Black Sabbath - Live Brussels 1970

 Part 1

Part 2

#Black Sabbath #Ozzy Osbourne #heavy metal #hard rock #classic rock #heavy blues rock #British blues rock #doom metal #1970s #live music video

Black Sabbath - Live in Paris 1970 Directed by Jacques Bourton. This footage was originally shot at Théatre 140 in Brussels, Belgium on October 3rd, 1970 for Yorkshire Television. Bootleggers have long repeated a fictional claim that done in Paris, but that has long since been debunked. In any case, this is the earliest footage of a complete concert of Black Sabbath in existence. Here they perform many songs from their most recent album at the time, Paranoid, as well as several from their debut. Interestingly, many of the songs from Paranoid feature their original pre-album lyrics - or Ozzy had simply forgotten the new ones! The original show was split into two halves and includes some behind-the scenes clips of the band before the show.  From: https://letterboxd.com/film/black-sabbath-live-in-paris/

In Finland, it is customary to yell "Soittakaa Paranoid" ("Play Paranoid") at a live band. It's a riff on the bizarre American tradition of yelling "Play Freebird" (a heckling practice the late comedian Bill Hicks referred to as "the mantra of the moron") at a live band. And this is merely one of many stories related to Black Sabbath's 2:48 second metal masterpiece "Paranoid." The band's biggest hit of their entire career which, according to members of Sabbath, only came to be because they needed to make the album a bit longer. According to drummer Bill Ward, whipping the head-pounding jam together took less than 30 minutes. Other members of Sabbath have varied recollections. When listening to the recording, Geezer Butler (who wrote the lyrics), along with Ozzy were both unsure about "Paranoid," as it sounded very similar to Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown." In a 2018 interview, Ozzy reiterated he wasn't even entirely sure what the word "paranoid" even meant at the time. Eventually, Ozzy asked Butler (much to the bassist's surprise) to explain the definition of the word to him in 1971. Oh, how the mythology and legend of Ozzy Osbourne never, ever disappoints – much like the history that went into making "Paranoid" and its enduring influence in metal, popular culture, and beyond. So, in no real particular order, let's get to the time Frank Zappa almost joined the band on stage in 1976 to perform three songs with Sabbath that he had previously learned to play. One of the songs was allegedly "Paranoid," a jam the band saved for their encores.
Frank Zappa was on team Black Sabbath early on, praising the band and specifically the song "Supernaut" from the group's 1972 powered-by-cocaine album Vol 4. As far as Sabbath goes, Geezer Butler was a Frank Zappa superfan whose life was "changed" after hearing Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention when he was still a teenager. Tony Iommi spoke about Zappa's love for Sabbath's "Snowblind" (also Vol. 4), and detailed the events of the show at Madison Square Garden in December of 1976 – the night Zappa was set to take the stage with Sabbath (after learning three of their songs). The plan was devised during Zappa's annual Thanksgiving dinner which was quite the rock and roll shindig. Frank had invited Geezer and Ozzy to his special Thanksgiving dinner in 1976 during which conversation turned to Zappa joining Sabbath on stage to perform two songs, "Iron Man" and "Paranoid" during the band's encore.
Unfortunately, Sabbath wasn't at the top of their game that night. In addition, Zappa hadn't been summoned for the show's soundcheck. Zappa told his version of the night's events to Sounds journalist Hugh Fielder saying when he showed up, Tony Iommi was having issues with his guitar strings and, at the last minute, changed them out. At this point, the crowd of 20K had been milling around for over an hour waiting for Sabbath to get going. And though there was a stack of sweet Marshalls waiting for Zappa on stage, he would only end up introducing Sabbath that night. Iommi recalled things a bit differently, echoing the notion Sabbath was not in top form and advised Zappa that joining them would've been "disastrous." Recordings of the show exist and at least one unofficial release, where you can hear Zappa's banter including describing Sabbath as the "rockin' teenage combo known to the universe as Black Sabbath." Understandably, the crowd went fucking bananas. Later, Iommi would take in Zappa's show in Birmingham, during which Zappa and The Mothers launched into a cover of another of Frank's favorite Sabbath songs, "Iron Man."  From: https://metalinjection.net/editorials/back-in-the-day/black-sabbaths-paranoid-almost-didnt-make-the-record-the-compelling-history-behind-their-biggest-single

 

Virgin Black - Lamenting Kiss

 #Virgin Black #gothic metal #doom metal #avant-garde metal #symphonic metal #Australian #music video

When I first heard the band name 'Virgin Black' come up in conversation I thought this had to be some sort of gothic metal band with all band members wearing long dresses and corpse paint on their face. An average metal band that 16-year old high school 'metal experts' listen to nowadays (no offense meant to anyone). And in a way these preconceptions were actually right!Virgin Black is indeed a band that could partially be categorized as a gothic metal outfit. Yet that banner would not do enough justification to this bunch of talented musicians, for they go beyond the boundaries of conventional gothic metal.
There's this new wave of progressive artists who seem to incorporate classical music into their compositions; think of the likes of Epica, Nightwish and most noticeably Swedish prog metal outfit Therion, but Virgin Black surpasses each and every one of them. Yes, all of them share that longing for operatic vocals, yet Virgin Black's music is not about the bombastic nature of songs. These five Australians make music without reaching out to conventional metal. It's not all about heavy metal riffs or pompous drumming. No, Virgin Black seem to enjoy minimalist moments as well; some segments are pure classical or operatic pieces of music, whereas other moments are pure acoustic brilliance!
Come to think of it, perhaps 'doom metal' would be a more appropriate tag for this branch of music. The dramatic vocals, either operatic or normal singing in low key, don't make the happiest of conditions to listen to music, but they do somehow manage to charm the listener. To give you an idea of what to expect: lead vocalist Rowan London's voice is a sort of compromise of those trademark high-pitched prog metal vocalists and low-key opera vocalists, whereas bass player Ian Miller's additional vocals are pure black metal in origin, i.e. he growls. Yet, his growling is not at all bothersome, mainly because most of the time when he sings, you hear London backing him up with his low and dynamic voice or visa versa.  From: https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=14692

