Category Archives: Psych

Music to listen to on mushrooms.

¡La ceremonia sangrienta esta noche!

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Sooooo, Toronto flute-doomsters Blood Ceremony are playing their first show of 2013 tonight at the Silver Dollar–which was, incidentally, the first place I saw them play waaaaayyyy back in the day.  In case you can’t decipher the trippy wicked poster above, they’re playing with a pair of acts named Hollow Earth and Wicked Witches, respectively.  Can’t say I’m too familiar with the openers, but there’s at least one reason to get there early.  According to Facebook, some 300 people will be attending–which is about 100 over the venue’s capacity!  Doors are at 9, first band at 9:45.

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QFF REVISITED: Nebula/Quest For Fire split (Tee Pee, 2010)

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Even if Quest For Fire never releases another record, they’ll have the distinction of being on the B Side of Nebula’s last-ever recording.  Provided that Nebula’s breakup lasts longer than Brett Favre’s latest retirement, mind you.  If Eddie Glass doesn’t find another rhythm section, he’ll soon be living in a cardboard box…

What with their revolving door of drummers, Glass pounds the skins himself on A Side “The Perfect Rapture,” which features a guest appearance by some guy named The Crooked Cowboy on Moog synths.  Don’t expect to hear this three-minute throwaway on their next album.

 Quest For Fire steals Nebula’s thunder with B Side In the Place of a Storm, a dynamic, droning number that out-spacerocks the noted space-rockers.  Probably just as well that Nebula broke up before what likely woulda been stoner rock’s answer to the Never Say Die! tour…

 As an amusing side-note, if you accidentally play this record at 33 rpm, Chad Ross’ voice sounds like Peter Steele.  RIP.

(Originally written for THTGIR, back in the day.  Incidentally, Nebula has yet to reunite…)

QFF REVISITED: Lights From Paradise (Tee Pee, 2010)

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“The Greatest Hits By God” starts things off on a mellow note, with violin accompaniment. “Set Out Alone” has a mellow, yet heavy psych feel, the light, airy voice of Chad Ross soaring over acid garage rock riffage. “Confusion’s Home” closes off Side A in style, a lengthly, swirling psychedelic jam.

Side B opens with “In the Place of a Storm,” their contribution to the Nebula split and the de facto title track. (I’m pretty sure they mention lights in paradise in the lyrics…) The rest of the second half strolls by at a leisurely pace, with a couple great jams thrown in, building up to the LSD guitar freakouts of album-closer “Sessions of Light.”

Overall, I’d say this is a more consistent effort than the debut. While it’s lacking the punch of a “Bison Eyes,” there are some solid mellow tunes throughout, with “Confusion’s Home” and “In the Place of a Storm” serving as choice cuts. One advantage of the CD over the vinyl format is that you don’t hafta change sides to hear ‘em back to back….

(originally written for THTGIR, back in the day.)

QFF REVISITED: self-titled (Storyboard, 2008/Tee Pee, 2009)

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So, in case you haven’t heard, Quest For Fire is breaking up.  The Toronto heavy psych stalwarts have made a name for themselves these past five years, signing with Tee Pee, playing Roadburn and touring various venues–but now they’ll calling it a day, playing the Horseshoe for the last time on Friday.  Thus, it’s time for me to dive back into their previously recorded output…

Not everyone knows this, but QFF’s first album was initially released by Montreal indie label Storyboard before it was reissued by Tee Pee.  As the story goes, the latter’s label boss was impressed when they opened for Tee Pee artists Witch and Earthless at the Horseshoe, and offered them a record deal on the spot.  I was actually act that gig—Earthless killed it!—but did not witness this, as I showed up late.  Turns out that Zoroaster was playing an industrial building/skatepark down the street that same night, which was the reason for my tardiness…

But enough of my yakkin’, let’s boogie.  “Bison Eyes” comes crashing out of the gate, the shortest, fastest, most aggressive (in a garage-punk way) number on here.  A long-time staple of their live set, the band usually busts this one out to push the tempo after a couple slow, mellow tunes.  In that respect, it gets the job done.  “Strange Waves” is another live staple, albeit it’s the antithesis of its predecessor, a slow, mellow, seven-and-a-half minute song that builds tension through a creeping, stomping verse with an instrumental break that sounds almost Earthly.  This one gets progressively heavier a couple minutes in with a swirling, psychedelic guitar solo as the percussion becomes more persistent, but drops back down to the sparse, airy verse just as quickly.

