Moon Coven - Amanita Kingdom (album review)

Cover artwork by Justin Boyesen.

I first became aware of Swedish five-piece stoners Moon Coven through their one-off single "Ruler of Dust" on bandcamp when they went by the unlikely moniker of Waning Moon.  After sigining to Transubstans Records of Sweden and altering their name to Moon Coven they are about to unleash their five song debut.

The color scheme of the album's cover art is a picture perfect chromatic representation of the band's sound, aquamarine hues doused in smoke, cloudy yet unobscured images conjured not through the artifice of witchcraft, but rather through pastoral feelings and communion with nature (is stoner rock not a movement based around communion with nature through the inhalation of smoke?).  The Baphometan pose of the witch like figure on the cover could just as easily be a tree, the stars her roots and the crescent moon forming a halo around her head the crown.  And why wouldn't it be?  This is the Moon Coven we're talking about, no longer waning but soaring, a crescent moon may show the heavenly body in its weakest phase, but it only last so long before the moon returns to full bloom, to dominate the night sky once again.

Dominating the album from the outset, the opening track "Ruler of Dust" (currently blazing through the doom charts top 25 songs list), remains the band's high point.  A nice sloppy feel to the opening riff as sunshine pours in through the stoner haze, evoking the spirit of Greenleaf / Dozer.  Lazily bouncing rhythms and vocalist David Leban's casual delivery set a relaxed mood which carries into much of the album.  There is a consistent feel to the album, the tone is warm, the delivery inviting.  What sets Moon Coven apart, of course, are the riffs which come at the hands of a three guitar onslaught courtesy of Mr's Leban, Axel Granhammar and Justin Boyesen.

"Amanita Kingdom II", another standout sounds like an outtake from Mountain Witch's 'Cold River' LP which isn't a bad thing.  This has a lot to do with the vocal distortion which gives it that distant feel, Mountain Witch's Rene Sitte favors.  The major difference is that the aforementioned German trio's music is "red" and "black" in tone while Moon Coven's is a very "green" and "grey" sound.  The broken rhythms which are set in motion, then knocked down with a descending, pausey riffs are handled with the stop-motion expert hand of a Ray Harryhausen.  The song, placed right in the middle of the album, is a cool change of pace and guarantees to re-capture the attention of anybody lulled into a hypnotic state by the laidback nature of the first couple tracks.

The band does not fail to capitalize on their opportunity as the album then slides into the song "East", which is currently streaming over on The Obelisk website.  Again, it's one of the highlights on a short album full of terrific moments, you'd have to travel far and wide to find another stoner song with a vocal melody quite like the one found here.  In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find another band with quite the same sound as Moon Coven.  While there are a great deal of 70's moments on 'Amanita Kingdom', any comparisons to throwback eras would more accurately fall under the heading of late sixties psychedelic.  Closing number "We Were Conquerers" displays this quite vividly, as those pastoral feelings abound on this track.

What you're left with is a positive impression, good times remembered through a haze.  Moon Coven's 'Amanita Kingdom' should put them on the map with a fine five song performance of laidback stoner grooviness.  'Amanita Kingdom' will be released by Transubstans Records on January 15.

Highlights include: "Ruler of Dust" and "East"

Rating: 4/5


Tracklist:
1). Ruler of Dust (7:19)
2). Amanita Kingdom (7:03)
3). Amanita Kingdom II (8:00)
4). East (6:37)
5). We Were Conquerors (5:23)
Total Run Time: 34:20

From: Malmö/Jönköping, Sweden

Genre: Stoner, Psychedelic, Desert Rock

Reminds me of: Dozer, Greenleaf, Mountain Witch

Release Date: January 15, 2013

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The Brimstone Days - The Healer (album review)

Malmö, Sweden's The Brimstone Days are back with their second full-length album in 14 months.  I reviewed their last album, 'On a Monday Too Early To Tell' only early this year and their formula of happy-go-lucky, riff-centric rock took me by surprise.  They are one of the most unique bands out there in their approach to things, and while I may not share their 'everything is rosy' philosophy on a personal level, I can certainly appreciate their incredibly consistent level of hard rocking output.  The same goes for their presentation, though I may not like 'choreography' as a general thing, I definitely marvel at the band's single camera, single take music videos.  'The Healer' offers up 11 tracks of pure fun and blue eyed soul.  If there is a band today who wear their hearts on their sleeves any more vulnerably than this hard rocking trio, I haven't heard them.

As far as that consistency level goes, one may make the argument that 14 months isn't long enough time in between albums.  Not enough 'life' has happened in the meantime and there isn't enough growth as an individual to put on showcase as an artist.  That may or may not be a valid argument and if it is, it would apply here.  Then again, The Brimstone Days was never the kind of band that was going to be steeped in contemplation and self-reflection.  As a unit, they have been put on this earth to do one thing and one thing only:  to have a good time.  That's what comes through in the music most of all.

The album opens with "Black and Blue" which continues the band's observation of hard rock Holy Relics, as they had on their last album, paying tribute to Hendrix, Lynott and Clapton without directly ripping off any riffs.  Southern swamp funk washes in to the appropriately titled "We Come In Peace".  It's a pretty accurate statement of the band's overall party rock approach.  They mean no harm.  After all, what could be more peaceful than a raging housewrecker?

