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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
Six tracks, all uniformly of a high standard and
with a production that suits the record perfectly. This is a fine modern
American doom album and will feature on many year end lists. This is doom for
the doomed!
“Desolation” CD//DD//LP
1). Bloodletting
2). Isolation
3). Flesh to Nothing
4). The Seer
5). Maw of Time
6). From Ruin
The Review
Colorado's
Khemmis
return with this, their third full length and follow up to the very well
received “Hunted” from 2016. This is
doom metal, for sure- proper doom; with real singing, melodies, dark sounds and
tempo changes in the vein of Sabbath.
It
is not a million miles away from Sabbath or Dawn of Winter but perhaps
closer to Apostle
of Solitudein that it is
modern in sound and scope but with a firm grip on the genre's past. It is also
distinctly American in approach- no way would you mistake this for Witchsorrow
or Serpent
Venom. With “Bloodletting”s
slow slog to open, the listener is in no doubt that this is traditional doom. “Isolation” may be a few steps quicker,
but these Denver cowboys know how to ride a groove: not too quick and they are
able to make these songs swing a little rather than just plod. There is dark
fare on offer here- “Flesh To Nothing”,
for instance is as black as the title suggests.
The
rumbling of “The Seer” is impressive
and the band plays wonderfully through the changes. My personal favourite, “Maw of Time” (for obvious reasons) is a
monolithic slab of sorrow and dark doom with death growls. The nine and a half
minute closer “From Ruin” finishes
the album off before it outstays its welcome. Six
tracks, all uniformly of a high standard and with a production that suits the
record perfectly. This is a fine modern American doom album and will feature on
many year end lists. This is doom for the doomed! “Desolation” is available here
From the opening drum fill that leads
to some face ripping riffage of 'Black Hole, White Teeth' all the way through
to the creeping, crescendo of 'Burial Shroud', it's a tour-de-force of
extreme music.
“Cognitive
Erosion” CS//DD
track listing:
1).
Black Hole White Teeth
2).
Of Flesh And Worship
3).
Entropic Decay
4).
Burial Shroud
The Review:
To
start with the most random pop culture reference here; do you remember the short
lived WCW
wrestler Glacier? He was a complete Sub Zero (of Mortal Kombat fame [yep, that's
a 2nd pop culture reference]) rip off. He was hyped, full of promise and
ultimately failed to deliver. 'Cognitive
Erosion' from Denver's
Glacial Tomb
is the polar opposite (excuse the pun); it's no bark and all bite.
The 4 tracks on this EP are chocked full of scathing, blistering, HM-2 worship
and while crusty grind is the meat and potatoes, Glacial Tomb season the tracks
with some crushing sludge/doom when the time is right.
From
the opening drum fill that leads to some face ripping riffage of 'Black Hole, White Teeth' all the way
through to the creeping, crescendo of 'Burial Shroud', it's a tour-de-force of extreme music. Sure, the
guitar sound suffers from an almost digital sound, but this is enough of an
appetite whetting to have me hungry for a full length. I'd love to hear these
guys let loose on an analogue studio; the results would undoubtedly double the
effects of global warming.
Ottawa, ON's Longhouse came into being in 2013 when
guitarist Marc Casey and bassist/vocalist Joshua Cayer turned their
long-standing song-writing partnership into a full band with drummer Mike Hache
to complete their circle of dark, riffy, heavy textured doom metal. They
released their debut album ‘Earth from Water’ in 2015, a
spiritual odyssey into the perseverance of the human spirit and the lessons we
can learn from the natural world.
With a sound that takes cues from bands such as Cult of Luna, High on Fire,
Neurosis,
Khemmis
and Unearthly
Trance, Longhouse are not a band that fall into any
one category, instead they take influences from said bands and have fashioned
their own unique identity.
Following
therelease of their debut Longhouse returned to Wolf Lake
Studios in November 2016 to record with Mike Bond (Loviatar,
Norilsk,
Arms of the
Girl) once again and the recording session would go on to form the
basis of their sophomore album entitled "II: Vanishing".The album continues
the pleasing progression of their debut while retaining the band’s
core sound of heavy, intricate riffs, splashed with a touch of post-metal to
guide you on a dark and visceral journey spanning nearly 40 minutes
over five tracks.
“II: Vanishing has a logical
evolution that is evident in the composition, as well as production. I also
think that fans should take a moment to reflect on some of themes that are
threaded throughout the album.” says vocalist / bassist Joshua Cayer. “The
bulk of my ideas musically and lyrically come from exploring Indigenous ways of
knowing. I am Algonquin First Nations. My family’s community is Kitigan Zibi,
outside of Maniwaki, QC. However, I grew up in the city, mostly
detached from my culture. As a father, I have been trying to immerse myself in
the stories, wisdom, and strength of our Elders, knowledge keepers and story
tellers, so that I can pass that on to my daughters. Because this takes up so
much space in terms of who I am, and who I am becoming, it plays a very large
part in terms of influences I draw upon.”
Those influences can be heard in Longhouse’s
first single "No Name, No
Marker",asong
written for the voiceless Indigenous children who were abused
and died while forced to attend residential schools in Canada and were
buried in unmarked graves.This album is
raw, tranquil, oppressive and emotive but is always of the highest quality and
we’re delighted to present the album in full for your listening pleasure.So if you’re in the mood for a hybrid of
heaviness drawing comparisons and influences from the likes of Cult of Luna, High on Fire, Neurosis,
Khemmis, Unearthly Trance, we set our Sludgelord dial to stun because
this album is spectacular.
