Desertfest London 2019 - Day 3

Sunday morning starts with the news that Naxatras have had to cancel due to travel issues. It does sort my problem of having to sprint between The Roundhouse and The Underworld, but that’s the 2nd band on my must see list that’s cancelled over the weekend. 
This is the 3rd year that Desertfest has taken over The Roundhouse on a Sunday. The famous old venue is big and has an impressive overpowering feel to it and must look good if you are standing on stage looking outwards towards the crowd, but the grumble has always been the sound. I remember last year’s sound being hit and miss for no real reason, so fingers crossed this year will be sorted. 
With 99% of festivals that you mention the name Colour Haze at, they’re headlining, so it’s a strange site to see them being the opening band on what is a very strong line up. They had an hour to play which will be more like a warm up compared to the usual 3 hour sets, but you know it’s going to be one hell of an hour. 
Expanding to a 4 piece a few years back has made something extremely special even more special as the keyboards from Jan compliment that unique original sound that Stefan, Philipp and Manfred have fine-tuned over the years. Every Colour Haze song is like a magic trip into the beyond and as the rhythm section of the band keeps you moving through what is the backbone of every trip, Stefan’s guitar lifts you that little higher and you feel like you are floating away and the sound of the Hammond and keyboards tie everything together perfectly. 
Whichever way you look in the crowd, people are experiencing the same joy and it’s hard to see someone who doesn’t have a smile on their face. “Uberall” takes you driving along the desert pass, “Labyrinthe” shows how the band have evolved and (my personal favourite, thank you, thank you, thank you for playing it) “Temple”, the song that must have inspired so many to pick up an instrument, is flawless. 
But just as they are slipping in to that groove, it comes to an end. The outpouring of love and appreciation that went with the rapturous applause at the end is something else. 25 years after the band started, you can see how much they love doing what they do and the mutual respect. 
It’s a shame that you didn’t have their full lightshow with them as it would have lit The Roundhouse up a treat, maybe next time. 


So how do you match that? Well if anyone can then Earthless can. It’s like a dream come true, two masters of heavy psych from eather side of the Atlantic playing back to back. 
Having seen Earthless grow and grow over the years and always backing it up with their extra special live shows, I seem to have been cursed since the release of “Black Heaven” as every time they’ve played the UK I haven’t been here. I’m really excited to see the latest songs performed that included singing for a change. 
Every Earthless show I have attended has turned into a sonic trip with songs of epic proportion and the following 60 minutes certainly doesn’t disappoint. “Electric Flame” and “Gifted by the Wind” are absolutely flawless. The sound and the mix are perfect and the sound feels so much fuller in The Roundhouse this time. Then the openings of “Godspeed” kicks in and this is when Earthless take you to that place where out of body experiences happen. For the next 30 minutes they take you on a cosmic journey through time and space. Mike and Mario don’t even have to look at each other to know what the other one is playing, leaving Isaiah to do what he does best with his guitar.


They have a special way, live, of taking a riff or a song to the point of thinking it’s coming to an end, then it just roll’s back over itself and keeps on going. I don’t know if the attached videos do the show justice but that really was a special 60 minutes that should go down in Desertfest history. 


Witch are a band that I was always aware of but we never really crossed paths. I guess since it’s been 11 years since their last record, maybe it wasn’t supposed to be. Anyway, I revisited “Paralyzed” and “Witch” for a few plays prior to today and I have questioned why it took me so long. 
They do the doomier side of stoner rock and they do it well. Songs that have stood the test of time, full of head nodding hooks and Sabbath like time changes. 
Time definitely makes the heart grow fonder with Witch as a lot of people have been building up to seeing this. I’m not sure if there’s any new music on the horizon or a chance of any more love shows, but the crowd are making sure they enjoy every moment. 


