Weed Priest - ST (album review)

Artwork by William 'The Elder' Faithorne.

Weed Priest are a band that I've been keenly interested in ever since sampling them on the Grip of Delusion: Book of Riff-Elations comp.  Of the nearly one hundred songs from the compilation that I was previously unfamiliar with, Weed Priest's entry stood out for its fantastic riff and authentic, no-nonsense doom sound.  I immediately downloaded the rest of their demos from their reverbnation page and became quite hopeful of what I saw as a bright future for the band.  Of the eleven songs demoed by the band over the past three or four years, six of them made the final cut for their official full-length debut.  Happily, the previously hinted at song, "Thy Kingdom Gone" made the final cut and becomes the centerpiece of this sweeping work.

Weed Priest draw a black curtain of atmospheric doom, billowing with ebon dark moods and eldritch energy.  The recording of this album took place on Samhain at what the band calls a location of spiritual significance: the deconcecrated ground of the abandoned Franciscan Church on Henry street in Limerick.  Here's the stunning proof [Also, see photo below].  Indeed, as per the liner notes the music contained on their debut disc was channeled through the band rather than written by them.  The feel the band puts into this album leads one astray from contrary argument: I wouldn't doubt their word

One thing that makes the band stick out among a crowded field is their ability to remain approachable in the face of their panoptic referencing of musky and fog-shrouded ambience, esoteric influences and neo-pagan indulgences, never straying too far afield of solid and accessible stoner doom riffs as their basic starting point.  To wit, "Walpurgia" features one of the best riffs this reviewer's ever heard, barring Mr. Iommi originals.  "Erichtho" is not far behind in terms of quality of riffs.

So the music is approachable, still there's extremity involved in this record.  Vitriolic vocals of the grinding kind, more barked than sang stab across each composition, soiling the delicately laced tapestry of floating and distant melodies.  The length and vintage of these six tracks gives an idea of the pace and unblinking focus this band has in crafting the best possible album with the best possible songs.  The fact that they cut it to six tracks while drawing from a pool of eleven songs of mostly similar high standard is further evidence of this.  That they waited for the perfect time and place to record the album under what they considered to be the optimal conditions for atmosphere also speaks highly of this.  In other words, Weed Priest is a band that gives a shit about the quality of their music and will not settle for second best.  Not in terms of quality, not in terms of effort.  There is nothing that rings phony about this band or this album.

The albums opens with a clip from the 1971 film The Devils and spills forth like graveyard mist into opening track "Final Spell".  The listener is buckled in for a 13 minute doomfest which the band has chosen to shoot a promo video for (see video below).  It's a good choice as it represents the best combination of length and memorability of song to make the most lasting impression from the album.  The ending features an mournful passage that captures the mood of devastating revelation perfectly (it's something the band has a knack for and we see this ability again two tracks later on "Walpurgia").  As previously stated the next two tracks "Erichtho" and "Walpurgia" are built around some killer riffs.  "Erichtho" has some great guitar / drum interplay and builds great riff upon great riff before coming to "Walpurgia" which sits atop the gleaming tower of riffs that are on display.

"They Kingdom Gone" is just a great song, a riff that is like staring into the spinning void of a pandaemonic gateway (or Galway), without question the abyss stares back at the listener.  The song becomes very much a call to battle with its pounding toms and ringing tones that are like a clarion call atop a hill during an overcast dawn.  A battle with demons, but which side are you on here?  To the right, the defenders of the hill, on the left the invaders.  The final two cuts each tip the scales at over 11 minutes long.  The title / eponymous track, "Weed Priest" is a slow doom monster with bendy riffs and some seriously heavy hitting on the drumkit.  I'm telling you, "Weed Priest" is heavier than the planet Earth itself.  The album finishes off with the 13 minute plus "Day of Reckoning", a hypnotic, riff based number with warning sirens that takes its time in building to the final conclusion.

Some of these songs are as much as four years old which is to say that listeners shouldn't expect a workhorse like pace from this band in the future.  One record every three to five years from now to eternity would certainly make this reviewer happy.  The mere fact that the band has taken years to develop the songs and never strayed from their original intent but only polished them up should give the reader an idea of the quality of the songs on this album and the focus this band has.  There's no doubt these six songs will stand the test of time and induce future generations to the wonders of doom.  This record already has the feel of a future classic, one that will be around as a reference point for doom heads and as a recruiting tool to snag initiates to the genre for years to come, much like 'In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend', Witchsorrow's debut or 'Sub Templum'.  'Weed Priest' is an unqualified success.

Highlights include: "Thy Kingdom Gone" and "Walpurgia"

Rating: 4.5/5

Total Run Time: 1:00:52



Adam De Monlung - Guitars, Vocals
Ragas Walpurgis - Bass
Adrian Elatha - Drums

From: Galway, Ireland

Genre: Doom, Sludge, Occult

Reminds me of: Dopelord, Moss, Set

Release Date: February 25, 2013

Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: Draw blood and create something from nothing.

Better Reviews:
Sludgelord
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Weed Priest on facebook
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Weed Priest on Encyclopedia Metallum

The Alchemical Mixture - Hell Comes Home Vol. 1 Box Set (album review + short interview)

Twelve 7" split singles featuring 24 of the noisiest, filthiest downtuned bands one is likely to hear in a single collection.  Coming in a just a shade under two hours long there's no easy way to sum up any overall feelings or impressions about this mammoth undertaking from Galway, Ireland based label Hell Comes Home, so we'll take it slowly.  "The only way to exit / Is going piece by piece".

As mentioned earlier, it's a lot to take when looking at the menu all at once.  There were familiar bands: Thou, Fight Amp, Coffinworm, Fistula; bands that I had first heard of here, whom I later became better acquainted with: Kowloon Walled City and Dopefight; and eighteen others that I had been ignorant of.  Soon, it was time to put down the menu  and say, "I'll have one of everything."  Only one question remained, did I have the rugged constitution to stomach such a heavy load?

Sticky Digit - ST (album review)

Sticky Digit is a hard rock / stoner band from Ireland.  The guitar sound they go for is really grind-y and scratchy reminiscent of the heyday of grunge, but this is no 90s revival band.  They sing stoner melodies with the occasional harmony and play in jumpy, paranoid rhythms.  They are the lovechild of Alice in Chains and Queens of the Stone Age.

"One 2 Three 4" is a strong introduction to the band, a very good song that lets the listener know right off the bat what this band is all about: stoner grooves, big hooks, the occasional harmony, melodic and heavy rock and roll.  Handclaps count in the next track "Bothers Me" which, along with the follow up "The Day The Cow Went Woof", re-enforce what was established right off the bat in the opener.  "Bad Things" and "Oxtgenoestrogen" are also two no-nonsense stone and roll shit-kickers that showcase the band in their purest light.

"Crazy" ups the ante on the stoner grooves and introduces some Alice in Chains-like minor chord harmony to terrific effect.  It's a perfect statement of the marriage between the grunge and stoner styles this band imbibes and is a true standout track.  "The Day the Cow Went Woof" is like a tour of the best grunge bands of the 90s and almost creates a model of the kind of genetic recombination that goes into the influencing of a band.  "Don't Wanna Know" proves that the band is more than capable of handling the lengthier material, a 7 minute song that feels like a regular 4 minute one, a nice middle eastern freak out in the middle section splits this stoner rock and roller into two enjoyable halves.

The choruses of "Crazy" and album closer "Seep Out" really stand out by the terrifically mournful harmonies adding some minor chord counterpoint to a pair of otherwise jumpy songs.  It's a simple technique really, but it works so damn well.  "Seep Out" is the final track and ends the album on a tribal and highly resonant drum solo leading back to a brief restatement of the bridge, then stutters out.

Sticky Digit like to let the heavy out, especially during the hooks to wash their big melodic choruses in a wave of stoner groove, but it may just be the quieter, moodier moments that define the album.  Atmospheric lamentations serve as counterpoint to those big melodic choruses.  It's in these more contemplative moments that the songs are free to breathe and a lot of the creativity of this band comes to the fore.  'Sticky Digit' creates the impression that the band is brimming with ideas.  It's the little touches that provide a lot of extra charm on this album.  Handclaps and gongs, contemplative tribal drumming, some middle eastern flutes, double kick, the odd harmony here or there and of course, cowbell.  They don't overdo anything.

It's hard to find fault with any whole song, even if one may not like certain parts, each song will find a way to charm the listener.  There's plenty to chew on here.  Every song is potentially someone's standout track.

Highlights include: "Crazy" and "Bad Things"

Rating: 4/5


Total Run Time: 48:17

From: Wexford, Ireland

Genre: Stoner, Grunge, Hard Rock

Reminds me of: Alice in Chains, Nirvana, QOTSA, Satellite Beaver, Snail, Truckfighters

Release Date: November 14, 2012

Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: Walking into a carnival fortune teller's tent and receive good tidings only to come out the other side in a freak show cage.

Harvester - The Blind Summit Recordings (album review))

Harvester is a high energy stoner band from Galway, Ireland.  They play balls out, charging through songs with an almost terrifying momentum.

Harvester kicks in the door and introduces themselves on opening track "Cosmonautical Mile", charging, chugging and squealing through almost seven exhausting minutes of heavy stoner groove only pausing momentarily five minutes in for an engine revving floor tom respite.  It's a rude introduction to the band but we'll get the door fixed after the album stops spinning.

"Circle Eater" picks right up where the first track leaves off with some powerful bass grooves courtesy of Steve Loughney and introducing some welcome Lynott-isms on guitar.  A theme and influence that will be revisited later on the EP.

On "Aberration" drummer Kenn Sweeney waxes Des Kensel-ian, letting his inner caveman out.  And that should read "letting his inner caveman out running, screaming, club held over head ready to strike a death-dealing blow".  The caveman spills out onto the next track "Old Blood", with rapid fire tom fills and rolls that rev like a Harley.  And you know a Harley ain't about nothing but power and intimidation.  Towards the end of this track twin guitars (Gavin Grealy [also on vocals] and Bryan Higgins) sound profoundly like some of Phil Lynott's best moments, a maze of rapid fire scales to make the head spin.

"Atom Splitter" is a slower, more sludgy, doomy number.  Grealy's yelled vocal performance recalls a particular brand of New England style of singing found in bands such as Black Pyramid, Summoner, Slow Mover and Set, among others, and I begin to wonder if this isn't an Irish thing (yeah, I know, not everybody from Boston is Irish).

Closing track "All Roads Led Away" is a melancholic and epic instrumental.  It's epic in the choice of chords.  A tune emerges from a fog of minor chords which builds until it fades away, dissipating into an acoustic refrain, whereupon the track and the album comes to a close.

Overall it's a kick-ass EP, and I mean that in an almost technical sense.  It's an uptempo and high energy recording that mixes some excellent influences and gives each member of the band his moments to shine.

Highlights include: "Cosmonautical Mile" and "Circle Eater"

Rating: 4/5

Total Run Time: 30:29

From: Galway, Ireland

Genre: Stoner Rock, Doom

Reminds me of: Red Fang, Snake Thursday, Steak, Summoner, Thin Lizzy

Release Date: November 4, 2012

Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: Turning off the highway and realizing you have no breaks.

Better Reviews:
Heavy Planet
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