"II: Vanishing"
will be unleashed digitally on April 14th via theirBandcampwith physicalcassette release June 2017 (date to be determined) viaSunmask Records. Check it out in full
below
This
album is elegantly forged from beginning to end, and has no definable weak
chinks in its armour.Overall, this is
likely to be an AOTY candidate for me, and one I have found myself returning to
again and again in a variety of moods.
“Chained to
Oblivion” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.
Psychic Tide
2.
Marzanna
3.
Form and Force
4.
Chained To Oblivion
5.
The Hum of Our Existence
The Review:
For
a subgenre associated with minimalist compositional structure, dirge-like
chords and glacial meter, doom these days seems awfully susceptible to
disruptive innovation. Powerful incumbents like Pallbearer and Yob
are matched by the epic-level bulldozer of bands like Khemmis, whose debut “Absolution” cut deep furrows of new
fandom across metaldom in 2015. This year, I believe the star of doom has risen
anew yet again, and its name is Spirit Adrift.
To
be fair, there are few plaudits and accolades that the superlative “Chained
to Oblivion”has not already received since its August
release. And the almost universal acclaim it has received is, to my mind, well
deserved. This album is elegantly forged from beginning to end, and has no
definable weak chinks in its armour. However, one of the things I found most
surprising about this album is how emotionally moving I found certain passages
and tracks. There is a deeply melodic sorrow that underpins the motifs on the
album that fuses seamlessly with the heaviness.
Right
from opener “Psychic Tide”, the
listener is carried immediately into a slow but relentless (tidal, even)
movement which is hypnotically accented by Nate Garrett's superb vocal
harmonies. The highlight of an album of top-notch tracks is almost certainly
the title track, however. There is a feeling of hearing something timeless and
destined-to-be-classic when listening to this song; it is something that
resonates long after the track has ended. In a genre replete with embarrassing
lyrics, Nate has given us some gifted poetic observances, and ones that are
elegantly matched to the death of seasons that is Autumn. Overall, this is
likely to be an AOTY candidate for me, and one I have found myself returning to
again and again in a variety of moods.
For
anyone who enjoys this album, I strongly, strongly recommend listening to the “Behind-Beyond” EP Nate released in
February, which includes the haunting “Specter
of Ruin” and the uncharacteristically aggressive “Perpetual Passage”. While neither track fits “Chained to Oblivion” (the choice to release separately was
definitely the right one), the EP is definitely a worthy listen.
You
know the drill, each month; you the reader are unwittingly compiling a
list of the top 16 records that we featured in September, covering all genres
of metal. Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol
their opinion about their favourite music. The ‘Sour 16’ are the records that have been
trending the most at Sludgelord Headquarters.
The
results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into
the list below. All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we
have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication
are highlighted in red).
16). Worshipper - "Shadow Hymns (475)
Musically,
with this being somewhere between Black Sabbath (Dio era in particular),
Monster Magnet and anything from Witchfinder General to Angel Witch I feel that
there is something for most metal fans to enjoy here. Throughout the eights
tracks there are lots of ideas, lots of riffs and uniformly great performances
from the band. This album surprised me with its scope and approach, so please
lend your support and check Worshipper out as this is a rewarding and well
crafted album.
15). Thou - "Peasant" (2016)(536)
14) Usurpress - "The Regal Tribe" (651)
This
album is an album, in a
profound, coherent and meaningfWorshiul way. It is heavy, dripping with dynamic and
interesting, organic changes. The sound is warm but never suffocating, and it
is brutal both when holding back (“The Mortal Tribes”) and unleashing (“Behold
the Forsaken”). I hate to use the word genre-defying, but whatever fusion of
death, doom, stoner and black metal Usurpress have evolved into, it is their
voice, it is seamless and mature, and displays no sense of affectation.
13) Lesbian – “Hallucinogensis (656)
“Pyramidal
Existinctualism” sounds like Mastodon after their drinks have been spiked with
LSD and “Kosmoceratops” is epic fist-pumping thrash that takes a left turn into
weird, uncharted territory. “Labrea Borealis” and“Aquilibrium” contain more
melodic passages that expand the band’s horizons further into cinematic
grandeur before crashing back to Earth for further, wild fretboard
explorations. Overall “Hallucinogenesis”sees Lesbian achieve a perfect balance
of labyrinthine complexity and headbanging simplicity.
From cellos to righteous crescendos, this song album plumbs the depths
of heavy prog and, weirdly, allows the listener to reach new heights as a
result. Paradoxical? Sure. Bloody invigorating? You better believe it, buddy.
10 tracks of heavy, expressive, expansive music, just waiting to show you just
how mythical Greek metal can be. Pray to the Old Gods, and seek salvation
in‘Harmonic Confusion’.
11). Brant Bjork - "Tao of the Devil" (703)
In short, “Tao of the Devil” isn’t much
different than Brant’s other albums in that it’s both a look back and a step
forward. And like his other solo albums, this one can stand alone as a prime
example of what Brant Bjork does best.
10). Asatta -"Spiralling
Into Oblivion"(768)
This
is cracking stuff and a worthy addition to the ever expanding doom canon,
"Three Dials”is Crushingly heavy and really fucking noisy, "Lapse”
features some swinging grooves to go with the slothful doom sounds, “She Died
Long Ago” is a slow trudge through the darkest of doom- and echoes Candlemass
rather than Conan in its approach. A fine debut then and an indication that
there are great things to come from Asatta, who have positioned themselves up
there with modern doom's elite.