All Them Witches seem to be getting more and more of a buzz around them lately and tonight shows a lot of people why. Playing in clubs they have the ability to create a vibe in the room and hold the crowd in the palm of their hands as they immerse you in their unique style of heavy psychedelic blues. 
Earlier records have had the band take you through the heavy fuzz end of psych as well as the more experimental side of their writing which all translates really well live, so I’m excited to see how their more stripped back new tracks from “ATW” sound live. 
With The Roundhouse now being extremely full, it didn’t take long before everyone in the room had fallen under their spell into some sort of trance. “Harvest Feast” delivers 11 minutes of emotive blues and “Workhorse” slowly builds and builds before some sublime guitar work and “Diamond” is such an awesome song live. The crowd may be getting lost in a song one minute but, just like the band, aren’t afraid to rock out with songs such as “the dance song” “Alabaster”. 
Be it a small club or somewhere as big as The Roundhouse, All Them Witches have crafted their work through relentless touring to make every show truly magical. 


When we all start talking about who still needs to headline Desertfest, there was probably only one name left in the hat, Fu Manchu. It’s surprising that it’s been this long but it was more than worth the wait. They play the UK every time they’re touring so it’s not like any of us haven’t seen the band before, but there’s always an extra special feeling at festivals (probably all the day drinking). 
They take the stage to a hero’s welcome and from the moment the opening riff of “Pigeon Toe” kicks in, BOOM, we’re off, 75 minutes of pure Southern California stoner rock fuzz and they don’t let up. They have so many classics that they could play from a huge back catalogue and tonight’s choice cuts include “Hell on Wheels”, “Evil Eye”, “King of the Road” and “Weird Beard”. The crowd are loving it and the place goes off. 
I could wax lyrical all day about how much I love Fu Manchu and how good this song is or that riff is and even after 30+ years, I can honestly say that the band sound better than ever. They blast through “Saturn III” and even though I know the fan favourite “Godzilla” is coming, I have to make the dash down to The Underworld for one last band. 


On a final note about The Roundhouse, the sound was so much better this year. 
It was more than a quick dash to get to The Underworld to see Mondo Generator and to be honest I had my doubts that we would get in, even if it was close to midnight, but after a few minutes of queueing, the dash was worth it. It doesn’t take long for the place to fill up and knowing that this was the last band of the entire festival and the Kyuss connection, once I had my place I wasn’t moving. 
The band hit the stage, Nick Oliveri is as raw, unapologetic and full of energy as ever. They kick off with Kyuss’ “Molten Universe”, then “13th Floor” and back to Kyuss with “Love has passed me by”. The Underworld which is probably fuller than it should have been literally explodes. The lucky few who managed to get in seem to be consuming all remaining alcohol on site, supposedly to cool themselves down as it must be 100 degrees in here now. They pile drive through Mondo songs such as “Up Against the Void”, “Dead Silence” and “I Never Sleep” as well as dropping QOTSA’s “Gonna Leave You”. For the encore we’re treated to “Green Machine” and “Allen’s Wrench” before the closer “You think I ain’t worth a Dollar”. Nick returns to the stage to rapturous applause before one final stage dive. 


And that was it, another successful Desertfest. Drunken festival goers stagger off into the night, with some of us forgetting that the tube was already closed which then turned into an Uber nightmare. See you next year.

Live: Hibushibire / Dead Otter – Newcastle Trillians 21.05.2019

Due to traffic and road works on the way to Newcastle I managed to miss The Contact High and I just caught the last few minutes of Cave Suns, who sounded good and being advertised as Blue Cheer crashing into The Groundhogs hit the nail on the head. 

Dead Otter dropped their record “Bridge of Weird” 6 months ago, gaining a load of positive feedback. The first time I sat and listened to the full 35 minutes it was obvious the Glasgow based 4 piece had raised the bar for British Stoner/Space/Heavy Psych rock. You can’t really pigeon hole them in to one of these genres but they fit them all in a good way.

They play through 45 minutes of what seems like a well-structured “jam” that live reminds me of Euro Psych bands such as Rotor and Monkey3. Closing my eyes and nodding my head I get that repeat feeling of the image of bright coloured spots of oil being dropped into a dark coloured water and expanding again and again (I hope you know what I mean). The stoner rock part drives forward with heavy riffs that have a slight prog feel, and the psych/space rock have an emotive feel that has you drifting away. They finish with the 14 minute LP title track “Bridge of Weird” and it really is something special. You all really need to hear it.

Hailing from Osaka, Hibushibire are really leading their psych rock scene. They’ve just released “Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out!” hot on the heels of 2017’s “Freakout Orgasm!”, taking their sound to the next level. This is the first time I have managed to catch them live. Others have spoken about how good they are live and I have seen the YouTube clips and listened to their bootlegs, but nobody told me they were this good.

Freak-out heavy psych rock embedded deep in the 60’s/70’s that bring together the finest guitar action from Hendrix or Cream or early Deep Purple with lots of wah-wah and fuzzy madness. Its riff after riff after riff. The rhythm section of 821 and Takashi just don’t stop and Chang Chang kicks that leg and off he goes with that guitar wizardry. Just as you think the song is closing, the drums slow down, the bass rolls in, the pedal is pushed and away we go again. The Hendrix like finger action of the guitar is something special.

With the final 23 minutes bringing us the epic “Rollercoaster of the Universe”, Hibushibire close the night out leading a musical journey, taking you to several corners of their psychedelic universe. It was something rather special.

Riot Season Records are dropping some seriously good records at the moment that all sit musically, somewhere outside the box. Both Hibushibire and Dead Otter have must own music out on the label. Check it out.

Brant Bjork "Jalamanta" 20th Anniversary Reissue

*** BRANT BJORK - JALAMANTA ***  

Reissue for the 20th Anniversary - remastered/remixed version with brand new cover art !!!
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS is really proud to unveil cover and details of the upcoming Brant Bjork reissue JALAMANTA !!!
RELEASE DATE:

SEPTEMBER 13th
PRESALE STARTS:

MAY 23rd
It's been 20 glory years when desert rock icon, BRANT BJORK, released his first solo album Jalamanta.

2019 will see the Kyuss and Fu Manchu - legend celebrate his 20th anniversary in style, when he will re-release his pathbreaking, cult album Jalamanta on September 13rd with Heavy Psych Sounds Records!

Recorded by Tony Mason at Rancho De La Luna, Joshua Tree, California, in February 1999 and produced by BRANT BJORK, Jalamanta still belongs to the most distinctive desert rock records of all time.

“Jalamanta was a life changing record for me. It's the record that launched my journey as Brant Bjork.“ he comments. “Listening to the tapes 20 years later was amazing. Tony Mason and myself were transported back to that moment in time. Jalamanta was a first for both Tony and myself. My first record as a solo artist and his first record as an engineer. We didn't think twice about re-mixing it. With our combined experience over the years, we knew we could take Jalamanta to the place we always wanted it to go. And we did. Dig it.“

Jalamanta has been re-mixed by Tony Mason, with a freshly baked re-master by John McBain at JPM Mastering, San Fransisco. New cover art by Branca Studio. Heavy Psych Sounds is proud to start the pre-order of this timeless classic on May 23rd, in the following available album formats:

RELEASED IN DOUBLE GATEFOLD VINYL IN:

- 45 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL

- 250 LTD WHITE SPLATTER RAINBOW VINYL

- 250 LTD WHITE MARBLED PURPLE VINYL

- 600 SOLID YELLOW VINYL

- BLACK VINYL

- DIGIPAK

- DIGITAL

TRACKLIST

Lazy Bones
Automatic Fantastic
Cobra Jab
Too Many Chiefs... Not Enough Indians
Sun Brother
“Let’s Get Chinese Eyes”
Toot
Defender Of The Oleander
Bones Lazy
Low Desert Punk
Waiting For A Coconut To Drop
Her Brown Blood
Indio
Take Me Away ( Blue Oyster Cult cover )

www.heavypsychsounds.com

https://en-gb.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/

Desertfest London 2019 - Day 2

Its only 12 and Camden is heaving already. A load of plant based food in Camden Market thanks to the heavenly Seitan, a rattle through the 2^nd hand record shops, a couple of pints to start the day off and we’re already back in the Electric Ballroom watching Elephant Tree. The last time I saw Elephant Tree in Sheffield it was LOUD. Every time I’ve seen them its loud but last time had my ears ringing for a couple of days. Peter’s low end bass shakes the foundations as always and Jack’s guitar sound mixed with both their vocal harmonies floors me every time. As a 4 piece now everything sounds even a bigger and we are treated to a few new songs from their (hopefully) imminent new record. They know how to work the crowd, even when its 2pm and even this early the Ballrooms sound system has had a complete workout.

