At Devil Dirt is a two-piece stoner band from Chile, they describe their sound as "Simple, Drums, riffs and melodic vocals, sometimes screams..." Their second album is a good times record soaked in lazy multi-tracked harmonies and a fuzz tone so thick you will swear the world is being slowly ripped apart. Amazingly that fuzz tone comes out of a guitar, not a bass.
We've all got a favorite food. That thing you could consume every day and never get sick of. The two guys in the band (Néstor "Gato" Ayala (Guitar/Vocals), Francisco "Hongo" Alvarado (Drums)) employ a simple formula, take three cups of deep-tone fuzz and mix with three cups of melodic multi-tracked vocal harmony and add a tablespoon of sugar. Bring to a boil. Serve daily. On paper, it shouldn't work but it does. It would be so easy to get the formula of 11 songs, two instruments, 47 minutes wrong, that these guys are going back to the well too many times, and yes there's a singular vision, a signature sound throughout, but there's enough variation to keep things interesting. Each time I listen to this album I have a new list of four favorite tracks. Oh yeah, every song is a highlight.
The guitar tone, hooks and rhythms at times compares favorably to the best moments of Queens of the Stone Age's classic 'Songs for the Deaf' album.
Opening track "I am an Ugly Skin" showcases the band's mollases slow, Sabbathy side, the track absolutely drools thick streamers of fuzz and creeps evilly forward like a deranged beekeeper with a chainsaw. And always there's the honied vocal melodies to draw you close. That's when the tortured lyrics stick the blade between the ribs, as in "I Walk Aimlessly": "I don't know why you are laughing, I must confess, this really hurts." The track also reveals the band's bluesy underpinnings with a harmonica wailing distant in the mix.
"Let It Flow" is another slowly spinning buzzsaw of a track. When this band plays downtempo, the tracks extend over five and sometimes six minutes long, but they never feel drawn out because they retain a strict attention to song structure. The trajectory of each song is focused, even while they do allow themselves the occasional jam moments. "Unleash Your Anger" is another fine example of this. "Let It Flow" is a great example of Gato's seemingly natural born ability to draft catchy melodic hooks with ease. "That the Start Sweet Ends Bitter" is the band at its heaviest, thumping best a fitting close to the album that leaves the listener panting for more.
You will come for the fuzz but you will stay for the melodic hooks.
Highlights include: "Better the Devil You Know Than the Devil You Don't Know" and "I am an Ugly Skin"
Rating: 5/5
Total Run Time: 47:12
From: Santiago, Chile Genre: Stoner, Doom, Fuzz Rock, Desert Rock
Reminds me of: Kyuss, QOTSA, Sleep, Snail
Release Date: August 31, 2012
Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: Don't worry, that deep-tone fuzz you hear is just the radiation from the sun burning your eyes out and boiling your brain.
Necronomicon is a psychedelic doom metal band from Brazil. They don't go in for the deep, deep and dark tones of most doom bands, but instead opt for a fuzzed-out stoner rock tone, but play very, very doom-y riffs. The combination works well. The band utilizes different effects like backwards guitar and phazing and some different instrumentation such as organ and animoog synth to strengthen the atmosphere built with their terrific and danger-infested Sabbathian riffs. With their penchant for 1960s Bay Area psychedelic jam freak outs they very nearly definitively answer the question: "what would Black Sabbath have sounded like had they started out in San Francisco in 1966?"
From the opening notes of "Holy Planet Yamoth" you will be hooked. A Sabbath-sized riff, buzzed over whispered vocals. The (also very Sabbath-y) middle eight part is a genuine slice of uber-trippy 60s psychedelia, a snippet of backwards guitars leads us down a dark alley of nervous freak funk which opens up onto a very San Franciscan Doors / Country Joe & the Fish, etc. like jam out.
