Review: Big Scenic Nowhere – Dying on the Mountain

When the Postwax project first kicked off and they started to tease us with what was coming in the following months, Big Scenic Nowhere was a real surprise as I truly thought it was a project from the past that had treated us with its potential but the main players, with their other bands, had just not managed to cross paths again at the right time. Maybe it was something in the stars or the planets had aligned in 2019 or some magic shaman had chanted the chant that brought the magic from the sky above, but here it is, 25 minutes of something rather magical. 

Gary Arce and Bob Balch have brought together Nick Oliveri, Bill Stinson, Per Wiberg, Tony Reed, Ian Graham, Lisa Alley, Jim Monroe, Mario Lalli and Thomas Jager, which more than rivals the likes of a Desert Sessions gathering. 

The EP contains two tracks, the first being a 20 minute opus made up of three chapters and the second song being a more conventional five minute workout. A different way of doing things for an EP, but all the players have their time to show the reason they’re part of what I guess you would call a “supergroup”. 

Track one Dying on the Mountain (Pt. 1) / Altered Ages / Dying on the Mountain (Pt. 2) starts with shamanic like chanting that sets the scene in the mountains for the passing of the peace pipe. As Bob’s opening riff slowly rolls in, the distinct sound of Gary’s guitar work glides in to the mix and they both begin to roll together as the song slowly moves at a head nodding pace. The drums, bass and percussion keep the pace for the next five minutes with some deep routed keyboards giving everyone time to have their moment front of stage, with the song returning to its big signature riff that, throughout the journey, is never far away, even when both guitars take different journeys into the unknown. 

At around minute seven you feel like you have passed through the clouds and are coming close to the summit of the mountain. Everything mellows out and begins to float upwards with the psychedelic vocal mix of Tony/Ian/Lisa and the use of keyboards that pulls in some Prog Rock homage before that riff kicks in again and both guitars invite you to sit back, let go and take that special journey they’ve been planning for you. At this point you can feel that sensation of flight that takes you over the sea, over the sprawling deserts and over big endless mountain ranges, with no real control to how you’re going to hit the ground again, or if you ever will. The following 14 minutes don’t seem like they want to end, until the choir-like keyboards and vocals take you to what could be the final light? 

Towards the Sun is a real Sabbath affair from start to finish. A huge downturned riff with mighty drumming power that gives way to Tony Reed’s voice that fits perfectly with the might of the song and the harmonies with Thomas Jager. 

The more I listen to the song, the bigger and better it gets. Even down to the solo it is pure Sabbath worship but done really well and sounds effortlessly natural. At this point I was going to start saying that I’m left wanting more and am unsure if we will have to wait another 7 or 8 years, but today it has been announced that Big Scenic Nowhere have signed to Heavy Psych Sounds and a full length record is due in early 2020 (Details below). 

If you haven’t already checked this out, you need to today. I know that the special edition Postwax version has been delayed and if like me, you’re awaiting the vinyl version, it is coming and I’m told it will be more than worth the wait. The other various editions are available now from the links below. 

Bandcamp - Facebook - Postwax - Blues Funeral Recordings  

Press Release: Heavy Psych Sounds Records&Booking is really stoked

to announce a new band signing:

*** BIG SCENIC NOWHERE ***

feat. members of Fu Manchu, Yawning Man (Official), Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, Opeth, Kyuss, Monolord, Spiritual Beggars, Mondo Generator, Mos Generator. The Well and many more..

We are so proud to welcome a new member to our roster and family: American "super-band" Big Scenic Nowhere !!! A debut album is coming in early 2020..

PRESALE STARTS:
OCTOBER 3rd

SAYS THE BAND:
"We are super excited to be working with Heavy Psych Sounds Records. We practically know everyone on the label already. When it comes to this style of music they have a big presence and we feel fortunate to become part of that."

Anyone familiar with the terms “Stoner Rock” or “Desert Rock” have surely heard the names FU MANCHU or YAWNING MAN. If you’re a die hard fan of the genre, or a causal observer, you know that both bands have been dishing out quality material since the beginning. While stylistically different, both bands occupy legendary status. FU MANCHU’s sun-drenched, stratospheric, fuzz worship sound and YAWNING MAN’s ethereal, ambient delay have never been crossbred until now. It’s certainty a good time to be alive if you’re a fan of either band. We bring you BIG SCENIC NOWHERE...

