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Get Hot & Heavy with Smolder & Burn
If you’ve read anything I’ve written over the last several months, you know I’m a recent Denver transplant who sings toe-curling praises about this mountain town’s Metal scene.
Here, long-drawn, Mary Jane-inspired riffs reverberate out past the vast expanses of breathtaking natural aesthetics, and leave a heavy-handed sonic impression on scenes across the nation.
And if you’re a fan of the best in “underground” Doom-driven Metal, you’ve likely heard of locals Primitive Man, In the Company of Serpents, and Khemmis.
Now, add to this list Smolder & Burn, a band whose hot and heavy, stony Sludge is driven by guitarists Jess Ellis’ and Pat Devlin’s hearty riffs, vocalist Chris Chango’s throaty vox, and bassist Chad Roth’s and drummer Marc Brooks’ captious low-end, a pointed mélange with solid grooves and a searing after burn.
“I had been wanting to start a side project for a while away from my other band (Chingaso), where I just focused on vocals and not on both vocals and guitar,” said Smolder & Burn vocalist Chris Chango of the band’s formation. “I was at my friend Benny’s house for a BBQ, and he was looking to get back on the scene after a long hiatus. He introduced me to [Smolder & Burn drummer] Marc Brooks. We knew of each other, but we didn’t exactly know each other, so I was asked if I knew of any other musicians that might want to get in on the action—I called [guitarist] Pat [Devlin] and [bassist] Chad [Roth]. We had a few rehearsals that went well, then some things came up, and Benny dropped out. I asked [guitarist] Jess [Ellis] to come in, and that’s when things got kicked into overdrive.”
Now, fourteen months later, Smolder & Burn is set to release their début EP, a four-song flex of desert Rock-infused Doom—think of a ballsier Queens of the Stone Age with bigger beards and way more booze.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_zUMexE9Xw
The tracks are capped by Chris Chango’s clean vocal croon, a distinctive stamp that characterizes the band’s already inventive tunes.
“[Chango’s vocals] are what really got me psyched about this band,” said Devlin. “I listen to a lot of music, and I’m of the opinion that the voice should be used as another instrument. I’m not knocking guttural stuff at all—I’m a fan! But I want to make music with multiple layers, and having clean vocals from the get-go is much better then to trying to introduce them later.”
“I always wanted and preferred more of a singer [too],” added bassist Chad Roth.
“When I was writing the lyrics for the first songs we came up with, I was going to try and be a more guttural with the vocals, but the strange thing is because of the actual low tuning we’re in, [I was forced] to go higher in range in order to hit the notes being played. People heard it, and they liked it, so it just kind of worked its way into what it is,” said Chango.
Smolder & Burn recorded the EP at the Crash Pad, a recording studio over in suburban Denver, where they tapped engineer Bart McCrorey to capture their big sound over a two-day live recording session, the result of which is an impressive debut from one of Denver’s most impressive new bands.
What kind of stuff do you guys talk about in your songs?
“I’m a straight-up fuckin’ nerd, so I’m really influenced by Sci-Fi and comic books—Silver Surfer is one of my top five favorites,” Chango said. “So a lot of the stuff I write is pretty much about traveling the universe, loneliness, isolation, lost love, uneasiness in regards to never truly knowing who you are or why you’re here.”
What do you think makes the Denver music scene tight and different from that of other cities?
“There’s a lot of real motherfuckers here,” Devlin said. “People in this music community can sense bullshit a mile away. Granted, there’s a few assholes everywhere, but overall this place rules.”
Adds guitarist Jess Ellis, “I agree that this is one of the strongest, tightest scenes I have ever encountered. I believe what sets us apart is the fact that we are pretty isolated here. I believe that holds people to be accountable and respectful of each other, or you’ll get your ass run out. Most the bands in this city, regardless of genre, are incredibly supportive of each other.”
Fun stuff: Who are some bands you’d love to tour with?
“I will play anywhere, anytime, with any band. But I’d personally like to tour with The Sword, Lo-Pan, Clutch, Fu Manchu, Cake, Baroness, and C.O.C.,” Devlin said.
“If we’re talking dream tour, I’d give my left nut to play with Neurosis, Pelican, or be the opening act for KISS in 1976 on the Destroyer tour,” Chango added.
Speaking of touring, do you have any plans to play shows outside of the city?
