Vinyl Review: "Belly of the Whale" by Ambassador

Belly of the Whale

Centuries ago New Orleans and St. Louis were a part of the same territory, The Louisiana Territory.

Other parts of the nation that don't have that direct connection to France don't feel the way we do here. Online pundits make fun of St. Louis for being the Gateway To The West.

But, we're proud of our historical position. We still remember a time when St. Louis was the European's frontier.

A family of New Orleanians (who came directly from France) made the arduous trek north and founded The City of St. Louis.

Louisiana, we're still siblings. So, we don't still make our living on the fur trade and you're still making yours off of...wait..

What was the New Orleanian method of money making back in the old days? Well, if it wasn't terribly obvious, Amabassador is from Louisiana, Baton Rouge to be specific.

Those old connections though, they never really die. Though my family isn't native to St. Louis, their music still speaks to me via French back channels. (Also, I'm not French.)

7" Vinyl Review: "Terasoma" by Avantist

terrace

Let's start off with some housekeeping.

This is the record that's been waiting, fairly impatiently for time in the sun in the Glacially Musical vinyl reviews.

Avantist and the follow up came to me in the same package. I made it a point to wait instead of thumping out two reviews by same band on successive weeks.

So, Terasoma gets to be a part of Glacially Musical's first ever Vinyl Week.

Both of the releases hit the streets this year and the band, continues to confuse me.

Our friends from Chicago have a color palette the size of Lake Michigan.

In fact, it's bigger than Wrigleyville and other things in Chicago put together. (Sorry guys, though this St. Louisan loves your city and your Metra Rail service, it's not like I'm spending oceans of time up there.)

OK, they have more colors than a Giordanno's pizza has cheese?

Vinyl Review: "Exhalants" by Exhalants

Exhalants

In Austin, TX there's a group of labels that send me vinyl to review from time to time.

They've sent doom metal, 90's alternative, punk rock, post punk, 90's noise rock, and whatever the world Quin Galavis is.

In the years of our association, I cannot find the common thread in what they release other than it's not death metal. (But who knows what's coming up right?)

So, this is the last of the three albums that they were kind of enough to send me recently.

I just kind of took them in the order that they were in the box and weaved them in and out of other vinyl reviews...it's been busy lately.

So, that's the very descriptive way of telling you that I really have no idea what's going to be coming out of the speakers when I drop the needle on this purple marbled (what?) record. (Apparently there's a limited run of random colors. Check that out HERE.

Vinyl EP Review: "Burn Barrel" by Skin of Earth

Burn Barrel

Before the review proper, it's time to announce what's going on this week.

As you read this, it's Monday after 8am Central Standard Time and you're drinking coffee. (As I write this, it's Saturday at 9:17 Central Standard Time and I'm drinking coffee.)

Over recent weeks, it became apparent that I had a backlog of vinyl reviews to get out. (Including one I've been holding back for awhile now.)

As it's the holidays and we're leading up to the big daddy of them all, Saturnalia, it seemed important to me that all of these reviews were posted.

We're starting off with a bit of a rarity here. This album isn't officially released until New Year's Eve, but here I am holding my glorious copy.

Skin of Earth is giving us Burn Barrel via a very cool imprint, Sump Pump Records. (Do you folks outside of the Midwest even know what a sump pump is?)

Beer Thirty with Sean Sabatini of The Great Sabatini

The Great Sabatini

Perhaps you're familiar with The Great Sabatini.

Personally, I recall an album cover with a really whacked out looking muppet.

In the meantime between then and now, The Great Sabatini has released a new record, Goodbye Audio, which has been released on all sorts of formats.

Check that out HERE.

But for now, we're going to check in with the main Sabatini, Sean Sabatini, the Montreal native about what sorts of beer he likes to imbibe.

1. My personal favorite beer style is the might Double India Pale Ale. The best DIPA in the world is STLIPA by Urban Chestnut. Tell me about your favorite style. 

Up front, let me say I'm not a big connoisseur. Having said that, I'm not really into the IPA's, I'd take a stout over an IPA, personally, or a lager. 

