onsdag 30 maj 2018

Dagens Musiktips: Skull Mountain

Det är ju inte helt ovanligt att det dyker upp spännande split-record projekt mellan två band (oftast). Men som i fallet Skull Mountain, att inte mindre än fyra olika skivbolag i olika delar av världen går ihop och gör ett dubbelalbum, där varje bolag får var sin sida att presentera band på, det känns mer än unikt.

Det är i alla fall vad bolagen Ripple Music, Kozmik Artifactz, Twin Earth Records och DHU Records gjort i mastodontprojektet Skull Mountain. En dubbelplatta som ges ut i 500 exemplar, där varje bolag har 125 skivor i sin egen färg till salu. Först till kvarn med andra ord. Själv siktar jag in mig på D.H.U. versionen.





www.ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/products
darkhedonisticunionrecords.bigcartel.com
http://twinearthrecords.storenvy.com
http://shop.bilocationrecords.com/

skivan innehåller följande band:

Side Ripple
The Watchers – Starfire (Cosmic Nebula mix)
Kingnomad – Dewer’s Hollow
Blackwulf – The Tempest (Black Tide mix)
Vokonis – Celestial Embrace

Side Twin Earth
Alastor – Blood on Satan’s Claw
Kabbalah – Abomination
Starts that Move – Give It All Away
Haunted – Crossmoth

Side D.H.U.
Disenchanter – More Evil Than Thou
Dawn – Day of the Lord
Witch Ritual – Drawing Down the Moon
Youngblood Supercult – Sticky Fingers

Side Kozmik
The Heavy Eyes – Home
Devil Electric – Devil’s Bells
Red Spektor – Devil’s Keeper
Hair of the Dog – My Only Home




Swenglish version:
It is not that unusual with exciting split-record projects to appear. Ususally between two bands. But as in the case of Skull Mountain, with no less than four different record companies from different parts of the world to join forces and make a double album, where each company has its own side to present bands from their labels, that feels more than unique.
 

In any case, thats just what the companies Ripple Music, Kozmik Artifactz, Twin Earth Records and DHU Records made in the joint release Skull Mountain, a mastodont project. A double record, issued in 500 copies, where each company has 125 discs in its own color for sale. In other words, First come, First served. I'm going for the D.H.U. release

torsdag 24 maj 2018

Recension : Nils Patrik Johansson - Evil Delux

Alla som följt denna blogg vet att jag inte är så förtjust i pompös svulstig synt metal alá Sabataon, Civil War och Astral Doors. Enstaka sånger kan vara ok, men i en samlad mängd blir det bara för mycket.

Vilket gör att att jag blir lite fundersam när jag sitter med Nils Patrik Johanssons första soloplatta, Evil Delux, i handen. Det han gjort tidigare i just Civil War och Astral Doors har som sagt inte lämnat några större spår i mitt inre. Hur blir det nu med solodebuten? Fakta är ju att Nisse har en helt ok pipa, även om den allt som oftast låter aningen krystad. Skall han nu ta lite nya spännande tag?






Nä, det blir samma av allt det gamla. Det är svulstighet, det är pompöst, det är plattityder, om än trallvänliga melodier, dubbelbaskaggar, syntmattor och inget nytt under solen överhuvudtaget.
Även om jag först blev lite positivt överraskad, för öppningsspåret, "Evil Delux", kändes lite svängigt och med lite glimten i ögat. Men jädrar vad det gick fort över, för redan nästa låt, "Estonia", som handlar en person som håller på att lida drunkningsdöden, under Estoniakatastrofen. Men till skillnad från en annan låt med liknade tema, "Balladen om Briggen Blue Bird av Hull", som ger mig en klump i halsen varje gång jag hör den med Imperiet, så ger den här låten mig mer en smak av kräks i munnen, då den mer känns onödigt spekulativ. Den här känslan bara ökar i nästa låt, "Gasolin". För även om jag håller med om andemeningen i låten att många förövare kommer undan med för lindriga straff, så tycker jag att som i låten, på egen hand rensa i träsket med bensin, blir lite osmakligt.

Men som sagt, allt är inte mörker, det finns ett par låtar som är hyfsat bra. Titelspåret, Hyllningslåten till Metal, "Kings And Queens", till exempel. Men tyvärr gör det inte detta till en bra platta i mina öron. Men hjälper upp betyget till en 2:a.

