RED MESA ~ PARTIAL DISTORTIONS .... review

If you were a purchaser/listener of Red Mesa's previous album, "The Path to the Deathless", you will remember that the core trio of Brad Frye (guitar/vocals); Roman Barham (drums/vocals) and Alex Cantwell (bass/vocals'/additional guitar) were joined by slew of guest musicians, the most notable being Wino and the late Dave Sherman, however their new release "Partial Distortions" (Desert Records/Majestic Mountain Records) is all Red Mesa. Now there will be those who disagree but we at Desert Psychlist are of the opinion that "Partial Distortion" is far better for its lack of additional musicians as it is a far truer representation of the band as a working unit, we also feel that it is heavier than anything the band have attempted previously, a sound the band themselves have dubbed "blackened desert".

"Óðr" kicks off "Partial Distortions" and immediately clears up any confusion anyone might have had about the "blackened" element the band describe in their liner notes, its guitar tones are thick sludgy and downright nasty, its bass lines are dialled to low and grizzly and its drums are thunderous, loud and busy, add to this a mix of of clean gritty and growled vocal tones and you are talking one hell of an opening statement. Ok its a given that a good opener is a hook to reel you in but we all have albums in our collections where things have gone quickly downhill after the first number, this is not one of those albums. If you thought "Óðr" hit hard then be prepared for life changing injuries with "The Assertion" a doom laden barnburner in possession of a myriad of dank musical layers that also owes a debt of gratitude to Barry Manilow for its opening line. Red Mesa's default desert rock sound is the dominant force on next song "Dying In The Cold Sun" its guitar tones, circular and expansive, give the song a feeling of vastness but a feeling countered by its larynx tearing vocals which are delivered intense raw and throaty. "12 Volt Shaman" sees Red Mesa still residing in desert territory but toying with elements of urban hip hop/rap in some of the songs vocal and musical stylings while "Desert March", an instrumental, finds Red Mesa creating a soundtrack for a modern day western where cowboys ride into the sunset on Harley Davidson's. Final number "Witching Hour" delivers everything you would expect a song bearing such a title would deliver, dense crunchy distorted guitar refrains, languid circular droning motifs, dark sinister lyricism and vocals that border on the edge of pained, the song serving as the perfect curtain closer to a very, VERY powerful album. 

Those expecting the fuzzy psych of first album "Red Mesa" or the dusty Americana visited on "The Devil and the Desert" are in for a shock when "Partial Distortions" hits their audial canals, yes there were hints on "The Path To The Deathless" that the band were heading in a heavier direction but nobody would have predicted they would get this damn heavy, "blackened" you better believe it!

Check 'em out ....

© 2024 Frazer Jones

IRONxLUNG ~ RIFFSTANBUL ...review

Please do not try to trace IronxLung's journey up to the release of "Riffstanbul", you will only end up confused bewildered and nursing a giant headache, IronxLung for starters have not always been IronxLung they were once Disciples of the Apocalypse and before that Hellfire Dawn and before that ....,(the list goes on). There have been releases as a trio, a duo and on occasions as a one man project, in fact the only constant throughout has been guitarist/vocalist/bassist Joshua Stanard. We could fill up this page with the various line-ups and releases that have led up to this current state of affairs but let's just concentrate on "Riffstanbul" (Tin Ghetto Records) an album that sees Stannard reuniting with his old sparring partner and original Disciples of the Apocalypse member Andres Logan (drums/electronics/vocals).

IronxLung jams a groove rooted in sludge, doom and progressive metal and features vocals that, despite their creaking guttural harshness, are surprisingly easy on the ear. Those, and we know there are a few, who balk at the words "sludge" and "harsh" might find themselves pleasantly surprised by the clarity of the vocals and grooves on display here especially when they come to the realisation that those grooves are not your bog standard walls of noise but are well thought out soundscapes that although in possession of their fair share of noisiness are at times exotic and, dare we say, delicate. There is a huge prog factor at play here too, songs like title track "Riffstanbul", the excellent "Plight of the Cannabinites",the caustic and gnarly "Belly Of A Whale", the bluesy and doomic "Petrified the Mind's Eye" and the two instrumentals "Damascus" and "Rev 21:4" are not just vehicles for crunching riffs and thunderous rhythms but are also in possessed of an array of intricate textures, musical colours and mind-blowing complexities. The musicianship throughout borders on stunning at times especially when the guttural vocals and crunching riffage takes a backseat and allow Stanard free reign to explore his inner guitar god with searing bluesy solos and ear-catching motifs, his axe wielding prowess ably supported by Logan's punchy solid drumming and occasional electronic squeals and squawks. 