Like many of the best things in life, the root collaboration behind Big Scenic Nowhere between guitarists Gary Arce of Yawning Man and Bob Balch of Fu Manchu started with tacos.
Bob and Gary have been acquainted since the ‘90s, when Fu Manchu would practice in the garage of the house Gary lived in with other members of the desert scene. Gary remembers coming home from his construction job at the time, working outside in the desert summer, ready to kick back and crack a beer, only to be unable to watch television because Fu Manchu were so loud.

They’d bump into each other over the years periodically and Bob eventually brought Gary in to film a piece for his instructional guitar series, PlayThisRiff.com. After the above-mentioned Del Taco post, it was Gary – whose collaborative efforts have been myriad in outfits like WaterWays, Zun, Ten East, etc. – who finally called Bob to jam.

While the project would grow soon enough to encompass players like Tony Reed (Mos Generator), Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man), Per Wiberg (Spiritual Beggars, ex-Opeth), Bill Stinson (Yawning Man), Nick Oliveri (Mondo Generator, ex-Kyuss, etc.), Lisa Alley and Ian Graham (both of The Well), Alain Johannes (Them Crooked Vultures, Chris Cornell, Eleven) and Thomas V. Jäger (Monolord), Big Scenic Nowhere is founded on Balch and Arce tossing guitar riffs and leads back and forth, piecing together song parts one movement at a time. Jamming. Sharing music. Developing a chemistry to build something new based on their individual experiences. In this way, Big Scenic Nowhere is the heart of what collaboration should manifest. Something that grows stronger for the cohesion between those who make it happen.

BIG SCENIC NOWHERE is:
Bob Balch (Guitar, Bass)
Gary Arce (Guitar)
Tony Reed (Vocals, Keys, Drums)
Mario Lalli (Bass)
Per Wiberg (Keys)
Bill Stinson (Drums)
Nick Oliveri (Bass)
Lisa Alley (Vocals)
Ian Graham (Vocals)
Alain Johannes (Vocals, Guitar)

www.heavypsychsounds.com 

Review: Northern Haze Cassettes

I know that that cassette tape’s never went away but I am definitely a “champion” for their resurgence of late as my youth was spent dubbing cassettes and doing mix tapes, and it often seems like a practice that was gone and could have been forgotten.  

Canadian label Northern Haze have started releasing cassette versions of albums and with their two latest two releases they’ve brought to us all something rather special.

If you said to me, “pick two records from the world of desert rock that kick started things and changed the way you listened to music”, then there is no doubt these two would be at the top of most people’s lists. 

Yawning Man’s first album Rock Formations and Fatso Jetson’s classic Mans Ruin Records release Flames for All get the cassette makeover in cool little packages.

I would be very surprised if you haven’t heard these albums at least 100 times each over the years hence I’m not going to review them both track by track, but for some reason you know little about them, then you’re in for a treat.

Both cassettes come in oversized boxes that remind me of 90’s computer games, with the original artwork adapted to fit and you will see that the iconic Fatso Jetson Planet of The Apes image looks as good today as it did back in 1999. The Yawning Man cassette is a deep dark blue with a corresponding button badge that matches the albums sky above the rock formation. The Fatso Jetson cassette is a bright pink that matches the album artwork and there is also a neat little inlay card and a cool square apes badge.

Hopefully Northern Haze have a few more surprises lined up in the future, but for now check the link below before they’re gone forever. 

Webstore

Review: Sageness "Akme"

Spanish Psych Rock Instrumentalists Sageness are back with six new songs in the form of Akme. If I set the scene for those who may be unfamiliar with them, they have a laid back spacey psych feel to them that mixes a little Elder, some Yawning Man and a sound that is distinctly European sounding but in their own special way that makes me think of surf films like "The Endless Summer". I can’t quite put my finger on it but, when listening, my mind keeps wondering back to watching 90’s surf videos with the slowed down wave barrel’s crashing down towards the camera. Maybe it’s because I’m sat looking at the sea whilst I’m reviewing this, but probably not as a dark grey North of England sea is a long way from Maui. I’d like to think you get the idea of what I’m thinking though.

Opening the record, Andromeda slowly drifts in as the guitar soar and the instruments work together to create a soundscape that has you floating in and out, back and forth. As the songs moves along, the song keeps dropping back to a riff that grows and evolves through the song (think Dead Roots Stirring) building and building until the full riff kicks in for the last 90 seconds and gives that “hairs stand up on the back of your neck” feeling that Colour Haze specialise in.

The Thought starts a bit prog that turns funky with the bassline and drumbeat but still makes me think of space travel with the repetitiveness of it and the way the guitar layers itself over and over. The song then starts to mellow and shows the signs that it’s building up to something, which it does with a couple of big guitar riffs, then it slides away in to more of a jam then its guitar, bass and drums in loud driving harmony for the final 3 minutes. I’m sure the ghost of Dick Dale (RIP) is playing a few riffs in there as well.

