Unhoped/Sonic Violence/EBM Records/2016 CD Review

  Unhoped  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  an  aggressive  form  of  thrash  with  a  touch  of  early  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album "Sonic  Violence"  which  was  released  by  EBM  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  direction  which  also  uses  melodies  at  times  and  a  few  seconds  later  aggressive  screams  and  back  up  gang  shouts  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to  an  old  school  thrash  metal  style  and  while  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  the  production  gives  the  music  more  of  a  modern  feeling  and  one  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  sound  effects  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  some  of  the  vocals  also  add  in  semi  growls..

  Unhoped  plays  a  style  of  thrash  that  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  and  also  mixes  in  a  touch  of  the  early  death  metal  style  to  create  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence,  death  and  hatred  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unhoped  are  a  very  great  sounding  aggressive  thrash  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Whle  World  Gone  To  Hell"  "Sonic  Violence"  "human  Disgrace"  and  "The  Naked  And  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.

fubear./III/Inverse Records/2016 EP Review

  fubear.  are  a  band  from  Finland  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  grunge  and  stoner  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "III"  which  was  released  by  Inverse  Records.

  A  very  heavy  retro  rock  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  ep  bringing  in  a  stoner  vibe  and  the  clean  singing  vocals  also  gives  the  music  a  70's  metal  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  classic  rock  style  and  while  the  music  has  its  roots  in  the  past  it  still  brings  in  a    very  modern  style.

  Influences  of  grunge  rock  and  doom  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  music  and  on  the  second  track  clean  playing  is  brought  into  the  music  and  also  gives  the  song  more  of  a  power  ballad  feeling    along  with  an  atmosphere  that  could  easily  fit  on  a  mainstream  rock  station  while  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavy  style  along  and  there  is  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  fubear.  creates  another  recording  that  takes  70's  metal,  stoner  rock  and  grunge  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  heavy,  retro  yet  melodic  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  fubear.  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  yuo  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED TRACK  "Demons".  8  out  of  10. 

Electric Hoodoo/Self Titled/4ONE8 Records/PRC Music/2016 CD Review

  Electric  Hoodoo  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  retro  and  stoner  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2016  album  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  4ONE8  Records  and PRC  Music.

 Blues  rock  style  vocals  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffs  that  are  done  in  more  of  a  hard  rock  and  proto  metal  direction  and  the  music  is  very  heavily rooted  in  the  70's  while  also  having  a  more  up  to  date  take  on  the  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  more  of  a  classic  rock/metal  direction. 

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  songs  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  early 70's  doom  metal  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  harmonica's  and  the  whole  album also  sticks  to  a  slow  musical  direction  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Electric  Hoodoo  goes  back  to  the  metal  and  blues  rock  styles  of  the  70's  and  updates  it  with  a  touch  of  modern  stoner  rock  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Electric  Hoodoo  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  retro  and  stoner  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Phoenix"  and  "What's  Going  On".  8  out  of  10.
 

Zun/Burial Sunrise/Small Stone Recordings/2016 CD Review

  Zun  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  desert/stoner  rock and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Burial  Sunrise"  which  was  released  by  Small  Stone  Recordings.

  Distorted  drones start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  brings  in  the  atmosphere  of  being  in  a  desert  and  after  awhile  melodic vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording   and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  ambient  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  leads  become  a  part  of  the  songs.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  of  the  drum  beats  bring  a  tribal  and  shamanistic  feeling  to  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  female  vocals  and  when  slide  guitars  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  blues  rock  and  psychedelic  elements  can  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  touch  od  70's  proto  metal  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Zun  plays  a  style  of  stoner/desert  rock  that  goes  more  for  the  psychedelic  and  ambient  side  of  the  genre  and  creates  an  atmospheric  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  desolate  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Zun  are  a  very  great  sounding  desert  rock  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Into  the  Wasteland"  and  "Solar  incantation".  8  out  of  10.

 

Chief Gypsy Goliath Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

AL Yeti Bones: Sure! So we just released the new album, titled, "Citizens Of Nowhere", played two CD Release shows, and both went amazingly well. Packed shows, and we're looking forward to more of them. We have a looming Toronto date soon, as well as a few others in the very near future.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

AL Yeti Bones: I would describe the sound of the new record with one word: Heavy. While it is much more raw then the last one, both were recorded reel to reel, 2 inch tape analogue, and they both have their similarities when it comes to the band having a certain sound, but I would say the new one, is far more true to the elements we possess in our live sound.

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

AL Yeti Bones: Lyrically I write about everything. Sometimes it's about my own life, but sometimes it's just about the world in general. I try and use a bit of my own backstory but it's never really about me as much as it is about someone like me. Someone perhaps in the same shoes. I tend to gravitate towards conspiracy theories, and fun puns regarding life and death, and demons and cool shit. When it's about us personally, it's usually about the struggles of being in a band, and the highway road life that I tend to hate so much these days.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gypsy Chief Goliath'?

