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

Split LP Reivew: "Rope Enough For Two" by Dayglo Mourning/Bludy Gyres

Rope Enough For Two

Recently, both Dayglo Mourning and Bludy Gyers spoke with me about various things, but today it's time to consider their music.

For starters, Rope Enough For Two is a split LP which is one of my personal favorite things. From a dollars perspective, it's a great value. An EP on vinyl and an LP usually cost the same. So, double your fun and get two bands.

Dayglo Mourning has an amazing name. It doesn't really describe the band. It evokes a jokey quality to me, and they're straight doom. This is the kind of doom metal that's so dirty, you can smell it.

Our unhappy friends, have three tracks over side one of the record. Now, it'd be improper to claim any sort of amazing renaissance of doom metal here. There's no revolution. They create an atmosphere. Which, when it comes to doom, what else is there to want?

The vocals are semi-shouted. The guitars have more fuzz than my cats. Then, there's the pacing. It's just slow enough to be plodding. This is the doom metal we're looking for.

Bludy Gyres takes a different path on their side of the Split. Instead of a three pack of songs, they chose to grind out one epic seventeen minute track.

It takes about five minutes for the song to get truly started. It starts with a low level explosion into some solo-ish guitar. It's gritty and never self-indulgent. Imagine Warning, but almost twice as long, and with way more of the band being involved.

The riff is a wobbly, reverby, swerve. If you try to move along to it, you'll probably get dizzy and hit your head on your desk. I'm not saying that happened to me, but still.

Then there's the crunchy chunks nestled in between the vocals and the swerve. But don't worry, that's the just beginning. Check it out.

RELEASE 12/7/18 BANDCAMP

Road Warriors with Hitman

Hitman

Let's talk to those good boys from Nova Scotia, Hitman, one more time.

Did you check out their thumpin' good EP, The Offering yet?

If not, Bandcamp's got you covered right HERE. It's even for sale in Canadian Dollars. How exotic. For the low price of a fiver and a toonie, you can have this traditional heavy metal to spin to your heart's content.

In the meantime though, let's find out what they're like on the road....

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

There’s definitely no rule written in stone, but for us, we usually try to stick to a few weeks. As a band we are usually sleeping on someone's floor or in the van so it does get pretty hard on us. We save hotels for days off when we are absolutely beat from the road, so luxury is pretty rare, assuming you would call 4 guys splitting 2 double beds in a hotel room luxury.

LP Review: "Abyss Between The Stars" by Ursa

Abyss Between The Stars

We've got one to slide in here for you because things didn't go like they were supposed to have gone.

Today Ursa is taking us back to the time before thrash. Back when Heavy Metal was still somewhat new and everybody wondered if it was going to make it.

If you think the days of Ronnie James Dio singing about tigers stripes on dragons while waiting in line at the post office was the golden age of metal, let me introduce you to my new friends, Ursa.

Now, keep in mind that this record is more like Iron Maiden in spirit, though far closer to Black Sabbath in execution. So... it would be appropriate to say that Abyss Between The Stars is a progressive stoner metal album that features all of the Dungeons & Dragons references you could ever want.

It's fiercely psychedelic and stompingly groovin. The drums tend to be just behind the beat giving the songs the tense feeling of a stalling car. You may wish for them to hit the gas, but no matter how late for work you are...you'll just have to ride behind them.

RELEASE 11/2/18 ORDER FACEBOOK

Hometown Tales with Unholy Baptism

Unholy Baptism

It's time to check back in with Unholy Baptism.

They're riding high on having released Volume I:The Bonds of Servitude and they did their own damned selves.

If you want to make music, that's about the best way to get it done your way.

The pair live in the State of Arizona and apart from things like the Coyotes, Suns, and the Arizona (FKA Phoenix, earlier St. Louis Cardinals, nee: Chicago Cardinals), there's very little going on in that state I can tell you anything about.

So let's get it from the horse's unholy mouth, Mantus of Unholy Baptism.

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