Ripple Library - Vincebus Eruptum Magazine; Heady-Psych Music

Special treat for you waveriders.

We love Heavy Psych, Stoner, and Riff Rock around the Ripple.  How could we not with bands like Stone Axe, Poobah, JPT Scare Band, Mos Generator, and the rest of the crew on our roster.  And we also love the whole scene.  People making music and folks supporting the music with love, enthusiasm and abandon.  While there are lots of music sites to go to when you want to read about your favorite music, there's something cooler about a glossy printed magazine.  Particularly when it comes with a free CD introducing new sounds to your ears.

And that's Vincebus Eruptum.

Bill, from the Soda Shop, dropped issues 11 and 12 into my hands in the midst of a joint Soda Shop/Ripple Music vinyl buying frenzy.  3 stores, one day.  Chicago be damned!  So, after talking music all day, pulling out one cool piece of vinyl after another, what would a freak like me want to do the most?  That's right, break open the fridge and delve into a magazine to learn more. And that's what I did.

With the killer free "Acid Sounds Vol. 1" CD blaring from my speakers, Vincebus Eruptum #12 was my companion for an evening of acid, fuzz, stonerfied riff rock.  And what a blast it was.

First the magazine.  A little bit smaller than a comic book, with glossy page and cardstock cover, issue #12 opens with a perfect interview with Cathedral frontman and Rise Above Records mastermind, Lee Dorrian.  It perfectly captured that man's love of music, why he's still digging the record biz, and what he's attempting to do with Rise Above Records.  Mainly, release records he wants in his own collection.  From there, interviews with The Black Rainbows, Zippo, legendary Joe Hasselvander, Gentlemen's Pistols, The Freeks, Wight, and Grand Astoria fill the pages with stories of musical excess, fuzzy days and fuzzier chords, live shows and what not.   Add to that a stash of reviews of truly relevant stoner, psych, and riff rock reviews and we got a magazine of great reading.   It's one of those rare magazine to be read cover to cover.  I even checked out all the ads, looking for new bands from labels like Small Stone, Rise Above Records, Clearspot Distribution, Kozmic Artifactz, Black Widow Records, Blood Rock Records, Sulatron Records, Elektrohasch and Go Down Records.

Just as good was the soundtrack for the night, the free CD.  I didn't know many of these bands before I listened to the free comp, but I'm a fan of a bunch of them now.  As on any compilation, there's high and low points dependent upon your taste.  I didn't care as much for the noise punk psych of Core, the shoegaze fuzz of Vibravoid, or the droning instru-doom of Colt38, but freaked for the fuzz assault of That's All Folks, the mellow psych-jazzy/folky prog of The Freeks, and the retro-bluesy freak attack of Tectonic Break.   E.X.P. brings a downcast, doomier vibe, followed by Vic Du Monte's garage/punk blitz, Zippo's space rock excursion, and the Electric Moon's futuristic garage warfare.  Killer stuff, all of it really. 

Top all that off with gorgeous cover by Kabuto, a pint-sized gorgeous DSW poster,  and spacey, cool-looking psych themed layouts everywhere and it's one gorgeous project. 

So, if you're deep into exploration of the world of heavy psych, acid rock, stoner rock, space rock and good 'ol mind-numbing riff rock, you should check this little magazine out.  It's quality stuff, delving deep into the underground world.  And most importantly, it's clearly a project done with love.

It's one worth collecting and keeping.  I know I will.

Vincebus Eruptum is distributed in the USA by The Soda Shop
and world wide by Vincebus Eruptum.  European orders through Big Cartel


"Acid Sounds Vol.1" exclusive CD compilation:

• 01 - CORE "Mood Disorder"

1996 - unreleased track from the "Revival" sessions - produced by Billy Anderson - Billy Anderson on lead vocals, Finn Ryan on drums, Timmy Ryan on guitar, Carmine Pernini on bass)

• 02 - OJM "Har(d)ucks"

2011 - unreleased track based on an old unreleased track ("Heavy" sessions) plus new vocals by David Martin

• 03 - THAT'S ALL FOLKS "Hypnotic Pulse"

2010 - track only published on the 300 ltd. 7" split between T.A.F. and ANUSEYE - Nasoni Records - Claudio Colaianni on guitar and vocals, Michele Rossiello on bass guitar and percussions, Max Marzocca on Drums, Angelo Pantaleo on keyboards and manual effects midi sampler

• 04 - THE FREEKS "Vitamin-D"

2011 - new unreleased track - Kenny Cunningham on piano and synth, Isaiah Mitchell on guitar leads and mandolin, Marco Forster on backing vocals, Ruben Romano on vocals, guitar, bass, drums and percussion

• 05 - TECTONIC BREAK "Maria"

2000 - unreleased track by this HALF MAN/SKANSKA MORD side project - Patric Carlsson on bass, Janne Bengtsson on vocals and harmonica, Mattias Nilsson on guitar, Peter Johansson on drums

• 06 - E.X.P. "DNA connect just like a kids tumble"

2003 - unreleased track from the never issued second album - mixed by Gary Ramon - LC  on bass, NC on guitars, JB on vocals, FB on drums

• 07 - VIC DU MONTE'S PERSONA NON GRATA "Man On A Mission"

2011 - unreleased track from the "Barons & Bankers" sessions - Written & Performed by Vic du Monte’s Persona Non Grata, produced by James Childs at Stujo in Los Angeles March 2011

• 08 - VIBRAVOID "Photosynthesis In Darkness"

2011 - not yet released track (due to release on "Gravity Zero" - 25th of February 2012 by Sulatron Records) - Written & Performed by Vibravoid

• 09 - COLT.38 "Amplesso in DOm"

2011 - unreleased track performed by C.C and E.R.

• 10 - ZIPPO "Night Jam #2"

2008 -unreleased track from the "The Road To Knowledge" sessions - registered by Andrea di Giambattista and Francesco di Florio at Twelve Studio (Tocco da Casauria, Pescara ITALY) , mastered by John Golden at Golden Mastering Studio (Ventura, California USA) - Davide Straccione on vocals, Alessandro Sergente on guitar, Silvio Spina on guitar, Tonino Bosco on bass and Federico Sergente on drums

• 11 - ELECTRIC MOON "Trip Trip Trip"

2011 - track only published on the 500 ltd. 12" split between ELECTRIC MOON and GLOWSUN - Sulatron Records - Written & Performed by Electric Moon

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

Been Obscene - The Magic Table Dance

I’d like to start this review with an apology to Been Obscene . . . and to Elektrohasch . . . and to my cohorts in cohorts in crime at The Ripple Effect. You see, I’ve had this Been Obscene album topping my stack of CD’s for easily six months and it constantly got shifted from one side of my desk to my car stereo, back to some other corner of my desk, then back to my car again, and so on, such forth, etc, etc. The Magic Table Dance didn’t deserve such poor treatment. In retrospect, this album should have immediately had glowing words penned about its existence, exalted for its musical exuberance, revered by yours truly. But for some reason, I decided that it was best to let the sonic 70’s splendor represented on this disc to ferment within the very cells that make up my being for a good long time. In many ways, I’m glad that I’m just now getting to writing about this record. It’s passed the test of a fairly great amount of time and the luster hasn’t dulled in the least . . . in fact, it may have actually grown in radiance!

I don’t know a whole lot about the band in terms of how long they’ve been around or what their musical intent is or what their favorite flavor of ice cream is, and I can only draw from the music that makes up The Magic Table Dance. From what I hear, Been Obscene is a band that channels the best moments of 70’s-era Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, maybe a little Sabbath . . . basically, anything that sounds like it originally came from the early 1970’s rock arena without sounding like anyone particular band . . . and mixed it with a modern rock sensibility to make the whole sound relevant for today’s fickle rock n’ roll ear. More concerned with letting the music do the talking, the songs on The Magic Table Dance have a strong instrumental focus, however when the vocals set in, the melodies are rich and memorable. The music ranges from psychedelic and airy to borderline proto-metal and then ventures in to heavily progressive and epic movements, and all done with these great guitar tones that teleport the listener to that bygone era that has the Ripple staff reaching for their rattles and pacifiers.

Opening with the five-plus minute instrumental title track, Been Obscene teach us a lesson on song craft, slowly building the tension measure by measure, infusing lines of guitar melodies that will have you humming yourselves to sleep. The musicianship throughout the song (and album) is top notch, all members playing to their individual strengths, complimenting the other musicians as well as the song, and when their individual abilities need to shine, there soon becomes no question that these cats can chop away with the best of them. “Uniform” kicks in shortly after the opening mind fuck and the subsequent riffology has that awe striking ability to it. Y’know that moment when you sit a little further back into your chair, raise your head from your desk and gaze into some far and distant land and think, “Fuck. I get it.” The first minute or so of the song has a great and dense guitar riff crunching away while the fill laden drum pattern keeps flawless time, but then the riffs take center stage and crush the air from the song, creating a massive wave of tension. Just as quickly as the air is crushed from the space between the notes, this talented group of musicians open things up again and slow the pace down, letting the notes breathe over the steady throbbing grove of the rhythm section. And it only gets better once the vocals drop into the mix . . . soft, clear, a touch fragile, yet laced with an undercurrent of danger. In a word, memorable. In another, remarkable.

The band get a little psychedelically creepy with “Come Over”, complete with a riff that dangles in the air like a dusty cobweb in an old mansion. A little on the Sabbath-y side, but you have to dig deep into the Sabbath catalog to find the sounds. The groove is slow and sure, like a cat stalking its prey. The vocals are all sorts of bad ass . . . a little blues-y, a little jazz-y, a whole bunch of bad ass. Getting towards the midpoint of the track, the guitars open up to the same sultry bass groove and the wall of distortion assails us. This is the point where the individual performances of the various musicians shine like a thousand suns. Everybody excels well past the point where I would have expected in the song. In most cases, at this point of a song, the guitarist or the drummer is the lone stand out . . . going into some superfluous solo that really doesn’t add anything to the overall feel of the song. In the case of “Come Over”, every member of the band, every instruments suddenly pops out from the background like some weird sonic 3D image and fascinates the senses . . . never overplaying their parts, but never staying mundane or playing the same lick twice. Progressive, yet accessible . . . melodic and memorable, yet mentally challenging for the listener and the artist at the same time.

The near fourteen minute progressive epic “Demons” could easily been cast aside by the unknowing as a pretentious piece of music, but I say nay. The song is an ambitious piece of music that does what music should be doing . . . entertaining, telling a story, challenging the listener to think of music as something more than a three minute radio friendly chart topper. Thank you, Been Obscene. Thank you for breaking the mold and taking me on a journey that is more than a bunch of disjointed riffs haplessly strung together to eat up a quarter hour of my time. “Demons”, in now traditional Been Obscene fashion, builds note up note, then measure upon measure, idea upon brilliant musical idea, ultimately creating a well thought out and emotionally charged piece of music. In a classic prog-rock manner, the song ebbs and flows, hits its crescendos and then drops back down to subtlety, and then becomes raucous again. The middle explosion of sound, though loud and distorted, is filled with beautiful vocal melodies that somehow compliments and contrasts against the chaotic musical frenzy of the instruments. Pay attention to the guitar work towards as we barrel into the last quarter of the song, then while one is keyed in on this performance, adjust your listening just a hair to the drum work . . . I love the way these guys work together and great such a vibrant piece of sound. Pure art!

I apologized earlier, and I apologize again. I should have written about this album months ago. It should have joined label mates Hypnos 69 and been in my Top 10 list of 2010. Shoulda’, woulda’, coulda’. The Magic Table Dance is a criminally underappreciated album despite its rave reviews. It’s an album that grows with every subsequent listen, it develops into its own character and almost becomes a different experience with every new spinning. Steeped in the 70’s rock cup of tea, the sounds are familiar, but not overtly recognizable. The songs are so damn good that for those remotely interested in songwriting, you’ll sit in wonder as you listen to this group of fine musicians relay their musical ideas. Looks like I need to make another trip to the Elektrohasch Store and see about picking up this gem on vinyl . . . seriously, it’s better than I’m hyping right now!

--Pope

www.beenobscene.com

http://www.elektrohasch.de/

Buy here: www.allthatisheavy.com

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