Hour of Power 10/12/13 (playlist)

1. Mindless Ones (Monster Magnet / Last Patrol) 2013
2. Traveller's Lament (Old Man Wizard / Unfavorable) 2013
3. Ovi [live at Roadburn] (Seremonia / Ihminen) 2013
4. Curse the Shadows (Pale Divine / demo) 2013
5. Liberty in Death (Noctum / Final Sacrifice) 2013
6. The Bringer of Light (Doublestone / Wingmakers) 2013
7. A Ride in the Funhouse (Blood Red Water / All the Ills of Mankind) 2013
8. Witch Queen (Yidhra / Hexed) 2013
9. Spines (Sumeru / ST EP) 2013
10. Hoe Smoke & Sasafrass (Bubble Puppy / A Gathering of Promises) 1969
11. Snowchild (Kings of Koch / digital single) 2013
12. Song for the End (Blizaro / demo) 2013
13. Bark at the Moon (Ozzy Osbourne / Bark at the Moon) 1983 'classic clip'

2012 Chronicle (Year in review) part 13 - Addendum, oversight, late additions, etc.

What can I say, it was a big project and I lost track of some things.  Also, I discovered a number of albums in the last couple weeks that I felt were definitely worthy of inclusion.  Each of these entries will be added to the relevant monthly year in review posts for future generations to see ...

March 21 - WINDHAND (ST) - Richmond, Virginia based doom quintet Windhand's five song debut was one of the best releases of the year.  It has made many year end lists and has netted them a deal with Burning World records.  Their Electric Wizard meets Uncle Acid style of doom is supremely addictive.  Find it here and be blown away by one of the best albums of the year.  Highlights include "Black Candles" and "Winter Sun".  Rating 5/5

March 27 - Pale Divine (Painted Windows Black)

June 14 - NIGHTOSAUR (Spaceaxers) - Minneapolis based power trio Nightosaur play a raw brand of 'fossil rock' with elements of punk, thrash and sludge.  Their sophomore effort is a high energy, eptempo outing and loud above all else.  Get it here.  Highlights include "Too Far South For Mutiny" and "There May Be Dragons".  Rating 4/5

September 12 - THE BRIMSTONE DAYS (On A Monday Too Early To Tell) - Malmo, Sweden based three-piece The Brimstone Days are a high energy, no-nonsense, back-to-basics rock & roll band.  On their second album they bang off 14 killer songs in 48 satisfying minutes with hardly a detour into ballad country.  These guys get straight to the point and stay on track.  Find it here.  Highlights include "Same Old Story" and "I Need Soul".  Rating 4.5/5

September 23 - BLUE ASIDE (The Moles of a Dying Race) - Boston proggers Blue Aside released maybe my favorite prog album of 2012.  It's an album that I like more and more with each subsequent listen.  Cold landscapes and an ever-present feeling of paranoia pervade this album.  Read my review.  Get it here.  Highlights include "The Ice Mammoth" and "The Moles of a Dying Race, Part I".  Rating 4.5/5

October 5 - CHAINS (Of Death) - Clearly, you will notice, ambient drone doom is not a major area of focus around Paranoid Hitsophrenic but with Chad Davis involved I was more than happy to make an exception.  This is magic ritual music, more meditative and darker than Saturnalia Temple or Spectral Haze and more of a mood setter.  Find it here. Highlights include "Anticosmic Void" and "Necromantic Force".  Rating 4.5/5

October 31 - MAGE (Black Sands) - Leicester, England quintet Mage play a burly style of mossy stoner doom.  This is their first full length album, full of big riffs and some very memorable songs.  Aside from those listed below "Danse Macabre", "Degenerate" and "Witch of the Black Desert" are standout tracks.  Good mix of stoner and doom by way of the desert.  Read my review.  Find it here.  Highlights include "Cosmic Cruiser X" and "Drowning Doom".  Rating 4/5

November 9 - ARKHAM WITCH (Legions of the Deep) - Old School metal quartet  with elements of doom from Keighley, England, featuring two thirds of Lamp of Thoth.  So much of this album is standout material, there's hooks and riffs galore and this album is littered with reference to the work of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft, etc.  Come upon it here.  Highlights include "The Cloven Sea" and "David Lund".  Rating 4/5

