Weekly Mailbag for 12/24/12 - 12/28/12

A look at what came in the mail this week with quickie reviews ...

Various Artists - An Apple a Day - The second in the now five volume series of Apple records demos and highlights from RPM records is my favorite in the series.  Terrific entries from Gallagher & Lyle; The Iveys (Badfinger); Turquoise (one of my favorite bands); and the previously unknown The U (Don't) Know Who among more.  I didn't realize when I ordered it that The Cups "Good as Gold" is on this one.  Great song!  Tons of highlights here.  Highlights include "Black & White Rainbows (Iveys)" and "Woodstock (Turquoise)".  Rating 4/5

Blue Oyster Cult - Agents of Fortune - Their fourth album is another solid entry into the band`s discography.  "Sinful Love" is a good song, it's interesting as it brings together an influence of Bob Dylan with hints of disco around the edges.  "Tattoo Vampire" was the rockingest thing they'd done in years.  And of course their big song.  Highlights include "[Don't Fear] The Reaper" and "The Revenge of Vera Gemini".  Rating 4/5

Chains - Of Death - Drone metal from Slovenia, this is one of Chad Davis' (Hour of 13) many bands.  This was a special edition limited to 10 copies (jaw drops).  I got the last one.  It also came with the two track blood-painted demo CD that was also limited to 10 copies.  Not the kind of thing to listen to before bed while reading about sleep paralysis.  Highlights include "Anticosmic Void" and "Necromantic Force".  Rating 4.5/5

Lord 13 - 2013 - This was one of the best stoner rock albums of 2011,  and though no music collection is ever truly complete, certainly no stoner rock collection is complete without this one.  A solid album with a few surprises including the appearance of Ben Ward on "Wicked Thing" and a flute-driven campfire acoustic number in album closer "Walking in Sin".  Highlights include "Grind It" and "Fire".  Rating 4.5/5

the Lord 13 CD came in from Ozium Records and came with the CD below completely free and unannounced.  I didn't want it, I didn't ask for it, but hot damn if I ain't happy they gave it to me!

The Brimstone Days - On a Monday Too Early To Tell - This was a complete surprise.  With their roots firmly planted in the late 60s this band works through 14 tracks of Hendrix or BOC style rock & roll boogie in the vein of Lord Fowl or Captain Crimson.  Phenomenal!  This is truly the Golden Age of Swedish rock and roll.  Highlights include "Same Old Story" and "I Need Soul".  Rating 4.5/5

The Quartet of Woah! - Ultrabomb - This recently reviewed album just came in the mail and it's a package worthy of the epic music found therein.  This is really quite a different album with many surprising moments due to each member's unique set of skills and sensibilities.  There is enough variation and highlight material to draw the listener back for a long time to come.  Highlights include "U Turn" and "The Ultrabomb".  Rating 4/5

Thin Lizzy - Vagabonds of the Western World - This is the best of the first three albums.  It's definitely the most consistently rocking effort of their early career.  The fast songs carry the seeds of "Jailbreak" within them and theslow songs aren't very slow at all.  Every song is excellent and Phil Lynott was beginning to come into his own as a visionary songwriter.  Highlights include "The Rocker" and "The Hero and the Madman".  Rating 5/5

Weekly Mailbag for 12/10/12 - 12/14/12

A look at what came in the mail this week with quickie reviews ...

Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties - BOC's third album is like the best parts of their first two combined, creating a more fully developed and mature overall sound to the record.  There are more boogie and funk elements than the proto metal / biker rock of their first album but there are still some fine wisps of the heavy stuff that typically manifests itself in punkier moments.  The band's slower, more whimsical side also gets a good workout in "Astronomy", a precursor to "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" from their next album. Highlights include "Career of Evil" and "Flaming Telepaths". Rating - 4.5/5

Captain Crimson - Dancing Madly Backwards - This is one of my favorites of the year, as evidenced by my raving review of the album.  "Lonely Devils Club" and the title track are two of the catchiest songs of the year.  The whole album is replete with monster riffs and balls out performances from front to back.  There was a ton of 70s inspired music this year and a lot of it was great, but few could match the energy of Captain Crimson. Highlights include "Wizard's Bonnet" and "True Color". Rating - 4.5/5

Hawkwind - Space Ritual - I normally don't like live albums and steer clear of them, but I mean, come on, this is 'Space Ritual'.  I had to give it a go.  First thing I was struck by was the high quality of the recording, it sounds better than most live recordings, probably from some studio touch ups.  Each song gets the Hawkwind treatment and beyond, extended jamming and some of the improvised tracks are really killer.  Listen to this, you'll wish you'd have been there.  The album title doesn't lie.  Highlights include "Born To Go" and "Upside Down". Rating - 4.5/5

Them - Now and Them - This is the first of two excellent psychedelic albums by the post-Van Morrison incarnation of Them.  There were a lot of former hitmaking bands and artists that were making the switch to psychedelia at the time, Them's pair of efforts are probably among the most obscure or, dare I say, overlooked.  Most of this album is very bluesy with a small handful that would qualify as pop psych, such as the Alice in Wonderland inspired "Walking in the Queen's Garden".  "Square Room" is a wonderful sitar freakout.  Great stuff.  Highlights include "Walking in the Queen's Garden" and "Square Room". Rating - 4/5

Vanilla Fudge - Renaissance - Vanilla Fudge's third album is their most accessible.  7 tracks (+3 bonus tracks on the CD), most of them self-penned, the songs are shorter, while still revealing a high level of thoughtfulness and artistry, but let's just say the band doesn't go overboard as in their first two albums.  At least not until the closing track, which just happens to be the longest song and the sole cover version, Donovan's "Season of the Witch".  It's a good recording, very much of its era and if I was Donovan, I would have loved the rendition. Highlights include "All In Your Mind [bonus track]" and "Faceless People". Rating - 4.5/5

And ...

Not music, I know, but a book that helped inspire some great artists who made some great music. The 8th Pan Book of Horror Stories selected by Herbert Van Thal (1967) features a story called "Sad Road To The Sea", which was almost certainly the inspiration for the title of the Leaf Hound song of the same name.  Peter French, singer of Leaf Hound has often mentioned in interviews how the titles of the stories in some of these books inspired him to write his own lyrics (that had little to nothing to do with the actual story itself).  Being a gigantic nerd I had to check these out for myself.  I can't wait to read it.  I also picked up The 3rd Pan Book of Horror Stories selected by Herbert Van Thal (1962), which features less contemporary fiction and more classic tales by the all-time greats like Poe, Blackwood, Faulkner, Wells and others.  Great stuff.  I plan on filling out a complete collection of these anthologies.  Pan always had the best looking covers too.

Weekly Mailbag for 11/19/12 - 11/23/12

A look at what came in the mail this week with quickie reviews ...

Last week was kind of slow for discovering new music and I kind of over compensated for it on the weekend by catching up on some older stuff that I missed.  Then I found a bunch of new stuff that I had missed and more stuff came in the mail than I had originally anticipated.  So this week I was completely awash in new music.  In addition some labels and bands have started to send me stuff that wasn't even on my radar (which I thank them profusely for) so now I'm pretty backed up.  Then to top it all off, I got flooded with CDs in the mail way later in the week than I would have liked.  Some of these discs I haven't been able to get to yet, so some of the 'reviews' aren't exactly reviews as much as 'notes', but it's been a great week for music here and a great week for Paranoid Hitsophrenic (check out my interview with ICHABOD) ...

Abrahma - Through the Dusty Paths of Our Lives - One of a trio of Small Stone albums that came in all on the same day, discovering this album has been a true pleasure.  The long Vodun suite comprising 8 tracks and some 30 minutes is a mini album within an album and is a real highlight but the non Vodun suite tracks are just as good and stand on their own.  Highlights include "Vodun pt. 2: I, Zombie" and "Big Black Cloud". Rating - 4.5/5

Arkham Witch - Legions of the Deep - I discovered this terrific band on Youtube quite a while ago and spent months trying to track down a copy of their debut album 'On Crom's Mountain'.  Luckily, I no longer needed to do so immediately as news came down they were releasing a brand new album.  I pre-ordered this sucker without hearing a note of it because I had faith in this band and after what felt like forever, it finally arrived in the mail on Monday.  Review to follow.  Highlights include "Infernal Machine" and "On a Horse Called Vengeance". Rating - 4/5