Sizigia feels like a song written from a happy place with its softer opening and guitar riffs that are constantly on the upturn. If you sit back and close your eyes, the hooks and riffs will make you think of an ever transcending kaleidoscope with its light and patterns. 

The albums longest song Ephemeral has Sageness really showing their skills and what the band is good at. The song works between parts that remind of Rotor and how they bring a song to the edge, then cymbal crash and the magic seems to happen with one of those riffs. The drums are big throughout and pull everything together again and again whilst the song transcends between the loud and the space like drifting when the song fades away.

Mindbender crawls along more that it floats reminding me of later Colour Haze and then half way through the drums kick in and they dive into a stomping stoner rock workout to finish off.

Hydro closes the record with the feeling of desert rock being played in space that drives along at quiet a fast pace. Building up with cymbals crashing, the bass kicks in to change the songs feel and the guitars begin to soar in and out to close the 43 minutes of a really good album.



This is a really good record that will easily fall in peoples top 20 lists at the end of the year. I have yet to see them live (apart from YouTube) and hope they make it over to the UK one day. 

After its release on digital formats and CD, the vinyl version has been released and it is a thing of beauty that is the perfect complement to the songs they have written. Check it out on the links below.

Bandcamp - Facebook - YouTube 

Review: Luna Sol “Below the Deep”

The Colorado High Mountain heavy rockers make a welcome return with their second record “Below the Deep”. Knowing their original links to Desert Rock royalty and how good their debut album “Blood Moon” was, spending the last 3 years crafting these songs was destined to make something special.

"Black Cloud” opens the album and is proper “High Mountain Rock n Roll”. Drum roll then straight into a thick heavy riff that drives the song, giving you that feeling of a packed house bar-room gig. Dave Angstom's vocals have a dark feel to them, sounding low in the mix which works really well. Further on in the track, bassist Shannon Fahnestock also contributes to lead vocals, and between them there’s a harmony that works really well. The song closes with a full on, guitar in the air solo.

The title track “Below the Deep” keeps the riff driven rock right on track. Within the vocal harmonies this time there’s a dark Mark Lanegan vocal style in the mix. Again, a powerful mix topped with a full straight to the point solo and the use of the vocals and harmonies really elevates the song. Fans of Hermano will really dig this one.

“Along the Road” has a lot more of a darker groove to it, held perfectly at a slower pace by Justin Baier’s drum beats. Vocally it has that low end deep voice to it, adding to the Corrosion of Conformity feel to the song. The guitars of David Burke and Angstrom overlap each other, leaving time for some ripping guitar solos.

The Blue’s are all over “Man’s Worth Killin”, showing a slower southern groove mixed with some of the best vocal harmonies on the album. The chorus is a proper head nodder.

“Sometimes We Get It Right” is a mid-tempo rocker that could be out the Hermano playbook, with the vocals having a John Garcia feel to them. “The Dying Conglomerate” has the late 90’s hard desert rock feel to it. 

“Garden of the Gods” feels like a song that the band have taken time to make it just right. Its slow and emotive, sitting somewhere between Soundgarden and Audioslave and Dave is definitely channelling some inner Chris Cornell. There’s a catchy as hell baseline that makes you feel as though you are lost in the desert in the dark, completed with some awesome duel guitar work.

Followed by another rocker “Hallelujah”, that brings in some organ to compliment the Southern Blues Rock vibe. It’s a 4 minute stomper that could quite easily be a lead single. The male/female vocal harmonies work a treat, overlaid with a husky growl ala Mark Lanegan, and the guitar solo slowly lifts you up there, then boom, a classic in the making.

“Mammoth Cave” follows a lead sounding like very early Queens of the Stone Age, then a real foot tapper of a chorus that will have everyone singing along. “Wait for It” more than drives the message home, whilst the final track “Home” walks a dark brooding path, not before one final blast of twin guitar leads.

I was a big fan of the previous LP “Blood Moon” and even after only a few listens, I can guarantee “Below the Deep” is going to blow you away. The production is perfect for what they are doing and every instrument they use is comes across with some much power with a hint of fuzz behind the songs. 

"Below the Deep" is already available in the USA and comes out in Europe on August 16th (with super special packaging). It can be purchased from:

USA LP - USA CD - USA Download - Euro LP & CD - Euro (Green Vinyl) LP

Review: Mantra Machine “Heliosphere”

With the release of “Nitrogen” back in 2014 that had followed their “Stage One” EP 12 months earlier, Mantra Machine had found something special, mixing the hypnotic sounds of space like psychedelia and the “jam” like feel of desert rock. I have to admit that I didn’t think I would have to wait 4 more years for another record, but when they dropped a new single “Hydrogen” in March, you knew something special was coming, and here it is…..

