ALBUM REVIEW: Yakuza – Sutra


 

This experimental Chicago band has been toying with the dark sonic corners for over twenty years. It’s been eleven of those years since we have had a new album from Yakuza, and it is good to dive back into their land of twisted shadows. The focus has shifted to a more deliberate brand of heavy, that places them not far from the sonic zip code of older Mastodon. The differences are fewer guitar pyrotechnics and a much darker trajectory than the Atlanta progsters. Bruce Lamont’s baritone moan carries a hint of anger as the opening track is framed with dissonance.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Rose City Band – Garden Party


 

Psych-country rock trips don’t come any more sublime than this glorious helping of absolute porch and twang. Come join The Garden Party (Thrill Jockey Records), keep your eyes on the skies and your feet floating just off the floor, in cahoots with similarly-minded varmints, free spirits seeking simple pleasures.

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ALBUM REVIEW Black Lung – Dark Waves


It is a time of change for the Baltimore based psych-doom three piece Black Lung, who following the release of their third album Ancients in 2019, parted ways with founding guitarist Adam Bufano, replacing him with Deaf Scene’s Dave Fullerton. Four months later and their subsequent tour of the album was cancelled as the pandemic struck, so the band decided to regroup and start working on fresh material with their new guitar player straight away. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Mr. Bison – Seaward


Those who deserted Pisa-based riff kings, Mr. Bison, after their 2012 debut album We’ll Be Brief (Dracma Records) will recognise neither the physical nor the sonic entity that exists today. Only guitarist/vocalist Matteo Barsacchi remains from that initial incarnation, now replenished by two more Matteos – vocalist/guitarist Sciocchetto and drummer D’Ignazi – and the dry, ZZTop-influenced sound of that first effort has been gradually replaced by an oft euphoric leaning towards a form of Desert Psychedelia as progressive as it is retrospective. Their fourth album Seaward (Subsound Records / Ripple Music) is the band’s biggest step forward yet, displaying a level of invention and confidence that is both profound and joyous.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: High Priestess – Casting the Circle – Ripple Music


When LA trio High Priestess‘s eponymous debut High Priestess (Ripple Music) landed in 2018, it took my breath away with its mesmeric, Doomy hypnosis and occasional brutality. Waxing lyrical about it then, I was already eager and anxious to see if they could follow it. I needn’t have worried: sophomore set Casting the Circle (Ripple Music) maintains the impossibly high standards of that first album while enhancing the entrancing elements of their sound.Continue reading


Marilyn Manson Covers The Doors Classic “The End” In a New Video


Marilyn Manson is releasing a killer new 12-inch picture disc, with a cover song of The Doors’ all-time great track “The End”. It might be the most “Manson” cover Manson has ever done. The track was produced by Shooter Jennings, who is working with Manson on his new solo album due in 2020. The video like the disc has a representation of an original Manson water-color painting, created especially for this release on Picture Disc. Watch the Zev Deans directed clip and pre-order the vinyl and purchase the song at the link below!Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind


With everything Slipknot has been through in the last few years, you’d have thought they would have explored enough darkness and misery to last a lifetime, wanting to escape the cold expanse of unrelenting blackness with a renewed sense of optimism.

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Rama – Everything Is One


Turin visionaries Rama are often described as Desert Rock, but right from their self-titled 2015 EP (Self-Released) there was evidence of a deeper, simmering destiny. Debut album Everything Is One (Today/Brigante Records) furthers this cause, with elements of earthen fire and melodic sweetness enlivening that Stoner background.Continue reading


Pharlee – Pharlee


There’s somethin’ incestuous a-brewin’ in San Diego: a fluid drift from band to band and back again, like the returning wisps of smoke from that latest joint exhalation. This is Zach Oakley’s second journey through my cans in as many months, while more of his friends in Psych outfits JOY and Harsh Toke make yet another union in the form of the drenched riffage of Pharlee.Continue reading


The Sonic Dawn – Eclipse


It seems wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen is quietly earning a name for Rock bands in recent years, with retro Psych trio The Sonic Dawn gaining a particularly favourable reputation. Eclipse (Heavy Psych Sounds) is the band’s third full-length release in four years and, despite being influenced by undisclosed personal tragedy, the sound is as bright as ever.Continue reading