That Doomed Feeling: What Have You Done Lately

What Have You Done Lately - Sasquatch - II

I thought I'd make some posts more directly relating with one of my favorite sub genres of music: Doom Metal. Doom metal is just normal metal (which in itself is hard to define, the sound difference between Iron Maiden and Golgoroth is vast, but both are blanketed under the term metal) but with a very slow tempo. A great and early example of doom metal is Black Sabbath from the album Black Sabbath by the band Black Sabbath. Although not original in name it was original in just how slow dark and "doomed" the music sounded. Many modern Doom Bands are now considered part of the "Stoner" genre, when that term was birthed in the early nineties, because of their hypnotic nature and lyrically focus on illict drugs (i.e. Weedeater), but again the basic qualities are the same, slow, loud, and heavy. Some bands I've posted about before that fall into this genre would be: Electric Wizard, Acid King, Om, and Earth. A classic Doom band that I need to post about is: Sleep.

What Have You Done Lately off of Sasquatch's second album II (Creative, just like Sabbath's song Sabbath, off the album Sabbath), really hit the button for me in terms of doom metal. It's less vile than Electric Wizard, while still holding onto its tripped out, heavy, and hypnotic stylings. The thing I really like about this is that instead of just riding out that groove, Sasquatch seems to have a little fun with it and just get into a absolute stomping tear, changing the tempo and the riff, and layering on even more lead heavy guitar.

Enjoy.

Song of the Week: Tyrant

Tyrant - Black Math Horseman - Wylt

Way back in the early months of 2010 when I was first buying records I was trying to choose an album to buy off of the TeePee record label. The decision was split between the cool looking The Legend Of Gods Gun by Spindrift and the not as cool looking or sounding (in name) Wylt by Black Math Horseman. I ultimately left it up to album covers and chose Spindrifts because of that and the fact that it was yellow translucent vinyl. I made a poor decision, although there are some good songs on The Legend Of Gods Gun, that will probably get mentioned in another post sometime. Anyhow what I liked about Black Math Horseman and Tyrant in particular still holds true to today, over a year and a half later. It has long songs which would put it more in the post rock category, but a dynamic quality, and solid enough drumming (and rhythms in general) that keep the songs from getting too lost while still having a darker, almost trance like quality. This quality is really shaped by the amount of delay and distortion on guitar, but also the ethereal quality of the vocals, which I love. I think nothing would suit this band better than a female vocalist, she doesn't wail or scream, but instead delivers haunting whisping vocals, perfect for this album. I really find it refreshing when vocalists, especially metal ones, don't really on brutal screams. There's really nothing creative about a scream, and that's the wonderful thing about music is that you can make it scream for you, in a much more beautiful and powerful way, than you just making loud unintelligible noises for 4 and a half minutes, with no dynamic change. Her voice is perfect for this, it's subtle at times but not wavering, it's powerful, without being oafish. Tyrant winds this mix of heaviness, subtly and hypnotism very well, and is extremely enjoyable to listen to. Enjoy.

Song of the Week: CO2

CO2 - Colour Haze - CO2

There is something about Colour Haze that screams summer to me. They always seem to play so loose with a rolling quality to their songs which don't feel forced when they tend to go on long. The great musicianship of all three also helps make an 11 minute song an enjoyable experiences, Following the drums and guitar while being swallowed by the fat bottom the bass provides on the sound is simply amazing. I love listening to all three especially when they ditch the riffs and go right for the over the top soloing. The drums move so well, and the guitar takes on plenty of tones and textures, blending of blues, psychedelia, and heavy heavy distortion, each style flowing into each other seamlessly. As far as recording I love how they don't compress they're music, its recorded all in analog and meant to be played loud. Enjoy!

Song: Here

P.S. For this song in particular the beginning is very reminiscent of Space Cadet (another great summer song, also recorded live!) but really steps into its own form pretty quickly with a heavy riff.

Retrospective: Om and Earth

Retrospective: Om and Earth

I was recently looking through some of my records and decided I wanted something long, drawn out, and atmospheric. My first thought was Yawning Man, but I decided that that just didn't feel right and more importantly would have too much going on. The next thought went to Om, but again, even with its simplified style, it seemed to heavy, too loud, too crowded. The one I ended up deciding on was Radio Live by Earth. I was pleased with my choice (The second and fourth tracks in particular were perfect) but I was left wondering just what made Earth seem more minimalist. They have more instruments, more bandmemeber's, and much more improvisation. I think what really did it for me was the physical connotation of the word minimalist. While Om doesn't always do "Put it to 11" sound, they usually get there in a song, and although its just two people, its no "minimal" sound. It's a "maximum", flooring, and commanding sound. As hugely entertaining as I find songs like Junkyard Priest (Great name for a song), it really never seems to have the same dynamic rise in sound. It sits where it is, a simple riff that might float off for a couple of bars before returning back to its origin. Consider also a previous song i had reviewed by Earth, the rolling Tallahassee. I had made specific mention in the review of the "hugeness" of the song, of it's pure physical power, and although it could certainly be less complex, and more raw than Junkyard Priest, it is not in my opinion more minimal, or more droning. The label "drone" and to an extent "minimal" make me think more of passive sounds and landscapes, in both the complexity of the melody and the volume of the song. Although Om may stay close to one theme, there dynamic complexity and change in tone's during songs make it much more active while Earth's static volume and complexity make it "Droning" and almost easier to listen to.

Here are those two songs that I found particularly enjoyable in their own "Minimalist" and "Drone" way, even if I don't fully understand those terms myself. It's also important to note that Radio Live is a "live" album and that the band actually does less live, than it does in studio. I'll leave the two versions of Omens and Portents up for variety and comparisons sake.

Omens and Portents II: The Carrion Crow (Live)

Omens and Portents II: The Carrion Crow (Studio)

Junkyard Priest

Song of the Week: Wicker - Clutch

Wicker - Clutch - Pitchfork EP

Clutch is personally one of my favorite band, their self titled album is something I can listen to again and again, the whole way through. I love their sound tone, lyrics, and dynamics, all of which point to an insane sound especially in their earlier albums. Wicker has guitar tones that wash over you in distorted waves before switching to a choppy off beat riff for the verses of the song. The actual lyrics are contradictions and riddles, they're full of idioms and wordplay confusing meaning. I love it.

Monday Night Special: Return Trip

Return Trip - Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics

Well it's been a while since I reviewed an Electric Wizard track (let alone listen to one) and Return Trip really brought me back to what I first loved about them. They really should have been featured in the March Madness piece and it's a shame I didn't write anything about them because they are without a doubt one of the most maddening bands I've ever heard. While they're not exactly doing much new with the content of the genre (satanist imagery and slow dark jams about drug use have been around for a while) they do something special with where they take the sound. This weekend I was listening to some old Black Sabbath song's and their Electric Funeral stuck out to me as the forerunner to Electric Wizards earlier stuff. The distortion, the slowness and repetitiveness of the entire melody, except of course for the jazzy fun tempo change at 2:17. Thats the true "innovation" (if you could call it that, devolution might be more appropriate) of Electric Wizard. They do away with most concepts of lyrics, melody, and tempo change, and opt instead to sink the listener into a black pit of fuzz and distortion with an occasional rising guitar solo eventually falling back into the muck. I wouldn't say Return Trip is a song for people with long attention spans, it's more for people with no attention spans that just like to sink back and fall in. Enjoy.

March Madness Album Review: Blues For The Red Sun - Kyuss

Blues For The Red Sun - Kyuss

This just has to be one of my personal favorite albums of all time. It passes any test I put it to. I can listen to it all the way through without being bored or a song at a time randomly and out of context (like when my ipods on shuffle). I've been listening to it for about a year and a half now and it hasn't worn out, and any part of any song I listen to (be it instruments or even moments) I find something memorable or new to enjoy. It is not, however, something I would go around handing out to people on the street. It's not that its the heaviest thing I've ever heard (or that the band produced) or the weirdest or least accessible, it's just takes a certain taste. I'd say if you liked some of the heavier Queens of the Stone Age, or aggressive bass heavy hard rock, give it a try. On to the review.

