Paranoid Hitsophrenic

Saturday, 25 May 2013

Hour of Power 05/25/13 (playlist)

Dead Rock Commandos (Nighstalker / Dead Rock Commandos) 2012
Stormbreak (Kings Destroy / A Time of Hunting) 2013
The Righteous Walk (The Devil Rides Out / Ugly Creatures) 2013
Gravity Chasm [live] (Conan / TBA) 2013
Scion of Infinity (Funeral Circle / ST) 2013
Embrace the Stone (Age of Taurus / Desperate Souls of Tortured Times) 2013
Time to Die (Satan / Life Sentence) 2013
The Last Titan (Temptations Wings / Legends of the Tusk) 2013
Electric Worry (Clutch / From Beale Street to Oblivion) 2007 'classic video'
Master of the Temple (Magister Templi / Lucifer Leviathan Logos) 2013
Puujamala (Loijatar / Hämärän Kulkija) 2013

Doom Charts for 05/25/13

Top 25 Songs

#). Song Title (artist/album)

Polygon of Eyes (Scorpion Child / ST)
Dull Ache [I Hate Myself Today] (Tentacle / Ingot Eye)
Prepare To Die (Devil To Pay / Fate Is Your Muse)
Poison Apple (Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats / Mind Control)
One of a Kind (Nocturnal / single)
Savage Dancer (Black Moth / 7" single)
Crux To Bear (Across Tundras / Split LP w/ Lark's Tongue)
Rebecca At The Well (Revelation / Inner Harbor)
Lunar Master (Mothership / ST)
Vertigo (Zodiac / ST)
Swing the Scimitar (Black Pyramid / Adversarial)
Shadow King (Beastwars / Blood Becomes Fire)
Chrononaut (Crag Dweller / Magic Dust)
Ladies of the Night (Devil / Gather the Sinners)*
Under Control (Space Mushroom Fuzz / Something Weird's Going On)
Kingdom of Others (Death Ape Disco / Supervolcano)
For the Throne of Fire (Kröwnn / Hyborian Age)
Yorgan Mountain (Green Shade / ... Bright Interlude)
Goodbye Gemini (Blood Ceremony / The Eldritch Dark)*
Walpurgia (Weed Priest / ST)*
Kärsimyksen tie (Musta Risti / ST)
... And Death Rides With Us (Temptations Wings / Legends of the Tusk)
Electric Mistress [7" edit] (Stoned Jesus / single)*
In The Heather (Romero / Take The Potion)
Purple Void (Spacefog / Purple Void)

* New Song

Outgoing songs:
Nuclear Messiah (King Goat / Atom)
Dancing With My Demons (Chains / 7" single)
Cryogenics (Utah / ST)
Silverwing (Sideburn / IV Monument)

Top 30 Albums
#). artist - album title

Devil To Pay - Fate Is Your Muse
Black Pyramid - Adversarial
Blizaro - Blak Majicians
Kröwnn - Hyborian Age
Head of the Demon - ST
Tentacle - Ingot Eye
Cultura Tres - Rezando Al Miedo
Devil - Gather The Sinners
Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire
Revelation - Inner Harbor
Weed Priest - ST
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - Mind Control
Crag Dweller - Magic Dust
Kadavar - Abra Kadavar
Mothership - ST
Cardinals Folly - Strange Conflicts of the Past
Demon Lung - The Hundredth Name
Grave Disgrace - Triumphant & Militant Church
Magister Templi - Lucifer Leviathan Logos
Shinin' Shade - SAT-URN
Abysmal Grief - Feretri
Tsar Bomba - Silent Queen
Gates of Slumber - Stormcrow EP
Demon Eye - E.P.
Grey Host - Dawn For Vultures
Zodiac - ST
Cathedral - The Last Spire
Sideburn - IV Monument
Kings Destroy - A Time of Hunting*
Geezer - Gage EP

Friday, 24 May 2013

Lesados - Leziria (album review)

Lesados play stoner rock which has grown from the cracks of a punk rock foundation. They have the same kind of driving, hypnotic, almost robotic riffs and rhythms that were a main feature of Josh Homme's early years. When a guitarist just riffs away forever like that it creates a juggernaut of momentum. This is true of track one "Porque?", a hypnotic drill of head down riff mongering and brick wall smashing. As the song and album titles suggest, Lesados' lyrics are all in Portuguese.

On "Neblina", the band get into some slow riff doom territory, while maintaining a crusty punk edge which is always apparent in the vocals, upping the tempo for the chorus. While older Black Pyramid and Devil have a doom punk thing going, Lesados have a different feel, capturing more of the original spirit of The Obsessed in its combination of styles. "Olival" keeps the doom rolling with grooves a-plenty, once again scratching out simplistic, heavy and ultimately satisfying riffs, which seems to be a dying art.

