Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Problem With Dragons!

Weird Science and High Fantasy collide in the form of Easthampton, Mass' Problem With Dragons.  This trio's debut, 'Atomics' is like a streamlined rock ship, all afterburners and propulsion.  Problem With Dragons are the stoner rocker's answer to Buck Rogers, but instead of Ray Guns, their weapons are dazzlingly dark and haunting harmonies, fuzz by the bucket load and drums that stomp and smash.  Though this EP came out roughly t-plus a year and a half ago, they have only just come to my attention and have earned it in full measure with 5 short and poisonously sweet tunes that will peel the paint off the walls before crashing through them.  Those in the Boston area should know of this band as well as those who make it their business to keep a keen ear close to the (under-)ground, but for those like myself who are fashionably late to the launchpad, it's never too late to boogie in orbit, so get to know Problem With Dragons on the player below and I swear to you you will not be disappointed!  And of course, like all New England based underground bands they have a new album in the works (is that all they do over there or what?) so be on the look out for that one as well.  Consider 'Atomics' a primer.  Or a stage-1 booster rocket.  You have been warned.  End transmission.

Problem With Dragons on facebook
Problem With Dragons on Reverbnation

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Lizard Queen

Though their debut album is only months old, one of the members of Italian stoner freak out band Deep (check out the PH article here / and my review here) has returned with a second new project called Lizard Queen, as if to prove that this band is the Italian equivalent of Ice Dragon.  Their self-titled debut is weighty and substantial.  Indeed it is an absolute boulder of desert rock.  Though not as experimental in terms of style, texture and structure as Deep's album, that exploratory nature displayed by the parent band shows full blooming expression here in the form of thematic variation (both within each individual track and within the structure of the album overall), improvisation and above all else, feel.  The vocals are laid back, punctuated by heartfelt flights and generally match the mood of the music behind them while the riffs flow along languidly and are exploited  to their fullest measure by lengthy compositions, creating a hypnotic effect.  Simply put, once you press play on track 1, you are locked in with no desire to escape.  Lizard Queen casts a deep spell and puts you in a trance.  However, don't expect a droney album with a bunch of one note songs, 'Lizard Queen' has more than a few curve balls to throw at you, and when they come, they fly at full force.

And when I speak of weightiness, I mean it.  At 56 and a half minutes, this isn't your typical four song tryout that most bands test the waters with, this is a veritable 72 ounce steak of fully stoned rock n roll and with a blank price tag on bandcamp this is the band that keeps on giving.  Check them out on the player below:

Lizard Queen on facebook

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Brain Pyramid (Magic Carpet Ride)

Rambling down the dusty old trail by way of France, Brain Pyramid just want to blow some heads open with their acid blues jams.  Bands like Savoy Brown, Killing Floor, Love Scultpure, Free, Bakerloo, The Groundhogs and Ten Years After finally have a suitable successor in this trio.  Liberal helpings of wah and other guitar effects mix with a lazy vocal delivery to create a crazed atmosphere where ... 'things' ... are all happening man ... and 'stuff' ... but none of it seems to bother the Brain Pyramid.  They simply let the world buzz on by in its self-importance while they weave intoxicating spells in the blues idiom for all who will listen.  Heads take note, this is brain-melting psychedelic blues for the 21st century.  Fans of Ape Skull and Tangerine Stoned, won't want to miss Brain Pyramid.

BIO:
"It’s in the non-psychedelic town of Rennes that the Trio formed, Brain Pyramid was born by the meeting of Baptiste (drum) and Gaston (guitar/vocals) in october 2012, they were quickly joined by maxime (bass), but after shows with him he had to leave for his studies. He was replaced right after by Ronan (already playing in the Doom Stoner band Huata), met during a show.

"The band started with couples of jams, and then constructed itself little by little to become what they are now, a sound full of the guitar-player’s 60’s and 70’s influences : Heavy Psych and Heavy Rock stuff like Blue Cheer, Toad, Jimi Hendrix, Leaf Hound... But also a very tied rythm section that remind us the desert rock sound with bands such as Kyuss, Sleep, without forget classic : Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin....

"The Trio recorded his first EP at the end of march 2013 : that first try has to aim giving the public a whole idea of the sound and the set of the band.

"Brain Pyramid is now searchin for live experiences, to play a lot and give a strong, acid and cosmic music to your Brain !

"Brain Pyramid did mainly shows in their hometown of Rennes, in bars and little scene.

"We shared the stage with Psych bands like Prisma Circus or Cheap Wine, this summer we’ll be playing the Celebration Days Festival with bands such as Aqua Nebula Oscillator, Blues Pills, Dean Allen Foyd, Mud Walk...

"In december we’ll receive in Rennes Russian Band The Grand Astoria."

Brain Pyramid on facebook

'Magic Carpet Ride' is currently available as a Pay What You Want download on bandcamp (click links on the player below) and an extremely limited edition of 50 CD copies for a measly 3 Euros.  Collectors: that's a solid investment.

One more thing, look at that album cover.  It's a carpet, a 'magic' carpet, but the format doesn't quite work because it's square.  If you ask me, this thing is begging, BEGGING for a cassette tape release as the rectangular shape would bring that cover to a whole new dimension.  Enjoy the music responsibly ...

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Deep - Vol. 1

Deep emerged from the ocean of underground bands without much hype or fanfare, but a great deal of enthusiasm from reviewers (including my review over at Temple of Perdition).  At this point, they are a potential sleeper pick for many "year end lists" while still remaining ensconced in shadow among listeners.  Their music is a strange beast, a study in experimental sounds, rich and dark tones poured across pan fried fuzz.  The lo-fi recording of 'Vol. 1' brings out the live vibrancy, urgency and immediacy of the music that is as refreshing in itself as the sounds are original.

Here's an excerpt from my review on Temple of Perdition:

"Deep is one of the most original sounding and imaginative bands I’ve heard in a long while.  They take the basic elements of stoner and doom music and, in a 360 degree fluid environment, carry those elements to strange places, making unexpected blind leaps within the gloom.  Such creativity is the very stuff of life itself.  If the world ran on logic alone there would be very little to do but be trampled upon and die.  Well there’s no trampling where this band is coming from.  It is believed that 80 percent of all organic life on earth lives within the deep.  It is within this teeming spirit that Deep’s 8 song album finds its home. 

Plunge into the paper thin production and razor sharp fuzz of opening track “Sun” and right away the band name begins to take shape and make sense.  One thing that can’t be passed without further mention is the fuzz tone which sounds at times like the band is running a fuzzbox through a Tesla coil rather than a guitar and amp.  “Sun” bobs atop the surface with the brightest sound on the record and it is after this point that we dive down into ever-darkening layers where internal thought is the only companion."

Once again, don't take my word for it, check them out for yourself at the following links:

Deep's facebook page

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Voodoo Mule - Voodoo Zoo

The first time I reviewed an album for somebody else's website it was Harvester's 'Blind Summit Recordings' for Stoner Hive (see the very bottom link on Reviews Appendix tab).  I had already reviewed it for my site, twice(!) but I didn't want to rock the boat by refusing my very first review offer, thus revealing my very Canadian politeness (It would take some hard-digging research to confirm but I probably hold the world's record for most published reviews of 'Blind Summit Recordings').  But I've always wanted to keep my Paranoid Hitsophrenic and outside work lives separate.  'Voodoo Zoo' is an album I reviewed recently at the Temple of Perdition, but I did want to bring it to the attention of PH readers because it's more than worthy of institutionalization, so, never one to repeat myself (...okay once, er ... twice), I bring you this Voodoo Mule feature.  Don't let the lack of proper album cover artwork fool you, this is hot stuff!  Consider this fair warning!  Don't miss ... Voodoo Mule's 'Voodoo Zoo'.  (PS, I'll be pulling double duty again with a PH feature / Temple of Perdition review later this week with another band ... stay tuned folks!)

BIO:
Slovenian stoner rock/doom metal/sludge band Voodoo Mule just self-released their long awaited debut album called Voodoo Zoo. More copies will be out soon by legendary Croatian d.i.y. label Slušaj Najglasnije. Voodoo Zoo was recorded and produced by Rok Zalokar.

Tracklist:
01 - Honeyland
02 - Tapas
03 - Trunkfull
04 - Jizz Da Bizz
05 - I'm A Midnight Moler
06 - Church Snake
07 - Ripoff

You can now listen to full-length album and also download it for FREE at their Bandcamp:
http://voodoomule666.bandcamp.com/album/voodoo-zoo

Psysical copies are available for 5€ + postage via email: jutubemula@gmail.com

"A hybrid with an error, a not so clever idea gone worse, a menace that bucks you off with a hint of voodoo from under a tophat black... With a hint of sugar, spice and everything nice, that is how this sonic behemoth came about.
The idea behind Voodoo Mule was a simple one, no indie, just loud and filthy. These are the secret ingredients that bond together an ansable of three with Hippopotamus on drums, Iguana on bass, and Jagnje on guitar and vocals.
This is the form in which we`ve been working since March 2010 and performing since February 2011. We made our first recordings in February 2011 when we imortalized our first three songs that formed our first officialy unofficial demo that blogers labeled it to be stoner rock. Since then we have covered our homeland Slovenia throuout and our hometown Ljubljana several times as well, with disturbingly loud riff driven rock shows. Just cuple of highlighted shows were at Festival Lent, Paranoid Piknik Open Air, Metal Mania Open Air and supporting bands like Count Raven, Karma To Burn, Pagan Altar, Jucifer, Suuns, Rozbub and many many many more.
Our plans for the future are as simple as the basic idea that holds us together, play loud, play out, stay filthy and respect your roots."

Voodoo Mule is:
Jagnje - guitar, vox
Iguana - bass
Hippo - drums 

https://www.facebook.com/voodoomule
http://www.reverbnation.com/voodoomule

From my Temple of Perdition review:

"Slovenian trio Voodoo Mule is heavier and filthier than most stoner rock bands.  The fuzz flows thick and viscous, just the way you like it, downtuned all the way to hell which must be where their swaggering groove riffs originate.  They play slow enough at times to be classified as stoner doom, but for now we’ll just call it thick bottomed rock n roll as a foundation.
These boys play around with their riffs like a hungry cat plays with a mouse, improvising mid-stride and batting the thing around with pick-handling paws.  1000ccs rumble from the exhaust pipe of a Kyuss-made green machine with black (sabbath) trim.  One song flows into the next the way mercury travels through the brain, devouring all in its path."

But, as always, don't just take my word for it, listen on the player below and judge for yourself, hit the download button and pay what you like on bandcamp, you'll be glad you did.  I am ...

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Liblikas - Wooden Spaceship

Album cover artwork by Erik Illaste.

I'll be reviewing this album for Stoner Hive and it should be posted shortly on that fine website, so make sure you check it repeatedly and with an almost ravenous appetite at least once every five minutes from now until you see the post over there.  SPOILER ALERT: This is one fine, mind-bending record!  Just look at that artwork.  It gave you an acid flashback didn't it?  As for how this band ranks I can honestly say that they'd be my favorite Estonian band even if I knew of any other Estonian band because their music is so crazy.    I'll let the band tell the rest of their story for now (but remember to check out the Stoner Hive for my review and for kicks):

BIO:
"A Psychedelic-Progressive metal band called "Liblikas" from Estonia, that can be described as having influences from Stoner rock, Sludge metal, Thrash metal and occasionally Jazz. Of our many influences, it would probably be most appropriate to bring out Mastodon, Baroness, The Sword and probably Frank Zappa and King Crimson. We have been active and doing gigs for about a year now, although the songs have been in the making for almost three years. The band convened in 2010 and the first 18 months were a period of experimenting and finding that own special niche. The original idea was to make all-out old-school thrash metal, but as our minds broadened, we realized it did not make an awful lot of sense to remain stuck in one genre if we could mix all the wonderful styles we love together. The band name "Liblikas" is the Estonian word for "butterfly". A creature with a hideous and revolting body who only becomes beautiful with the addition of a set of colorful wings. We have been doing gigs together with some local bands for the past year or so. Since the particular scene in Estonia is rather small-scale, we are trying to widen the scene in Estonia and share our music with the rest of the world. This Saturday we are going to have our album presentation event in Tartu, Estonia supported by bands such as Smõuk, Crystal Cloisters and Luna Vulgaris.

"Just recently we released our first full-length album "Wooden Spaceship" on bandcamp.com. „Wooden Spaceship“ could be defined as a concept-album. It tells the story of a man who awakes to find himself in our bewildered world, with no recollection of his past, trying desperately to get his innocent and unwitting head around the everyday proceedings of a world hell-bent on needless hustle and haste, a world he now finds himself stranded in. Over the course of his journey, he lives through a wide spectrum of emotions never felt before: amazement, insanity,love, panic. Eventually finding it all a little too much to bear, he flies away into the peaceful space."

This is a "pay-what-you-want" deal on bandcamp, which you can get to by clicking the links on the player below!  Once again, this is some fine, crazy ass stuff: crazy progressive and crazy heavy!

 

Liblikas on facebook

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Montenegro - Confusos Recuerdos Después Del Coma

Excellent cover artwork by Van Estudio.

Much as their sweet album cover graphically depicts, Montenegro have a desperado twinge to their deep desert grooves.  Don't believe me, fire off a chunk of "Soluciones" from the player below and dig those crazy Ennio Morricone sounds.  It's amazing to think that an Italian who lived a hundred years after the time of the cowboys came to define the sound and feel of the era but that's the world we live in.  This isn't a bad thing.  Again, go check for yourself, I dare ya.  Their four song EP is FREE from bandcamp, go ahead and check it out.  There's literally nothing to lose and everything to gain!

BIO:
"Montenegro is an Argentinian psych rock band. Their style is based on stoner tunes and a constant search of mixing with other music styles. Some of their influences come from the western films, Balkan sounds, Argentinian folk music, and obviously 70's rock bands. Confusos Recuerdos Después del Coma is their first studio release, which contains four powerful tracks of experimental psychedelic rock shit!"

DESCRIPTION:
"Four human componentes generate the synergy that propels this musical project. Raised in the vein of the more raw and experimental rock, and shaped by numerous genres within popular music, we propose a dense, floating, circular and adventurer sound.

"Welcome to Montenegro."



Once again, this album is FREE, so don't be a damn fool, I reckon your ears will thank you for downloading this sooner than later, pilgrim.


Montenegro on facebook

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Boneworm

Got a Pay What You Want download here of a band so good it feels mighty guilty to have my paypal be deactivated at the moment.  Heavy as lead shoes, slow as molasses dripping from a sloth's butt yet somehow still as catchy as an STD in Thailand.  You've got to check out Boneworm.  Who are they?  Where are they from?  How did they get here?  Read on ...

BIO:

"The themes on Boneworm's self-titled debut are brutish and desolate. Songs of love have their place in timid ballads and frivolous pop ephemera. But concepts like failure and crushing doubt are burdensome beasts that are best caged and conveyed in music that is unafraid to handle them. This has always been the dire necessity of metal music. Boneworm tells these tales by calling upon rasped howls, punishing bass, and the occasional guitar solo that delicately pulls us aside and promises that nothing will ever be ok again.

For a genre that is frequently looking outward into the psychedelic aether, Boneworm offers their doom with a sense of crushing immediacy. Which is the more terrifying, the intricate words of a sinister hex being cast, or plaintively being told that nothing matters because time is already against you?

To be fair, imagery of bubbling cauldrons and mystic dimensions is overkill when you're already writing your music against the backdrop of Portland, Orygun. A discerning ear will detect the homages and influences, but Boneworm's sound is brewed and bottled in a northwest style. This is the soundtrack to rain-slick blacktop glowing under sodium lamps. This is the thump and rattle of freight trains and rattling windows in the industrial district. This is the distinct sound of Cascadian doom.

Boneworm is Tim Burke. Tim plays guitar and shoulders the burden of knowing exactly how you are going to die.

Boneworm is Dave Becker. Dave plays bass and, like a lich or a Roman emperor, only seems to be growing more powerful with age.

Boneworm is Chaz Rocker. Chaz plays drums and hangs out with your Camaro-driving uncle. Ask about the weekend they drove to Reno."

upcoming shows

• Jun 20
  Ash Street Saloon
  Portland, OR
• Jul 19
  Duffy's Hanger
  Salem, OR
• Jul 20
  The Black Forest
  Eugene, OR
• Aug 09
  World Famous Kenton Club
  Portland, OR

 

Boneworm on facebook

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Tangerine Stoned!

Take it from one who spent five years of his life listening to virtually nothing but 60s / early 70s psychedelic / prog music, Tangerine Stoned is the genuine article.  You could swear this is some long-lost album from the decade of flowers in gun-barrels and turtle vans.  Check it out on the player below after reading this short ...

BIO:

"Tangerine Stoned formed in Summer 2011 by guitar player Alex Key and vocalist Chris Jei.  Their intention was to re-create the sounds of 60s psychedelic bands like Pink Floyd, Doors, Cream, Seeds, Jimi Hendrix Experience.  They recruited Daniel on bass guitar, Verner on keys and Checcho on the drums.

"They immediately started to write original material inspired by the acid sound of the aforementioned bands.  In late 2012 they signed a deal with Moonlight Records and started to record their debut album the self-titled 'Tangerine Stoned'.  The album was released in May 2013.  The band is currently gigging throughout Italy, and it's getting ready for a European tour in the Fall."

And if all that isn't enough to convince you, catch the band's full 40 minute live performance on the clip below:

 

Tangerine Stoned on facebook

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Lovijatar

Don't let this Finnish folk outfit pass you by.  Tired of everything sounding the same?  Well, Lovijatar is like a 40 ounce cup of coffee taken intravenously!

PRESS INFO:

"12.2.2013 Helsinki

"Finnish Folk and Stoner Rock Band Lovijatar Released an Album Hämärän Kulkija

"Experienced musicians Jussi Rautio (Battlelore, Guitar) and Tommi Vaittinen (Elephant Bell, Vocals) felt a need to start to create music together. Lyrical inspiration would come from Finnish folk poetry,old believes and nature. Band called Lovijatar was born and it takes influences from progressive rock, folk and doom metal. Bands first release ‘Hämärän Kulkija’ was released in the beginning of 2013.

"Inspiration for lyrics made by Rautio and Vaittinen comes from Kalevala and other old Finnish folk poetry. Pieces of melodies have been taken from Carelian and Finnish folk requiems. These requiems have been recorded in the beginning of the 1900´s when the last traditional folk singers were alive.

"“We have picked themes from these dirges that feel natural and transformed those in to modern rock expression. Our goal is not to recreate some old folk music but to create totally new music that has echoes from the past centuries. We can not fully understand how people have felt and lived in the old forest societies but we are children of our time and we want to sound like that”, Says Rautio.

"Carelian keens or requiems (itkuvirsi) were performed in the old rituals that were connected to passing and transferring from one state of life to other one. For example a subject for a dirge could be a death of a close one or destiny of immigrant folks. Women with covered faces performed these songs at ceremonies. These songs have deep understanding towards life and what happens in a human soul. These song empowered members of Lovijatar to find a musical expression.

"“I feel that we must do music in Finnish because it is our mother language and if really want to evoke emotion we can not do it in another languages. We have lost lots of old Finnish culture and it is best preserved in folk poetry. That’s the only place where we can really go and find something ancient from our heritage. “, Rautio continues.

"Jussi Rautio and Tommi Vaittinen write lyrics and compose music. Arrangements are done by the whole band.

"Other members of Lovijatar are Mikko Neuvonen (Elephant Bell, Drums), Petrus Rapo (Boner, Guitar) and Riku Hakala (Tytär, Bass.) ‘Hämärän Kulkija’ is bands first release that is a combination of heavy riffs, melodic expression and hard handed playing. Release is bands first one and it is released by themselves. It can be heard and bought from:"




Lovijatar on facebook

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Damned Pilots & Post

DAMNED PILOTS - SPACED OUT EP

Today's fair warning comes in the form of this pair of albums from upstart record label Radioactive Records, emanating from Italy.  Damned Pilots are also from Italy and they've got a hard rockin' post-nuclear glam thing going for them.  Of course, that's not all they've got going for them, they've got a pretty deep bag of tricks.  Some heavy funk groove and dreamy psychedelia in the mold of late-sixties The Who which has been known to take off and fly the unfriendly metallic skies.  These Damned Pilots have also been known to navigate the smoggy, sludgy atmospheres as well.  Be sure to give them a listen on the player below and visit them on facebook, right here.

BIO:

"The DAMNED PILOTS are a Super-Rock band.  Their sound has been tagged as "nuclear rock " by listeners and fans, as it embodies a wide spectrum of different influences.  "DAMNED PILOTS" is a concept band.  The idea is to bring music and visual together,defining the environment of a rock-doom cartoon like "science-fiction" scenario, featuring cartoon like spaceships battles, lost bars on distant planets and a whole set of weird characters.

The DAMNED PILOTS are 4 mature performers,who were already active in the underground rock scene for years before joining the band.  Since its early start,the band has been self producing demos over demos,
in order to get their sound ready.

DAMNED PILOTS first production is the "Spaced Out" EP, featuring 6 tracks; 4 original songs and 2 covers ("Sleeping in the fire)" by W.A.S.P. and "Believe me now" by Electric Light Orchestra).  The band started performing live in Holland, Italy and Slovenia, nailing several different sold out shows, to promote their new record and their songs.  Right after the "Spaced Out" recording session, the DAMNED PILOTS flew up to Amsterdam/Holland to work with producer Ron Goudie (Stryper,Gwar,Social distortion , Death angel.Fear,Poison).  Together They recorded the pre-production of the "Overgalaxy" cd ,a 10 tracks full-length album, wich is meant to be re-recorded into full production in the next few months.

On the sci-fi "Band from space" level,the DAMNED PILOTS are currently working with Portuguese visual and comics author, Quico de Nogueira, who is producing a whole comic book "DAMNED PILOTS" adventure book (wich we plan to distribute together with the physical copies of the record, as well as brought the internet).

The DAMNED PILOTS are: Sgt.OTE - voice, Don Nutz - drums, erick Space - bass, Johnny Angel - guitars."


And when you're done that be damned sure you check out...

POST - POST VOL. 1

Post is a really cool band too.  Hailing form the Netherlands, they are a power trio consisting of Sven (guitar / vocals), Jeremy (bass) and Mike (drums).  Their sound is planted in the solid soil of stoner fuzz which can at times uproot itself and take off, making a punkish turn for the worse.  Fuzz guitar anchors this album, holding down the fort, while the prominent rhythm section flies off the handle and provides the songs with muscle and momentum.  One more time, don't take my word for it, feast your aural orifices on the player below and after giving this fast-paced album out for a spin, go ahead and visit them on facebook, you can find their band profile page right here.

Follow the links on the players above to the Radioactive Records bandcamp page, there you can download the albums, it's up to you what you do with them after that ...

Fair Warning! Don't Miss ... Ten Foot Wizard - Return to the Infinite

BIO:

"Ten Foot Wizard was formed as a side-project by members of Manchester metal band Bisonhammer in 2009. Since then the band have played just a handful of gigs each year but have garnered a reputation for putting on an incendiary live show, recently supporting Karma To Burn and Witch Mountain.

The band play their own brand of heavy blues rock that owes as much to classic bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin as to more modern bands such as Clutch, Queens of the Stone age and Fu Manchu.

With the release of the debut album 'Return to the Infinite' on May 2nd 2013, Ten Foot Wizard hope to be playing live a lot more often and carve out a niche for their bluesy beard rock."

Be sure to listen on the player below, click the link and follow through to Ten Foot Wizard's bandcamp page with your beard lovin' support and while yer at it, check them out on facebook (link below).

Ten Foot Wizard on facebook

Also, for our Mancunian friends, be sure to clear your agendas for Ten Foot Wizard's show on FRIDAY, JUNE 7 @ THE DUCIE BRIDGE (152 Corporation St.) in MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. Friday night show, no holds barred!  Great line-up for this show with Space Witch and Bastard of the Skies, too.  Here's a link to the event page on facebook, be sure to check it out and get ready to have your beards rocked right off your northern faces!