Spirit Adrift/Curse Of Conception/20 Buck Spin/2017 CD Review

  Spirit  Adrift  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  plays  a  psychedelic form  of  desert  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Curse  Of  Conception"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  20 Buck  Spin.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  doom  metal  riffs  and  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  done  in  more  of  a  traditional  and  epic  doom  metal  style.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  also  has  atmospheric  sounds  in  the  background  at  times  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  decent  amount of  psychedelic  elements  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  mid  tempo  sections  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  songs  and  one  song  is  alos  an  instrumental.

  Spirit  Adrift  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  traditional  epic  doom metal  while  also  mixing  in  some  of  the  more  modern  psychedelic  style  to  create  something  different,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.  


  In  my  opinion  Spirit  Adrift  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Earthbound"  "Graveside  Invocation"  and  "Onward,  Inward".  8  out  of  10.
  

Omotai/A Ruined Oak/Tofu Carnage/2017 Double LP Review

  Omatai  are  a  band  from  Houston,  Texas  that  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  sludge,  doom,  thrash  metal,  hardcore  punk  and  post  rock  together  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  double  2017  album  "A  Ruined  Oak"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Tofu  Carnage  Records.

  Distorted  reverb  starts  off  the  album before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  hardcore  punk  direction  along  with  some  melodies  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  shouting  fashion  along  with  a  few  screams  and  the  music  also  has  a  lot  of  80's  and  90's  hardcore  and  extreme  metal  influences.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  riffs  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  vocals  also  mix  in  a  semi  melodic  tone  at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  thrash  elements  can  be  heard  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  adds  in  a   small  amount  of  female  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Omatai  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge,  doom  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  it  with  hardcore  punk  and  post  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Omatai  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  doom,  thrash  metal,  hardcore  punk  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ruined  Oak"  "Blackjaw"  "The  Savage  Sky"  and  "Tusk  Aurora".  8 out  of  10.

    

Loincloth/Pslam Of The Morbid Whore/Southern Lord Records/2017 CD Review

  Loincloth  are  a  band  with  members  from  both  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  sludge  and  progressive  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album "Psalm  Of  The  Morbid  Whore"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Southern  Lord  Records.

  A  very  heavy  sludge  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grooves  and  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  music  is  an  instrumental  direction.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  direction  while  a  great  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  can  be  heard  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  along  with  a  brief  use  of  drones  and  the  music  always  sticks  to a  heavier  direction  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Loincloth  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  heavier  side  of  prog  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  while  also keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Loincloth  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  prog  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necro  Fucking  Satanae"  Morbid  Whore"  "Sigil  Ov  Five  Horns"  and  "Ibex(To  Burn  In  Hell  Is  To  Refine)".  8  out  of  10.

Rig Time! Interview

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

"After we hit the studio last June, our time has been spent on a lot of practice, prepping for tours and getting all the details figured out for the album release. Less than a week after recording, we hit the eastern US for a 10 day tour and we're currently Day 13 into a 17 day tour. It's been a constant train of events of band life and homelife. It's been fun though."

2.You have a new albu­m coming out in Octob­er, 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?

"We started RIG TIME! with the only guarantee of sound being that we'll always be heavy. Under that umbrella, we're fans of industrial, black metal, old school hardcore punk, nu-metal, 90's metalcore, a lot newer heavy hardcore peers, etc. We draw a lot of inspiration from many different sects of heavy music. I can say that "WAR" is definitely fierce and very aggressive. In comparison to previous releases, it's much more focused and direct album. We have always focused on the groove in our songs. It has to feel right, and nothing is forced. If something doesn't feel natural to us, and we can't get into the vibe of it, we rework it until it is just right. "WAR" is a solid 10 songs of strong, deep, heavy, angry grooves that represent what we feel at this time. It's human, raw and feels almost tribal at points."

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

"The album is a concept of being at war with everything around you. There is a lot of deep meaning that is hard to explain in ways other than already written in the lyrics. Songs like "Garbage" and "Blister" address the constant flood of negative attitudes and hatred around us at all times. Naive and impulsive word vomiting without any remorse or factual knowledge on what they're really saying. "Deserve" is a blunt description of our country and the poor situations, we as citizens, get drug into on behalf of our government and their lack of care for the people. It's about accepting that we will all suffer as a result of our government getting they deserve. Other songs like "Discomposure" are more personal, and about a specific war and hatred of myself that I suffer with, and "Vengeance" is about letting the built up, constant anger i feel about humanity and the world out, without filter. I am a very angry person, but I use the lyrics as way to release the feelings to stay calm and come out positive and optimistic in the end. In "Succumb", our bassist, Mark, wrote the lyrics as a reminder and anthem for us, and anyone really, to stay true to who they are. "

4.What is the meaning­ and inspiration behi­nd the name 'Rig Time­!'?

"Long story short, it came from a memory all three of us share from being on the road in a previous band. It is an odd name, but when the band came together, it gives a whole new meaning. We didn't want a typical tough name. Gorrilla Biscuits, KoRn, and Weekend Nachos are weird names, but it worked out for them...and yes, it's capital R I G, capital T I M E, exclamation point. You've gotta scream it. (Laughs)"

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?

"We've played some amazing places across the country and some awesome shows. We always loved playing Wichita when we started out. Cincinnati is our second home for sure. We have many great friends there, and the Cinci hardcore scene is very welcoming. Our hometown shows at the Warehouse in La Crosse, WI are always getting more and more wild. As for specific shows, it's hard to narrow them down. Our stage show has been described many times as "terrifying" in the past (laughs). We usually play with only red backlighting, and used to use tons of haze to get everything disoriented. We try to create a vibe and atmosphere of the sound we create. The lighting was also meant to encourage less focus on the band on stage, and more of the music coming out the PA. Close your eyes, let go and feel the music.   I'm told we're pretty intense and passionate live. We have had a lot of people say we're very aggressive."