I've even warmed up to some of the fruitier things here 'n there. An Ontario company called Wellington Brewery had a nice one called Against The Currant, but I wouldn't have more than one in a sitting. 

(NOTE: I brought back some Wellington beer after a visit to the duty free shop at the Niagara Falls border.)

DLP Review: "IV: Mythologiae" by Slow

It's been about a year since Slow came into my life. Their record, V: Oceans was an absolute game changer for me.

It's now time to check in on their followup, IV: Mythologiae. Wait. What?

So, this album was originally released in very small quantities a couple of years back, but due to a hard drive crash, most likely caused by gremlins or the use of Apple iProducts, it was lost.

So, this isn't a re-release of that record, but wholly re-recorded version of that album. IV gives us the gift of Slow's evolution in reverse.

IV is mellower. It has a calmness to it that it's successor doesn't have. It wouldn't be wrong to say that V is the payoff of IV. After IV ends, the anger has built and it manifests itself along the edges. This makes me wonder, what will VI be like?

Slow will never win any awards for originality. Their albums aren't genre bending tours de force that'll leave you wondering what you just heard. They are examples of atmospsheric doom metal perfected.

This is a band that's true to their name and they take it SLOOOOOOOW.

RELEASE 1/25/19 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Bookin It With Tommy Stewart of Negative Wall/BludyGyers/ETC

Tommy Stewart

Tommy Stewart has recently been featured on the Bludy Gyres section of the Rope Enough For Two split, which you can check out HERE.

Like all of us, he's trying to read books as well. Stewart was willing to give us a little bit of time to tell us about how he's reading.

1. I try to read at least two books per month, and mostly fail, what's your goal and reality?

I read all the time daily, but rarely finish a book. I have no goal, but reality is when I read for recreation.

I do it slow to enjoy it.

2. Encyclopedia Brown and Choose Your Own Adventure books were a big part of my childhood. What did you read back in Elementary School?

 Jules Verne and Charles Dickens. I was hooked on classics.

Video: "Kentucky Fried Christmas" by The Pocket Gods

It's that time of the year. My Instagram followers know this, but not everybody does...we listen to a lot of Christmas music on wax each year.

It's one of those things that we do for the sake of our daughter. Starting in November, we pick up Holiday records at the thrift shops as there's always plenty.

As far as I know, this one won't be at the St. Vincent DePaul Thrift shops, but you can check out the nutty video below.

v

Hometown Tales with Marc Durkee

Marc Durkee

It's time for yet another edition of  Hometown Tales. 

We're checking in with another Canadian metaller, name of Marc Durkee.

Durkee's latest release, Remain In Stasis, will be released on January 18, 2019. You can check out all that goodness on his BANDCAMP page.

Stasis is an uptempo rockin' album that's a bit reminiscent of Yellow & Green era Baroness, but with more crunch and more melody.

It's something you'll definitely want to catch.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a bit more intimate with the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia native on the FACEBOOK.

But, what is Yarmouth, NS? To find out more about this Maritime town in Nova Scotia, we'll turn the mic over to the man himself.

Video: "Antichrist" by Malamorte

Let's get some Italian Death Thrash shall we?

On January 19th, Malamorte, Alex Nunziati's side project, will be releasing Hell For All via Rocksthots records.

Before the disc drops, you can get your preorder on HERE and get a nice taste of the record below.

7" Vinyl Review: "Pyramid of Skull EP" by Skeleton

Pyramid of Skulls

It's been a long time since the days of checking out the Seven Inches at the underground record store.

In fact, that's never really been a part of my life, but I am reading the Beastie Boys book...and they spend loads of time talking about that from way back when in their hometown of New York City.

Now, the death metal EPs....

Those I kind of remember, but that was right before CDs exploded and killed everything that was good an holy in the world..at least in terms of physical music.

Today, we consider a 7" of interminable length. This thing, if you take it front to back, is about a solid five minutes of music.

Yes....five minutes.

