Tag Archives: Crowbar

GRUESOME GREG’S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2011

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Well, 2011 went out with a bang for me, what with that intimate Kyuss Lives gig at Cherry Cola’s.  Oowatanite!  More on that later, though.  I already listed my Top 10 concerts of the year yesterday, so now it’s time to give you my Top 10 albums of 2011.

10. Denizen – Whispering Wild Stories

An independently-released album from a band outta France, this is probably the greatest record you never heard last year.  Denizen doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but they mix stoner grooves and sludge barks with equal aplomb for an enjoyable 30-minute ride.

CHOICE WORDS: “I can picture Fu Manchu fronted by Mike IX Williams on tunes like “Casino Royale” and “Under a Dress”, where stoner grooves meet pissed off hardcore vocals.  It actually sounds pretty bitchin’.” (THTGIR (RIP) review)

9. Gypsy Chief Goliath – It’s a Walk in the Mist

Although this is officially a 2012 release on Swedish label Black Vulture Records, I’ve been listening to it since the summertime, and thus, I wouldn’t hesitate to put it on my year-end 2011 list.  A relatively-new outfit that’s nevertheless long in the tooth, fronted by Al “Yeti” Bones (Mister Bones, The Mighty Nimbus), this Gypsy is one of the bands keeping the home fires burning with its heavy rock tuneage.

CHOICE WORDS: “One of the things that distinguishes GCG from any other local heavy rock band I know is that they have a dedicated harmonica player, which suits their heavy, blues-based grooves just fine.  On the other hand, “We Are the Devil’s Thieves” makes use of banjo (or is that lap-steel?) in its chorus, adding an extra dose of southern soul salt to the mixture, which simmers nicely.” (THTGIR (RIP) review)

8. Rwake – Rest

Twas a long time coming for these Arkansas post-sludge miscreants, their first album in about four years.  Rest isn’t merely an imitation of some of the more well-known bands (NeurIsis) in the genre, however, as there are enough unique twists and turns to keep this one interesting.

CHOICE WORDS: “You know, I could probably eat dinner in the time it takes to listen to “The Culling,” the album’s centerpiece that clocks in at 16:33. The first several minutes are just classical-style guitar with what almost sounds like a Theremin in the background, until it eventually builds into a crescendo, winding prog-metal riffs woven around a cool drum fill. Oh, and the guitar solo at the three-quarter mark is pure Iron Maiden.” (Hellbound.ca review, August 31st)

7. YOB – Atma

The most critically acclaimed album on this list, Atma even ended up on SPIN Magazine’s year-end Top 50.  Not only their Top 50 metal albums, mind you–Top 50 albums, period.  A fine return to form from Mike Scheidt and co, I find this one far superior to their comeback effort, The Great Cessation, and it seems I’m not alone, either.

CHOICE WORDS: “After a few minutes, a solid riff comes crashing in like a 12-foot wave—still no vocals at this point, not until Scheidt announces his presence with a mighty roar. This is probably the coolest tune on the record, ending on a high tide, erm, high note…” (Hellbound.ca review, July 6th)

6. Blood Ceremony – Living with the Ancients

You know how there are certain bands that you discover before anyone else, and thus, have a lasting connection to said artist?  Blood Ceremony is one of those bands for me.  I first saw them, completely by accident, in August 2006 (here’s my retelling of that story), and have been a fan ever since.  I must say that their second album didn’t have the initial impact of their debut effort, but it has certainly grown on me over the past eight months.

CHOICE WORDS: “It seems at this point that they’ve largely abandoned the restrictive “doom metal” label for something more original, more progressive—but not entirely, as the crushing intro to “My Demon Brother” shows.  Sean Kennedy can still play pentatonics with the best of them.” (THTGIR (RIP) review)

5. The Gates of Slumber – The Wretch

One of the founding fathers of the Circle of True Doom, TGOS put out a new record last year that places them at the head of the table, a more Vitusean effort that still contains traces of their Conan-metal past.  They also toured with Wino’s outfit Premonition 13 in the fall, cementing their road-warrior status.  Too bad that one didn’t come to Canada–or even Buffalo, for that matter…