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Runaway Girls

 #Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats #heavy metal #stoner rock #doom metal #heavy psych #hard rock #occult rock #music video

There are a plethora of bands nowadays that tackle the aesthetics that call back to a heritage classic rock band’s heyday. Greta Van Fleet’s Josh Kiszka howls just like Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Ghost taps into the theatrics of Kiss and Alice Cooper. While these are bands that are dominating the mainstream music consciousness, there is one band that has resided in the underground for over ten years that haunts back to the grim sound of metal at its earliest point of formation in the late ’60s/early ’70s: Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats. Hailing from Birmingham, England, Uncle Acid is the brainchild of Kevin Starrs, who has ultimately taken on the moniker of the band’s name with a revolving door of band members (The Deadbeats). The fruits of their labor emerged 40 years to the day of Black Sabbath’s debut, Friday the 13th in February 2010, with their debut album Volume 1. Recorded with a nonexistent budget, no knowledge of conventional recording techniques, and a lack of distribution network or audience marks the bearing of a true DIY effort. With this record, the roots of their sound lie in the heavy psych vein with some tasteful ’70s-tinged guitar leads, Jon Lord-esque organ runs, and vocal melodies that are accessible.
If I were to sell Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats to an old soul, they would feel right at home with this band. There is an obvious Black Sabbath similarity with their crunchy Iommic riffs, but with a heightened sense of doom and fuzz. As heavy as they are, they are unbelievably melodic to the point where they can be deemed “poppy” in some respects. Kevin Starrs’ vocals are a hybrid of Ozzy Osbourne, John Lennon, and Neil Young. With added distortion and tasteful harmonies, they create this eerie element that perfectly compliments the doomy riffs.
For anyone interested in horror and the occult, the lyrics and album concepts can easily attract them. The grim nature of the subject matters they delve into goes hand in hand with the heaviness of the music. While Uncle Acid’s sound has evolved to work in more elements to provide some light and shade, outsiders could go as far as to say that when you hear one song, you’ve listened to them all. It can sometimes come across as an AC/DC situation; it may all sound the same, but the style suits them well, and they do a damn good job at executing it. Besides, occult doom bands are always welcome in the ever-broad musical climate of today.  From: https://vwmusicrocks.com/are-uncle-acid-the-deadbeats-a-modern-day-black-sabbath/

Sisters Ov The Blackmoon - Haunt

 #Sisters Ov The Blackmoon #heavy metal #doom metal #heavy blues rock #stoner metal #occult rock #music video

Blood Cauldron is an EP you need to own, an EP that promises so much for the future and an EP that actually blew a speaker on my PC. To be honest I think the speaker was on its way out anyway but never mind this is still a super EP. The band who created this superb EP go by the name of Sisters Ov The Blackmoon and play a blend of gritty bluesy stoner and occult doom-ish rock. Exploding  out of Los Angeles the band consist of Josh Alves – drums, Andrew Vega – guitar, Dan Schlaich – guitar and Jared  Anderson – bass, but it is  the powerful bluesy tones of Sasha Wheatcroft on vocals that sets this band apart from others ploughing a similar musical furrow.
Blood Cauldron sets the tone for the EP with “Haunt”, a barnstormer of a track that opens with the sound of cicadas chirping and an owl hooting and segues into a rolling guitar riff with a  horror movie soundbite over its top, then the guitars pick up the volume, drums crash and pound just as it gets gnarly everything drops down for the verse. Here is where you first get the “Wheatcroft” experience. With a voice that mixes Beth Hart’s bluesy holler with Miny Parsonz’ (Royal Thunder) smokey stoner howl, Ms. Wheatcroft is a revelation, her voice dripping with passionate power and control making every phrase and inflection count. One person does not make a band though and the other “sisters” more than prove their worth on this collection of songs. Vega and Sclaich complement each other perfectly on guitars coming on with earth shattering riffage and sublime solos and every now and then breaking into Lizzy-esqe twin melodies. The bottom end is held up just as well too with Alves and Anderson locking in as tight and creating a solid base for everything going on above them.  From: http://stonerking1.blogspot.com/2015/06/sisters-ov-blackmoon-blood-cauldron-ep.html?m=0

Avatarium - Boneflower

 #Avatarium #doom metal #heavy metal #heavy psych #prog metal #folk metal #metal supergroup #Swedish #animated music video

