored LP, gatefold vinyl:  JPT Scare Band

or from Amazon  Vinyl Acid Blues Is the White Man's Burden [Domestic]

Export Vinyl Acid Blues Is the White Man's Burden [Export]

or CD Acid Blues Is the White Man's Burden

Guitar Legends JPT Scare Band Devastate BP with New Music Video, "Not My Fault"

After a hugely successful, 1 week debut on some of rock's finest websites, JPT Scare Band unleashes their darkly sarcastic attack on BP to the general public and the world.  Reports are that the biting, inflammatory video was picked up by over 40 news outlets and websites, as anger over BP's mishandling of the Louisiana Gulf Crisis bubbles over the boiling point.

Featuring the guitar wizardry of Terry Swopes, often hailed as "the most unheralded guitarist in rock" "Not My Fault" is a classic JPT Scare Band tune, written by drummer Jeff Littrell in the '70's but not recorded until 2004.  The ironic, almost cheery nature of the song plays in direct contrast to the destruction that BP has left in it's wake.

If you like the video, stay tuned to the very end, as the original 911 call BP made to the Louisiana Police demonstrates their epic downplaying of the situation.

And if you enjoy the video, please pass it on to your friends.  Link to it, embed it, twitter it, facebook it.  BP has paid millions of dollars to buy up all the sensitive search terms on the gulf crisis and is spending hundreds of millions of dollars white-washing it's role in the disaster and cleansing it's reputation. 

This is just one small way we can all fight back!

"Not My Fault" appears on the new JPT Scare Band album, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden released by Ripple Music. 

Proto metal Report - Judas Priest – Rocka Rolla

Anytime that Racer and I get together and sit down for a meal, the safe bet is that a good two hours will pass with us talking about music. In fact, the last time we met up, I’d say we spent . . . carry the one . . . find the lowest common denominator . . . about ten hours discussing all that is music. And one of the bands that frequented many of those conversations was Judas Priest, which then got me thinking about the band’s first album. Rocka Rolla, for some reason or another, is the red headed bastard child of the Priest catalog, and I’m not totally certain why. I know that when trying to compare it to anything post-British Steel is near impossible simply because the sound and musical direction had changed so much. In actuality, the band’s sound really took the most drastic turn with Hell Bent For Leather. Up to that point, Sad Wings of Destiny and Sin After Sin held fairly close in the pattern set with Rocka Rolla’s fuzzed out, blues-based psychedelia.

So, here it is . . . 1974 and this wee little band out of Birmingham, England releases their debut album and it doesn’t even remotely sound like the style that they would become famous for. Rocka Rolla has more in common with bands such as Poobah, or Sir Lord Baltimore, or Leaf Hound than what we’ve all come to know and love as Judas Priest. But folks . . . that’s not a bad thing! Bob Halford (as he was referred to back then) and his stratospheric pipes, K.K. Downing and Glen (that’s right . . . one ‘n’) Tipton’s dual guitar attack seamlessly shifting from rhythm to lead, Ian Hill’s no frills, played-in-pocket low end, and John Hinch’s steady hand steering the ship, Rocka Rolla is a precursor to the pre-Hell Bent For Leather releases from the Priest. Maybe a little primitive in sound, but when you sit back and listen to the groove and soul to the music, it’s easier to see that this is an overlooked gem.

The title track has long been a favorite tune of mine. The opening guitar riff is laced with those elements that would later make up that classic Priest guitar sound, as my fearless brethren, Racer, has often stated, a tone that actually sounds like metal. Capturing the essence of all that rock that became popular in the early to mid 70’s, “Rocka Rolla” is the most commercial track on the album and has a string of lyrics that I’ve found myself singing when I hadn’t listened to the song in years. Downing and Tipton shine. Between the heavy blues riffage, these ax men whip out some great lead work and give us a glimpse of the great things that would later erupt from their fingers. Halford’s voice borders on crooning lounge singer as he emits this sultry bluesy thing, gruff when he needs to be, but all around smooth. We even get some sneak previews of the higher pitched screams that became the man’s bread and butter. Of special note, check out the harmonica work. Yeah . . . not what one would expect with Judas Priest, but then again, back in 1974, we didn’t know what to expect.

“Never Satisfied” is a bruiser. Every time I hear this, I try to imagine what it would have been like to hear this for the first time in ’74. Sure, at that point, heavy rock wasn’t totally new. Zeppelin had released the Brown Bomber and Sabbath, well . . . was there anything heavier than Sabbath at the time? But, the point is, the guitar tones, the heavy groovin’ rhythms, the smoky whiskey drenched blues voice all worked in tandem to create a menacing sound that taken apart from Priests’ peers would have be otherworldly. Co-penned by the bands original singer, Alan Atkins, “Never Satisfied” has a certain blues-y factor to it, what with the chord progressions and lyrical content, but there’s also this underlying attitude to it that I think bares a semblance to latter day Priest and the metal that they would eventually forge. The guitar solos from on this one are doozies, as well. Soaring and ear splitting, Downing and Tipton were kismet from day one!

The thing with early Judas Priest that really shook my foundations and I found unnerving was their slowed down, psychedelic material; going back to tracks like “Dreamer Deceiver” and “Epitaph” from Sad Wings, and “Last Rose of Summer” from Sin After Sin. By the time I heard the chilled out psyche sounds of “Run of the Mill” and the space-y Winter Medley, I was pretty numb to Judas Priest of old. Now listening to this stuff, it’s a hundred times cooler than ever! “Run of the Mill” is packed with these great emotional interludes and dynamic shifts of metal that make the song a quasi-epic. The mini jam section in the middle of the song is laced with LSD as the guitar notes seem to waft through the air like so much pot smoke. All the while, the rhythm section is just humming along in the background, doing what a world class rhythm section is supposed to do. Slowed down tracks like these are, in my opinion, when Halford shines the brightest. Dude has a voice that can melt glaciers!

Rounding out the album with a hard rocking edge is “Dying to Meet You,” a song that initially slithers out of the speakers rather than leaping out like so many rockers. The slow distorted riff is as imposing as any out there, and then when the dual guitarists kick their rigs into a clean tone and Halford’s Sinatra-like vocals croon . . . phew! “Dying to Meet You” reflects the tumultuous times well with lyrics that paint a dark and vivid image of the psychosis of those going to war. Then, the song bursts into a galloping rhythmic beast, kicked into overdrive by a guitar solo that will kick your ass into orbit around the moon. Halford’s vocals switch up with the change in mood of the latter half of the tune and we hear the makings of classic Priest. Heavy, driving, dark and imposing, yet tasteful with a touch of classical headiness.

I could never with a straight face say that Rocka Rolla is my favorite Priest album, but I’m sure I could create some bizarre category where it would rest comfortably in the top five. Maybe, the “best 70’s psyche blues that no one talks about” list . . . anyway, most fans of Judas Priest don’t pay too much attention to the band prior to British Steel, and even fewer before Hell Bent For Leather or Stained Class. Rocka Rolla isn’t the leather clad metal militia that the band became in the 80’s. In fact, the band comes across as star crossed hippies who were dissatisfied with all of the peaceniks of the day and then experimented with hallucinogens to further their musical vision. Where Rocka Rolla stands in comparison with the heavy fussed out, acid blues rock of the same time period is beyond me, and nor do I really care. I hear a collection of songs that have a good groove, a warm though imposing tone, and melodies that I can’t help but sing to every time that I hear them.  -  Pope JTE

Buy here:  Rocka Rolla

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