The first trip of the day to The Black Heart is to see Boston’s own Worshipper. With a new record “Light in the Wire” dropping, again via Tee Pee Records, they hit you with classic sounding heavy rock. Lots of riffs, twin guitar action and some really catchy hooks. Before this I wasn’t too familiar with what Worshipper had to offer but what I’ve seen here is more than enough to convince me. I’m sure I won’t be the only one after the last 45 minutes.

Staying in The Black Heart, Psychlona hit the stage and they are loving it. “Mojo Rising” dropped last year to critical acclaim and I can see 2019 being a big year from Bradford’s finest. It doesn’t take long for a variety of Yorkshire reprobates in the crowd to start shouting out various Yorkshire based towns they’re from. I probably should have started a Redcar chant, but maybe not! Back to the music, they hit you with a driving blues based stoner rock channelling the likes of Fu Manchu, Clutch and a bit of Kyuss, all with a northern twist. They look right at home in the Ripple family.

Back in the Electric Ballroom Monkey3 look to be having a few issues with their equipment. Concerned faces and a stage full of people keep trying to get the keyboards working but alas the lights go on and the band announce that they are unable to perform thanks to Easyjet (badly) mishandling their keyboards. Holding it up for all to see, one keyboard must have lost half its keys in transit. The band are really pissed and the crowd can see this. We all applaud in gratitude knowing they’ll be back next time.

Stoned Jesus always seem to be touring somewhere around the globe but we don’t see them enough in the UK, hence the large turnout. On a bigger stage they really impressed me last year at the HRH Stoner Vs Doom festival, and it didn’t take them long to slip straight back into that groove. For 3 dudes they make one hell of a noise and the songs have that classic rock structure that keep rolling along.  As the set roles on Igor takes a seat to start the acoustics of the epic anthem “I am the Mountain” and the next 15 minutes show Stoned Jesus at their finest. The song is one of those festival moments that everyone in the room will not forget. Absolutely flawless.

Apart from a trip to the bar, I’m not losing my good space for Kadavar. Berlin’s finest retro rockers are a band that never fail to disappoint. Their performance at the inaugural Desertfest still goes down in legend with the bouncers literally unscrewing the drum heads and unplugging the speakers whilst the band played on. As always the drums are set up at the front of the stage, guitars are plugged in, waste coats go on and away we go. A full hour’s trip going back in time with songs such as “Black Sun”, “Into the Wormhole” and “Die Baby Die” played to perfection. Dragon and Tiger form a ferocious rhythm section that doesn’t let up once, whilst Lupus takes us on several mystical guitar journeys. Roll on a new record.

Saturday’s festivities would end in The Black Heart, starting with Salem’s Bend. The 70’s LA Rockers have been making a name for themselves of late and with the imminent release of “Supercluster” on Ripple Music, what they played tonight showed we are in for a treat. The heavy fuzzy sound shines through and there’s a 70’s rock feel to it, but live I’m also feeling some Hawkwind and some early Priest coming through when the cymbals start crashing and the riffs start cutting in. I like the way their songs dip a toe into a few different genres but don’t stray too far from their original path. I’m looking forward to the LP.

We Hunt Buffalo finish off the night in a very hot rammed full Black Heart. I do though manage to get right next to the stage, and I didn’t move until it was over. We get lots and lots of big heavy rock, fuzzy throughout, psychedelic sometimes but always grooving with big riffs. From the start you can see the band are loving the crowd as much as the crowd are loving the band. There’s quite a bit of “Head Smashed In” being played with a load of requests being shouted by the drunk punters. The band have toured a lot over the last couple of years and it really shows as they’re really tight as a unit. A band that receives many fist pumps!

Two really good days done with tomorrow looking oh so special. I just need to know how to run from The Roundhouse to The Underworld and back in 30 mins to catch Naxatras?!?