AL Yeti Bones: When we were still in the process of closing the doors on the band Georgian Skull, I had this idea to name the next album "Gypsy Chief Goliath". For some reason, those three words separately brought a lot of imagery to my head, and I thought they flowed well together also. Then I began picking up the pieces from the demise of my last band, and starting calling the early GCG demos "Gypsy Chief Goliath". Someone mentioned it as "that's the name!" I said, "yea i guess it is." For me, the name symbolizes a fictitious character that could be on par with a god of some kind, or perhaps even a monster. But at any rate, the name opens doors for me in my mind, regarding concepts. And I've always been big on the idea of a concept record at some point in the future.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

AL Yeti Bones: These past two gigs we've played were definitely highlights for me. The first night played in front of almost 200 people, and then the 2nd night we did it in front of 500. Besides these gigs, in the past some of my favourite shows were with Corrosion Of Conformity, we did a few gigs with them in Ontario here, and then same with Kittie and November's Doom. Made some long lasting friendships and met a lot of really good people.

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

AL Yeti Bones: We do! We're just working on logistics right now, and trying to figure out last minute details. Then we'll announce. As for what we're doing exactly, we're just trying to further the reach on this one then what we did last time. We're trying to work smarter and not harder, cause we're a little bit older now, and smarter works better for our situation. We all live in different cities. Half the band is Windsor, and the other half is Toronto. Often times, we feel like "Citizens of Nowhere" as a band, we're not quite from Windsor 100% and we're not quite from Toronto 100% either. Hence the album title.

7.On the new album you had done a cover of Black Sabbath's "Killing Yourself To Live", what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?

AL Yeti Bones: Sabbath is a big part of my life. I play left handed and a Gibson SG, Tony Iommi is one of my biggest influences. It was always important to me to pay back to Sabbath in some small way. The decision to put Killing Yourself To Live on the album was our label Pitch Black's idea, and when we decided to record it, that initially came from the idea of perhaps having it on a Sabbath tribute or compilation disc in the future. We're not really a cover band whatsoever, so it's nice to show people a side of us, that advocates for our inspirations, such as Black Sabbath. And to me personally, it was important we didn't do a song that was too obvious or a song that was too obscure either. If you love Sabbath, then you know this tune. That's all that mattered to me.


8.The new album was released on 'Pitch Black Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

AL Yeti Bones: Pitch Black Records is from Cyprus. They are a heavy metal label, that took a chance on us, as a Stoner Metal band and I am grateful to them, for the support they've given us and we very much feel like home with them. They've done a lot for us, and continue to stand behind what we do, so for that a loyalty has been forged. I love what they do, and a lot of the other products they put out, so it's been pretty cool working with them on these last two records.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and heavy rock?

AL Yeti Bones: The feedback has been terrific. I get emails from all over the world, whether they are fans or bands, asking when are we going to make it to Europe or wherever they're from. As well as business talk. I love talking about this industry and I'm a big believer in having process. If you want your band to do well, know what you are doing and have a plan, implement it, and keep moving forward. But on a whole, the world has been very kind to us in terms of the fact if we consider what level we're at. We are an underground band that has received some high praise in the past, and hopefully that will continue.

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

AL Yeti Bones: I can see us getting a bit more progressive eventually. We've tried to stay away from the 8 minute tunes long enough! We have a lot of 70's influence in us, so that to me, was the greatest era for progressive music. There was such groove, such funk, such jazz, and blues, yet it was all thrown into a boiling pot of rock and roll magic. We could only be so lucky to do something as good in this day and age.

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

AL Yeti Bones: Thin Lizzy is my biggest influence next to Black Sabbath. I love Mountain, and Alice Cooper too. As for newer bands, we are big fans of Entombed, Clutch, Mastodon, Red Fang, C.O.C, Crowbar, Down, Sleep, The Sword, Orange Goblin and everything else in that genre. But I do think we are trying to stick to our guns all the while still getting into new territory for the newer material. We have enough for another album right now as it stands.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

AL Yeti Bones: Well I'm married with children, so family is huge for me. I'm also a Financial Advisor so I take pride in my career, and love my clients, as well as I'm a big fan of Podcasts, and Pro Wrestling and MMA. I used to wrestle in my high school days, as well as in college i took Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

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

AL Yeti Bones: Anyone out there please feel free to contact me at managementgcg@gmail.com, order a CD off us, some merch whatever… Or hit up our website www.gypsychief.com
Cheers.

Zippo Interview

> 1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
> (Dave) We're doing some shows in Italy at the moment and promoting it as much much as we can. The album has had a pretty long gestation between its recording and its actual release, but sometimes good things nees time.
>
> 2. Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does itdiffer from the stuff you have released in the past?
> (Stonino) It's bold, straight-forward, loud and heavy
> .
> (Dave) It's less complex and rational, there's plenty of energy, heart and impulse.
>
> 3.This is the first album to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a  little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
> (Dave) When we have songs we're not satisfied with, we tend to throw them away and start again. This happend quite a few times during this time span. We also faced the departure of one of the two guitarists,
> Franz, which has changed a bit the band's balance. We have never really stopped doing concerts and tours, but it first took us a while to rearrange the old songs to play them live, and as they worked well we
> decided never to look for a second guitarist again. So we started writing new stuff from zero, we recorded the album, sent it to Toshi Kasai in California for the mixing and mastering, definitely the right choice for our sound. Some more time was necessary to find a new label, and here we are, 5 years.
>
> 4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
> (Dave) 'After Us' is about us. We were tired of concept albums, we realized we had much more to say talking about our shit, so I focused on our life as a band and as individuals, all our personal little  daily struggles, the highs and lows, the life on the road, the road itself,the meaning of what we're doing and the things that have happened around us while we were writing the album. It's very personal, it's “us”.
>
> 5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Zippo'?
> (Stonino) The name comes from a joke, when we started the band we were supposed to last just for one night, so we chose for the name Zippo without even thinking so much about it. We were so stunned by the movie Four Rooms and especially the Tarantino's Zippo scene. Indeed, we thought the name sounded so Pulp.
>
> 6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
> (Dave) Our stage performance is always loud and passionate, we love playing face to face with the crowd, we love interaction and sweat. We have great memories of many shows, from the ones in our hometown
> Pescara, to the ones in Hungary which are always great, to London's Desertfest in 2012.
>
> 7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
> (Dave) We're doing few Italian weekend-shows at the moment with no big plans for summer right now, but we'll be back on track in the Fall, whenwe'll hit Europe again.
>
> 8.The new album was released on Apocalyptic Witchcraft, are you happywith the support they have given you so far?
> (Dave) Yes, they've shown a significant support so far, it's great tomeet passionate people out there that support underground music this way.
>
> 9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of sludge, stoner and doom metal?
> (Dave) People seem to have liked our new path, but only time will tell.
>
> 10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
> (Dave) I'm also in Shores Of Null (www.facebook.com/shoresofnull) and the band is doing pretty well, a new album has just been recorded and we've planning tours and other stuff for the future. Our drummer Ferico also plays in the experimental/avant rock band Oslo Tapes (www.facebook.com/Oslo-Tapes-149776631761547), our bassplayer Stonino has his own ambient/drone one man project named Mu
> (www.facebook.com/musoloproject) which is always open to collaboration, and it's pure live improvisation. Zippo's rhythmic section also have an instrumental post rock band together called Death Mantra For Lazarus (www.facebook.com/deathmantraforlazarus), currently on hold, and have
> been part of the last known line-up of Santo Niente (https://www.facebook.com/Santo-Niente-18631899948), a very influential band for the Italian alternative rock scene, now disbanded. Our
> guitarist Sergente plays in the audio/visual duo named How To Cure Our Soul (www.facebook.com/How-To-Cure-Our-Soul-115795605244003).
>
> 11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
> (Stonino) We don't know actually. Every record we make could be the last one
> .
>
> 12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
> (Stonino) I think we've been influenced by lots of noisy stuff lately, bands like Young Widows, Swans, but in our music we just do what we like to hear in that particular moment in life.
>
> 13.What are some of your non musical interests?
> (Stonino) I like to draw, I do illustrations for bands and musical project, I'm also doing a videogame with some friends. That's pretty much it.
> (Dave) I book shows, I drive bands on tour, honestly music is pretty much all I have. I also love food, tv series and travelling.
>
> 14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
> (Dave) Thanks for the interview and you for reading this, don't forget to check our latest album out:
> https://apocalypticwitchcraft.bandcamp.com/album/after-us
>
>
>

Rhin/Passenger/Grimoire Records/2016 CD Review

  Rhin  are  a  band  from  West  Virginia  that  plays  a mixture  of  punk,  noise  rock  and  stoner  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Passenger"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Grimoire  Records.

  A  very  distorted  guitar  riff  starts  off  the  album  and  once  clean  singing  vocals  are  added  into  the  songs  the  music  starts  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  being  very  melodic  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  80's  and  90's  noise  rock  in  the  bands  musicla  style  along  with  a  touch  of  grunge.

  At  times  the  vocals  through  in  aggressive  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  distorted  yet  melodic at  the  same  time  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  the  aggression  of  punk  rock  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  album  also  always  remains  hard  and  heavy.

  Rhin  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  80's  punk  and  noise  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  more  modern  stoner  metal  sound  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rhin  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  punk,  noise  rock  and  stoner  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unwell"  "Clay"  and  "Bad  timing".  8  out  of  10.