For those for whom sludge has always been a bridge to far "Riffstanbul" might just be the album to draw you over to the dark side, if you don't like it you can always turn it off but we don't think you will.

Check it out ...... 

© 2024 Frazer Jones

TYPHUZZ ~ TYPHUZZ .... review

Germany's Typhuzz, Max Mörmann (vocals/guitar); Sebastian Örtle (drums) and Alexander Pontzhail (bass), hail from Karlsruhe and, like so many other bands in this scene, worship at the altar of Black Sabbath the result of which sees them jamming grooves not too dissimilar in flavour and style to that of their heroes. Now there are many out there who will decry the emergence of yet another heavily Sabbath influenced band, Desert Psychlist however is not among that "many". Ok nobody wants to hear a band slavishly recreate an iconic bands sound to the point that it borders on plagiarism but having said that there is also nothing wrong with hearing a band who take that sound and then stamp their own personalities and identities all over it, something we think Typhuzz have done on their self -titled debut album "Typhuzz".(Hand Of Doom Records)

Loud/quiet/loud dynamics play a big part in Typhuzz's overall sonic attack and it is these dynamics that are the driving force behind opening track "Golden Glow" a song that alternates between galloping heavy metal and languid lysergic proto doom beneath clean slightly sneered vocal tones that utilize all the usual lyrical cliches we have come to expect (and love) from music of this nature. "Winter Sun" follows and sees Typhuzz fully embracing their Sabbathian roots with chugging palm-muted riffage and punchy thundering bass and drums supporting a vocal that is Ozzy-ish in its melody but not so much in its tone. We mentioned, in our opening piece, about Typhuzz stamping their own personalities on an iconic sound and for "Alarm" they do just that, the band jamming a proto-doomic groove ramped up to warp speed and then decorated in a punkish angsty vocal. For "Drug Transformation" Typhuzz opt for a more stoner-doom sound, grumbling low bass and solid tight drumming the platform for an ear-worming vocal melody enhanced by bluesy Iommi-esque guitar pyrotechnics. Heavy rock and doom hold hands and skip the light fandango on the excellent "Lizard Queen" while for "Fracturo Fibulas" the band offer us two minutes plus of birdsong and acoustic guitar. Its back to the riff'n'roll for next track "Globesmoker" a delicious mix of low slow heaviness and swaggering doomic bluesiness that is then followed by "Cosmic Crypt" a shape shifting opus that lyrically and musically sits somewhere between Sabbath's "Into The Void" and Deep Purple MK III's "Burn". Penultimate track "Running Down" sees Typhuzz going all in on the heavy rock before going out with all guns blazing with the head spinning finale "Tonight" a song that incorporates every element of doom and heavy rock visited previously on this album and weaves them together into one brain frying curtain closer, epic stuff!  

Typhuzz's debut is a highly impressive blending of blistering heavy rock and deliciously dank doom, it is an album that is the sum of its influences rather than a carbon copy of those influences, yes you can hear elements of Sabbath, Pentegram and others greats in what Typhuzz bring to the table but you can also hear that they are a band with their own thing going on too.  

Check 'em out ..... 

© 2024 Frazer Jones

DVNE ~ VOIDKIND ... review

Post-metal, doom, sludge and a blackened form of progressive metal are just some of the tools Edinburgh five piece DVNE employ to create their sonic soundscapes along with a variety of vocal inflections that range from clean and mellow through to gnarled growly and harsh. DVNE, Victor Vicart (guitar,/keyboards,/vocals);  Allan Paterson (guitar,/bass); Dudley Tait (drums); Daniel Barter (vocals) and Maxime Keller (keyboards/vocals), were formed in 2013 and have over time built themselves a reputation as one of the finest British bands in the field of underground progressive metal today. a feat achieved by releasing a series of EP's and albums that are the true definition of the word "progressive", each release marking an evolution in the bands skill as both musicians and songwriters. This year (2024) DVNE release their highly anticipated third full length album "Voidkind", (Metal Blade Records) and if you like your progressive metal complex and intricate with a heavy blackened edge then you really need this album in your life.

"Summa Blasphemia" opens proceedings and apart from a very brief keyboard intro comes out of the traps spitting and snarling, things do settle down here and there but on the whole what you get is a full on assault of crunchy riffs and incredibly powerful drumming supporting a mixture of clean and harsh vocals that are seemingly coming at you from all angles, the band have stated that they wanted to strip away some of the studio frills and layers that marked their last album, "Etemen Ænka" and go for a sound more akin to their live shows and if this track is anything to go by then it would seem they have achieved that goal. "Eleonora" follows and although not quite as intense and full on as its predecessor the song still carries a fair amount of punch despite it also featuring a decidedly restrained post-metal/alt-prog flavoured middle section. "Reaching for Telos" sees DVNE really brandishing their prog membership card for all to see its guitar textures, a mixture of fractured chord voicings and crunching refrains, are complimented by subtle keyboard colourings over a groove that is in constant flux. If it were not for its mellow and languid middle section you could easily mistake "Reliquary" for groove metal or hardcore such is it furiosity while "Path of Dust" goes in the completely opposite direction, the song serving as a gentle and serene moment of tranquillity before the raucous "Sarmatæ" pins the ears back with its sludgy riffs, clean /harsh vocals and thunderous rhythms. We are given another moment to catch our breaths with the lush keyboard piece "Paths of Ether" but any respite your ears may have garnered is soon shattered by the off-centred loud/quiet/loud dynamics of "Abode of the Perfect Soul", a truly face melting slice of blackened prog metal. Last but one comes "Plērōma" where we find DVNE at probably their most accessible, a real toe tapper of a song boasting a vocal that for its most part is kept clean and melodious with those harsher vocals allowed only the briefest of windows to make their presence felt. Finally we arrive at "Cobalt Sun Necropolis" a nine minute plus epic that goes through a myriad of changes along its journey, languidity and brutality being just two of those changes, this is a song with fan favourite written large all over it.

Many may have thought that DVNE had reached their peak with "Etemen Ænka" that there was no possible way they could ever top such a hugely impactful release but those "many" underestimated how much more these guys had (and still have) in their locker, what they had in that locker was "Voidkind" probably the best black edged progressive metal album to come out of the British Isles in an age.

Check it out .... 

© 2024 Frazer Jones

CASTLE RAT ~ INTO THE REALM ..... review

Medieval fantasy doom metal is how Brooklyn's Castle Rat describe their music and judging by their videos they certainly dress the part, the respective members utilizing a mix of over the top makeup, headdresses and masks to reflect the medieval fantasy side of their image. Image is all well and good but if you do not have the musical chops to go with that image then basically you end up being just a novelty and Castle Rat, Riley Pinkerton (vocals/guitar); Henry Black (lead guitar/backing vocals); Ronnie Lanzilotta III (bass) and Josh Strmic (drums), are no novelty, this is a band who more than deliver on the doom metal part of their self-description as their debut release "Into The Realm" (King Volume Records) will attest to.

What Castle Rat describe as medieval fantasy doom metal will probably come across, to those of us who have been listening to music from the dark side since we could strap on a pair of earphones, as sitting at the more occult rock end of the doom spectrum, in other words a little more bright and melodic than it is dark and thunderous. First track out of the bag "Dagger Dragger" is testament to this lighter breezier dynamic its bouncy hard rock/proto doom groove, not unlike something you might expect emanating from a Blood Ceremony or a The Devil's Blood release, has a chunky semi-galloping gait that supports clean powerful vocals telling lyrical tales of daggers and demons. "Feed The Dream" follows and finds Castle Rat mixing proto-doom with its more traditional equivalent to come up with a groove that is as dank as it is delightful, especially when twinned with Pinkerton's slightly slurred vocal melody. We are offered a moment of respite with "Resurrector" a brief but highly enjoyable solo piece featuring bassist extraordinaire Lanzilotta III. Its all hands onboard again for "Red Sands" the tale of a wearied warrior set against a backdrop of atmospheric doom/occult metal that boasts scorching lead work from Black and Bonham-esque drumming from Strmic. We get another moment to catch our breaths with "The Mirror" a serene and tranquil dual acoustic guitar piece that leads into the equally serene but slightly less tranquil "Cry For Me", a soaring torch song/lament that showcases not only Pinkerton's vocal power but also her fragility, it is stunning. "Realm" is up next, another short mood piece that is similar in feel to the previous "The Mirror" but this time with the electricity turned on. The band pack a hell of a lot into penultimate track "Fresh Fur", a doomic rocker with an air of off-centredness in both its vocal and musical delivery, so much so that its just under four minute duration feels like twice that, something you won't find us complaining about. "Nightblood" brings proceedings to a close with a song that once again blurs the lines between traditional and proto doom, a full on assault on the senses packed to the rafters with top performances from everyone involved.

The dressing up and make-up may lead some to expecting Castle Rat to jam grooves not too dissimilar in flavour to that of Swedish occult rockers Ghost but they would be wrong in their assumptions, Castle Rat's music, although sharing some of Ghost's melodic qualities, is a much harder and heavier affair that takes its influences from Black Sabbath and the bands and music that Sabbath spawned. It has to be said though that there has been a certain amount of hype circulating around Castle Rat but it is justified hype, these guys can really play, they have great songs and their debut album "Into The Realm" is an absolute banger on every level.