“Nothing as of yet,” Devlin said. “But I’ve been planting a seed with some of the bands like [Denver locals] Cult of The Lost Cause and The Worth about doing some Midwest shows together, just to show everyone the musical diversity Denver has.”
Anything else you’d like to add?
“I’m honestly blown away and very thankful for the reception that we have received as a ‘young’ band. It always makes me jazzed when a friend’s band who I respect and really dig asks us to play a show [with them],” Devlin said. “And the fact that you dig us enough to give us a chance in your magazine— we are extremely lucky guys!”
Those of us stationed in Denver are lucky as well—were able to see the band live Friday, May 6th, over at the Three Kings Tavern. This CD-release show for the band also features fellow Doom-dealers In The Company of Serpents, Valiomierda, and Aeraco. It all kicks off at 8:00 p.m., and copies of the Smolder & Burn EP will be available for purchase. You’ll also be able to download the mixed and mastered version of EP over at Smolderandburn.bandcamp.com.
More information on Smolder & Burn can be found at www.Facebook.com/Smolder-Burn
LINDSAY O’CONNOR
Scorpions, Disturbed, Rob Zombie, FFDP, Megadeth, More To Play Rocklahoma 2016
Rocklahoma 2016 has announced it’s lineup for it’s 10th anniversary. Taking place at the Catch The Fever festival grounds in Pryor, OK from May 27th to 29th this year. The headline bands are Scorpions, Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, along with Megadeth, Chevelle, 3 Doors Down, Sixx:A.M., Collective Soul, Sebastian Bach, Bullet For My Valentine, Great White, Sevendust, P.O.D., HELLYEAH, Steel Panther, Pop Evil, Saint Asonia, Bang Tango, Last In Line, Thousand Foot Krutch, Texas Hippie Coalition, The Sword, Red Sun Rising, Hatebreed, DevilDriver, Mystery, Wilson, Avatar, Wild Throne, The Glorious Sons, Citizen Zero, Banshee, Nova Rex, Prophets Of Addiction, Beggars Jam, NiteRain, Freeway Mad, Midnite Sin, 3-D In Your Face, Teer, 5-Star Hooker, Dead Metal Society, Electro_Nomicon, Kore, Rozzik, Diamond Lane, Chaotic Resemblance, Project Terror, The Tip, NICNOS, Stolen Rhodes, Screaming For Silence, DREK, A Course Of Action, Lovebettie, BC and the Big Rig and more. Fan interested in attending can get specially priced Rocklahoma pre-sale tickets now with the password “ROK10”. Ticket prices go up when the public on sale begins, next Monday, Jan 18th at noon local time. http://bit.ly/ROK2016
ROCKLAHOMA 2016!!! Here we go! We can’t wait to celebrate America’s Biggest Memorial Day Party with you! Get your…
Posted by Rocklahoma on Monday, January 11, 2016
News: Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Scorpions, Five Finger Death Punch, etc Confirmed For Carolina Rebellion 2016
Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion has been confirmed for May 6, 7 and 8, 2016 at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. Confirmed acts so far include:
Disturbed
The Scorpions
Rob Zombie
ZZ Top
Five Finger Death Punch
Shinedown
Deftones
Lynyrd Skynyrd
A Day To Remember
3 Doors Down
Alice Cooper
Bring Me The Horizon
Cypress Hill
Pennywise
Lamb Of God
Megadeth
Ghost
Sixx:A.M.
Anthrax
Collective Soul
Clutch
The Sword
The Struts
Asking Alexandria
Yelawolf
BABYMETAL
Pop Evil
Bullet For My Valentine
P.O.D.
Sevendust
Hellyeah
Between The Buried & Me
Parkway Drive
Black Stone Cherry
Saint Asonia
Trivium
Escape The Fate
August Burns Red
Turbowolf
Enter Shikari
Sick Puppies
Filter
Candlebox
Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown
New Years Day
Aranda
Thousand Foot Krutch
Red Sun Rising
Texas Hippie Coalition
Hands Like Houses
Code Orange
Failure Anthem
Avatar
Lacey Sturm
The Glorious Sons
From Ashes To New
Wilson
I Prevail
Monster Truck
Audiotopsy
Wild Throne
RavenEye
Mirror – Mirror
Latest of the new wave of stoner/revival/heavy metal bands, Mirror have an impressive and diverse collective CV of work behind them. A Face on the Doom scene, bassist Tas Danazoglou (erstwhile of Electric Wizard and Great Coven) is the main driver behind this band, along with drummer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Blutvial and Septic Tank). The band is very upfront with what to expect from Mirror (Metal Blade), their debut album: “The recording boasts strong melodic ideas with classic, heavy riffs inspired by the sounds of Scorpions, UFO, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and the like.”