“Heliosphere” consists of 4 long songs that total 43:00 minutes of Amsterdam’s finest instrumental cosmic rock. 

The journey starts with “Hydrogen” and as the track slowly starts to build and grow, you can already see that the band have spent time really perfecting the sound they want. The guitars have that sound that only people like Josh Homme managed to perfect in Kyuss alongside bands from the early Swedish stoner rock scene. It’s powerful, driving, fuzzy but also manages to give the impression that it’s floating out to another dimension. I know very little about pedals, cabs, tubes etc. but once you’ve heard this, you’ll get what I mean. As the songs keeps moving, it gives the impression of travelling through the clouds and beyond, like what Colour Haze do, but Mantra Machine keep turning the song back to a hypnotic beat. Coming to its conclusion, the work from each instrument becomes more complex and heavier as the song intensifies, before silence.

“Atmos” brings you right back down and lets you drift outwards into deep space. Slow fuzzy baselines alongside rhythmic drumming move you out into the cosmos in what feels like a jam performed in the deepest of nights. As the guitar starts to add more and more layers over the song, the track begins to intensify and the drifting turns in to a mission that, with the help of some killer guitar work, has to be completed.

As keyboards and a solitary guitar riff opens up “delta-v”, the 3 piece create the perfect mix of a desert rock jam with a space rock trip. Lie back and you can see the sunrise just starting to break on the horizon whilst you can still see the stars and galaxies high above you in the night sky. The track has a hypnotic sense to it with a repetitive “mantra” feel behind the rhythm section as the guitar takes you to those galaxies far away in the distance. 

Title track “Heliosphere” closes the album with 15 minutes of showcasing what Mantra Machine can really do. There is a psych riff and back beat that the song always returns to, but one minute the song is all out stoner rock with cymbals crashing, the next there is a raw sounding guitar playing over soaring space like keyboards followed by psychedelia that just melts away. The whole thing is an absolute pleasure to sit back and enjoy the ride.

The digital version is out now via their Bandcamp page, which also includes the link to pre-order the limited edition gatefold vinyl version of “Heliosphere” on ultra-clear transparent or green clear with black marbled effect.

Bandcamp – Spotify - Facebook  

Review: Gorm - S/T

Just when you think that Germany cannot produce another killer heavy psych band, in walk Rostock’s Gorm. Following on from a live release from 2017, they have locked themselves away and created an instrumental sound that takes the listener in to another sonic dimension.

With 5 songs (4 on the LP) covering 57 minutes, it’s time to sit back and enjoy their cosmic trip.

“Rhea” starts off slowly with a couple of riffs that are reminiscent to what Elder are doing right now. A tight sounding rhythm section that starts to take you out into the distance with fuzzy guitars that start to build and build. Then around 4:00 minutes everything stops to then be pushed up a level and forced out into the universe, this is where the instruments get thicker and the guitar starts to pull you away, but never too far from the chugging sound that makes you think of the spaceships engine. Again it stops, with listener only hearing a slight keyboard effect as though you are in deep space and then the song builds up the layers before its signature riff takes over, feeling big and emotive, before it takes you back.

Feeling the connection to the next track “Hyperion”, you feel as though you are already back up there is the stars with instruments sounding more as though they are turning to the light. The song then takes a gentle approach as the bass and drumbeats pull you along before the soundscapes start to build and evolve and for the next 7 minutes slowly take you out there and back again on many occasions.

“Hydra” is a 12 minute journey that has more a well thought out “jam” feel to it, reminding me of Colour Haze and Rotor in parts. The guitar meanders back into the cosmos again, backed with more cymbals this time and when the heavier parts kick in, they really kick in with a repetitive style this music was made for. Half way through the track stops and veers off into different world and the bass guitar feels a lot fuzzier as it drives everything forward. Everything speeds up as the guitar takes on a slight metal chug to it, leaving space for some intricate guitar work to follow.

Elder fans will really enjoy “Triton” with its overlaying guitar soundscapes and time changes, giving you the atmosphere of space exploration without knowing what is coming on the horizon. One minute the track is driving forward with a repeating guitar riff, the next with a euphoric like guitar melody.

The non vinyl LP versions also have the track “Calypso” on them, a more crunchy psychedelic jam compared to the others. From the guitar walking off into the distance repeatedly whilst it keeps bring you home to repeat a riff reminds me very much of Rotor, which is a bonus. From the thick fuzzy overlays to the more psych sounding parts, Gorm have the ability to sound heavy, but not in a metal way.

