Lord Fowl - Moon Queen

 

Hey waveriders, call me Headshot. I'll be your pilot for the next few paragraphs.

    I'm sitting in a chair on my back porch watching the evening sun bathe itself in somnambular hues of purple and red.  I have a list of albums to listen to, but it's the end of Summer. Autumn air is creeping in through the trees and all the sludge and doom that dominates my list isn't whetting my appetite. I'm in the mood for something fresh, something wide sounding. I start flipping through the list.

    "Meh, not so much, welllll.....oh...wait....Moon Queen, that sounds cool."

    I  queue it up. As the first track, also the title track, opens up, the clouds form florescent letters; the name LORD FOWL shines iridescent in the dusking sky. This song has it all: tons of fresh hot riffs, great vocals, and music that is heavy as a really heavy thing, yet mellow and sure of itself.

    That first listen was a couple days ago, I've listened to the whole thing several times since then. It's getting stuck in my head, it's catchy and there's nothing wrong with that.

    The one thing this album has, above all else, is dynamic. Every song, while sounding like the same band, has its own personality and groove. The band keeps variety at hand.

They go from an easy going mix of "Time Travelin' Blues" era Orange Goblin and KISS on tracks such as "Touch Your Groove" and "Moon Queen" to the almost Foo Fighters colored "The Queen is Not Impressed."

    The album ends with the stoned epic, "Pluto." The song is a glorious amalgamation of too many things to mention. One of the greatest moments on the album is the guitar solo in this song. The groove is slow, it takes its time, it's mostly empty air. It lets the guitars breathe. It's absolutely appropriate, and beautiful. It reminds me of the end of H.G. Well's The Time Machine , seeing the purity of a dying planet and the grace of infinite atrophy. Yeah man, space and shit.

    Go buy their album, like them on facebook, send them creepy letters about how you want to have their babies, whatever your thing is.

--Headshot

    Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/LORD-FOWL/26058212
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    As an aside, here's a little about me, since I'm new. My name, as  you know, is Headshot; I enjoy long walks on zombie infested beaches, feeling the toxic sludge between my toes and, and frolics in ruined urbanscapes.  I meandered my way into the ripple by trying to get my band, Deadweight, heard. We've got a new EP coming out. But, I won't plug you too much just yet. There's plenty of time for that later. 

Greenleaf - Nest Of Vipers

Pre-release emails from Small Stone are always something to get excited about so I usually download them right away. I snagged this advance for Greenleaf without checking the hype sheet and just started listening right away. First thing, I thought was "damn, this sounds a lot like Dozer!" I really loved their last album Beyond Colossal and played the hell out of it. After a few minutes, it was obvious that Greenleaf was somehow connected to Dozer. After referring to the bio, I was not surprised to learn that several members of Dozer, Truckfighters and the guy that has engineered their albums. Can't go wrong with that configuration.

While Dozer builds off of Black Sabbath, Greenleaf seems to use Alice Cooper as a base (mainly Love It To Death and Killer). This is good news for me since I LOVE Alice Cooper. The production is pretty dry with lots of room for all the instruments, very reminiscent of Love It To Death. Opening song "Jack Staff" even has some "Sun Arise" style muted string scraping. We're off to a good start! My all-time favorite Swedish band Union Carbide Productions were also huge Alice Cooper fans, as well as The Stooges, MC5, Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart. Dozer and Greenleaf continue in that tradition but veer more towards the heavier side of classic rock with a lot of Black Sabbath, 70's Judas Priest, early Grand Funk Railroad and Deep Purple. Probably The Doors, too. Can't go wrong with those influences filtered through potent beer and long months of darkness.

Fast and hard songs like "Lilith" sit along trippy workouts like "Tree Of Life" but most of the album is mid-tempo heavy rock. The guitars are very heavy but not overly distorted or tuned down, leaving lots of room for a nice big bass tone and booming drums. The vocals are cleanly sung with a bit of distortion to give them some bite. There's not a bad song on the album and the closing title track is an especially moody pounding jam with some excellent organ playing. Jon Lord and Craig Frost would be proud. The album is only available on iTunes right now but the physical CD will be coming out in June. Don't snooze on this one.

--Woody

Greenleaf on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenleaf/201303846564632

Dixie Witch - Let It Roll

Now this is my kinda album - no ballads, no keyboards, no acoustic guitars! Dixie Witch is a band you can count on for heads down, no nonsense boogie. Anything less from a Texas three piece rock band would be complete heresy. Let It Roll is the first Dixie Witch album since 2006 and marks the debut of new guitarist Joshua "JT" Todd Smith alongside the usual rhythm section of bassist Curt "CC" Christenson and singing drummer Trinidad Leal.

