Review: Swan Valley Heights – The Heavy Seed

It had been a couple of years since I had picked up Swan Valley Height’s first record, and seeing that they had struck a deal with Fuzzorama Records, you knew something special was in the works.

The Heavy Seed kicks off the album and when you see the opening track is over 13 minutes, you know only good things will happen. It starts from a distance and floats in and out with a trippy vibe, conjuring the outdoor feeling under the night sky. The drumming has an organic feel as though it is being played out by hand and the bassline roles in and out ala Yawning Man. Three minutes in the fuzz laden guitars really open up as the songs main riff picks you up and kicks you right out there. The big rolling sound of the song has that European heavy psych feel to it and how it is written. As it moves on, you witness some big crisp pedal action as the odd solo dives in and we hit Elder territory, not in a clone like way but in the way the song structure speeds up then slows down before pulling in some huge post metal riffs. It’s quite a journey that ends up finishing with big fuzzy stoner rock riffs as it closes.

Vaporizer Woman comes in more melodic with an uplifting feel to it. The percussion drives everything along with some more intricate near acoustic guitar work before the fuzz pedal kicks in with a monster of a riff. Some vocals again make me think of Sungrazer whilst the song build and builds to lots of cymbals and some killer guitar work that take you “out there” and beyond.

Take a Swim in God’s Washing Machine is a more metallic complex 8 minutes. It starts of space like and trippy, like your drifting through the clouds and towards the night sky. The cymbals role in and out alongside some intricate drum work and a rolling bassline. From an almost dreamlike state with the drifting vocals, the song bursts out to some big fuzzy riffs that are meant to be played live and loud. I like the way it switched back and forth with the intensity before they pull out a grungy riff from nowhere, turn the vocals a little more haunting, then off they stomp.

My First Knife Fight is three minutes of riff after riff. Think The Machine with the fuzz pedal turned up. Its big, abrasive, the bassline thunders throughout, the cymbals keep crashing and like I said, its riff after riff.

Finishing off with the 10+ minute epic Teeth & Waves, I’m back off into a psychedelic dreamland amongst the clouds for the first few minutes prior to the guitars kicking in with that emotive soaring guitar style that takes you on an atmospheric rollercoaster of a ride. It feels like a really good song that has been “jammed out” even more live as the band are “feeling it” as the song develops and takes on a life of its own.

Overall, this is a really good record. The band have taken their time in developing their sound and the song writing ability shines through. Germany (and Europe) has produced a lot of good heavy psych and stoner bands over the last few years and Swan Valley Heights are right up there with the best. My only disappointment is that I didn’t get to witness their debut UK show supporting Truckfighters last month, but hopefully they’ll be back soon.

Another good looking package put together by Fuzzorama Records with some cool colored vinyl editions.

Website - Bandcamp - Fuzzorama Records 

Review: All Them Witches – 1x1

A new singe from All Them Witches wasn’t on anyone’s radar, but as its Halloween, anything can happen, and it certainly does here. 1x1 is the heaviest five minutes the Nashville three-piece have put out in some time.

A repetitive riff twists and turns into something darker before everything explodes into life with the haunting vocal harmonies of Charles Michael Parks Jr’s vocals rooted deeply within. The sound is a heavy groove with a raw fuzzy edge that sounds huge. After seeing them play The Roundhouse in London last year, the three-piece managed to create something that was delicate one minute but was huge the next and manage to fill the huge venue perfectly. Here, 1x1 feels like this could do exactly that. The next five minutes is pure musical magic. The vocals that are also harmonised with guitarist Ben McLeod and drummer Robby Staebler creating melodies that are almost a mantra chant in parts. It’s a dark song and if you look up the lyrics, there is definitely something wicked and sinister about them.

As far as I know there is no album imminent and this song is something of a teaser for their European support run with Ghost, which I am sure they will gain a few new fans from.

All Them Witches like to change, evolve and never sound familiar for very long, which is part of their magic. You know what to do next.

Bandcamp 

Review: The Cosmic Dead - Scottish Space Race

I remember when I first heard The Cosmic Dead around 2013 when Inner Sanctum was released and how I couldn’t believe that Scotland’s finest had escaped my radar, blowing my mind with what they were doing. Fast forward to 2014 when they headlined the Black Heart at Desertfest on a Saturday night and it seemed like a life changing moment in music for me. I don’t know if it was the sonics of what they did that night or just the festival atmosphere and how the place had a complete psych out that night, but since then I have been completely hooked.

Scottish Space Race had been in the making for a while with a couple of new members and the magic touch of John McBain, whose history of music and mastering speaks for itself. 

Portal is big and bold and spends the first six minutes bringing together psychedelic sounds, drones and deep space riffs from the four corners of the galaxy, before the drums slip into a rhythm that makes the “mantra chanting” sound doomy, dark and huge. A very unique sounding lap-steel scrapes itself all over the beat of the song, pulling you deeper and deeper into the chaos, then its freak-out time. Guitars, riffs, wah-wah, 100mph non-stop craziness that doesn’t let up for several minutes. As Portal hurtles back towards Earth, the drums and cymbals take control, but even after the first track, you are absolutely flawed! 

Ursa Major is the albums laid back trippy 17+ minute track that floats in from an inter-cosmic space like domain. The bassline strings everything along in an almost hypnotic repetition of itself and gives the space for the drums to keep building in the background quietly whilst guitars give you that space like vibe, the vibe though being a complex movement of a million stars before the guitar walks off into a dimension of its own. Everything begins to build and speed up and all the connections are made toa point where the song takes off like a spaceship hurtling into the beyond on a mission that only The Cosmic Dead are capable of. The space like vibe turns to a Hawkwindesq crescendo and every member uses their instrument too go off into the unknown. Itsa real driving psych affair that you cannot sit still to whilst listening. It’s as though Colour Haze crashed into The Greatful Dead.

The next 12 minutes though have a completely different feel to them as the band draw many fine punk and hardcore influences into what they’re doing and pummel you with the Scottish Space Race. After a few minutes of big heavy psych that turns into something like Hawkwind on speed impersonating Oi Polloi. In unison, every instrument almost grinds along with chanting, singing and lyrics that would make any Scotsman proud. I have found myself chanting the line "can you dig it?" too myself over and over for the last two weeks. The layers of this song are quite incredible. It’s loud, abrasive and possibly not a song you would think The Cosmic Dead would write but it fits perfectly on the album. As the song roars towards the last couple of minutes you can feel the freak-out coming with more and more cosmic keyboards and this will be a live one that literally pulls the venue down into itself.

The Grizzard finishes off the album with another 24 minute epic. Big doomy riffs ala Sleep with lots of cymbals kick everything off and continue along a mantra-like path of heaviness. It slowly feels like its speeding up with more and more drums and cymbals eager to get in on the action, before everything lets loose around the 4 minute mark. The noise is chaotic with a keyboard riff that drops in and out that reminds me of the writing style of 90’s Florida or Sweden Death Metal. If you know what I mean ala Morbid Angel or Entombed, that keyboard makes sense. After this the song just goes off in a direction that takes the guitar work to the beyond. Its fast, manic and a journey through a trip that only The Cosmic Dead could have. This is the finale of the Scottish space race that comes hurtling back towards Earth, probably ending up somewhere in the River Clyde. At this point you think it’s over but off we go again with more vocals, chanting like screams that blend deeply into the psych of the song as the layers get bigger and thicker again before The Grizzard doubles then triples in speed to an absolute manic rage, before imploding on itself to a close.

Scottish Space Race is a little different to their previous albums but this is by far their most “out there” cosmic trips into the beyond. Between the band and the label Riot Season Records, the whole package, layout and vinyl colours make this a raging piece of Scottish magic.

Website - Facebook - Bandcamp - Riot Season Records  

HRH Stoner Vs Doom Festival Videos

Video footage of Gonga, Psychlona, Black Rainbows and Orange Goblin from the HRH Stoner Vs Doom Festival in Sheffield. Rock out.....

Review: Sons of Alpha Centauri - Buried Memories

After taking over ten years to write and release 2018’s Continuum, finding out that they had twinned the release with another 6 tracks the following year, in the form of Buried Memories, was more than a welcome surprise. If you had asked me how they would do this, getting Justin K. Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, etc.) to remix the same song 3 times and have James Plotkin (Khanate, Jodis etc.) mix 3 other tracks, is a million miles away to what I would have expected. With this I had no idea what to expect and dived straight into the abrasive darkness…..

The Justin K. Broadrick mix of Hitman starts with a pulsing heart beat like vibe as the track strums its way forward and evolves with the guitars filling out, giving you that sense of driving through the night. Not the driving into the desert feel but more like driving the length of the UK in the dark in the rain kind of feel. Instrumentally it has a buzzing electric vibe to it that plays so well against the keyboard that winds along behind everything, giving it a real feel of it being played live right before you. At this point Hitman kicks into gear and pulls you in to its beat for a couple of minutes before the keyboards take over with a load of reverb, taking you into a darker more psychedelic place that you feel yourself slipping in and out of before a big dark old school Sabbath riff kicks in and I defy anyone not to move their head from here onwards.

The Jesu remix is a slower darker affair. The basslines are really brought into the forefront as every strum has a thundering grinding sound that shakes the speakers. The keyboards and organs combine to give you the floating sensation that falls somewhere between the dark and the light. The industrial sound that appears then disappears has the feeling of big robotic machines crossing the land before something that feels like a ball of dark energy that is fighting to implode or explode. It’s near impossible to explain what this feeling of sound is doing but there is a real dark magical feel to it. At times you forget that it is the same song but this mix really pulls something from beyond the track itself and lets the basic structure take on a complete new life of its own as it rises up into the clouds.

The third mix of Hitmen by JK Flesh stars off with a warmer softer feel as though the track has lifted itself above the clouds and is floating away above the light. The beat feels a lot cleaner and electronic as it folds into itself with a feeling of ambience. The mix then pulls the guitars and drums back in to give you a feeling of orbiting the earth and the cosmic like mix of the tone begins to pick up pace as though you are speeding towards Earth. Finishing off with the repetition of a riff that sounds like an alarm or a warning, the track leaves you wondering if you ever made it through the atmosphere.

James Plotkin starts his trio of mixes with the track Warhero which builds and creeps along with a definite SOAC feel to it before it spreads itself into something wider, making you appreciate the noise between the sounds. With some eerie keyboards floating around the noisier breaks held together with some huge reverberating bass lines, Warhero flits between a huge stomping gloomy monster and something that feels like an alien lifeform trying to reach you.

Remembrance is a short low end dark couple of minutes that hangs around like a metallic beast that has hold of you. Possibly a soundtrack to a nightmare of some sorts.

The remix of SS Montgomery has James Plotkin really casting his wizardry over a track by making it come alive in an almost magnetic way, with each instrument thrusting its way into your eardrums. The song stomps along in electronic form with a dark space like feel that pulls the buzz of the guitars towards the thumping bass and the harsh crashing of cymbals. It’s something that has to be played loud through your headphones whilst sat in the darkness.

The 6 tracks are quite an experience and sometimes a long way from what Continuum was, but I really enjoyed what I heard, and it really works well as the antidote. The band seem to be constantly evolving and having seen their last couple of live performances, they have a real magic spark that hooks you in and keeps you in their mesmerizing dream. Hopefully the live video below, from the Black Heart in London, shows you something of this.

Buried Memories has been released through the following labels in a variety of beautifully put together packages.

Website - Facebook - Bandcamp - YouTube - H42 Records - Robustfellow - Solid 7 Tapes  

Review: Jesus The Snake – Black Acid, Pink Rain

I have no recollection how Portugal’s Jesus The Snake came to my attention as I had never heard their earlier material but I am stoked that we have now crossed paths. My first thoughts that come to mind are the laid back vibes of a hot sunny day somewhere out in the fields of Portugal and that infamous Pink Floyd video in Pompeii.

They have a rich fuzzy sound that melts away to a classic 70’s sprawl backed up with a lot of keyboards and each track is around 10 minutes long which is just how I like it.

The first track Karma opens slowly and drifts in with each instrument floating along together. The keyboards start and there’s a 70’s proggy jazz feel to it as it builds and builds until it stops, then starts again and begins to walk along giving you that feeling of looking out the car window whilst driving out into the desert. Then the guitar kicks in with a really raw fuzzy sound and duals with the keyboards for a few minutes for your aural pleasure. Then everything drops off and the band show their ability to create that sound that fits in with the near silence which I can imagine really holds the audience when played live. Following that I’m treated to a build-up of fuzz and keyboards that really takes you out there.

Floyds I starts with 4 minutes of rolling waves of 70’s prog and makes me think of a certain Pink Floyd track (you can decide which one) with some awesome guitar work. You can almost feel that warm sunshine setting at dusk with every chord played. Then the bass and keyboards do their bit to build the song up that has a jazzy feel to it but I can definitely feel some surf rock in there as the guitar goes off again. At 6 minutes the driving fuzzy guitars kick again and backed with the keyboards they really start to do their thing. I also have to mention that the guitars manage a few times to do that deep fuzzy “do do do do” sound ala Colour Haze (you must know what I mean).

Floyds II starts with a slow Sunday morning “kick back and relax” vibe. The drums have a jazzy feel to them, the bassline really pulls everything together, the keyboards in the background are always just there and the guitar slowly walks away at its own pace. After this the song really enhances how good the band are as musicians and manage to do their Pink Floyd thing but with their own twist on it. As it draws to a close it gets heavier and heavier showing that they’re not afraid to rock out.

Duna is a slow winding song that has a deep sound to it and a slight jazzy feel as it drifts about (think those soaring videos over the mountains, lakes and beaches) before an awesome riff drops in, then out, then it’s back again. This time everything has a slightly darker feel to how the song is composed, but you really do feel that deep fuzzy sound again. Now unlike the other tracks, Duna gets more mellow as it goes on and the keyboard work towards the end feels like lounge music from an American city in the mid 70’s, which fits perfectly with the vibe.

Black Acid, Pink Rain kicks straight in and the percussion really drives the song with a much faster pace before the fuzzy end of the guitar opens up with the keyboards before the guitar goes walking off sky high again to counteract the pounding bassline. Then that deep silence thing happens again and the band manage to create that up close and personal with the instrument feel which illustrated how well this has been recorded in the studio.

I know that I have talked about the guitars taking you out there before dropping back in with the fuzz and how good the keyboards are, but I have to mention how well the drums and bass just keep this thing going throughout.

If you have bought the CD of Black Acid, Pink Rain then you will have every song except Karma as the recording is too long for the CD but the digital version has everything. I have read that a vinyl version is coming in the future which is good as this recording deserves its place on record as I’m sure the crackle of the needle will only add to the magic. 

If you haven’t already checked this out, I cannot urge you enough to buy it. It has that 70’s feel with a lot of Pink Floyd influences mixed with the sleepy drifting feel of My Sleeping Karma and Sungrazer mixed with the heavier fuzzy feel of a band like The Samsara Blues Experiment.

Bandcamp - Facebook - Soundcloud 

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