“Hawk that Hunts the Walking” is a nearly nine-minute number that comes grooving up softly, until a pounding drum beat signals the entrance of some distorted fuzz riffage into the fray.  Verses are similarly sparse and mellow, with light guitar accents beneath the vocals, but the instro breaks lay on the heavy psych pretty thick.  The riffs do eventually join forces with the vocals before the song slows down to a lull, led by some tribalesque drum pounding, signalling another change in tact and tempo—a prelude to a real head-nodding riff just shy of the seven-minute mark.  “I’ve Been Trying to Leave” is somewhat shorter and slightly more upbeat, offering some bright, fuzzy riffs off the bat before settling into a soild space groove.  It kinda meanders about for a bit, but kicks up the pace periodically with some decent jams.

“You Are Always Loved” brings things down a couple notches, however, a slow, rolling ballad that lacks the heavy riffage of its album-mates.  Not a bad number, though.  There’s definitely shades of Pink Floyd here, particularly in the vocal department.  “Next to the Fire” ends things off, a nine-minute epic that rumbles off the blocks, delivering some spacey psych jams a la Hawkwind, with a crashing crescendo of barrier riffs.  The verses are a little more restrained, but you can hear the barrage waiting to burst out at every break.  This culminates in an explosive, effects-laden solo, screaming wah flailing to and fro, before the song comes to a close in a sea of feedback.  All in all, it’s a pretty promising debut.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2012

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Y’know, bands don’t release records quite as often as they used to.  Back in the day, labels demanded a new album, oh, about every six months or so–and thus, when it came to those classic bands from the 70′s, most of them put out at least one new LP per year.  That’s not so much the case anymore, however, as what little money there is to be made in the music business comes through touring; the physical product certainly comes secondary to seeing the band in the flesh.  Anyways, that’s all a big long windup to say that only one band from my 2011 list made the top 10 this year, but the turnover is largely due to the fact that the other artists had no new material to contend with.  Alas, there are many old, familiar names in this year’s top 10… but a couple new ones, as well.  And with no further ado, I give you the full list, in ascending order:

10. Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead (Napalm)

The farewell album from the forefathers of epic doom metallicus might not be a personal best, but it’s still pretty impressive that they’re pumping this stuff out over 25 years later.  There are at least a couple songs on here that should find their way into the farewell tour setlist–here’s hoping they’ve got some North American dates forthcoming…

CHOICE WORDS: As a great gloomy glob of Lars Johansson riffage announces right off the bat, these guys are still no stranger to high-quality doom. “Prophet” is for the most part mid-paced, but the Phantom-of-the-Opera vocals of recently departed (from the band, that is) Robert Lowe elevates it to epicness, almost more power than doom metal, though the crushingly-heavy riff that kicks in just shy of five minutes affirms that these are the epic doom masters we’re listening to, indeed. — Hellbound.ca review, October 1st.

9. Sons of Tonatiuh – Parade of Sorrow (Hydro-Phonic)

As the pencil-drawn artwork might indicate, this is one crusty sludge slayer of an album.  The Atlanta trio’s debut was a little too black-metal sounding for my tastes, but their sophomore effort is a solid mix of NOLA-infused anger and trippy post-sludge.  Not your typical Georgia sludge platter–not that I’m complaining!

CHOICE WORDS: This record rumbles on, coming off like a head-on crash between EHG and the Melvins on the title track while “Plastic Cell” kicks up a storm of a frenzied hardcore burst that slows down midway through to a gritty sludge stomp.  “Season of Pills,” aside from its awesome song title, also sounds like some vintage NOLA tunage with a hint of crossover for that extra kick.  This is the good stuff, right here. — unpublished(!?) review

8. Sons of OTIS – Seismic (Small Stone)

The first new material from these Toronto lifers following a three-year exile in which they mostly played European gigs, Seismic is, for my money, the best OTIS offering of the 21st century.  With just the right balance between spaced-out fuzz and Saint Vitus groove, this record sure is cruisin’ for a resin bruisin’!