Right out of the gate, the band hits hard on the opening title track and you'll be reaching for the volume knob. Is that the new Dixie Witch? WELL, TURN IT UP! The intensity picks up on the 2nd song "Boogie Man." For those of you who have been waiting the past 30 years for The Rods to write a follow up to "Rock Hard," your time has come. This song is the perfect blend of Blackfoot and early Krokus (some of their early tapes are pretty good, and you know it). "The High Deal" is a great song to fire up at quitting time as you go space trucking to happy hour. There's also a great song called "Anthem" that thankfully has absolutely nothing in common with the Rush song of the same name.

There isn't a dud on this entire record. 10 songs kick ass songs in 36 minutes will leave you wanting more. The production is great, heavy but not metal guitar sounds, pounding drums and thunderous bass. Let It Roll was designed to be played loud in a moving vehicle. Rather than write about it, that's exactly what I'm gonna do right now.

--Woody

The Might Could

I'm hangin' with my hound dog and sippin' moonshine on the back deck. A cool October breeze is blowing - the leaves are falling - and I'm rockin' out to the southern-fried, self-titled debut by The Might Could. At this moment I'm reassured that life can be pretty sweet sometimes.

I'd bet that members of the Richmond, Va., foursome, are also loving their lives right now. After all, it's been months since The Might Could  (Small Stone Records) started damaging eardrums and all the accolades started pouring in. I think former Alabama Thunder-Pussy guitarist Erik Larson (vocals/guitar),  TJ Childers (lead guitar/vocals), 'The Rob' Gouldman (bass) and Ryan Wolfe (drums) deserve every bit of recognition they get, including a second feature on The Ripple Effect.

No..I'm not quite drunk yet...just really tipsy...and maybe a little hungry. (Sip). I can put that off a little longer. There's more than enough tasty morsels of full-flavored rock/metal on The Might Could, anyway. The opener, "Stone Colossus", rolls in with slammin' drums and a rompin' southern groove before busting into some bass-filled sludge followed by a smokin' guitar solo. Straight-up Sabbath licks appear near the middle and then we do it again. Oh yeah. That's what I'm talkin' about.

For me, the most kick-ass song is clearly "I Don't Even Like Pantera Anymore". The title confuses me for a second, until I realize these guys have a good sense of humor. Pantera-inspired riffs and vocals don't do much to make me believe the Might Could dislike the metal masters from Texas. And Childers' guitar solo is a rendition of Dimebag's from "I'm Broken", on Far Beyond Driven. It's my guess that instead of a slam, this track is the band's tribute to Pantera. And it's a good one.

The slow and soulful, "When the Spirits Take Control", is a choice southern rock song. If you ask me, this is their "Simple Man" by Skynyrd. It's their "Freebird". Rock on..(Sip). "Let 'Em Up Easy" starts off that way - easy - with 90 seconds of bluesy-slide guitar from Childers. Then it gets bouncy when the rest of the Might Could join in and I have to get outta my seat. This one will make ya move. I guarantee it. With about 90 seconds left you're blessed with more slide work before a crazy solo.

The Might Could washes me with a familiar old-school metal feeling that I miss, too. Killers by Iron Maiden, in particular. Maybe it's just the rapidly-disappearing moonshine, but as I'm listening to "Wretched Wraith" a picture of 'Eddie' appears in my head and I'm back in the 80's. I'm sure the vocals and lyrics have something to do with that, but the same happens on the 8-minute finale, "The Fall". Is it just a coincidence? I don't think so and it don't bother me one bit. I embrace it.

Keep listening after the last song you'll be treated to some friendly banter between band members in the studio. (Sip) It's hilarious and I've always enjoyed hearing recordings like this on an album. It's just the band being themselves and it affirms my belief that the Might Could love a good laugh. As do I. And I laugh out loud.

"Do you want me to go imitate you playing drums?" one asks.

"You do that a lot."

"No I don't."

"You already said I look like a monkey. So..."

"I said you looked like a hummingbird."

The ribbing continues and it's funny as hell. Give it a listen - after the music of course.

I love The Might Could. However, I have a feeling the band should have a more confident name 'cause their debut sure DID kick my ass up one side of my back yard and down the other. My neighbors were probably wondering what the hell was going on. Like moonshine, some of the vocals may be an acquired taste for a few people - at times they're pretty harsh - but I'm definitely including the Might Could among my top new Small Stone Records artists. Beefy southern rock/metal couldn't get much better for me. Well...it might could. (Sip).

---Heddbuzz

Ripple News - LO-PAN To Begin Let Freedom Ding Tour; Vinyl Out Now!

