Cough / Windhand - Reflection of the Negative

(Relapse Records, 2013)

Richmond, Virginia may be a city better known for its blues, country, and bluegrass music and the Richmond Folk Festival than for heavy metal, but if you delve into the murky underground scene, you will realise that it is home to some incredible bands, including occult misery veterans Cough who need no introduction, suffice to say that they have been peddling their own unique strain of despairing, cacophonous sludge and doom since 2005. The remote scene that spawned Cough also gave birth to doom upstarts Windhand whose practice room demo, and last year’s debut album, have made them ones-to-watch in the US metal underground. The ties between the two bands (which now includes sharing a bass-player in Chandler Parker) come to the fore on this split release put out by Relapse Records which is comprised of two new Windhand cuts and one mini-epic from Cough.

Cough‘s contribution, “Athame”, is a nasty, spiteful occult anthem of grief, despair, and “ritual suicide”, shaking its tar-blackened death rattle slowly across your ear for 19 minutes. Languishing at a pace like the drip of Chinese water torture, Cough envelope you under their cloak and the darkness doesn’t let up as vast, dark waves of guitars, seismic drums and Parker’s gut-wrenching vocals entrance you into a depressive stupor.

Comparatively Windhand are, no pun intended, a breath of fresh air, if for no reason other than Dorthia Cottrell’s lofty – dare-I-say, uplifting – vocals. “Amaranth” gets to work immediately and is instantly more uproarious than any moment on Side A, the main riffs propelled with more energy making it clear that Windhand’s aim is slightly more skyward-facing than Cough’s introspective, consuming approach. “Shepherd’s Crook” almost feels like a slowed-down and stretched-out take on “Amaranth” but this allows Cottrell to lay more of the infectious vocal hooks that made their last EP so enjoyable on us. As ever with Windhand, it’s the authenticity and style with which they deliver their music as opposed to any large sense of originality that will appeal to the out-in-the-open or closeted Sabbath fans out there but Windhand are instantly recognisable and always thoroughly enjoyable.

All this leads one to wonder if this is the year of split releases? With a handful of excellent splits already under 2013′s metaphorical belt and at least a few more due before year end, ‘Reflection Of The Negative’ is as good an argument for the vitality of the format as any, presenting two geographically remote bands who both have differing and kick-arse interpretations of doom. Whether this split is intended as a taster for future releases for both bands on Relapse Records or not, it’s clear that the future is looking good for Cough and Windhand.

[Originally published by the Sleeping Shaman, 25/04/2013]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/c/cough-windhand-reflection-of-the-negative-split-cd-lp-dd-2013/

Desert Storm - Horizontal Life

(Blindsight Records, 2013)

Oxford’s stoner groove merchants Desert Storm have had a pretty good few years. In the time since their second album Forked Tongues was released, they’ve played with stoner titans Weedeater and Orange Goblin, toured with Karma To Burn and Honky, and rocked a packed-out room at the inaugural DesertFest, all in between gigging regularly despite band members being spread around the UK. You may think this is all tedious information but it all informs the band’s third album Horizontal Life, released on Blindsight Records. The band sound tighter than they ever have on record before and this can most certainly be attributed to the road-hardened skills of each of the players. The songs have been worked out and improved in front of audiences all over the UK. And as for the album title, well – you’d probably be living a horizontal life if you partied with the likes of Orange Goblin and Karma To Burn…

The first half of Horizontal Life is entirely dedicated to what Desert Storm have become so well-known for: inexhaustible stoner riffing, delivered with a Southern outlaw attitude. Many of the tracks here have become such a staple of the band’s live set that it’s almost surreal hearing them in their recorded forms – they feel instantly familiar, like old classics. Strident opener “Word to the Wiseman” is a case in point; the words, the groove and the almighty riffs will soon be embedded in your cerebral cortex (if they’re not already). Likewise, marijuana anthem “No Slave to Master” is another one to watch out for, with a bad-arse, Rage Against the Machine-like guitar rhythm seemingly custom-designed to break necks. The song even has a fucking bong solo for Christ’s sake. And while one or two of the songs here are actually re-recordings of tracks from the band’s limited edition debut album, they’re given a complete facelift in terms of delivery, performance, recording quality and production – again proving the virtues of road-testing and refining songs. Anyone who has seen the band in the last two or three years will have heard and got-down to the  mini-epics “Shadow of an Eagle” and “Astral Planes.”

