ALBUM REVIEW: Forktail, "Forktail"

By: John Reppion

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 30/01/2018

Label: Independent

“...if sitting off stoned round that camp-fire, drinking that cider is a thing that appeals… maybe thinking about all those other camp-fires, real and imagined, others have sat round before… well, “Forktail”’s a pretty good soundtrack for that.”

“Forktail” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Smell The Foxglove

2). A Forked Tale

3). Primitivo

4). The Trickler

5). Beast ‘82

6). Wolves of Saint August

7). ∆O§ 

8). Familiar

9). Dronehenge

The Review:

Forktail are Simon Davis and Boo Cook, and their self titled debut is an atmospheric ode to the English Weird. Part soundtrack to an imagined film, part spoken word seance, part dream-logic sound collage, “Forktai”l presents the listener with a kind of micro-dose Psybient Folk Horror.  I should probably use the word hauntological too, just to make sure I get it in there.

The ragged calls of crows and jackdaws accompanied by the thump of a timpani introduce us to the world of “Forktail”'s “Smell the Foxglove”; a calm yet ominous psych-folk sneak deeper and deeper and deeper into the Old English woods. “A Forked Tale” is a well crafted spoken-word piece (written and performed by Si Cook) dealing with witches, magic, folklore, history, and all that good stuff. The words are accompanied by ambient church-bell drones, bird-calls, and minimalist bass, guitar and drums which evolve by degrees into something more trippy and drippy.

“Primitivo” is a Neolithic camp-fire drum-ritual jam session with added fuzz bass that comes out sounding like Shpongle on ketamine. “The Trickler” is a wonderfully chilled whimsical Detectorists dream-sequence guitar-soundscape, with a wassailing theme. “Beast ‘82”, the most unabashedly electronic sounding thing on “Forktai”l up to this point, pairs John Carpenter-esque synths and sensibilities with the same stoned in a muddy field, drinking cans of warm cider sensibilities as the rest of the record. By the end of the track the revellers have got a bit freaked out by a noise from a nearby farm and are doing their best to quieten down, but it’s almost certain that they’ll forget about all that in a minute or two.

“Wolves of Saint August” is (the linear notes tell me) “based on a Transylvanian chapel field recording by Monica Lucia Madas a.k.a. Monooka who improvised the vocals live in situ”. Spacious church ambience and beautifully sacred sounding vocalisations are chopped up and remixed into something that sounds not unlike Portishead joined in the studio by a pack of wolves. “∆O§” (AOS) is built around a sample of modern-day writer/magician Alan Moore talking about the work of 20^th century artist/occultist Austin Osman Spare. The nature of magic and art, and art as magic. What begins as quite subtle musical accompaniment builds and builds into a laid-back bass driven slice of Trip-Hop.

“Familiar” is the track most deserving of the Folk Horror tag on the record, with an air of menace and malignancy which just mounts and mounts throughout. “Dronehenge”offers a more positive and optimistic sounding reprise of some of “Primitivo”’sideas – its a kind of structured grounding ritual, bringing proceedings to a close.

“Forktail” is not a metal record by any stretch of the imagination, and is not even really a rock record. It is also not heavy, or ever truly harsh, and in fact maintains a pleasantly fuzzy-muzzy, foggy-headedness throughout. I’ve already besmirched myself enough by using the term Trip-Hop in this review, so I won’t make things worse by using Chill Out too. However, if sitting off stoned round that camp-fire, drinking that cider is a thing that appeals… maybe thinking about all those other camp-fires, real and imagined, others have sat round before… well, “Forktail”’s a pretty good soundtrack for that.

“Forktail”is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Cloakroom - "Time Well"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/08/2017

Label:  Relapse Records

The songwriting and arrangements are as distinctive and original as they come, especially for the subgenres Cloakroom claims. You will get treated to plenty that fits a stoner/sludge aesthetic that you are used to hearing. Yet, by the time you reach "The Sun Won't Let Us Go" midway through, chances are you will embrace where the band is heading with all this. But it is nevertheless magnificent.