LP Review: "The Veil of Darkness" by Gorgon

The Veil of Darkness

Recently, somewhere I saw a statement that the best thing about metal is always feeling like a newbie due to all the content out there.

When it comes to Black Metal, and definitely 2nd Wave, that describes me quite well.

Today I'm considering the upcoming release by Second Wave Black Metallers, Gorgon. They're wholly unfamiliar to me.

Even though I know better, the term Black Metal still conjures up images of Dimmu Borgir or Cradle of Filth to me, even though that's a single subset.

To begin, The Veil of Darkness is an absolute achievement. It's a very mature version of nascent 2nd Wave Black Metal. The guitars, though lacking in dynamics, create several different moods.

There's a call and response feeling to the vocals featuring a single person. The drums bring the whole record into focus. Without a drumming playing sensitively to the rest, this whole disc would fall apart.  Amazingly enough, this whole album was done by one man.

This should definitely be on your preorder list for the New Year.

RELEASE 1/25/19 PREORDER FACEBOOK

Beer Thirty with Fall's Jesse Santos

Fall

Do you like some melody with your metal?

Are there times when the wall of sound just begins to crush your ears and you can no longer differentiate the difference between Mayhem and Bathory?

That totally happens to me. That's why I listen to records the same way I drink my beer. If I have a giant overly hoppy IPA up for the drinking, it's the last one I drink.

(That is of course unless I've got some beers I don't love too much...then you drink the giant hops of the DIPA and your taste buds are burnt.)

Life is all about those tips and tricks. Corpus Cristi's Fall is band that you check out before you put on the black metal.

On December 21st, they'll be releasing their new record, The Dream of Tragedy. Do yourself a solid. Get over to BANDCAMP and sample the wares.

But, while you wait for your order to arrive, let's chew the hops.

Road Warriors with Striker

STriker

How many times are we going to hear from Edmonton's Striker?

UNTIL THEY STOP ANSWERING OUR INANE QUESTIONS!!!!!

Put on your spandex. Get out your wah wah pedal. Then do some shredding finger exercises.

Or just read along!

1. What's the right length for a tour?

I'm a fan of about 30 shows. Enough to get into it, not too many that you start to go crazy. Most of our tours are about 3 to 5 weeks.

2. I've heard some great stories about strange ways of eating on the road. What's your trick to keeping your belly full while out there?

LP Review: "Moritat" by Der Rote Milan

Moritat

Years ago, when I was new to Adult Swim, Sealab 2021 didn't work for me. That was until the gateway episode, and then it made total sense.

For years, Black Metal didn't hit for me. It always seemed, less sophisticated than Death Metal, and far less interesting than Thrash Metal.

Then the gateway album happened, which I don't recall what it was to be honest with you.

It's not Moritat, but Germany's Der Rote Milan has crafted a record that could be a great many people's port of entry into Black Metal.

To be crystal clear, no one here is saying that this blistering album of blackness is anything other than a truly heavy piece of music, because it's not. It is a Melodic Black Metal (which was a new one on me) album. So it contains enough melody to resemble what civilians would think of as real music.

But then there's those vocals...they are pure black, with tinges of death. Don't miss out.

RELEASE 2/1/19 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Interview with Swilson

Swilson

How many great things have come out of the state of New Jersey?

Naturally, there's Kevin Smith and Crew, but let's not forget that Scott Mosier came from Vancouver, BC Canada.

Well, according to Classic Rock Magazine's Ken McIntyre, Jersey City, NJ is home to the greatest band of the 22nd Century!

Glacially Musical is quite thrilled to be in the presence of such future historical figures. You might not know yet, as it's still only the 21st Century, but they've released Swilson on CD, LP, and Cassette. 

Find out all about that sweet ordering goodness on BANDCAMP. In case you're a friendly sort, get into a heated political debate with them on FACEBOOK.

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking some time for me today.

Swilson: No problem! I’m into it. Thanks for wanting to talk.

Video: "To Live" by Second To Sun

Look at all of those guitar strings. How in the world someone can play a guitar with extra strings while my stubby fat fingers keep asking why not play a 3 string Cigar Box guitar???