Here we have the debut from the Swedish doom super-group that are calling themselves Avatarium. At the helm is bassist Leif Edling (Candlemass, Krux), along with guitarist Marcus Jidell (Evergrey, Royal Hunt), drummer Lars Skold (Tiamat), keyboard player Carl Westholm (Jupiter Society, Carp Tree) and pop-rock vocalist Jennie-Ann Smith. The band mixes the crushing, epic doom style of Black Sabbath and Candlemass with the classic metal influence of Rainbow, the psychedelic hard rock of Blue Oyster Cult, the prog of early Genesis, and the bluesy folk of early Jethro Tull. Sounds like an interesting combination right? Well, it most certainly is. Smith has a lovely voice, and lends her gorgeous vocal passages to songs that are brimming with doomy might, classic rock sophistication, and the occasional pastoral prog touch.
"Moonhorse" kicks things off in fine fashion, as angelic vocals supported by folk guitars give way to behemoth doom riffs and scorching lead guitar work. The mysterious "Pandora's Egg" once again combines the folk with some psychedelia and massive riffing, as Smith just soars here over symphonic keyboards and some of the biggest riffs you'll hear this year. Absolutely crushing doom meshes with tasty prog rock keyboards on the melancholy title track, an epic, memorable number that also features some splendid lead guitar & slide work from Jidell, who at times on this CD reminds a bit of Ritchie Blackmore from the Rainbow Rising album. And, if you can imagine Heart's Ann Wilson singing in a doom band, well, that's kind of what you get with Smith and her amazing vocals. "Boneflower" is more of an upbeat psych/hard rocker (for fans of Ghost & Blue Oyster Cult) filled with tasty keyboards, riffs, and Smith's alluring vocals, while ominous Mellotron from Westholm permeates the doom laden dirge that is "Bird of Prey", a venomous number driven by huge Uriah Heep inspired Hammond organ & Sabbath styled guitar riffs. Rainbow-meets-Black Sabbath on the grandiose "Tides of Telepathy", with Skold delivering some amazing drum fills alongside Edling's massive bass grooves, and Jidell & Westholm layering in plenty of thunder to support Smith's emotional vocals. This amazing album ends with the folky prog of "Lady in the Lamp", a tranquil meeting of Heart, Rainbow, and Genesis, as lush Mellotron, lilting guitar chords, soaring slide guitar, and those incredible vocals just grab at your heart and refuse to let go.
For a debut, this is astounding material from Avatarium. They could have easily gone the safe route and created a straight doom record, but thankfully they wanted to do much more than that. Any fan of '70s heavy rock, psych, folk, doom, and prog will find lots to love here, and hopefully this is the first of many releases from this very fine ensemble. The musical pedigree of the members goes without saying, and Jennie-Ann Smith is truly an incredible singer.  From: https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=15550

Gaupa - Kartan

 #Gaupa #doom metal #psychedelic rock #stoner metal #progressive rock #folk metal #Swedish

Gaupa has already been described as "Bjork fronting a rock band" and although we can see where that description is coming from there is far more to Gaupa than an unusual and unique voice placed in front of a rock'n'roll backdrop. First thing one notices about Gaupa (the band) are the levels of musicianship on display here; solid, tight percussion combined with deep growling bass lines are the backbone around which Gaupa's two guitarists lay down diverse washes of delightful  and dynamic six-string colouring, the pair not so much going head to head as complimenting each other with a mixture of eastern motifs, shimmering arpeggios, crunching heavy powerchords and scorching psychedelic lead work. However it is the vocal acrobatics of  Emma Näslund that many will leave this EP remembering long after the last note of "Gaupa" fades into silence. Näslund  has a unique tone and delivery and it is easy to see why those comparisons with Iceland's elfish chanteuse have been made as both singers have that same distinctive vocal elasticity in their armoury, however where Bjork's voice sometimes wanders into shrillness there is a smoother more fluid timbre to Näslund's vocals that is, for us, far more pleasing and easier on the ear.  From: http://stonerking1.blogspot.com/2018/07/gaupa-gaupa-review.html

An amalgam of psychedelic rock, stoner metal, and doom metal with female lead vocals. It's a style that many bands have played in the 2010's, especially following the success of Jex Thoth and Blood Ceremony. Gaupa pursue generally the same style as those bands, though with their own nice little nuances. There is a nice balance between calm, drifting psychedelic sections, and abrasive, rocking doom and stoner metal pounding. A nice, thick bass line carries fluid, desert-ish guitar leads, which sounds very atmospheric. What truly gives the band their identity is the vocal style of Emma Näslund. If you go on the group's bandcamp page, you'll see that they are all comparing her style to that of Björk and they are absolutely right. "Psychedelic/Stoner/Doom Rock with Bjork on vocals" all I can say is hell yeah. The singing is awesome. She does ethereal chants, crazy shouts, enunciates words playfully and gently, she sounds awesome. She really adds that quirk to the music that helps the band stand out, especially on the playful rocker track 'The Drunk Autopussy Wants to Fight You (perhaps one of the best song titles ever).  From: https://rateyourmusic.com/release/ep/gaupa/gaupa/

 

Heavy Temple - A Desert through the Trees

 #Heavy Temple #heavy metal #stoner metal #occult rock #doom metal #psychedelic metal #music video

Heavy Temple have been fighting the good fight since 2012, but they’ve kept the world waiting until 2021 for their debut album. Fortunately, it was well worth the wait: Lupi Amoris is a finely streamlined record crammed with awesome riffs, soaring vocals and memorable songwriting. Singer, songwriter, bass player and all round head honcho High Priestess Nighthawk was kind enough to take some time out to answer our questions.

Sadly, stage names seem to be on the wane these days so kudos to you for keeping the flag flying. Where did High Priestess Nighthawk come from and how do you decide on names for new members?

There’s a Tom Waits album called Nighthawks At The Diner, and I guess it just stuck with me. Every member gets to choose their own name. Unless they really don’t want to, in which we try to come up with something that reflects their personality. I structured it around the religious nomenclature system because I always wanted Heavy Temple to feel like rock and roll church, where you go to worship the riff.

Heavy Temple have gone through a plethora of different line-ups. Could you give us a potted history of the ins and outs of the band? How did the current line-up come together?

It’s certainly been a revolving door. People’s lives and priorities change, and I wanted a band with that flexibility so we could always keep playing and touring. When we started almost ten years ago, we were a three piece. Bearadactyl was kind of on loan and Rattlesnake moved to the west coast. Saint Columbidae joined on drums, and we were a two piece for a while. Then I found Tempest, or perhaps I should say she found me, and honestly, she really saved the band. Good drummers are like mythical creatures, and they’re always all in multiple bands, so I got very lucky. Then we added Barghest, who ended his tenure to work for NASA (hopefully making Heavy Temple the first band to have a member in space). Thunderhorse stepped in almost immediately, and that brings us to 2019. We were able to do a lot of touring, despite not having been able to record Lupi Amoris, which was intended to be tracked with the previous line-up. Parting ways was not easy, and it was a very hard decision to make. I don’t expect anyone to understand it, but I think we just had different expectations and creative goals. I knew that Paisley and The Baron were great musicians, so it was a no-brainer to ask them to join. Every iteration of Heavy Temple has shaped what we are right now, and as objectively as I can say so, this line-up is probably the closest to what I envisioned when I started.   