"Time Well"CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Gone But Not Entirely

2. Big World

3. Concrete Gallery

4. Seedless Star

5. Sickle Moon Blues

6. Hymnal

7. The Sun Won't Let Us Go

8. Time Well

9. 52Hz Whale

10. The Passenger

The Review:

Some of the best music defies description and can be defiant in a manner that can be both sublime and utterly enraging. You think you can put a band in a convenient mental category, as we are wont to do, until its members aptly demonstrate you just cannot do so. This fluidity is loved by many music fans. It can also make others completely panic.

Enter Cloakroom. This outfit presents fleeting instances of doom and stoner rock. However, it offers the strongest pop sensibility of any group on which you would otherwise bestow those categories. On its sophomore release, "Time Well," the Northwest Indiana-based band creates an impressive though hard to describe recording.

"Further Out," Cloakroom'sdebut, received accolades for its quality as a heavier side of indie rock package. It was moody and sorrowful at moments, reflective and tense elsewhere. Truly a promising first outing by most standards, and loved by many critics and fans. You almost have to think so many eyes generates more than a little pressure on this young band to follow through on an equally rich offering.

Fortunately, "Time Well" is an admirable progression from what we heard in "Further Out." "Gone But Not Entirely," the new disc's first track, treats you to a sound you will grow to love across all ten cuts – that kickoff indie swag that summons the Replacements among others making way for thick guitars and a plodding bass. It is real ride at first, because you might expect this is all going one way – and who can blame you, considering metal label Relapse put this out – until your ears get a delightful sonic curveball. But it is nevertheless magnificent.

Other tracks abide by this indie/heavy model, which is nevertheless a great experience. Catch "Concrete Gallery"and "Sickle Moon Blues"among the best of such songs. The songwriting and arrangements are distinctive and original as they come, especially for the subgenres Cloakroomclaims. You will get treated to plenty that fits a stoner/sludge aesthetic that you are used to hearing. Yet, by the time you reach "The Sun Won't Let Us Go" midway through, chances are you will embrace where the band is heading with all this. Those mental categories we all seek will disappear for a bit in favor of such a superlative story arc.

Cloakroom succeeds as a one-of-a-kind sort of group. You have to admire its members' courage at stepping out of bounds, and for breaking the sophomore slump with a release you will not soon forget.

"Time Well" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Boris - "Dear"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 14/07/2017

Label: Sargent House |

Daymare Recordings 

From the opening track, “D.O.W.N. –Domination of Waiting Noise–“, Boris conveys punishing volume so effectively that your ears will ache at practically any level.  Every note and every layered vocal has been obsessed over, placed perfectly in the mix, and acts as a distillation of twenty-five years of intense collaborative synthesis.

Dear CD//DD//LP track listing

1. D.O.W.N. –Domination of Waiting Noise–

2. DEADSONG

3. Absolutego

4. Beyond

5. Kagero

6. Biotope

7. The Power

8. Memento Mori

9. Dystopia –Vanishing Point–

10. Dear

The Review

                 

There is a unique feeling of terror when diving into the sprawling works of prolific musicians: where do you start with a catalog as huge as say, Frank Zappa?  Ani DiFranco?  Napalm Death or Earth or Neurosis – bands that have entire ERAS that are written off or championed?  What are the agreed-upon masterpieces?  The overrated tracks?  The overlooked gems?  If you wade into the world of jazz or jam bands or any other artist where specific performances are dissected just as intensely as studio cuts, you may as well surrender yourself to a hermetic life of obsessive collecting and analysis.  Imagine the trepidation, then, for any newbie to Japanese avant-garde metal / electronic / rock / experimental legends Boris, who have, to date, released over twenty full-length records – not counting their live and studio works with fellow musical outlier Merzbow, collaborative efforts with SUNN O))), splits, rarities, remixes, and  compilation albums.  “Dear”, their twenty-fourth offering, was originally intended as a farewell record, marking 25 years since the band’s inception.  It’s also my first introduction to their unique blend of droning, buzzing, melodic, invigorating, and crushing mastery.  God help me… I may need to do a full dive into their discography.

               

From the opening track, “D.O.W.N. –Domination of Waiting Noise–“, Borisconveys punishing volume so effectively that your ears will ache at practically any level.  The sheer amount of space between chords leaves room for sickening, pulsating feedback, brilliantly complimented with the clean vocals.  Remarkably, Boris manages to retain undeniable heft when blasting uplifting, major key progressions.  The turns to sinister, minor key melodies and softy, whispered vocals in tracks like “DEADSONG” or “Beyond” is even more powerful when juxtaposed with the cathartic, rocking crescendos that punctuate the record.