Of course it's time to talk about Russia's Second To Sun. On November 26 they released their latest record, Walk. You should probably check out BANDCAMP for some more info.

In the meantime, watch this sweetness.

Bookin' It with Psychostick's Alex Dontre

The world's most insaney comedy metal band, Psychostick  has been releasing albums, their latest DO came out via their own damned selves this July.

They do it themselves because they exist on a level that your average A&R man cannot fathom. The band's pony tails are fake.

Just like theirs....

In the mean time, catch them on tour or stream their BANDCAMP.

But for now, let's find out about what they're reading over there in Chicagoland.

1. I try to read at least two books per month, and mostly fail, what's your goal and reality?

Concert Review: Cannibal Corpse At Delmar Hall 11/30/18

November, it's the time of the ancient ones in my opinion. The sun has gone into hiding. The cold is starting to cut to the bone.

It finally feels like when the temperature hits 35F that it's probably going to stay here for a long time.

At the end of November in St. Louis, MO, Cannibal Corpse brought their current tour to Delmar Hall on, you guessed it, Delmar Blvd.

7pm found this blogger in the car listening to Sepultura in order to get into the mood. Frankly, there something in the back of my brain gnawing at me. As I drove to Delmar Hall to see the most infamous, notorious, and plain famous death metal band on the planet, it was after the backside of my consciousness.

In less than 12 hours, my alarm would go off and it would be time to go make pancakes for the the little short girl who lives in my house. She had a hockey game early in the morning and needs her carbo load.

Vinyl Review: "Short of Popular" by Cherubs

Short of Popular

It's been a minute since we've heard from Austin, TX based label Soncic Surgery Records.

They sent some truly amazing music my way last year.

In the meantime, the label owner has purchased a bar/concert venue and has just been working working.

Well, last week, he sent me a message that was basically get ready, because you're going to get some new music from us.

From where I sit, that's a pretty awesome thing. Especially since this gorgeous record is currently spinning on my turntable right now. Truth in journalism, it's my backup turntable. There was a Thanksgiving Incident.

Now, before I get far enough along to lose the plot, let's turn back the clock and get a little bit of information about Cherubs. Their Wikipedia page shows one extended play, three studio albums and a compilation album released back in 1996.

LP Review: "1,000 Miles of Mud" by Night Vapor

1,000 Miles of Mud

Have you ever read a manifesto? Or better yet, are you one of those advanced humans who has actually written a manifesto.

That's one of my personal ambitions to write a manifesto so precise, so comprehensible that it becomes a treatise. My Manifesto/Treatise will be on the subject of time travel.

Certainly we have achieved it....right?

Out of America's Steel City, Pittsburgh, PA comes the Noise Rock manifesto makers, Night Vapor.

This album isn't an album. It's someone telling the rest of the world how the rest of this is about to go down.

For the record, it is wholly insane. Do not look for sanity here. If a band is going to record a musical manifesto, there's something that's required even moreso than a singer with a manageable case of Lead Singer's Disease, and that's an overly competent bass player who's been waiting for their turn.

1,000 Miles of Mud's backbone is that bass guitar. It's full and melodic. In fact, this is the kind of album that a young Geddy Lee would've heard and thought, damn, these crazy people might be on to something.

In the purest of all ironies, this abject insanity only outdone by its perfect structure.

RELEASE 12/14/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Beer Thirty with Dead Register's Avril Che

Dead Register's Avril Che

Atlanta, GA's Dead Register is on the cusp of releasing their follow up EP to 2016's Fiber with Captive.

Much like its predecessor it's got a small number of tracks while gobbling up goodly numbers of minutes, but hopefully you've already heard all about how I feel about their music.

In the meantime, Avril Che took some time to discuss her beer habits with me.

Let's find out together!

1. My personal favorite beer style is the might Double India Pale Ale. The best DIPA in the world is STLIPA by Urban Chestnut. Tell me about your favorite style. 

These days I bounce between IPAs and Saisons. I live in sweltering, humid, mostly disgustingly hot Atlanta, GA, where we keep the dehumidifier blasting even in the joke of our “winter” months.

Hometown Tales with Hammer King

Hammer King

Over somewhere in on the other side of the world, there's this place apparently called Saint-Tropez

Thy have a slightly strange way of seeing the world and perhaps come from a land that time forgot in some respects.

In others, they're funny.

I'll let you be the judge of Hammer King below.

Check it out below.

1. St. Louis City is my hometown. I've lived here for most of my life in and around the city. Where are you from?

 Titan: Well, the legend says, I am from the Kingdom of Saint-Tropez. The best place to be, so of course I have always been here and ever I will be.

EP Review: "Unstructured Dissemination" by Onset

Unstructured Dissemination

The hardest kind of music to write about is atmospheric doo..well anything. Atmospheric Anything.

Singapore's Onset makes nothing easier for me. If anything, they make it much harder. Atmospheric Doom Metal, like this, is a personal favorite.

So, when writing it up, it's all about finding the thread. The first track, or side one, sounds like someone (perhaps myself) standing up in front of the class to give a speech on a topic they know well, but without any notes. (Perhaps like the speech I gave on Phoebus Apollo in 8th Grade.)

The difference, Onset does much better than I did. 

Track two...it's the protest. Someone (like me maybe) is now protesting that there was nothing extemporaneous about the speech, it was certainly put together ahead of time, but as it was committed to memory, perhaps it didn't flow as well as it could have.

Just listen to me...that's all they're asking.

Onset's Unstructured Dissemination isn't the longest album you'll read about today, but it's just the right length. It's wide open and the expanses are filled by your imagination. Check it out.

RELEASE 11/28/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Interview with Crawling For Carrion

Crawling For Carrion

On November 9th, Crawling For Carrion released their debut 7" EP, Rake and Roads with features a track by Portishead and a track by Townes Van Sandt.

This particular interplay of styles was something very strange to this writer and still it tasks me so.

he mastermind behind Crawling for Carrion, and other bands as well, was good enough to give us some of his time.

Check it out!

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking some time for me today. 

Crawling For Carrion: My pleasure, thanks for having me.

GM: Rake and Roads is a 7" featuring covers by Townes Van Zandt and Portishead. Why did you choose each tune? 

Video: "The Reasoning" by Coercion

Is there anybody else out there who's just ready to rock out? It's November 27, 2018. The election cycle is over.

Thanksgiving is over.  Now party party party season is coming up. Your December party season may vary a little bit from mine, as I've got two extra party days in the month.

So, if you're ready to party to some angry tunes, check out that least single from COERCION.

They've got a new record coming out on December 7th that you're gonna wanna check out, but until then, enjoy this one.

Beer Thirty with Ambassador

Ambassador

There's a band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana called Ambassador.

On September 28th, they released their debut album, Belly of the Whale. (Vinyl review upcoming soon.)

They're a band that's all about different soundscapes and personal expression. They've been compared to both Pink Floyd and A Perfect Circle.

They self describe as a dark post-punk band. Seems to me that could be a little bit of everything. Check them out on BANDCAMP and say hi on FACEBOOK.

While you're getting that stream on, check out the beers they enjoy below!

EP Review: "Toad King" by Goblinsmoker

Toad King

What is it about the old music that many music fans who've chosen to get out of the pool love so much?

Is it that deliciously fat fuzz tone?

Well, it's your lucky day if you're that kind of music fan. The one, that I probably just made up. The basis of the Goblinsmoker sound is that thick, creamy fuzz made ever so famous by countless bands.

The vocals are pained.

The guitars are unrelenting.

There's the ever lovin' swirl that I just can't stop loving.

It's amazing how much of a psychedelic feel Goblinsmoker has created on Toad King without any real hints of a psychedelic sound.

The stoner metal convention of stepping on the wah wah pedals for the duration of the record was deemed superfluous in this case.

It's heavy. It's slow. It's supremely laden in groove. It's hard to take the kind of songs they're writing and get the listener to bounce along, but there's a exaggerated swagger that makes everything happening doubly important.