CHOICE WORDS: “PK” dips and dives like a Habs defenceman, a slow-rolling groove that’ll get yer head noddin’ as some cosmic space FX float past on your right. “Never in My Life” hits like a head-on collision between and , Ryan channelling Mitch Mitchell behind the kit and Gene Frenkle on the cowbell in this dirty, distorted blues number. — Hellbound.ca review, November 13th

7. Mares of Thrace – The Pilgrimage (Sonic Unyon)

This crushing sophomore album from Calgary’s finest female doom duo is a huge step forward for the Mares.  Another vicious blend of angry blackened metal and soaring post-sludge–there aren’t too many Canadian bands that sound like this!

CHOICE WORDS: Man, I can see why they released “The Gallwasp” as a preview single.  This tune crushes, killer intro/chorus riff that’s sort of a mishmash of Windstein and Pike.  This is the straight goods, right here! — These two chicks from Calgary are heavier than you, March 28th

6. Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65 (Season of Mist)

The long-awaited (17 years!) recorded return from the masters of lo-fi mourning, Lillie is agonizingly short, at 34 and a half minutes, with a coupla throwaway instrumentals, to boot!  But when it comes to the songs, man, a handful of vintage Vitus beats the output of most modern doom bands, any day…

CHOICE WORDS: Lead-off track “Let Them Fall,” which spawned a slightly-silly music video, carries that same dark, brooding mood as heard on Born Too Late, what with the fuzzed-out Chandler riffs, Wino’s mournful cries, the solid yet understated rhythm section of Adams and Vazquez—and another mondo bizzaro guitar solo from the bearded one’s deadly arsenal. Yup, the gang’s all here… — Hellbound.ca review, May 23rd

5. Corrosion of Conformity – self-titled (Candlelight)

For a band that tends to go a while between full-lengths, the seven-year gap between In the Arms of God and their new record wasn’t incredibly unusual for COC.  What was a little more unexpected was a certain lineup change, the band eschewing Pepper Keenan in favour of a return to their original, three-piece, crossover lineup.  You can certainly hear some of their metalcore (look up the original meaning of the term, yo!) past creeping into this record, but it’s counteracted by a heavy helping of meaty, southern-doom riffage.  I was actually more stoked to hear the new stuff than the Animosity era tunes when I saw ‘em live in the summertime–and that says it all, really!

CHOICE WORDS: This record chugs along with songs like the Motorpunk bitchslap of “Leeches,” the melodic doom/sludge attack of “Your Tomorrow,” and “The Moneychangers,” which kinda recalls The Cult on punk-rock bathtub crank—with mellow, desert-style instrumental “El Lamento de las Cabras” thrown in for good measure. — Hellbound.ca review, January 7th

4. Witch Mountain – Cauldron of the Wild (Profound Lore)

I hafta admit, I was blown away by this Portland outfit’s comeback effort, South of Salem, which topped my list last year.  Suffice to say, I had pretty high expectations for this one–and its placing in my top five shows that it delivered, at least to an extent.  While I do have some minor quibbles with the record–such as black metal gurgles coming out of the beautiful mouth of Uta Plotkin–it’s still an overall winner.  They just don’t take home the grand prize this year…

CHOICE WORDS: “Beekeeper” stings with its sludgy stomp, Plotkin’s vocals coming in exclusively on the left channel of my headphones. … Her evil cackle on either side of the two-minute mark really puts the Witch in Witch Mountain as Rob Wrong delivers a punishing stop-start riff that’s perfectly punctuated for slow-motion headbanging. — Hellbound.ca review, June 18th

3. Blue Aside – The Moles of a Dying Race (Hydro-Phonic)

And the award for best album you’ve never heard goes to Blue Aside.  I’ve been a big fan of this Boston-based band ever since they sent me a CDR of their debut EP, The Orange Tree, a couple years back.  Their sound’s a little hard to pin down; on the one hand, you’ve got some seriously heavy stoner doom riffs, on the other, light, airy progressive passages–both executed with equal aplomb.  This record’s pretty heady stuff, too.  It’s over an hour long and contains a three-part titular suite.  But even if you’re normally scared off by concept albums, there’s enough happening here to hold your interest for 63 minutes, believe you me!

CHOICE WORDS: After a couple more robust numbers in “The Electrode Man” and “Will We Remain Tomorrow,” chockfull of crunchy riffs that kinda remind me of vintage Black Pyramid, mixed in with some Neurosis and a dash of Ufomammut (yes, it’s that tasty!), Part 2 clocks in at 10-and-a-half minutes. Starting off with some soothing chords and strings, which nevertheless seem a little spaced-out, this tune meanders along for a bit, oozing vintage prog, before a majestic riff comes down with the force of the best power-metal dragon-slayers to rescue a chastity-belted Yngwie Malmsteen. — Hellbound.ca review, October 29th

2. Neurosis – Honor Found in Decay (Neurot)

Could my mention of Neurosis and Ufomammut in that Blue Aside review be a bit of foreshadowing?  Perhaps.  In any case, I was pretty stoked for the new Neurosis, the sextet’s first album in over five years.  This is an older, wiser Neurosis on display here, more meandering mellow passages making their presence felt than on, say, Through Silver in Blood.  In any case, they only seem to accentuate the well-placed heavy riffs that deliver a big blow both physically and spiritually.  Man, I’m dying to figure out a way to fit one of their mid-January live dates onto my calendar…

CHOICE WORDS: And here’s where it gets interesting. I swear to Satan I hear bagpipes in the break, though that’s possibly just a digital effect, the riffs pulsating and pummelling with air-raid-siren keys in the background. — Hellbound.ca review, October 7th

1. Ufomammut – Oro: Opus Primum/Opus Alter (Neurot)

Not content in limiting themselves to just one album, these Italian riffmongers crafted a concept so lengthy that it required two full-length records, issued six months apart, to tell the tale.  Taking cues from their labelmates–label-owners, really–they weave a wild story taking us to far-off lands, albeit with a heartier helping of sludge than their mentors.  Though I prefer the first chapter, Opus Primum, listening to both installments back to back is likely to make your ears melt and your head explode.  Don’t try this at home, kids…

CHOICE WORDS: Let’s face it, you’re not going to hear a wide variety of different styles on here, but for spaced-out doom done right, it doesn’t get much better. — Hellbound.ca review (Opus Primum), March 20th

…

Unfamiliar with Ufomammut?  Need more Neurosis in your diet?  Have you been living under a rock for the last 12 months, missing the new Vitus, COC and Witch Mountain releases?  Fortunately, there’s hope.  Tune in to Gruesome Tunes tonight from 6 to 8 pm Eastern Time as I count down, and play a couple selections, from all the aforementioned albums!  The podcast will also be made available to download in the next couple days, so keep checking this space…

TORONTO BANDS YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT: Enchantress

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(This is not actually the artist in question, but it is the one of the first things that comes up when you Google “Enchantress band”…)

This killer power trio hails from just east of Toronto, and kicks out some seriously heavy psych jams.  Although the band name had me fooled at first, this act isn’t female-fronted—they’ve just got the bastard son of Geddy Lee on pipes.  The dude can really wail.  Check ‘em out, and you’ll know what I mean…

Their new demo, Visualize, opens with de facto title track “Blue Moon Rise (Visualize),” awash in Sleepy basslines, with couple solid riffs in the chorus.  “Rain Maker” starts off slow and steady, then erupts in a volcano of pounding drums and molten riffage, eventually settling into a steady, head-nodding groove somewhat reminiscent of Led Zep.  “Ritual” offers a rocky, jagged romp, traipsing through the poppy fields and stomping on the daisies in its path, albeit not too savagely.

“Elder Tree” mellows things out a bit more, a light, airy, repeated riff kicking off the proceedings along with the odd drum accent.  Verses are crunchy and droning, before we go back to that neat little instrumental passage.  “Locomotive” gets things rolling again, this one chugging along steadily like the midnight train.  It’s also where Bastard-Child-of-Geddy-Lee really lets loose in the vocal department, much to my delight.  Likewise, “Frozen Sky” is another upbeat number, fuzzy riffs and wailing vocals aplenty!  “Buck Thorn Queen” opens with an awesome riff barrage, before settling into a virtual vocal duet, trading off high screams and low moans (but not in a death metal way).  Some solid psych, to be sure!

These guys were supposed to open for Witch Mountain tonight, but they had to drop off the bill due to a sudden, unforeseen tragedy.  Bummer.

AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: Royal Thunder/Elephant Stone @ Horseshoe Tavern, October 23rd

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Twas a bit of an odd pairing–and they weren’t touring partners–but Montreal psychedelic pop/rock band Elephant Stone and Atlanta psychedelic metal band Royal Thunder shared the stage at the Horseshoe Tavern last night.  I’d actually seen Elephant Stone once before, and it seemed to me they might have been showcasing the trippier, farther-out portion of their repertoire, in light of who they were playing with.  In any case, I dug a great deal of their set.

On the other hand, it was my first time seeing Royal Thunder–and the first time they’ve played Toronto, I’m pretty sure.  Their retrofied sludgy-rock sounds come across quite well in the live setting, and I gotta say, I was a bit surprised that both guitarists used Fenders to get conjure those heavy tones.  Mind you, they each had about a dozen pedals on their effects boards, so that goes some way in explaining it.  Frontwoman Mlny Parsonz was a little under-the-weather, but even if her voice was a bit hoarse, she still sounded pretty powerful.

A heavy rockin’ Stamps fan’s dilemma…

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There are some people out there who really dig music.  Others happen to follow sports.  Me, well, I like both–along with movies, Quebec politics, fattening food and college-girl baseball-bat bukkake (‘cept maybe for that last one).  Thus, there sometimes comes a time when I am forced to choose.  No, not between whether I should go vote or go out for dinner; rather it’s music and sports that often sing to me, Paul Stanley-style.  And it’s not always an easy choice, either.  For instance, last weekend I missed the Seahawks at St. Louis to head down and see Saint Vitus in concert.  Okay, maybe that one was a no-brainer.  Did I mention the Hawks lost?

However, as a supporter of several Western teams now living out East, I gotta say, it gets tough.  A die-hard Leafs fan could probably pull it off (and not just during the lockout), y’know, watch the game, then head out to the gig afterwards.  Almost any major sporting event that occurs on the East Coast is over by 9:30-10, so you might miss the opening band at worse.  It’s a different story when you’re following teams on the left side of the continent, however.  When the Flames are on Hockey Night in Canada, the puck drops just after 10 pm, and by the time the game’s over, well, so’s the gig.  If I’m watching the Flames on a weekend, then that’s what I’m doing that evening–I can’t really make other plans.

Mind you, that point is probably moot.  It’s safe to say I won’t be seeing the Flames, or any other NHL team, anytime soon.  But the CFL stretch run is heating up, and while I’ve been able to squeeze my Stamps games around my concert schedule for the most part this season, there are times when the two go head-to-head for my attention.  Tonight is one of those times.

Of course, CFL games aren’t held to the strict scheduling standards of Hockey Night in Canada.  They can occur any day from Thursday to Monday and start at any time between 1 and 10 pm.  The league is somewhat beholden to TSN’s TV schedule, however.  As the exclusive national broadcaster, they’re able to fit CFL games around their otherwise scheduled programming, though we see a bit less of this now that they’ve also got an alternate TSN2 channel.  In any case, it’s not TSN that’s troubling me this time.  They’re showing some boxing match that took place a month ago in prime-time tonight.  Rather it’s the B.C. Lions’ decision to host the Stamps at 7 pm Pacific Time–combined with the three-hour time difference–that has my plans for this evening thrown into a tailspin.