2 - Godkänt. För fans & samlare

Album Rating: 2/5
Favourite Tracks: Kings And Queens
Label: Metalville
Release:  25:th May, 2018
For More Info Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/Nilspatrikjohansson/

torsdag 10 maj 2018

Music tip of the day : Merlin - Christ Killer 4K

Earlier this year In had the great fortune to review Merlin's album The Wizard. A truly great album. At Easter the band made a grand gesture when they choosed to give away an restored version of their earlier album Christ Killer, from 2014. An album loosely based on a movie script made by Nick Cave for an eventual sequel to the movie Gladiator. The movie was never made, could be that the script was more than a little "over the top". But it could have been very amusing (read amazing) movie.
So Merlin made a Doom rendering of it instead, and it's a good one to say the least.

Or as the band them self puts it:
Restored in Ultra-High Definition, this version of our classic re-telling of Nick Cave's Gladiator II is crisper, more deadly and heavier than ever before including all the original footage and some deleted scenes scrapped during the original recording. Remixed by resident madman Bret Liber and intricately restored by Merlin during this cold winter, we worked hard to give you this new cut by Easter.

"Christ Killer 4K" is completely free as most of you already have been jamming it for years now; after all, who doesn't own more than one copy of your favorite Movie? Share it, Pirate it, and Upload it; this is our gift to all of you for your undying support over the years...enjoy.

Happy Easter,
Merlin.
So get your copy at Bandcamp. And if someone decides to release it as a vinyl, let me know. Or I just have to look up the old release, as it is very nice. Even if it lacks some songs.



Facebook

tisdag 8 maj 2018

Desertfest - Daughter of Spades & Will of Spades reports


Desertfest 2018

This weekend I got to go to Desertfest in London along with my boyfriend Will. It was the first time attending this festival for the both of us, so we didn’t really know what to expect. I am a massive fan of festivals, and going to my favourite ones are usually one of the highlights of my summers every year. The festivals I normally attend are usually set out on the country side and have a camping site which makes for a nice community feel and a complete escape from everyday life. Since Desertfest is set in Camden, central London it doesn’t have a camping site for it’s visitors which worried me slightly. Would the festival be able to create that sort of belonging and  secludedness that other events have? The lineup for this years edition of the festival was very strong so I thought that the great bookings would at least make up for the lack of camping site and party, but as soon as we arrived I saw that my scepticism was for nothing.

Desertfest has a small street closed off especially for the visitors of the festival where you can purchase a bit of merchandise and have a drink in the sun, and this little area is where we spent most of our time between gigs. It was very well set up and added that feeling of community that I was afraid would be missing. As this was Wills first time at an event like this he also really appreciated being able to sit there and reflect upon the shows, meet new people and just generally have a great time. 

So over all we were really pleased with the organisation of Desertfest and I can’t really find anything to complain about. The shows were well set up and within short distances of each other, the closed off street was great and the visitors were equally as fantastic as everything else. The only thing I can note as a problem was that the organisers might have under estimated the popularity of certain bands, like Dopelord. I was very excited for this particular show but we ended up leaving after about 3 songs due to the venue being so overcrowded. Since they were playing at a small pub there wasn’t a lot of space, and the security seemed to just let people in without checking if the venue was at capacity or not. I am only 4.11 in height which causes enough issues as it is when it comes to going to concerts, but when a place is so packed that people can hardly move and it’s extremely hot it just becomes impossible for me to stand it. 

I don’t want to drag on for too long about the festival in general as i feel that I have mentioned the things I needed to mention. We were obviously mainly there to catch some gigs. We did only have 24 hours to spend at Desertfest which was very sad as we enjoyed ourselves massively, but we managed to catch some fantastic shows, and one not so fantastic show within those hours.  Let’s just start with the good bits. 

Radio Moscow

I knew very little of this band before Desertfest, and hadn’t really planned to watch the show, but we wanted to make sure we were on time for Jex Thoth who was playing right after in the same venue. I am very happy that we got to see the last half of the Radio Moscow show because it was really a pleasant surprise. 

This trio was explosive on stage and you could tell that they enjoyed themselves. This is something I find very important in live shows. If I can tell that the band are loving what they’re doing I am more likely to enjoy it. This was very much the case with Radio Moscow. The audience were really enjoying the show (at least from what I could see) and I did find myself stomping along to the intense and deep drums more often than I didn’t. Something i normally find a bit annoying is guitar solos, or solos of any kind that drag on for longer than they need to, but i was surprised to find myself feeling excited and impressed by the long solos this band played through out the gig. 

This was truly a talented group of guys! 

Jex Thoth

i think this gig was the one that both me and Will looked forward to the most. For me it wasn’t the first time seeing them live, but for Will it was. I was excited to see what he would think of it. 

As soon as Jex steps on stage you’re transported into some trans like state, and it is magical. It is almost as if she can feel the music in her body, and her stage presence alone is enough to really drag you in deep. That stage presence that she is so well known for, along with the fantastic band makes for a very intense and memorable show and I do urge everyone to take the chance to see Jex Thoth live when you get the chance.

Will was very impressed with gig as well, but felt that he wasn’t in the right mood for her slow paced, heavy sound at the time. Most likely because we had enjoyed a few beers at that point and he was feeling a bit up beat. I however enjoyed this set more than the first time I saw them in Sweden a few years ago. The only downside was that her beautiful voice got a bit drowned out by the band if she wasn’t pushing as hard as she could. 


Napalm Death

I felt that Napalm Death was a slightly odd booking for a festival who focuses on stoner and doom rock, but they are a very popular band who attracts a big audience. The Electric Ballroom was packed with people for the show, and although I myself have never been a massive fan of Napalm Death I thought we might as well have a little look. 

It was obvious that people were very excited for the gig, but for us it just fell flat. It did however seem like we were the only ones who didn’t have a good time. Most of the songs felt like they melted together and there wasn’t any good variation to keep things interesting. Along with the music not being to our taste, the performance didn’t make it any better. Watching Napalm Death on stage was like watching a mid life crisis unfold in real time. Mark Greenway jumps around on stage almost non stop but it just looks messy and slightly forced. When he is not jumping around like a madman he describes the meaning of songs as a criticism of the way society is. These descriptions sound like something that would come out of an angsty teenagers mouth and it’s hard to take it seriously when it’s actually coming from a middle aged man. 

I really do think that Napalm Death would have been better to book for another festival. 


So this concludes my thoughts about Desertfest 2018. Both me and Will had such a fantastic time, and are already talking about going back next year to hopefully be able to attend all 3 days. I highly recommend anyone who loves doom and stoner rock to plan their visit. 

And finally, a massive thank you to Desertfest for having us there and letting us write this review! We will see you next year again, I’m sure!


https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon/

Blast from the past and the love for my wife

Today I celebrate 26 years together with my wonderful wife. So, to celebrate I will play you all our song.


måndag 7 maj 2018

List of the day : The whole list..or the grand deluxe 32!

Long Time, no List.
But we can do right by that now, good people. After a weekend of amazing weather here in Sweden, which seems to last for a while, I thought the following bands would be fitting companions for this spell of warm weather. 
And as a reminder, this time in English. Some of the bands that I present here will be offering their music digital for more or less nothing (name your price), so remember, be generous if you like the music.I mean, if you'd met the band you'd probably bought them a beer or two..


Realm
I should already have covered the album Read Clay Dead River as it was released at the start of the year, and I have listened to it from time to time since then. Its a slab of pure heaviness. It's gritty, with lots of attitude. But also filled with great songs. And not to mention the album cover art is stunning.




Uncrossing
This self titled EP was also released earlier this year. Great vocals, backed up by solid guitar riffage and . Slow and enchanting. I most certain want to hear more. Lots mor





Lâmmia
This band, hailing from Brazil, have some similarities with Uncrossing. A similar line up, a quartet with Female vocals and a heavy and groovy framework. But Lâmmia differs in their dirtier approach and a slight heavier sound.


Facebook

Gypsy Sun Revival
This little gem was released in December last year, but nevertheless, this is truly amazing good music. Bluesy psychedelic grooves, a singing that sometimes soars on the brink of collapsing. I love it. And looking at the cover, made by Robin Gnista. As I said before, it seems like you can use the fact that he's done the artwork as a seal of proof for great music. 


fredag 4 maj 2018

BANG!

Everyone into early 70's stuff need to hear this. Period.  
Bang was an American band that in later days is mentioned as the US equivalent to Black Sabbath. And even as there is some similarities, I don't think it's fair at all all. There is a bigger dimension to Bang overall. There is a more political, more proggie vibe to Bang. A more diverse dimension to the music. More melodies, less brooding darkness. More social meaning. In English terms, Beatles meets Black Sabbath, combined with Pink Floyd and with a hints of Jethro Tull and The Fugs
For us Swedes, it makes more sense to add November and a sprinkle of Hoola Bandoola Band to the mix as well. 
Or as an simple conclusion, one of the American musical history's most underestimated bands.



Now, in courtesy of Ripple Music, we mortals have a chance to lay our dirty small hands on this amazing slab of music called "The Best Of Bang!" And I can assure you, that this is really a best of more than Bang themselves. 
This is a must for everyone that adores the sound of the 70's.

Available worldwide on double vinyl LP with gorgeous gate-fold, featuring rare photos, a cover featuring the original BANG girl and liner notes by esteemed music journalist, Sleezegrinder, Best of BANG is also available on digipack CD and all digital music formats. Grab it if you can, you wont be disappointed.



https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/best-of-bang

 From Spader Ess, this is a solid 5



onsdag 2 maj 2018

Desrtfest London warmup again.

So we have now gone through Friday and Saturday, of the Desertfest London, and that leaves us at the closing day Sunday.

This is by far the most problematic day for me to get my head around, as this day brings collisions in abundance for me.

The bands I really would like to see this day are as follows:
The Necromancers, King Buffalo, Hawkwind and Monster Magnet. But as I just got the chance to see King Buffalo the other day, I guess that it would be The Necromancers for me on this occasion.

The bands leading up to the Hawkwind gig, is more or less an open book for me, but I guess that Chrch would be Sundays opening act closely followed by LLNN.
And as Hawkwind is important for me and Nebula is a great band who are playing just before, makes a natural selection.

Now we just have to wait and see what Spader Daughter And Will of Spades cooks up for us at the festival. I'm excited and I hope you are as well.

More info:
http://www.desertfest.co.uk/home

tisdag 1 maj 2018

The Desertfest warmup continues

Last article was a chart of how my Friday of the London Desertfest would look like, if I was attending, so the natural step is of course to continue with the scheme of Saturday.
But first I have to make a correction of yesterdays article, as it's not Old Man Wizard that are opening the Friday set, but Old Man Lizard. I guess it's down to my Old Man Eyes, that I got it wrong (or wishful thinking). But what the heck, I could give them a try instead.

The first act I would take a look at would probably be Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell even if I never heard much of them earlier. But they have the coolest band name of the starting acts and sometimes that's enough. Then over to this festival's busiest man , Wino for his acoustic set (he plays on Friday too with The Obsessed). You can never get to much Win(e)o.
After that it would be a period of drinks and refreshments I guess, as the next act I would like to see are Dead Witches, follow directly by Black Rainbows, even if I would have to cut their set short to be able to get to see The Watchers. A gig that probably would be the highlight of the day for me.
Which is leaving the final act open since I don't rally have any direct favorites among the closing acts this night. I would say I'm leaning towards Darkher at this point. Which concludes Saturday for me.

But as said yesterday, this might not be what my corespondents are going to cover at all. Til' next time.... 



More info:
http://www.desertfest.co.uk/home

Warming up for Desertfest London

So, this upcoming weekend the London based version of Deserttfest kicks of, and even if I myself wont be there, Spader Ess (Ace Of Spades) will have reporters in place.

The big city festival attracts with an abundance of good bands. What would I try to see myself if I was there? Well, here comes my dream list for the festival kicking of with Friday.

I would start at "The Underworld" scene, or it would be here I would reside more or less the whole day. 
First of with the amazing Old Man Wizard followed by the Black Wizards and Black Moth. I would probably stay even for Freedom Hawk. Then quickly head head over to "Koko" to The Obsessed
So far nothing coincides gig wise, but now it gets a little trickier. Stay for our Swedish pride Graveyard or mosy on back to the previous location for Jex Toth? Hard one, haven't seen any of them live but wanted to for a long time. It might all cook down to what mood I was at the time. Probably I would go for Graveyard in the end.

After this, it's a no brainer again. Of to "The Devonshire Arms" for Dopelord and after a little R&R, finish the night at "The Electric Ballroom" watching old time favorites ASG.

But this is my list, What the festival correspondents Spader Daughter and Will of Spades are going to attend, who knows? I have a few guesses though...

More info:
http://www.desertfest.co.uk/home





Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...