ALBUM REVIEW: Sonic Flower – Rides Again


Japan’s Sonic Flower began in the early 2000s as an offshoot of Church of Misery. They released one self-titled album in 2003 and then broke up in 2005 following some aborted recording sessions. Reforming briefly in 2007, only to break up again the same year, Sonic Flower lay dormant for 14 years until they finally reformed again in 2019. A full-length album with a new lineup including a vocalist is scheduled for later in 2021. To whet their fans’ appetite in the meantime, the band are first releasing Rides Again (Heavy Psych Sounds Records), which consists entirely of tracks recorded in 2005 from the aforementioned aborted sessions.

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MY FAVOURITE CONCERT MEMORY – Lee McKinney of Born of Osiris


As part of the build-up to the release of the Ghost Cult approved new Born of Osiris album The Simulation (Sumerian) you can read our review here – guitarist Lee McKinney reflects on a pivotal moment in his life – his first, and favourite, concert memory and how it led on to influencing his own playing. Continue reading


Cave – Allways


Hailing from the windy city, Chicago, Cave drops their sixth full length album Allways (Drag City); an instrumental profusion and six songs and forty-one minutes of mind altering fare.  Cave have been around since 2007 and have released a plethora of 7” and cassette tapes in addition to albums.Continue reading


Funeral Horse – Psalms For The Mourning


I reviewed Funeral Horse’s 2014 EP Sinister Rites of the Master (Artificial Head) and still recall that marauding yet tuneful promise. Four years later, and I’m here with sophomore album Psalms For The Mourning (Artificial Head), a subtler beast shooting that Stoner template through with added invention and a touch of maturity. Continue reading


Mooner – Tabiat


Introducing Mooner, a psychedelic rock group from Indonesia made up of members of The Slave, The Sigit, Sigmun and Sarasvati – all well-established bands in their homeland. Originally released in April via Bhang Records, is the re-release of their début album Tabiat this time via Outer Battery. Within it is a multitude of influences, Indian Raga and Middle Eastern touches are mixed together with psychedelic, 70s era bluesy rock resulting in a familiar yet alien sound.Continue reading


Monster Mash Cancels Friday Show, Rest Of The Fest Unaffected


Monster Mash fest Az Tool

In a post to Facebook, Monster Mash Music Festival has announced that the Friday portion of the festival is now cancelled. Saturday, headlined by Tool and sold out as well as Sunday are still going on as planned. Friday was to have featured Carlos Santana,, John Fogerty and The Tedeschi Trucks band. Full refunds are available from the point of purchase.

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We’re very disappointed to announce the sad cancellation of Friday’s show, but HAVE NO FEAR! Saturday and Sunday’s shows are completely unaffected by this change. The shows will go on as planned and we can’t wait to see you there at ‪#‎MonsterMashAZ‬!

MMAZ Santana cancelled

We’re very disappointed to announce the sad cancellation of Friday’s show, but HAVE NO FEAR! Saturday and Sunday’s shows…

Posted by Monster Mash Music Festival on Friday, October 23, 2015

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UPDATED- Festival Preview: Monster Mash Music Fest


Monster Mash fest Az Tool

(Editor’s Note: On 10/23 the Friday event for Monster Mash featuring Carlos Santana was canceled. More information here🙂

Prediction: Destination concert festivals will finally be the answer to European Open Air events  American fans have been drooling over ages. With new events cropping up left and right it is going to get tough for discerning fans to know where to spend their money. One new fest that has the star power and the location to draw lots of concertgoers is the Monster Mash Music Fest taking place Halloween weekend in Tempe Beach Park, at Tempe AZ. With a comfy autumn climate and beautiful vistas from the park, this is a spectacular place to see a concert. And what a concert Monster Mash promises to be with the one of a kind return of Tool, as well as other headliners such as Linkin Park, Rob Zombie, Primus, and Deftones.

 

Halloween Saturday at Monster Mash is stacked as Tool headlines the festival in their return to activity. Much speculation has been focused on the bands’ long delayed fifth album. Still, one can never underestimate what the band will pull out of their magic hat musically or visually in a live setting. It is sure to be a spectacle. Primus is aptly ranked in the direct support slot. Having wrapped up their Primus And The Chocolate Factory tour this fall, their Monster Mash set might be the last chance to see them for a while. Coheed and Cambria precedes them and is on tour supporting their new album The Color Before The Sun (300 Entertainment). Up and coming rockers Aeges and With Arms To The Sun round out the early Saturday lineup.

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Rob Zombie, by Emma Parsons Photography

All Saints Day promises to be a devil of a time with a bevy of rock and metal bands led by a 1-2 punch of Linkin Park and Rob Zombie. Both acts put on tremendous visual shows live anhttp://www.monstermashaz.com/#!tickets/cq53d hit laden sets tailor made for festivals. Hot on their heels will be Deftones, who always put on an amazing show. The band transcended their early roots in the Nu Metal 90s to become a ground breaking avant-garde band all over the world. Pulling double duty this weekend will be Maynard James Keenan, performing again on Sunday with his art rock collective Puscifer. Puscifer’s new album Money Shot (Puscifer Music) drops coincidentally in time for the show. Playing in the daylight should be an experience for Ghost and their ritual sacrament of heavy psychedelic rock and evil imagery. Rockers Haletstorm will also be on the bill early this day.

Tickets are on sale for Monster Mash Music Festival here:

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Tool, Linkin Park, Deftones, Primus, Rob Zombie To Play Monster Mash This Fall


Monster Mash fest Az Tool

The Monster Mash Music Fest has just been announced for Tempe Arizona on Halloween Night. The weekend long festival taking place October 30th to November 1st has just been announced and will be headlined by Tool on Saturday October 31st. Joining them over the weekend will be Primus, Coheed And Cambria, Rob Zombie, Deftones, Ghost, Halestorm with more TBD. Friday night the fest kicks off with Santana, John Fogerty and the Tedeschi Trucks band with still more acts to be named. Tickets are on sale now and can be bought from the fests website.

 

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