The Brimstone Days also have their old school soul moments, "Clap Your Hands" and "I Won't Let You Go", capturing the genuine funk flavor of Sam & Dave or The Staple Singers.  Blue eyed soul is not the kind of thing you hear a lot of nowadays, The Brimstone Days pull it off with genuine soul and fire.  But,  the band finds their most positive moment on "Miss Understood".  The line "They call me crazy I say misunderstood" really resonates for a lifelong weirdo like myself.  The song is like a clap on the shoulder and a supportive wink.  No, The Brimstone Days aren't going to engage in a deep, meaningful coffee shop conversation about "your illness", they are just going to stand there grinning and say, "yeah man, it's okay, go nuts if you want, we won't judge you".  The only difficult thing in an atmosphere like that is for the crazy guy not to take things too far.

'The Healer' picks up where 'On a Monday Too Early To Tell' left off, but if there were a noticable difference between the two albums, 'The Healer' finds the band in a slightly more thoughtful mood.  Quieter songs find a toehold on this album and certainly don't dominate, but their presence is felt.  For every quiet song though, there are two or three of the exuberant kind.  Of course, there are quiet moments within the exuberant songs ... But you know what, 'The Healer' pretty much sees the band continuing along a linear trajectory.  A trajectory which points towards wherever the nearest party is.

And the nearest party happens in Sweden on November 6 when 'The Healer' will be released on an unsuspecting public pushing desperately through their humdrum lives.  The Brimstone Days will brighten up the winter months.  As for the rest of us around the world, we can expect a release date of December 8.  The album will be released on CD and black and yellow vinyl through Transubstans Records.  Also, keep your eyes peeled for a new video, I'm sure it will be crazy, but we won't judge them for it.

Highlights include: "Nightmare Is Here" and "Miss Understood".

Rating: 4/5



Total Run Time: 35:18

From: Malmö, Sweden

Genre: Hard Rock, Funk, Soul

Reminds me of: Jimi Hendrix, Sam Cooke, Small Faces

Release Date: November 6, 2013 (Sweden), December 8 (Worldwide)

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NYMF - From the Dark (album review)

Amazing cover artwork by Jan Örkki Yrlund

Transubstans Records's NYMF (note for sticklers: correct spelling is all caps) is a Swedish metal supergroup featuring members of The Graviators, Trollfnask, Unfaithful & Wulfgar.  The short history of the band (formed around 2007) reveals a revolving door cast of featured players in the great Shakespearean and Spinal Tappian traditions, adding a new rhythm section of Robin Ingemansson of Unfaithful on bass and Tommy Lindskog of Wulfgar on drums to the solid core of Niklas Sjoberg & Martin Fairbanks of The Graviators and Kristofer Stjernquist of Trollfnask (and also Seeds of Cider).  Fairly recently, the band released a split single with Swedish stoner legends Dozer.  NYMF's offerings on the single were "Possessed" & "Fear of the Doom" (the latter songs was a digital only bonus track) which ended up as the starting lineup of songs on 'From the Dark'.  Each of the two songs is direct and to-the-point with solid doomy riffs, a stubborn insistence on driving rhythms and are totally studded in metal.  It's a sensibility that pours from the top down to the rest of the album.

The way the album starts right off the bat on the aforementioned "Fear of the Doom" with a pulse of double kick which breaks down into a slower beat creates the impression that NYMF's approach to songwriting is to throw the kitchen sink at a song during the jamming process, then pare everything down to its essential strength.  Whatever their modus operandi, the result is that the songs make the maximum impact with as little fuss as possible.

"Black Core" emits the pungent stench of horror through pleading vocals and a brushstroke of eerie atmosphere.  There are many highlights on this album:  "Drive" and "Thin Ice" comes easily to mind as well.  But "Lucifer Takes the Crown" is probably the most ambitious and far-reaching song on the album.  The boys in the band push themselves to a higher level and carry that momentum into the next track "In the Name of Vlad".  "Your Soul is Mine"s undulating and driving riff is infectious like an insect egg in the cranium.  This trilogy brings the album to a level not seen since the opening pair of tracks offered its initial smack in the head of introduction.  Dynamics and melody return to the fore and we are treated to a right pummeling courtesy of Lindskog.  This is when the band is at its best.

They are listed as "stoner metal" on Encyclopedia Metallum, but I think that's missing the point.  Pulling influences from all corners of the heavy spectrum, no album has felt as purely and simply "metal" to me than this one for a good long while.  There should be more bands like this, you can't just dismiss or label NYMF as "oh, they're a doom band" or "they're a black metal band" or whatever it may be, they're just a metal band and they're a pretty damn good one at that.  'From the Dark' should appeal to just about anyone fan of metal who hasn't completely specialized their tastes in a particular subgenre or other.  This is a great album with a ton of energy.  Highly recommended for one and all!

Highlights include: "Fear of the Doom" and "Lucifer Takes the Crown"

Rating: 4.5/5


Tracklist:
1). Heleionomai (1:05)
2). Fear of the Doom (4:46)
3). Possessed (4:14)
4). Black Core (4:12)
5). Evolution Blues (5:08)
6). Thin Ice (5:11)
7). Postmorten (4:30)
8). Drive (5:36)
9). Lucifer Takes the Crown (4:06)
10). In the Name of Vlad (4:05)
11). Your Soul Is Mine (4:07)
12). The Greatest Burden (6:07)
13). Like a Giant Orange Sun (3:35)
Total Run Time: 56:36

From: Karlshamn / Olofström / Bromölla, Sweden

Genre: Metal, Doom, Stoner

Reminds me of: Cardinals Folly, Church of Void, The Graviators

Release Date: September 11, 2013

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