"The Assassin's Song" begins with an evil groove thick with funk, then changes gears into a Cream meets Deep Purple boogie with organ. A gong brings us back to the thick and evil groove of the opening verse, bringing the listener back gently to where it all started with synth zaps setting off light shows inside the skull.
"The Black Priests of Chaos" shows a gentler side of the band, soft singing at the front of the track draws the listener in like a siren call, but this is only a deceptive front. A recruitment tool to fool the uninitiated into the temple to be laid upon the altar. The band switches gears on a dime and is ready to drop a psychedelic freak out in a heartbeat.
"Dreaming of the Old Ones" is an instrumental with organ as lead instrument. Fans of Blizaro will find much to love in this track. The band shows great versatility like some multi-faceted demon head, there's the doom aspect, which is the first face revealed, then there's the 60s San Francisco psychedelic side and so on. This is the band's occult themed side staring directly at you.
"Hypnotic Overdrive Machine" turns back on the band's Sabbath groove side with a riff as rockin' and funky as the title suggests. This band doesn't disappoint. The track fades out about two thirds of the way towards the end, then chugs and bounces its way back in with a great 70s hard rock driving tune only to lead to an epic doomy finish.
Title track and closer "The Queen of Death" has one of the sexiest, most dangerous riffs you're likely to hear. Lillian Lessa (guitarist)'s riffs are like a warning to the uninitiated. Again, her guitar is like a siren, at once alluringly sexy and hideously deadly.
If there's one criticism to be had with this recording, it's the quality of the recording itself. It's perhaps too thin and really buries the tonal depth you know this band has the potential to wallow the listener in. But there's always the argument that this effect only lends authenticity to their 1960s leanings, giving it the quality of some great lost recording of a bygone era.
The real challenge here is picking a favorite track, they're all potential hits.
Highlights include: "The Assassin's Song" and "The Queen of Death"
Rating: 5/5
Total Run Time: 38:36
From: Maceio, Brazil Genre: Doom, Psychedelic, Retro Rock, Occult Rock
Reminds me of: Black Sabbath, Blizaro, Country Joe & The Fish, Deep Purple, Seremonia, Vinum Sabbatum
Release Date: October 27, 2012
Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: Come into the temple and be welcomed (as a sacrifice to the Unholy Ones).
Indulge me for a moment in a trip down memory lane. I think any of us interested in this album will be in that neighborhood anyway. Soundgarden was the first band that I liked. Not my uncles, not my brother, not my parents or friends. They were my band. I saw the music video for "Rusty Cage" and I took a chance and decided to like them without peer approval. It was a pivotal moment that set the tone for my future. I thought they had a tough, edgy sound and they were heavy, which was a pre-requisite. I was too embarrassed to talk the band up though, because I thought the name sounded kind of weak and girly with that 'garden' in there. Then 'Superunknown' came out and that (along with Stone Temple Pilots 'Purple') was my Grade 7. Point is, I'll always have that special affinity for Soundgarden, after all, they are my band.
Needless to say, I had some expectations going in. I was expecting maybe two or three ragers like the lead single "Been Away Too Long", but nowhere near as exciting, and a couple ballads with a lot of middle of the road pop fare. Not because that's what Soundgarden is known for, but because I was sorely disappointed with 'Down on the Upside' and with Chris Cornell's solo stuff (probably just because it wasn't Soundgarden-y, rather than judging it on its own merit) ... and well, life is just usually disappointing isn't it?
I was struck how genuinely Soundgarden this album is, how they managed to pick things up after some 16 years without missing a beat is remarkable. Actually, my first impression was that they picked up right where 'Badmotorfinger' left off, much as I loved 'Superunknown' when it came out, I realized with hindsight how much of a departure the album really was. I initially thought that this is probably the album 'Superunknown' should have been. As I kept listening however, I realized just how post-'Down on the Upside' this really was.