I absolutely loved Lupi Amoris. It touches on a wide range of musical genres but is really hard to pin down. How would you describe it?

I always laugh a bit at this question because I have a hard time describing it myself. I suppose I’d just call it heavy rock and roll. I think that Heavy Temple has always had a wide array of influences, but if I had to pin it down I guess psychedelic doom. We like kraut and classic rock, psych, stoner and sludge, desert rock, black metal. I think we’re just an amalgamation of those genres we like

One thing I particularly enjoyed was the interplay between the riffs and the vocals – you don’t just follow the riff melody like Ozzy did and I found the dynamics very striking. Could you talk us through the process of how a Heavy Temple song comes together?

I still struggle when writing vocal melodies because I’m also playing the bass, so generally they are last to develop. The composition and arrangement are the easiest parts for me, but I do like to nurture them and let them take their own shape. As for the vocals themselves, I like to let the music breathe a little, so I just sing when I feel it’s appropriate. What I do like about Ozzy is that he kind of does the same thing. Sing on the verse and chorus, then let the band take the reins. I’m very excited about writing the next album as a band. I’ve been the primary songwriter so I think creating collectively will lead to some sonic exploration for all of us.

Clearly a lot of thought went into the lyrics and artwork for the album. Could you tell us about the broader themes underlying them?

At its core, Lupi Amoris is a collection of love songs. I met my partner at a festival in the woods, and they were the one to show me the Angela Carter story. A couple tracks on the album pre-date our relationship, but this album as a concept didn’t start to take shape until maybe three years ago. Sometimes you meet someone, and it changes the whole trajectory of your life, so I wanted to write about that using the Carter’s story as a skeleton. My confidence, independence and autonomy are of great value to me, and there was something about the narrative that just spoke to me.

From: https://www.thesleepingshaman.com/interviews/heavy-temple/

Borgo Pass - Burning Breath

 #Borgo Pass #heavy metal #sludge metal #hard rock #doom metal #retro-1970s #music video

An Interview with Borgo Pass

You five have been playing for a long time, since the 90’s right?

Tommy: You are correct. We’ve outlasted most marriages, and we’re catching up to the Rolling Stones.

Joe: Borgo Pass actually started as a Black Sabbath cover band in the 90’s. After several lineup changes and two CDs, this lineup of Borgo released our first CD in 2001. We’ve been going strong ever since.

Bet there have been a lot of ups and downs during the last couple decades. How have you managed to hang tight as a band?

Jimmy: We are all great friends, adults and respect the fact that we have created a Frankenstein that has stood the test of time. We still have fun and play a lot of relevant shows with the occasional national opening slot. It kinda never is a chore.

Paul: Ups and downs definitely sums up the past 20 plus years of Borgo Pass! I prefer to remember the ups, but it’s hard not to remember the downs. The disappointments and mistakes have been learning lessons and we have become a stronger band because of it. I believe that we have survived all of these years because of our love and respect for each other and our universal love of writing, playing and performing music. We literally have music in our veins and bleed Borgo Pass!

Tommy: Hell yea that’s just life in itself, but the ups most definitely outweigh the downs.

You state that Black Sabbath is one of your main influences. What do you think of the relatively recent revival of doom metal and stoner rock on a global scale?

Joe: Black Sabbath was the common denominator that brought the five of us together. We all have different influences, but Sabbath was the one band that we all agree had the strongest effect on us musically.
It’s refreshing to see the stoner-doom scene finally finding it’s place in the U.S. music scene. This scene was already catching on in Europe, but it’s past due to give these bands some recognition over here. In a small way, I kinda miss being able to check out, for example, Weedeater in a small club like CBGB and just chilling with 30 people enjoying the tunes. Now bands like Sleep are selling out every room they play!
With past festivals like the Stoner Hands Of Doom Fest, Emissions Fest, and now Eye Of The Stoned Goat and Psycho California, it’s great to finally see people coming in droves to hear some great bands! Just like Roadburn and DesertFest in Europe, people are supporting the U.S. scene like never before.

Jimmy: Black Sabbath for me is the battery of it all. it just doesn’t get more personal, original, or heavy. It’s almost like it’s magical, listening to Sabbath since I was a child. I think it’s a fresh revival of bands some really good and some trying too hard to play slow with a lack there of vocals and stage presence especially with the singers. That’s just me from what I have seen of the new breed of cadre. I mean, Ozzy was insane and the band looked as angry as a pitbull raging when they played. I like a newer band called Pallbearer from Arkansas, who have a great vibe and sound. I also still love DOWN and Corrosion of Conformity and Crowbar, as well, who have been carrying the baton for many years. I miss Type O Negative a lot.

Tommy: Black Sabbath is THE main reason we ever started this band, there are other reasons but Black Sabbath is number one! I’m happy to see a revival of doom and stoner rock, given all of the forced-fed crap that’s out there. It’s about time the people started thinking for themselves and actually enjoy real music with real emotion and raw feeling. I still like to listen to the heavy local acts.

What has been the biggest challenge in promoting Borgo Pass to new listeners in this brave new world of DIY marketing?

Jimmy: We have a unique, heavy sound with many elements. It’s been tough to sell it to the corporate establishment, as they want something cookie cutter. I call us very original and extremely marketable heavy music that could reach many different sub-genres of fans.

Tommy: God awful pop music is still our biggest enemy. That is our biggest challenge.

Speaking of the new listener, what song and album would you recommend a person start with if they want to get to know the band?

Jimmy: Our Deadwater album, starting with the first track: “Rotted Chain.”

Paul: If someone were to ask me what song or record of ours to listen to first, I would recommend listening to ‘Slightly Damaged’ (2002), our first recording with Jimmy on vocals and them listen to our following recordings, 'Nervosa’ (2005) and then 'Deadwater’ (2011) so that the listener can hear how we’ve grown and matured as song writers over the years.

