The Soda Shop

Review – Christian Mistress – Possession

hhbrady — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:27:21 +0000

Very like The Devil’s Blood (i.e., highly capable female singer with traditional doom metal/ rock music background), but more 70s rock/metal, less 70s rock/pop. If that made any sense.

Shut up. You read this site. You knew very well what I meant.

“Over and over,” a satanic T-rex, a heavier Kansas… “Pentagram and Crucifix,” almost like a track from Danzig’s eponymous debut (and very nearly as sweet) with its alternating time (i.e., downbeat to forebeat in the verse)… “Conviction” is an (improbably) Y&T-like ripper….

“The Way Beyond” fires up a lap steel-laced acoustic intro and slows things down for a minute or two, before igniting a “Children of the Grave”-esque riff–

seriously, if you’re reading this site, you love stoner/doom riffs. This track alone would complete you sexually:

Guys: you could poke holes in a board with your dick after this one; girls, you could drown a toddler in your panties/knickers.

“Possession” has a great slinky riff not unlike (ironically) Danzig’s “Possession,” (though it’s only reminiscent of it, at best), “Back to Gold” rocks and sways its hips like the best delta blues (Albert King, whaddya think of this?); “There is Nowhere” opens like a continuation of the end of “Symptom of the Universe” (funky, semi-tribal acoustics), “Haunted Hunted” has some freakin sweet twin lead harmonies, and closer “All Abandon” just rocks all-out, NWOBHM-ishly, then closes out this badass baby of a satanicish rock/ metal record with a dissonant, diabolus in musica of a final melody/riff.

All tracks, too, are nicely concise and brief (almost like they were radio-ready! ha! remember that?). No self-indulgent 10-minute tracks here. They can write songs and they do. It’s a nice change from most doom/ metal acts.

All in all: this is really fun doom/stoner/tradition metal. And I’m sober as a nun right now.* Imagine if you were otherwise.

*He said, despairingly.

Introducing… Project Armageddon

Bill Goodman — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:01:35 +0000

of Doom, Metal, open minds & experimentation. Hailing from the northern outskirts of Houston,TX-Project Armageddon consists of members: Brandon Johnson-guitar, Raymond Matthews-drums, and Alexis Hollada-bass and vocals. After recording and touring with their former band, Project Armageddon embarked in a new direction by stripping their sound down to the foundations and beginning with an experimental, open minded attitude as the basis for writing and performing. Within a few months a 3 song demo was released and a full contingent of live material was ready for the stage.

February 2010 saw the release of Project Armageddon’s debut full length cd “Departure”: a self released, 45 minute record that stays true to P.A.’s no holds barred stylistic approach, running the gamit rom straight out doom to somber acoustic tracks to full out effects laden psychedelic guitar tracks, dealing with super-genetic beings, nuclear holocaust, natural devastation, and religious intolerances.

Project Armageddon continued on an extensive show schedule from 2010 to mid-2011 both in the local clubs and around the state as well. In the summer of 2011, Project Armageddon returned to Dungeon Manor studios to record their 2nd full length record: “Tides of Doom”. This was then sent out to be mixed by Supernatural Sound in Kultland,OH over the Fall while the band began demo recording for what will be their 3rd record. Currently, “Tides of Doom” is scheduled to be released in March of 2012 and the band is rehearsing for their upcoming Texas Tour to support the record.

Email: projectingarmageddon@gmail.com
Website: www.reverbnation/projectarmageddon

Daily Bandcamp Album – Capillaries – Into the History of Light

Bill Goodman — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:01:09 +0000

Capillaries is an instrumental band of four from Atlanta, GA. The music of Capillaries captures a dark history and remains willing to stay behind and investigate it. There are hints of ambience with a sense of immediacy driving it along. Noise and melody become unintended bedfellows. Bass-driven leads and non-traditional rhythms become the substratum for soaring guitars that take listeners to new heights just before pummeling them back into the earth.

The Black Angels Announce Austin Psych Fest 2012 Line-Up

Bill Goodman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:12:29 +0000

via Exploding in Sound

[press release] The Reverberation Appreciation Society and The Black Angels are happy to announce that Austin Psych Fest 2012 is confirmed for April 27-29, 2012. The 5th annual festival will be held at Emo’s East & Beauty Ballroom. After last years setting, the Seaholm Powerplant, started redevelopment, the search began for a new home for the fest. After the Black Angels / Wooden Shjips show at Emo’s East & Beauty Ballroom on New Years Eve, it was immediately obvious that the perfect location for the festival had been found.

A limited number of $100 weekend passes are on sale right now HERE and HERE, and are going fast. Weekend passes go up to $120 on 2.1.12. More artists will be announced in early March along with daily schedules and daily tickets for $45.

Below is first round of artists confirmed for Austin Psych Fest 2012, with many more to be announced:

Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Black Angels
The Black Lips
Olivia Tremor Control
Dead Meadow
Wooden Shjips
Bombino
Woods
The Telescopes
Pink Mountaintops
Disappears
Sun Araw
Peaking Lights
Prince Rama
Psychic Ills
Pure X
Indian Jewelry
Sleep Over
Lotus Plaza
Moon Duo
Quilt
The Intelligence
Amen Dunes
Ringo Deathstarr
Headdress
Spindrift
Night Beats
Acid Baby Jesus
The UFO Club
Allah Las
Federale
Quest for Fire
High Wolf
Christian Bland and The Revelators
Cosmonauts
MMOSS
Smoke and Feathers
Orange Revival
The Band In Heaven
The Cush

Check out the Austin Psych Fest 2012 mixtape by Al Lover HERE. For more information head HERE.

FU MANCHU To Celebrate 15th Anniversary Of ‘The Action Is Go’

Bill Goodman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:36:12 +0000

via Blabbermouth

Southern California’s heavy fuzz rock legends FU MANCHU are thrilled to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their 1997 classic “The Action Is Go”. To follow up on the overwhelming response they received from their “In Search Of…15 Years” tour, the hardworking group will be undertaking a headlining tour with a set comprised of this entire fourteen-track album from start to finish. Many of these songs will be performed live for the first time ever.

To coincide with the tour, the band will be reissuing the original album on 180-gram vinyl with double gatefold packaging on the band’s own At The Dojo Records worldwide. The band will also be selling the vinyl reissue as well as the original CD at these shows. On September 14, FU MANCHU will launch their European trek in the U.K. A full listing of the 24-city, 15-country, four-week FU MANCHU “The Action Is Go 15″ tour can be seen below.

Recorded at Grandmaster Studios in Hollywood, California and Sound City in Van Nuys, California and produced by Jay Yuenger of WHITE ZOMBIE, mixed by Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MELVINS) and mastered by Dave Collins (SOUNDGARDEN, BLACK SABBATH, MONSTER MAGNET), “The Action Is Go” was the band’s fourth full length album and the first to feature current lead guitarist Bob Balch. This collection is considered a classic of the band’s catalog. Highlights include the lead single, “Evil Eye”, “Hogwash” and concert classic “Saturn III”.

Originally formed in 1985 as a BLACK FLAG-influenced hardcore punk band called VIRULENCE, FU MANCHU has since become one of hard rock’s most celebrated names. The band released its first single “Kept Between Trees” in 1990 and in the years following, helped give rise to a celebrated style of heavy music tagged “stoner rock” alongside peers such as KYUSS, MONSTER MAGNET and SLEEP. Since its inception, the quartet has built itself a fanatical army of loyal enthusiasts all drawn to the group’s ridiculously catchy, unpretentious music, guitar-driven sound and carefree lyrics centered on “old muscle cars, choppers, vans, skateboarding and science fiction.”

The track listing for “The Action Is Go” is as follows:

01. Evil Eye
02. Urethane
03. The Action Is Go
04. Burning Road
05. Guardrail
06. Anodizer
07. Side Hoax
08. Unknown World
09. Laserbl’ast!
10. Hogwash
11. Grendel, Snowman
12. Strolling Astronomer
13. Saturn III
14. Nothing Done

“We’re stoked that the fans are into us doing the complete album thing again. We look forward to bringing these songs back live to the fans after 15 years,” states FU MANCHU front man/guitarist Scott Hill.

FU MANCHU intends to bring this tour to the U.S. and potentially other countries throughout 2012 and 2013. Details are expected to be announced in the immediate future. Additionally, the band is currently writing new material and plans to release an all new album in 2013.

In addition to Hill, FU MANCHU features guitarist Bob Balch, bassist Brad Davis and drummer Scott Reeder.

FU MANCHU European “The Action Is Go 15″ tour dates:

Sep. 14 – Manchester, UK @ Ruby Lounge
Sep. 15 – London, UK @ Islington Academy
Sep. 16 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell
Sep. 17 – Birmingham, UK @ Academy 2
Sep. 19 – Paris, France @ Maroquinerie
Sep. 20 – Karlsruhe, Germany @ Substage
Sep. 21 – Schaffhausen, Switzerland @ Kammgarn
Sep. 22 – Romagnano Sesia, Italy @ RNR Arena
Sep. 24 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Plaza Club
Sep. 25 – Munich, Germany @ Hansa 39
Sep. 26 – Vienna, Austria @ Szene
Sep. 27 – Berlin, Germany @ Lido
Sep. 28 – Warsaw, Poland @ Hydrozagadka
Sep. 30 – Tallin, Estonia @ Rock Café
Oct. 01 – Helsinki, Finland @ Nosturi
Oct. 03 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Strand
Oct. 04 – Oslo, Norway @ Rockefeller
Oct. 05 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Sticky Fingers
Oct. 06 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ The Rock
Oct. 08 – Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
Oct. 09 – Cologne, Germany @ Luxor
Oct. 10 – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
Oct. 11 – Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effenaar KZ
Oct. 12 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix

RED FANG – New Video Released

Bill Goodman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:28:32 +0000

RED FANG – New Video Released

Touring Europe With Mastodon Now

Portland, Oregon’s RED FANG are premiering their new video today on YouTube for “Hank Is Dead”, which is taken from their critically acclaimed release Murder The Mountains.RED FANG worked with director extraordinaire, Whitey McConnaughy on the video which can be viewed here: h ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgV7hnjoyt0 (below too)

Drummer John Sherman spoke about the “Hank is Dead” video:

“Another great concept from the brilliant mind of Whitey McConnaughy. This one came together super quick with the help of some insane Portland locals and their sick air guitar skills. We basically just threw a big party and had a blast while a bunch of cameras ran. That is my shower Aaron and Bryan and Bobcat are in at the intro, btw. It still has a weird ring around it…”

RED FANG are currently on tour in Europe with Mastodon. The tour runs through February 11^th in London and includes RED FANG headline dates in addition to the shows with Mastodon.

RED FANG are streaming Murder The Mountains in its entirety at this location. The band recorded Murder The Mountains with THE DECEMBERISTS’ Chris Funk and the album was mixed by three-time Grammy Award winner Vance Powell (WHITE STRIPES, THE RACONTEURS). Murder The Mountains is now available on CD, 12″ vinyl, and deluxe digital. The album is available via Relapse HERE and on iTunes HERE

RED FANG EUROPEAN TOUR WITH MASTODON

1/26 ITA, Milan venue tba
1/27 GER, Stuttgart Juha West*
1/28 SWI, Zurich Xtra
1/29 GER, Frankfurt Batschkapp
1/30 GER, Munich Backstage Halle
1/31 GER, Berlin C-Club
2/1 GER, Osnabruck Bastard Club*
2/2 GER, Cologne Essigfabrik
2/3 HOL, Tilburg 013
2/4 FRA, Le Havre Le Mate L’Eau*
2/5 ENG, Bristol Academy
2/6 ENG, Manchester Academy
2/7 SCO, Glasgow Barrowland
2/9 Norwich, UEA
2/10 ENG, Birmingham Institute
2/11 ENG, London Brixton Academy

*Denotes headlining dates*

Rival Sons To Reissue 2011 Album

Bill Goodman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:34:06 +0000

via Classic Rock Magazine

Rival Sons are to release a special edition of last year’s album Pressure & Time.

Out on March 12, this will have two extra tracks – Company Man and This Life On The Road – plus a bonus DVD. The latter will include:

The songs Gypsy Heart, Pressure And Time and Soul live from the High Voltage Festival last year.
Pressure And Time live backstage at the Werchter Festival in 2011.
The official videos for Pressure And Time, All Over The Road and Get What’s Coming.

The Pressure & Time promotional trailer.

The band will be touring the UK in March with Black Stone Cherry.

Find out more at www.rivalsons.com

Bandcamp Rcommendations 1/26/2012

Bill Goodman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:01:30 +0000

Is it Thursday already? Yes, in fact, it’s the LAST Thursday this month. The month flew by pretty quickly. I’m going to stop beating around the bush. All FREE music. Support, support, support and support. If you like what you hear, give back in any way you can. Hell even a “like” on their Facebook page and telling all your friends works when all else fails. Anyways, the music, there are a few instrumentals this week. Lets give the vocalists some rest shall we?

Bear Baiting is the brainchild of bassists Matt Boylan (Cuneiform) and Dennis Valles (Helen 55). The two met at a mutual friend’s show and discussed a 2 bass project. Shortly after, the two got together and started writing material. Valles decided to program all the drums, and take a more DIY approach, tracking and mixing everything. We’re proud of our experiment, and hope you enjoy as well.Bear Baiting play instrumental post rock and shoegaze blend of music. Very interesting and very good stuff indeed.

Tractorass, what kind of name is that? Is it a band that releases an album titled Ass, Gas or Grass? You betcha. Raw and powerful sludgy stoner rock with lots of downtuned moments. It’s the way to go. In fact, go now.

Thelema is a three-headed monster that does not distinguish good from the bad and the ugly. We are basically a devastating beast ready to blow your brains out via aural. Thelma play psychedelic stoner blues rock. The vocals are in their native tongue but that’s neither here nor there, this simply rocks!

Cronicas del Futuroby Poseidóticais another instrumental album of psychedelic, progessive and post rock from South America. Buenos Aires, Argentina to be exact.

It’s Not Night: It’s Space are an instrumental band from New Paltz, NY. Their debut EP titled East of the Sun & West of the Moon is just under 30 minutes of spaced out psychedelic hard rock. It’s something that you have to listen to. Take my word for it.

Towers Bandcamp page simply says “From Portland with love.” Yes, that Portland. Home of some of the best sludge you’ll find. The Fields is their latest release. Grab it.

On August 11th 2008, Field Marshal Hendy (First Strike Battallion) and Admiral of the Fleet Edgar (Black Touts Army) proposed to unite their musical forces, and in doing so created Overgade.
After fighting separately against the unholy Muso Empire for over 10 long years it was high time these young, gifted, noble, handsome, musical Masters of Disasters rode side by side into battle.A challenge was set to write and record 11 rocktangular sonnets of Awesome Power in the space of two earth months to act as the initial rallying cry for Overgade.In alliance and armed with General Colley’s intimate knowledge of the mystical and ancient Rekorditron machine as well as his ability to hit things in time, generous food supplies from the Kebab Kings and loosening beverage provisions from Gupta the mission was a resounding success and the blow to the enemy decisive.The Quest continues…

Introducing… Don Juan Matus

Bill Goodman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:01:06 +0000

Don Juan Matus was formed as a studio project in Lima, Perú, in late 2005 by Joaquín Cuadra and Richard Nossar.
After several months of sporadic jam sessions as a duo (drums – guitar), Cuadra met bassist Hugo Elías through a mutual friend and invited him to join. Rehearsals became more frequent, and it was around this time that Nossar suggested the name Don Juan Matus, setting a goal of self-producing a 7”single or EP. After a while, it became clear that Elías wasn’t too enthusiastic about recording, and the band went on hiatus at the end of 2006.
The band’s activity resumed on January 2007, when Cuadra and Nossar decided to search for a new bass player. After trying Oscar Reátegui Bartra, who plays guitar in the HC band Dios Hastío out, Richard’s long-time friend Manuel Garfias joined the group a couple of weeks prior to the recording of Superzarza at Fonola Studios on February 20th 2007.
Don Juan Matus’ eponymous debut LP was recorded between late February (starting with the above-mentioned recording) and mid-August 2007. With only a couple of songs rehearsed, most of the album material was written in the studio and produced by the trio with the assistance of brothers Saúl and Manuel Cornejo of New Juggler Sound / Laghonia / We All Together fame.
By September, the band had been approached by José Morón (Dios Hastío’s singer and owner of Impulso Ruin Records) who was looking for a group to start a new label (Espíritus Inmundos) with, offering to release the album on CD as soon as the mastering was finished. A limited edition of 300 CDs was released through Espíritus Inmundos in mid-October.
At the end of that month the band decided to accept a deal with Nasoni Records from Berlin, Germany. The disc was remastered by Eroc of Grobschnitt fame and scheduled for a mid-January 2008 release.
In December, the band entered the studio once more to cut a track for a split 7” with Germany’s Angel Of Damnation, to be released in early 2008 through Golden Procession (Japan) and Espíritus Inmundos (Perú). This split was delayed, and it was finally released in October of that year. After the recording was finished, vocalist Alex Rojas was invited to join the band as a full-time member, and in late January 2008, Nasoni Records released the band’s debut album on LP and CD to widespread critical acclaim.
In early February the group returned to MCA Studios to record their second album, which was produced by Garfias and Nossar and finished on May 3rd. During the recording process, Nossar and Cuadra had a personal falling out, ending with the latter’s departure from the band. The album was completed with Garfias and recording engineer Miguel Yance sharing drumming duties (Yance also played tabla on one track).
A couple of weeks prior to the end of the recording sessions, the band incorporated Veronik as singer, flautist, guitarrist and thereminist, giving a new dimension to their already unique sound. The new line-up was completed with the addition of drummer Alfonso Vargas, which Nossar met through graphic artist Pablo Goto in late 2007.
Produced by Garfias and Nossar, on September 6th 2008 Visiones Paganas (Pagan Visions) was released in Lima through Espíritus Inmundos. The album was scheduled for an early 2009 release in Europe through Nasoni Records but, due to a lack of communication between the band and the label, the label decided not to release the album over a concern about exclusivity. StonerRock’s John Pegoraro described Visiones Paganas as a must-have for fans of classic rock and doom, being mostly inspired by the classic Wicker Man film.
Having assembled enough material to enter the studio once again, the band started recording its third LP, starting from a couple of drum patterns recorded by Vargas around August 2008. The recording phase was finished in May 2009, after sporadic sessions due to the studio’s tight schedule, with its mixing and mastering taking up the remainder of that year due to a few logistical nightmares.
The result was definitely worth its labor pains. Más Allá Del Sol Poniente (Beyond The Setting Sun), recorded entirely at Fonola Studios and produced by Nossar, is a darker, more electric and eclectic affair than Visiones Paganas, coming off as more experimental and up-to-date at the same time. The album was released in Perú and Japan simultaneously via Espíritus Inmundos and Golden Procession in early September 2010, meeting an extremely positive reaction in the mainstream press, as well as earning Top 5 Records of the Year accolades in national circulation magazines such as Somos and Caretas, the former of which described the record as “a magnificent blend of avantgarde hard rock and ambient folklore”.
2011, while being musically uneventful for the band due to Nossar and Garfias moving away from Lima, brought logistical bliss in form of a deal with Germany’s Clostridium Records. The label gave Visiones Paganas the vinyl release it rightfully deserved in early September, with the LP version of Mas Allá Del Sol Poniente set to follow in July / August 2012. The band is also making arrangements to book a few recording sessions later this year, likely to result in a fourth full-length release, with a split 7” with Óxido and a rarities compilation called Espejismos due to come out before the LP.

The Soda Shop Records Presents: Forged in Flame EP

Bill Goodman — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:15:41 +0000

Forged in Flame’s Gary Kane (vocals) had offered this EP up to use to give away for free download before. The album was stored in MP3 format on a Megaupload server. That service is no longer in use so the band has allowed us to give you the album for FREE once again. This time it’s hosted on the ever awesome Bandcamp and in full lossless format for those who prefer it.

The EP was released in 2008 and contains 4 songs:

Miss Mothership
Black Halo
A Ravens Cage
Hexa

Fans of anything metal, particularly stoner and heavy are going to all over this. The band is current;y active in the studio pumping out their first full length album due out sometime spring/summer 2012. Head on over to their Facebook page and “like” them to keep tabs on the progress as they put it out. Click on the player below to listen to to go to the download page to get your copy. Enjoy!