One can see how I got the wrong impression as the first three tracks are deceptively heavy. "By Crooked Steps" in particular has that 'Badmotofinger' feel to it, with an ethereally wailing guitar floating like smoke aside a chugging, churning bass line atop a solid and funky beat with plenty of splash. "Black Saturday" is the most 'Superunknown-ish' song, starting out as a nice acoustic piece that ramps up to a heavy down tempo showcase of the band's darker side. The song even nearly directly quotes from that album on guitar during the later verses and there are other touches of 'Badmotorfinger' as well, particularly with the horns in the chorus. This could have been the defining moment of the album, right there when the horns kick in, blending various elements of the 91-94 era together seamlessly, but it isn't.
But as the album plays on and the momentum gained on the first three tracks is relentlessly tripped up by slower songs like "Bones of Birds" (which is a song I know other people like) and light weight fare such as "Halfway There", I began to realize this was not the return to the golden age I was hoping for. To be fair though, there's not a lot of these kind of songs and most of the slower ones are more dark than slow, as are the slower moments on 'Superunknown'. "Rowing" is one that reminds me of the good parts of 'Down on the Upside' album with its more experimental composition, it's a good song with a catchy vocal melody that 'Down on the Upside' would have been well served to feature.
I may be giving the wrong impression here. I don't dislike this album. There are some great moments spread throughout the album, particularly on the first half of the record. Why? Because these are the heavier, more uptempo moments that I was looking forward to hearing. John Garcia said it all about slow songs in "Thong Song".
Long story short, the album largely met my somewhat low expectations but it rocks just a bit more than I was expecting in places and I'm happy about that. Not everybody is going to dig every moment on this album, but there are plenty of memorable moments here, particularly some hooks that will get caught in your head such as in "Eyelids Mouth" and "Rowing". The more rocking moments on the album come courtesy of the lead single "Been Away Too Long", "Attrition", "By Crooked Steps" and "Blood on the Valley Floor" among arguably a few others. Guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Ben Sheppard are in fine vintage form. Drummer Matt Cameron holds this thing together and toughens up the band's ethereal sound with his solid backbeat, which won't come as news to longtime fans. He always gives a song a little more than what it needs to get by, stepping it up from being good to being memorable. And Chris Cornell often gets back to that hard to emulate strained-voice / raspy style of singing that fans know and love. It's those moments where they stray from those aspects that I find disappointing.
I guess Chris Cornell said it best when he sings, tellingly, the very first lines on the album "You can't go home, no I swear you never can."
In total, there are more "Been Away Too Long"s (rager) than "Halfway There"s (middle-of-the-road pop). But perhaps a few too many of the latter for comfort.
It's hard to accept an album on its own merits rather than comparing it to what's come before from a band you've known and loved a long time. An album should be judged on its own merits, this one has its fair share, but after a few spins I'm starting to feel like this is the kind of album where I'll pick out a few songs here and there rather than play the album straight through over and over. King Animal is a good album but I wonder if I'm judging this thing on its own merits or if I was just too excited that there was new Soundgarden and instead of 'allowing' the band to age gracefully, I hammered them down under the weight of my own expectations. I guess I expect a little too much from Soundgarden.
After all, they are my band.
Highlights include: "Been Away Too Long" and "Blood on the Valley Floor"
Rating: 3.5/5
From: Seattle, Washington Genre: Hard Rock, Grunge, Psychedelic, Metal, Punk
Reminds me of: Down on the Upside, Superunknown, hints of Badmotorfinger and Audioslave.
Tracklist
1). Been Away Too Long (3:36)
2). Non-State Actor (3:57)
3). By Crooked Steps (4:00)
4). A Thousand Days Before (4:23)
5). Blood On The Valley Floor (3:48)
6). Bones of Birds (4:22)
7). Taree (3:38)
8). Attrition (2:52)
9). Black Saturday (3:29)
10). Halfway There (3:16)
11). Worse Dreams (4:53)
12). Eyelids Mouth (4:39)
13). Rowing (5:06)
Total Run Time: 51:59
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: Trying to forget all the embarrassing shit you said and did in high school while maintaining the myth that you were one of the cool ones.
After releasing one of the best albums of the year in February, the three-piece core member (Woody Weatherman, guitar / Mike Dean, bass / Reed Mullin, drums) line-up of Corrosion of Conformity is back with a new five song EP. The musical ideas expressed here are right up the alley of the self-titled album from earlier in the year, but this release builds on what was established there adding some different, if familiar, dimensions, featuring more of the classic CoC southern rock guitar sound.
"Feed On" would fit right in on the self-titled album, a slower, doomy number that recalls "River of Stone" or "The Doom". Halfway through the band turns on a dime and launches into a mid-tempo doom out in the best Black Sabbath tradition. It's a well constructed song that constantly builds toward the end which sets up the pace for the next track.
"Priest Brains" is a frantic, uptempo, down-tuned song, tensely scratched out minimalistically during the verse part. The chorus opens things up musically and the band lets the rock hang out with images of dragon's bones and reclaiming thrones.
Title track "Megalodon" is a slow, funky southern rock groove out, recalling Pepper-era CoC, a side of the band that had been largely purged from the self-titled disc. It's a welcome addition to the band's current repertoire.
"Strong Medicine Too Late" sounds like a real bridge between the album and this EP. The riff in this one is a hybrid of their southern rock and doom leanings. The combination is a real winner, playing down-tuned and letting the endings ring out. The track fades out on a groovy southern guitar solo.
The fifth and final track is "The Vulture". Like the previous track the band seems to have found a comfortable medium and blends their various influences into a single song and they do it with style and ease.
There are no duds or missteps on this EP, every song is a winner, especially if you liked their last album. The five songs here continue in the same vein but there are new elements thrown into the mix. The post-Pepper incarnation of three man core-member CoC sound like they're hitting their stride and having fun. Everybody I have talked to that listened to the self titled album seem to form a unanimous opinion that it's just a solid, solid album. Megalodon is right up the same alley. Now that the listener knows what to expect from these guys without Pepper Keenan fronting the band, the trust is there and they do not disappoint. The southern fried guitar stylings of the last three tracks might just be enough to win back some older fans who were skeptical of the new incarnation of the band and didn't want to give it a try.
It was only two months ago that I caught wind the band was back in the studio and less than a month since this collection was mixed and mastered so you won't get a fresher glimpse of the band than this. And it's free so there are no excuses not to check it out. Also, you can grab yourself a physical copy at these upcoming shows*:
12/11/2012 The Biltmore – Vancouver, BC w/ Saviours
12/12/2012 The Crocodile – Seattle, WA w/ YOB, Saviours
12/13/2012 Dante’s – Portland, OR w/ YOB, Saviours
12/14/2012 Oak Street Speakeasy – Eugene, OR w/ YOB, Saviours
12/15/2012 Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA w/ YOB, Saviours
12/16/2012 Uptown Theater – Oakland,CA w/ Saviours
12/18/2012 Catalyst – Santa Cruz,CA w/ High on Fire, Goatwhore, LoPan
12/19/2012 The Brickhouse – San Diego, CA w/High on Fire, Goatwhore, LoPan
12/21/2012 The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA w/ High on Fire, Goatwhore, LoPan
* dates and info lovingly clipped from The Obelisk
Highlights include: "Feed On" and "The Megalodon"
Rating: 4.5/5
From: Raleigh, North Carolina Genre: Southern Rock, Doom, Stoner, Punk
Reminds me of: CoC ST (2012), Wiseblood (1996)
Tracklist
1). Feed On (4:56)
2). Priest Brains (2:58)
3). The Megalodon (4:03)
4). Strong Medicine Too Late (4:08)
5). The Vulture (2:45)
Total Run Time: 18:49
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: loin cloths and warclubs, chest beating from the mouth of the cave.