Ohio rockers LO-PAN have unveiled their latest slew of tour dates in support of their Small Stone Records debut, Salvador. After scores of shows across the country with the likes of Truckfighters, Dixie Witch, Gypsyhawk and Fight Amp, LO-PAN’s Let Freedom Ding tour – allegedly named for the many bells that mysteriously occupy the dashboard of the band’s van – will find the outfit bringing their fuzzed-out soul rock bliss to the Midwest alongside heavy hitters like Bloodcow, Droids Attack, and Chapstik.

In addition, Small Stone’s 180-gram vinyl pressing of Salvador is available now in white and red/blue clear swirl. Whatever flavor you choose, it’s delicious, and available now at smallstone.com/store. The band will also have copies with them on the road, and they take credit cards. Seriously.


LO-PAN Let Freedom Ding Tour:

08/17/2011 The Mill - Iowa City, IA w/ Snow Demon
08/18/2011 The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE w/ Bloodcow
08/19/2011 Tennyson's Tap - Denver, CO w/ Low Gravity, Black Lamb
08/20/2011 Burt's Tiki Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT w/ Muckraker, Dwellers, Top Dead Celebrity
08/23/2011 The Aquarium - Fargo, ND
08/24/2011 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN  w/ Droids Attack
08/25/2011 JB's Speakeasy - La Crosse, WI w/ Droids Attack
08/26/2011 Club Inferno - Madison, WI w/ Droids Attack
08/27/2011 Red Line Tap - Chicago, IL w/ Heaving Mass, Droids Attack
08/28/2011 Small's - Detroit, MI w/ Chapstick, Knife



Lo-Pan, Salvador vinyl track listing:

Side A:

El Dorado

Bleeding Out

Seed

Bird Of Prey

Deciduous



Side B:

Intro

Chichen Itza

Struck Match

Generations

Solo

Backwoods Payback – Momantha

For many years I thought I was the only one who remembered Kinghorse, the obnoxious band from Louisville who blended Black Flag/Misfits hardcore with Black Sabbath and The Damned during the early 1990’s. When my band had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Backwoods Payback it turned out that singer/guitarist Mike Cummings was a fan, too. The shadow of Kinghorse looms large over the new Backwoods album for me since it combines several styles of heavy music I love into one hot n nasty rip ride. There’s a strong Misfits/Samhain/Danzig influence for sure and Mike’s howling vocals bring to mind Glenn (Anzalone) Danzig as well as Sean Garrison’s powerful screaming with Kinghorse. There’s also a lot of post-My War Black Flag mixed with Sabbath spawns Trouble and Kyuss. Diversity is always a good thing as long as it’s heavy. And loud.

Momantha is a helluva album. So was their 2007 self titled debut but this new one is a major leap forward. The songwriting shows off many more layers, the musicianship is tighter and the production is much improved. The guitars of Mike Cummings and Rylan Caspar are heavy and crunchy but never get mushy sounding. Jessica Baker’s probably got the 10-and-a-half in this band based on her ballsy bass tone and W.S. Curtiss murders his drums to form a very tight and in the pocket rhythm section.

Opening song “You Know How This Works” begins with the sound of a guitar throwing up, then the drums come in and an almost happy sounding riff starts up. The mood changes once the vocals start “I’ve got no one on my side, what the fuck else is new?” The negative vibes continue with “Flight Pony” an excellent “Hole In The Sky” style stomper. “Knock Wood” and “Mr. Snowflake” are mid-tempo ragers with tortured vocals and some nice melodic lead guitar fills.

The middle of the album has a bunch of mid-tempo heavy rockers like “Parting Words,” “Lord Chesterfield” and “Velcro” that maintain their groove from start to finish but will keep you amped up behind the steering wheel without getting a speeding ticket. “Velcro” is the longest cut on the album (just under 6 minutes) and contains positive thoughts like “if I had a gun I’d clean it everyday to keep it in its finest working shape.” Things speed up and get really pissed off on “Timegrinder.” This one really reminds me of Kinghorse at their most furious with an early C.O.C. intervention. Album closer “Ballad Of A Broken Horse” is kind of a summary of the entire album. Parts are fast, parts are slow, there’s some Sabbath (maybe even from Born Again!) and the thing flat out rocks.

Backwoods Payback has come up with a real winner with Momantha, one of the better heavy music releases so far this year. As good as the album is I’m sure all of the songs will be even better live. If you’ve never seen Backwoods Payback before you’re in for a real treat. They will play at just about any dump that will have them and they always go insane even if there’s only one person in the crowd. As a matter of fact, I think they go even more insane when there are fewer people. They’re also some of the coolest people you’ll ever meet. Whether you’re a new friend or old they will always offer to take you out to their van and share their Wild Turkey with you. I’ve had the hangovers to prove it. The album is currently available on itunes and physical CD’s will be available shortly. Don’t snooze on this one, mutha!