09). Mouth of the Architect - "Gates of
Flesh" (815)
“Path
Of Eight”is a fine demonstration of a band evolving their sound without losing
sight of what made them great in the first place. Mouth of the Architect have
come into their own with this record and hopefully it will gain them some much
deserved attention.
08). Khemmis – “Hunted” (891)
Overall,
‘Hunted’ is an extremely solid follow-up to their critically acclaimed first
album. It is a melting pot of some hugely powerful styles of heavy metal music
and the flawless coalescence between cataclysmic doom and melodic prog is a
truly impressive feat. Khemmis are a band on a mission and so far, they’re
doing it all right.
07). Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard - "Y Proffwyd
Dwyll" (928)
“Y
Proffwyd Dwyll” is a celestial voyage of crushing density. “Valmasque” sets the
tone for the album, establishing a towering wall of sound built from huge
lumbering riffs, set against a backdrop of swirling space noise and sci-fi
synths that enhance their attack and swell their sound to a galactic scale.
Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard have struck gold here with their distinct brand of
spaced-out carnage.
06). Trap Them - "Crown Feral" (1035)
...the tracks
that are strong, like “Hellionaires” and “Revival Spines” in particular, really
need to be considered the best stuff Trap Them has ever written. And while
opening track “Kindred Dirt” didn't immerse me in the album in the way I'd
hoped, by the time we reach “Twitching in the Auras”,there can be no doubt that
Trap Them have made a definitive and impressive move forward on all fronts. The
sound is overall excellent. Lyrics are angry and powerful and riffs are deep
and plentiful. Strongly recommend, and an excellent reason to continue to
follow this excellent band closely.
Giraffe Tongue
Orchestra have forged a sound that is unlike any other and more than just the
sum of all its parts. “Broken Lines” is, in all, diverse and thrilling and one
of the most unpredictable records you’ll hear all year.
04). Meshuggah - "The Violent Sleep of Reason"(1529)
Trying
to describe Meshuggah’s sound is a challenge. The only way I can put it is that
they’re a musical cascade: a never-ending barrage of sound and heaviness
pounding down upon you. Don’t expect or ballad or moments of levity here, this
is a relentless tide which you will not escape from. Tracks like
‘MonstoCity’and ‘Our Rage Won’t Die’ are pummelling tracks of new material
which can easily be slotted in to their live setlist and not seem out of place.
In fact, the same could be said for any of those songs on display here: like a
chain forged by Vulcan, there’s not a weak link present. It all hits, and hits
hard.
03). Ayahuasca – “YIN” (1631)
Throughout,
nothing ever quite sits right, like a jigsaw with a few missing pieces: The
spasmodic guitar work of ‘Dark Matter God’ is a fitting example of this. Yet
they find, upon that uncomfortable platform, a way to drill into your psyche
excellently. It may be weird, but it has an uncanny way of selling itself to
you.
02). Neurosis - "Fires Within Fires" (1674)
1). Suicdial Tendencies - "World Gone Mad"
(2363)
It flows in a virtually flawless manner and
I do believe “World Gone Mad” will be remembered as one of their best records,
ever. This one’s a home run with a bullet.
A
big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no
boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.September’s “Sour 16” features reviews by: Richard Maw, Theron
Moore, Charlie Butler, Chris Bull, Victor Van Ommen, Philip Weller, Conor
O’Dea, Jake Wallace, Chris Markwell & Jay Hampshire
Album Type: Full Length Date
Released: 21/10/2016 Label: 20 Buck Spin
Overall, ‘Hunted’ is an extremely solid follow-up to their critically
acclaimed first album. It is a melting pot of some hugely powerful styles of
heavy metal music and the flawless coalescence between cataclysmic doom and
melodic prog is a truly impressive feat. Khemmis are a band on a mission and so
far, they’re doing it all right.
‘Hunted’ CD//DD//LP
track listing:
1).
Above The Water
2).
Candlelight
3).
Three Gates
4).
Beyond The Door
5).
Hunted
The Review:
Khemmis is a 4-piece doom outfit hailing from Denver, Colorado.
After the devastating impact of their first release, ‘Absolution’, back in July 2015,
they are now set to release their second record entitled ‘Hunted’. They play a crushing blend
of traditional doom metal with melodic harmonies in the vein of Iron Maiden or Mastodon,
which gives them a very distinctive sound.
‘Hunted’ is comprised of 5 tracks,
resulting in 44 minutes of power doom. It was recorded by Dave Otero at
Flatline Audio and the killer cover art has returned yet again thanks to Sam
Turner’s incredible fantasy illustrations.
The
first track ‘Above The Water’ begins
with their signature harmonies over quite a prog-metal sounding intro before
launching into an absolute terroriser of a riff. The general feel is very close
to Mastodon with the dual guitar parts
feeding off each other and spiralling the song into all kinds of melodic
sections. This track has almost a Celtic feel to it and the last section sounds
like it could be used as epic battle music for two warring armies.
‘Candlelight’ showcases some great vocal
work from Phil Pendergast. His lyrics soar high over the top of the fusing
guitar melodies ably backed up by Ben Hutcherson's monstrous guttural roar from the depths of
hell around the 3-min mark. This shows the diversity in the style of the band’s
music as it can change very quickly from the Maiden/Lizzy style harmonies to
a monolithic doom section and the varied singing styles really provide a superb
dynamic.
‘Three Gates’ kicks off with a ferocious
intro section reminiscent of High on Fire/Motorhead with a rolling thunder
style riff. The vocals begin harsh courtesy of Grant Netzorg (In The Company of Serpents) and then return to the clean sounding style
we hear in ‘Above the Water’. The
changes in this song are so dramatic that if you listen at different parts it
may sound like two entirely different bands. Khemmis can deliver every
element of the genre and they do it with such conviction.
‘Beyond the Door’ is the fourth track
from the release and starts off with some intricate guitar harmonies and
Pendergast’s truly amazing vocals creating a massive soundscape. Yet again,
they launch into more thick, fuzzed out doom riffs and there are likenesses to
Ukrainian doom outfit Stoned Jesus. Khemmis
use contrasting styles and sections to really emphasise what makes them stand
out from other doom bands today. Around the 5-min mark there is some more
guitar wizardry and the solos are articulately executed. The last section of
this track has a foundation-shaking riff that goes hand in hand with the slow,
powerful rhythm section and the alternating vocal styles make a strong
impression yet again.
The
final track, ‘Hunted’, is the
longest track on the album clocking in at 13min 31secs. It begins with another
harmony section which slowly rides out, and around 1min 20secs it takes off
into another stentorian guitar riff. There are also hallmarks of Pallbearer present as well and you can tell that Khemmis
are direct descendants of this style of doom metal and they intend to advance
their craft, as they are doing ever so well. There is another blistering guitar
solo section around 7min 30secs and the harmonies fuse together yet again for
that trademark sound. Around 8min 40secs the track winds down into a clean
guitar section that’s very reminiscent of the post-rock styles of This Will Destroy Youor Explosions in the Sky. Around 11mins the
track lifts off again from the mellow, clean section and builds more and more
power as it ascends into the skies for the last elaborate display of melodic
guitar harmonies.
Overall, ‘Hunted’
is an extremely solid follow-up to their critically acclaimed first album. It
is a melting pot of some hugely powerful styles of heavy metal music and the
flawless coalescence between cataclysmic doom and melodic prog is a truly
impressive feat. Khemmis are a band
on a mission and so far, they’re doing it all right.
‘Hunted’ is available to pre order digitially hereand on
CD//LPhere
As
every second of every minute of every hour of every day expires, friends,
partners, husbands and wifes, son daughters, will find themselves engulfed in
the sonic waves and distorted noises of their favourite bands, perhaps
listening to an album, creating the next killer riff or beat, or mastering the
next greatest album. Indeed as the earth
revolves, a revolution in the doom scene is emerging, once again, the slow
dirge like riffs are saturating eardrums everywhere, captivating us not by the
technical virtues of those that create it, but instead immersing us in a “tune
low, play slow” aesthetic which in my eyes is the biggest and best genre there
is.
Coupled
with a resolute DIY ethic from both bands and labels alike, this dearth of
magnificently creative and ultra heavy doom bands is beginning to cause the
wider metal community to take notice.
Indeed, one such band, emerged last year and pretty much crushed all
their peers into dust, with their magnicificently powerful debut full length “Absolution”, that band is Khemmis
and today they are our guests at “Amped
& Doomed”. Let’s get the
lowdown.
SL: Guys, today you’re
undoubtedly fulfilling another dream on your bucket list, by talking to us here
at “The
Sludgelord”
(haha). Would you be able to contain
your excitement and give us a brief history of your playing career to date,
specifically how long you have been playing with bands, when did you pick the
guitar, bass etc?
Ben: I started playing about 18 years ago. My father’s side of the
family has a longstanding history of playing music, and growing up with music
in the house and at all of the family reunions made it inevitable that I would
give it a shot as well. I started with the basics -- “Smoke on the Water,” “Stairway
to Heaven,” and various grunge songs that I could struggle my way through.
The turning point was really when I got into Metallica and (slowly) learned
how to play the first five albums. I remember the first time that I (mostly)
pulled off “Master of Puppets” -- I
felt like I’d just won the Olympics. I’m about to turn 31, and playing
guitar has kept me sane and also lead to meeting some of my best friends in the
world. The day I stop playing is the day I am no longer physically able to
play.
Phil: I’ve been playing for about 10 years. My
first shows were with an otherwise all-girl Judas
Priest cover band in High School. After that I played in a
2-piece that never really did anything except play some house shows, but that
was what really got me started playing the low-and-slow. We sounded like a
cross between Thou and Electric Wizard.
Dan: Haha,
career. I started late. Some co-workers
and I, after extremely long days of work, would joke about starting a band
called Uncle Larry’s Bitch. The president of the company was
named Larry. One day we decided, what
the hell, how hard could it be? I bought
a bass and a practice amp. My Dad played a little bass when I was a kid, and I
thought Duck Dunn was super cool,
the way he played and smoked a pipe. Bad
ass.
SL: Can you remember who
are what inspired you to pick up the guitar, bass? Are there any bands,
guitarists, bassists currently on the scene that continue to inspire you and
push you to try new things?
Ben: My father and my grandfather both made me want to be a musician.
My grandfather taught himself to play the banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar,
dulcimer, and more. He also built his own instruments. He was one of the most
talented people I’ve ever met, and that informed my own desire to be a musician
and, lately, to try my hand at refinishing guitars and low-level woodworking.
My father always played guitar and sang to me when I was little, and he (and my
kickass mom) both encouraged me to pursue music and push myself as a musician.
Neither of them are metal heads by a long shot, but they have never stopped
being supportive.
As
time has gone on, I stopped thinking about “guitar heroes” as much as
atmospheres that individual musicians and bands create by playing the music
they genuinely feel. My
interest in technical proficiency started to wane in my early-to-mid 20s, which
is when I found myself drawn toward bands like Neurosis and YOB more so than, say, Necrophagist and Suffocation. At that same time, my taste in non-heavy music came full circle
and I realized that the music my folks had loved and played for me as a child
(e.g., Jethro Tull, Steely Dan, John Prine, Return to Forever, Yes) was actually REALLY
awesome. Today, I am just as likely to throw on Pretzel Logic or Romantic
Warrior as Through Silver in Blood or Primitive Man’sScorn.
Phil:
My dad listened to a lot of classic and southern rock, but I think the real
eye-opener was David Gilmour’s super vivid tones on The Wall. I really wanted to be able to make a sound like that,
just sustaining forever with so much power and beauty. J Mascis and Matt Pike
are probably my favorite modern players, both guys just play with such
conviction while also doing really interesting things with phrasing and
tones.
Dan: See
above, my old man and Duck Dunn. Others
too. Curtis Mayfield’s bass lines were infectious. Fugazi
basslines drove the song. John Paul
Jones always held everything together. Taylor Iverson (of Abrams) doesn’t necessarily drive me to be
better, although he is undoubtedly a way better bassist. I just really dig his bass playing, and his
tone, and his demeanor. Good dude.
SL: Whilst we’re on the
subject of inspiration or heroes for example, do you have 5 records that stand
out as favourites, what influence did they have upon you and what is it about
those records that particular resonates amongst others?
Ben:
Mastodon – “Remission” - I saw
them touring behind this with Soilent Green, Cephalic Carnage, and Dysrhythmia in ‘02 or ‘03. It blew
my mind. I lived in small town Mississippi
and had only recently gotten internet access at home. Finding out that this
kind of stuff was out there and moreover that there were people like me who dug
it, was an incredible moment.
Slayer – “Reign in Blood” - My story with this is no different than anyone
else’s. A friend had it. I borrowed it. 28 minutes after hitting play, my
notion of how fast and aggressive music could be was completely destroyed. This
opened up my ears to the worlds of black metal, death metal, and grindcore.
Neurosis – “A Sun that Never Sets”
-- One of my best friends, Eddie (with whom I formed Galaxicon), gave me this album about a decade ago when I started losing
interest in a lot of death and grind. It floored me. From there, I consumed
their entire discography as quickly as possible. A few years later, we went to San Francisco to see Neurosis, YOB, and USX at the GreatAmericanMusic Hall. Neurosis opened with “Through
Silver in Blood” and I was so overwhelmed that I thought I might die of
sheer joy.
Weakling – “Dead as Dreams” - During my freshman year of
college, a guy who would wind up becoming one of my best friends turned me onto
this album. I had never heard anything like it -- it genuinely frightened me.
YOB – “The Unreal Never Lived”
- Much like with Neurosis, YOB changed my notion of what “heavy” could mean. If I had to point
to one contemporary guitarist who has influenced my playing, it would
absolutely be Mike. His sense of dynamics and his use of big, complex chord
shapes blew my mind, since I’d spent years thinking only of how to tremolo pick
faster, how many sweep arpeggios I could cram into a solo section, or how
(unnecessarily) technical I could make riffs.
Dan:
The Cure – “Disintegration”. Just pure emotion and sadness. Pornography is probably a better
record but I discovered this one at a certain time in my life that makes it
important.
Fugazi – “13 Songs”.
Again, not, my favourite Fugazi album now, but
the first one I heard and definitely changed the way I listened to music and thought
about songs.
JimiHendrix – “Are you Experienced?” It’s fucking Jimi
Hendrix, that’s why. I checked this out, on vinyl, from the public
library when I was a kid. It blew my
damn mind.
High on Fire – “Surrounded
by Thieves”. Forever changed me. I
missed “The Art of Self Defense” because, frankly, I wasn’t following
metal closely in those days. I saw them
come through Denver on this album, and it felt like the combination of
everything I loved about metal, perfectly focussed into one bone crushing mass.
Queens of the Stone Age- “Queens of the Stone Age”. I was shocked when I heard this. I owned the Kyuss split and wasn’t that excited about this album… until I heard it,
performed live, in 1999. It was aggressive and pretty at the same time. Driving bass without being fancy.
Phil: As far as what records influence my playing in this
band, I would have to say 3 matter more than others: ThinLizzy- “Black Rose”; Mountain- “Climbing”; and Sleep- “Holy
Mountain”. I’ve always been attracted to players who play “from the gut”
and find strength in their eccentricities, but who also have an ear for melody
and restraint that lets the rest of the band shine.
SL: Can remember your first
electric guitar, bass?
Dan:Made in Mexico Fender
Jazz in electric blue
Ben: It was an Ibanez GAX 70 in transparent
butterscotch (or something like that). My parents bought it and a little DOD amp for me once it became clear that I was hooked on playing
guitar. It was a cheap thing, but it worked and was infinitely cooler looking
than most starter-level guitars.
Phil: It was a made in Mexico Fender Telecaster standard,
which I immediately retrofitted with a humbucker in the neck. Partially because
I wanted that fat, singing sound, and partially because I wanted to be Keith
Richards.
SL: Ok, more to the point,
what guitar(s) bass (s) are you using today and how did you gravitate towards
the guitar you currently use? What do you like about the guitars you
currently use and have there been any specific modifications to them?
Ben: My main guitar in Khemmis is a Gibson Faded Flying V that I completely redid from the ground up. The only original
thing about it is the body/neck. I sanded and stained it, replaced all of the
hardware (locking Grover tuners, roller bridge, straplocks, graphite nut, new
pots and knobs), and put a pair of Duncan pickups in it (Black Winter in the bridge, Sentient in the neck). It is my
favorite guitar that I have ever played or even seen. I also have a Gibson Les Paul Studio, which was my first non-superstrat guitar after my interest in
playing death metal wanted. That LP is HEAVY, but it sounds so very good. I have several
other guitars, but those are the ones I regularly play.
We
just hooked up with the good people at Lace
Pickups, so I’ll be putting a pair of Lifers in the Flying V in the near future. I have a Lifer in the bridge of my Les
Paul
now, and it just smokes, man. It’s hot, but not unusably so, and it has a
subtle midrange bump that sizzles and sounds awesome.
Phil: My number one for the longest time has
been my Reverend Volcano H-90 Custom. I have
always been a sucker for V-shaped guitars and I loved the offbeat looks of this
thing, with the raised center section and asymmetrical wings. I am otherwise
drawn toward heavy, offbeat vintage guitars and always seem to have a rotating
cast of them for my backup. Currently that slot belongs to my ’82 Electra X-270, which is a very neat guitar with some
built-in effects, but a Yamaha
SG2000 jockeys for position.
I love to tinker with things so I always replace the
pickups in my guitars right away. I am currently using the Lace Finger Burners in my Reverend, and Lace Hemis in the Electra. For me, playability and
resonance is key if I am going to hold on to a guitar. I want the instrument to
feel like a tuning fork when I’m standing next to an amp! The Reverend, especially, plays great and the
electronics are laid out so that they don’t get in the way, which is huge for
me because I have a really heavy hand and always find a way to roll off my
volume or switch pickups by mistake during shows.
Dan: My main
bass is a Lakland Skyline 55-64. I went after this one primarily because it’s
a 35” scale 5 string. With our low tuning I was having trouble with all my 4
strings. The string tension sucked so
the string would flop around no matter how thick I went, I couldn’t get them
intonated, I couldn’t get any sustain... it was useless. The long scale remedies most of that. I focused in on the Lakland over other 5 string basses with long
scales because it doesn’t have a damned battery compartment routed into
it. I really like the stock passive
pickups. It has great sustain and clarity on the low notes and it I really am a
fan of the classic P bass style.
SL: What amps and pedals do you currently use?
Do you use a combination of amps, or a full half stack? Talk us through
your set up both in the studio and in the live environment?
Dan: I use the same rig live as I do in the
studio. SLM-era Ampeg SVT Classic
through a 1973-ish Ampeg 8x10
re-speakered with Eminence 10’s. There
is a reason it’s the classic rock & roll bass rig. I am about to replace the 8x10 with custom Atlas made, 4x10 + 2x15. I’ve found that I
can’t live without 15’s, nor can I live without 10’s, so I’m getting them both.
Hail Petras: Lord of Tone. Pedal board: Dunlop
Bass wah, Black Arts Revelation,
Wren and Cuff Pickle Pie B Fuzz, DOD/Black Arts Boneshaker. I recorded “Absolution” with a Black Arts Tonewroks Ritual, on all of the
time -- that was it.
Ben: My overall setup has been the same for a few years now. I
occasionally get the urge to try out a new amp or dirt pedal, but I inevitably
come back to where I started. I have an early 70s non-master-volume Ampeg V4 and a V2 (modded by a previous
user with a master volume control, which I just leave dimed) from the same era.
Those Ampegs are among the best pedal platform amps in existence, in my
opinion. I run the Ampeg into an Orange 4x12 (loaded with Celestion V30s and WGS ET65s in an X pattern) and an
Orange 2X12 (loaded with Eminence Wizards).
I
use a Black Arts Toneworks Quantum Mystic for my dirt. I’ve been
using BAT for my dirt tones for the last 4 or 5 years, and the QM is an unreal little box. It’s a little fuzzy, but is more of a distortion/OD on steroids. I rotate a number of other effects pedals in and out
of my board, but right now am using a TC
Electronic Polytune mini, a Morley Little
Alligator,
a Dunlop 95q wah, a Tech 21 Boost DLA, an Eventide H9, a Maxon PH-350 phaser, and a TC Electronic Alter Ego X4. I also use a Digitech JamMan stereo for triggering samples
between songs and I use a TC Helicon Mic
Mechanic
to add echo and reverb to my vocals.
Phil: I’m primarily using a Black Arts Toneworks (BAT) Black Forest
into my 1983
Carvin X-100b for all of my dirt sounds, but will occasionally run the Black
Forest into a BAT Fnord for really sludgy sections or places
where I need a little more volume. The Carvin is generally pretty cranked, and runs
into both a 4x12 loaded with a mix of speakers that I like and a homemade 1x12,
1x15 loaded with an Eminence Wizard and Big Ben. Overall I need a
fairly clear guitar sound with a bit of low end, super saturated mids, and some
presence to compliment Ben’s growlier guitar sound, and the Carvin
is a great platform for that.
While recording “Absolution”,
I wanted a bit more of an “amp
exploding/speakers tearing” kind of sound that still retained some clarity,
so I went with a BAT Oath into my Legacy VL100. The Oath has no knobs or
controls of any kind, and is just everything all-the-time, while the Legacy
is just a really middy and clear sounding amp.
SL: What one pedal could
not live without and why?
Dan:Black Arts Toneworks
Revelation SuperBass. I bought
this from Ben, our lead guitar player (in fact, I think all my pedals may be
Ben’s hand-me-downs!) It gives me a lot of options; from overdirve, to dirt, to
fuzz without totally taking the bass out of my bass. It does everything pretty
damn well, with the least amount of low end sacrifice in any pedal similar
pedal I’ve played to date.
Phil: If
Ben doesn’t list a delay pedal, I’m calling bullshit on his answer! I could
live without any of the pedals (and have had too many times), but I do love the
BAT Black Forest. It is just
super versatile and adjustable-- I think I could get close to “my sound”
with just my V, that pedal, and any amp.
Ben: The Quantum Mystic. Take everything off my
board save for that and I can get the notes out of my brain and channeled
through my rig. Of course, I say this, and then I’m sure Mark will come out
with something even more badass and I’ll have to eat my words. Also, Phil can
kiss my ass! I love delay well enough, but the starting point for good, heavy
tone is the dirt.
SL: What are your amp/
pedal settings?
Dan: Amp: I usually have my gain between 3 and 4 and
adjust master volume for the venue/situation.
My bass setting is at about 6, mids at about 7.5, treble just past
5. I have the revelation setup to be
more of an overdrive tone, almost like a part of my pre section. The pickle pie does the fuzz. The Boneshaker
will be my grind-ier distortion, but I just started playing with it.
Phil:I basically dial in a loud,
verge-of-breakup tone with tons of mids, presence, and bass on the amp, then
boost mids and cut out the lowest and highest frequencies sent from my guitar
with the Black
Forest pedal. The result is really squishy-sounding in the
midrange, with lots of clarity, sustain and harmonics.
Ben: On the amp, I set the lows around 3 PM, mids around 1 PM (with
the rocker switch kicked down to the lowest midrange freq), and treble anywhere
from 12-3 depending on the stage sounds/acoustics (with the treble rocker
switch in the middle). On the QM, I set the level a bit
above unity to slam the front end of the amp just a tad. I set the bass at ~2
PM, mids at 1 PM, treble between 12 and 2 (same reason as above), and the
distortion level around 2 PM. This gives me a very gnarly, mid-rangey sound
without filling up the entire guitar frequency spectrum, as Phil’s rig is set
to be a bit brighter with slightly less pronounced lower mids.
SL: What tunings do you use
and why, and as a result is there a specific brand / gauge of string you
prefer?
Phil: We are tuned
to Drop A#, which is like C-standard with a dropped E-string. I think this was
as low as we could go and still retain enough string-to-string clarity that we
can each play power chords on the low strings and melodies with our other
fingers that are actually audible. We both do that kind of two-guitars-at-once
sounding thing a lot in this band. As far as strings, I like 12-54s, my
preference being Curt Mangan or D’Addario.
Ben: I play D’Addario Pro Steels 12-52. They’re
affordable, durable, and sound great.
Dan: D’Addario Chromes. Love
them. Super mellow but still some
punch. I like flatwounds generally, but
these are the perfect mix of tension and tone.
They’re rad for the stuff we do; too bad they cost $44 bucks a pack.
SL: Do you have any advice
for up and coming guitars players, bands?
Ben: For guitarists: Play the notes that you truly want to hear.
Don’t get complacent but know that you don’t have to be the fastest or most
technically-minded musician to be a good one. Don’t bullshit yourself or the
listeners; if you are sincere in what you play and how you play it, it will
often be clear to everyone involved. Avoid getting caught up in having THE gear
that X person or band uses. Don’t spend every dime you have on the newest/fanciest/oldest/most
awesome vintage piece(s) of gear ever...unless you have a ton of money, in
which case send me some. Get good instruments, amplifiers, and pedals that are
reliable and know how to use them -- I’ve seen so many bands with old school Peavey or Acoustic Control amps into run-of-the-mill Marshall cabs blow bands with boutique rigs off the stage simply because
they knew their gear and how to coax stellar tones out of those rigs. Practice
as often as you can; you may never be Yngwie, and that’s fine, but
you ought to be able to play the notes right while putting on a show of some
sort.
For
people in/trying to form bands: Don’t be in a band with people you don’t like
and/or can’t trust with money and basic adult responsibilities. Music is an
incredible part of life, and you can be soured on it very quickly if you’re in
a band/project that causes more stress than it relieves. Don’t cheap out on
recording -- a professional recording is not out of reach for any band of
adults in 2016, and nothing will hobble your attempts at playing out, building
a following, touring, and/or attracting label attention than sounding like
amateurs in an ever-growing sea of bands. Record your practices when you can
and figure out what works and what doesn’t -- your live shows and experiences
in the studio will be so much better if you’ve put in that work ahead of time.
More than anything, though, I’d say just make sure you have fun with it. What’s
the point in making music if you don’t enjoy it?
Phil: Don’t try to
be anyone but yourself, and less is almost always more. We all have
eccentricities in how we play our instruments, and you will be a more
recognizable, passionate, and interesting player if you do things to highlight
these quirks in your playing instead of trying to “fix” them.
Dan: Well, in Khemmis,
we have people from very diverse musical backgrounds with substantially
different musical tastes. We all overlap
somewhere, but we don’t all go home and put on the same records, like, ever. As a result, we never actively focused on a
sound or a style. We just tried to make
music that was an extension of everyone involved -- and we like how it came
out. Stay true to what you here in your
heads and don’t worry about how to label it.
SL: Do feel there are deeply help misconceptions about being in a
band?
Phil: Not every band from Denver is inspired by
marijuana
Ben: I think a lot of people
who aren’t in bands think that touring resembles the hedonistic debauchery that
80s hair metal bands wrote about in their power ballads. Touring in 2016
consists of you and your friends hoping your van doesn’t explode between point
A and point B while worrying about turnouts, guarantees, finding a place to
crash, and what you’re going to eat that night. Don’t get me wrong, you get to play
music that you care about to people who want to hear it in cool cities. You get
to make friends with people from all over the world. But it ain’t a cake walk.
SL: Moving on a little then, what can you tell us
about any of your current projects, tours, cds, etc you’re currently promoting,
completed and anything else band related we should know about?
Ben: Khemmis is my only project at
this point -- I have a backlog of ideas, ranging from riffs to complete songs,
for a variety of side/solo projects that I may or may not ever get around to
using. Teaching, writing my dissertation, doing the Khemmis thing, and having a normal home life doesn’t leave a lot of time
for other bands. We are finishing up the writing process for album #2 right now
and will enter the studio with Dave Otero in late spring/early summer. If all
goes according to plan, the album should be out on 20 Buck Spin in the early fall, which is very exciting.
A
cool little label out of Texas called Young
Cubs
(http://www.youngxcubs.com/) is releasing “Absolution” on tape, which is going to
be pretty rad. Hell; I didn’t know people still bought tapes! 20 Buck Spin also released a second pressing of “Absolution”, including a small run of coke bottle green records. I
think those numbers are starting to dwindle, so maybe there will even be a
third pressing. Who knows? We’re really lucky to work with Dave (and Kayla),
who are genuinely awesome humans.
Dan:The new material seems
pretty different from “Absolution”, to me. There are elements for sure, we might be
drawing on the format of the album a little, but the differences seem
significant enough, to me, that it may challenge a few people that really liked
“Absolution”. Similarly, people
who may not have been into “Absolution”, might like this one a little
better. I am not worried, because we like it, and we’re having fun playing it
-- that’s all that counts.
SL: What springs to mind
when you think about the completion of material for your new record and how is
the mood in the camp at present?
We
are incredibly excited about this album. We feel that we have been able to dial
in our overall sound in a more cohesive way that has allowed us to focus on the
songwriting. There is definitely more rock ‘n’ roll swagger on this album, but
we also have some of our sludgiest, most aggressive moments. Oh, and solos.
Lots of guitar solos.
SL: What are your favourite
songs to play live?
Dan:
“The Bereaved” and “Serpentine” for the same reason -- they
both have a simple, heavy, melodic groove that’s easy to get into. I can just zone out and dig in.
Ben: “Ash, Cinder, Smoke”
and “The Bereaved” are always fun to
play live. The former just has some of my favorite grooves and harmonized lines
that we’ve written; the latter is the one that people expect us to play, the
one they cheer for when I mention the title on stage. That is always a strange
and exciting feeling -- who would have thought that anyone would ever even know
these song titles? We have also started playing a new one live, titled “Beyond the Door.” The final section of
it is probably the heaviest thing we have ever done in this band, and it’s
ridiculously fun to play.
SL: Who are some your
favourite bands you have toured with and what has been your proudest moment
and/or performance of your playing career?
Phil: This has
happened a few times now, in a couple different places, but the proudest
moments for me have been when Veterans have walked up to me after our set and
told me how much (the song) “The Bereaved” means to them, and that it helps
them sleep and feel normal. I feel honoured to have written something that can
help people, and especially people who lay their lives on the line like that,
in such a profound way, when I have such a different but similarly
life-affirming connection to the song. It is really beautiful.
Ben: Playing a string of shows with The
Atlas Moth and Vattnet Viskar last August was a great
time. We already knew the AM guys, and we instantly
made good buds with the VV fellas. We played with
so many awesome bands on that run! I think that we’ve had a lot of incredible
moments in this band that we try not to take for granted. Playing Denver Black Sky the last two years was awesome. Hell, every show we play in our
hometown is a lot of fun. Denver supports its bands and comes out for touring
bands like no other city I’ve seen. Our album release with Call of the Void and Of Feather and Bone at the most excellent
HiDive was particularly special, because my parents flew out from Mississippi
for the weekend.
Dan: Shit,
we’ve had so many unbelievable moments in the last year alone. I guess playing with Pig Destroyer was up there. The Decibel list was big. Signing on with 20 Buck Spin was awesome. Okay I got it: One
day I walked into a local restaurant with my 7 year old daughter. She was
wearing her miniature Khemmis Beer
Wizard shirt. A woman who worked there
was leaving and as she walked past our table, she stopped by my daughter and
said “What a cool shirt, I have the same one. That band is awesome!” My daughter’s eyes lit up like Times
Square. I turned into jelly. It was cool. That woman, Shanda, was also
carrying a guitar, which I later learned was a Gibson
Marauder (she plays in a great Denver band called Luna Sol).
SL: What can fans look
forward to from you over the next 12 months? How is your schedule shaping up?
SXSW in March, recording in April/May, Seven
One Grind Fest in June, Migration Fest and West Coast run in
August, and more cool stuff in the fall and winter that will be announced in
the coming months. We’re hoping to make it over to Europe in the next 12-18
months as well.
As
for Denver, we’re playing some great shows in April, May 12 (with Druden, an incredible black metal band from PDX), and June at HiDive
(details TBA). Check out our tour dates page to keep up with those as we
announce them in the coming weeks. (http://khemmisdoom.com/shows)
SL: Finally, do you have any final comments/word
of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon us?
Spend more time doing cool things (e.g., making music, hanging out with dogs,
drinking good beer, eating tacos at Illegal Pete’s, making your city and scene
as awesome as possible) and less time on Facebook or mindlessly sitting in
front of the TV. Listen to ZZ Top as often as possible.
