Vinyl Review: "Clouds Covered" by Clouds Taste Satanic

Good day. 

It's been a little while since we last spoke. Perhaps you've considered that this little blog has gone the way of the dodo, but I'm still alive.

I have started a podcast under this banner.... The Glacially Musical Pordcast.

In fact, the last person to be interviewed on the show, was none other than Clouds Taste Satanic's guitarist, Steve Scavuzzo and we talked a lot about this album, but that was recorded before I'd had heard it.

So, let's talk about something that happened. 

The band did a series of covers over the course of the year and released them as 7" 45's. They have long been very, very good at creating captivating packaging.

Vinyl Review: "I Want This To End" by The Erkonauts

Can we all take a moment to really consider what a shitshow 2020 has been? When something goes right, three other things go wrong.

Honk if you've had your Prius's catalytic converter stolen this year and take a shot if it's happened to you twice. I'm in the latter.

Honk if you've lost your job. Honk if you've lost a parent and just drink a bottle of whiskey if you've lost more than one. 

Light a candle for those who've lost more than two.

So, for the last review of the year, I'm lucky enough to get to do a vinyl review of this amazing band's latest record. You might recall my previous reviews of The Erkonauts...they're an odd sort of band that's a bit influenced by bands like Faith No More and Infectious Grooves.

Let's dive into side one.

Vinyl Review Round Up: resent and IRN

 It's been a bit too long since I've sat down to review a new record. Frankly, I cannot imagine a scenario when it hasn't been too long.

Today, I feel like I need to head off some comments before they come to pass. Folks who make requests of vinyl promos are often looked at as jerks. If you look at my history, the vast, vast, vast majority of my posts have been without any vinyl.

In 2020, I had several vinyl reviews lined up before the pandemic hit. Then I had zero and that was fine. Instead of waiting for these bands to have some more money and feel like they could send me those free records, I opened up my wallet and bought them...and in many cases still wrote about those records.

It's been a long pandemic and we've had losses of some kind or another during this time. So I'm thrilled that Rope or Guillotine Records won't take my no's for an answer and still sent me records.

Vinyl Reivew: "Moanin' At Midnight: The Howlin' Wolf Project" by Tomas Doncker

Like the good man, Inigo Montoya said, Fezzini said to go back to the beginning and it seems most appropriate that I, your friend and humble narrator do precisely the same.

In 2020, my stream of vinyl records to review has dried up.

This is not a complaint, but a statement of fact and I stand with those bands who couldn't fulfill the promises. How do you ask?

That's a fair question.

I bought their records, usually on Bandcamp Fridays, and did Glacially Musical Roots reviews of them. I've been coping by drinking beers and buying records. See, I've been basically inside of my home since mid-March.

But I love you, so I stay. Gladly.

Vinyl Review: "Across The Depths of Seven Lakes" by Picture One

Across The Depths of  Seven Lakes

First off, I want to apologize to PICTURE ONE for not getting this review up sooner. There was even a brief time when I considered not even publishing it.

Real talk, guys. We had a death in the family. It's been a blank time of beers, records, and Monster Hunter for the past week now.

But... it's time to be back in it and move forward.

The Depths of  Seven Lakes was not a record I requested....so what's contained inside was a total mystery to me.

It's described as New Wave/Post Punk.

Interestingly enough, I have been preparing to review this album without knowing it. I've been spinning some Talking Heads and The Vapors lately.

My head seems primed for this.

In the meantime, should you be so inclined.... Stream bit on BANDCAMP. This is precisely the kind of vinyl review I love the most. I'm imbibing the music for the first time on vinyl, on my home stereo.

Vinyl Review: "Axiom" by Kilter

So.

I'm sitting here at the Group W bench.

Before we dig too deep into this tale, everybody knows how this goes right?

I walked free and I didn't have to join the draft because I couldn't be rehabilitated after being a litter bug.

So, instead we turned to music.

At this point, it's grown so tiresome being the only one talking to me that I've begun talking to ourselves.

It's time to put our keen and penetrating minds on a band from New York or Paris called Kilter. Kilter might just be the greatest off the wall naming of a band that we've ever heard.

At first glance...it's just a shortening of Off Kilter right? Certainly that has to be it, but...

What if it's not?

Vinyl Review: "Ruins I & IV" by Junkpile Jimmy

Welcome to the show that's surprisingly been renewed yet again.

In the past, I'd talked about when a band sought me out and sent me a CD, but nowadays, I don't listen to CDs anymore, and more often than not I will turn them down.

But, Junkpile Jimmy of Crazytown, CA has again asked to send me a vinyl copy of his album for my review.

There is no more humbling experience and exaltation of what I do here with Glacially Musical than an artist, label, PR, etc sending me a copy of their record on vinyl.

Any time one is sent to me, I'm eternally grateful. My hope against hope is that I receive 2 per month. If I could do 24 vinyl reviews per year, I'd be eternally thrilled.

Here we are in 2020, and this is number four. Only 20 more to go right?