Check it out ......

© 2024 Frazer Jones

IRON BLANKET ~ ASTRAL WANDERER ... review

Probably Desert Psychlist's favourite sub-genre of music would be the one that traversed that period between late sixties heavy blues rock and what would later be classed as heavy metal, we are talking proto-metal/doom here, a period that saw bands like Sir Lord Baltimore, BANG, Buffalo, Budgie and many. many more experimenting with louder amplification and new effects to create a sound that was heavier and harsher than anything that had come before it. Of course you could add big guns like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to that list but there was something about the uncompromising rawness that those smaller, lesser known, often short-lived bands brought to the table that just felt so primal. It is probably why, to this day, we at Stonerking Towers are still drawn to bands with that proto metal/doom sound and also why we want to draw your attention to Australia's Iron Blanket and their debut album "Astral Wanderer"(Copper Feast Records & Sound Effects Records).

"Evil Mind" kicks things off and, apart from its heavily lysergic middle section, boasts a groove and vocal melody so authentically 70's it'll have you double checking the album notes to verify its release date. "Mystic Goddess" follows, its mixture of circular guitar riffage and driving rhythmic grooviness is decorated in a soaring vocal that tells of a "celestial being from realms unknown" in helium tinted tones that posses an essence of  both Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Rush's Geddy Lee in their delivery as well a smattering of Budgie's Burke Shelley. Expect much of the same for the duration of the rest of the album with songs like the swaggering "Witch's Kiss", the cosmic and spacious "Kookaburra Dream" and the raucous and heavy "Iron Blanket" all steeped in a hybrid mix of 70's proto-metal/doom and 90's stoner rock dressed up with occasional forays into heavy psych. However, do not expect to find yourself getting bored or notice your attention starting to wander while listening to this stunning debut as all of the songs showcased here are of a type that grab you and keep you grabbed until they either bail out in a crescendo of noise or slowly fade into silence.

Iron Blanket members Mark Lonsdale (guitar), Nick Matthews (drums), Tom Withford (Guitar), Charles Eggleston (bass) and Johann Ingemar (vocals) were probably just a twinkle in their respective parents eyes when those early proto bands first tore up stages with their face melting heaviness but this has not stopped Iron Blanket from capturing that same raw grittiness with their own music. Let's not however pass off Iron Blanket as a retro band, there is much to found on "Astral Wanderer" that is informed by today's current underground rock scene, but having said that it is hard to ignore those 70's influences that run gloriously thick and true throughout each and every one of these ass-kicking songs.
Check 'em out .....

© 2024 Frazer Jones

LUCIFER GIANT ~ LUCIFER GIANT .... review

Have you ever listened to a bands earlier work and thought these guys have something good going on here but they are missing an ingredient? Usually in these cases you make a mental note to keep an eye on said band hoping they will find that ingredient and finally deliver the goods but in truth you usually tend to forget all about them when the next blow you away album from another artist/artists drops. This was the case with Switzerland's Lucifer Giant, we at the Psychlist had checked out their earlier released one off tracks and liked what we heard but were not quite sure if the band delivering those tracks were quite where they needed to be sonically yet and so put them to the back of our minds. Fast forward to today and while doing our daily search through Bandcamp's new releases we noticed that Lucifer Giant had released a brand new full length self-titled album, hopeful that they had found that missing ingredient we pushed play and were truly amazed, flabbergasted and blown away by what we heard.

Opening song "Lucifer" may fool you into thinking you are departing on a journey into post-rock territories with its intro of fizzy synthesised drones and military flavoured drumming but when those guitars join the fray you soon come to realise that what you are listening to is doom, not an atypical form of doom granted, but doom nevertheless, albeit doom salted with elements of heavy psych and prog. Another thing that quickly becomes evident is that Lucifer Giant know how to incorporate melody into their songs both musically and vocally, "Lucifer" and its bedfellows "Monument", "Acid Dreams", "Miles Deep Well", "Crimson Curtains" and "Ghost" are not songs built around riffs. although they do have them, these are cleverly structured songs with intelligent arrangements, songs that possess ascending/descending dynamics that combine to create the perfect backdrops for the lilting clean, slightly wearied, vocal melodies and harmonies that decorate them. 

Lucifer Giant, Simu Sigrist (guitar/vocals); Matt Flury (guitar/vocals); Remo (synth/backing vocals); Avi Moser (drums) and Ändu Feuz (bass), have with their self-titled new release delivered an absolute monster of an album, an album that fully delivers on the promise and potential shown on those earlier one off singular releases.

Check 'em out ... 

© 2024 Frazer Jones