Black Rainbows – Pandaemonium

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Black Rainbows
Album: Pandaemonium
Genre: Stoner Rock
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds Records
Release Date: April 6, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook, Twitter
Live: ADTicket
Website: theblackrainbows.com

With their last full-length, Italian fuzzers Black Rainbows disappointed a little and my hopes for „Pandaemonium“ were rather low – boy, had I been wrong! This new release feels much different: it has a brilliant production, songs that are on point, have good hooks and an overall more focused feel to it that will excite even fans, who felt a bit let down by the band recently. Probably one of the biggest surprises this year and a very fine mix of classic Stoner grooves, fat riffs and a pinch of spaced out star-fuzzery.

May 1, 2018 Add Comment

Crossbones – WWIII

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Crossbones
Album: WWIII
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label: Nadir Music
Release Date: January 13, 2018
Listen & Buy: iTunes, Soundcloud
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Website:

Hailing from Albania, Crossbones are quite a big name in their home-country. Being active since the 90s, their new album “WWIII” shows typical influences from that era: Pantera-esque Thrash Metal riffs meet Black-Album-Melodies and vocals. Their mixture is far from being exciting, but their music is not bad and I would not skip it when somebody played it at a party. All in all, an album like a McDonald’s Hamburger: Tasty for the moment and satisfies a short-term need, but you still aren’t really full when you had it, dreaming of that home-made steak.

April 3, 2018 Add Comment

Eagle Twin – The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof & Horn)

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Eagle Twin
Album: The Thundering Heard
Genre: Doom Metal
Label: Southern Lord
Release Date: March 30, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook, Instagram
Live: –
Website: eagletwin.com

“The Thundering Heard (Songs Of Hoof And Horn)” is the third full-length release by US Doom outfit Eagle Twin. Their sound combines “the power of the riff with the freeness of jazz”, as they state on their website, resulting in rather long, complex songs. The album consists of four of these monsters with a length of up to 14:22 minutes. A talent for powerful wordings, crushing riffs and their ability of creating a thick atmosphere and keeping it up during these long songs make this record an intense trip that sounds exactly like what you would expect when reading the album title.

April 3, 2018 Add Comment

Ministry – AmeriKKKant

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Ministry
Album: AmeriKKKant
Genre: Industrial
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release Date: March 9, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon,
iTunes
Social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Website: ministryband.com

Fans might be happy that Ministry are still around to record another album – everyone else will just shake their heads at the edgy-titled “AmeriKKKant”, which annoys the listener with samples on end and many “songs” that lose themselves somewhere between boring ideas and sound effects. Actually, the first half of the record feels like a 20-minute intro to an album that does not seem likely ever to come. They get back on track with the punky “We’re Tired of It” and the harsh but melodic “Wargasm” – all this is not enough to call this a good album, though.

April 3, 2018 Add Comment

Blackwülf – Sinister Sides

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Blackwülf
Album: Sinister Sides
Genre: Grunge / Doom
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: February 23, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram
Website: blackwulfusa.com

Blackwulf from Oakland are back with their third record, again released on Ripple Music. And what an album it is! Diverse, but not experimental, and fresh without being too modern. “Sinister Sides” is rooted deep in the sound of bygone decades, yet is not a simple copy. The opener “Gate Of Sorrow” breathes Alice In Chains (Singer Alex’ voice is similar to Layne Staley’s), the second song is a fluffy, light rocker, a non-kitschy ballad brings on the feels, and the rest is riffing like as if straight out of Birmingham. Awesome record, buy it and love it!

March 4, 2018 Add Comment

Iron & Stone – Petrichor

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Iron & Stone
Album: Petrichor
Genre: Doom Metal/Stoner Rock/Psychedelic Rock
Label: Backbite Records
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram
Live: –
Website: –

“No gimmicks, no fancy bullshit, just some heavy f*ckin’ music”: This German five-piece’s description of their own sound fits pretty well. A mixture of finest Doom and Stoner Rock with a pinch of Sludge Metal makes for a fine album that alternates between heavy melancholy and dusty, rocking groove. The, albeit raw-sounding, well-produced material manages to include sweet riffs, melodies and is full of little details that make you come back for a second spin. And a third. And a fourth…

February 15, 2018 Add Comment

Iron Walrus – A Beast Within

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Iron Walrus
Album: A Beast Within
Genre: Sludge
Label: Redfield Records
Release Date: September 22, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Website: iron-walrus.de

This band from Northern Germany has been around for only five years, yet „A Beast Within“ is already their third album, following huge tours and festival appearances. Deep sludgy riffs meet infectious grooves and a real bull of a vocalist – combined, this is a record you really want to have in your collection. If Iron Walrus continue on this path, they could count themselves as some of the bigger players in business, soon – not because they would be mass-compatible, but because they are brillant at what they do! Great band, great album! Also, don’t look up the term “Iron Walrus” on Urban Dictionary.

February 15, 2018 Add Comment

Hooded Priest – The Hour Be None

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Hooded Priest
Album: The Hour Be None
Genre: Classic Doom Metal
Label: I Hate Records
Release Date: December 12, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook
Website: hoodedpriest.org

Understatement isn’t really this band’s cup of tea, seeing as they describe themselves as a „seminal part of the European Doom Metal scene“ – and by all means, Hooded Priest are not a bad band! Their second album „The Hour Be None“ is not a record any real doomhead would dislike; it’s just probably not one that will see the inside of my CD player very often, with all those great albums by other bands around. Luther is a great vocalist, and the production is crisp and natural, yet the songs themselves do not really get to the point – they go on and on without a real satisfying climax. Nobody will be disappointed, but nobody will be blown away by this, either.

February 15, 2018 Add Comment

Magma Rise – At The Edge Of The Days

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Magma Rise
Album: At The Edge Of The Days (10″)
Genre: Doom Metal
Label: Daredevil Records
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Listen & Buy: Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Live: –
Website: magmarise.net

Around since 2009 and arisen from the ashes of the Hungarian band Mood, Magma Rise have released two albums and a few splits and EPs in eight years. The small, but great addition to the discography comes in form of a new 10“ called „At The Edge Of The Days“, including the song by the same name and a cover of Black Sabbath’s „A National Acrobat“, featuring Karl Agell. The original song takes over with beautiful, heartwrenching melodies in a classic Doom Metal context, while the cover is good, but not mind-blowing. Seeing how brilliant the title track is, one would wish for more original material from this great band.

January 3, 2018 Add Comment

Toxic Shock – Twentylastcentury

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Toxic Shock
Album: Twentylastcentury
Genre: Crossover, Thrash Metal
Label: This Charming Man Records
Release Date: November 10, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, YouTube
Live: –

The band name and the colorful artwork already hint at what Toxic Shock deliver with their new album: Classic Crossover Thrash in the vein of Suicidal Tendencies and friends. The five-piece from Belgium sounds fresh and crispy without being too modern or hip. With the vocalist being a mixture between a young Mike Muir and Mantar‘s Hanno Klaenhardt, the riffs citing Slayer as well as the best of the best of 80s Hardcore, and their overall fuck-off attitude and well put lyrics, “Twentylastcentury” is simply fun to listen to and will certainly be a long-time invitee to my CD player.

November 3, 2017 Add Comment