Desertfest London 2019 - Day 1

I remember the original Desertfest and the time I first walked into Camden, kind of knowing what to expect but still having that feeling of stepping in to the unknown. Festivals weren’t a new thing, but having the UK's version of a Roadburn was, and seeing that many good bands over 3 days all within a 2 minute walk, made it even more special.
Role on the years to the eighth edition and it still feels just as special, a little bigger now but still just as special. So after 8 years we've finally changed the routine as well. Driving instead of the train, a hotel further out of the madness and using the tube instead of our legs. I’m not usually one for change, but I wasn't looking back from day 1.
So here we go, Worlds End pub, expensive drinks, Greenlands Place for a wristband, the realisation that the sun wasn't coming out soon, the rain was imminent but nothing was stopping the growing amount of people here to worship at the altar of the riff.
It's time already and up we go into the dark of The Black Heart to find myself a good spot (always on the right) to see The Great Machine. I wasn’t that familiar with them, possibly the first Israeli band I’d seen live? Anyway, until about a month ago I hadn’t really dug into their 2 albums and 2 EP's, but now I can see why they are making a name for themselves, which has been helped even further by SOL Booking shows throughout Europe for them. The room is already full before they're on the stage and it doesn't take long before the crowd is lapping it up. It sways from the bass driven rock n roll vibe of Motorhead to some wild guitar work from the 70's with a ton of groove thrown in and lots of cymbals crashing. But as quick as it started, it was over. If anyone wasn't awake before the opening band, then they are now.


The first visit of the weekend to The Underworld was to see Sweden’s Vokonis. I remember reading a couple of months back about The Underworld getting some work done on it and the room had a slightly cleaner look, having less of a “nightclub floor” feeling than previous visits. Anyway, Vokonis kick it off with some low end heavy riffs that build and groove and build and then stop to throw in something atmospheric, before picking it back up with a guitar lead that takes you some place that also contains lots of crashing cymbals. The overall feel of their songs has a sludgy feeling of Baroness or Mastodon with layers of musical soundscapes without losing the stoner metal edge. They made quite a presence on stage which you can see in the video, with bassist Jonte Johanasson moving that bass, hair and flares non-stop. The crowd loved it.


The 100 yard dash straight back to The Black Heart saw more of a struggle getting in to see Cheshire’s 1968 as it was already rammed full. There has been quite a buzz around them for a while now after the release of “Ballads of the Godless” last year and after a good run of shows they’ve turned into a finely oiled machine now. If you don’t know them by now then you probably should. Retro-rock is a term that gets banded around a lot but live its more of an Alice in Chains plays Thin Lizzy. The songs take you off on a voyage of discovery with heavy grunge laden guitars with a classic rock rhythm feeling, matched with Jimi’s great voice. You can see how they come alive on stage and I don’t think it will be long before they move on to the next level. An imminent run of a few US shows including the Planet Desert Rock Festival and playing at the “Whisky A Go Go”, will certainly do some good.


Another rain dash back to The Underworld (it won’t be the last time today) for what is being billed the Riding Easy Records stage today. Knowing them, I half expected the label to have forced a 70’s Dodge Van through the back door and in the bar area. Blackwater Holylight take the stage to a full room and they’re a band on my “don’t miss” list for the weekend as I really like their s/t record and have never seen them live before, and they didn’t disappoint. Playing as a 5 piece now, they have a certain kind of heaviness that keeps driving through their songs, even in the quieter moments. Heavy Psych is the genre that probably encompasses their sound but they bring in influences from Sabbath to 80’s New Wave in to their song writing and I can hear an early QOTSA vibe in places. Lots of cymbals as well!


Leaving one venue with 5 girls making a ton of Heavy Psych, its straight back to The Black Heart to see 3 more girls doing the same, namely High Priestess. Hailing from LA with their s/t record out last year, they rock their own version of Heavy Psych that pulls influences from the likes of Kylesa but they also have some more haunting sounding parts ala Witchcraft that work well with the twin vocal harmonies, driving bass lines, driving guitar with everything being pulled together by some seriously powerful drumming, which you’ll see below. It doesn’t take them long to roll through their 45 minute set, leaving the punters wanting more still. Good stuff!