The album’s opener – ‘Mirror’ – is so ridiculously Maiden that it’s almost a surprise as the vocals start that it’s not Ol’ Foghorn himself making a guest appearance. Instead, Jimmy Mavromatis turns in a performance far more reminiscent of Blind Guardian‘s Hansi Kürsch. The song doesn’t suffer from it though – it’s the best of the bunch. ‘Curse of the Gypsy’ is a grandiose affair which reminds strongly of Ghost. The foot comes off the throttle for the stargazing ‘Year of the Red Moon’, where the inevitable Hammond organ makes its appearance and settles in for the remainder of the ride and ‘Heavy King’ is a fine track in the Deep Purple vein with a strong backbone and some lovely breaks from each band member. ‘Madness and Magic’ brings the (classic rock flavoured) doom and ‘Galleon’ brings us back to Killers-era Maiden, while ‘Cloak of a Thousand Secrets’ turns up the heat again for a boisterous hybrid of Blind Guardian and UFO. ‘Orion’s Sword’ servers an extended acoustic(y) intro to the closing track – ‘Elysian’ – which pretty much shoehorns everything from the rest of the album into one song.
As I’ve said before, revival bands often struggle to find their own sense of identity, but I don’t think this is true of Mirror. They’re honest about what they’re aiming for, they’ve delivered as promised and the end result does stand on its own whilst paying authentic homage to the giants of 70s metal. What lets Mirror down is the killer/filler track list (‘Mirror’, ‘Gypsy’, ‘Heavy King’ and ‘Secrets’ being the killers), and the dry production. Now, I fully appreciate that this sound is a central part of the feel the band are going for with this album, but it detracts from almost all the tracks, robbing them of the punch and depth that a richer sound would yield.
Nevertheless, a decent debut, and if you’re into the likes of Purson, Ghost or The Sword, you’ll probably get on with Mirror.
6.5/10
PHILIP PAGE
Aftershock Festival 2015: Live At The Gibson Ranch, Sacramento, CA
The beautiful and warm Gibson Ranch was the scene for the 2015 Monster Energy Drink Aftershock. Not only does Aftershock always boast on of the best lineups of any festival in America, the gorgeous NorCal location allows for all kinds of attractions and activities making this the most well-rounded fest you could attend as well. The festival officially sold-out the entire weekend with over 25,000 in attendance each day.
The top of the bill for Saturday boasted some big big names, to be true. Headliners Slipknot are possibly the preeminent metal concert experience in the world right now, just based on the spectacle of their stage show and the epic music they bring. They also had a lot of people checking out their Haunted Scream Park for constant Halloween scares all weekend long too. Other big musical hitters such as Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Bring Me The Horizon and Black Veil Brides had fans drooling, packed in crows of people, and offered up a little something for everyone from across the range of active rock and metal genres. Especially with BMTH and Black Veil Brides, you are really seeing the future of music unfold before you, and the youth of the fans was served in the audience.
As much as Saturday had some “hall of fame” worthy acts, there was a lot of up and coming talent on early in the day such as the Beartooth performance, and strong showings from Red Sun Rising and September Mourning too. There will come a time when some of these headline bands wont be around anymore and the next generation of stars needs to rise up now. Some of them were on hand at Aftershock this weekend.
Saturday was a really a day to explore the festival grounds. Tons of people took in the great food options (BBQ, Tex Mex, Burritos, Pizza,and Vegetarian choices looked astounding), Tequila tastings from six major purveyors of fine spirits and NXT wrestling. The balance between fun for families and grown folks was strong, and a real testament to why this fest has been able to last so long and get better every year.
If you weren’t totally destroyed by Saturday’s overload of the senses, Sunday also had a list of great bands to see and hear and fun things to. Early in the day two more killer bands helped set things off in the always fun Dance Gavin Dance and the surprising Pink Slips. The Pinks Slips are a band you need to check out as we expect to see them higher up on the bill on fests like this for years to come. After checking out issues, it was time to see Sevendust rip up the East Stage. They are a live band like few others and they played a short, yet heartfelt set.
All Time Low and Yelawolf really set the stage for later in the day. Stone Temple Pilots led by Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) for what would turn out to be one of the last full show for them together, played all the hits to huge crowd response. Fan may be conflicted about Chester’s time in the band, but he did justice to the history of that band
Coheed and Cambria was next, playing behind their new record, and they leaned heavy on new songs. Despite the festival and the over atmosphere of the place, it didn’t seem like their crowd was in the house. Or maybe they were waiting on Jane’s Addiction to hit the stage. Jane’s, like STP knows the fans want the big hits and that is what they brought. Perry Ferrell and Dave Navarro, despite their many public scraps, seem just made for each other as poet/conduit and axe-slinger duos go.
Defotnes were the next to last act of the weekend and true hometown heroes as they are right from Sacto. The band put on a great show with front man Chino Moreno running all over the stage and moving his body as much as his silky, elastic vocal range. With a new album coming in 2016, it would seem this band is destined to headline a future Aftershock fest. Bringing the epic weekend to a close, Faith No More brought the botanical theme of their recent Sol Invictus (Reclamation/Ipecac) tour with them. Playing the massive hits such as ‘Be Aggressive’, ‘Epic’, ‘Midlife Crisis’ and ‘Easy’, sprinkled among new songs and deep cuts, the band showed why their reunion so worthy needed and the accolades so deserved. Until next time Aftershock, well be back!
Slide show photos by Meg Loyal Photography
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We Hunt Buffalo – Living Ghosts
Imagine, if you will, the offspring that would be conceived by a three-way between A Perfect Circle, Spiritual Beggars and Mastodon. That’s pretty much what we have here, and it’s wonderful.
Living Ghosts (Fuzzorama) is the second LP from Vancouver cab torturers We Hunt Buffalo. They bill themselves as exponents of “Dirty, Grimy, Fuzz Rock” and they ain’t lyin’, brother. Well not about the fuzz, anyway. Whilst the eponymous first album ticked all three boxes, Living Ghosts has had a lot of the dirt polished off, and sounds tremendously better for it. With fatter bass and some actual use of the mid sliders, the upgrade from self-production to a full studio producer (Jesse Gander of Rain City Recorders) is telling. It has transformed this band from local battle of the bands runners-up into a serious prospect for tours with the likes of Baroness, The Sword, Kvelertak or even the mighty Mastodon.
The first track ‘Ragnarok’ is a beautiful, expansive extended intro for the majestic prog of ‘Back To The River’, ‘Prairie Oyster’ is a sludgey fuzzfest with huge echoey vocals while ‘Hold On’ backs off the fuzz for a return to the prog vibe featuring a strident guitar line and choral vocals that are simply captivating.
‘Comatose’ features a riff that’s inexplicably (and pleasingly) reminiscent of Big Country. ‘Fear’ is a slow stoner classic and ‘The Barrens’ gives us more country vibe, opening out into what’s clearly their stoner/prog comfort zone. ‘Looking Glass’ is a very on-trend 60’s homage (complete with Hammond organ) that leads us to the last track of the album: ‘Walk Again’ – an introspective piece of shoegazing that, given the strength and context of what’s gone before manages the small miracle of being engaging and fitting rather than tedious.
A theme running through this album is familiarity – it gives the feeling even on first play-through that you’ve rediscovered an old favourite. Sombre yet uplifting, distorted yet clear, it delivers an almost transcendent experience that very few bands can manage.
If you’re a Canuck, you’re in luck – these guys are stomping the hell out of the home grounds. I hope those of us in the rest of the world are lucky enough to see them on tour some time soon.
8.5/10
PHILIP PAGE
Festival Preview: Monster Energy Aftershock
Yet another entry into the “can’t miss American festivals” is the Monster Energy Drink Aftershock. Taking place in Sacramento California, the awesome NorCal weather, coupled with the proximity to San Francisco makes this fest awesome. The scenic Gibson Ranch is the place to be right now. In addition to some amazing bands, there are things like Slipknot’s Haunted Scream Park and NXT Wrestling events to drink in when you are done rocking out!
Saturday’s lineup boasts a top of the bill of Slipknot, Shinedown and Marilyn Manson which few other events can even match this year. Following them are Breaking Benjamin, Seether and Bring Me The Horizon, Black Veil Brides, Clutch, Hollywood Undead, Suicidal Tendencies, POD, Pop Evil, All That Remains, Helmet, Snot, Beartooth, September Mourning and many more.
Sunday has none other than Faith No More, continuing their Sol Invictus (Ipecac/Reclamation) tour cycle. Sunday has other stalwart 90s bands such as Deftones, Jane’s Addiction and Stone Temple Pilots. Other top Sunday bands on the bill include Coheed And Cambria, All Time Low, Death From Above 1979, Eagles of Death Metal, Sleeping With Sirens, Yelawolf, Failure, Glasjaw, Sevendust, Issues, The Sword, `68, Red Fang and many more.
You can still get tickets for Aftershock here.
Slipknot’s Scream Park Attraction Added To Aftershock Festival
Slipknot, one of the headline acts for Monster Energy Aftershock Festival have paired up to present Slipknot ‘s Scream Park for the Monster Energy Aftershock Pre-Party on Friday, October 23 from 7 p.m. to midnight in Sacramento, California. The pre-party concert and food truck event will be headlined by Hell Or Highwater, with more bands to be announced. Hell Or Highwater has also been added to the festival proper, performing on Saturday, October 24.
Slipknot ‘s Corey Taylor and M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan have partnered with Sacramento-based Scream Park California to produce an event that explores a whole new, intensely visceral world of horror, as only Slipknot can provide. Slipknot ‘s Scream Park features three haunted houses and live horror entertainment. Slipknot ‘s Scream Park will also have an onsite presence at Monster Energy Aftershock on October 24 and 25.
A limited number of guests can gain admission to the Monster Energy Aftershock Pre-Party by showing proof of purchase of an Aftershock ticket. This will allow free access to the Aftershock Pre-Party, which will include live music and food trucks. On the Pre-Party night guests will be able to go through the haunted houses at Slipknot ‘s Scream Park for a discounted price of $15. More details will be available soon about music performances at the Pre-Party and how to obtain free Pre-Party admission, as space will be limited. You can view the trailer for the Scream Park at this link or below:
Slipknot ‘s Scream Park is also offering an Aftershock Scream Park Bundle for $119.50. This package includes one 2-day General Admission weekend ticket to Monster Energy Aftershock and one Scream Park General Admission ticket (a $25 savings). Purchase your combo tickets for both Slipknot ‘s Scream Park and Monster Energy Aftershock Festival at link text or www.Slipknot screampark.com.
Slipknot ’s Scream Park is located at 4909 Auburn Blvd. in Sacramento, California.
Monster Energy Aftershock Festival already boasts an incredible music lineup with four stages and countless attractions such as live, in-ring matches with WWE’s NXT Superstars beyond music for entertainment. Bands appearing in addition to Slipknot are Faith No More, Deftones, Shinedown, Jane’s Addiction, Marilyn Manson, Coheed & Cambria, Stone Temple Pilots, Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Bring Me The Horizon, All Time Low, Sleeping With Sirens, Eagles Of Death Metal, Black Veil Brides, and many more.
The Sword – High Country
Three years following the release of their last album, Apocryphon (Razor & Tie), The Sword return with High Country (Razor & Tie). I always go into things wondering if we’re going to get another Warp Riders (Kemado) record as that was how I was first exposed to the band. So, no, this isn’t Warp Riders II, but it’s pretty rad.
‘Seriously Mysterious’ is my favorite song off of the new album and I lost count of just how many times I played it while working on this review. It stands out from the rest of the album, with the intro ‘Unicorn Farm’ being the only other thing that somewhat matches it. Although not as complex as some of the other songs on High Country, ‘Seriously Mysterious’ is extremely catchy and will make you move. It and its more sinister sounding counterpart, ‘Ghost Eye’, are likely to make an appearance alongside songs like Steve Miller Band’s ‘Abracadabra’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstitious’ on a few Halloween party play lists this year. If your play list looks like that, I better be invited.
Fuzz-filled and riff laden, ‘Buzzards’ is another favorite selection from the second half of High Country. It is just simply a great song with a hypnotic chorus that draws you right in. I might even argue that this would have made a great choice for a song to close out the record on a more energetic note. I’d also recommend it for any upcoming road trips you may have.
High Country is a solid record overall but, as you can see, the second half of the album is where it really comes alive for me. Songs are a little meatier, a little groovier, and really help round things out, even if they tip the scales a bit more in one direction.
7.5/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE