Ah, another month, another Hardcore record, and this time it’s the turn of West Springfield, Massachusetts crew Restraining Order.
Tag Archives: Psychedelic
ALBUM REVIEW: Somnuri – Desiderium
Releasing your first two records on prestigious labels such as Magnetic Eye Records and Blues Funeral isn’t the worst way to commence a career. Such is the case with Brooklyn, New York quartet Somnuri, who comprise of Justin Sherrell (guitars/vocals), Phil SanGiacomo (drums), Chris Drapeau (guitars/vocals), and bassist Mike G.
ALBUM REVIEW: Saint Karloff – Paleolithic War Crimes
Norwegians Saint Karloff formed in 2015 and their debut full-length All Heed the Black God followed in 2018. The latest album Paleolithic War Crimes (Majestic Mountain Records) comes as something of a bittersweet release following the sad loss of bassist and founding member Ole ‘Karloff’ Sletner in 2021 (RIP). The writing for this record had started in 2019 with Ole very much on board and to quote the band ultimately, “reflects a band in transition and exploring new paths, but at the same time it retains that proper heavy Karloff-vibe.”
FESTIVAL REVIEW: Into The Void Festival Live at Effenaar
After years of no gigs, many festivals moved, or revamped. Into the Void has been around a while, but this year is the first time it is held in Eindhoven, Just one day we have 11 bands to get through in the Effenaar, with a nice mix of genres that the Club Void shows also share. Given the rather solid line-up for those who love Stoner, Doom Metal, Psych, and even some post-Metal, Ghost Cult went to have a look.
ALBUM REVIEW: Heavy Blanket – Moon Is
Over the years, the ever-talented J Mascis has been creating powerful impacts on the underground music scene by being involved in a myriad of projects. He is best known for being the frontman of the legendary three-piece alternative rock act Dinosaur Jr., but there are also plenty of other projects that he has left marks on. Some of them being the short-lived hardcore punk quartet Deep Wound, the Sabbath-influenced stoner/doom act Witch, and the rather underrated sludge/doom act Upsidedown Cross, to name some.
ALBUM REVIEW: Faith In Jane – Axe To Oak
Since forming in 2008, Thurmont, Maryland trio Faith In Jane has racked up an astounding eight releases of which Axe To Oak (Grimoire) is the latest. Quite impressive when you consider it takes a band such as Guns ‘N’ Roses decades to put out new music. The band is comprised of Dan Mize – guitar/vocals, Brendan Winston – bass, and Alex Llewellyn on drums.
ALBUM REVIEW: Clutch – Sunrise On Slaughter Beach
Clutch, the irrepressible quartet from Maryland, America have just graced our ears with a new record Sunrise On Slaughter Beach (Weathermarker) – their thirteenth record, coming four years after Book Of Bad Decisions. It is unmistakably a Clutch album, full of hearty riffs and deft turns of phrase, but it is a shorter and more varied one than its predecessor.
ALBUM REVIEW: Sadistic Ritual – The Enigma, Boundless
There is plenty of heat coming out of Atlanta, Georgia and we aren’t just talking about their humid weather. Sadistic Ritual includes many prominent members of noteworthy Atlanta-based bands (such as Paladin and Vimir). Their 2019 debut, Visions of Death, was described by Decibel as, ”a fearsome thrash ripper”. Back with more blackened thrash tunes and a psychedelic atmosphere along with some slick ass production, the band is poised to reach a broader audience with The Enigma, Boundless, their sophomore album and their first to be released on their new label, Prosthetic Records.
ALBUM REVIEW: The Last Vinci – The Revolution is Made Together
Alex Vinci, Brasko, and Conal Murphy of The Last Vinci have released a lovely album in The Revolution is Made Together (Narrow Door). The album is like happiness flying through the clouds. The songs on The Revolution is Made Together have a pleasant, even keeled feel.
ALBUM REVIEW: Eldovar – A Story Of Darkness And Light
Not content to just let the sludgy boi/spooky girl pairings have all the fun with multi-artist collaborations in Doom, A Story Of Darkness And Light (Stickman Records)features the coming together of Elder and Kadavar as Eldovar (I don’t know where that ‘o’ comes from either). The two groups certainly make for interesting bedfellows; while both are arguably rooted in Seventies Rock traditions, Elder has evolved to Heavy Prog splendor while Kadavar largely subsists on off-the-cuff Stoner Blues. However, their shared interest in various genre experiments as well as established track records of high quality material gives plenty of fertile ground for such a union.