Back again to The Underworld to check out Alastor. I have to admit that they weren’t on my radar until I was doing my pre-festival homework, but checking out their latest record “Slave to the Grave” was well worth it. You cannot deny that classic Sabbath runs through their veins and their riffs sound like they could have been written in the 70’s. Live though, it really kicks in as there’s even more of a fuzz to their sound to back up that 70’s occult rock feel to it. Backing it up with a larger than life appearance on stage, killer vocals and a little corpse paint, I was more than convinced.


The now familiar rush across the road (again) had me there just in time to catch the Great Electric Quest. It started loud with feedback then the silk robe appeared then finally the San Diego rockers exploded. I remember a flag being waved and lots of shouting, then off we rolled.  All denim clad, we were hammered with a dose of loud 70’s rock and lots of raised beer cans for the next 45 minutes. Shut your eyes and it could have been Priest or Thin Lizzy and this was just what a room full of (getting there wasted) rockers wanted!


A trip to King of Falafel served its purpose then I found myself deep in The Underworld again to check out Zig Zags. The LA punk metaller’s had already filled the venue and let rip on them with the constant onslaught of riffs that could have come from Motorhead or Black Flag. Short sharp blasts of fury continued for the hour, taking me back to the days of 80’s high top skate punk. The place went off!


Next up came the band everyone seemed to be here to see, R.I.P. I was lucky to get a decent spot as The Underworld was as full as I’ve seen it. Enter Portland’s finest bunch of rock n rollers. And there it was, the scythe microphone stand, larger than life, commanding those screams. Most of “In the Wind” was played to a rampant crowd and the denim, leather and hairy chest of “Fuzz” commanded the stage with his larger than life presence. If anyone was feeling the burn after day drinking, R.I.P. pushed you up to the next level. These guys are going places and they need to make model scythes for the merch table.


The finale of a hugely well received Riding Easy Records stage was saved for Ohio’s finest doom rockers Electric Citizen. Laura Dolan struts round the stage, clad in a full leather jumpsuit with her flowing locks swooping everywhere, and has a voice to back it up. Like a female Robert Plant with a little more swagger, she has a heaving venue in the palm of her hand. Backed up with a band that knock out Pentagram come Deep Purple come Sabbath riffs for fun, it’s an absolute pleasure to witness 60 minutes of magical musical energy. A fitting end to a fine day in The Underworld.


I know OM have just come on but I’m back over to The Black Heart to see Skraeckoedlan. “Eorpe” had been on my iphone rotation for a while now so I wasn’t missing out on the chance to catch them. As it had already started, the queue was already back down the stairs to get in, but a few “excuse me” and “pardon me’s” and I found myself wedged in down the right hand side. They fuzzed, they rocked, they rolled and they even threw in a bit of melody before the wall of riffs kicked in again. A worthy headliner to a very full room.


A quick power walk to the Electric Ballroom and as expected it was packed for OM, absolutely rammed full from the door to the bar to the stage. The electric blue haze that lit the room perfectly set a hypnotic atmosphere. Standing further back you could see the band through all the nodding heads, but again, the blue haze took away any sharpness in the definition of actually seeing the band, adding to the atmosphere. Picking out songs like “Cremation Ghat” and “Bhima's Theme”, the band could have played all night. It was a welcome alternative headlining band feel to the room, instead of the mayhem you had the low end chanting and droning to finish the first night off.


Like the last couple of years, just when you thought the night was over and the after party was an “after party” (thank you Desertscene), it actually turns out to be a band that’s the other end of the spectrum to what you have just watched. And we welcome…..The Shrine. Venice, California’s premier skate punks are back, now with Corey Parks on bass. They blast through an hour’s worth of classics as well as a few new ones from their “Cruel World” EP. The now wasted crown lap it up and it looks like it’s getting messy for a few. With Josh looking like Phil Lynott and Corey dressed like a female Lemmy, the 3 piece keep the party going long into the night.


We somehow find the tube station, the right tube stop to get off, witness some over the top teenage street gang complaining to the police about their party being crashed and day 1 is over.