RELEASE 12/14/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Vinyloscopy with Lords of the Trident

Who's ready to check back in with our super hero friends, Lords of the Trident?

Honestly, who else is getting concerned that we're going to be poked in the midsection with their powerful weapons and then we're going to have to ask the questions about our lives that we never really wanted to and then get the answers?!

Just me?

OK, moving on, Lords of the Trident are big fans of the spinning circles that send up those delicious analog sound waves that move straight into our ear holes.

Check it out!

1. Listening to Black Sabbath's eponymous debut the night I got it blew me away. What's the album that sounds the best on vinyl compared to digital sources?

LP Review: "7 Cremation Ground/Meditation" by Rifflord

7 Cremation/Meditation

When a band by the name of Rifflord crosses the desk, it's safe to assume that this is going to be a bad ass guitar band. They'll be a band so thick, half-dried plaster of paris is going to tell them to thin it out a little bit.

Well, it's probably unnecessary to say, but Rifflord isn't that band. Certainly, they're showing their Black Sabbath influence using many different riffs and even a bit of personal fave, Rat Salad.

The record starts off with a change up. There's a bit of country music. It sounds sort of like Rifflord ripping off ripping off of Johnny Cash. It's one of the strangest passages of music I've ever heard.

After spinning 7 Cremation/Meditation several times, it's hard to put a finger on what they are doing. The easiest tag would be Stoner Metal or Desert Rock, but I think it's wrong to say that. They're curating a trove of music.

This album is like heading to a museum. They're going to show you many different paintings. The big difference though, most of these paintings are heavy.

RELEASE 12/1/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Hometown Tales with Striker

Striker

Remember our good friends Striker?

You may or may not recall that they're from the snowy city of Edmonton, Alberta up there in the Fabled Canadas.

There's somewhere I've never been personally. So it's nice that we're getting some insight into Western Canada from the views of these metal bands up t here.

Let's find out more about Edmonton!

1. St. Louis City is my hometown. I've lived here for most of my life in and around the city. Where are you from?

We are from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Actually we were mostly all born and raised here! Our vocalist Dan was born outside the city but came here very young. 

LP Review: "Lost Empyrean" by Dirge

Lost Empyrean

It's late November and The United States is headed towards Thanksgiving 2018 on a brighter path.

Late Autumn though, it's a good time to be alive. The world has turned grey. Mother Earth cannot decide whether or not she wants to be snowy, rainy, cold, or sunny.

November is when we all must make our choices. This year, we have more of the cold than the warm. I'm thanking all of the gods in all of the pantheons for that.

Veteran Parsian post-metal-sub-doom-with a side of death rockers, Dirge, have created the perfect soundtrack for the coming winter and the previous year.

It's been four years since they've graced the world with an album, and this one is worth the wait. It's slow, plodding, and swirling. Too many bands try so hard to be fast, heavy, and thick that the music takes a backseat to the heavy.

Lost Empyrean starts slow and thin, but builds to a crescendo. It's never overly heavy, never too mellow. It's standing pat in the upside down. Dirge has created a record to get lost in.

Take your time with it. My paltry description will never give you the sense of having heard this masterpiece of a record. Get it. Listen to it. Pay attention.

RELEASE 12/14/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Beer Thirty with Owl Maker's Jessie May

Jessie May pictured with bearded friend.

Let's  head out to New England. Owl Maker was kind enough to allow us to bask in the beery glow of their bassist, one Jessie May.

Like anyone who's looking forward to these columns, she enjoys a tasty beer. 

Though she and  I have some different tastes about beer, she's clearly passionate about the topic. I'd also take the time to point out that she's shown her work for you.

There are a goodly number of links I'd urge you to check out. If there aren't too many already, check out our previous run ins with Owl Maker HERE.

1. My personal favorite beer style is the might Double India Pale Ale. The best DIPA in the world is STLIPA by Urban Chestnut. Tell me about your favorite style.