CHOICE WORDS: ““Castle of the Devil” one-ups its predecessor in terms of epicness, going from a quiet, mellow verse with minimal instrumentation to a heavy, head-banging, first-raising chorus. The title track, another slow slice of Vitusean doom, leads into “Iron and Fire,” the stark coldness of which almost resembles blackened doom—to say nothing of the Bathory-esque song title…” (Hellbound.ca review, May 23rd)

4. Macabre – Grim Scary Tales

Although I rarely listen to anything above 80 bpm nowadays, there’s still a soft spot in my blackened heart for Chicagoan murder-metal masters Macabre, who finally released their fifth full-length after an eight-year absence.  These guys twist tales of real-life serial killers and mass murderers around blistering, punky grindcore and nursery-rhymey singalongs.  My favourite death metal band, without a doubt.

CHOICE WORDS: “As previously mentioned, “The Big Bad Wolf” is awesome. I know I’d buy an album of Macabre singing children’s campfire songs—oh wait, they’ve already done that…” (Hellbound.ca review, February 3rd)

3. Argus – Boldly Strides the Doomed

Proudly flying the epic doom flag for the past few years, Argus put out another fine platter of power doom metal with their aptly titled sophomore release.  If you like a little Dio with your Candlemass, then this is the band for you.  Nuff said.

CHOICE WORDS: “After a brief acoustic intro, the band gets right into it with a pair of driving, mid-paced numbers that reference Maiden and Dio just as much as Candlemass, though one can’t help but succumb to the slithering, snake-like riffs that held you captive as frontman Butch Balich begs for mercy on “Wolves of Dusk,” ushering a change of pace that brings the number down to a devastating crawl.” (Hellbound.ca review, April 7th)

2. Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand

My Comeback Album of the Year goes to Crowbar, forefathers of the NOLA sound, who put out their first full-length album since ’05′s Lifesblood for the Downtrodden.  These guys used to be good for a new album every year or two, up until the turn of the century, but I hear that Kirk Windstein’s kinda busy with Down nowadays.  In any case, he rallies the troops here for an awesome effort that just oozes toxic sludge outta every pore.  Personally, I’d take Crowbar over Down, any day!

CHOICE WORDS: “That Windstein signature tone sounds just as evil as ever on this record, and compliments his hoarse vocals perfectly. “Liquid Sky and Cold Black Earth” features both prominently; three songs in, and I’m not complaining…” (Hellbound.ca review, February 14th)

*drumroll please*

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1. Witch Mountain – South of Salem

Though not nearly as underground as Denizen, there’s still a pretty decent chance that you might not have heard this record.  Well I’m here to tell ya that you should, especially if you’re the type who would hop on a plane to see Sleep play Portland (guilty as charged!).  These Oregon stoomsters hadn’t done anything in about a decade, until some recent life changes led them to get the band back together.  (You might say they’re on a mission from YOB!)  But the biggest addition to the new direction was the recruitment of frontwoman Uta Plotkin, a classically-trained soulful singer who spits fire all over these tracks.  If Sabbath was fronted by Janis Joplin, it might not even sound this stunning!

CHOICE WORDS: “After the opening salvo, “Plastic Cage” begins with a tasty bass lick, before a guitar riff takes over with a tone stolen from Matt Pike’s effects board, circa ’93. Plotkin’s plaintive, emotive, yet detached vocals add another layer of misery to this dirty concoction—before they get weirded out by some creepy effects, albeit briefly. The killer riff that sees this tune through to its conclusion has me headbanging like Beavis and Butthead, albeit in half time.” (Hellbound.ca review, May 26th)

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P.S.: Does this list make you wanna dwell with Denizen or climb Witch Mountain?  If so, I’ll be spinning some tunes from all of the aforementioned albums on my podcast, Gruesome Tunes, this evening from 6 to 8 pm (Eastern Time) on Grip of Delusion Radio.  I’ll also be putting it up for download within the next coupla days, so keep your third eye open. ;)

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GRUESOME GREG’S TOP 10 CONCERTS OF 2011

Posted by gruesomegreg on

New Year’s Eve, it’s that time of year again where I bust out my old ticket stubs and figure out what the best shows I saw over the last 12 months were.  This year’s list includes entries from four cities spanning two states and two Canadian provinces–with the bulk of the gigs being in Toronto, of course.  If anything, it seems that I did less traveling to outta-town concerts this year, but the ones I did take off to go see were all quite memorable.

So, with no further ado, let’s get the ball rolling, eh?

10. Blizaro/Blood Ceremony/Castle @ Smiling Buddha, Toronto, August 7th

The best local underground gig I caught this year is worthy of a spot on this list, as it paired two stellar doom bands from the States with our local flute-doom legends.  Not too shabby for a Sunday night…

CHOICE WORDS: “John Gallo and co. mesmerized with their haunting horror doom, as The Professor channeled the voice of Bobby Liebling and the vocals/guitars/keys of Paul Chain for an eerie, epic set of crushing riffs and blistering changes.  If anything, the keys were a little underutilized in the main set, but John made up for it with a 20-minute Moog solo of a second encore.  An awesome way to end the evening!” (THTGIR (RIP) review.)

9. Weedeater/Saviours/Bison B.C./Fight Amp @ Lee’s Palace, Toronto, September 13th

This was the second time Weedeater came through my neck of the woods in 2011 (Lee’s is within walking distance for me, as is the Wreckroom), and while they didn’t bring anybody across the border with ‘em the first time around, they came back in September with arguably the best multi-band touring package to hit Toronto this year.

CHOICE WORDS: “Since I was so close to the stage, I couldn’t squeeze Keko and Dixie into one shot without zooming out quite a bit, thus there are a couple pictures where the latter’s face is obscured by a cymbal.  Man, I must say, though, if there’s anybody who can make red eye look good, it’s Dixie!  (Reason Number 12, if you’re keeping track at home…)” – Amateur Concert Photgraphy Hour: WEEDEATER, Saviours, Bison B.C.

8. Fu Manchu/Honky/The Shrine @ Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, November 11th

Man, it was pretty cool to see the Kings of the Road back in town again, playing In Search Of… in its entirety.  While there’s a lotta mileage on ‘er, the Fu’s still a well-oiled machine.  And hats off to Honky for being one of the most amusingly entertaining bands I’ve seen in a while.  I was definitely laughing with them, not at them, that evening.

CHOICE WORDS: “I gotta say, it was pretty cool to hear tunes like “Regal Beagle,” “Solid Hex” and “The Falcon Has Landed,” which they probably haven’t done live in a little while.  I mean, this record’s so old that it had Ruben Romano and Eddie Glass on it, and a kid born the day it came out would be taking their driver’s license test in a coupla months.  But still, some tunes are timeless, y’know?” – Fu Manchu – Still Kings of the Road! (Hellbound.ca)

Psst…  More pics here!

7. Judas Priest/Black Label Society/Thin Lizzy @ ACC, Toronto, November 22nd

This was supposed to be Priest’s farewell tour, though I think they’ve since softened their stance.  In any case, we were treated to at least one song from every Halford-era album, along with a solid stage show, complete with lasers!  The supporting acts were nothing to sneeze at, either, although the putative Thin Liz took the stage bright and early at 6 pm, meaning most people missed ‘em.

CHOICE WORDS: “The stage setup was equally immaculate, a chain-adorned platform with props like tridents and disco balls, and a video screen showing past album covers as well as some specific animated backdrops for certain tunes, such as an evil eyeball on “Electric Eye”.  Most impressive was the laser show, seemingly on loan from The Pink Floyd Experience.  Not many bands use lasers anymore–but they should, cuz laser beams are freakin’ sweet!” – Farewell to Judas Priest! – Epitaph tour @ the ACC

6. YOB/Dark Castle/Sons of OTIS @ The Courthouse, Toronto, July 15th

Oddly enough, the best local doom gig of 2011 was held at an upscale downtown dance club, though The Courthouse, with its high ceilings and medieval motif, only added to the ambiance of the evening.  YOB were pretty rad when I saw ‘em open for Sleep in Portland last September, but they excelled in a more intimate setting–and OTIS opening was the sticky-sweet cherry on top!

CHOICE WORDS: “YOB was simply crushing.  I’m almost at a loss for words.  Yes, this isn’t the YOB of old, Mike Scheidt was obviously stoned on something–and the dude’s a dead ringer for Jim Gustafson of 70′s rockers Poobah nowadays–but so what?” – YOB, Dark Castle and OTIS–Oh my! (Hellbound.ca)

5. Pentagram @ Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY, August 20th

I’d seen Bobby and the Pentagrams about a year and a half beforehand, but having Victor Griffin back in the band gave this gig an added air of authenticity that their prior performance had lacked.  However, I do hafta give their Cleveland 2010 concert the edge when it comes to opening acts: Argus, Keelhaul, Midnight and The Gates of Slumber, to be precise.  Local doom titans Orodruin opened the Rochester show, but it was all downhill from there–until the screams came, that is. ;)

CHOICE WORDS: “From where I stood, Turley’s double Laney attack made my knees shake, whereas Griffin, on the other stage of the stage, was a little low in the mix.  I also got up close and personal with Bobby Liebling, whose wild-man antics are the stuff of legend.  The man is truly a unique talent!” – Amateur Concert Photograpy Hour: PENTAGRAM, Valiant Thorr, Orodruin

4. Accept @ Mod Club, Toronto, 4/20!

Coincidentally, I also caught Accept for the first time in Cleveland, on the first leg of their North American tour last October.  At the time, I didn’t know that they’d be adding any Canadian dates, so I was pretty stoked when I first heard about this gig.  They really couldn’t have picked a better day, either… ;)

CHOICE WORDS: “The nineteen-song set had a couple more new tunes than the last time around, but they also dusted off a few deep cuts that I didn’t hear in Cleveland (“Losers and Winners,” “Aiming High,” “Burning”) to go with all the title tracks (“Breaker,” “Restless and Wild,” “Balls to the Wall,” “Metal Heart”) and other anthems like “Son of a Bitch,” “Fast as a Shark” and “Princess of the Dawn”.  My only complaint was that I didn’t procure one of those Accept picks that were flying around, despite being directly in front of the stage.” – Accept: Just as good the second time around (if not better)! (Hellbound.ca)

3. Metalliance Tour (feat. Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Kylesa) @ Peabody’s, Cleveland, OH, March 26th

Ah Cleveland, The Mistake by the Lake.  Home of the Cavs, the Browns, the Agora, the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and Rocket from the Tombs (look ‘em up!).  I’ve seen a few great gigs in this city, which is often the closest stop on many US-only tours–like Metalliance, which featured the one-two punch of Saint Vitus and Crowbar with solid support from Kylesa, Red Fang and The Atlas Moth, to name a few.  Sure, Helmet was headlining, but I didn’t bother to stick around.  There was only one bus outta town on Sunday that would get me back to Toronto before dusk, and it left some time around 8 am…

CHOICE WORDS: “Vocals were too low, I was almost singing as loud as Wino–but that mighta had as much to do with him as it did with the sound guy. He looked pretty hammered. Dave Chandler was really great to see live, stole the show IMO. He even went into the crowd during “Born Too Late” and rubbed his guitar’s neck against other people’s heads, haha.” (a post I made on the Hellride Music Forum)

I actually took a few pics at this gig, although my camera ran out of batteries, or memory, or something.  Anyways, here are a coupla shots that I haven’t posted anywhere yet:

2. Sleep/The Sword/Buzzcocks/Bison B.C. @ Olympic Plaza, Calgary, AB, June 24th

When I heard that Sleep was only playing three gigs this year–and one of them was in Calgary!–I immediately purchased a plane ticket back to the old country.  This Sled Island festival was a pretty sweet setup.  I had lunch at a pub where I saw Dead Meadow play in the middle of the afternoon, then moseyed on down to Olympic Plaza where they’d assembled a decent supporting lineup for the Weedians’ performance.  One thing they didn’t do, however, was purchase a powerful-enough PA system, as we couldn’t hear Al Cisneros’ vocals for shit.  That said, it was still quite the weekend.  (I caught The Sword, Red Fang and a coupla cool Canadian bands in a club the following evening…)

CHOICE WORDS: “It probably didn’t help that I was standing right in front of Matt Pike–and his twin Marshall stacks–on the opposite side of the stage.  Pike’s approach to both this, and last year’s reunion gigs, is the same as he takes to High On Fire, where he’s the stalking, menacing centre of attention–Cisneros is much calmer and Zen-like by comparison.  And since I couldn’t hear the vocals at all, it was great to be able to see the fingering that Matt uses on those classic riffs.” – Just got back from Calgary–and boy, is my wallet tired! (Hellbound.ca)

1. Kyuss Lives! @ Sound Academy, Toronto, September 16th

Sure, the Sound Academy’s a shitty place to see a show.  It’s a ways outta the way, down on the waterfront–and for a place with “Sound” in its name, you’d think they could get a better live mix.  Nevertheless, this was still the best gig of the year, in my books.  Had you told me I’d see Kyuss live–twice–in 2011 some five, ten years ago, Ida asked ya for a hit offa yer Green Machine.  Even without Josh Homme, the new (old) lineup still shines–especially with Scott “Hurricane” Reeder on bass for the Canadian dates.  And yes, I paid my 200 bucks to see ‘em again tonite.  Better make that 1 and 1A…

CHOICE WORDS: “Suits me just fine, since Sky Valley is my favourite Kyuss record.  I think it branches out into psychedelic territory more than their other releases–and the band took full advantage of that, playing some longer, drawn-out versions of a few tunes.  Man, I would probably pay just to watch these guys jam for an hour, it’s really that good.” – Kyuss Lives! Long Live Kyuss! (Hellbound.ca)

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And there you have it.  I gotta say, I’ve got no idea which gigs will be in my Top 10 for 2012, as there haven’t been a lotta exciting tour announcements made to date.  Looking back, though, I think this past year will be pretty hard to beat.  See ya in the pit!

P.S.: I’ll be putting out my list of Top 10 albums tomorrow.  There may or may not be a radio tie-in with Gruesome Tunes, as well.  Okay fine, there will be.  Stay tuned…

Musicians wanted for sludge metal 80′s pop cover band

Posted by gruesomegreg on

You know, in my time in Toronto, I’ve seen a handful of sludge bands come and go with little fanfare.  Zoroaster and Weedeater might draw half-decent crowds when they come to town, but the closest thing to a local sludge metal band with a respectable following was Shallow North Dakota, and they broke up maybe five years ago.  (They were also from Hamilton.)

I have always said this city could use some more sludge bands, but when the genre languishes in complete obscurity, it doesn’t encourage local musicians to “Tune Low, Play Slow” as Kirk Windstein would say.  So I wanna start a band that gives 80′s pop songs the sludge treatment.  I’m sure that Kirk would approve.  After all, he did cover “Dream Weaver”…

Yes, I know that this is a little fucked up, but when I hear bad 80′s music on the radio, I sometimes replay it in my head with downtuned riffs and bellowed vocals.  There are certain tunes that I feel are deserving of the sludge treatment, which I won’t name here, but I’m always open for other suggestions.  Not that I’d take requests on stage, cuz that’s kinda lame.

In any case, I’ve already come up with the perfect name: Eyehatethe80s.

So, here it goes…

MUSICIANS WANTED FOR SLUDGE METAL 80′S COVER BAND

Seeking guitar, bass and drums for sludge metal outfit, to perform 80′s pop songs in the style of Crowbar and Eyehategod.  Looking for people who can play slow, keep time, and own Sleep’s full discography (including both Jerusalem and Dopesmoker).  Reliable gear is a plus, must fund own drug habit.

Practices will occur in downtown Toronto at least once a week.  A bigger time commitment is required in the beginning, in order to determine set list.  Creative input required in coming up with ways to make “Come On Eileen” sound truly evil.  Must be able to craft slow, downtuned riffs from syrupy pop ballads.  Backing vocals is a plus.

Looking for dedicated, passionate individuals with at least a couple screws loose.  If you think that “I Think We’re Alone Now” would sound better if it was sung by Mike IX Williams, I want to hear from you.  Drop me a line at gruesomegreg@gruesomeviews.com.  Serious inquires only.

P.S.: Please be prepared to audition to one the following: Crowbar – “Dream Weaver”, Melvins – “Going Blind”, Weedeater – “Gimme Back My Bullets”

Yeah, this is going up on Craigslist … or not.