Tag Archives: Rise Above Records

With The Dead – With The Dead

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Dorrian. Bagshaw. Greening. One band. Shall we just stop now?…

Given the press surrounding the marriage of ex-Electric Wizard (and please can we not forget Ramesses?!) members to Rise Above founder Lee Dorrian, you’d be forgiven for thinking that we’re about to experience our own version of the mid-90s East-West Rap war. So let’s forget all that nonsense and focus on Doom supergroup With The Dead’s eponymous debut album.

With The Dead (Rise Above) ploughs a similar furrow to their West Country rivals yet delivers a filthy edge to whirling vocals and Tim Bagshaw’s riffs which energises the sound somewhat, and lifts it above that over-trodden path. The crushing riff of opener ‘Crown of Burning Stars’ is lightened ever so slightly by a slow groove, slightly fuzzed production and a Psych effect to Dorrian’s bellow which doesn’t dilute its lascivious, malevolent sneer. The ensuing ‘The Cross’ possesses a lively yet portentous structure, sonorous rhythms performing a lazy American smooth with the mind, the groove almost catching but never testing the gravitas.

Whilst the occasionally bloated ‘Nephthys’ falls into the same stodgy moss as Witchsorrow, a Sludge mentality gives the titanic, crawling ‘Living With The Dead’ an early fire: first flattening with oscillating guitars and roars, then dropping to a gentle, sparing rhythm. The explosion is coming however, and in true Hammer Horror-drenched fashion: the hypnotic yet mournful crush swaddling the listener in a diseased cocoon. The head-nodding, slow rut of ‘I Am The Virus’ is decorated with cosmic effects and more cavernous roars, those brief flashes of lead and hulking drums enlivening some rather clunky lyrics. In an unbearably tense finale the crushing weight of closer ‘Screams From My Own Grave’ gradually imbues the sense of claustrophobic, crawling terror that is so obviously the intention.

With The Dead is yet another 2015 Doom album that won’t win prizes for originality, and one wonders how much further this particular twig of the branch has left to grow. It’s an album that does, however, possess enough variance, power, identity and nefarious intent to be a worthy addition to the annals.   

 

7.0/10.0

 

PAUL QUINN


Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – The Night Creeper

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Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats release their latest album, The Night Creeper, via Rise Above Records in plenty of time for Halloween. I mention this because those psychedelic, doom-y tunes got me wrapped up in reading about Night of the Living Dead while listening to them. ‘Tis the season, after all.

‘Melody Lane’ kicks off with keyboards that I would normally despise, but find myself tolerating in this case. Even with the keys, this still manages to be one of the heavier songs on the album. The guitar solo that starts at about 4:27 is one of only a few on the album. The solo paired with a little more energy overall makes this song stand out to me more than others.

Title track ‘The Night Creeper’ is a great song that commands your attention and forces you to headbang and/or contemplate your entire existence. I have been under the weather lately so I took the latter path. As expected, the song is on the sinister side of things and excellently instills a sense of despair in the listener. I also find it oddly comforting, like a more grown up way to feed your inner goth kid and bring peace to that teenage angst from so long ago.

At just over nine minutes long, ‘Slow Death’ is a beautiful and relaxing piece. The slow tempo, minimal vocals, and sounds of falling rain make it sound like something right out of the sixties. It’s the kind of song that you can throw on at the end of a long day and just let fuzz consume your mind. Listen to it a few times and I think you’ll see exactly what I mean.

The Night Creeper is an album worthy of a place in your doom collection. It’s got all of the darkness and foreboding of regular doom but without putting you (me) to sleep. Keep your eyes peeled for Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats currently on tour with Ruby the Hatchet. See you in Boston!

7.0/10

ALEIDA LA LLAVE


Audio: Lucifer Premieres New Song

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Occult rock up and comers Lucifer debuted a new song today online at the Decibel Blog, coinciding with their appearance on magazine’s new cover. ‘Purple Pyramid’ can be heard two weeks ahead of their anticipated album release Lucifer I (Rise Above Records), you can stream the song at the link and below:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4d8cCAr7A8

The band is due to hit the road this summer on their first US tour, joining High On Fire, Pallbearer, and Venomous Maximus for a night of doom and stoner-rock grooves.