Barclay James Harvest - Their First Album - "Taking Some Time On" was a song I discovered while grasping for some new musical vistas and I decided to check out some prog stuff.  I remember this was at the same time "Electric Worry" was out and those songs were next to each other on a playlist.  This album is wimpy in places but the bonus tracks on this deluxe edition more than make up for any dis-appointment Highlights include "Taking Some Time On" and "Night". Rating - 4/5


Black Label Society - Stronger Than Death - I remember when this one came out.  I heard the song "Counterfeit God" on a 'Brave Words, Bloody Knuckles' compilation and I thought it was a great song.  Fortunately so did a lot of my metalhead friends and so I never really had to buy the CD at the time because it was another of those ones that was just 'around'.  The same went for their first album.  To me they are both classics.

Black Sabbath - ST (Deluxe Expanded Edition) - In Canada, for some reason, we have a really crappy audio quality, 5-track version of the album on CD where certain tracks are stuck together and there's no "Wicked World", so it was high time to upgrade.  So of course I was going to opt for the 2 disc deluxe edition.  Also comes with great liner notes and rare photos which is cool.  For like 10 bucks, how can you go wrong with this set? Highlights include "come on, do I have to tell you" and "seriously, you should really know by now". Rating - 4/5

Blossom Toes - We Are Ever So Clean - Not nearly as heavy or proggy as their next album, Blossom Toes debut is full of progressive and interesting ideas for a typical British psychedelic pop album from the 60s.  It's highly influenced by Sgt Pepper, but it's still quite original.  The album also reveals the band's sense of humor.  I don't think they took themselves too seriously.  Highlights include "When the Alarm Clock Rings" and "I'll be Late for Tea". Rating - 3.5/5


Blue Aside - The Moles of a Dying Race - Heard about this one on the Obelisk, so I checked it out and liked what I heard and ordered the disc.  Just listening to it for the first time as I write this.  Slow, sludgy psychedelia and I like what I'm hearing.  The album comprises 8 tracks, three of which form the title suite and are spread out throughout the disc.  They also do a cover of "Interstellar Overdrive" for a closer!

Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum - A true monster fuzz classic, there are many out there who believe that this is the world's first heavy metal album.  I'm from the 'Sabbath were the first' school, but there's no denying the power and heaviness of Blue Cheer.  I'd say this is more stoner rock than metal, but that's with a great deal of hindsight.  There's a lot of jamming on this album but when they find a groove they find it well. Highlights include "Out of Focus" and "Summertime Blues". Rating - 4/5

Blue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation - In my possession is an old Return of the Jedi notebook from one of my uncles when they were in high school.  You can tell they were metalheads because there are no class notes taken, but band logos drawn on the inside front cover.  Names like AC/DC, Judas Priest, ZZ Top, etc.  One of the names written was BOC with umlauts over the O.  For the longest time I didn't know what that stood for.  I can't believe it's taken me the better part of 30 years to discover this 70s gem of a band.

Deep Purple - In Rock - My second favorite Deep Purple album, I actually already had this album on CD but there were no bonus tracks so I didn't have the song "Black Night" until now.  "Black Night" is arguably their best song, one of the best songs of the 70s and it's only because of an insane British custom at the time of not including singles on albums that the original album didn't feature the song.  Highlights include "Black Night" and "Into the Fire". Rating - 4.5/5

DSW - Dust Storm Warning -  The first two tracks on this album have become true highlights of the year, especially "Outrun", the opener.  The band is from Italy and vocalist Wolf Lombardi's (one of the great names in stoner rock) English skills aren't very well refined, so some of the funnest times my girlfriend and I had this summer was trying to decipher the lyrics.  The lyrics are printed in the booklet with excellent accompanying artwork.  Man, we were way, way off.  Also came with a fridge magnet! Highlights include "Outrun" and "Space Cubeship". Rating - 4/5


