Peoples Temper – Bomb Shelter Blues I (Single 12″)

Author: Andy Miller

Band: Peoples Temper
Album: Bomb Shelter Blues I (Single 12″)
Genre: Alternative Rock, Stoner Rock
Label: Bacillus Records
Release Date: February 2, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify
Social: Facebook
Live: –
Website: peoplestemper.com

“Bomb Shelter Blues I” by People’s Temper is a fantastic psychedelic bluesy Stoner Rock record, groovy, but quite apocalyptic. Each track has its own vibe, allowing each song to stand on its own. Great vocals, great vibe, great grooves, and so much power. It’s got elements of Blue Cheer and Sludge influences. Tight songwriting, great lyrics and vocals. Do not overlook this EP, you will be pleasantly surprised.

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

Witchcryer – Cry Witch

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: Witchcryer
Album: Cry Witch
Genre: Doom Metal
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: January 20, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: –
Website: –

Why does the witch cry? Because she gets tortured with heavy riffs and sinful grooves. This Austin-based quartet delivering its first full-length album, is a heavy fuzz explosion on your record player. Witchcryer formed around Earthen Grave’s guitarist Jason Muxlow in 2015 and are influenced by the likes of Pentagram and Witchfinder General. The Witch on the stake is vocalist Suzy Bravo with her strong harmonic, but dark and seductive voice. Witchcryer combine heavy psychedelic sounds with classic Doom, which makes them one of the most interesting bands this year. Fans of Electric Citizen and The Devil’s Blood should definitely give this album a spin. Absolute banger of this nine-track record is the name giving opener “Cry Witch”.

February 3, 2018 Add Comment

Nyos – Navigation

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: Nyos
Album: Nation
Genre: Ambient, Post-Rock
Label: Self-released, Meta Matter Records
Release Date: September 29, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Spotify, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: –
Website: –

What are two men doing in the long cold nights of Finland? Right, a majestic Ambient Post-Rock record. Nyos did what they can do best, combining atmospheric soundspheres with banging drums and mixed with a hint of Psychedelic. “Navigation” is an ode to the dark and stormy times and contains hypnotic guitar sounds that bequile you. Like on their third album “Nature”, they came up with six completely instrumental songs, which create a calming and exciting atmosphere. So if you are into Deafheaven, but don’t like George Clarke’s vocals, then you have to give this one a spin.

January 8, 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

ColdCell – Those

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: ColdCell
Album: Those
Genre: Post-Metal, Melodic Black Metal
Label: Czar Of Bullets
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, YouTube
Live: –

Risen from the ruins of the Switzerland-based Black Metal band Atritas, the Icelandic, German and Swiss collaboration ColdCell released a fear-driven, brutal and despaired-sounding album named “Those”, which makes you feel lost, but also satisfied. This record lets you smell the paranoia of being traced by an unknown spirit with its banging drum sounds and depressing vocals, but in a good way. The quintet has the ability to express something beautiful through broken sounds and scenes, like the various strange riff-sections and the dark singing in the two-parted “Entity I & II”. Lovers of Black Metal as Blutmond and also of modern Post-Metal like Amenra have to give this record a listen.

December 20, 2017 Add Comment

KER – Buried At Sea/Comfort The Blind (EP)

Author: Felix Hølter

Band: KER
Album: Buried At Sea/Comfort The Blind (EP)
Genre: Sludge
Label: Self-released
Release Date: November 6, 2017
Listen & Buy: Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: –

KER, based around the Bodensee in Southern Germany, are one of that great experiences, you must not ignore. Although this band has only a few released songs on their Bandcamp page, you should definitely check them out. Their style is rooted in Amenra and Neurosis and takes you on a dark sludgy Doom Metal trip. Their singer Alex sounds more pissed than ever, guitars and bass are even more hypnotic on this two song EP and fuck, I don’t know what is wrong with their drummer and his passion for unstoppable floating rhythms. With „Buried At Sea/Comfort The Blind“, KER show how ambitious they are. Both songs were recorded in their basement, which definitely went well, but not good enough for their planned full-length record. Both songs were mixed by Goblin Studios in Cologne and mastered by Monoposto Mastering in Düsseldorf. The entire EP can be downloaded for free on Bandcamp.

December 4, 2017 Add Comment

YLVA – Meta

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: YLVA
Album: Meta
Genre: Atmospheric Post-Metal
Label: Pelagic Records
Release Date: November 17, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: –

How can a debut record even be this brute, but also melancholic? Australians YLVA know how to produce an album of this category. This foursome tries to trick the listener with a slow and atmospheric three minute intro, but that’s not what you’re going to get. The opener “Sting In The Air” turns into a virtuoso chaos of drums and the painful voice of Mike Deslandes. Even the first song is a perfect example for what to expect from this record – a melancholic Post-Metal storm with hints of Sludge and Doom, driven by the feelings of fear, desparation and anger. This is a great album for everyone, who loves the atmosphere of Amenra and Neurosis.

November 14, 2017 Add Comment

The Moth – Hysteria

Author: Meredith Schmiedeskamp

Band: The Moth
Album: Hysteria
Genre: Doom Metal, Sludge, Stoner Rock
Label: This Charming Man Records
Release Date: November 10, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: –

The loudspeakers are shaking from the first second of this album, the likeable trio from Hamburg has recorded this year. Although the Stoner/Sludge scene offers an enormous variety of bands these days, The Moth are really one of a kind. Between the driving rhythms and punching fuzz-riffs, there’s frequently a place for memorable two-voiced vocal lines and fragments of melodies. Check out the utter dark in „Blackness“ and the lighter, but not less heavy side in „Loose“ or „Fail“, but don’t be surprised, when your windows break and the neighbors collapse.

November 6, 2017 Add Comment

Wolves In The Throne Room – Thrice Woven

Author: Meredith Schmiedeskamp

Band: Wolves In The Throne Room
Album: Thrice Woven
Genre: Black Metal, Ambient
Label: Artemisia Records
Release Date: September 22, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Live: ADTicket
Website: wittr.com

Awoken from their ambient meditation, Wolves In The Throne Room are opening to their roots again. Under waves of mist, „Thrice Woven“ unites the Black Metal hypnosis and cautious acoustic guitars and ritual chants. Especially „The Old Ones Are With Us“ and „Angrboda“ are breathing the natural spirit of the Weaver brothers’ music. At some points the drums could be less dead-sounding and the keys may be a bit too loud here and there, but nevertheless all Black Metal enthusiasts from the Pacific Northwest, should listen to „Thrice Woven“.

October 31, 2017 Add Comment