The vinyl is available direct from the band in 3 Colors (Blue, Orange and a Purple/Black marble). 

Bandcamp - Facebook - YouTube - Spotify

Review: The Kings of Frog Island Ep's

It had felt like quite some time since we had heard anything from The Kings of Frog Island as 2018 drew to a close, but the announcement of a series of releases by them throughout 2019 has already given us a wealth of what Leicester’s finest do best. At the time of writing this, EP no.7 has just been released and it looks like we are expecting one every month for the rest of the year. So in release date order, here we go:

Birth of a Star

The first new release “Birth of a Star” starts with a drum beat that opens the door for an awesome riff that is classic Kings of Frog Island, a riff that is meant to be played over and over. Backed up with another 3 chord riff that becomes the mainstay for the next 21 minutes, it has an almost wild west feel to it. The song walks on with the mantra like drumbeat as the guitar dips in and out and the keyboard floats all over the track, and just as you think the songs is over, the keyboards pulls you in a different direction, the drums kick in stronger and away we go.

Ove the next ten minutes “Birth of a Star” takes a few more twists and turns and it conjures up the sounds of very early Queens of the Stone Age and as we near then end of the journey, the guitar takes a winding walk into the mystical distance as the sun slowly sets in the sky.

White Dwarf

“White Dwarf” has a bigger feel to it with a thick fuzzy riff and some 70’s organ like keyboards, topped with a guitar riff that soars in and out. Slowly moving along, the riffs, the big drum beats and keyboard build a good repetition that holds on to you before the song slips away into keyboards that sound almost heavenly, as though you are up there some place in the clouds, then nothing. Very atmospheric.

Temporal Riff, Vol.1

The third single “Temporal Riff, Vol.1” is an absolute treat, taking the original "Temporal Riff" (from Vol V) and making it sound more 60’s and drug induced. Sounding more intimate and trippy than the original and without a doubt an appreciative nod to The Velvet Underground. The whole sound and vibe of the 6 minutes moves away from that feeling of sitting on a beach under that stars and into a floating opium induced dream that takes you into the unknown. The constant beat of what sounds like maracas throughout really makes this version stand out.

Supernova

Back to the instrumentals and “Supernova” starts slowly with an uplifting positive sound to it which includes the ever so slight use of a wah-wah effect in the background, which is more noticeable with headphones on. The song meanders through repetitive riffs and space like keyboards as you feel yourself drifting away to a darker place, then a single riff kicks in and lifts you straight back out.

Ozium

Picking a song to cover is usually something quite personal and they couldn’t have picked a more fitting track to play than Monster Magnet’s “Ozium”. Anyone who knows me, knows my love of Monster Magnet, so only good things can come of this.

Sounding a lot more stripped back and rawer than the original, they throw their own twist on the classic. The guitar strums, the gong sounds and the vocals sound really good but I do wish they had taken the song into the second half when it goes off into oblivion, I think they really could have done something. I guess they “will not be denied”.

Pigs in Kaftans

I think “Pigs in Kaftans” was the first track produced in their new studio, and what a way to start. Looking at the image that accompanies the track, I’m thinking dark, moody, medieval? 

The song strums its way in with vocals that are more spoken, in a Monster Magnet sort of way, then it kicks in with a huge fuzzy chorus that makes you think of classic slow stomping Fu Manchu, repeating the words “over my head”. This is a song that needs to be played live.

As the song, a short one for them at 5:24, rolls on, the guitar, sounding real raw and fuzzy, meanders off on a walkabout before the conclusion.

Nebula

“Nebula” is hot off the mixing desk only being released yesterday, and take us back down the relaxed psychedelic route. Keyboards sounding like they’re deep in space bring us in to some gentle guitar work that has a Pink Floyd feel to it, giving the listener a warm optimistic feel. A drumbeat kicks in with a live feel that sits, in the mix, more towards the background but makes the whole thing feel bigger, before the acoustic guitar pulls it back in and keyboards and organ open up the song for a lengthy bit of winding electric guitar. 

As the song glides to a conclusion, I think the quote that accompanies it sums up the mood perfectly, “we recorded these songs because we like the end of the party be a gentle return rather than a bumpy landing”.

As a big fan of The Kings of Frog Island, 2019 has been full of good surprises and looks to continue for a while yet. Below are the various ways to purchase the tracks as well as the link for their YouTube channel which has loads of good stuff on.

Spotify
CDBaby
Apple Music
Facebook