Seremonia - ST - What's great is the liner notes have the lyrics in both Finnish and English, which is something I touched upon in my original review.  This is the kind of album where you have to play it straight through, the individual songs don't always work on a mixed playlist because the band's so unique.  Once again, a great album from a highly original band.  Highlights include "Rock & Roll Maailma" and "Lusiferin Kaarmeet". Rating - 4.5/5


Skanska Mord - Paths to Charon - This has been one of my favorite albums of the year, three solid months and I'm still listening to it.  Each time I listen to this album a different song gets stuck in my head, as only the best albums do.  This will end up as a top 10 or maybe even a top 5 album of the year.  It has definitely been one of my favorite Small Stone releases of the year.  It's just a solid album full of old school rock with terrific hooks. Highlights include "Lord of Space and Time" and "The Ambassadeur". Rating - 4.5/5


Ted Nugent - Original Album Classics (5 album box set) - From the 'why the fuck not?' file, this sucker cost me about 12 bucks for 5 of the Nuge's first 6 albums (for some reason it doesn't have 'State of Shock').  Sure he's a gun toting bigot, but he has other good qualities as well, like the music.  The CDs come in LP replica slipcase covers.  I remember the Scream Dream LP tracked to my uncle's wall next to Maiden and Megadeth. Highlights include "Stranglehold" and "Cat Scratch Fever".


Thin Lizzy - ST - Thin Lizzy was always a mixed bag of big and funky hard rock and Irish folk ballads.  This album's no exception.  There's enough hard rock to keep the casual listener's attention and the ballads are typical of the lyrical depth of Phil Lynott.  I still have the same problem with this band that I've always had, which is that there just may be a few too many ballads. Highlights include "Ray-Gun" and "Return of the Farmer's Son". Rating - 3.5/5


Vanilla Fudge - ST - Unfortunately, I didn't get around to listening to this one this week and I haven't heard it in about 6 or 7 years.  I remember not liking it because it was all cover songs but I wonder what my reaction will be now that I know what to expect.  They took hit songs, heavied them up and slowed them down to a crawl.  Not everyone's cup of meat, but this, along with Blue Cheer, is one of those must have items for the heavy metal historian.  Pretty heavy for 1967.

Wo Fat - The Black Code - Glad to have this one on disc.  This album is closing in on top 25 of the year status and climbing.  Every song is an absolute gem and the lyrics inside the booklet (although hard to read due to contrast) are cool to read to get the overall concept of The Black Code in one easy sitting.  Like the other two Small Stone releases from this week this disc came with a Small Stone sticker. Highlights include "The Shard of Leng" and "Sleep of the Black Lotus". Rating - 5/5


I also got my Steak hat in the mail.  If you haven't heard this terrific band yet, you can find them here.  Word is they've got another EP in the works for 2013.  It came with some stickers and a flyer from their  UK mini-tour with Truckfighters! Dates below:
5th Dec w/Gonga at the Croft, Bristol
6th Dec w/Black Moth at the Cockpit, Leeds
7th Dec w/Desert Storm + Mother Corona at the Bullingdon Arms, Oxford
8th Dec w/Trippy Wicked at the underworld, London (Don't forget the aftershow party at the Black heart w/Black Moth)

Hour of Power 11/17/12 (playlist)

Highlights from the week of 11/11/12 - 11/17/12

1. Warhead (Heat / Old Sparky) 2012
2. Better the Devil You Know Than the Devil You Don't Know (At Devil Dirt / Chapter II "vulgo gratissimus auctor") 2012
3. Transmaniacon MC (Blue Oyster Cult / ST) 1972
4. Skygods (Demonic Death Judge / Skygods) 2012
5. The Red Death (Hornss / The Red Death) 2012
6. Shine (Maligno / The Funeral Domine) 2011
7. Decibel Grand (Molior Superum / Into the Sun) 2012
8. Case of Fidelity (Greenleaf / Nest of Vipers) 2012
9. Second Production (Mike Stuart Span [Leviathan] / Children of Tomorrow) 1967
10. The Megalodon (Corrosion of Conformity / Megalodon EP) 2012
11. Non-State Actor (Soundgarden / King Animal) 2012
12. Blind Seer (Green & Wood / Devil's Plan) 2011
13. Tower of Skulls (Beastwars / TBA) 2013
14. Dust Parade (Terra Firma / Harms Way) 2001

Weekly Mailbag for 11/13/12 - 11/16/12

A look at what came in the mail this week with quickie reviews ...

Blue Oyster Cult - ST - Biker boogie anthems.  Every now and then I'll buy an album that I've not heard a note from just for the thrill of it all.  It's hard to imagine being more well rewarded than this.  This is an almost perfect album of hard rock boogie and post-psychedelic atmosphere.  Can't get over how good this album is. Highlights include "Transmaniacon MC" and "Cities on Flame With Rock & Roll". Rating - 5/5

East of Eden - Mercator Projected -  One of the prime examples of early prog from the UK, East of Eden used flutes and middle eastern instruments, but leaned heavily in favor of heavy rock.  This is one of my all-time favorites and was surprising on first listen to the focus on songwriting over jazz-improv experimentation. Highlights include "Northern Hemisphere" and "Isadora". Rating - 4.5/5

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush OST - A prototypical swingin' London film spawned this great soundtrack which is essentially a split album by Traffic and Spencer Davis Group (post-Winwood) with one (excellent) song by Andy Ellison (ex-John's Children) thrown in for good measure.  Lot of good songs on this one.  Highlights include "Taking Out Time" and "It's Been a Long Time". Rating - 4/5

Mike Stuart Span - Children of Tomorrow - MSS were one of the heaviest groups on the British psychedelic scene in the late 60s.  They were later re-named Leviathan and became even heavier.  This collection is missing some key tracks like "The War Machine", why I don't know, but the songs on here more than make up the difference. Highlights include "Children of Tomorrow" and "Remember the Times". Rating - 4/5

Monster Magnet - Tab - This is another one that I sold years ago.  I remember the version I had had an old version of "Tractor" as an untitled track.  This one doesn't.  I still think the 32 minute title track is at least 23 minutes too long, but I'm glad to have it back in the collection.  The live version of Spine of God is particularly interesting because it sounds quite different.  Highlights include "Longhair" and "Lord 13". Rating - 3.5/5

Moonless - Calling All Demons - Finally got the CD version of one of my favorites of the year.  Three top 5 songs from this one.  All the songs feature killer riffs and the songs are well constructed.  It initially took a couple listens to get used to singer Kenni Holmstad Petersen's voice, but once I got past that, I was rewarded with six amazing songs.  Highlights include "Calling All Demons" and "Mark of the Dead". Rating - 5/5

The Move - Move - The Move had a better chart track record than the Stones between 67-68 and are one of the truly great forgotten bands of the 1960s.  They wrote killer singles and every guy in the band was a frontman.  I had to grab the 2-disc version of their debut.  It has a song I'd never heard before, "Don't Throw Stones at Me".  Good deal. Highlights include "Fire Brigade" and "Useless Information". Rating - 4/5

Simon Dupree & the Big Sound - Part of My Past - Really good British psychedelic pop group from the 60s, they later became prog monsters Gentle Giant.  Their story is typical for their day, forced to record songs and maintain an image they didn't want for a glimmer of fleeting chart success.  Most of the later singles are great though. Highlights include "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "We Are the Moles". Rating - 3.5/5

Terra Firma - Harms Way - Long extinct, this Swedish band produced an album that would sound fresh had it been released today.  In reality it was released nearly 12 years ago.  They played an uptempo style of traditional doom that presaged the likes of The Graviators, Argus, Dust Angel and the recently released Bedemon album.  Hardly a weak moment here.  Highlights include "Dust Parade" and "Harms Way". Rating - 5/5

Wooden Stake / Blizaro split - This from the "I'll give anything by Blizaro a spin" category, I was pleasantly surprised by the Wooden Stake stuff here.  Female fronted doom that bounces from death metal to folk.  It's quite good.  On Blizaro I only have this to say:  "I want to hear everything.  Blizaro is good.  Blizaro is my pal".   Highlights include "Death Reads the Black Tarot" and "Final Escape/Zombie Feast". Rating - 4/5