When Boris edges toward the ethereal balladry of Sigur Ros, their dark instincts to destruction and dissonance always pulls the band away from the precipice of twee post-rock.  The sheer filth of the riffs on “Kagero” and “Memento Mori” earn every falsetto phrase, making passages that could be cliché totally sublime instead.  “Absolutego”is the closest to a lead single on the record – a grunge rocker that shares its name with their 1996 debut album.  But then Boris eschew any of this pop rock sensibility on droning, doom instrumental “The Power” or the sludgy title track, opting for sheer sonic bombardment that will rattle the fillings right out of your teeth.  Yet there’s always an uncanny feeling that despite the idiosyncratic rhythms, the synthesized noises sputtering at seemingly random intervals, the feedback so furious the whole band sounds like it may just keel over and fall apart, this is a meticulous production.  Every note and every layered vocal has been obsessed over, placed perfectly in the mix, and acts as a distillation of twenty-five years of intense collaborative synthesis.

If there’s one complaint you can lob at “Dear”, it’s the unwieldy runtime.  At nearly seventy minutes, there are moments that drag slightly.  A two disc version appends three more tracks and over twenty more minutes.  It’s hard to imagine, but enough songs were recorded on top of these for at least two more full-length albums.  At times you can’t help but wonder what the editing process even looks like for Boris when the album itself is so huge, so disparate, and, truth be told, so consistently compelling.  I’m certain that well after Boris puts out that FINAL final album, there will be plenty of outtakes, demos, alternate remixes, and live versions for completists to pore over for years.  With “Dear”as my first entry into their legendary, sublime canon, I may one day count myself among the obsessive’s.

“Dear” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Queens of the Stone Age - "Villains"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released:25/08/2017

Label: Matador Records

 

The musicianship is some of the best out there, and QOTSA knows its lane and sticks with it. Suffice to say, if you are already a QOTSA fan, chances are this recording will not disappoint, or may just a little. For others, there is an entirely different dialogue.

“Villains” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Feet Don't Fail Me

2. The Way You Used to Do

3. Domesticated Animals

4. Fortress

5. Head Like a Haunted House

6. Un-Reborn Again

7. Hideaway

8. The Evil Has Landed

9. Villains of Circumstance

The Review:

Queens of the Stone Age is easily in the top-five of metal music's guilty pleasures. Having arisen as nearly a parody of itself, QOTSA has morphed into alternative rock and at moments a hard-tinged Megatron. Although the band isn't quite Nickelbackor Ariana Grande status, Queens is unquestionably on that arena group level. Such big mainstream recognition inevitably elicits emotions of all kinds from anyone. Among metal enthusiasts, who are probably among the most opinionated when it comes to the music they love, judgment can be swift and harsh. New albums for bands on this tier are sure to get tons of press and analysis. For the purposes of this review, the central question has to be how hard Queens of the Stone Age's latest bangs.

Listening to "Villians" has to be done in a particular context. As a body of work, there is little to complain about. "Feet Don't Fail Me,"the kickoff track, is played well, with plenty of progressions and a polish to the production that is simply dazzling. Up next, "The Way You Used to Do" is going to end up on the public-address system of a minor-league baseball team's seventh inning stretch somewhere. It's crowd-pleasing and may someday soon get a teenager curious about the funkier sides of hard and alternative rock to do a little digging. At the end of the day, gateway bands are a great thing. The music needs ambassadors, groups who make heavier rock palatable to new audiences. "The Evil Has Landed" is another one of these songs. The musicianship is some of the best out there, and QOTSAknows its lane and sticks with it.

There is a great deal to appreciate on the group's new release. "Domesticated Animals" rolls like a prizefighter, lithe and yet muscular with its guitar work. In truth, the overall song selection is pleasing enough. Metacritic notes "Villains"scores 80 out of 100 points among nearly 30 reviews. Suffice to say, if you are already a QOTSAfan, chances are this recording will not disappoint, or may just a little. For others, there is an entirely different dialogue.