Vinyl Review: "No Way Out" by Sulfur City

How long has it been since Sulfur City has been on our collective radars?

Frankly, it's been too long. their album, Talking Loud, was something of a revelation to me. It was dirty blues with southern rock accents.

It was equal parts Yardbirds, Eric Clapton, Emmit's Jug Band, with a garnish of Jimi Hendrix.

How many electric washboards had you heard?

I was shocked to see how well they worked in there with psychedelic guitars.

It wouldn't be quite appropriate to say they became my favorite band, by my then three year old daughter sure did love their tracks.

Vinyl Review: "Milk" by Night Goat

An old friend of mine and I have a phrase that we have said to each other for years...and that's "Commitment To The Bit."

Today, I'm showing that my commitment to the bit is at its all time zenith. 2020 is the year of Goat Metal for Glacially Musical.

Why?

I think it's interesting how the goat has become such a ubiquitous sigil for heavy metal.

The Satanic Panic isn't something that happened oh so many years to me, like many metal fans, but something that directly impacted my life.

The Christian Right has long noticed me and labeled me many a thing. None of them true, but now, all of them fun.

So, let's continue to celebrate the metallers that know that goats are KVLT AF.

I'm considering the debut by Noise Metal(?) group Night Goat.

The LP begins with the track, Smearcase on Shorb. Look, right now, I'm into that. Kiddo and I often add an R sound to things..like Hot Dog becomes HaRt DaRg or Lunch becomes LeRnch...so Shorb?

That's dope.

Vinyl Review: "My Universe" by Lucid Child

My Universe

So, this PR firm sends me an email espousing this band, this sound, this idea, and do I want to hear it on vinyl?

Couple that with the RIYL: Hawkwind, Public Image, LTD, Tool, KLF, Spacemen 3, Beck, and Spirtualized Clinic and you've got me hooked like nobody's business.

If you're looking at that list of artists and wondering who half of them are whilst loving and being confused by the other half, I see you.

We are all of us.

I mean...Hawkwind, Public Image LTD, and Beck?

Let's be honest straight away, I'm not 100% sure I'm hearing any Beck, but I'm also not the biggest Beck fan. I mean, if Bender Bending Rodriguez isn't involved, it's hard to say that I really care.

The particular RIYL list there is odd isn't it? Just that one sentence in the email made me want to hear this record.

Vinyl Review: "En Las Montanas de Excesos" by Several People

En Las Montanas de Excesos

OK, I didn't put the names of the artists involved in this album in the title because there is no group name and they are listed individually.

Chris Cogburn

Ingebright Haker Flaten

Bob Hoffnar

Henry Kaiser

Look, I just wasn't sure if the whole thing would fit and not look all wonky when it came to be.

Cogburn is the drummer and apparently the leader and conceptualizer of this extremely strange record.

Haker Flaten plays the electric bass. Hoffnar plays pedal steel guitar, and Kaiser rounds out the quartet playing electric guitar.

In reality, I'm not certain if that information is going to be helpful or not to your enjoyment of this album.

Vinyl Review: ST 37 "Self-Titled"

This week has been interesting because we've gone from the fewest number of people that can be performing together...that's two by the way all the way up to now six people.

There are SIX people in this band.

Then, there are even four extra people on here.

I'll fully cop to being a curmudgeon, but I don't know another 2 people that I'm willing to give my time to in order to make a musical project, much less another 9.

Seriously.

There are TEN PEOPLE ON THIS RECORD.

ST 37 is basically the Wu Tang Clan of whatever the hell kind of music this is that they're playing. Speaking of the music....let's move in to that area shall we.

A brief internet search has them listed as being a psych rock band.

Vinyl Review: "Monumenty Selhani" by Gattaca

Monumenty Selhani

One of the cool things about doing what I do is being able to hear music from all around the world that might have ordinarily escaped my notice.

Today I have the opportunity to spin the newest release from Gattaca of the Czech Republic.

Monumenty Selhani is composed and sung entirely in Czech.

This isn't my first time listening to a record in another language, but it's usually pretty cool.

We've all heard the tale that music is the universal language right?

All I know for certain is that the album is five emotionally charged and political songs.

So, what do I come away with?

Unlike Left To Starve, Rope and Guillotine's last release, this album isn't anxious and worried. It's purely angry.

Vinyl Review: "Ex Voto" by Djunah

Ex Voto

I'm going to pierce the veil just a little bit right now for you. At the time of this writing, it's 10:22am on November 3rd. My daughter is sick, and I'm sitting upstairs drinking a pot of delicious Earl Grey Tea.

Also, I'm wearing my awesome AC/DC sleep pants because it's still morning time.

No idea why I did that, but moving on. Today I'm considering the debut release from Chicago's Noise/Experimental/Post-Punk Duo Djunah.

As we're now into week two of Glacially Musical's first ever Vinyl Fortnight, let's point out that so far, everything that's made it to these pages has been rather unique.

Evil Triplet, Left To Starve, The Transgressors, Ghost:Hello, and Rachid Taha have all been difficult to describe for me.

But that's the kind of music that really gets my blood flowing. Yes, anything that can be done has been done before. Of course it's perfectly acceptable to be heavily influenced by other bands.

Vinyl Review: "They Made Her A Criminal" by The Transgressors

They Made Her A Criminal

Let's talk album art, tracklists, and all such manner of things like that.

In the old days, when we all went to record stores, how many of us never purchased a CD, cassette, or LP just based on bitchin' cover art?

I know that I did at least 400 times....that was if they didn't have anything I was looking for that week.

My first taste of Black Metal came from purchasing a CD with a cool painting on the front. Don't ask me what it was though, as that was 1998 and this is 2019.

I also didn't know it was Black Metal, that black metal was a thing, or what that thing I'd never heard of sounded like.

So, long story short, there was a box sent to me featuring a goodly number of things and such. This album was in that box. There were no requests to speak of about reviews, but hey, who doesn't like hearing about kick ass music...

Sure, it's a little bit older than yesterday's album, but if you've not heard about it, it's new to you, just like it was for me.

So, it's time to unpack this stuff.

Vinyl Review: "Have A Nice Trip" by Evil Triplet

Have A Nice Trip

This one is a little bit late, but let's totally pretend like 2018 and 2019 have merged into one super year for music.

This year, I've been lucky enough to have two of my favorite avant garde metal acts releasing a new record. (This is where we're pretending, because this album came out in 2018...)

Follow up records for those odd artists are always a great time, but those times are fraught with peril really.

Anyway, let's talk about Evil Triplet for a moment shall we?

Hailing from the wild world of Austin, TX, Evil Triplet is a...well they're a band..of some sort. In the vaguest sort of way, they're a metal band. They play riffs, guitar solos, and sing about aliens and Satan.

So, that's metal enough for this bloke.

If you need more penciling in and pigeonholing of them, it's probably best to say that the play Evil Triplet music. Look, most times...when someone says this, it's a damned lie and we all know it, but I can think of no other bands that play in the same style, but others may play in the same vein.

Vinyl Review: "Je Suis Africain" by Rachid Taha

Je Suis Africain

Let's talk for a moment about today's subject. Rachid Taha has shuffled off this mortal coil.

Just days before his 60th birthday, he died after suffering a heart attack in his sleep.

This album was completed before his untimely death.

 That means we're not looking a posthumously completed record like Experience Hendrix has been doing for the past 20 plus years...

You know how artists tend to get really popular upon their demise?

Chalk me up into that group, because this is my first time having heard Taha.

Considering the standard fare covered here on Glacially Musical, it's possible that it's all of my readers' first times as well, but if you could consider Alex Skolnick's world music record, you may just find something here too....

Vinyl Review: "The Color of Sound In Space" by Ghost:Hello

t

The Sound of Color In Space

Years ago, I had a job interview where they didn't really believe I could speak Spanish. That's happened twice actually.

Because there are times when I get rusty. But when I'm back in it, it comes back straightaway.

So, my interviewers thought I wasn't what I portrayed myself to be.

What do you do when you have something along those lines?

Enter Ghost:Hello.

They self-describe as a Stoner Rock trio from Ohio. If I lived in Ohio, I'd probably drink more and be in a stoner band too.

It's too flat there.

So, consider...what does Stoner Rock mean to you? For me, it's a band that's somewhat dirty. It's a sound that harkens back to a time when all the rock bands were full on stoners.

Vinyl Review: "Into The Empty" by Lamassu

Into The Empty

Well, let's take a deep dive into the world of grunge music.

It's really been a long time since it's been a going concern. Certainly we are heading towards a world featuring Nu-Grunje right?

Perhaps one might consider how bands like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains influenced elder bands like Kiss which then in turn showed that stone out of their minds metal could be a thing?

There's probably not a single person reading this who's not already come to this conclusion and I'm just terribly late to the party.

But in the interest of honesty and clarity... I think Soundgarden (post Superunknown) sucks and that Alice In Chains (post formation) sucks.

I just do not enjoy these bands' music. Years after the Grunge vs Metal wars of the 90's, I revisited both of them and my opinions did not change. Though, my heart did soften to Nirvana and Rage Against The Machine (if they matter in this conversation).

Vinyl Review: "A Message of Love" by Nazi Gold

A Message of Love

Before we get started, let me say that because it is 2019, I had to think about this before even agreeing to listen to it due to the name.

Glacially Musical is a left leaning website and against all forms of fascism, foreign and domestic.

But this album and group came, and went before the current neo-fascist buildup in The Age of Trump. So, moving on.

Imagine if it were 2018 and you just discovered this guy named Paul McCartney and his latest record, Egypt Station.

At this point, you're just wowed by this man and his art. Naturally, it's time to start digging. Look at him, he's a bit on the aged side, so you know he's got more records than just this one. The likelihood of his having pulled a T-Model Ford is pretty low.

So, now you're digging and digging. Oh, here's all of these collaborations.

Now there's this group called Wings?