From: https://doomedandstoned.com/post/119706967253/borgopass

Turtle Skull - Rabbit

 #Turtle Skull #psychedelic rock #doom metal #psychedelic metal #stoner rock #stoner metal #Australian

Art As Catharsis Records are proud to announce the release of Turtle Skull’s second album, Monoliths - a texture-rich record that dances between bone-crushing lows and ethereal highs. Taking inspiration from Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Turtle Skull’s blend of warped psychedelia, shattering doom and indie-rock sensibility merges into their own brand of music dubbed ‘flower doom’. While the final product contains a faint similarity to the sounds of King Gizzard & The Lizzard Wizard, Khruangbin, or Kikagku Moyo, Monoliths is distinctively its own beast. It’s a record that heaves and soars, taking joyous compositions and steering them headfirst into a realm of fuzz and fury. ”This record is about the intimate connection we share with the Earth on which we stand. It’s about the world and your place in it. It’s about looking deep inside yourself and seeing what you find. It’s about life and death and everything in between, and most of all it’s about the pure joy of creation. We are very happy to share it with you." At the end of its runtime, Monoliths undeniably displays a much more fleshed-out realization of the doom, psych rock and indie fusion that launched the five-piece into the public eye following their self-titled release. Tipping between heavy and catchy is the strength of Monoliths - the roar of the fuzzed-out amps is counterbalanced by feather-light vocals, creating a contrast as clear and harmonious as sun and sky.  From: https://turtleskullmusic.bandcamp.com/album/monoliths

Gaupa - Diametrical Enchantress

 #Gaupa #doom metal #psychedelic rock #stoner metal #progressive rock #folk metal #Swedish #music video

The city of Falun in Sweden has an illustrious industrial history; originally famous for its copper mine, it performed a vital service in Sweden for centuries. In modern times it has become the unlikely home to a diverse and rich musical scene ranging from power metal titans to luscious Scandinavian folk maestros. Amongst this is the band Gaupa, a progressive stoner band that utilizes doom, folk and psychedelic influences to create beautifully celestial and enchanting songs. In Swedish ‘Gaupa’ translates as Lynx, and this often elusive and solitary wild cat is the perfect simile for this band. With their distinguishing pointed ears and white, bear-like tufts of fur on their cheeks, the lynx looks wise and magical. Gaupa are very distinctive and unique band; musical magicians that blur the lines between folk, psych and doom with intricate yet heavy riffs, their music is intensely ethereal, enchanting and earthy.  From: https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-myriad-gaupa/

Transylvania Stud - Burn the Witch

 #Transylvania Stud #Andrew Godfrey #stoner metal #stoner rock #doom metal #desert rock #one man band #The By Gods #Queens of the Stone Age cover

Originally a side-project, Andrew Godfrey has made Transylvania Stud his primary outlet for all things rock n’ roll. With the renaissance of classic heavy metal coming to a boil, there isn’t much room for hooks or pop sensibilities. But this is where Transylvania Stud blows the competitions’ doors in.  On this surprise release, Godfrey has teamed up with Nashville’s finest, The By Gods, for a blistering cover of the 2006 would-be classic from Queens Of The Stone Age, “Burn The Witch.” While the original had it’s roots firmly planted in gnarly blues-rock thanks to ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Godfrey and co. kick it up a notch, with an overall emphasis on groove and tension.  The music video for “Burn The Witch” is like a 1960s psychedelic reel of avant-garde horror imagery including (but not limited to) cemeteries, snake handlers, ominous cloaked figures, exorcisms, and of course, a witch!  From: https://www.50thirdand3rd.com/transylvania-stud-burn-the-witch-music-video/ 

 

Author & Punisher - Night Terror

 #Author & Punisher #Tristan Shone #industrial metal #drone metal #doom metal #art metal #one man band #drone machine #dub machine

Author & Punisher is an industrial doom and drone metal one man band utilizing primarily custom fabricated machines/controllers and speakers called Drone/Dub Machines. The devices draw heavily on aspects of industrial automation, robotics and mechanical tools and devices, focusing on the eroticism of the interaction with machine.  From: https://authorandpunisher.bandcamp.com/community

If you or I wanted to mess with the pitch of an electronic bass signal, we’d probably plug in the nearest $50.00 MIDI controller and have at it. But we are not Author & Punisher. When Tristan Shone, who has made music under that justly severe moniker since 2005, wants to mess with such a pitch, he gears two high-torque motors to a pair of throttles, giving them autopilot and force-feedback functions. When he performs, it looks like he’s trying to fly an X-Wing with a bad steering rack into the Death Star.
Though he had already issued a few albums of moody industrial music before 2010, those throttles were the first “drone machines” the San Diego-based robotics engineer with a master’s degree in sculpture designed and fabricated. Shone literalized the idea of sonic sculpture, fusing the ethereal and the physical into an industrial metal vision. This tension characterizes Shone’s cursed soundscapes, too, which rampage between rhythm and randomness, melody and mayhem, infernal depths and screaming heights.
Eight years and a half-dozen releases later, Shone has released his Relapse Records debut, Beastland. His arsenal has grown to include so many forbidding prosthetics and devices he’s like a Rube Goldberg war machine stamping out arty Godflesh songs in stainless steel, his industrial core sprouting tumors of doom, drone, noise, and, covertly, pop. Metal vocals are recessed inside demonic sub-bass, concussive percussion, and skirling frequencies. Whether simmering or exploding, these eight three-to-six-minute tracks are exercises in perpetual combustion, a burning darkness expending some unnaturally limitless fuel.
Most of Shone’s creations are not instruments, per se. Some merely capture vocals in the most ominous sense of the verb, portending torture to follow - his elephantine drone mask, his fetish-y trachea mic, his Bane-style headgear. Others control electronic sounds. His “Linear Actuator” is visually suggestive of both a railgun and a tank tread, while “Rails” looks like some cruel factory press poised to remove a machine worker’s arm. These devices are not just for show; they meaningfully shape the sounds Shone makes. Instead of being designed for ease, his controllers fight back, offering physical resistance and semi-predictable outcomes, sewing chaos instead of order.
From: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/author-and-publisher-beastland/

Cellar Darling - The Prophet's Song

 #Cellar Darling #progressive metal #folk metal #folk rock #doom metal #Swiss #Queen cover

Cellar Darling are a three-piece Swiss progressive metal band from Winterthur and Lucerne, founded in 2016. The group was formed by Anna Murphy (vocals, hurdy-gurdy, flute), Merlin Sutter (drums) and Ivo Henzi (guitars and bass). Cellar Darling incorporates heavy metal, folk, classical, and progressive influences. Notably, the band uses a hurdy-gurdy and a transverse flute. The trio were previously part of the Swiss metal band Eluveitie.   From: https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8291df18-f05a-46ea-93dd-64f55d976ff2 

We want to unleash feelings and experiences by telling stories and drawing symbols, in the way mankind has done since its existence: through legends, folk tales, theatre, drama, spirituality - and through songs. We reinvent folk tales for our age as the very essence of what they once were: stories of everyday life. We may sing about the future, we may sing about the past - for essentially, they are the same. If you come to experience our show, you will not know what to expect. If days are bright, our performance shall be bright. If they are dark, it will be dark. In any case, we will tell you stories: those you’ve missed in a world where no bed time stories are told anymore, or those which have never been told before.

Cellar Darling was formed by Anna Murphy (vocals, hurdy-gurdy), Merlin Sutter (drums) and Ivo Henzi (guitars & bass) in the summer of 2016. The trio has previously been part of the core of Switzerland's most successful metal band to date, Eluveitie, touring the world in 45+ countries on 6 continents for over a decade, and forming a bond that could overcome any adversity.
Anna, Ivo & Merlin have turned the departure from their old band into a new beginning, and have moved on to make their own music, while continuing the spirit of musical innovation they have become known for. Cellar Darling’s music is an epic, theatric combination of Ivo’s grand, heavy riffs, Merlin’s energetic drumming, and Anna’s unique, both powerful and fragile voice. Their sound is shaped by the hurdy-gurdy, with its signature folky, earthy tones, and their lyrics tell stories and tales both old and new, true to the band's stated mission: the reinvention of folk tales for our modern age as the very essence of what they once were.   

From: https://www.heavymetal.ch/artists/3676/cellar-darling

Black Sabbath - The Writ

#Black Sabbath #Ozzy Osbourne #heavy metal #hard rock #classic rock #heavy blues rock #British blues rock #doom metal #1970s

"The Writ" is one of only a handful of Black Sabbath songs to feature lyrics composed by vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, who typically relied on bassist Geezer Butler for lyrics. The song was inspired by the frustrations Osbourne felt at the time, as Black Sabbath's former manager Patrick Meehan was suing the band after having been fired. The song viciously attacks the music business in general and is a savage diatribe directed towards Meehan specifically ("Are you Satan? Are you man?"), with Osbourne revealing in his memoir, "I wrote most of the lyrics myself, which felt a bit like seeing a shrink. All the anger I felt towards Meehan came pouring out." During this period, the band began to question if there was any point to recording albums and touring endlessly "just to pay the lawyers". Thematically, "The Writ" and "Megalomania" are intertwined, according to drummer Ward, as they both deal with the same tensions arising from these ongoing legal troubles.  From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabotage_(Black_Sabbath_album) 

Tony Iommi – identified by engineer Mike Butcher as Black Sabbath’s “unofficial leader” – has stated that Sabotage was in part a reaction to the complex style of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, on which the band had combined their signature heavy metal with elements of progressive rock, aided by Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman and even an orchestra. “We could’ve continued getting more technical,” Iommi said, “using orchestras and everything else. But we wanted to do a rock album.” Iommi was also reacting, on a deeper level, to the ongoing litigation with Patrick Meehan. “We were in the studio one day and in court or meeting with lawyers the next,” the guitarist said. And his anger and anxiety fed into Sabotage. “The sound was a bit harder than Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” Iommi explained. “My guitar sound was harder. That was brought on by all the aggravation we felt over all the business with management and lawyers.”

Am I Going Insane (Radio) is essentially a pop song written by Ozzy on a Moog synthesiser, which he played on the finished track. “Oz drove us all nuts with that Moog thing,” Ward recalls, “but the song was great. And in hindsight, it was kind of a precursor for his solo career. His personality was blooming on this song.” The ‘Radio’ in the title was British rhyming slang: Radio Rental – mental. Ozzy’s lyrics were “definitely autobiographical”, Butler says. Even better, and even more pointedly autobiographical, were Ozzy’s lyrics for the album’s heavyweight final track, in which he poured scorn on Black Sabbath’s tormentor, Patrick Meehan. ‘You bought and sold me with your lying words,’ Ozzy sang, before threatening a curse on his enemy. The song was named The Writ, a title that was suggested by Mike Butcher after Meehan’s lawyers arrived unannounced at Morgan Studios. “Some guy walked in and said: ‘Black Sabbath?’” Butcher recalls. “And Tony said: ‘Yeah.’ The guy said ‘I have something for you,’ and gave him a writ.” Adding to the threatening vibe of The Writ was a sinister intro mixing laughter and cries of anguish. The laughter was that of an Australian friend of Geezer’s. “He was a complete nutter,” the bassist says. “We invited him into the studio when he was visiting London.” The cries were those of a baby, recorded on an unmarked cassette tape that Mike Butcher found lying on a console at Morgan. When he played it at half speed, the baby’s crying took on an eerie quality. “It was so weird,” he says, “that it worked perfectly for that track.” Butcher never found out whose tape it was. For Ozzy, writing and singing the words to this song had a therapeutic effect. “A bit like seeing a shrink,” he said.  And yet, for all the vitriol in The Writ there was a note of hope, and defiance, in its closing line: ‘Everything is gonna work out fine.’ And, in the short term at least, those words would ring true. Patrick Meehan would not break Black Sabbath.

From: https://www.loudersound.com/features/how-black-sabbath-made-sabotage

The Oil Barons - Hot Cake Big Bad Sound

 #The Oil Barons #stoner rock #doom metal #garage rock #psychedelic rock #desert rock #punk metal #hard rock #power trio #1970s retro #music video

Formed in Los Angeles, CA in early 2016, The Oil Barons are a riff-crazed Heavy Rock power trio that draws from a deep well of influences ranging from Garage Rock to Doom Metal. They like slowing down - they like speedin' up!  They like to shred, Fred. They're the heaviest thing in standard tuning.  From: https://www.theoilbarons.com/

The Oil Barons debut album ‘The West Is Won’ is inspired by Paul Thomas Anderson’s classic movie ‘There Will Be Blood’. So you have a concept album based within the world of oil production and all the joys and pitfalls that industry brings you. Unless it’s influenced by Dallas and the guys are trying to be all intellectual. I’m kidding. Anyway, this is one album that sounds like it suffers from an identity crisis when you first listen to it. As the band play a heavy mixture of Blues Rock, Classic Rock, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal and even Desert Rock. If you’re a fan of bands such as Black Sabbath and Cutch then these guys should definitely be on your radar. ’The West Is Won’ is a brilliantly entertaining album packed full of thrills and (oil) spills with the band writing some progressive sounding riffs and OTT lyrics to match. The opening songs ‘The Oil Baron’, ‘Drill’ and ‘Snake Oil’ show that The Oil Barons have a deep and rich creative sound and when matched against the superb lyrics then a Stoner Metal/Doom Metal album based on ‘There Will Be Blood’ isn’t so crazy after all. The album has a deceptively old-school feel to it and that allows The Oil Barons to experiment with their sound on the later stages of the album. The vocals from Andrew are influenced by the Americana scene at times but still remaining in the Doom/Stoner Metal world. Jake provides solid back-up vocals along with his highly accurate and precise drumming. The Oil Barons continue playing their heavy Blues Rock inspired Stoner/Desert/Doom hybrid sound for the remainder of the album and they will keep you entertained with other cool songs such as ‘California City’, ‘Fuck The Sun’, ‘Vitch’ and the final epic song ‘Suicide Machine’ which ventures into some pretty dark places which I didn’t expect. The production is handled superbly well and the album sounds fresh and lively from the start. The music is very direct and you become part of the whole environment. Though it may take you a few listens to fully understand and actually enjoy the overall album. After that happens you’ll be amazed at how much of a good time you will have this with album.  From: https://outlawsofthesun.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-oil-barons-west-is-won-album-review.html

Arrowhead - Coven of the Snake

 #Arrowhead #stoner rock #alternative rock #post-grunge #hard rock #doom metal #Australian #music video

Australian stoner rockers Arrowhead offer a unique blend of fuzz rock, with '70s infused grooves and thick doses of down-tuned doom to take you on a psychedelic trip. Playing around Australia since 2008, Arrowhead stand out amongst the crowd with songs full of infectious grooves, catchy riffs, hard hitting drums, thunderous bass lines, and brutally raw and passionate vocal delivery.  From: https://arrowheadrock.bandcamp.com/album/coven-of-the-snake

Rising from the underground of Sydney’s stoner rock scene, the Arrowhead brotherhood fire an explosive, all killer/no filler triptych of volume, attitude and down-tuned grooves. Hitting you harder than a Frank Frazetta-airbrushed panel van travelling at 100mph, Arrowhead is very much a band defined by the riffs that raised them. Fronted by guitar player, vocalist and chief songwriter Brett Pearl, Brett was brought up on a staple diet of classic rock with Hendrix, Zeppelin, Floyd and Sabbath rarely leaving the turntable. Joined by fellow purveyor of low-end grind is bass player/Viking Arron Fletcher, guitarist Raff Iacurto and living backbone of the band, Matt Cramp on drums. With each member feeding into the Arrowhead-approved vision of hard rock reverie via Hollywood monsters and science fiction cinema, having paid their dues as a band since late 2009, following on from 2010’s Atomsmasher EP, their self-titled debut and 2016’s Desert Cult Ritual, the latest addition to the quartet’s quiver is new album, Coven of the Snake. An album that is equal parts venom and mysticism, and 100% blood-bound to steal your soul in the name of rock and roll.  From: https://maximumvolumemusic.com/band-of-the-day-arrowhead/

Black Sabbath - Spiral Architect

 #Black Sabbath #Ozzy Osbourne #heavy metal #hard rock #classic rock #heavy blues rock #British blues rock #doom metal #1970s

With 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, heavy metal godfathers Black Sabbath made a concerted effort to prove their remaining critics wrong by raising their creative stakes and dispensing unprecedented attention to the album's production standards, arrangements, and even the cover artwork. As a result, bold new efforts like the timeless title track, "A National Acrobat," and "Killing Yourself to Live" positively glistened with a newfound level of finesse and maturity, while remaining largely faithful, aesthetically speaking, to the band's signature compositional style. In fact, their sheer songwriting excellence may even have helped to ease the transition for suspicious older fans left yearning for the rough-hewn, brute strength that had made recent triumphs like Master of Reality and Vol. 4 (really, all their previous albums) such undeniable forces of nature. But thanks to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath's nearly flawless execution, even a more adventurous experiment like the string-laden "Spiral Architect," with its tasteful background orchestration, managed to sound surprisingly natural, and in the dreamy instrumental "Fluff," Tony Iommi scored his first truly memorable solo piece. If anything, only the group's at times heavy-handed adoption of synthesizers met with inconsistent consequences, with erstwhile Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman bringing only good things to the memorable "Sabbra Cadabra", while the robotically dull "Who Are You" definitely suffered from synthesizer novelty overkill. All things considered, though, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was arguably Black Sabbath's fifth masterpiece in four years, and remains an essential item in any heavy metal collection.  From: https://www.allmusic.com/album/sabbath-bloody-sabbath-mw0000194838