What is most perplexing about "Villains," in spite of the bawdy tales and wild storytelling in the lyrics, is just how sterile it all feels. There are several captivating departures on the release. "Head Like A Haunted House"walks a weird line being potentially corny and idiosyncratic, and pulls off a respectable track by the time it is finished. Yet the chances a band with this big and accepting of a fan base is willing to take seem to be shrinking, especially if you have observed the group over the years. "Fortress" comes across as a token alternative-rock-radio-slow-song. So does "Hideaway." No shots at the performances, which are serviceable on the whole and brilliant at various turns. Yet streaming and Youtube have completely changed the heavy music game. There are no shortage of artists willing to push beyond the expected and unprecedented audience interest in doing just that. By the last note, it feels simply safe, even a tad empty. And that may be the biggest of disappointments.

“Villains” is available now



Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Pontiak - "Dialectic of Ignorance"

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/03/2017

Label: Thrill Jockey

“Dialectic of Ignorance” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Easy Does It

2). Ignorance Makes Me High

3). Tomorrow is Forgetting

4). Hidden Prettiness

5). Youth and Age

6). Dirtbags

7). Herb Is My Next Door Neighbor

8). We’ve Fucked This Up

The Review:

Discordant, heady riffing to the groove of a monotonous drum beat while a down and out singer gets lost in his own reverb are the building blocks for Pontiak’s new album, “Dialectic of Ignorance.” Dark and gloomy are key words here and though the music may not be heavy, it’s certainly weighty.

Such a post-punk stoner-gloom approach is rather consuming, and if you allow yourself to get lost in it all, Pontiakwill swallow you up with their heavy handed rhythms. The drummer’s control on the bell of his ride is second to none. The constant pinging may be “too much” at times, but that’s also the point. This is how Pontiak walks that fine line of over-indulgence without losing focus on the task at hand which, in case you forgot, is to swallow the listener whole.

If that’s your bag, then this album is highly recommended. Don’t rush through it; let the tunes come to you. That’s how they’ll make the most impact.

“Dialectic of Ignorance” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook

AL BUM REVIEW: Spidergawd - "IV"

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/02/2017

Label: Crispin Glover Records |

Stickman Records

“IV” is eight tracks that follow the verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula and does so with licks, vocals, lyrics and melodies that are sharp, fast, and poignant. As far as that’s concerned, there’s absolutely nothing to complain about.

“IV” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Is This Love?

2). I Am the Night

3). LouCille

4). Ballad of a Millionaire (Song for Elina)

5). What Have You Become

6). The Inevitable

7). Heaven Comes Tomorrow

8). Stranglehold

The Review:

Spidergawd descends upon us from the northern heights of Norwaywith their most focused work, “IV.” As the name suggests, this is the band’s 4th album. It should also be mentioned that at this point, the band has only been around for four years. Impressive? Quite!

Their roots lay deep in the world of Motorpsychobut Spidergawdis a much different animal. “IV” jumps out of the speakers as a rollicking, gritty, intense rock album that brings as much Van Halen to mind as it does Foo Fighters. Yeah, you read that right, Foo Fighters. But I’m referring to their ’95-’97 period. The good years. So, as you’d expect, “IV” is pretty much just eight tracks that follow the verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula and does so with licks, vocals, lyrics and melodies that are sharp, fast, and poignant. As far as that’s concerned, there’s absolutely nothing to complain about.

The double kick gas pedal keeps the pistons moving in “Is This Love?” Singer Per Borten belts his way through an emotional chorus, “You don’t think I don’t know by now / I realize that you’re in love again / as you walk out of my door…I see that I’m out of time, out of time to make you mine,” and does so with such gusto that the song sounds more of a celebration than a breakup.

“IV’s midsection is that meat and potatoes riff-rock. “We Must Come to Pass” runs a tight vocal melody before diving into a sly guitar solo accented by the baritone tones of the saxophone. This is Spidergawd’s way of saying that they can also handle subtlety, which, thanks to the control they have over their songs, works very much to the band’s advantage. Take “What Have You Become,” for example, which shows Spidergawdat their most lean and mean. A hearty don’t-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus start moves its way effortlessly into a set of verses that falls very much in line with the Nordic Rock scene. An absolute blast, that’s for sure. This is a song that’s going to sound great once we can start driving around town with the windows down and the breeze in our hair.

“IV” is available here & here

Band info: Official|| Facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: All Them Witches - "Sleeping through the War"

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/02/2017

Label: New West Records

There’s a lot going on and much of the album will surprise those expecting a one-to-one follow up to “Dying Surfer Meets his Maker.” If you get it, “Sleeping through the War” is an album that will continue to grow.

“Sleeping through the War” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Bulls

2). Don’t Bring Me Coffee

3). Bruce Lee

4). 3-5-7

5). Am I Going Up?

6). Alabaster

7). Cowboy Kirk

8). Internet

The Review:

What a strange trip All Them Witches has been on. Their debut album, “Our Mother Electricity” is a classic stoner blues album but done in such a way that it found backing by Elektrohasch Records. You know, the same place that puts out all of the Colour Haze albums. ATW’s follow up, “Lightning at the Door” put the band on an independent mission to find more depth in their sound. This they did, and when their 2015 follow up “Dying Surfer Meets his Maker” was announced, we were all sure that the ’Witcheswere going to own this stoner-blues thing. Own it they did, though not in any sort of way that their fans were expecting. First off, they were signed to country-rock power house New West Records and secondly, they released an album that lacked focus but made up for it in spades with vibe. If the band’s schedule from the past two years – as well as my humble opinion - is anything to go by, this approach worked very, very well for them.

Just a few days ago, All Them Witches released their new album, “Sleeping through the War.” Anticipation is high on this one and with good reason. The question is, what will the band do now?

A jolty mix of the All Them Witches sonic palette opens up the album. A strange introduction, to say the least. Opener “Bulls” is as dreamy as it is riffy, almost forcibly playing the one off of the other. The song’s back half flies off the handle with a sturdy working of the keyboard which, admittedly, might take some getting used to. “Don’t Bring Me Coffee” follows “Bulls” as a rugged guitar rocker underscored by a slight cowboy theme.

At this point, the questions rising to the surface are - where are the jams? Where is the experimentation? Where is the band that made “Dying Surfer Meets His Maker”?

Just as “Dying Surfer Meets His Maker” jumped around in its opening three tracks, as does “Sleeping through the War.”So the sturdy “Bulls” or the catchy “Don’t Bring Me Coffee” shouldn’t scare anyone off because these two tracks don’t necessarily set the album’s tone. In fact, “Don’t Bring Me Coffee” may be a reference to the closing track on Can’sseminal album “Tago Mago.” And though the Can influence is not felt in this particular song, “Sleeping through the War”’s B-Side certainly shows how All Them Witches have been influenced by Can. So the fact that this cowboy-rocker shares its name with a krautrock jam, “Don’t Bring Me Coffee” might just be the song that sums up “Sleeping through the War” perfectly.

Before the Can influence is heard, though, All Them Witches jump on another riff rocker, “Bruce Lee.” The song rolls nicely – that’ll be a riff you’ll hear in a live setting a lot – and it complements the follow up “3-5-7-“accordingly. Here, All Them Witches focus on the loud-soft dynamic and in doing so, set the stage for a 20 minute live version of this song. To wit, it’s “3-5-7”that straddles Side A and Side B and therefore serves as the pivot point in the album’s sound.

Without ruining too many surprises, the following four songs can be lumped together as a 20 minute high. The subtleties in these songs make for a laid back vibe that reminds a bit of “Open Passageways” from the band’s 2015 outing. The Can influence is more apparent and the listening experience seems to be a logical next step for All Them Witches. The songs here -  “Am I Going Up,” “Alabaster,” “Cowboy Kirk,” and the back porch blues of “Guess I’ll Go Live on the Internet” - are rhythmically groovy and structurally free, a combination only All Them Witches can pull off without coming across as just another jam band.

With “Sleeping through the War,” All Them Witches have given us an album that’s more diverse than anything they’ve done until now. Though the variety on offer here detracts slightly from the album’s flow, these songs are ripe for analysis and repeated listens. There’s a lot going on and much of the album will surprise those expecting a one-to-one follow up to “Dying Surfer Meets his Maker.”If you get it, “Sleeping through the War” is an album that will continue to grow. For those who aren’t immediately hooked, this album might be ignored. Only time will tell which of these two groups will be the loudest. In the meantime, All Them Witches seem happy doing what it is they want to do. Their energy is felt in these tunes so it’s obvious the band has made the album they wanted to make.

“Sleeping through the War” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook