EVOKE THY LORDS

Evoke Thy Lords are a Doom/Stoner/Sludge Metal Band from Russia

Evoke Thy Lords are a brilliant Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Band harnessing the energy of legendary bands such as Sleep, Kyuss, Monster Magnet and High On Fire but adding their own unique spin on things.

They have just released their quite frankly brilliant 2nd album - Drunken Tales. I will let the BandCamp description tell you about the band and new album.

"Solitude Productions proudly presents the second full-length album of Evoke Thy Lords released after the long pause in group activity. This time the Siberian musicians dramatically change their sound and style positioning themselves among the most interesting and original bands of the Russian doom metal scene. The renovated Evoke Thy Lords include solid guitar sound, powerful groove base and meditative trance dressed with hypnotic flute sounds. Filled with extra heavy riffs and psychedelic elements “Drunken Tales” is undoubtedly an event in stoner doom metal. The bonus track “Cause Follows Effect” finalizes the album giving the end to the space walk."

This is one very trippy affair that will take you to places you can only dream about. Just listen to the brilliant riffs on show aided along by a gorgeous flute. Yes folks - A Flute in a Sludge/Stoner Metal album. But it actually works. Gives the album another layer of weird and wonderful vibes.

This is 44 minute wonderful space odyssey is an album you will love from the first listen like I did. It's full of hypnotic riffs you want to listen to over and over again.

Check out excellent tracks - Routine Of Life, Dirty Game and Dregs. All epic tracks to showcase this bands great talent.

All in all an excellent album from another hugely talented Russian Sludge/Stoner Metal Band. So headover to BandCamp and download now as it's on Pay Now Deal.

Fucking Awesome and Highly Recommended.

Check This Great Band From The Links Below:

evokethylords.com
MySpace
vk.com

Interview with OXTONGUE

I am happy to be interviewing – OXTONGUE – The brutal Sludge/Doom/Ambient Metallers from Canada who recently impressed me their recent heavy and bleak brilliant album – Where The Light Is Mute.

This album is bleak and heavy to boot. I wanted to get to know the people behind this great band. And now OXTONGUE have kindly granted an interview with me. So lets get started with these bleak dark overlords of Sludge Metal.

For people not "in the know" can you give them a brief history of the band and how it came about?

Oxtongue in it's truest-form started March 2012.

We recorded our first release "Where The Light Is Mute" in August/September 2012.

"Where The Light Is Mute" was released on January 15th, 2013.

The three of us have made music together for years now in different projects.

How would you describe your sound?As I would necessary call it as Post-Black Metal. You probably have a different slant on things.

Our "sound" is what is created when the three of us play together. We all have different influences and backgrounds in music.

We personally aren't into critiquing our own music, we feel that's for the listener to decide.

Which bands and artists influence you directly as musicians?

We feel that any music influences you in one way or another.

Individually, there are several musical influences on us, some are even "out of our element" musically.

Are you all full time musicians or do you have regular jobs to pay the bills?

Well, any way that you put it... it costs money to play music. We all have either jobs or school to attend to.

Are your family and friends supportive of your music?

Our families have always been accommodating towards us playing music, even though they may not understand the music itself.

What is the song-writing process in the band? Is it a group collective or is just down to one individual?

The writing process is definitely collective, We all individually have an influence on a song.

Your new album – Where The Light Is Mute – has just been released. It's a great album. But a very bleak and brutal experience. Was that the main objective for the album to release such a hard-going experience?

Thank you.

Not to sound "Cliche" but… lyrically it was written about how the three of us felt/where we were at in our lives.

Maybe on the next record we will have a different outlook on things and cover "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

Was it an easy album to record for? You have included a whole range of genres, Was it easy or hard to put them altogether?

We were very patient and took our time with the writing/recording process, which we weren't used to in previous projects.

The "vocals" that you hear were done by three people who have never tried that before.

We just write whatever comes to us, we felt that the songs were finished.

Are you happy with the final result or would you change certain aspects of it?

We're happy with the final result. We are looking forward to expanding and exploring further in the writing process.

You decided to release your album for free download via BandCamp and Mediafire. Is there going to be a physical release at some point?

Yes. There will be cassettes and LP's for sale through Holy Mountain Printing/Music. "Where The Light Is Mute" is his second release through his "new" label.

You can look at it through his website soon.

The man behind the curtain at Holy Mountain Printing/Music (www.holymountainprinting.com) has been an immense help to us and we can't thank him enough, as well as the two VERY talented minds from Fortifem (www.fortifem.fr) for doing the cover artwork.

Is there a scene for bands like yourself to perform in your home town on a regular basis? Or do you have to travel further afield to perform on a regular basis?

We all mutually have little interest in performing in our hometown.

Have you started touring yet? If so what is the live Oxtongue experience like?

We haven't played a show. We haven't really talked about it, yet.

What are your favourite bands around at the moment? Do you listen to modern day rock/metal or do you just listen to the classic era of Stoner/Sludge/Doom/Post-Rock/Post-Metal/Black-Metal?

Collectively, we probably listen to every Genre of music, or close to it.

I can find next to no information on you guys.... Just your website and BandCamp page, even that doesn't give much away. Is that part of the mystery for Oxtongue to stay as mysterious as possible?

We already get what we want out of it… which is making/playing music with each other. We don't care if people know we are in a band or not, we are just three people with the same goals in music and want to explore it.

When we perform in a live setting we're not going to wear masks or anything like that, if that's what you're getting at.

Does that mysterious way of being a band help you guys? Or cause a hinderance at times?

It's all in how you interpret it, to some people it's "mysterious" to some, it isn't. Some people are just satisfied with listening to the music.

What are your views of blogs featuring and reviewing your records, as opposed to mainstream music magazines?

Any kind of publicity is great. The fact that anyone would want to review our music is a BIG surprise to us.

What are the most and least rewarding aspects of participating with the band?

There's nothing that isn't rewarding about being in this band. Chances are... if you think being in a band isn't rewarding, you're not in it for the right reasons OR you probably aren't playing with the right people. There's nothing more rewarding then being on the same page creatively and having the same ideas/goals as someone creatively.

Do you have any future plans for the upcoming 12 months or so? Anything we should be excited about?

We are talking about adding "things"...

Maybe members.. maybe instruments... We'll see.

The writing process has begun.

Finally, Do you have anything to say your fans?

- Thank you.

Well guys thanks for doing this. All the best from ourselves at Sludgelord.

Check These Amazing Gloom and Doom Merchants from the links below:

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Weed Priest - S/T - Album Review

Weed Priest is an Occult Doom/Stoner Metal Band from Galway/Ennis, Ireland, Vilnius/Memel, Lithuania

The members are:

Adam - Guitars, Vocals
Ragas - Bass
Adrian - Drums

Weed Priest are a band I have been a fan for quite a while as I originally featured them in July 2011. Their blend of Occult based Doom/Stoner Metal riffs struck chord not only with myself but a few of you as well.

They blend bleak doom and gloom based vocals with stunning Doom/Stoner Metal riffs. Imagine a more creepier version of Sleep, Kyuss and Sabbath and that is what you get with Weed Priest. OK its not the most original of sounds but you can’t deny what a great band they are. They write stunning creepy based occult Doom/Stoner Metal riffs to chill the soul to.

Their S/T debut album is a gloomy affair from start to finish. The Doom factor has been upped to maximum levels and the Stoner Metal riffs just add a more creepy vibe to the album.

What you get is 6 tracks than run for an hour or so. Weed Priest don’t deal in short rock songs. They deal in epic tracks full of sinister and creepy vocals to awaken the soul to. The shortest track is on for 7 mins while the longest is on for 14 mins. So settle down, get comfortable as Weed Priest are ready to give you an early Halloween musical ride into the darkness.

First track – Final Spell – is 13 minutes. When you hear a woman calmly stating – “I had a vision” – believe me when I tell you this is the calm before the storm. A soothing riff is one of the first things that you hear but wait until the carnage starts around the 3rd minute. All heck breaks loose and these doom loving occult riff worshipers will have you hooked straight away.

I am not going to do a track-by-track review, as I do not want to spoil this superb album. Weed Priest have delivered a sublime album of Occult based Rock that will have you on the edge of your seat. If you’re a fan of Huata and Church Of Misery then your going to be very much at home here. Creepy vocals, delicious dark storytelling with amazing Doom/Stoner Metal riffs to chill the soul to.

Imagine a classic horror movie given a Doom/Stoner Metal makeover – Well this is what you will probably end up with. An album that takes time to invite you in it’s unholy world. But once your in, you will find it very hard to escape. Weed Priest have crafted a truly terrifying world for you all to visit. It’s just so good of them they have written amazing Doom/Stoner Metal riffs to entertain you during your brief stay. However, it is a world you will be going back again and again.

Weed Priest do offer the listener brief moments of light in the midst of all this darkness. As they play some outstanding hard-rock based riffs on tracks such as: Walpurgia and Thy Kingdom Gone before returning to their dark world once and for all.

Weed Priest have delivered an outstanding debut album that should get them noticed within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. There are enough riffs to thrill and delight people in this world and beyond.

Brilliant and Highly Recommended.

You can buy Weed Priest S/T debut album on both physical and digital copies on their BandCamp Page. So what you waiting for. Get checking now.

Check This Great Band From The Links Below:

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Check out the video for the awesome - Final Spell - from their superb debut album.

New Keepers Of The Water Towers - Cosmic Child - Review

New Keepers Of The Water Towers is a Stoner Metal Band from Sweden

The members are:

Rasmus Booberg - Vocals, Guitar
Tor Sjödén - Drums, Vocals
Victor Berg - Guitar, Vocals

Björn Andersson - Bass

New Keepers Of The Water Towers are a Stoner Metal Band who have been going since 2006 and have a loyal following within the Stoner Metal scene. They have released two well-received albums – 2009’s Chronicles and 2011’s The Calydonian Hunt.

Their blend of high voltage Stoner Metal riffs mixed with Fuzz and a slight hint of Sludge Rock made these hugely talented Swedes a band to look out for. Well things are about to change big time for the band thanks to their stunning new album – Cosmic Child.

For the 3rd album – the band have went under a spacey transformation of sorts. Cosmic Child sees the band incorporating huge elements of Progressive Rock and Space Rock into their already set great sound.

So if you’re a fan of Pink Floyd and Mastodon then your surely going to dig this like I did. Cosmic Child is the band’s creative and most daring work to date. They are a band reborn. This is New Keepers Of The Water Towers like you have never heard before. The band has reflected this in the 47 minute running time. An almost epic length by their standards.

First track – The Great Leveller – is the perfect 6-minute introduction to show you the bands new sound and outlook on all things Stoner Metal. Blending Progressive Rock riffs with Space Rock shows you this band have taken a more direct Sci-Fi vibe to their music. What else would you expect with the excellent album cover and cool title?

Imagine if NASA wanted the world’s finest Stoner Metal bands to record an album about Space Exploration then The Cosmic Child would be that awesome result. New Keepers have created an astonishing album that will take you to different galaxies and dimensions without ever leaving the comforts of your own home.

2nd track – Visions Of Death – might start as a cheerful Space Rock opera but listen to the lyrics and you find something dark and mysterious lurking in the background. Before the album takes you off for an epic journey into the cosmos. 9 mins on show here feel like light-years instead of mins. However, you will not know the difference as you will be enjoying the ride too much. Just more action-packed riffs to show you that New Keepers Of The Water Towers have evolved as musicians and writers since their last release. Wait until the 5:30 minute mark before an amazing Space infused Stoner Rock riff comes out of nowhere.

3rd Track – Pyre For The Red Sage – is another magical epic journey through Time and Space. Well 12 minute to be precise but you get another outstanding track, which takes time building the listeners emotions before letting rip with more top-notch Space Rock riffs. Throw in great vocals and lyrics and this album is now firmly in the realm of brilliance. This is a love letter to Pink Floyd as it contains some highly recognisable rock passages that legendary band were known for.

I had the feeling when listening to the album that the band had been reading or watching 2001 – A Space Odyssey or other philosophical sci-fi classics as some of their ideas on the album might actually need a degree of some sort to fully understand. However, the riffs contained on the album will keep fans happy for many years to come.

The last 3 songs follow the same path as the first 3 songs. More epic progressive space rock riffs blended with sublime Stoner Metal riffs. 18 more mins to keep you transfixed from start to finish.

Best track of the remaining 3 is the 12:32 minute instrumental epic – Lapse – which showcases some of the bands finest instrumental work to date. Ambient noises have been beautifully added to create a world that is unnerving as it is exciting. Damn – this track is a work of art at times. Moods and atmospheres collide with intent and purpose. Just close your eyes and let the riffs take you on another great journey into the vastness of space.

All in all – The Cosmic Child – is a wonderful album for everyone to experience. It has soul and heart like you would never imagine. It’s expertly produced and played by all involved.

The Cosmic Child is going to launch New Keepers Of The Water Tower onto another level within the Stoner Metal scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

You can buy The Cosmic Child from Listenable Records from March 2013.

Check This Excellent Band Here.

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Tombstone Highway - Ruralizer - Review

Tombstone Highway
Ruralizer

Agonia Records
February/ March 2013 

The band:

H.M Outlaw - Vocals, Guitars, Banjo 

Emilio "S.O.B." Sobacchi - Drums

Session musicians:

Mario Percudani - Guitars
Razor SK - Guitars
Paolo Apollo Negri - Organ

Songs:

1. Old Blood 04:49
2. Acid Overlord 04:52
3. Graveyard Blues 07:18
4. Hellfire Rodeo 02:32
5. Ruralizer 05:14
6. Bite the Dust (and Bleed) 05:08
7. At the Bitter End 09:03
8. Mississippi Queen (Mountain cover) 02:28
9. Hangman's Friend 05:25 

Total play time: 46:49

This Italian duo is a different proposition. They mix stoner, heavy rock, 70's rock, southern rock and banjos in equal measures. If this sounds weird it definitely was for me too at first. But each listen made Ruralizer grow more and more until I actually realised how good it is. The band doesn't really bring anything new to the table, apart from the banjo that is, instead it's the way Tombstone Highway write and perform their songs that makes the album stand out.

Drawing from a huge well of inspiration Tombstone Highway's sound will appeal to anyone into Lynyrd Skynyrd, Down, Pride & Glory, ZZ Top et al although they have a distinct sound of their own. H.M Outlaw and Emilio "S.O.B" Sobacchi are very accomplished musicians where H.M is a riff-meister indeed. And it's in his guitar playing where the southern rock comes forth.

Another aspect of Tombstone Highway that appeals to me is their origins. To me Italy is renowned for doom, power and technical metal and definitely not southern-tinged riff-fest infused heavy stoner rock. Don't get me wrong, their music is what makes Ruralizer such a good album, no questions asked. Still hearing an Italian band play this kind of music is refreshing.

Usually I never mention anything negative in my reviews. However, this time I feel compelled to do so. Towards the end they have included a cover of Mississippi Queen and musically there's nothing wrong at all, in fact they kind of make it their own song. It's in the singing department Tombstone Highway fails which is weird because H.M sings really well on all the other songs. But on Mississippi Queen he is off by a mile and a half so my suggestion to you who is reading this...let the music do the talking when you get to this track.

Don't let the previous paragraph influence your decision in checking these guys out or not. Tombstone Highway are a very good band and a bit of fresh air in a sometimes congested musical world. Ruralizer is the perfect album to get a party started especially if the guests are just standing around digging their bellybuttons trying to be supercool. Listen, rock out and enjoy a very good heavy rock album folks.

Håkan Nyman

Check Out This Great Band From Links Below:

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O.D.R.A - Karl Denke Blües - Review

o.d.r.a 

Karl Denke Blües

BSFD

14 December 2012

Members:

Chudy Byk - Vocals
Ziółko - Drums
Smalec - Guitar
Karolek aka defekator - Bass
Bartes - Guitar
___________________________________________________________________________

Alright folks my knowledge of Polish music is limited to death and black metal and progressive rock in which areas the Poles excel. Sludge, doom and such however I didn't really thought existed there. That's why sludgsters o.d.r.a arrived on my doorstep as a very nice surprise. I guess it's time for me to open my eyes and step outside my little box to expand my knowledge of Eastern European heaviness.

First of all I don't understand Polish at all and since all their songs are sung in their native tongue I can't tell you exactly what they are singing about. However I do know who Karl Denke was, the man who gave name to o.d.r.a's third full-length. He was up until his suicide in prison a respected man around Breslau(which is now Wroclau) where he lived. He played organ in the local church but that all came crashing down when police was called to his house after he alledgedly attacked a man with an axe. Apart from finding human flesh in jars the police found a book where Karl filed details about at least 42 people he killed and ate. Rumours abounded that he even sold human flesh as pork at the local market.

So with this little history lesson I can assume that by choosing the title Karl Denke Blües and by playing heavy ass filthy sludge o.d.r.a aren't singing about birds, flowers and puffy white clouds. But my guess is as good as yours.

Opener Widelec Heretyka reminds me so much of Ol' Scratch. It's eerliy reminiscent of the doomy Virginian sludgemasters and I'm just waiting for the latter's Wall Of Doom to appear in front of me. Don't get me wrong though cause this song is very good and o.d.r.a are not copying Ol' Scratch, they simply have the same feel and approach on Widelec Heretyka as their now defunct American counterpart.

And from this moment on they go from strength to strength. To keep the music organic in all it's filth and brutality o.d.r.a incorporate blues and tempo changes in healthy doses. Fear not though because they never let up on the heaviness. And you can smell and taste the sulphur, dirt, fire and brimstone oozing out of the speakers as if Hell is approaching. Layer upon layer of brutality is heaped on top of me all while I'm being sucked into the band's maelstrom of insanity.

If sludge is your thing, then check these guys out. They aren't doing anything new however they are so damned good that it's plain stupidity to ignore them. For me this album works as the perfect stress-reliever because after each listen I feel like I have just worked out real hard and that's an awesome feeling. But that's me, you will have your own interpretation of it. So my final words are...get a copy of Karl Denke Blües simply because it's a very good album made by a very good band that deserves recognition. Ignore o.d.r.a at your peril!

Written By Håkan Nyman

O.D.R.A can be checked out at the following links:

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GODSIZED - Trillians - Feb 28th 2013 - Gig Review

Godsized is a Groove Metal/Southern Rock/Hard Rock Band from South London, UK.

The members are:

Glen Korner- Vocals & Guitars
Neil Fish - Guitars
Gavin Kerrigan - Bass
Dan Kavanagh - Drums

Now we don't feature many gig reviews on the blog. The last one I did was in 2011 for my good friends - Sorry For Nothing. Well 2 years later I am doing my 2nd live gig review. And what a gig it fucking was.

Godsized are a band who have quite the reputation in the UK Hard Rock Scene. They have released a couple of acclaimed EP's which both show you the power and ferocity of this great band. They were personally invited by Zakk Wylde to support Black Label Society in 2011.

I almost didn't make this gig due to a family emergency but made it with seconds to spare to see the band perform in one of my local drinking holes in Newcastle - Trillians Rock Bar. And the place was quite busy to see Godsized play a brilliant 60 minute plus set.

The set list was full of old and new tracks from their great arsenal of tracks. The audience were treated to old Godsized classics as Fight & Survive, The Last Goodbye and Phoney Tough which went down a storm with the audience including myself and my brother who was rocking the fuck out of Trillians. 

Godsized managed to include some excellent new tracks from their outstanding debut album - Time - which I will be reviewing very soon. Tracks such as Heavy Load and No Reprieve prove this band are one of the best and formidable live acts I have seen in the UK.

The band were fucking awesome on stage. Each member having a commanding presence from the very first moment until the final seconds. Vocalist Glen knows how to grab your attention by the scruff of your neck. He was in top form from the start. His grizzled vocals added a Southern Metal/NOLA vibe to match the sublime Groove/Hard Rock riffs on show.

All of the band members were on fine form. Godsized are a band who want to entertain and rock the fuck out. And they succeeded on both counts judging by the audiences reception they give the band after each song. The cheers got louder and louder every minute the band played on. They deserved every clap and cheer from the audience in attendance as we were seeing something special.

If you ever want to feel the passion of legendary bands such as Pantera, Down, Crowbar and Black Label Society well Godsized are that band. They share many things with those legendary bands but do it in their own unique and superb hard-rocking style.

This gig had it all - Riffs, Great Atmosphere, Great  Crowd and a brilliant performance by one of fave upcoming UK Hard Rock Bands. On this performance alone bigger and better things await Godsized. These guys will be playing to bigger crowds and venues in the months to come.

Fucking Awesome. Or as my bro said last night -"Wow. These guys fucking killed it big time. Amazing Performance". And I agree with him!!!!

Catch them while you can as Godsized are on the road to greatness....

Check Godsized from the links below:

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You can download the excellent new track "Heavy Load" off their excellent new album - TIME - here.