However, Desert Storm have also grown and mastered new styles that they’d previously only hinted at on Forked Tongues. Firstly there’s the ferocious “Enslaved in the Icy Tundra” in which the band sound more bludgeoning than ever before – the rhythmic onslaught caved further into your head by singer Matt’s heavy whisky-burned growl. The same could be said for “Shenzhen” which may be the heaviest thing the band has ever recorded. But it is the central ten minute “Titan” that most impresses and demonstrates the full breadth of the band’s abilities. Initially crashing in with a familiar Southern goove, the band then take an unexpected minor turn by seguing into a paranoid and psychedelic verse, before finally giving way for an extended atmospheric jam of minimalistic organ, airy synths and distant bluesy guitar licks. It’s a startling and evocative mid-point to the album that signals the way for further experimentation on “Gaia” which continues and improves upon Forked Tongues‘ acoustic raga “Connected” (which now feels like a failed experiment in comparison). Indeed, “Gaia” is a lush hymn, combining layers of crystal clear acoustic guitar arpeggios, tabla drums, and ebows to truly beautiful effect. It might not be to everybody else’s tastes, but if nothing else it’ll shut up the detractors who suggest that Desert Storm are a one-trick pony. And they close the album with two more stormers in the form of “Hofmann” and “Scorpio” anyway, so everyone’ll be happy.

It’s fair to say that Horizontal Life is a step forward for the band in pretty much every sense. The musicianship and production is tight and packs a massive punch and as a result the album feels more cohesive, more assured and yet more experimental than anything they’ve done before. And really, what more can you ask from a band than that they continue to grow and refine what makes them great? The future looks bright for these guys, and with this album behind them and yet more tours with the likes of Karma To Burn on the horizon, the enterprising Desert Storm may soon be trading a Horizontal Life for a vertical climb.

[Originally published by the Sleeping Shaman, 09/04/2013]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/d/desert-storm-horizontal-life-cd-dd-2013/

The Graceful Slicks - Demo 5

(Self-released, 2013)

Though they began life as a ramshackle bunch, knocking out Buffalo Springfield knockoffs, The Graceful Slicks have grown with every successive demo into real musical auteurs, honing the cooler-than-cool essence of 1960s counter culture and taking the energy of garage rock and ethereal space jams to create some of the most enjoyable music currently coming out of Oxford. Although not always the most original of songwriters (they are, after all, shamelessly retrospective), there is considerable skill in making each new release feel like a lost relic from a time long gone, and this lends the band a real sense of authenticity. 

And on 'Aztec Bird Song' the band manage to make a 1960s space jam sound amazingly contemporary. On the other hand, 'Venus Flytrap' is pure, unadulterated Nuggets: Original Artyfacts material – if you listen close enough you can probably hear an electric jug solo buried somewhere in the mix. But it’s opener 'Lucky Pierre', with its hazy lead guitar, busy egg-shaker rhythm and slacker-anthem chorus that is the true star here, bringing to mind The Beta Band.

You’ve got to admire the Graceful Slicks’ dedication to the sixties aesthetic, never allowing themselves to plough into Dad rock territory but instead remaining inspired by the more obscure, fringe artists who continue to be a positive influence on indie music today. Like the Beta Band, perhaps it’s time for the Slicks to compile these demos into a cohesive album – the 5 Demos, perhaps? 

[Originally published in Nightshift magazine, issue 213, April 2013]
http://nightshift.oxfordmusic.net/2013/apr.pdf

Grudle Bay - Running

(Self-released, 2013)

I've had a historically love-hate relationship with Abingdon electronic duo Grudle Bay, having thoroughly enjoyed their early material whilst loathing moments on their more recent releases. Much to my delight, 'Running' is exactly the kind of airy, carefree white-boy funk that my frontal lobe seems to crave, combining as it does all the most joyous elements of 80s new wave, Daft Punk and Air into an intoxicating five minute chunk. Even the fact that the lyrics are kind of throwaway works wonderfully, the chorus of voices merely providing melody and counter-rhythm to the driving kick-drum and generic disco bassline at the heart of the song. It's not often that you can call a track 'mindless' and mean it as a compliment but this is truly the kind of song you can lost inside of if you just allow its glacial elegance to wash over you. Excellent.

[Originally published in Oxfordshire Music Magazine, issue 22, March 2013]
http://www.musicinoxford.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/OMS-22.pdf

Gunning for Tamar - Camera Lucida EP

(Alcopop, 2012)

From the opening chiming piano notes of Camera Lucida, it's crystal clear that Gunning for Tamar mean business. Firstly, this is their best sounding recording by a country mile and that's certainly saying something – when the chunky guitars kick in on opening track 'Yogging' it will actually take you by surprise how heavy they sound and in every other sense you can hear the care that has gone into craft this EP. Gunning for Tamar have always had an incredible knack for making complicated ideas sound simple by infusing them with melody and Camera Lucida is a veritable bag of tricks, changing time signatures and huge emotive choruses. On their last EP Gunning for Tamar time travelled; this EP is a snapshot of a band on better form than ever before, with absolutely everything going for them to ensure they break free of this one horse town.

[Originally published in Oxfordshire Music Magazine, issue 22, March 2013]
http://www.musicinoxford.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/OMS-22.pdf

Spider Kitten - Cougar Club

(Rugland Records, 2013)

Coming out of the excellent and ever-expanding South Wales scene, Spider Kitten are a truly monstrous proposition, both in name and on record. While the band has gone through several incarnations to reach this current line-up, core member Chi Lameo has been a constant driving force behind the band, his musical whims and diverse tastes resulting in albums of drone, noise and – with Cougar Club - unadulterated sludge, doom and sleaze. I won’t pretend to have heard all of Spider Kitten’s stuff – indeed some discographies attest to there being nineteen Spider Kitten releases in all (including live albums and splits with other South Wales artists) – but more than a decade into their incredibly diverse career, Spider Kitten have just released what may well be a defining record in their catalogue.

Perhaps the main thing that will strike you as you listen to Cougar Club is how solid the band sound  and it’s fair to say that Spider Kitten are solid from bottom to top. Heavy-hitting drummer Chris West provides the essential backbone upon which Chi, Luke, Al, and Ptew generously ladle fuzz, samples, effects and layered, melodic vocals to intoxicating effect. The musical vision on Cougar Club is, presumably, to level anything that get in Spider Kitten’s way because from the off it feels like you’re riding on the back of the slowly-lumbering, aforementioned monstrosity. Opening track “Twin Obscenities” sets the foundation for the entire album musically; a chugging river-bed of lava, bubbling bass and fuzzed-out guitars, and melodic singing – something of a rarity among bands of a similar ilk these days. This formula spills into the thunderous and freewheeling “Burdened” which is propelled along (for the most part) by a single stream-rolling note, leaving much of the melody to the bassline and frontman Chi.

“Dark World” takes elements of Electric Wizard’s murky doom, the Melvins’ rhythmic chugging and NWOBHM dual-harmony soloing to create a unique and unusual atmosphere that is true to the song’s title. There is a moment of respite in the form on penultimate acoustic number “Time Takes Its Toll” – a total gem of a song, equal parts dusty Americana, blues and Kyuss’ “Space Cadet.” But final track, the epic “Cougar Club”, may be the boldest song here as it essentially takes all of the elements that make up the rest of the album and condenses it into one massive bitter pill for you to swallow. Starting with a lumbering (again, the only word for it) assault of fuzz bass and guitar, the song crashes along at near-perfect head-nodding tempo as the whole band shout vocals in threatening unison before opening up into a wide expanse of extended bass solos, retro synthesiser jams and unadulterated Pink Floyd prog. Seriously, they make this Cougar Club sound like the most fucking epic thing ever.

I don’t know if there is just something in the water there, but many of the alternative bands that come out of Wales seem to have an eclectic ear for making music, finding ways to turn tried-and-tested formulas on their heads by introducing quirky, unexpected elements to surprise their audiences. Spider Kitten are no exception, and it’s fair to say that their combination of sludge, doom, blues, drone, 80s space electronica and prog make them one of the more interesting bands around at the moment. They may have a bit of a revolving door policy which makes it almost impossible to nail down a definitive line-up but Cougar Club feels definitive because it’s an album with a cohesive musical vision, played with conviction and recorded extremely well. It’s a quality album that is absolutely full of personality, and in the current scene where many new bands consider songwriting secondary to riffing-for-riffing’s-sake, what more can you ask for?

[Originally published by the Sleeping Shaman, 03/04/2013]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/s/spider-kitten-cougar-club-cd-dd-2013/

MONO - For My Parents

(Temporary Residence Limited, 2012)

I’ve always been a massive video game nerd and the aspect of a game that will often make or break the experience for me is the music. If you’re going to be spending a large chunk of your life with a game then the soundtrack had better be good. All of my favourite games are irrevocably tied to their soundtracks and while many modern video games feature sweeping cinematic scores that attempt to match the epic realism that 21st century graphics afford, I’ve always had more of a penchant for the simplicity of a good old fashioned 8-bit tune. It always amazed me the way composers such as Nobuo Uematsu and Koji Kondo squeezed so much adventure, joy, sadness and so many other mixed emotions out of such humble components and technical limitations. In many ways these limitations facilitated greater invention and creativity with the use of sounds and melodies to emulate drums, guitars or even entire orchestras.

Something tells me that the chaps in MONO have spent more than their fair share of time playing video games like The Legend of Zelda and the Final Fantasy series at some point in their lives but they take this influence and play it with the 21st century sheen. Their music has the kind of cinematic quality you come to expect from any band widely labelled as “post-rock” but the larger-than-life, overly emotive melodies that the band orchestrate sound like they began life in an RPG rather than a movie. And just take a look at those song titles; “Legend”, “Nostalgia”, “Dream Odyssey”, “Unseen Harbor” and “A Quiet Place” – tell me they don’t sound like the kind of place-holder, vaguely descriptive or completely referential titles that a game-composer would create, like “Lost Woods” or “Boss Battle.” Hell, I’m surprised they didn’t name a song “Tamaki’s Theme” in honour of their bass-player.

But regardless, MONO are impressive; opening track “Legend” lives up to its name and in rather grandiose fashion it must be said. A beautiful frenetic guitar melody builds to a crescendo of drums, crashing cymbals and the strings of collaborators the Wordless Music Orchestra. You can almost picture sweeping camera shots of snowy mountains reflected in still lakes, lush forest land with horses galloping with their fetlocks blowing in the wind, and in the distance – a setting sun. “Nostalgia” evokes similar imagery with a creeping sense of sadness which bleeds into “Dream Odyssey” on beyond. One thing you can say about MONO is that they manage to create a cohesive, consistent mood throughout the album and they are masterful composers of lush, quasi-classical, guitar-based post-rock.

However, for all its beauty, it has to be said that there is an uneasy sense of familiarity throughout For My Parents. Only one or perhaps two of the songs take their slowly building melodies into unexpected or not-the-obvious areas. Even in the early stages of each song you can kind of predict where the song is going to go and more often than not you will be correct. As a display of compositional understanding and musical chops, For My Parents can’t be knocked – it packs an emotional punch and is, at times, breathtakingly beautiful (see “A Quiet Place (Together We Go)”). But it also washes over you in much the same way that many orchestral scores do which means that when it’s all over the melodies just kind of evaporate into thin air. Ultimately, this is a good album, but what I’m saying is that as far as soundtracks go, this is more Final Fantasy XIV than Final Fantasy VII and any game nerd will know what that means.

[Originally published by the Sleeping Shaman, 15/01/2013]
http://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album-reviews/m/mono-for-my-parents-cd-lp-2012/