Stoner rock – Page 12 – 7th Level Music

Holy Serpent’s new single, “For No One,” is like a tidal wave you see coming but can’t avoid.

Australian quartet Holy Serpent share a new track from their forthcoming third album Endless on RidingEasy Records today via CvltNation. Hear and share “For No One” HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

Brooklyn Vegan recently hosted lead single “Lord Deceptor” HERE.(Direct YouTube.)

The Obelisk launched “Hourglass” HERE.

The forthcoming third album by Melbourne, Australia’s Holy Serpent could likely be its defining moment. Seemingly bottomless in its relentless heft, with billowing and suffocating riffs leading glistening melodies, it’s the sound of a band that has locked on to something unique. Endless is fully conceptualized throughout, encapsulating an oceanic theme from the lyrics and art, even to the very structure of the sounds themselves.

“Lyrically, it’s heavily influenced by the ocean,” explains vocalist/guitarist Scott Penberthy. “Lots of ocean metaphors and imagery was used. Also the title of the album Endless, is an homage to the ocean: Its mystery, power and its ability to give and take life.” The album loosely follows the lyrical theme of two lovers, oceans apart, waiting for each other on the shores of eternity. Their love is so strong, they eventually walk into the water, ending their lives to be together in the afterlife.

Fitting to these themes, the band experiments with sound throughout the album, such as layering in a wobbly synth sound reminiscent of tape push and pull, mixed just loud enough to blend with the instruments. “It’s sort of a haunting sound which gives the album an ebb and flow, much like an ocean’s current or tide,” Penberthy says.

The 6-song, 40-minute album finds Penberthy, guitarist Nick Donoughue, bassist Dave Bartlett and drummer Lance Leembruggen expanding their melodic hooks while simultaneously taking listeners on a rigorous journey. It was written over the course of 2 months, then recorded in seclusion at Beveridge Road Recording Studios near Australia’s beautiful Dandenong Ranges with head engineer Marc Russo and mixed by Mike Deslandes. Surrounding themselves with nature and no distractions allowed the band to focus on every detail of the album as a coherent whole.

In the time since their self-titled RidingEasy debut in mid-2015, Melbourne, Australia’s Holy Serpent have gained a lot of attention for their rather punk version of heavy psych and metal. Their 2016 skate-metal leaning album Temples further defined their more experimental blend of early Soundgarden, Saint Vitus and Kyuss that eschews simplistic 70s-worship in favor of shimmering sonics and uncommon production techniques. Nonetheless, Endless is like all of the band’s earliest visions fully realized and honed into an album beyond easy classification.

Starting with the slow, exaggeratedly compressed 4/4 drum lead in to “Lord Deceptor” — something of a hi-dive anticipation before we plunge headlong into the ensuing depths — crushing and crackling guitars burst in as Penberthy sings in low baritone, “ocean grave, carry me upon a wave / I’m hypnotized in prophecy, what Is left for you and me?” Harmonies drift in and out of the main motif as it sways along into the tempest of “Into The Fire.” Here, a churning riff gathers intensity as the rhythm section builds to a lurching 3/4 time. Reverb-soaked vocals sing, “where the ocean meets the sand, I’ll be waiting, I’ll be waiting there.” Elsewhere, on “For No One,” impossibly low droptuned guitars slink along as the music swells with space rock abandon. Album closer, “Marijuana Trench” is a play on the Mariana trench, the deepest place on earth. Appropriately, the song plunges from gently strummed acoustic guitar into a tsunami crest that pulls the listener under the dark and enveloping weight of sound as Penberthy’s soothing vocals seem to ease us into the end, subsumed in the album’s powerful allure.

Endless will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on October 18th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Preorders are available HERE.

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Review: Blackwater Holylight – Veils of Winter

Mixing power doom riffs with shoegaze, psychedelia, and, for all I know, mystic rituals carved onto pillars in Atlantean ruins, Blackwater Holylight‘s second album, Veils of Winter, is another fine, mysterious, heavy album from them.

The opener, “Seeping Secrets,” is doom metal perfection, and those doom metal riffs continue onto “Motorcycle” – which even puts into krautrock beats and synths. “Spiders” is so close to post-punk grooves that I kept expecting to hear a saxophone solo in it. We get spooky house synths instead, which is even better.

“The Protector” seems to be about some sort of forest spirit that is an absolute beast if crossed. The heavy drums and fuzzed guitars sure seem to indicate this. The haunting vocal harmonies on “Daylight” are counterbalanced by war hammer bass and drums. “Death Realms” has a foreboding title, but it’s a lovely track with some of the brightest guitars on the record and dreamwave-like synths. It’s a great example of Blackwater Holylight‘s love of musical contrasts and toying with the listener’s expectations.

“Lullaby” has a hypnotic, repeating three-note structure that builds into a lush, trippy track with a neat fuzzy punch near the end. The album’s closer, “Moonlit,” combines psychedelia with Middle Eastern rhythms and more fascinating vocal harmonies.

I’ve tried to figure out what “veils of winter” could be. The first image that came to mind was a winter day with a cloudless sky and bright sun but bone chilling temperatures. The sun is a veil over the cold. Another was a moonlit winter night over a snow-covered landscape with the moonlight reflecting off the snow to push back the veil of the surrounding dark.

I could also be reading far too much into the album’s title, but those images that came to my mind seem fitting for Blackwater Holylight’s music. They veil and unveil their musical influences throughout Veils of Winter whenever the mood strikes them. It becomes mysterious, thrilling, and sometimes chilling.

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Review: Weeping Icon (self-titled)

Noise rock is a weird genre. The name itself is appropriate for some, oxymoronic for others. There are plenty of bands out there blending distortion and noise with unintelligible vocals, but few that do it in a way that intrigues the listener and doesn’t make them think, “What is that racket?”

Brooklyn’s Weeping Icon is such a band. Their self-titled debut is a fascinating mix of noise rock, punk, shoegaze, synthwave, and other things I can’t define. The cover image is a wild piece of art showing waves of…something (Sound? Images? Psychic projections? All three?) emanating from two skulls to form things that resemble cityscapes, forests, cemeteries, nuclear explosion test footage, and dust clouds in the hearts of galaxies.

The songs on the album sway back and forth between short, dystopian future instrumentals and full-length tracks with vocals. “Ankles” bursts at the seams with pounding riffs, drums from Lani Combier-Kapel that sound like they’re falling down a flight of stairs at one point (and I mean that in the best possible way – How does she produce those wild, weird fills?), and vocals on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The pedal-to-the-metal groove of “Be Anti” has singer / guitarist Sara Fantry wondering how to stand up against the establishment and whom to blame for her troubles (instead of looking in the mirror). The whole album explores concepts like this – lives lived online, addiction to technology, the fake self we project to hundreds (if not millions) of people we’ve never met.

“Ripe for Consumption” is a fine example of this, too. We make ourselves easy prey for Madison Avenue. Fantry’s guitar launches like a drag strip car and never stops through the whole track, an effect that really flows through the entire album with the instrumentals linking each track. “Natural Selection” is near goth perfection with its haunted house synths from Sarah Lutkenhaus, Bauhaus guitars, and often hissed vocals from Fantry about a corporate goon discussing how it’s not up to him to fix problems he didn’t create. “Power Trip” brings back punk anger and guitars that hit like hammers on anvils.

Sarah Reinhold‘s crispy yet creepy bass opens “Like Envy” – a witty song about a social media addict who learns too late that she’s lost her sense of self by giving away bits of herself every day at 11am and 3pm. The song builds to an eye-watering speed as Fantry chants, “Do you like my content?” The opening fuzz of “Control” sounds like some sort of rock crushing machinery that’s been set on fire. Fantry’s guitar comes in with stoner metal riffs to keep the fire at bay, however, and Combier-Kapel hits her cymbals so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if she broke them and at least two sticks doing it.

Weeping Icon have become a must-see band for me thanks to this record. It’s a powerhouse of an album and a kidney punch to the expectations (self-imposed and from others) of modern social life.

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Review: Acid King – Busse Woods (2019 reissue)

I grew up in a small town. We lived across the street from the more expensive lake houses and next to a woods that was part of a pine tree farm. I spent many hours in that woods, crafting stories, searching for treasure, fighting imaginary battles, and listening for monsters. Every kid has a place like this, and for the members of stoner metal legends Acid King (Brian Hill – bass, Joey Osbourne – drums, Lori S. – vocals and guitar) it was Busse Woods.

Their 1999 album has received a full reissue from RidingEasy Records to celebrate Busse Woods‘ twentieth anniversary. The album has become almost a mystical tome in the last two decades with its tales of nature’s power over man, creepy things in the shadows of old trees, and good ole fashioned heavy riffs.

The opener, “Electric Machine,” has such heavy bass thumps that you’d think a giant was tap dancing next to you. “Silent Circle” starts with a guitar riff that’s like a burning trail of gasoline heading straight for an ammunition warehouse. It only gets louder and heavier from there. “Tell all the people I’m on my way. There is no tomorrow for me…Silent circle breaks the chain,” Lori S. sings. It’s a song about death, at least on its surface, but it might also be a song about resurrection – whether that resurrection is beneficial or harmful to her (or mankind, perhaps) is up to the interpretation of the listener.

The title of “Drive Fast, Take Chances” is certainly a reflection on the band’s wild times in Busse Woods not far from their Illinois hometown, smoking weed, listening to metal, and ditching school and the cops. The riffs and drums on it are as heavy as the fallen trees in their favorite stomping grounds. An unexpected treat is Acid King’s cover of “39 Lashes” from Jesus Christ Superstar. The onslaught of the drums is only outweighed by the battle axe-heavy guitar chords and thunderous bass.

“Carve the Five” starts off with a languid bass line from Brian Hill that lures you into what almost feels like a safe place, but Joey Osbourne’s drum fill at the start of the track is akin to a rattlesnake’s rattle (if that rattlesnake were a giant 8HD variety) warning you to tread carefully. The title track finishes the album with a long instrumental that boils and bubbles like the contents of cauldron.

It’s great that Busse Woods (pronounced “buss-ee,” by the way) is getting a nice reissue for its twentieth anniversary because this album should be even more known than it already is. It’s a bit of a secret classic. Those who know about it revere it. Those who have only heard of it are intrigued by it. Those who don’t know of it are changed after discovering it.

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If you’re already putting together a Halloween playlist, Firebreather’s “Closed Gate” awaits you.

“Firebreather veer towards roaring, High On Fire-esque sludge, and they’ve got the chops and the grit to pull this kind of thing off.” — Brooklyn Vegan

Swedish trio Firebreather share a new track from their forthcoming debut on RidingEasy Records, Under a Blood Moon. Hear and share “Closed Gate” via YouTube.

Brooklyn Vegan previously hosted the lead single “Dancing Flames” HERE.

Fire is what happens when a carbon based object is consumed by oxygen. That chemical reaction is fitting to the sound of Firebreather: The riffs are suffocating, the rhythms fast moving and all-consuming. It’s so blindingly and deafeningly monolithic, don’t be surprised to find yourself gasping for air while listening. The Gothenburg, Sweden trio has a streamlined focus on driving, symphonic riffs in the vein of High on Fire, Inter Arma and their tour- and label-mates Monolord. The guitar and bass tones are, quite simply, entrancing. Like watching flames engulf a forest, the billowing guitar tones are simultaneously beautiful and destructive, while the rhythms sway and lunge with vicious precision.

“It’s riff based, heavy as fuck, but with a groove to it,” explains vocalist/guitarist Mattias Nööjd, formerly of popular Swedish doom merchants Galvano. “We had gotten off a tour with Monolord in February of 2018 and by that time we had the song ‘Firebreather’ done,” but soon thereafter new drummer Axel Wittbeck joined the fold. “Once Axel had joined, it was like the flood gates opened,” says bassist Kyle Pitcher. “The rest of the album just came together.”

Under a Blood Moon was recorded at Elementstudion in Gothenburg with engineer Oskar Karlsson, who also recorded the band’s lauded 2017 self-titled debut on Suicide Records.

Album opener “Dancing Flames” sets the stage for the onslaught to come with a slinking, serpentine riff over slow churning rhythms. Nööjd’s hushed, gravelly vocals sink into the mix, more like a baritone guitar than a human voice. “Our Souls, They Burn” nicely exemplifies the band’s furious grind that makes even faster tempo songs sound impossibly heavy, like a slow motion stampede. Elsewhere, “We Bleed” perfectly sums up the band’s focus on the riff and groove, honing in on the power of hypnotic attrition. Closing epic, “The Siren” opens with lugubrious, slightly swinging drums and rumbling bass building tension over delay- and phaser-soaked guitar harmonics, until a massive, sliding riff crashes headlong into the proceedings. The song seems to cleverly shape shift across several harmonic and rhythmic parts, without losing the core groove underneath. A short pause for breath, then it’s off to the races with a galloping crescendo for succinct closure.

Under a Blood Moon will be available on LP, CD and download September 27th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Preorders are available HERE.

FIREBREATHER LIVE 2019: Sep 20 Gothenburg, SE @ Musikens Hus w/ Halshug Oct 01 Utrecht, NL @ De Helling * Oct 02 Brussels, BE @ Magasin 4 * Oct 03 Pratteln, CH @ Up In Smoke Festival * Oct 04 Reims, FR @ La Cartonnerie * Oct 05 Paris, FR @ Saturday Mud Fever Festival * Oct 07 Dortmund, DE @ Junkyard * Oct 08 Nuremberg, DE @ Z-Bau * Oct 09 Cologne, DE @ Helios 37 * Oct 10 Mainz, DE @ Schon Schon * Oct 11 Hamburg, DE @ Molotow * Oct 16 Oslo, NO @ John Dee * Oct 17 Gothenburg, SE @ Sticky Fingers * Oct 18 Malmo, SE @ Babel * Oct 23 Linkoping, SE @ The Crypt * Oct 24 Stockholm, SE @ Close Up Baten * Oct 25 Tampere, FI @ Olympia * Oct 26 Helsinki, FI @ Nosturi * * w/ Monolord

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Blackwater Holylight take us on a “Motorcycle” ride ahead of their new album – “Veils of Winter.”

“An ambient blend of psychedelic vintage poppy hooks and crushingly heavy sludge.” — Metal Hammer

“This quartet has been burning up stages all around their hometown, fueled by their abrasive blend of doom metal, psych rock, goth and a tangy soupçon of pop music… They landed a spot on the 2018 Best New Band poll in alt-weekly Willamette Week, but could quickly take over the world.” — Paste Magazine

“They mesh elements of doom, Krautrock and atmospheric indie into one bewitching rock whole.” —Classic Rock Magazine

Portland, OR quintet Blackwater Holylight announce their forthcoming sophomore album Veils of Winter (RidingEasy Records) today, sharing the lead single. Hear and share the immediately classic hooks of “Motorcycle” via Bandcamp and YouTube.

Blackwater Holylight hit the road hard this Fall, supporting former RidingEasy label mates Monolord throughout the US in November, as well as Thou in September, plus a handful of hometown shows. Please see complete dates below.

Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts. It’s a fluid convergence of sound that’s heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once.

As a heavy band, their songs aren’t anchored to riffs, but rather riffs come and go in waves that surface throughout the band’s meditative, entrancing songs. It’s a hypnotic sound, with orchestral structures that often build tension and intrigue before turning the song on its head — not by simply getting louder or heavier, nor by just layering elements. They expertly subvert the implied heaviness of a part, dissecting it and splaying the song’s guts out to seep across the sonic spectrum.

Now, having toured extensively following the band’s wildly-successful breakout self-titled debut in 2018, Blackwater Holylight has honed their sound and identity to a powerfully captivating beast. Their live set is all about the slow build, seeming to combine the melodic tension of early Sonic Youth crossed with the laconic fever-dream blues of the first Black Sabbath album and wiry experimentation of post-punk and krautrock.

The lineup on this album is Allison (Sunny) Faris (bass/vocals), Laura Hopkins (guitar/vocals) and Sarah McKenna (synths), with new guitarist Mikayla Mayhew and drummer Eliese Dorsay fleshing out their sound in exciting ways.

“The process of this album was vastly different from our first record,” says Faris. “One, because we recorded it over the course of a few weeks, whereas the first record was over the course of about a year. And two, this album was a true collaboration between the five of us. Each of us had extremely equal parts in writing and producing, we all bounced ideas off each together, and we all had a say in what was going on during every part of the process.”

“One of our favorite things about this album is that because it was so collaborative, we didn’t compartmentalize ourselves into one vibe.” She continues. “It’s heavy, psychedelic, pop, shoegaze, doom, grunge, melodic and more. The whole process was extremely organic and natural for us, we were just being ourselves.”

Veils of Winter opens with fuzzed-drenched, drop-tuned bass and baritone guitar leading a dirge riff on “Seeping Secrets.” Faris’ lilting and funereal vocals drop in, adding to the mournful atmosphere until a short turnaround progression hints at changes to come, as Faris and Hopkins harmonize eerily and the tune suddenly turns into a krautrock charge. “Motorcycle” kicks off deceptively with a heavy grunge riff building up for about 40-seconds before the song abruptly shifts gears into a synth-led post-punk harmony, sounding something like Lush meets Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. “Death Realms” is perhaps the poppiest track, based around soaring shoegaze guitars and interwoven light vocal harmonies. Soft piano notes, occasional woozy whammy bar dives and a driving tom-tom beat solidify its hooks. “Spiders” is a creepy-crawly guitar riff and counterpoint keys, while “Moonlit” explores prog-structures with a shredding guitar solo crescendo. The penultimate track, “Lullaby” is exactly that, a lulling, expansive tune exemplifying Blackwater Holylight’s genre smashing sound as it subtly moves across a vast sonic landscape atop a hypnotic 6/8 beat and repetitive 3-note motif. Throughout the album, their songs shirk traditional verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of fluid, serpentine compositions that move with commanding grace.

Veils of Winter will be available on LP, CD and download on October 11th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available at www.ridingeasyrecs.com.

BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE 2019: 08/24 Portland, OR @ Star Theater w/ Kadavar, Danava 09/23 Tallahassee, FL @ The Bark # 09/24 Tampa, FL @ The Blue Note # 09/26 Miami, FL @ Las Rosa’s # 09/27 Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub # 09/28 Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic # 09/29 Pensacola, FL @ Chizuco # 10/24 Portland, OR @ Star Theater – Album release show 11/05 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick * 11/06 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress * 11/07 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister * 11/09 Austin, TX @ Barracuda – Levitation Fest – RidingEasy Stage 11/10 Lafayette, LA @ Freetown Boom Boom Room * 11/11 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks * 11/12 Atlanta, GA @ 529 * 11/13 Asheville, NC @ Mothlight * 11/14 Richmond, VA @ Camel * 11/15 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery * 11/16 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church * 11/17 New York, NY @ Saint Vitus * 11/20 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s * 11/21 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle Brewing * 11/22 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar * 11/23 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck * 11/25 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater * 11/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom * # w/ Thou * w/ Monolord

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Warish release new two-song single to shred your face.

“Remember when indie rock sounded all grimy, corroded and metal-sludgy — the last thing you’d hear in a commercial or being played at an arena show? Warish do. It’s music to the ears of anyone who wants to damage their ears.” — Rolling Stone

“Warish totally rules… An awesome mixture of punk energy, biker rock fuzz, and grunge growl.” — Kerrang!

“Sludgy and punk-y at the same time, with an Iggy and the Stooges meets Misfits vibe, plus a bit of stoner rock and metal mixed in, as well.” — Consequence of Sound

Southern California trio Warish share the lead track from their forthcoming second EP on RidingEasy Records today. Hear and share “Runnin’ Scared” / “Their Demise” HERE.

Rolling Stone recently featured the lead track “Fight” from the band’s self-titled debut EP HERE.

Imagine if Incesticide era Nirvana were crossed with Static Age era garage-punk Misfits. You’d have sinister low budget horror rock with a visceral, twisted weirdness and bludgeoning riffs. Some might call it nightmarish, we call it Warish.

Warish is a very newly minted SoCal trio formed in early 2018 that has wasted no time making its presence known. The band formed when guitarist/vocalist and pro-skater Riley Hawk (son of skating legend Tony Hawk) and drummer Bruce McDonnell decided they wanted to try their hand at something more distinct than they’d done previously. “We wanted to do simpler riffs and a fun live show,” Riley explains. “A little more punk, a little bit of grunge… a little evil-ish.” Their sound takes cues from a variety of cool underground sounds and twists it all into an energetic and exciting fist to the face of dark fury. Hawk’s effect-laden vocals hearken to early Butthole Surfers and David Yow’s tortured caterwaul in Scratch Acid. The guitars are heavy and powerful, though decidedly not straightforward cookie cutter punk; more like Cobain’s and Buzz Osbourne’s wiry contortions. The rhythms bash and pummel right through it all with aggressive force ensuring that nothing gets overly complicated and the horrors keep coming throughout the band’s uh, warlike assault.

“Runnin’ Scared/Their Demise” is now available on 7″ vinyl and download via RidingEasy Records.

WARISH LIVE 2019: 06/21 Los Angeles, CA @ House of Machines L.A. 06/27 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern 07/05 San Diego, CA @ Casbah 07/06 San Diego, CA @ Casbah + 09/20 Portland, OR @ Star Theater – Hesh Fest * 09/21 Seattle, WA @ Highline * 09/23 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater * 09/24 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * 09/25 Chicago, IL @ Reggies * 09/26 Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle * 09/27 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop * 09/28 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place * 09/29 Boston, MA @ Sonia * 09/30 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory * 10/01 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s * 10/02 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall * 10/03 Raleigh, NC @ Kings * 10/04 Asheville, NC @ Mothlight * 10/05 Atlanta, GA @ The 529 * 10/06 New Orleans, LA @ One Eye Jack’s * 10/07 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey * 10/09 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister * 10/10 Mesa, AZ @ Club Red * 10/11 Los Angeles, CA @ Satellite * 10/12 San Francisco, CA @ Chapel * 11/09 Austin, TX @ Levitation Fest * w/ Acid King + w/ Earthless

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Review: The Well – Death and Consolation

Ian Graham, guitarist and vocalist for Austin, Texas doom rockers The Well, had a bad 2018 – according to a press release for their powerful new album, Death and Consolation: “2018 was a strange, dark year. A lot of change going on in my life, there was a lot of depression and coming out of it over the last year. I wanted to call this Death and Consolation, because in life that’s a constant.”

It’s an appropriate title because the power chords, heavy lyrics, thunderous bass (courtesy of co-vocalist Lisa Alley), and almost heart-stopping drums (courtesy of Jason Sullivan) on the record are both creepy and invigorating. Graham also says, ” “I feel like this album is almost more gothic. We’re big fans of post-punk.”

That goth influence comes out right away on the opener, “Sabbah,” with its growling bass and lyrics of “flowers sliced by assassin’s steel.” Listening to “Raven” is like stomping on the gas pedal of a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner while Satan is chasing you in a Dodge Coronet Super Bee down a winding mountain road at 12:01am.

“Death Song” isn’t a cover of the tune by the Black Angels (another Austin psychedelic powerhouse), but I’m sure the Black Angels would appreciate its Black Sabbath-meets-Thin Lizzy vibe. “Cup of Peace” could be a Joy Division track if that band upped the fuzz and spent more time in dimly lit libraries full of massive books chained to iron racks.

“Eyes of a God” gets off to a spooky, whispered start and then breaks out a serious rock groove that blends metal with late 1960’s garage rock while Graham sings about touching a land that lies beyond the sun. “Act II” starts with a sample (probably from a horror film I have yet to see) of someone trying to banish a holy man from getting closer and then breaks into a song about ancient evil being unleashed on the world…or is it? The sample at the beginning seems to indicate that The Well knows there are bright things beyond the veil that even Lovecraftian Old Ones fear. Oh yes, and the song is an absolute wall-flattener.

“Freedom Above” is a slow burn under a bubbling cauldron, whereas “This Is How” is a fuzzed-out raging fire that claims, “This is how the world ends, drowning now in flames. This is how the world ends, nightmare of the sane.” You don’t get much more metal than that. The closer is “Endless Night” – a dark tune about dark things dragging Graham (and the rest of us) to even darker places. It’s packed with sludge, menace, and guitar riffs deadly as a battle axe.

I’ve come to love doom and stoner metal over the last few years, and Death and Consolation is one of the best records I’ve heard in that genre. The Well is at the top of their game right now. I need, you need, we all need to see them live, and we all need to hear this record.

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The Well unleash “This Is How (the World Ends)” from their new album, “Death and Consolation,” our next week.

“Their most intimate, darkly personal record yet… Taking them out of the doom corner and giving it a raw, post-punk feel. “Raven” sounds like a Satanic, downtuned Steppenwolf, and frankly we can’t get enough.” — Kerrang!

“An intoxicating mix of stoner metal and occultist rock — it’s dark n’ doomy, sure, but it’s also as catchy as fly paper coated in industrial strength glue.” — Metal Sucks

Austin trio The Well share a new track from their forthcoming third album Death and Consolation via Metal Injection. Hear and share “This Is How The World Ends” HERE.

Kerrang Magazine also recently launched lead single “Raven” HERE. Metal Sucks hosted the crushing album opener “Sabbah” HERE.

Death and Consolation is without a doubt a weighty album title, and The Well is among the heaviest heavy psych bands in existence. So when we say that there’s even more darkness and intensity to the band’s third album than previous efforts, take heed. It’s a deep sea diving bell of enveloping heaviness and longing. “This one is a little more personal,” says guitarist/vocalist Ian Graham. “2018 was a strange, dark year. A lot of change going on in my life, there was a lot of depression and coming out of it over the last year. I wanted to call this Death and Consolation, because in life that’s a constant.”

While The Well continue to walk an intriguing line between authentic early 70s doom/heavy psych and frayed weirdness of dark folk – especially with their haunting unison male/female vocals – the new album also adds the stark vibe of post-punk acts like Joy Division and early The Cure. “I feel like this album is almost more gothic. We’re big fans of post-punk,” Graham says. There’s also much less jamming, the songs are tight and concise. And, did we mention, heavy? The band tuned down a full step to C-standard tuning for this album, which gives the proceedings its monstrous sound. Sonically, Death and Consolation picks up where The Well — Graham, bassist/vocalist Lisa Alley and drummer Jason Sullivan — left off with their widely heralded 2016 RidingEasy album Pagan Science.

The band once again recorded with longtime producer/engineer Chico Jones at Estuary Studio in 2018, who has turned the knobs for all three of their albums (Jones engineered the band’s debut album Samsara with producer Mark Deutrom [Melvins, Sunn0)))] in 2013.) Samsara, released late September 2014 was ranked the #1 debut album of 2014 by The Obelisk and Pagan Science among the Best of 2016 from the Doom Charts collective. Likewise, the band’s intense — some even say “possessed” — live performances have earned them featured slots at Austin’s Levitation Fest, as well as tours with Kadavar, All Them Witches, Black Tusk and more. “This album might be a little less produced, because I didn’t want to push technical stuff as much,” Graham says. “I’m so scared of getting too complicated when getting better at guitar. This is still kind of punk rock.”

Death and Consolation will be available on LP, CD and download on April 26th, 2019 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.

THE WELL TOUR 2019: 04/24 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada * 04/25 Austin, TX @ Barracuda * – album release party 04/27 Austin, TX @ Independence Brewery 04/28 Austin, TX @ Waterloo Records 04/29 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger 05/01 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * 05/02 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive * 05/03 Phoenix, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room 05/04 Los Angeles, CA @ House of Machines 05/05 Long Beach, CA @ Alex’s Bar 05/06 Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp 05/07 Nevada City, CA @ Cooper’s 05/08 San Francisco, CA @ Elbo Room 05/09 Portland, OR @ High Water Mark 05/10 Seattle, WA @ Substation 05/11 Vancouver, BC @ Static Jupiter 05/12 Calgary, AB @ Palomino 05/13 Edmonton, AB @ Temple 05/14 Winnipeg, MB @ The Windsor 05/15 Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze 05/16 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews 05/17 Colorado Springs, CO @ Triple Nickle 05/18 Taos, NM @ Monolith on the Mesa Fest 05/19 El Paso, TX @ Monarch * w/ Monolord

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Blackwater Holylight’s new album due this October.

File this under: Best News You’ve Read Today.

Doom / psych / goth rock band Blackwater Holylight announced they’re in the process of recording a new album due this October. Their self-titled debut album was one of my favorite debut records of 2018.

They’re also embarking on a European tour after a couple dates in the western U.S., so catch them if you can. I hope these ladies hit Austin’s Levitation festival in the fall.

BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT LIVE: 04/16 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge w/ R.I.P. 04/20 Los Angeles, CA @ Psycho Smokeout Festival 04/26 Linz, AT @ Stadtwerkstatt 05/01 Bristol, UK @ The Lanes 05/02 Newcastle, UK @ Trillans 05/03 London, UK @ DesertFest 05/04 Liege, BE @ La Zone 05/05 Berlin, DE @ DesertFest 05/08 Malmo, SE @ Plan B 05/09 Stockholm, SE @ Undergangen 05/10 Gothenburg, SE W Truckstop Alaska 05/11 Esbjerg, DK @ Esbjerg Fuzzfestival 05/13 Oldenburg, DE @ MTS LP Store 05/14 Berlin, DE @ Zukunft 05/15 Vienna, AT @ Aerena Beisl 05/16 Olten, CH @ Coq’D’or 05/17 Innsbruck, AT @ PMK

Keep your mind open.

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