REVIEW: Grizzlor / Godstopper - "Grizzlor / Godstopper 7inch"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: 7inch

Date Released: 17/02/2017

Label: Corpse Flower Records

 

Overall this is an excellent split that showcases two awesome bands with differing styles united in their bizarre approach and love of the riff.

“Grizzlor/Godstopper 7”//DD track listing:

1). Grizzlor – Are You Doing Your Job?

2). Grizzlor – Jack and Diane

3). Godstopper – Down Here For Long

4). Godstopper - Cellphane

The Review:

Corpse Flower Records have brought together two titans of oddball noise rock in the form of Grizzlor and Godstopper to create a killer split 7”.

New Haven’s Grizzlor came to my attention with their mighty 2015 7” “Cycloptic”. This time the band have slowed the tempo slightly to pack two songs into seven minutes, making these tracks almost prog in length compared to their previous output. Their unique brand of lurid, sludgy weirdness is as potent as ever though coming across like the Melvins providing a twisted soundtrack to Saturday morning kid’s cartoons. “Are You Doing Your Job?” sees the band expand their twisted surf edge in the form of unhinged reverbed-out guitar solo while “Jack and Diane” is a perkier slice of damaged punk rock. These two tracks offer a tantalising glimpse of Grizzlor’s power and hopefully they will be back soon with a longer release.

This split is my first taste of Godstopper and it has definitely made me hungry for more. The Toronto quartet deliver two tracks of wildly contrasting style but both of high quality. “Down Here For Long” is the heaviest track on the record, with crunching stop/start riffs giving way to outbursts of glorious Torche style melodic sludge. “Cellophane” provides a complete change of pace in the form of a strange power ballad. Consisting mostly of sparse guitar, piano and rim clicks, it’s a catchy tune that has hints of Faith No More’s quieter moments, particularly during the brief eruption of distortion. 

Overall this is an excellent split that showcases two awesome bands with differing styles united in their bizarre approach and love of the riff.

“Grizzlor/Godstopper 7” is available here

Band info: facebookgrizzlordestroys || facebookgodstopperband

Fister / Teeth - “Fister/Teeth” Split (Review)

By: Chris Bull

Album Type: Split 7inch

Date Released: 29/04/2016

Label: Broken Limbs Recordings

Fister have a knack for finding excellent bands to do spilt releases with and this is no exception.  Their brilliant track 'We All Die Tonight' is a thumping, gnarly affair, grinning with vehemence and contempt. Teeth weigh in with 2 tracks, the latter of which 'To Lay Upon Blistered Thorns' is a downright horrible piece of music in the best possible way!  Both bands know how to make the most of a limited amount of time and manage to fill it with devastatingly heavy music. A brilliant release worthy of anyone's interest or indeed money.

“Fister/Teeth” Split DD//LP track listing:

1). Fister - We All Die Tonight
2). Teeth - Lament of the Spineless
3). Teeth - To Lay Upon Blistered Thorns

The Review:

If you enjoy the nastier side of slow, heavy music, then Fister should be a band you're already familiar with. This time, they have teamed with doom/death metal brigade Teeth for one of the most crushing splits this year.

Fister's contribution, the brilliant 'We All Die Tonight' is a thumping, gnarly affair, grinning with vehemence and contempt. The vocals from both bassist/vocalist Kenny Snarzyk and guitarist/vocalist Marcus Newstead are full of a venomous bite attacking from behind the crushing wall of riffs. Even when the song takes a more epic and melodic turn, it still attains the air of malicious intent.

Teeth weigh in with 2 tracks; first the vicious 'Lament Of The Spineless', is a real treat, blasting and crushing in equal measure and the riffs glisten with an eerie tone. That eerie tone is amplified on 'To Lay Upon Blistered Thorns' as they take a slightly slower (but by no means less brutal) approach, despite the blistering blasts of the opening bars. It's a downright horrible piece of music in the best possible way!

Fister have a knack for finding excellent bands to do spilt releases with (Primitive Man anyone?) and this is no exception. Both bands know how to make the most of a limited amount of time and manage to fill it with devastatingly heavy music. A brilliant release worthy of anyone's interest or indeed money.

“Fister/Teeth” is available here

Band info: Fister |Teeth

Disastroid - "Love Is What You Bring On Home" 7inch (Review)

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: 7inch

Date Released: 22/01/2016

Label: Independent

“Love Is What You Bring On Home” 7inch/DD track listing:

A). Love is what you bring on home

B). Gadabout

The Review:

If a band who makes math rock and is able to do so without alienating those who aren’t musicians, then they’re doing a pretty good job. Now with four releases under their belt it’s safe to say that Disastroid is such a band. By the time this review is posted, Disastroid will have released their new 7” called “Love is What You Bring Home.” It’s a release that plays out strange melodies to difficult timings, digging as deep into sludge territory as they do stoner rock. Side A is home to the 2 minute title track, a freak out that’s a little indebted to Fatso Jetson but no less Disastroid. Side B’s song is called “Gadabout,” and though less frenetic than its Side A counterpart, it’s no less restless. When put next to their last release (review), it’s apparent that Disastroid hasn’t really made a huge sonic transformation but rather has laid down more proof that they’re a steady force in the Californian music scene.

 Oh yeah, and check out that artwork.

“Love Is What You Bring On Home” is available here

Band info: bandcamp | official | facebook

Taarkus - "Stones" 7inch (Review)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: 7inch

Date Released: 29/01/2016

Label: Rise Above Records

“Stones” 7inch track listing:

1). Stones

2). At Midnight

The Review:

So, two tracks of proggy rock/proto metal from Rise Above Records. A much more straightforward proposition than, for recent comparison, High Priest of Saturn. This is more riff based with Hammond organ, of course, and both female and male vocals (female lead). It also features a flute, for those with a hatred of prog... or a love, for that matter; you have fair warning.

As I was expecting something a bit like ELP (for obvious reasons) I was pleasantly surprised by this single- slow in pace, gentle in melody but still with a level of heaviness and doom elements. Both tracks plod forth at a pedestrian pace but with plenty going on. Whether or not Taarkus can sustain this for a whole album, or whether they will diversify their approach, remains to be seen. For now, though, we can enjoy this single for what it is: a throw back to the seventies, when giants walked the earth.

“Stones” is available here

Band info: facebook | bandcamp

Grizzlor - "Cycloptic" 7inch (Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: 7inch

Date Released: 28/10/2015

Label: Hex Records 

Each track is a barrage of filthy, lumbering Flipper-style basslines and riffs that sound like Clutch on downers. Effected vocals and pitched down samples sit on top of this to add an acid-fried weirdness to proceedings, echoing crazy Texans, Butthole Surfers.

“Cycloptic” 7inch//DD track listing:

1). Sundays Are Stupid

2). I’m That Asshole

3). Life’s A Joke

4). Tommy

5). Winter Blows

6). War Machine

7). Starship Mother Shit

The Review

Ever wondered what the Melvins would sound like if they were three times faster with a tenth of the attention span? New Haven trio, Grizzlor, are here to provide the answer in fine style on new 7” “Cycloptic”.

Barrelling through 7 tracks in 9 minutes is the kind of behaviour I’d normally associate with grind or crust bands, not a mid-pace noise rock band. I was initially sceptical about how this would work and worried that  “Cycloptic” would just be a series of unsatisfactory truncated jams. Grizzlor soon put all doubts to rest.

Reverbed moans and maniacal laughter give way to the pummelling opening riff of “Sundays Are Stupid”. This track somehow manages to sound simultaneously cheerful and menacing, like going to the circus after your drink’s been spiked with LSD. This is a trick Grizzlor manage to pull off throughout “Cycloptic”, balancing dark humour and heavy aggression to great effect.

Each track is a barrage of filthy, lumbering Flipper-style basslines and riffs that sound like Clutch on downers. Effected vocals and pitched down samples sit on top of this to add an acid-fried weirdness to proceedings, echoing crazy Texans, Butthole Surfers. Somehow these 90-second bursts of noise manage to feel like fully-formed songs, cramming in more variation and surprise than you get in most songs twice the length without sounding forced or awkward.

“Cycloptic” is an addictive blast of dirty air that makes you want to hit play again as soon as it’s over. You could have listened to most of it in the time it took to read this, so don’t waste any more time; get listening now.

“Cycloptic” is available here

Band info: bandcamp | facebook

Brujas Del Sol - "Starquake" 7inch (Review)

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: 7inch

Date Released: 14/12/2015

Label: H42 Records

…to further the induced trance, the undulating guitar passages are introduced along with a pulsating bass, and by the time the two minute mark is passed, the song has hit cruising altitude.  If you enjoy traveling through the solar system with other space rock bands then do yourself a favor and strap in with Brujas del Sol.

Brujas Del Sol is:

Adrian | High end/Vocals
Derrick | Low end
Cody | Percussion
Ryan | Keyboards

The Review:

Columbus, Ohio four piece Brujas del Sol just released a new, collectible 7” under the name “Starquake.” As a physical release, it’s been split into two parts, but digitally there’s no distinct break, which allows us to swallow this gentle comet up in one go.

At T minus 9 the song’s lift-off is both smooth and excited, pounding away with a tight bounce between the kick and snare drum. To further the induced trance, the undulating guitar passages are introduced along with a pulsating bass, and by the time the two minute mark is passed, the song has hit cruising altitude. The trance element of the song never leaves, instead it encourages the listener to sit still and pay attention as the guitar chords ring loud and free. The mid-section is filled with space-themed sounds, played both backwards and forwards, which is where, I’m assuming, the split between side A and B is.

As exciting as Side A was, Side B is where the song really lives up to its title. With the addition of keyboards and other samples, the trance from Side A is broken up and now the listener is forced to make his way through a blanket of space debris. But rather than surrendering to the fear of impending doom, the challenge is met head on, treating the obstacle as a fun ride at an amusement park. If you enjoy traveling through the solar system with other space rock bands then do yourself a favor and strap in with Brujas del Sol.

‘Starquake is available here

Band info: bandcamp

Iron Witch - "Hangover Suicide" 7inch (Review)

By: Hobo Sapien

Album Type: 7inch

Date Released: 18/2/2013

Label: Endtyme Records

 

“Hangover Suicide” develops into a drawn out, sludge-tastic dirge. The vocals create a sense of wretched misery and anguish, nicely accented by the doomy riffs thrown at you by the band. Simple, powerful, bluesy and boozy.  Highly recommended for fans of Eyehategod, Iron Monkey, Black Flag, Melvins and anyone having a bad day.

“Hangover Suicide 7inch//DD track listing

A) Death Was the Colour (4:35)

B) Hangover Suicide (5:39)

The Review

“Death Was the Colour” slides in with the dissonant feedback we all love before launching in with a  grimy swaggering blues riff. Before you know what’s hit you, your head is already nodding along, fists clenched and ready for action. Everyone is on form here. The guitars are cutting whilst still being hazy, the bass and drums drive forward and the vocals spit like acid through the mix. Halfway in the band filters back into feedback. The bass lurks in with Dopesmoker-esque rumbling. If Sleep took us on a weed trip across the Holy Land, Iron Witch are the AK-47 armed guerrilla force poised to ambush us behind a wall of feedback.

“Hangover Suicide” is definitely cut from the same cloth as Side A.  It begins with a riff that grabs you by the arm and throws you fist first into the chaos you’re hearing. “Hangover Suicide” develops into a drawn out, sludge-tastic dirge. The vocals create a sense of wretched misery and anguish, nicely accented by the doomy riffs thrown at you by the band. Simple, powerful, bluesy and boozy side B winds down leaving you wishing it wasn’t just a 7inch.

With two enjoyable tracks, this is another outstanding release from Iron Witch, 2013 is off to a flying start. Highly recommended for fans of Eyehategod, Iron Monkey, Black Flag, Melvins and anyone having a bad day.

“Hangover Sucide” is available here

Band info: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter