LK Ultra's Red Hot Mixtape, May 21st ed.

Side Lava
1). -(16)- - The Absolute Center of a Pitch Black Heart - Relapse Records revealed this week that legendary Los Angeles sludge band 16 will return with a new LP, titled 'Lifespan of a Moth' on July 15. Along with the news came the bandcamp link above featuring the first single. It's an osbtacle course full of fast-moving curve balls. A great song that shows the deft hand of a veteran band at work and an excellent start to any mixtape.

2). MOS GENERATOR - Wicked Willow - Another legendary west coast band, Washington's resident bullshit-less throwback rockers Mos Generator also have a new album in the pipeline called 'Abyssinia' set to invade homes on August 5. The first single, "Wicked Willow" is streaming on Decibel and it's more than worthy of inclusion on any mixtape. The build-ups and (slightly) subdued payoffs here are masterful.

3). CHURCH OF MISERY - Make Them Die Slowly (John George Haigh) - Japan's favorite heavy sons, Church of Misery's latest album, 'And Then There Were None...' has been out since early March, but this song is still reducing my mind to sludge. Great riff from the "Iron Man" like intro, to the awesome chorus, this one's got it all.

"I'll hang you high and drain your blood

Sip on the nectar while your bones reduce to sludge

Submerge your carcass in the drum

Sulfuric acid bath, without a trace you're gone"

4). MERCHANT - Black Vein - I hadn't heard Australia's Merchant until fairly recently. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. My feeble mind couldn't have imagined a band so expertly walk the line between extreme metal and what you might consider to be traditional sludge in the Crowbar, Eyehategod vein. "Black Vein" is a real standout track on their new album 'Suzerain' and at 9 minutes, it's one of the shorter ones.

5). BLACK SHAPE OF NEXUS - Sand Mountain - Germany's resident drone/sludge masters Black Shape of Nexus (B-SON)'s new album 'Carrier' was an adrenaline shot to the heart of a band that's been shaping minimalist sonic worlds for a decade and "Sand Mountain" is the standout track, a nervous breakdown of a song with a paranoia-inducing riff. This is the flashpoint where the drive to move minds with droning sounds and minimalist structures and the drive to move bodies with great riffs and punchy rhythms comes together.

Side Magma

6). BLIZARO - Frozen Awakening - Blizaro is my favorite band and they're still the best kept secret in the world of underground heavy. Their second official full-length 'Cornucopia Della Morte' was recorded years ago but got lost in haze of delays and label changes. When their new, self-titled record comes out (hopefully sometime this late spring / early summer) you'll hear how the band has changed their focus so this album is a weird artifact of a weird band. "Frozen Awakening" is arguably the best song on the album, one that finds that perfect marriage between Goblin-esque Italian horror music and Paul Chain-like Italian proto-doom riffs.

7). BLOOD CEREMONY - Lord of Misrule - The title track to Blood Ceremony's fourth album has that signature band sound with a sprinkling of 60's flower power petals. An upstrokey riff and flute combine with a powerful chorus to keep that Wicker Man vibe from their last album going strong. It's a scene of drunken revelry, fated to end in a sobering way.

8). VOKONIS - Olde One - I have to remind myself that Vokonis is a Swedish, not an Italian band. They have that sound. The ostensible title track from Vokonis' first album, 'Olde One Ascending' is doing just that at the Paranoid compound. It's one of those songs where when you're still learning it and it comes up on a playlist, you have to pull your device from your pocket and check who does it and make a mental note. It's the melodic riff that floats over the heavy bassline that does the trick.

9). DOPETHRONE - Host - Dopethrone and Fister put out a FREE split single on bandcamp last week. Dopethrone's side is like a pipe bomb filled with spinning sawblades. Just a killer tune with a great riff and that buzzy tone the band is known and celebrated for. It made for a nice surprise and a solid ramp for the big finish to our mixtape.

