Part experimental jazz, part progressive, part sultry but all Getsemane – the newest work of art they’ve created for Svart Records is entitled Viimaa. There is a darkness to the sound, like mushrooms and the mycelial network dark. It’s taking the Hobbits to Isengard black. It’s underground clubs in New York City and Frankfurt, the ones with the brick on the inside; smokey, dense, hot.
Gaupa burst onto their native Sweden scene with their self-titled EP in 2018, and quickly built up a fine reputation and steady following in their home country. They released their full-length debut album Feberdrom in 2020 which caught the attention of Nuclear Blast Records, who added them to their roster of Swedish bands. But Gaupa certainly doesn’t fall into the typical “Metal” category that you might expect when looking at their label mates. In fact their roots sit firmly in the stoner rock genre, but on Myriad, their second LP and debut for their new label, they far exceed being pigeonholed into just one sound and have created a record befitting of its title, with a plethora of intriguing styles to be found within.
Rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures reunited for the first time since 2010 to play a three-song set at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute
Concert at Wembley Stadium in London. The band played one original “Gunman” and two covers. They opened with “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, and closed with “Long Slow Goodbye” by Queens of The Stone Age.
A rich and rewarding exercise in traditional blues, Young Blood’s (American / Republic / Snakefarm) vital ingredients also include southern rock, soul and even country. As produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, this is one to wallow and luxuriate in – but don’t get too comfortable as angst and agony are never far away in the songs of a relative kid who seems to have lived something of a life already.Continue reading
In a time where people tend to throw around the word “legend”, I had the great fortune to experience an incredibly intimate evening with a true legend at Sony Hall last week. Ann Wilson, the undeniable and unmistakable voice of Heart, delivered the goods on the New York City stop of her tour. She’s supporting her new release Fierce Bliss. The album, like so many others to come out this year, was a product of the abundance of time off courtesy of Covid. Ann used her time very wisely and enlisted the help of a wide variety of heavy hitters including Vince Gill, Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
Something gigantic and terrible is looming over the dark horizon, and it’s reaching its mighty hand to drag you down below the earth. That’s the feeling anyway on Summoning the Slayer (Relapse Records) — the fourth full-length record by Michigan’s death/doom quintet Temple of Void.
Nineties brit-rockers Reef are back with Shoot Me Your Ace (Raging Sea), their second album since their 2018 reunion. With original members Gary Stringer (vocals) and Jack Bessant (bass) joined by newer members Jessie (Ronnie Wood’s son) on guitar, Luke Bullen on drums, and the production and guitar work of Andy Taylor, Shoot Me Your Ace shows a band firing on all cylinders.
Tenebra – Moongazer (New Heavy Sounds / Seeing Red)
There is something evocative about the retro / occult rock of Italian quartet Tenebra that is encapsulated in a most vigorous way on the third track of Moongazer, ‘Black Lace’. A steady, spacious build from jangled, careful chords that takes its time gives room for the powerful smoke-and-whiskey vocals of Silvia to take centre stage, before a Zeppelin-esque vocal-led coda closes things out. It is not the only, nor possibly even the best, song to do this, but as a drawing together of the best elements of the Tenebra sound perhaps serves as their best showpiece. Continue reading
A new nationwide study in the United Kingdom by Muse Group, makers of Ultimate Guitar, has revealed a list of the most iconic guitar riffs of all-time. Number one one the list was Guns N Roses “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” as the 1987 37 percent of the vote.The riff of the song – which reached Number 6 on the UK chart in 1989 – actually came from Slash’s warm up exercise before a rehearsal where he started playing a “circus” tune, which he then developed into the full riff according to rock legend. Second on the list was Survivor’s 1982 earned “Eye of The Tiger” (29 percent of the vote), which featured in the classic Sylvester Stalone movie Rocky III. Queen’s legendary 1980 hit “Another One Bites The Dust” (28 percent). Written by bassist John Deacon, the song was featured on the group’s eighth studio album The Game and was a worldwide hit.
The Glacially Musical Pouredcast is a weekly Podcast that has three principles: Beer, Metal, and Swearing! Hosted by Nik Cameron – grown out of the Glacially Musical blog is all about great music and vinyl collecting. Once per week Ghost Cult’s Chief Ghost Cult Keefy joins Nik to discusses great bands and great era’s of bands. Nik and Keefy conclude their series on Robert Plant with Manic Nirvana.