Y’see, there’s a pretty sweet gig going on a few blocks south of my place tonight, and I wouldn’t think twice about attending–were it not for the big game.  And it really is a big game; the two top teams in the CFL West doing battle in a must-win for Calgary if they want to clinch the division.  This is the kinda game I circled on my calendar once I realized the West would be a two-horse (pun not intended) race this year; must-see TV.  But that day on my day-timer filled up in a hurry when I heard that Monobrow‘s coming to town.

I first saw the Ottawa power-trio at All That Is Heavy II back on Mother’s Eve, and I remember being knocked out by their exuberance, their raw power — and their punctuality.  Paired up with their Torontonian doppelgangers Galaxies in the River and my ol’ buds in Ol’ Time Moonshine, well, that’s one helluva bill.  But the bands will be going on at the same time as the Stamps and Lions do battle, and the bar doesn’t even have a TV.  (Believe me, it wouldn’t be the first time I’d asked a concert venue to put the game on for me.  I’ve got two eyes here, after all.)  So now I’m left with a tough decision to make.  I might as well just flip a coin…

Oh shit, it’s a 100th Grey Cup loonie.  Well, I guess that settles it…

GO STAMPS GO!!!!!!

(Sorry guys.  Next time…)

AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: Hammers of Misfortune, The Gates of Slumber, Castle @ Courthouse, July 27, 2012

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Although I’ve only ever been to the Courthouse twice, both times were great gigs.  YOB, Dark Castle and OTIS last year, and this one last nite.  The place just has this eerie medieval vibe that lends itself well to doom metal.

After a solid set by local openers Kosmograd, we were treated to another performance by semi-local doomsters Castle.  I last saw ‘em setting the stage for Blood Ceremony and Witch Mountain some six weeks ago, but this time, the impressive backdrop added another element to their setup–and I felt they stepped it up on stage accordingly.

I’d also seen The Gates of Slumber not so long ago, though it seems in the interim they’d undergone a lineup change.  Apparently, Cool Clyde couldn’t cross the border, so they brought back the mighty Iron Bob Fouts behind the kit.  I can’t say I was too disappointed.  The set also seemed to focus more on older material than their last tour did, with the epic, bass-wah enhanced title track to Suffer No Guilt featuring prominently.  Like I said before, if he’s not the most technically-proficient player, Jason McCash is definitely the best head-banging bassist in doom!

Whereas TGOS is your traditional doom-metal power trio, the Hammers of Misfortune, on the other hand, are a sextet.  Though more common in power metal and arena rock I suppose, you don’t often see a six-piece band on such a (relatively) small stage.  There was a lot going on here, two guitars, three singers.  I just tried to capture some of the madness–most of the shots I took didn’t turn out this good.

TOP FIVE MELVINS COVER TUNES — 3. “Interstellar Overdrive”

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The Melvins are quite familiar with doing things differently.  They’ve released all sorts of cover songs throughout their career, from their take on the “Love Theme from KISS” on 1989′s Ozma to digging up the Paul McCartney deep cut “Let Me Roll It” for their latest album, Freak Puke.  Through various split singles and bonus tracks, they’ve covered enough material to compile an album of cover songs, and there are plenty of other artists’ renditions that they’ve only played live.  While some of their takes are pretty true to the original, they usually tend to put their own spin on things.  Here are five of my favourite Melvins covers, counted down over the next five days.

5. “Sweet Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More”

4. “My Generation”

3. “Interstellar Overdrive”

Remember when Man’s Ruin used to do those EPs where they’d get a pretty well-known band to throw together some odds ‘n sods, covers and such, and put it out on their label?  I’ve got the Entombed one (Black Juju), but I never managed to get my hands on Electroretard, the Melvins record they released not long before closing up shop in ’01.  Along with a few re-recorded tunes, Electroretard contained a trio of covers in the Wipers’ “Youth of America” (perhaps the first 10-minute punk song), “Missing” from AmRep noise rockers Cows and “Interstellar Overdrive,” a trippy 10-minute Pink Floyd instrumental from the Syd Barrett era.  Though this version isn’t any longer than the original, they take the Floyd’s psychedelic 60′s sounds and apply an eerie, post-millennial touch that sounds something like Hawkwind gliding through a Sergio Leone spaghetti western.  Even trippier than the Floyd, if you ask me!