Heavy Round-Up

If you've read here enough you know I have a soft spot for heavy rock and metal. Here's a round-up of some records of that ilk I have been digging and playing regularly.

The back of Old Man's Will eponymous debut says "File Under: 70s rock/blues rock/hard rock." That sums them up just right. Hailing from Sweden they are a modern band doing old school heavy rock. They are another great band on the EasyRider Records (about to become Riding Easy due to legal reasons) label. Deep Purple minus Jon Lord is what comes to mind when listening. "An Ennobling Evening" has that Ritchie Blackmore kind of vibe, heavy guitar licks over a thudding beat and wailing Ian Gillian-esque vocal. "Alidheim" is slow burn, rhythm and bluesy vocals before the bottom-friendly guitar lick kicks in. It's a nice debut by a very promising band. I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

The Oath are a couple foxy ladies from Sweden and Germany respectively and a couple guys named Fred (no offense) doing a fast, witchy blend of hard rock and metal. German singer Johanna Sardonis has a fascination with evil things and the hereafter; it bleeds into her lyrics. Swedish guitarist Linnéa Ollson can flat out play. Take the also eponymously-named album opener "All Must Die." That title does not express the end is imminent but that it's eventual, and that it might not be a happy eternity awaiting you. Musically it has a nice time shift in the middle. They do that a bunch keeping things especially interesting. The song titles are as expected: "Night Child," "Black Rainbow," "Death Delight" and "Psalm 7" for example. My copy came direct from Rise Above Records and includes a 7" for "Night Of The Demon." The album cover alone gets attention and the music backs up the look. If you dig devilish metal you'll dig this. It's harmless fun, whether or not they believe the shtick.

Less metal and more heavy rock is the wonderfully named British outfit Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel and their new LP Check 'Em Before You Wreck 'Em. Another offering from Rise Above Records, these fellows bring more 70s inspired rock. These Brits sound more like late-era Ozzy Sabbath. It's not earth-shattering but it's rock n roll and it's fun. Plus their guitarist calls himself Johnny Gorilla and I respect that. They look like they stepped out of the 70s. Denim and boots and weird birds riding motorcycles. It's fun and sort of stupid but the fun is in the stupidness. 100% respect in that statement. I dig it and if you dig loud guitars and heavy rhythm you will dig this. What's not to like about a song called "2 Tonne Fuckboot"?

Here's Old Man's Will doing "Evil Woman"

The Oath and "All Must Die"

YouTube is coming up short on stuff from their new record

so here is a clip from a February show of theirs:

Pass That Shit, Man

One of the ways I find new music is through Twitter. I am not sure how it came to be but I somehow stumbled over a list from EasyRider Records with their Top 10 records of the year. They appear to be a new-ish boutique metal label. One their list they naturally had a couple of their own releases because, you know, promotion. I listened to the records on that list and two of them struck my ear: Banishment Ritual by Sons of Huns and Sweeden Salem's Pot. Yes, Salem's Pot.

I do not know any of the details about Sons of Huns beyond what's in their record. They are a three-piece. They have a strange, hideous space monster gracing the cover of their record. Their name is awesome. They play fast, heavy stoner metal. I think if you have a hideous space creature on your album cover you have to play stoner metal. It is some kind of rule.

The record rocks. There is the goofy Sabotage-era-Sabbath-esque stomp of "Agrenteum Astrum." "Heliolith" sounds like Slayer high on weed. "Horror In Clay" resembles a tuned-down Kill 'em All Metallica. "I'm Your Dad" has a Deep Purple vibe to it, especially in vocalist...actually...I don't know who the vocalist is...the record doesn't say. It's not Ian Gillian, I know that, but the appropriately placed shrieks are Gillian-esque. Much of it reminds me of the more renowned Red Fang.

One drawback is the record is a double LP and I do not think it needs to be. The songs are not extravagantly long. In fact Side B at under ten minutes. Maybe I should be playing it at 45 and not 33, but it sounds fine at 33. That would be funny if I am playing it at the wrong speed. This easily could have been on one disc. Side B closer "Waking Sleep" is this lounge-ish instrumental number that does not sound like a it-must-be-on-the-record-man kind of cut.

Salem's Pot is really the name of a band. I wish I had thought of this. But my band's music does not fit what a band called Salem's Pot should be doing. Salem, home of legendary witches and burnings and troublemaking. Pot, that herb of choice of so many bands. Salem's Pot, a play on Salem's Lot. Ok sure why not. Cover has what appears to be a lady fearing...something. Perhaps it is the hideous space creature from the Sons of Huns record. Spooky, blood drippy lettering. I don't know what Sweeden refers to but it must be spooky.

Music, you ask? What you expect. One song per side. Only a single vinyl disc, thankfully. It starts, it pulverizes your brain, it bids adieu. What's Sweedish for adieu? Frak it, who cares. What does it sound like? Let's say this: If you think a band called Salem's Pot is something you would like, then you will likely not be disappointed here. For Christ's sake, the back of the jacket says "recorded live in an old asylum by the damaged minds of a power trio." Does it really matter whether it sounds like Sabbath (it does) or Slayer or Deep Purple or Bruno Mars?

I sound like I don't like this record. Wrong! It's great! I really like it. Some people like Kanye West and Daft Punk and Lorde and shit like that which gets all the Grammy nominations and all the attention. I like sludgy stoner metal bands. Among other things. This genre makes me happy. I am not a partaker of the stoner part of these bands, but I really dig the music. To me it's fun, it's amusing, it makes me bang my head. Is it Shakespeare? Or the musical equivalent of Shakespeare? Trip Shakespeare? No. Whatever. It's not going to win Grammys or be on the cover of Rolling Stone or on whatever passes for Total Request Live. Maybe it will be on the current version of Headbanger's Ball because that would be awesome. if ever we needed Adam Curry to don his leather jacket and act tough (well, maybe not the second part) it's now. So many metal bands out there that deserve a little bit of limelight.

Don't be a punk. Check them out here.