10). HEAD OF THE DEMON - Sathanas Trismegistos - Head of the Demon is another of my top 5 favorite bands. Their second album just escaped into our dimension, this is the title track. Sometimes I think they're playing black metal at quarter or even eighth speed, this is one of those times and it's a perfect example of what about this band just clicks for me. A good way to end a mixtape, by throwing you into the abyss.

***

Bonus Cassingle:
A). LOOKING GLASS - Procession
B). LOOKING GLASS - Electric Mistress

2013 Chronicle (Year in review) part 2 - Best of January 2013

We continue our look back at the year that was, now moving month to month in our journey through the best albums of 2013.

January 1 - NEON WARSHIP (ST) - Right off the bat, first day of the year and you get a candidate for best album.  Talk about setting a high standard!  What makes this 5 song album so great?  In short, killer riffs which can shift into improvised freakouts and balls out singing that reaches into falsetto at the drop of the hat.  One of the most energetic albums of the year, and the vocals are the fuel that powers the riffs, which are the engine that drives it.  None of this went unnoticed as the band was later signed by Small Stone Records and I've got a feeling we won't have to wait too long from now to hear the band's next effort.  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Carry You Away" and "Paralyzed".  Rating 5/5

January 4 - PALM DESERT (Rotten Village Sessions) - This Polish quintet unleashed an album that sounded worthy of the deep musical heritage from the place where they take their name from.  Melodic fuzz rock to quench the thirst of desert dwellers everywhere.  Palm Desert weren't done here either, they released a largely improvised six song EP later on in the year, but what a way to kick off a solid year for the band and for stoner rock in general!  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Damn Good" and "Acid Phantom".  Rating 4.5/5

January 6 - TSAR BOMBA (Silent Queen) - Grungy French stoners Tsar Bomba blew my mind with their debut album 'Silent Queen'.  Tsar Bomba are at the vanguard of a grunge revival spearheaded by amazing bands like Soundcrawler, Mount Fuji and Mother of God which unfortunately seems to have slightly stalled for the moment (or maybe I've just had my head buried in the sand of doom for too long).  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Enter The Void" and "The Devil's Been Busy".  Rating 4.5/5

January 7 - Lord Summerisle (EP)

January 8 - Half Gramme of Soma (ST)

January 10 - Atomic Vulture (Planet Emerals)

January 11 - ICE DRAGON (The Soul's Midnight) - Ice Dragon's legendary output from 2012 was somewhat curtailed this year.  All they did was put out a mind-bending EP, a timeless album and a soul crushing single in the space of this single year.  Hardly prolific, right (wink, wink)?  The first of their efforts, 'The Soul's Midnight' was a terrific 4 song highlight which showcased a spacier side to the band (they have an endless array of facets).  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Understanding Ouroboros" and "The Soul's Midnight".  Rating 4/5

January 11 - Stone Machine Electric (ST)

January 12 - MARCH THE DESERT (ST) - Brighton UK quartet March the Desert introduced themselves to the world as one of the heaviest stoner psych bands from the British Isles with their self-titled album.  Hints of Cream and Blue Cheer combined with devastating heaviness and the sensibilities of Kyuss to form a heady combination.  The album showed a lot of potential, which they would eventually live up to on a later EP.  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Blind" and "Mizar".  Rating 3.5/5

January 14 - Spider Kitten (Cougar Club)

January 17 - Naga (demo)

January 19 - Doublestone - (ST EP)

January 21 - ALEPH NULL (Belladonna EP) - German power trio Aleph Null is black hole heavy, mind bendingly psychedelic and highly intelligent.  Their second EP, 'Belladonna' explored the psychedelic side of the band a bit more fully than their initial release 'Dale'.  'Belladonna' stayed in Paranoid rotation for months, even though it only contains four songs.  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Belladonna Wreath" and "Mars Father".  Rating 4.5/5