I'll drink pretty much any beer except a sour, but my favorite style by far is Imperial Stout.  I think the first one I tried was Weyerbacher's Old Heathen, which I found all the way at the back of the liquor store and bought because it had a badass label.  The rest is history. Some of my go-to imperial stouts are North Coast Brewing's Old Rasputin and Thimble Island Brewing Company's Mutually Assured Destruction.  The most recent one I've tried is Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout -- so rich that I couldn't even finish my second one!

Stream: "Protest" by Pterodactyl Problems

Recently my daughter and I watched the entire run of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger (恐竜戦隊ジュウレンジャー) which is the Japanese show adapted to make Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. In both of the shows, the Pink Ranger is the pterodactyl ranger.

This really made me relate to the name of this band. Both of these rangers, one in Tokyo and one in California, had loads of problems related to being a pterodactyl.

I'm not quite certain  how all of this relates to Toronto's Pterodactyl Problems, but it's nice to have that international flair.

Two years ago, the band reunited after being broken up for five and in 2019, they're prepared to release a brand new LP via their own damned selves.

Now's a good time to say I LIKE YOU on FACEBOOK and SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY on BANDCAMP.

If you don't believe me yet, here...stream the crap out of Protest just below this...

Vinyl Review: "Smalltown, Midwest, USA" by The New Old Fashioned

Smallltown, Midwest, USA

So, it's been a minute hasn't it? Newer readers used to my daily double posting may have been a bit miffed to see that it's been a week since my last big piece of righteous music journalism.

For that, I'm sorry. To my readers, to my contacts, and to the bands who've so wonderfully sent me interviews to work up to pass along to you.

It's been a helluva couple weeks and because of that, no fingers on keys has happened and that sucks.

But, back today with another vinyl review. This is the first time that I've posted back to back vinyl reviews which isn't exactly a good thing...see above.

Today I'm sharing the latest record by Dayton, OH's, The New Old Fashioned. They're an Americana band from just a couple states over. On a personal note, though my travels have taken me to Ohio more times than I can count, never once have I been to Dayton. No star on my map.

10 Inch Vinyl Review: "Dope Rider" by Kurokuma

Dope Rider

Today's vinyl review is from a band all the way from Sheffield, England.

I hear tale, they're about to say HELLO AMERICA! If we're lucky, they won't be bringing on the HEARTBREAK and the Colonies will be able to give them some approval, or we become PYROMANIACS.

If the clues weren't enough, naturally I'm talking about Sheffield's finest stoner metal band, Kurokuma.

When going through  my emails to pull all of the info I could on this band, I noticed that Dope Rider wasn't the first chance I had to feature these gents. Just last night I was telling my daughter that opportunity only knocks once. Should I inform her that this old axiom isn't always true?

Well, as Kurokuma already shattered the space time continuum and well worn social knowledge, let's break tradition here at Glacially Musical-land and talk about the lyrics.

Foods We Love with Lords of the Trident

It's quite common for me to write around lunch time and as my belly is now uncomfortably full, it's probably time to get back with a nice interview about the extreme deliciousness that Lords of the Trident likes to enjoy.

You might recall this interesting power metal band out of Madison, WI. They're the self-described "most metal band on the planet."

Considering they appear on stage in armor, that might not be too far from the most literal truth, but that would depend on what their stage togs are made from I suppose, but who's hungry?

1. For me, lunch is usually the meal where I don't have to deal with the Napoleon of Food. So it's my favorite meal. What's your best meal of the day?

Bookin It with Matt Bacon of Dropout Media

Matt Bacon

Is there anything better in this world than BACON! If it's a Sunday morning and my family isn't complaining about the bacon smell that's permeated all three floors of our house...well then that's not really Sunday.

Today's post has nothing at all to do with Bacon, unless you're talking about Dropout Media's Matt Bacon!

If you're looking for all sorts of great information, check out the site HERE.

1. I try to read at least two books per month, and mostly fail, what's your goal and reality?

I try to read a book a week, this doesn't always happen and obviously depends on the type and size of the book. I generally get around there, or at least it averages out to that over the year. 

I try to take advantage of plane flights because with no distractions I can usually knock out a book on a cross country flight. I think it's really important to set aside time to read every day and I make it a top priority. 

LP Review: L'appel Du Vide" by Space Coke

L'appel Du Vide

Ok, you have my attention, Space Coke. Apparently, this band is from the United States. Their album cover and title surely make me think they're from England...again back to the cover...

It's a knight who looks to have been offed during the Wars of the Roses, but it's all good.

Recently, I got metalplained on the internet about how Blue Cheer is metal. They aren't, but what if they were?

Well, they still wouldn't be Space Coke, but it's the beginning at least. There is an organist in this band. It's especially noteworthy, because when's the last time you saw that?

If you dig that Hammond Organ sound, this album is gonna scratch that itch we both have. I'm with you. Gimme dat swirl. Space Coke's songs aren't built around the organ, but neither is it hidden.

These songs certainly aren't Rush, but the textures created are thick, fuzzy, and a just a little bit caustic. They layer their songs and everybody takes a turn. Everybody shines.

L'appel Du Vide is kind of like what might have happened if Iron Butterfly lived up to their  name and reputation...except that presumably, Space Coke isn't so stoned they could say Garden of Eden would it have been required of them.

RELEASE 12/7/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

Beer Thirty with Mike of Unendlich

Good day! Today we're talking about one of my personal favorite beverages in the world and that's beer.

My daughter, when she does her impersonation of me...she puts on hand on her hip, swings her other and says "I'm Daddy. I like records and beer."

Seriously, she has me down pat. So, because of that, and because of all the beers I've had with rockers as we sat across the table during interview before shows...let's find out what the folks out there are drinking when they're not drinking something besides beer.

We're starting off Beer Thirty with the main brain behind Baltimore, MD's black metal band... Unendlich.

If you're getting thirsty, check out the BANDCAMP and FACEBOOK.

EP Stream: "Hot" by Stew

Well, in case you haven't noticed, we're now ankle deep into FALL BACK, or as I call it, the greatest 8 weeks of the calendar year, because most of my commute is in the dark.

If you're complaining about that, think about what our good friends in Sweden are dealing with right now. It's almost all dark over there. Me, I'm envious.

In the meantime, let's talk about "Hot" by Stew. If you're into that old time groove that doesn't specifically ape a particular artist so much that the singer says so on the record...

You may wish to check this out. You'll dig on it like a bowl of oatmeal.

Check out their FACEBOOK if you're not convinced.

Hometown Tales with Crosby Morgan

How many Dark Folk Artists are you into?

It's kind of a new thing for me. So, let's get to know Crosby Morgan a little bit. 

She's preparing to release her latest EP, Rain Games For The Natural Born Pariah. Check it out on BANDCAMP, if ya haven't already.

Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, but that's not precisely where she lives on our strange, blue marble.

Let's find out everything we can.

1. St. Louis City is my hometown. I've lived here for most of my life in and around the city. Where are you from? 

I am from Los Angeles—but more specifically, I’m from a small country town called Acton, which is about 60 miles northeast of Downtown. 

Lots of horses and dirt bikes and dirt. 

EP Review: "Crucifixion of Hope" by Vulturic Eye

The Crucifixion of Hope

There was time back in my early youth, when heavy metal was still an anomaly. When its definition was still amorphous. 

For years, the two strongest metal bands were Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. These two founding fathers created much of what was to come later.

Metal bands took a side. Either the twin gun attack of Priest or the progressive psychedelia of Sabbath and never the twain shall meet. (Unless you're Iron Maiden and you took the twin gun of the former and the progressiveness of the latter and added in Bruce Dickinson.)

What if you could have a progressive and psychedelic version of Judas Priest? Take those visceral metal riffs and give it a liberal dusting of blues? Could Rob Halford sing Sabbath? (Don't answer that.)

Vulturic Eye has taken these two originators, these revolutionaries, and put them together in a way that Priest is toe tapping or that Sabbath sounds like a chainsaw.

They only saw fit to bless us with a single side of music on this EP. It's time for them to give us a proper album. Explore the space and crush our faces.

Release 11/5/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK