New Keepers Of The Water Tower/Infernal Machine/Listenable Records/2016 CD Review

  New  Keepers  Of  The  Water  Tower  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  doom  metal,  stoner  and  space  rock  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album "Infernal  machine"  which  was  released  by  Listenable  Records.

  Electronic  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  drones  which  also  leads  up  to  psychedelic  elements  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  leads  and  drums  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  when  vocals  are  finally  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  clean  singing  fashion.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  can  also  be  very  experimental  at  times  and  when  the  music  gets  heavy  it  brings  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  instrumental  tracks.

  Some  songs  also  utilize  acoustic  guitars  along  with  tribal  beats and  you  can  also hear  the  influence  of  progressive  rock  all  throughout  the  recording  and  some  of   the  leads  also  add  in  a  touch  of  post  rock  and  when  spoken  word  samples are  brought  onto  the  recording  they  bring  more  of  a  sci-fi  atmosphere  and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  New  Keepers  Of  the  Water  Towers  go  more  into  a  progressive  space  rock  direction  on  this  recording  while  also  keeping  some  of  the  stoner  and  doom  metal  elements  of  previous  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  on  the  sci  fi  novel  "The  Forever  War". 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  New  Keepers  Of  the  Flame  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive,  space,  stoner  rock  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tracks  Over  Carcosa"  "Escape  Aleph  Minor"  and  "This  Infernal Machine".  8  out  of  10. 

Magic Circle/Journey Blind/20 Buck Spin/2015 CD Review

  Magic  Circle  are  a  band  from  Boston,  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  traditional  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Journey  Blind"  which  was  released  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  Psychedelic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  bass  guitars  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  also  lead  up  to  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  direction  and  the  mid  paced  riffs  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  70's  traditional  metla  feeling  and  the  vocals  are  all  done  in  a  clean  singing  fashion.

  While  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  mid  70's  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  feeling  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  retro  style  of  metal  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  along  with  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the recording  and  they  also  add  more  of  a  retro  vibe  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Magic  Circle  plays  a  style  of  traditional  doom  and  heavy  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  70's  while  they  update  it  for  modern  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Magick,  Occultism  and  Fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Magic  Circle  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Damned  Man" "Ghosts  Of  The  Southern  Front"  and  "Antidiluvian".  8/5  out  of  10.

   

La Chinga/Free Wheelin/Small Stone Recordings/2016 CD Review

  La  Chinga  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner,  proto  metal  and  hard  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Free  Wheelin"  which  was  released  by  Small  Stone  Recordings.

  Psychedelic  sounds  along  with  70's  style  blues  rock  riffing  starts  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of proto  metal  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  stick  to  a  very  old  school s tyle  of  hard  rock.

  While  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  70's  they  way  the  band  approaches  the  songs  makes  it  sound  more  modern  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t his  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  back  up  chorus  vocals  and  as  the  album  progresses   acoustic  guitars   are  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  harder  style  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  La  Chinga  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  70's  rock  and  proto  metal  and  updates  it  for  the  modern  day  by  mixing  it  with  stoner  rock,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Occultism,  Satanism,  Black  Magick  and  alcohol  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  La Chinga  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner,  proto  metal  and  hard  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mother  of  All  Snakeheads"  "White  Witchy  Black  Magic"  "Mountain  Momma"  and  "The  Dawn  of  Man".  8  out  of  10.

LLNN/Loss/Third I Rex/2016 CD Review

  LLNN  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  an  apocalyptic  mixture  of  dark  hardcore  and  atmospheric sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Loss"  which  was  released  by Third  I  Rex. 

   A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  once  the  screams  kick in  elements  of  sludge  and  post  hardcore  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  songs  also  get  very  atmospheric  in  certain  sections.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  synths  that  also  bring  in  ambient  elements  along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  drones  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the recording  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  LLNN  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  dark  style  of  dark  hardcore  and  mixes  it  with  sci-fi  synths  and  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  and  the  end  of  the  world  themes.

  In  my  opinion  LLNN  are  a  very  great  sounding  apocalyptic  mixture  of  dark  hardcore ,  ambient  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Monolith"  and  "Depths".  8  out  of  10.  

Boudain Interview

1.       For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?



Christopher Porter (Bass/Vocals): "We're great friends that are very much different from each other, yet somehow very much the same. United to achieve a dream"



Stephen Jester (Drums): “Like Chris is saying, we’ve all got different interests but we’re all music lovers first and foremost.  We dig music, period.  So over the years, BOUDAIN has been an expression of our many different music influences, however subtle or apparent they may be. Right now, we’ve got a strong stoner rock vibe, but In 10 yearswho knows, we may sound slightly different.  Also, what we're doing is very laid back. We take our time.”



2. So far you have released an ep and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?



CP: "on the EP we just wanted to make a recording of old songs, on way of the hoof I personally was eager show growth from the EP"



SJ: “Chris hit the nail on the head. The EP was the effort to document some old tunes. ‘Way of the Hoof’ is largely all new.”



3. The band has been around for 10 years but so far has only put out 2 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?



CP: "Stephen has said before, we take our time, if you want more music from us, pay us"



SJ: “Over the years, we’ve been in various projects. BOUDAIN for the first 4-5 years was purely a live band. In 2013 we decided to start recording the material. Then after the EP was out, we worked on the next release which we actually knocked out pretty quick. We just waited a little bit to release the new one.”



4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?



CP: "the lyrics speak for themselves I think, you decide what they mean for you, that's how art is right?"



SJ: “This is Chris and Brian’s ballpark but so far the general topics have been about hard-times and space flight, but there’s way more to it. I’m not giving it justice.”



5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Boudain'?



CP: "just as with the lyrics, if you may find a meaning to you then that's what it is, to you that is"



SJ: “BOUDAIN is named after a Cajun sausage dish we have here in Louisiana and East Texas. The Louisiana way to spell it is BOUDIN (which was originally French), but we use the Texas spelling BOUDAIN. I’m sure that pisses off a lot of South Louisiana people. It’s basically rice, pork, and seasonings wrapped in a sausage casing. BOUDAIN is good.”



6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?



CP: "we opened for Hellyeah that went very well, and also we opened for The Sword which was quite well received by the audience, our performance will have people traveling within their own minds uncontrollably"



SJ: “yeah, those bigger shows that we opened are pretty memorable for us, just due to the response we got. Our live show is pretty organic. We always add variation to the live versions of the songs. I try not to play a song the same way twice.”



7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?



CP: "see the bandcamp page for the sought after info"



SJ: “Yes, we’ve got a small Midwest tour we’re coordinating for mid-to-late July, roughly 10 dates. One of these shows will be the Wichita Psych Fest.  I’m sure we’ll be planning more of these runs for Fall/Winter 2016.”



8.On the new album you had done a cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla", what was the decision behind during your own version of this song?



CP: "the song just comes from us as though it is meant to be, I think we play it well"



SJ: “Many bands have done this song. Fu Manchu did the down-tuned version first, and honestly our version is a clear nod to their version. But we definitely added our own spin to it.”



9. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?



CP: "whatever happens, happens, I just wanna play music"



SJ: “We’re absolutely looking for a small label to press our releases, even if it’s a very limited run. We just want to see this stuff in a quality physical form but I’m sure you’re aware, it’s very expensive, especially when all the cost is on the band. We would love some label support. Haaahahaha. So far haven’t received any interest though.”



10. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner and doom metal?



CP: "the feedback has been very positive as far as I know"



SJ: “Very well received in the Scandinavian regions, as well as the UK, Germany, France, and Spain. We would love to be able to go over there.”



11. Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?



CP: "not to my knowledge, however I'm not against a good jam with close friends or family from time to time"

SJ: All of us used to be a lot more active in other projects, but right now it’s just BOUDAIN.”



12. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



CP: "we just do what we do, it will be whatever comes out of us"



SJ: “yeah I second this. We just jam without the headlights on and drive.”



13. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



CP: "my ears are open for whatever you got"



SJ: “I’ve been digging a lot of jazz nowadays, Kamasi Washington, Davis, Coltrane. A lot of electronic music, Carbon Based Lifeforms is a huge one for me but I love ambient music in general. Hip-hop: Dead Prez, Wu-Tang (Ghostface, Method, GZA, especially), Early Outkast, Run the Jewels is fantastic. And of course classic stuff like Sleep, Fu Manchu, Clutch, Late Puny Human, Earthless, and the others where we pull obvious influence from. I’m waiting on another Om album from Al, Emil, and Rob. I Love those dudes.”



14. What are some of your non musical interests?



CP: "life, news, people, the world"



SJ: “Home brewing and craft beer in general, video editing, politics and how we have the power to change things that aren’t rad, and TRAVEL.”



15. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?



CP: "buy the album, come to a show, if you can break the code"



SJ: “Thank you very much for asking questions. We hope to do it again soon.”


http://boudain.bandcamp.com/album/way-of-the-hoof

King Giant/Black Ocean Waves/2015 Full Length Review

  King  Giant  are  a  band  from Virginia  that  plays  a  southern  form  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Black  Ocean  Waves".

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  that  have  a  classic  rock  vibe  to  them  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  psychedelic  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  more  heavy  and  goes  into a   metal  direction.

  A lot  of  melodies  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  vocals  are  all  in  a  clean  singing  style  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  elements  of  stoner  rock  are  also  present  throughout  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  rooted  in  southern  rock.

  While  influences from the 70's to 90's are  present  throughout the recording most of the music still sounds very  modern  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced direction  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples.

  King  Giant  plays  a  very  melodic  style  of  southern/stoner  metal  that  also  has  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  loss,  substance  abuse,  religion,  and  tragic  tales.

  In  my  opinion  King  Giant  are  a  very  great  sounding  southern  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  One  That  Got  Forgot  To  Save"  "Trial  of  Thorns"  and  "The  Gentleman  Carry".  8  out  of  10.

Sonance/Split/Blister The Maw/Third I Rex/2016 CD Compilation Review

  Sonance  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  noise,  drone,  atmospheric  doom  and post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  compilation  which  was  released  by  third  I  Rex  which  consists  of  their  songs  from  split  with  Torpor  and  their  full  length  "Blister  the  Maw"  along  with  a  bonus  track.

  Acoustic  guitars  and  ambient  sounds  start  off  the  compilation  and  after  a  minute  distorted  guitar  drones  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  also  add  in  a  touch  of  noise  and  once  the  drums  kick  in  they  lead  to  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  sludge  style  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  very  dark  and  melodic.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long and  epic  in  length  and  clean  playing  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  elements  of  post  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  some  tracks  the  vocals  bring  in  a  touch  of  hardcore  and  a  couple  of  tracks  are  instrumental  and  some  of  the  later  songs  also  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  an  experimental  and  avant  garde  direction  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slow  paced  style.

  Sonance  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  post  metal  and  adds  in  a  different  style  by  bringing  in  elements of  drone,  experimental  and  noise  to  create  a  style  of t heir  own,  the production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sonance  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  noise,  drone,  atmospheric  doom  and  post  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Under  And  Under"  "Divider"  and  "Staggered".  8  out  of  10.