Vinyl Corner : Blackwitch Pudding - Taste The Pudding (Album Review)

Forget for a minute that the three cloaked musicians in Blackwitch Pudding are 600-year-old wizards spawned from a witch, that they enjoy sluts (hell, who doesn't?) and have a panty fetish. You can't, can you? Me either. I wanna party with these guys; seems we have a lot in common, including a sense of humor and a love for both heavy music and DIY vinyl records. We'd have fun.

I may be the last here at The Sludgelord to fully digest the delectable concoction from the Portland three-piece but it's only because I was waiting for their self-released wax. Taste The Pudding is more flavorful while played at high volumes on a record player.

After gorging myself I've found the secret ingredient in the frothing cauldron of riffage served up on classic black vinyl. You might already know, still I'll give you a few hints in case you're color blind. It's green. And it's a plant. And if it's potent enough it'll alter your state of mind, much like the music on this record.

Yep, they're stoner wizards and those are the best kind if you ask me. That's just another thing we have in common (the stoner part that is). Kidding. Have no clue if they partake of the herb or not but I'm serious when I say I love their music.

Space Man (guitar, vocals), Lizard (bass) and Wizard (drums) play the kind of heavy stuff that stoners like me love: a creamy dessert of low-tuned riffs and grooves, tasty vocals and, of course - fucking seriously shredding solos - which I really dig about the tunes here and feel are lacking in some other stoner music I'm listening to these days. You gotta love a good, ripping guitar solo. I'm sure some non-stoners would like this record too, I just don't know any personally.

The first track on side a, "Mortre 'D", "Swamp Gas of the Nevermizer", and the last on side b, "Acid Castle Mountain Top" are my absolute favorites. Coincidentally, they're the longest on the album, and are the most stoner-doom-oriented of the seven. You've probably heard digital versions already, right? Try vinyl. I'm sure the wizards would want you to hear 'em this way.

"Super Sluts from Outer Space" runs about as fast as you or I would wanna fuck one - quick and hard. Y'know, get in and out as fast as you can, for a stoner anyway. You never know what kind of wizard has dumped a load inside that slut before you. Maybe an infected one.

"Gathering Panties" is what the wizards do after fucking said sluts. Then they use them to adorn the walls inside their castle. Unfortunately, all the wizards got "Crabs" after a weekend orgy with those cosmic whores, who haven't yet learned to shave pubic hair to all but eradicate the louse. I'll stick with earth pussy.

And I think "Shark Commando" was inspired by the death of their good friend and former companion, Timmy. Once upon a time, there used to be four wizards. Needless to say they don't venture far into the ocean anymore.

Oh, I almost forgot. Did I say, stoner? Stoner. STONE-R. And three wizards, too, conjuring up some magic.

You can buy this spellbinding slab o' wax at the wizards' bandcamp page, their website or from Heavy Ripples Distribution. You'll have fun no matter which route you take.

Support the underground.

--Heddbuzz

http://blackwitchpudding.com/store.html

http://heavyripples.bigcartel.com/product/blackwitch-pudding-taste-the-pudding-lp

Vinyl Corner : Solar Halos - S/T (Album Review)

John Crouch - drums
Nora Rogers - guitars & vocals
Eddie Sanchez - bass & vocals

BIO - The Chapel Hill, North Carolina rock trio features current and former members of Horseback, Caltrop, Fin Fang Foom, and The Curtains of Night.

Luminous halos are said to be like colorful rainbows - very personal and unique to each individual witnessing the phenomena. Those fortunate enough to experience the self-titled debut from Solar Halos are sure to have their own specific and special pieces they enjoy most about the record, a very memorable aural adventure spanning six tracks and a full spectrum of heaviness.

If you're a fan of heavy rock in general, I think you'll love everything about this release, but maybe it'll be the soulful voice of Rogers and/or the commanding presence from Sanchez that you revel in above all else. Their unique, back-and-forth on the opener, "The Vast White Plains" and the last, "Resonance", are some of the most remarkable moments on the record to me, at least vocally.

Or perhaps you'll get a kick out of the way the some of the songs from Solar Halos gradually build with sonic intensity, and by the time they're about to end, you've completely lost yourself in midst of their destructive power, just like in "Migration" for example. I caught myself going ape-shit more than a couple times, wondered why the hell I stopped, then carried on without a care in the world. It's fun.

It could be the plethora of resonating riffs on this album that does it for ya. There's plenty to soak up yet "Frost" and "Tunnels" feature some of the heaviest and fascinating to me, with the first almost coated with sludge and the latter sprinkled with psychedelia and stoner greatness.

My favorite thing about the music? Easy, it's Crouch's impressive, nonstop creations with the drums. He's my leader in this new rock expedition, guiding me confidently across the frozen plains and through the foggy, stoney wilderness; he fills every void and satisfies my natural cravings for groove. I follow the beat of this amazing drummer but as much as I love his efforts, I'm considering filing a claim for pain and suffering because has my head and neck twisting and turning every which way but loose. Kidding, but the guy stays busy.

Can you tell I'm digging this stuff? Yep. The record is so fresh and it's really unlike anything else I've been hearing from the underground lately. While certainly not 'happy', the music does seem be somewhat bright and uplifting to me, which is quite the departure from the dark and dreary, gloomy doom or sludge normally filling my ears. I really wish I could let you hear a stream of the whole thing. The trio has demo versions of four out of the six tracks up on Bandcamp but I don't think they do the excellent-sounding vinyl justice. Listen to the better Soundcloud stream from the band's label.

Catch your own, personal Solar Halos vinyl from Devouter Records in Europe and Heavy Ripples Distribution in the US. Pressed on milky clear wax with splendid packaging that includes photo, paintings and design by Rogers.

Support the underground.

--Heddbuzz


http://devouterrecords.bigcartel.com/product/solar-halos

http://heavyripples.bigcartel.com/product/solar-halos-s-t-lp

https://www.facebook.com/SolarHalos

http://www.solarhalos.com/

Vinyl Corner : Round Up - November 2013

I try to give you stuff I like that you haven't already seen and heard all over cyber-space already. Here's a couple heavy underground records you may not know about yet. Check 'em out.

LOW GRAVITY/MEGA BLUE STALLION

Remember how it felt when you had your ass handed to you by Low Gravity last year? How their full-length, Incarnadine, quickly slapped you upside the head with stoner-metal riffage, and then left you for dead, drooling on the floor? Hope you're a glutton for punishment because the Denver drinkers with a music problem are back - this time with vinyl - and they've brought along a few friends to help finish you off. Pussy.

Low Gravity teamed up with Mega Blue Stallion this summer for Mega Low Blue Gravity Stallion (Sailor Records), a 4-track, 10" color vinyl split that's been crushing my skull for a few months straight. There may be permanent damage. One song from each band on both sides, yet Low Gravity take up most of the wax with theirs, "Sacagaweeduh" and "Sexual Matador", which are the longest, averaging about 7 minutes. While Mega Blue Stallion only take up about 7 minutes total with their contributions, "Destroy, Rebuild" and "Conspiracy", they make their mark and leave quite an impression on me with their own take on heavy mountain-metal.

Transparent blue vinyl with vibrant orange splatter (Denver Broncos colors). Dig.

http://lowgravity5280.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Low-Gravity/141594447121
https://www.facebook.com/MegaBlueStallion?fref=ts


BLACKOUT - We Are Here

Yes. Yes you are. My only question is: Where the hell have you been? Brooklyn cave-metal trio Blackout appeared suddenly to me, like...well, like a fucking immediate citywide blackout would, I guess. I'd been in the dark, but recently heard a song on the Soggy Bog Of Doom radio show, found them on Bandcamp, clicked 'play' and got blown away. I didn't know anything about the band, I only knew there was vinyl available and I enjoyed the music. I love that certain heavy guitar tone, the rough riffs, those soaring vocals - and the damn artwork. Nice.

Then I learned more. Turns out there's a one-legged frontman and a former Hooter's waitress in the mix, and for some reason that made me like them even more. I have no idea why that mattered to me, when all I should care about is the way the music strikes me. We Are Here does it hard. I'm almost certain you'll get into this record. If not, I'm sorry.

Six tracks: bass-filled, intense tunes, with the first ("Indian") and last ("Seven") being essential listening for me. "Smoker" and "Columbus" are a couple more throttling faves. 180-gram black vinyl with insert. Blackout.

http://blackout666.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BlackoutNYC


Support the underground.

-- Heddbuzz

Vinyl Corner : WHILT - S/T (7" Review)

 

Whilt is a Weed laden, Beer Soaked Heavy Doom/ Down-Tempo Metal Band from Denver, USA

The members are:

hutch bercow-guitar
mike dread-drums
joseph weller myer-bass/vocals

'inhale. Born of necessity from the granite of the great rocky mountains, fueled by copious amounts of weed, alcohol and other various drugs, inspired by life and death and other natural phenomenon.
This is WHILT.'

Sorry I've been kinda quiet lately but good things are worth waiting for. Sludge-lovers, do I have a tasty, affordable treat for you.

Denver trio WHILT surprised the hell out of me when I recently stumbled across their self-titled 7" record. It was just what I needed: two tracks of uncompromising, heavy-as-granite stoner sludge, both of which are about six minutes long. Thick, fat riffs. God-of-Thunder grooves. Vocals that would scare off a grizzly. It's my (and your) kinda stuff.

"Where did you find this?" you might be asking. Well, I was stalking In The Company Of Serpents and noticed the drummer was in another band. A little more snooping and I found out that Joseph Weller Myer is also the bassist/singer in WHILT so a couple clicks later I was banging my head and buying a record at the same time. I've played the hell out of this sonofabitch already and I'm really itching for more.

If you think this will be like ITCOS, think again. It's not. This music is much more extreme sludge-based doom in my opinion and it reaches me on another level - which is way the fuck up there.

Just do me a favor please and check out the Bandcamp stream. You're gonna like it so go ahead and visit their page where you can get the record for a mere $5. And check out the cover art by Sean Schock. Want a shirt he designed to go with the vinyl? Sure you do. WHILT have a $15 bundle under the 'merch' tab. Didn't see that until I already had the record dammit.

Labels, you'll wanna hear this too.

(Note: The stream starts with the 2nd track, "Black Leaves". Click reverse to hear the 1st, "Aggregate".)

Support the underground.

--Heddbuzz

BandCamp
Facebook