Lucifer Decibel cover

Lucifer Tour Dates: with High on Fire, Pallbearer and Venomous Maximus:

Jul 30: Casbah, San Diego, CA

Jul 31: Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA

Aug 1: The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA

Aug 3: Hawthorne Theater, Portland, OR

Aug 4: Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, BC

Aug 5: Neumos, Seattle, WA

Aug 7: The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT

Aug 8: Gothic Theater, Englewood, CO

Aug 10: Mill City Nights, Minneapolis, MN

Aug 11: Thalia Hall, Chicago, IL

Aug 12: The Loving Touch, Ferndale, MI

Aug 13: The Opera House, Toronto, ON

Aug 14: The Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY

Aug 15: Irving Plaza, New York, NY

Aug 1Jul: Royale, Boston, MA

Aug 18: Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

Aug 19: Theater of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Aug 20: Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD

Aug 21: Ziggy’s, Winston-Salem, NC

Aug 22: The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

Aug 23: One Eyed Jack’s, New Orleans, LA

 

 


Lucifer Releasing Lucifer I on June 16th

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Lucifer (ex-The Oath) will be releasing their debut album titled Lucifer I on June 16, 2015 via Rise Above Records. The band recently added Garry Jennings (ex-Cathedral/Death Penalty) as co-songwriter and studio guitarist.

Lucifer I Track Listing:
01: Abracadbra
02: Purple Pyramid
03: Izrael
04: Sabbath
05: White Mountain
06: Morning Star
07: Total Eclipse
08: A Grave For Each One of Us


Horisont – Break the Limit (Single)

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Break the Limit (Rise Above Records) is the latest single to come from Nordic warriors Horisont who have recently finished a tour of Europe and are settling in to record their fourth album as we speak. This catchy number would sound epic belted out in a stadium or at a festival but is just as enjoyable sat on the sofa at home. The opening riff is instantly reminiscent of Black Sabbath whilst the main bulk of the tune is similar to Iron Maiden in style and vocals whilst retaining their own individuality.

The second track on the single ‘Yellow Blues’ follows Horisont’s distinctive style and is another easy listening anthem which gets stuck in your head for hours after listening.

This single gives a good taste of what is to be expected in their new album.

 

7.0/10

KT KTHULU

 


Lucifer Releasing Debut Seven Inch Single April 7th

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Former The Oath singer/songwriter Johanna Sadonis will be releasing the debut seven inch from her new band Lucifer on April 7, 2015 in North America via Rise Above Records. Stream “Anubis,” the A-side song of the seven inch here.

After the release of their debut seven-inch, LUCIFER will be edging towards the completion of their full-length debut album, which is expected to emerge later in 2015. While Johanna states that this first release does give some indication of the musical direction that this band will pursue, there is a strong sense that these songs are merely a prologue to the much deeper and more substantial body of work to come. Meanwhile, the band intend to hit the road to spread the news of Magic Rock to as many willing sinners as possible. With a solid line-up, a renewed sense of collective purpose and the invigorating effects of creative adrenalin propelling them forward, LUCIFER is a glowing advertisement for fresh starts, clarity of vision and the rejuvenative powers of heavy music. LUCIFER lives!


Electric Wizard – Time To Die

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As Dorset’s premier exponents of unrelenting heaviness Electric Wizard have never had it easy. Those familiar with their monolithic dirges will be aware of the turmoil the band has undergone since its inception with more line-up changes since recording 2010’s ‘Black Masses’ with drummer Mark Greening entering and rapidly departing the fold due to more issues with substance abuse and a lengthy legal battle with former label Rise Above to say that Time To Die (Spinefarm) has undergone a difficult conception would be an understatement.

All the hallmarks of Wizard’s sound remain present yet there is definitely a feeling that some ideas have been recycled with some familiar patterns reoccurring. Satan and the Supercoven are reprised in the lyrics but this is one bad trip that’s hard to get out of.

An epic peon to infamous acid murderer Ricky Kasso who allegedly cut out his victims eyes in a drug induced satanic ritual back in June 1984. ‘Time To Die’ is a vicious and negative record which starts slowly but lures you into its murky depths. The sinister hallucinogenic organ work which permeates ‘Destroy Those Who Love God’ delivers all the nocturnal Lovecraftian evil with its fitting samples from documentary ‘The Devil Worshippers’ to good effect. ‘Funeral Of Your Mind’ drags you into the vortex with a nasty tumultuous riff and Jus Oborn’s anguished vocal lurking beneath the sea of feedback and percussion which producer Chris Fielding (Conan) has done a bang up job in retaining the feel of the bands early work while allowing for some of the greater tonal clarity the later work has enjoyed.

Trance inducing repetition has long been the bands calling card and the ethos of tune low, play slow and worship Satan is adhered to with rigid stoicism. The organ adds atmosphere to the oppressive terror on ‘Saturn Dethroned’ yet this is a fairly typical effort from Osborn and company which neither tarnishes their legacy nor will increase their ‘Witchcult’ greatly in size. A consistent album which falls short of reflecting the majesty of their live ceremonies.

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7/10

 

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ROSS BAKER