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

"We have tons of dates always coming in. After this tour with Death Card and Barren, we'll be playing Wisconsin Hardcore Fest II in La Crosse on September 22. Then, we have a tour from October 8 to October 14 in the center of the US. We leave again Oct 24 to November 15 for an east coast tour. After that, we have plans for December, January, February, March and April being figured out as we speak. We plan to keep hitting the road as much as we can."

7.The new album is co­ming out on 'Innerst­rength Records', are ­you happy with the su­pport that they have ­given you so far?

"Yes, very happy. Innerstrength Records is a great label for a band like us. We are still a very DIY, hard working band and this label is a tool that we can use to keeping working hard, but with their support and equal effort along side of us. The roster is some of the best current bands right now, and we're honored to be listed along side of them."

8.On a worldwide leve­l how has the feedbac­k been to your music ­by fans of sludge, po­wer violence and hard­core?

"We've had some genuine, and amazing responses. The best compliment we can receive is when people say that they can't quite compare us to other bands. We hope our music comes out fresh, but familiar. We can play metal shows, hardcore shows, and even have played emo shows that yielded positive responses. I think our ability to be open, raw and emotional live transcends to a lot of audiences."

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

"We'll always stay a heavy band, but we'll always keep playing with new ideas. We've been wanting to incorporate industrial elements, drone, and different layers to our songs for awhile. Originally, "WAR" was planned in a different musical direction, but that's not what we were feeling at the time. No matter what, we'll stay true to what we feel."

10.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?

"We are a ridiculously eclectic band. Mark listens to a lot of darkwave, industrial, The Smiths, Drab Majesty, goth and fast crust/anarcho punk. Rebecca really digs The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Ongoing Concept, a lot of groovy hardcore but still jams pop radio. Bryan is all over the place. From a lot of 50's/60's era cool jazz, to 90's R&B, to Darkthrone, The Locust, Deftones, Chromeo, Black Flag, Ramones, etc. Collectively, our favorite band would be The Greenery from Long Beach. That band has been one of the biggest influences, although you may not heat it musically. We draw influence from how a band makes us feel, rather than their sound. We want to create the same feeling they gives. Bands like Dystopia, The Acacia Strain, Incendiary, old Korn, etc. We listen to Debbie Gibson "Electric Youth" on cassette in the van a lot. We make no sense (laughs)."

11.What are some of y­our non musical inter­ests?

"All of us love sweet tea, wings, BBQ, and visiting parks and museums on tour. We scope on gas stations on tour and talk about how cool they are in comparison (laughs). Mark likes to play a lot of Pokemon and World of Warcraft. Rebecca likes to sleep a lot (laughs) and Bryan watches old sitcoms too often."

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

We're really proud of "WAR" and thankful for the opportunity to share it with so many people. We've been touring for a couple years now, spreading the word of the importance of all ages shows, and pushing it mostly DIY. When we started, we were focused on our goals from the beginning, and we will stay that way. We encourage anyone with a dream to make it happen.

https:// innerstrengthrecords.bandcamp. com/album/rig-time-war

http://www.rig-time.com/

Twingiant/Blood Feud/Argonauta Records/2017 CD Review

  Phoenix,  Arizona's  Twingiant  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  is  in  more  of  a   mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Blood  Feud"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Argonauta  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  heavy  stoner  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  very  rough  sludge  style  while  still  having  a  semi  melodic  tone  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  southern  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  music  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  retro  vibe  without  losing  its  modern  edge  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  whispered  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars.

  Twingiant  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  stoner,  doom  and  sludge  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  space,  hobos  and  monster  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Twingiant  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Poison  Control  Party  Line"  "Shadow  Of  South  Mountain"  and  "Last  Man  Standing".  8  out  of  10.

Wyatt E/Exile To Beyn Neharot/Shalosh Cult/2017 Full Length Review

  Wyatt  E  are  a  band  originally  from  Israel  but  now  re  located  to  Belgium  and  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom  and  post  metal  with  elements  of  Oriental  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Exile  To  Beyn  Neharot"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Shalosh  Cult.

  Power  sounding  bass  guitars  along  with  some  nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  tribal  feeling  and  drones  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  ambient  style  synths  are  added  into  the  music  and  all  of t he  songs  are  instrumental.

  Both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and epic  in  length  while  a  great  amount  of  Oriental  folk  music  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  they  also  add  in  elements  of  post  rock  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction.

  Wyatt  E  plays  a  musical  style t hat  mixes  doom  metal,  drone,  post  rock  and  Oriental  music  together  to  create  something  very  original  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Wyatt  E  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  oriental  music,  drone,  doom  metal  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Ode  To  Ishtar".  8  out  of  10.

  

Ufomammut/8/Neurot Recordings/2017 CD Review

  Italy's  Ufomammut  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  their  psychedelic  mixture  of  stone r and  doom  metal  from  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "8"  which  will b em released  in September  by  Neurot  Recordings.

  Atmospheric sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds later  while  guitar  noises  and  psychedelic  elements  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  after  awhile  powerful sounding  bass  guitars  start  to  make  their presence  known  and  a  great  portion  of t he  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  When  vocals  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  yet  melodic  style  along  with  a  touch  of  hardcore  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  the  guitar  riffing  and  elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times,  synths  also  add  in  a  touch  of  ambient  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Ufomammut  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  psychedelic  mixture  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology  and  esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from Ufomammut  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Babel"  "Fatum"  and  "Psyrcle".  8 out of  10.