This music is absolutely mad for starters. Whether its in the slowed down form of Molten Universe (reminds me of Electric Funeral) or the hyped up 50 Million Year Trip, which in addition to being two great drugged out song names also form one of the greatest one two punches an album can offer. As I mentioned in my review of 50 Million Year Trip a while ago, it could be at any moment my favorite song of all time, the last two or three minutes are just amazing. That song is also a good example of some of the range the band has in sound, soft and light to dark and heavy while still being a little "mad" and out there. This album is just so unique; it almost sounds like the blues (Thong Song), it has bass lines (Freedom Run go to about 1:29 for actual song start), drums (Apothecaries Weight), a two minute song that isn't just filler (Caterpiller March), another two minute song that isn't just filler (800) a less than one minute song that still doesn't sound like just filler (Capsized), and dirty guitars (Green Machine). Any of those songs have the qualities of the others listed (For the time ones, lets just say its the quality of "not filler"), all have interesting drum, bass, guitar, and serve a purpose in the album. The small songs for example, aren't put next to one another in the album, because they act as transition pieces, instrumentals that can give context and flavor to the songs before them and after them. These small songs are done so well though, that I don't mind hearing them on their own. This album simply does it all, and its all mad. Freedom Run? Its intro and jam quality makes it mad standard. Apothocaries weight? Swirling guitars and non stop drumrolls: mad. Green Machine -> Angry -> Mad.

In the above review there were only two songs off that album and one bonus track that didnt get above. 1. Writhe Its not even a bad song. It's just one that didnt stand out as much as the others did. 2. Mondo Generator The clunker song of the album written by the bassist (Classic!). That one actually gets interesting once the vocals drop out at 3:25. Oh and the bonus...YEAH!

March Madness: High on Fire

I figured I'd do my own version of March Madness with a couple of posts during this month about some "mad" music. First up is High on Fire.

High on Fire was founded by Matt Pike the guitarist of Sleep after they broke up in 1995 due to their inability to get their single track, hour long, album appropriately called Dopesmoker released in it's entirety. The new band Matt Pike created took the same sludgy, heavy sound and sped it up a bit putting in wilder drums, faster guitar parts and more manic solo's. Personally I think there's a big difference between the earlier High on Fire and the newer stuff, and I really prefer the older. The earlier seems a little grittier, more rhythm and riff oriented and less about showing off how fast you can play that guitar solo without feeling. Old or new however, High on Fire definitely earn a spot in the "March Madness" tournament with their reckless tone, and low pummeling sound.

Some choice songs:

Hung Drawn and Quartered

Rumors of War

Live Performance Special: Tempel - Colour Haze

This live performance of Colour Haze was filmed during the “Dunajam Festival” which seems to be an absolute Mecca for those that enjoy psychedelic or stoner rock. Dunajam is (from what I can gather) a week long festival that takes place on a small Mediterranean island, featuring about 20 or so bands that play live outdoor concerts all over the largely unpopulated island. Those who go get intimate concerts and enjoy some of the best weather, and background the Mediterranean has to offer. The reason I chose Colour Haze and their song Tempel over other performances was because there could not be a more fitting setting for their music. Rolling drums are complimented by a sea crashing on cliff side behind them, while the thunderous guitar is as impressive as the mountains that litter the background. Dynamic highs and lows of tone and volume are as stark as the blue of the sky against the white and yellow sandstone. The images that music brings to mind are literally brought into view in perfect synchronization with what the band is playing. The only knock is the poor quality of the video, and even that isn’t so bad (you can try the 480p not sure if it makes a difference).

Performance: Here

Live Performace Special: Night Goat - The Melvins

In trying to pick out a song for this segment, I wasn't just looking for a song that was good live, but was better than the studio version, and I think Night Goat achieves that. On the album Houdini it was a thundering heavy track, and live (with the addition of Joe Preston on bass and an extra drummer) it's dynamics are much more enunciated as it begins with sequels of feed back before a throbbing bass line enters. Add on almost operetic vocals that did not quite come out on the original and you have a song that went from good n' gritty to Pure, Rumbling, Four-Horsemen-Are-Coming, Rock and Roll. Lyrically speaking the line "I can make your teeth grind" sums up perfectly the live performance of this song.

Performance: Here