November 12 - Hound (Spirits Are Appearing)

November 14 - THREE SEASONS (Understand The World) - A standout entry in the field of prog from Uppsala, Sweden, this would have been a standout in the original prog era of the early 70s, of which this album really sounds like.  There's some top flight material on this album and this band is at the forefront of this Golden Age of Swedish Rock.  Read my review.  Find it here.  Highlights include "Searching" and "Set In Stone".  Rating 4/5

November 14 - WHEELFALL (Interzone) - Epic stoner rock with great riffs and a hypnotic attitude, this French foursome's much lauded debut full length is a downtuned wet fuzz dream come true.  It's not often you hear a stoner rock band attempt a 20+ minute song, but Wheelfall does it.  Lot of great French releases in 2012, 'Interzone' is near the top.  Get it here.  Highlights include "It Comes From The Mist" and "Holy Sky".  Rating 4.5/5

November 22 - BLACK SPACE RIDERS (Light is the New Black) - This is a very interesting release from a German space / stoner rock quartet.  A lot of the song titles have bracketed subtitles which creates the impression that the band has so many ideas they don't know what to do with them all, this abundance of ideas comes across in the music.  Check it out.  Highlights include "Digging Down" and "Startrooper".  Rating 4/5


***

There you have it.  2012 was an amazing year for music and I didn't even get the chance to pick up or listen to half of everything I wanted to.  I'd like to think that I supported only the best of the absolute best, but there were just too many albums that I didn't get around to.  And with upcoming releases from none other than Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, Cathedral and Clutch as well as Serpent Venom, Windhand, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats and High Priest of Saturn, among so many other highly anticipated releases (Egypt, Moss, Set (Mass.), Sonic Titan, Witchcoven, I could go on and on) that my bank account groans miserably in anticipation, 2013 threatens to be an even better year.  See you on the other side of the fence ...

Hour of Power 11/03/12 (playlist)

Highlights from the week of 10/28/12 - 11/03/12

1. Mammuten (Mamont / Passing Through the Mastery Door)
2. Cosmic Ark (Mos Generator / Nomads)
3. Why Dontcha (West, Bruce & Laing / Why Dontcha)
4. Colossus (Mount Fuji / ST)
5. Black Coven (Pale Divine / Painted Windows Black)
6. The River (Octopus / Restless Night)
7. Lost Highway (Wo Fat / The Black Code)
8. Prince of Fire (The Wandering Midget / From the Meadows of Opium Dreams)
9. Path Through the Forest (The Factory / Path Through the Forest)
10. Crows in Swine (Red Fang / single)
11. Sweetish (Bison, Bison / ST)
12. On Love (Skip Bifferty / The Story of Skip Bifferty)
13. Gospel of Mary (Vinum Sabbatum / Bacchanale Premiere)

Weekly Mail Bag 10/29/12 - 11/02/12

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

Bison, Bison - ST - Already reviewed this one but the actual CD came through the mail today.  I ordered it October 14, so it only took about two weeks and a bit to come in.  Not too shabby at all.  It came with a couple of stickers, one of which had a nice little hand written note (thank you).  Again, at only $7 on their bandcamp page, this package is well worth picking up.  Support a very good new band.  Highlights include "Sweetish" and "Waiting for Saturn". Rating - 4/5

Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy - Never owned this album, til now.  Only ever listened to it in one sitting, once before.  The kind of album that improves if you forget who's doing it.  Not exactly Sabbath's finest moment, but not as bad as initially thought, this album finds Sabbath toying with their brilliant sound to mixed results.  But after all, it's still Sabbath. Highlights include "It's Alright" and "Back Street Kids". Rating - 3.5/5

Bonzo Dog Band - The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse - Their second and best album, the Bonzos were always more than a novelty act and this album proves it.  Getting slightly away from the pure comedy songs, and more into straightforward songwriting.  I've listened to this album a lot and it hasn't gotten old yet.  First time I've had it on CD though.  Highlights include "We Are Normal" and "Humanoid Boogie". Rating - 4/5

Electric Light Orchestra - ST - This is an album that truly stands alone in the canon of rock.  Basically when The Move decided to become a string quartet (with drums) they made this album, which sounds nothing like ELO's later stuff (or anything else really).  Eleanor Rigby's got nothing on this.  Highlights include "Look At Me Now" and "10538 Overture". Rating - 4.5/5