In many ways, 'Leziria' features a misleading album cover. Where one might expect to hear some slow burning dusty crop blues inflected rock, Lesados keep a steady pace. So steady in fact that the bulk of the songs are a nearly uniform length with the exception of closing track, "Zona", an 11 minute romp which also features a hidden riff-o-rama track. 'Leziria' is fast-paced, riff-mad, heavy rock n roll. As the album progresses, the feel of the album cover becomes a little more apparent on tracks like "Cadáveres" and "Zona".

So what you're getting here is some fast paced, punk-inflected stoner rock with rural moments and insistent riffs. The doomier moments fall within the bracket of what Corrosion of Conformity is doing these days, which is a good band to keep in mind when approaching Lesados, especially on "Neblina". Best part of all, you can download this gem for half a friggin' euro on the band's bandcamp page, now.

Highlights include: "Neblina" and "Porque?"

Rating: 4.5/5

Total Run Time: 37:59

From: Alverca, Portugal

Genre: Stoner, Punk, Doom

Reminds me of: Corrosion of Conformity, The Obsessed

Release Date: March 17, 2013

Better Review:
Stoner Hive

Lesados 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

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Black Pyramid - Adversarial (album review)

Cover artwork by Eli Wood.

There's no other way to start a review of Black Pyramid's third album, 'Adversarial' without mentioning the change in line-up, and it's an important change. Actually, the change took place a while ago. Before Black Pyramid's second album 'II' came out in January of last year, Andy Beresky, guitarist and vocalist of the three piece had left the band. In his place now stands Darryl Shepard, a veteran musician of numerous bands and projects over the years (see his profile on Encyclopedia Metallum), including The Scimitar a new side project with Black Pyramid bassist Gein and drummer Brian Banfield (Blood Stone Sacrifice). The band name was actually inspired by the opening track of 'Adversarial', "Swing the Scimitar", but we'll get to that in a moment. The personnel shift is significant and changes the overall tone and sound of the band, of course it does, you don't replace a guitarist / vocalist in a single guitar band set up without it having a major impact.

Where Black Pyramid once embraced a hardcore punk / doom crossover sound mixed with the occasional elements of Irish folk, that trademark sound has been largely swept aside, although not entirely (see instrumental "Issus"). On 'Adversarial', Black Pyramid move toward a more head down power doom sound, a sound that is somehow more befitting the band name. "Swing the Scimitar" successfully evokes images of Arabian desert raids in the Hyborian Age. A swirling riff kicks up sand storms in the mind. Men with shrouded faces descend from the clifftops whose blades are swifter than the wind. As not only the opener but the longest track on the record, it sets the tone and locks it in, while also setting a high standard for the rest of the album to follow.

As I mentioned in my Blizaro 'Blak Majicians' review (read it!), I discovered the song "Aphelion" on the Obelisk podcast for Stoner Hands of Doom XII in August of last year. It was from a split seven inch single with Odyssey and it was Shepard's first recorded release with the band. It's a great song that was actually a Top 5 in the pre-blog Doom Charts. The song has been re-recorded here in a roomier eight minutes plus version that hangs that big riff on the clothesline and airs it out for all it's worth.

"Onyx and Obsidian" continues that Arabian desert vibe that all the longer songs on 'Adversarial' all share, particularly in the middle of this track. Thumping rhythms and killer octave shifts create a sitar feel from Shepard's guitar. The album closer, "Onyx and Obsidian" also clocks in at over eight minutes long and is the most adventurous and epic track on the album.

'Adversarial' finds that the band has moved on from what they were doing with Beresky in the fold. In many ways, it's a meatier sound that is more substantial even with only 5 tracks and about a quarter of an hour shorter than 'II'. In other ways the usually prolific band may have lost some 'real world' momentum in the process of swapping front men, but that doesn't really matter with the album in your hands and the music in your ears. Beresky, by the way, has since moved on to Palace in Thunderland and I like what he's doing there now more than what he was with Black Pyramid, while at the same time, I like Black Pyramid more with Shepard in front. Far as this reviewer is concerned, the situation, musically, is win-win.

Highlights include: "Onyx and Obsidian" and "Aphelion"

Rating: 4.5/5

Tracklist:
1). Swing the Scimitar (11:59)
2). Bleed Out (5:39)
3). Issus (3:56)
4). Aphelion (8:32)
5). Onyx and Obsidian (8:23)
Total Run Time: 46:51

Darryl Shepard - guitar / vocals
Gein - bass
Clay Neely - drums / synth
From: Boston, Massachusetts

Genre: Doom, Stoner, Psychedelic

Reminds me of: Stone Machine Electric, Wo Fat

Release Date: April 2, 2013

Suggested listening activity for fellow non-stoners: Arriving at the sand-smothered gates of the ancient ziggurat, scale the outer wall and let the siege begin ...

Better Review:
The Obelisk

Black Pyramid facebook

GET IT HERE

OR HERE (digital)

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Magister Templi - Lucifer Leviathan Logos (album review)

I don't remember where or when I heard about these guys but I know I'd had May 10 circled on the calendar for weeks, for that was the day that the Magister Templi took the altar with their full-length debut. I've said it before and I'll say it some more, I love me some old school style metal. Where machine gun guitars hack and slash through all bullshit, galloping rhythms stalk listeners on darkened streets, muted cymbals and anthemic singalong choruses finally capture them in their frenzy. That's what it's all about. You can almost feel the denim draped over your shoulders, the fingerless gloves raising a fist, head thrown back, mullets flowing in the breeze of sheer amplitude. And that's just the opening tune, "Master of the Temple."

It's no wonder that 'Lucifer Leviathan Logos' is such an accomplished debut. They've been around for roughly five years now, having up to this point released a total of six songs spanning a demo and an EP.

"Lucifer" may be Magister Templi's oldest song, as an older version appears on their two-song demo, which is fitting because it treats the listener to some melodic vocals that remind me somewhat of the underground heavy prog/psych bands that were coming out of England in the late sixties, bands like Vandergraaf Generator, East of Eden and Second Hand. It forms a trio of songs, along with "Leviathan" and "Logos" that not only form the album title but that cut through the album evenly (each of the even numbered songs) forming the overall "master's thesis" of Magister Templi, summarizing everything, all the ideas they are attempting to get across on this album.

"The Innsmouth Look" is, quite obviously, a Lovecraftian Mythos song (side note: it's funny because I only just read Marvel Premiere #s 4, 5 & 6 featuring Dr. Strange, which dealt with this subject exactly. Side note to the side note: these three issues were written by comics Hall of Famer Gardner F. Fox, one of the very first fiction writers to recognize Lovecraft's genius and pick up on what he was doing, including expanding on his beloved Mythos). It's one of the most unabashedly and appropriately doom-y song on the album and builds slowly towards the driving metal that defines most of the rest of the album. The previously mentioned "Leviathan" builds dynamically on the foundation laid by this song as well, slabbing layer upon layer of doom then metal and so on, which makes this such a well-crafted and atmospherically rich album.

Vocalist Abraxas d'Ruckus delivers a full performance, seemingly challenging and pushing himself on every song, either by crafting a memorable melody or shifting into an unnatural falsetto. Earnestly spoken incantations add the spice of danger and authenticity to the largely occultic lyrical content. It's this predilection for spoken word passages then pushing the vocal performance just past that of d'Ruckus' natural ability that lends this album a Doors-like finish, it's smooth going in, then foams up while passing through the throat.

Through it all, though it may be a little rough around the edges in places, even someone who has lost their hearing can simply feel the raw power of this album pulsing through their feet and up their spines to infect the brain like the fungi from Yuggoth.

A lot of old school metal type bands go with one sound and one tempo and one goal in mind on every song and that certainly has its place and makes for an enjoyable ride. Magister Templi however, aren't afraid to experiment with many shades to their palette while still retaining an overall feel to the album all the same. Look no further than album closer "Vitriol" for evidence of this. "Master of the Temple" doesn't sound like "Lucifer", which doesn't sound like "The Innsmouth Look" and so on. While a lesser band might have taken each of these songs and crafted seven whole albums around them with six to ten songs that all sound roughly the same, Magister Templi has produced a varied listening experience while still signing their work with a signature sound. It's a rare trait these days and rarer still to be pulled off so successfully.

Highlights include: "Master of the Temple" and "Lucifer"

Rating: 4/5

Tracklist:
1). Master of the Temple (6:01)
2). Lucifer (4:50)
3). The Innsmouth Look (5:56)
4). Leviathan (5:30)
5). Tiphareth (5:46)
6). Logos (4:31)
7). Vitriol (4:25)
Total Run Time: 36:54

Abraxas d'Ruckus: Vocals
Baphomet: Guitar
Patriark: Guitar
Akoman: Bass
Grimmdun: Drums

From: Oslo, Norway

Genre: Doom, Old School Metal

Reminds me of: Arkham Witch, Natur

Release Date: May 10, 2013

Better Reviews:
Angry Metal Guy
Last Rites

This is Not a Scene interview
Nocturnal Cult interview

Magister Templi facebook

GET IT HERE

OR HERE (digital)

Doom Charts for 05/22/13