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