The month of
March has been a bruiser as customary with the weather. The” in like a lion out
like a lamb” saying smacked the music world here on bandcamp rather inversely.
Bandcamp pounced us like a lion the entire month with no signs of slowing down.
Here are some stragglers I managed to dig up recently. I have been on vacation
all week, so not a lot of new discovery, but with the internet and smart phones
I am always just a click away from greatness. Check these bad boys out.
Familiars – This Water That is Warm (I Will Soon Join) I was not familiar with the Familiars until a couple weeks ago. They popped up on the feed and it took me a while to push play. Probably due to the fact that their catalog was mainly 2-song singles and those are always a bit hit and miss. However, when I finally sat down and pushed play I was enamored withdelight. For those unfamiliar with The Familiars, I'll tell you this much; this single is one of the gnarliest 2 song sequences I've heard all year. By gnarly I mean thick burly riffs, hazy psychedelic vocals and mind altering rhythm that demands repeat attention. Blown away.
Smokey Mirror – Smokey Mirror EP One hell of an EP right here waveriders. Straight out of the heart of Texas, Smokey Mirror hammer us with one of the best EPs of the year so far. Signature Texas blues distorted with desert psychedelics, and scorching with cactus fried vocal chops. The guitars jam with twisted rhythm, pulsate with fuzz drenched doom, and bewilder with an enchanting echo. I can’t wait to see where these guys go from here. Book a show with them, grab the EP, and spread the word. This is hot shit.
Earth Witch – Out of the Shallow These guys caught my ear with not only the intriguing artwork on display, obviously a David Paul Seymour piece, but the energy was present. The massive doom throbs like Sabbath at a blues fest. If an album could come close to resembling the tone on the first Sword album, ‘Out of the Shallow’ nails it. Probably what caught my ear initially and held my attention throughout. The vocals are bothburly and intoxicating without being overbearing, and the riffs are both weighty and bluesy bringing the sound full circle for fans of uber doom, and those that prefer a heavy psychedelic blues affair. There are various physical merch packages including the cassette tape which is actually the same price as the digital only. You are really missing out by not holding something by Earth Witch in your hand. It gets better with each listen as well.
Mosgila – Mosgila This one came out of nowhere. A facebook recommendation by a trusted source and a push of the play button and I was sold. Based in Seattle, Washington, one can’t help but immediately look for a grunge influence. Although the grunge sound is not at the forefront of the scene these days, the Seattle climate always seems to invoke somewhat of a grungey tone. As the album plays through there is definitely a 90’s hard rock vibe going on. But rather than a clone of Stone Temple Pilots or Soundgarden, Mosgila creates more of a modern hard arena rock meets stoner metal. The vocals are the dividing factor that gives this one a nostalgic essence. The guitars are smooth, riffy, and melodic, and the tone screams 20th century Pacific Northwest stoner metal. I hear bits and pieces that remind me of post 2000 hard rock of the like of Tim Narducci of ‘The Watchers’ old band ‘Systematic’, which I’ve always loved. Check this out and give these guys some love. I think they’ve got something special going on here.
Sleeping Tigers – Ancient Request Here we are with another 2-song set that had me completely sold. Straight out of Salt Lake City, UT, Sleeping Tigers roar at us with a fine demo output. Consider my interest in full pique mode. Groove for days, riffs for miles, and the hooks catch you like Yogi Berra on a curve ball.
Ethiva – Sublime Island Here is a band that is worth listening to. With a heavily progressive direction, Ethiva have released an album that will spin you into the abyss with layers of psychedelic infused kraut mixed with melodic strums of metallic force. I was blown away and still am with how much this band is able to impress. Take a listen for yourself. This one is available on vinyl and although I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, it is high on the list of priorities as it’s an absolutely gorgeous album. Also, their debut is stunning and available on bandcamp as well.
Regulus – Quadralith Last but not least we have the brand new full length album by Regulus, whom I’ve featured on the series before. The new album was high on my priority list, and although I can’t afford the vinyl at the moment the music will certainly justify a purchase if you haven’t already. Fuzzy layers of heavy blues build within strapping vocal chops and stoner-fueled groove. Regulus have arrived by way of Quadralith with a 10-song set of powerhouse, riff-driven heavy rock n roll.
March is always a strong month straddling the winter and spring divide taking us from a blustery cold front to fresh and airy pastures. The campgrounds will soon be green as the rivers of music begin to rise with runoff creating waves of sounds for you all to ride. See you next time.
-The Huntsman