Cover by Drew Struzan

BlackLab - Warm Death

 #BlackLab #doom metal #stoner metal #post-metal #shoegaze #sludge #psychedelic metal #witch metal #Japanese #music video

When you hear the phrase ‘dark witch doom’, it’s hard to shake off thoughts of Hammer Horror clichés and the kind of retro-flared, post-hippy rock that took Coven as a starting point and never really bothered to take it anywhere else - thankfully, BlackLab take that label and drag it right into the Stygian mire where it belongs. Originally formed in Osaka as a three-piece, they soon settled on the line-up of Yuko Morino and Chia Shiraishi as the ideal vessel to transport their sound, a colossally loud mix of Sabbathian doom, sludge and noisy punk-tinged insanity. Following on from the success of Under The Strawberry Moon 2.0, a re-recording of early demo tracks made for London’s New Heavy Sounds, they have quickly set about delivering the aptly-titled Abyss in time for a UK tour that, as with so much lately, will have to wait. Still, we have Abyss to vibe to in the meantime so The Sleeping Shaman decided to catch up with the devilish duo, find out where they’re coming from and where they’re yet to take us.

You’re often described as ‘Dark Witch Doom’ - how accurate do you feel that is? Does witchcraft or mysticism play any part in your sound?

Yuko: The person in charge of the shop that handled our self-produced CD used the expression. I liked that so much and then I describe myself so. I think it’s a phrase that expresses the character of the songs and sounds I make well. I like horror movies and mysteries stories, so they may have influenced my creations. When I write songs, I often get inspiration from those visuals. But those stories are not important - it’s just from visual stuff. Foreign media sometimes metamorphose us as Sadako. I welcome that, because she’s a superstar in Japanese horror movies. I believe in mysterious world. But unfortunately, I have no magic or mystery experience. I enjoy them daydreaming.

Chia: The term ‘Dark Witch Doom’ might convey the atmosphere of BlackLab’s sound. I like it. I’m not a witch, but I live on a spiritual basis. I might be a ‘star seed drummer’.

From: https://www.thesleepingshaman.com/interviews/blacklab-interview-with-yuko-chia/

Ruby the Hatchet - Black Tongue

 #Ruby the Hatchet #psychedelic metal #doom metal #psychedelic rock #occult rock #heavy psych #music video

Forming after a series of basement practices in New Jersey circa 2010 before relocating to Philadelphia, psychedelic quintet Ruby the Hatchet brings together doomy, evil hard rock with occult-flavored psychedelia for a witchy brew of dazzled and ominous wild rock sounds. The band features guitarist Johnny Scarps, drummer Owen Stewart, bassist Mike Parise, and keyboard player Sean Hur, and is trademarked by the howling, dynamic vocals of Jillian Taylor. To date the band has released three studio albums among a handful of EPs and have toured throughout North America and Europe.  From: https://riffipedia.fandom.com/wiki/Ruby_The_Hatchet

Ruby The Hatchet have been around since 2011 representing the Doom scene with seductive tones and a mystique. Ruby doesn’t perform the laborious plodding down-tuned dirge but embraces a callback to psychedelic and classic rock. Jillian Taylor, lead vocalist, projects her engaging voice while the band adds the deep rhythms of Owen Stewart (drums) and Lake Muir (bass) and John Scarperia’s chugging riffs. The attraction also emanates from Sean Kan Hur leaning heavy on the Hammond. As the past exhibits, these five create a masterful blend of captivating rock. We can look back to their label debut album, Valley of the Snake, and then their follow up, 2017’s Planetary Space Child. Ruby targeted their brand of mysticism via a space theme (related to astrology) which lends itself just as equally to exploration and isolation. Now, in 2022, they return hypnotizing any audience as a Wizards wicked spell would. Fear Is A Cruel Master is out on Magnetic Eye records October 21st. Ruby defines the Rock ‘n’ Roll ethos. Not just with their sonic declarations, but in addition to being on J Mascis’ (Deep Wound, Dinosaur Jr, Witch, live guest of Negative Approach) prestigious label, Tee Pee, the band has self-released their debut LP, Ouroboros, and two EPs. Independence, rebellion, and defiance are apparent attributes of these five redeemers of the riff.  From: https://newnoisemagazine.com/reviews/album-review-ruby-the-hatchet-fear-is-a-cruel-master/

Luciferian Light Orchestra - Taste the Blood of the Altar Wine

 #Luciferian Light Orchestra #doom metal #psychedelic rock #heavy metal #occult rock #psychedelic metal #gothic rock #heavy psych #retro 1970s #Swedish #music video

Luciferian Light Orchestra is a band formed in 2014 by Therion’s Christofer Johnsson. The band performs songs that Johnsson has written over the years but thought that they were too retro sounding for Therion. Christofer always had a big passion for ’70’s music. Luciferian Light Orchestra sounds like a ’70’s version of Therion, mainly inspired by the ’70’s occult vibes and themes. The self-titled album was recorded and mixed by Christofer at Adulruna Studio and and mixed by Lennart Östlund (Led Zeppelin, ABBA) at Polar Studios, Stockholm. In the process of making the record, there was a large group of people involved: 2 drummers, 1 bass player, 5 guitarists, 2 keyboard players, 3 hammond organists, 4 lead singers, 5 backing singers It's not official who contributed on the album and who the members are, but Christofer has revealed that it’s ”a mix of old symphonic rock and progressive musicians, some current Therion members, one ex-Therion member and some artists from other bands. Plus some known and unknown people from Dragon Rouge giving a hand with backing vocals.”  From: https://svartrecords.com/en/product/luciferian-light-orchestra-black-ep/4110