--Woody

Buy here: http://www.smallstone.com/albuminfo.php?album=115

www.myspace.com/backwoodspayback666

 

The Might Could - S/T

Truth in advertising is always a nice bonus and the debut album from The Might Could is a perfect example of it. The front cover is an homage to Blue Cheer’s Vincebus Eruptum with 4 ugly dudes instead of the Cheer’s 3. And one guy is wearing a Sun Gods In Exile hat. Before hearing a note I knew I was going to be all over this like 69 on a summer’s day.

Richmond, VA’s Might Could play straight ahead, no nonsense kick ass rock just like I expected. Fans of contemporary loud rock losers like Backwoods Payback, Roadsaw and the rest of the Small Stone roster probably already own this by now. After a few spins I definitely picked up a strong Blackfoot influence, especially on a slow song like “When The Spirits Take Control.” This one rivals Sun Gods In Exile’s “495” as the best “Highway Song” re-write in several decades. In addition to the Blackfoot influence, I also picked up a whiff of forgotten Louisville creeps Kinghorse. “Mad Dog Blues” uses their “whoa-oh-oh” Elvis/Danzig chorus style to great effect.

Their overall sound is flat out pissed off. Recorded, mixed and mastered in 3 days it’s obvious they went for the “set it and forget it” method of making a record. Most of the songs are pretty fast but won’t make you drive too far over the speed limit because you’ll be too busy banging on the steering wheel. The 2 guitars blend well into 1 big punch to the nose while the tight rhythm section knees you in the groin at the same time. Vocals are suitably gravelly and destined to get you funny looks from the John Mayer fan next to you at the red light.

Despite all the riffing frenzy, there are a few surprises to keep things interesting. “Let ‘Em Up Easy” starts with nice bluesy lap steel guitar playing before the rest of the band comes pummeling in. “The Widower” is a heavy dirge to counter balance the faster songs. The Might Could also win song title of the year award with the brilliant “I Don’t Even Like Pantera No More.” Excellent title aside, this might be the best song on the album.

Another winner from Small Stone and another excuse to spend too much money and call in sick to work the day after these guys blow through your town.

 --Woody


Buy here: Might Could

http://www.myspace.com/mightcouldrva

Gozu - Locust Season

So it turns out Gozu are named after a Japanese movie and not the character on the Flintstones. That was The Great Gazoo, but either way they got my attention. But what really got my attention was that drummer Barry Spillberg was in the mighty Wargasm from Boston. Man, I loved that band! Their first album was called Why Play Around and came out in 1988. A dude I knew who worked for their label (Profile Records) gave me an advance tape of it and I played the shit out of it. That tape is long gone but Locust Season is making up for it big time.

“Meth Cowboy” is a great album opener with a great title. Heavy but modern with a crushing 2 guitar assault from Marc Gaffney and Doug Sherman that doesn’t drown out the bass of Jay Cannava. Barry is still ripping it up on drums. Take a look at these guys. They’re not exactly youngsters but they are pounding the world like a battering ram. Marc also handles the vocals and has a powerful voice somewhere between Chris Cornell and Marc Bolan. If this was 1988 and Gozu came onstage blasting “Mr. Riddle” opening for Zoetrope or Nuclear Assault there would be an instant pit. It’s not really metal but it’s still hard as hell and headbanging inducing. And there’s profanity in the lyrics! Always a nice bonus.

“Rise Up” also includes some good use of four letter words with a heavy Clutch via Hendrix stomp. There’s a totally scorching axe solo that sounds like Eddie Van Halen tackling Jimi’s “Who Knows.” If modern rock radio still existed they would be all over “Reagle Beagle.” This one would sound great on the radio flying down the highway and have everyone singing along on the falsetto “whoah aaaa woah” parts before the no nonsense boogie kicks back in.

Over all, Locust Season is a very solid and satisfying listen. None of the 9 songs are weak and it’s about 41 minutes – perfect length for a good album. Lots of variety so it doesn’t get boring and will appeal to just about anyone who likes heavy rock. Gozu is part of a really good breed of current Boston bands like Cortez, Roadsaw, Cult 45, Black Thai and the incredible Scrooges that makes up for past transgressions like Til Tuesday, Think Tree and SSD.  

Gozu or go home!

--Woody

buy here: Locust Season

http://www.myspace.com/gozu666