To the Point: Short Reviews (English)

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German Short Reviews


• DxBxSx – Kriegserklärung (2014)
• Go Bananas – Erutan (2014)
• Godflesh – Decline & Fall EP (2014)
• Karma To Burn – Arch Stanton (2014)
• Lucifer Baby – The Walls / The Spell (Single) (2014)
• Luder – Adelphophogia (2013)
• Minerva – Germinal (2013)
• Mother Of God – Black Ocean 7“ (2014)
• Prototyper – Cities (2014)
• Pyrior – Onestone (2014)
• Savanah – Deep Shades (2015)
• Slomind – Grown against the grain EP (2013)
• Slomind – Solar Plexus (2014)
• Timestone – Timestone (2014)
• Torso – Inside (2013)
• Ultima Radio – Ultima Radio EP (2015)
• Wooly Antshake – Wooly Antshake (2013)
• xBomb Factory – No (2014)


DxBxSx – Kriegserklärung (2014, Cover EP)
DxBxSx_Kriegserklärung_cover_2014 DxBxSx have a live break in 2014, but for being patience they give us a treat in form of a cover EP. At the Rotormania Festival 2013 I was fascinated with the memorable lyrics and the raw energy of the obviously new track Isses nich geil (Ain’t It Fun). Of course, only to find out afterwards, it is a cover track of Rocket From The Tombs (made known by the version of The Dead Boys) put into the German language. After closing this embarrassing gap in knowledge (now being a fan of both incarnations), it was obvious, the announced cover EP wasn’t a good idea, but a great one.
While other bands do covers just to please the crowd or out of unimaginativeness, DxBxSx crank it up and surprise with all their choices of artists: John Lennon, Beastie Boys, but also German heros Freygang and Rio Reisser. DxBxSx itself and mainly singer Angels voice has been compared to Rio Reisser in the past many time, fittingly.
They do not copy for the sake of copying, they sometimes even get rid of the blueprint almost completely. While the riff of the title track can be assigned to the classic Sabotage pretty quick, you really have to guess for the origin of Die Nadel (Cold Turkey, John Lennon). They pay tribute, while being different once again and just write some awesome kickass tunes. The record has been playing since July on and off, and has not get boring at all.
What else is there to say? Fans of the Band have this album standing in their collection anyway already. For newcomers I would recommend starting with their record Zugriff (2011), but Kriegserklärung should not be seen as a product of time only. If you forget the cover-band-names, these song sound like regular DxBxSx tracks for sure. Hopefully they are going to play some of these live 2015.
Für Freunde von: Blutige Knie, Ton Steine Scherben, Attitüde
Label: Elektrohasch
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Go Bananas – Erutan (2014)
Go Bananas That lava lamps exert a hypnotic attraction to their observers is known as nothing new. The band Go Bananas from Hallein in Salzburg has converted this gravity into music and manifested it in the new album Erutan. As insider’s tip the quintet already splashes several years in a more or less manageable Austrian Stoner Rock aquarium, enjoying its reputation as a performance act as well as host of various jam sessions and Psychedelic parties. Therefore, inspiration and musical achievements were enough to slip into Erutan’s making process. The banana-passionate’s program always been high- contrast and their stylistic influences were regarded as an almost-abstruse masonry from Black Sabbath to Baby Woodrose and AC/DC. Erutan is dreamy, trance and playful – but before you think to characterize the whole thing as warm-twee Psychedelic you should dig a little deeper. Behind (almost) every loveliness lies a wild beast with pitchfork and bloodshot eyes. Heavy riffs, harsh vocals and cowbells provide the thunderstorm discharge after a sunny-spacey walk in the flowery paradise. Jumping to conclusions in this album is too reckless and dangerous, otherwise you lose yourself in your own semiconscious state before the guitar-driven slapstick is out for revenge due to this carelessness. Go Bananas have simply done everything right here and show that creativity and humor usually spark best.
For friends of: Kyuss, Colour Haze, Baby Woodrose
Label: none
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Godflesh – Decline & Fall EP (2014)
Godflesh - Decline & Fall The manifold styles of Justin K. Broadrick never fail. 26 years before he and Godflesh laid the foundation stone of Industrial Metal and even within this bulky and unapproachable genre they generated such an unbridled expressiveness that droves and inspired many bands over the years.
After 13 years a new studio album will finally see the light of the day, but before that the wishful waiting found a premature end with the four-track EP Decline & Fall.
As a Godflesh-newcomer you may take the band’s musical archive to heart but you don’t have to – diversity has always been the biggest incentive for Broadrick to untamed express his creativity. Ringer sounds frustrated and hard, so the band has not forgotten her past apparently. Mechanical and supercooled industrial riffs and heavy, sludgy drum fills grab back onto the Metal beginnings of the 1994 album Selfless but illbient influenced Decline & Fall especially produces thrill – not least due to consciously apathetic and aggressive vocals that seem ghostly and disturbing.
Decline & Fall is a must for friends of the band, an interesting venture for those who already yearn for the cold autumn but for hillbillies and sunbathers it becomes a music-incarnate horror phenomenon.
For friends of: Swans, 16, Neurosis, Jesu
Label: Avalanche Recordings
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Karma To Burn – Arch Stanton (2014)
Karma_to_Burn-Arch_Stanton_K2B_2014 Yes, the Riffs are big again. And yes, you can crank it up and start banging right away. But if Arch Stanton would happen to be just one of many popping up Stoner-Riff-records, it propably would drown next to innovative genre highlights. Also Rob Oswald and Rick Mullins are missing for me, since they brought a lot of character into this band.
Nevertheless it’s worth turning up the volume on songs like 53 oder 57, because they brim over with riff force. For everything else I’ll wait for „100“ and hope it to be a change in style instead of a repeated riff change.
Wild, Wonderful… Purgatory and Almost Heathen will be kept holy in my record collection and although the instrumental rock looses some of it’s excitment, I’m sure Fans will be happy with Arch Stanton.
For friends of: The old K2B records
Label: deepdive records
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Lucifer Baby – The Walls / The Spell (Single) (2014)
Lucifer-Baby Cachimbo De Paz are dead, long live Lucifer Baby! The Linz-based Cachimbos, being known for the Use The Fuzz-Split with Parasol Caravan, try a new beginning under a new name and with a new drummer. The two track single comes as a forerunner for the new album. As to be seen in the previous band already, the fuzz pedals get cranked up, sometimes psychedelic, sometimes they groove like there’s no tomorrow. Always near the mid-tempo area both songs weave through the slightly melancholic undertone. Admittedly I find this stuff not too meaningful yet, but I am really looking foreward to the album release!
For friends of: Cachimbo de Paz
Label: Mushcream Records
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Luder – Adelphophagia (2013)
luder-adelphophagia-cover The second full length album by Detroits Luder lives from a doomy Heavy-Rock basement with Small Stone Records boss Scoot Williams on the guitar and the atmospheric vocals from Sue Lott (also bass). The trippy song let you space out into other worlds, just the Bowie-cover „I’m afraid of americans“ won’t fit in. But it’s a great album for day dreaming and to leave daily routine out. A nice mixture of psych, prog, doom and sometimes pop.
For friends of: Monkey3, female vocals, Acid King on LSD
Label: Small Stone Records
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Minerva – Germinal (2013)
Minerva „Mein Herz soll ein Motor sein? Doch was treibt er an?“ At least it can be answered by what it is driven: by this clever package of Progressive, funky Psychedelic, little rhythm-plays and abstracted voice, offered by this young group of Potsdam on their debut Germinal. Obviously the guitar-heavy madness by The Mars Volta could not demotivate them to be creators of experimental music too. But unlike their partial inaccessible role models, Minerva allow themselves Pop moments and time for breathing in and enjoy. Everything’s wonderful, imaginative and beautiful but to the chant – this you have to like or not, as for example can be heard on Der Gläserne Käfig, but one can also think it away if necessary. Above all, Minerva gives you the opportunity to interpret their musical proliferation and fantasies by yourself. A picture puzzle that you would love to solve.
For friends of: Coogans Bluff, The Mars Volta, Hypnos 69
Label: unsigned
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Mother Of God – Black Ocean 7“ (2014)
Mother_of_God-Black_Ocean_2014_cover Something for the collectors: The Swedish band Mother Of God, that released their debut album Anthropos on the Detroit label Small Stone in 2012, returns with this seven-inch, limited to 350 copies. Two songs, Black Ocean and Dark Sun Above, that continue in the vein of the album. The a-side is a little faster, the flip-side features a more slow-burning pace. Solid stuff that places Mother Of God on the Scandinavian heavy-rock-map somewhere between Dozer, The Awesome Machine and Graveyard. Daniel Nygren (vocals, guitars), Johan Kvastegard (guitars), Carl Lindblad (bass) and Jimmy Hurtig (drums) obviously grew up with Soundgarden and Alice In Chains and then worked their way back in music history. That is not really revolutionary but expertly executed.
For friends of: Dozer, The Awesome Machine, Graveyard
Label: H42 Records
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Prototyper – Cities (2014)
When Prototyper are still unknown to you you’re probably in a 2-year hibernation. So their album seems to be perfectly on time, especially to light a little fire under the uninitiated’s behind. The good piece by Viennese quartet is called Cities that brings a refreshing crossover from heavy alternative rock, (stoner) – metal and grunge and makes Prototyper incredibly varied and much suitable.
Especially the first third nearly breaks your neck – thematizing the heavy weight that overloads your own shoulders before heavy riffs and biting cymbals represent the outburst. Rhythmic changes and intransigence pull through the whole album consistently, now and then you catch yourself not even knowing how the song started since you’re simply overwhelmed by its end. And when finally a stomping mammoth rabidly dances with Deftones (Mary Full of Grace), one’s swimming against the tide (Don’t believe in it), Stoner Metal and Doom indulge in mutual kiss on the hand and burping the beer gut gets stalled, at least then the last nightcaps should have been shaken up.
For friends of: Big Business, Deftones, Crowbar
Label: LiMuPic
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Pyrior – Onestone (2014)
Pyrior-Onestone Three years after their excellent debut album Oceanus Porcellarum, Berlin-based Pyrior are delivering their second album Onestone. They go one step forward and totally convince me once again. Like on the first record they are throwing around with ideas that many bands don’t have in their whole career. Monotony seems to be a loanword to them. No matter how long the jams take, they always stay exciting and catchy. Riffs, trips and adorable melodies everywhere. An incredibly huge range of effects makes these guys generate sounds from other spheres. A journey straight through the galaxy and back with ups and downs, giving you the creeps, some melancholy and lots of power! Already the opener Spheres has it all (see sample). The title song is a great tribute to Fu Manchu and the first time with vocals. The other six songs are all a revelation for themselves and before I get lost in more words of praise…go and get the LP! And also don’t miss the record release-dates, you can see in our tour dates. It’s worth it, I promise!
for friends of: the first album, Mother Engine, Grandloom
Label: Setalight Records
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Savanah – Deep Shades (2015)
Savanah „Stoners ain’t asleep“ one can say about the Austrian scene with warranty. Bands come, bands go – a constant pulsing and abating of motivated but also less enthusiastic musicians. Savanah from Graz are among the active and dynamic ones, otherwise within their first band year they would have never been able to achieve both record label and EP to keep in their dark harbor of loud sounds. Kudos for that. The 5 track-EP is titled Deep Shades and hits the nail on the head – not to mention the classic coolness factor by choosing the name. Deep stands for Savanahs sound, in a lyrical and vocal technical point it’s influenced by lethargy, pathos and pain and thus tends away from the classic Stoner Rock. However, the instruments contradict this thesis by using infinite solos, swirling bass and dashing cymbals who contribute a typical heavy sound – those mentioned shades if you will. Soundwise wow but not strange. On the contrary, well-known shores of Samsara Blues Experiment or Elder or even Earthless are served here. Do I even pick out a small hint of Lateralus? It may be the Toolish emergency that only plays a few tricks with my own receptivity. Anyway, with Deep Shades the young trio procreate one dark and melodic monster that doesn’t lose its effect – not even on stage.
For friends of: Elder, Samsara Blues Experiment, Quest For Fire
Label: StoneFree Records
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Slomind – Grown against the grain EP (2013)
slomind The newcomers from Düsseldorf zap us one really hard with their 5-songs-EP. After having arranged and recorded all titles instrumentally, pat the singer, who joined up with the band more or less by accident, enhances everything with his voice, that plies between Michael Poulsen and Phil Anselmo. Hard, metal-like parts with aggressive shouts change with fuzzy groove. Always driving forward with an insanely wicked guitar sound! From sludge metal à la NOLA via doomy borrows through to good ol‘ stoner – it’s all very convincing! They could make it really big!
For friends of: Down, Superjoint Ritual, Corrosion Of Conformity
Label: Eternal Sound Records
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Slomind – Solar Plexus (2014)
Slomind-Solar Plexus „They could make it really big“ I wrote after listening to their first EP Grown against the grain. And I love it when I’m right!!! Because the long desired debut from the four Düsseldorf-based dudes is just that ass-kicking record I’ve waited for the whole year!!! These heavy as fuck-riffs, this great groove and the great vocals let me jump through my room with my raised fists and the volume button already broken off at „max“! Holy cow, this is straight forward like it has to be! If Pantera had be beaten up by Kyuss in the desert, this would be the perfect soundtrack! While Scary Operator already strikes out for a punch, at least No Surprise knocks you out (the line „right between your eyes“ is quite appropriate). And all this happens during the first two songs! One of the highlights is for sure Thru The Eyes Of God which increases from a slow beginning to a true neckbreaker! The quite Perfect High is the Planet Caravan of Slomind and is rather adorable than calming down. The title-track sums up everything in a great way and delights with some down-tempo, great vocals by Pat, loads of motherfuckin‘ groove and riffs, riffs, riffs! This album is my recommendation to all those who like to spice up their Stoner Rock with some Metal and get fuckin‘ nuts instead of hanging out stoned in the corner! Fuckin‘ killer! Over and out!
for friends of: Riffs, Rifs, Riffs
Label: Eternal Sound Records
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Timestone – Timestone (2014)
Timestone There’s an intense musical activity in Austria. Bands appear, reformat or disappear again. Jakob Aigner, formerly active as frontman of Upper Austrian trio Zyonara, didn’t sit idly after he left by also forming a triple combo: Timestone. Where Zyonara lyrically and musically hit, Timestone closes the circle. Meditative waveshocks which are led by melancholy guitars and rhetorical questions about human transience and meaningfulness of life form a truly beautiful construct of Psychedelic and delicate Stoner Rock. However, the fish is still struggling and is brought back to life by excessive cymbal crashes, cowbells and bass-soundy draft at the right moment. Thanks to this manifold Timestone are going to attract much interest in the near future.
For friends of: Zyonara, My Sleeping Karma, Sungrazer
Label: none
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Torso – Inside (2013)
Torso With Inside vienna based Torso deliver us a 40-minutes fireworks of psychedelic stoner rock, having its roots in the 70s. Catchy, powerful tunes and quite a trippy atmosphere run like a golden thread through the whole LP. Some cross references to new swedish bands definitely appear, but nevertheless the boys stay independent. If they had taken more time at one point or the other, there would certainly have been some nice Jams à la Iron Butterfly or The Doors. The joy of playing would definitely have allowed it! At least the album remains entertaining this way. Surely, Torso are going to be a delight at a hazy, muddled live gig!
For friends of: Asteroid, Graveyard, 70’s Heavy Psych
Label: Stone Free Records
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Ultima Radio – Ultima Radio EP(2015)
Ultima Radio After we presented the ambitious Trio Savanah from the Styrian capital in our Short Review section a few months ago, Ultima Radio will also appear with their first EP. Only with the small difference that somewhat exotic and musically unusual is approaching, as already proven by the opener Moroccan Honey. Initially disillusioned and wary the song advertises to its recipients like a summoned cobra to their prey, while one sculptures a progressive structure in a pop-funky way until the Stoner-vortex snaps at minute 4. The drum emphasized Endless Nothing follows the final intensity of its predecessor and sets one more slice on it: QOTSA- riffs in Rated R-style ensure some nostalgia whilst seductive vocals and fat groove form a mighty and heavy fart amid the tundra. Mothership turns these tables on again, as the atmospheric structure remembers strongly on a classical Colour Haze-song at the beginning but for a moment it seems to get lost in the maze of its own sound fragments. Finally from the middle, it’s spewing all its instrumental intensity, guitars and basses stand at attention and promote the mothership to the strongest number of the record. After the massive and effect-packed Stoner dance Day of the Mantis, in epilogues The King’s Head not only the decline of the monarchical ruler as a leitmotif but also illustrious Doom characteristics may serve as a symbolic fanfare.
Above all the Stoner Rock fabricated by Ultima Radio, hovers and oozes a spacy soup from hot Funk, atmospheric electronic effects and warm Psychedelic. Especially the voice of singer Zdravko holds diversity, being sometimes shy, sometimes extroverted and sometimes even mysterious. Bravo, Ultima Radio for a remarkable piece of music!
For friends of: Mother’s Cake, Torso, Colour Haze
Label: none
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Wooly Antshake – Wooly Antshake (2013)
Wooly Out of Münster’s garages a heavy stonerish Rock ‚N‘ Roll Monster is about to come! Heavily influenced by scandinavian Power-Rock-Wave of the mid 90s, Wooly Antshake shake things up with their 5 testosterone-charged bundles of energy. Always with a lovely sleazy „kiss-my-ass“ attitude and blue balls they let hair, drumsticks and strumming hands churn through the air. Good mood and hard party are being programmed!
For friends of: Gluecifer, Hellacopters, The Flaming Sideburns
Label: Unterschichten-Records
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xBomb Factory – No (2014)
xBomb_Factory_No_2014 In our team, our friends over at Noisolution are known for the finest hand selected insider tips. So xBomb Factory isn’t an exception of course. Coming from the UK, they really are convincing with their wild debut record „No“. Here, they sound like a dissonant version of Gods of Blitz – there, like an insane baby of Joy Division and Murder City Devils. Most of the time though, like Gang of Four, Albini projects and definiteley always like impelling noise. Which is a compliment of course. It gets exhausting after a while but never frustrating.
The lyrics are shouted angry in our direction and after two listens we want to return the favour to the band. Grinding, fresh Post-Punk for all those who can’t sit still.
If you also like: Gang of Four, Joy Division, Big Black
Label: Noisolution
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