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera - ST - This band took forever to grow on me but once they got their hooks in me I couldn't fight it.  They're catchy, intelligent, sometimes funny and nearly every song on here is a standout.  They fluctuate between the wimpier and more muscular side of British psychedelia, but when they do rock, they rock pretty hard. Highlights include "Flames" and "Mary Jane". Rating - 4/5

The Factory - Path Through the Forest - I can't honestly recommend this one or claim that it's worth the money for any but the biggest music dorks.  At 7 tracks (one an alternate mix / 6 songs) 24 minutes and $14 it's not worth it.  But it does feature two of the greatest singles of the original psychedelic era, which sure satisfies me. Highlights include "Path Through the Forest" and "Try a Little Sunshine". Rating - 4/5

The Gods - Genesis - Though their constituent members would go on to join The Rolling Stones, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, among others, this band actually offers a surprisingly wimpy sound.  Very much on the light side of British psychedelia, there's still some pretty good songs here.  I can't say it's for everyone though. Highlights include "Farthing Man" and "Looking Glass". Rating - 3/5

Led Zeppelin - II - I mentioned last week that I never had this album, because I've never needed it.  It's one of those cultural artifacts that's always around.  Somebody's got it at the house or in the car, and now I do.  Every song's a classic.  As much as I love 'Houses of the Holy' and 'Physical Graffiti', this is their best album.  Highlights include: "What Is And What Should Never Be" and "Thank You".  Rating - 5/5

Monster Magnet - Monolithic Baby! - Monster Magnet never disappoints.  Okay, maybe they have, but I'm over it now and  making up for lost time.  The first half of this album is balls to the wall rock.  But what starts off rocking hard eventually falters and stumbles into second act problems.  And there were programmed drums here as I was originally worried.  Highlights include "Slut Machine" and "Supercruel". Rating - 3.5/5

Mos Generator - Nomads -  Came in via Ripple music with a nice handwritten thank you note, which is much appreciated, a sampler CD (thanks!), a sticker, and a printed and folded 'zine style flyer of other releases.  It's little extra goodies like this that really make it worth supporting the actual small labels (who do appreciate your support) than going right to Amazon.  Thanks a lot guys, much appreciated. Review to follow.

Octopus - Restless Night - One of the truly underrated albums of the original psychedelic era (probably because it came out too late (1971), this album features some of the best hooks you're likely to hear.  The single "The River" b/w "Thief" is one of the greatest singles of all time and the album cover is amazing.  The rest of the album is pop psych in the Badfinger vein.  Highlights include "The River" and "Thief". Rating - 4.5/5


Pale Divine - Painted Windows Black - Another Soggy Bog of Doom Traditional Doom Special discovery.  This is a high powered album from a band at equal strength when playing fast or slow: compare "Nocturne Dementia" to "End of Days".  But I don't like the virtuosic guitar gymnastics ... I love them.  Highlights include "Black Coven" and "Nocturne Dementia".  Rating - 3.5/5


Skip Bifferty - The Story of Skip Bifferty - Another band that took a while to grow on me, but once they did, they became one of my favorite 60s bands.  Reminds me of Spencer Davis Group and Plastic Penny, and just as hooky, they were also quite heavy for their time.  At two discs and 40 tracks it's a worthy package.  Many great songs here. Highlights include "On Love" and "Money Man". Rating - 4/5

Vinum Sabbatum - Bacchanale Premiere - My most played album from October actually only came in the mail November 2 and it's a beautiful package.  Similar dimensions to the Serpent Venom CD, it comes with lyrics which helps me out a lot.  This is a terrific album that uses the Hammond organ and keyboards to great effect and reminds me a lot of Deep Purple.  This is a surefire Top 20 of the year album.  Highlights include "Earthrise" and "Tombstone Rider". Rating - 4.5/5

West, Bruce & Laing - Why Dontcha - A band with so much heavy metal royalty (Leslie West, Jack Bruce, Corky Laing) they didn't even have to name the band, Why Dontcha is one of my favorite proto-metal albums of the 70s.  The title track alone is worth the price of admission.  Musically, they strike a good balance between Cream and Mountain - Highlights include "Why Dontcha" and "The Doctor". Rating - 4/5