January 22 - DEMONAUTA (Caminando En La Luna EP) - 'Caminando En La Luna' (walking on the moon) was the first South American release of the year to hold my attention and not let go, and there have been more than a few of those this year.  Beautiful fuzz tone here, drums that are right on the money for what a song needs, making one of the tastiest stoner dishes of the year.  Strange thing is, this thing has a life of it's own.  What started as a five song jaunt around the moon, has grown while you weren't watching into a nine song fuzz marathon.  Check the link to see.  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Hotel" and "Hacia el 6to Sol".  Rating 4.5/5

January 22 - HEAD OF THE DEMON (ST) - This was the most fascinating album of the year and I couldn't stay away from it.  Bleak soundscapes and evil vibes create a haunting blackened doom metal soundtrack to tamper with unknowable forces to.  It doesn't hurt the expert atmosphere that the recording itself sounds like the musical equivalent of The Blair Witch Project (1999) or Robert Bloch's Notebook Found in a Deserted House.  If you fear for your immortal soul, you are wise to stay far away from Head of the Demon, listening may be like inviting the demon in.  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "By Titan Hand" and "Phantasmagoria".  Rating 4.5/5

January 26 - Lowburn (Soaring High EP)

January 27 - Church of Void (Winter Is Coming EP)

January 28 - MAGIC CIRCLE (ST) - 'Magic Circle' was one of those albums I waited months just to hear it.  It started getting a big buzz around my favorite review sites, but I've got to say tracking it down wasn't as easy as it could have been.  No bandcamp or itunes is fine, but ordering the CD online became a bit of a hassle.  Most important though is the music and Magic Circle seems to have taken the emotional pitch of Pallbearer and infused it with feverish energy.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Winter Light" and "The Greatest Escape - White Shores".  Rating 4.5/5

January 29 - Five Horse Johnson (The Taking of Blackheart)

January 29 - THE GATES OF SLUMBER (Stormcrow) - Well, this turned out to be The Gates of Slumber's swan song (at least for now [fingers crossed]) as the band recently dissolved.  This Scion A/V released 5 song EP featured some of the band's best and doomiest material yet, and it's entirely free.  The one lone bright spot in the band breaking up is the possibility of getting twice as much doom from McCash and Simon with whatever they choose to do next.  Original review here.  Get it here. Highlights include: "Son of Hades" and "Death March".  Rating 5/5


Best Album From Jaunary 2013:
'Neon Warship' by NEON WARSHIP

Best Song From January 2013:
"Carry You Away" by NEON WARSHIP

Top 6 Things Scion A/V did this year:
1). Scion Rock Fest in Memphis, TN
2). The Gates of Slumber - 'Stormcrow' EP
3). Fu Manchu / Moab split single
4). High on Fire - "Slave the Hive" single
5). Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals - "Ugly Mug" single for Housecore Horror Film Festival
6). Scion [Musicless] Music Conference

Hour of Power 05/18/13 (playlist)

1. Bruce Lee (Indian Handcrafts / Civil Disobedience For Losers) 2012
2. Electric Mistress [edit] (Stoned Jesus / Seven Thunders Roar) 2012
3. Keep Your Eyes Peeled (Queens of the Stone Age / ... Like Clockwork) 2013
4. Liquid Gold [live] (Steak / Corned Beef Colossus EP) 2013
5. Foehammer [live] (Conan / TBA) 2013
6. In The Company of Serpents 'Of the Flock' album teaser 2013
7. Eyes of Zamiel (Demon Lung / The Hundredth Name) 2013
8. Blood Temple Hymn (Egypt / Cyclopean Riffs) 2013
9. Nuclear Messiah (King Goat / Atom) 2013
10. By Titan Hand (Head of the Demon / ST) 2013
11. Running On Fumes (Lowburn / Soaring High EP) 2013
12. Green Machine (Kyuss / Blues for the Red Sun) 1992 'classic video'

Rogue Transmissions - Head of the Demon - ST (album review)

Head of the Demon came across my desk like the stone carving of Pazuzu found in Northern Iraq at the beginning of The Exorcist and I've been obsessed by its blackened ambiance and old school doom metal sensibilities ever since.  Where did it come from?  How did I first hear about it?  Why am I so darkly drawn to the cover artwork?  These are questions without answers, or at least answers lost in a demon possessed black out.  And if they're still out there, I no longer wish to find them.

Now, before we even begin, I must say that what we've got here is a sound that wasn't at all what I was expecting when I picked this thing up, well not entirely anyway.  I was expecting some dark and tough as nails old school metal with doom leanings along the lines of say Night Demon, Natur or even Ghost Tower.  What  I got was blackened and unlike anything else in my collection, sitting atop the pile as a charred gargoyle gorges on a hill of corpses, misshapen and isolated.

Typically, and I say this a lot, I need riffs to enjoy my music.  Rarely do I fall for an album which relies entirely upon atmosphere for its charm.  But when a band gets the atmosphere just right, without ever slipping up, well it goes beyond the catchy and becomes gangrenously infectious.  It infects not only the mind but the soul, probably all the more effectively because there's not a lot of memorable moments to rope a memory around, just an overall favorable impression that must be heard again and again to be revisited.  The first time I listened to this album I couldn't stop thinking about it and it took a while to get my head back into normal shape.

While most black metal bands depend on the drums to put up an impenetrable barrier of noise upon which mournful banshee-like vocals are scrawled, Head of the Demon takes a different approach.  About the only thing that really qualifies this dark masterpiece as blackened anything is the recognizable jangly black metal guitar sound which lifts listeners in a bruising whirlwind and transports them to a kipple strewn landscape of time devoured cyclopean ruins.

After spending the bulk of the front half of the album building up the horrific atmosphere in a style that I've never heard done more effectively, "The Key" springs forth with vibrato organ and the listener is transported immediately to vaulted coffin-filled chambers.  Again, after carefully isolating the listener in a filth encrusted cavern whose walls cry black tears of ancient blood, the organ pops out in bas relief like a pustulating boil, vibrant and immediate.  It doesn't hurt matters that the organ rides atop the best riff on the whole album with a lyrical invocation to Yog Sothoth to boot!  Lyrically, Lovecraftian themes are explored and the band does a fantastic job of capturing the hopelessness that the tall man from Providence lent to most of his stories.

While searching for the right soundtrack to fuel the imagination and spark the birth of dark ideas, this stuff provides a heady brew indeed.  Once again, the "hook" here is in the atmosphere.  This album grows nightmares like mushrooms in a black and musty chamber of filth.  Demonic descending scales and wailing notes that connect like spider's web combines with a sketchy and low-fi production sound to create something truly unique, something to be treasured like remains found in the forest.  The atmosphere and tension continues to build all the way to the bitter end of closing track "Wraith from the Unknown" when the Ancient Ones are finally awakened from their slumber and the earth is swallowed in an absolutely lightless abyss.  Everything about the tone of the album is pitch perfect from the band name to the fascinating cover art to the mesmerizing lo-fi production sound that lends it something of the quality of a 'found footage' recording in a decaying and abandoned murder house.  If you're looking to creep yourself out on a lonely night, then put on 'Head of the Demon'.

Highlights include: "The Key" and "Fifth House of the Mausoleum"

Rating: 4.5/5


Tracklist:
1). By Titan Hand (6:30)
2). The Lie in Wait-Riding the Waste (9:22)
3). Phantasmagoria (5:48)
4). The Man from Foreign Land (6:51)
5). The Key (6:22)
6). Fifth House of the Mausoleum (8:18)
7). Wraith from the Unknown (7:54)
Total Run Time: 49:29

From: Stockholm, Sweden

Genre: Doom, Black Metal

Reminds me of: Let's face it, this is pretty unique stuff.

Release Date: January 22, 2013

Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: When you wake up in the middle of the night, unable to move with the feeling of an evil presence in the room, put this album on as soon as you are able to regain motion.

Better Review:
From the Dust Returned
Sea of Tranquility

Head of the Demon facebook

GET IT HERE

OR HERE (digital)