Lonely Kamel – Dust Devil

Lonely Kamel – Dust Devil
Napalm – 2011
Rock, Blues, Hard, Seventies, Stoner
Waardering: *****

The first two records by the Norwegian foursome Lonely Kamel were pretty decent and when they performed on stage you could easily be entertained with a few beers down yer throat. But they never really seemed to amaze or blew you away. Their new record Dust Devil is of a completely different league. At the very first tones this one grips you by the throat, demands your complete attention and never lets go. Loosely inspired by a weird Australian movie from 1992 this album is filled to the rim with phenomenal heavy blues songs, groovy stoner and seventies hardrock. The wild and haunting voice in full overdrive of singer Thomas Brenna is extremely righteous and when the fascinating rhythms coarse through your veins you are simply hypnotized. As if the Dust Devil himself has gotten hold of you and enchanted you with incredible riffs, dark drums and a full trotting bass that defines everything. And when a band sees this amount of progress in just one year; we all know what that means… The Devil has gained another soul…

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Hooka Hey – Little Things

Hooka Hey – Little Things

All Tube Records/Domino Media – 2011
Rock, Seventies, Stonerpop, Blues, Folk
Waardering: ****

The Parisian quartet Hooka Hey started their adventure in 2006 under the name Sentenza And The Holsters. But after the departure of two members; singer and founder Hugo Parrish thought it was time to change the name. So with two new members and under the name Hooka Hey the band dived headfirst into the Paris nightlife to change many a bar into a dark blues den where only after many a beer a twisted folk tune could be heard. The self-titled 2008 album and the acoustic The Country Side from 2009 are a perfect reflection of those years. But gradually more and more temporary rock influences were added to their sound. Think of a basis of Led Zeppelin and Gun Club with colorings by White Stripes, Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with small little pieces of folk interspersed. On their new EP Little Things this is presented as a smooth, stunning and racy lady that dances off into a dark and exciting night. So let’s hope their full-sized record appears quickly; cause we have an appetite for a wild and thrilling night…

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Hooka Hey - Hush Me

Sex Type Thing – Checked Up By Time

Sex Type Thing – Checked Up By Time
Self released / RAIG – 2011
Rock, Hard, Stoner, Grunge, Alternative
Waardering: **

The groundwork for the Russian Sex Type Thing was already laid back in the late nineties when singer Michael Chigidin and guitarist Pavel Voinov played together in bands like Airbag, Ty Cobb and Ebola before starting Sex Type Thing in 2001. But it took them to eight years to get that band going and release their debut album Southern Dreams From Northern Reality. Two years on they are set to release their follow-up: Checked Up By Time. Here we can hear their alternative nineties rock roots shine through and sound a bit like the later Nickelback variation to the theme. But we also hear some harder Pearl Jam and the obvious Stone Temple Pilots influences. Heavy blues and logical choruses. Checked Up By Time is not a bad album; but a bit too mediocre and nowhere does it become exciting of surprising. Best song is by far the different bluesy last track of the record called: Long Way Home Blues. Maybe with the change in bassist and drummer it will take a bit longer for the Russians to become balanced again; cause now they do not carry enough of their own weight to the table…

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Ape Machine – War To Head

Ape Machine – War To Head
Self released – 2011
Rock,Stoner,Blues,Seventies
Waardering: ****

Last year the American fivepiece outfit Ape Machine surprised us with a superb debut album called This House Is Condemned. The album was an ode to the seventies riffage and bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Blue Cheer. With their new record War To Head they boldly continue as a foursome down that chosen path. Dark blues with psychedelic influences and an all present feeling that ‘everything is about to happen’. Vocalist Heinze sounds once again like the perfect frontman with a smoky, haunted voice and mystical lyrics that could easily have been taken from some forty year old lost booklet. With a sublime organic momentum delivered by bass player Brian True and drummer Monte Fuller we headbang and bob along for nine songs. Intense melodies, cutting riffs and solo experiments which are turned into mighty pieces of art on stage. War To Head is liquid seventies and supernatural inspiration. True and powerful rock ’n roll!

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A Black Sabbath Reunion?

A possible Black Sabbath reunion?!

And on other Black Sabbath news… A Black Sabbath reunion might be on the horizon after all. This is what guitarist Tony Iommi mentioned casually during a radio-interview with PlanetRock. He has sat down and talked about this together with his former band-members Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler. They have even picked up their instruments and played together one afternoon. Nothing is definitive yet and nothing has been agreed upon… But with Ozzy claiming the possibility as well a few weeks ago; something is definitely in the cards… But who knows…

So what do you reckon?

An amazing biography about Tony Iommi

An amazing biography about Tony Iommi

Dutch music magazine mogul, tourmanager and all-round good guy Tjerk Lammers has finally finished his biography about Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. In the book with the aptly title Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath, Iommi speaks about all he has had to endure in the band and outside and how he always kept trucking. With amazing stories and in great detail he tells Lammers about his life and Lammers translate this to paper with a magical craftsmanship. Taking almost ten years to complete and working through 52 hours of interview sessions with the man on tape he learned a lot from Iommi: “Whenever I felt like throwing in the towel or when the mountains looked way to steep I just thought of Tony and his ability to keep on going through whatever hardship he endured. I mean the guy lost part of his finger and he still wanted to become the best axe-slinger…”

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Valhall – Red Planet

Valhall – Red Planet
Hammerheart/Housecore – 2011
Stoner
Waardering: ***

Three albums in almost twenty-five years. Save to say we cannot claim that the Norwegian guys from Valhall are smothering us with an overdose of records. Founded in1987 they released three demos till 1991 after which a period of line-up changes occurred. In 1995 they had found their own sound and it was deemed time to release their first record called Moonstoned. Followed two years later by Heading For Mars. And their album Red Planet was recorded in 2000 but only became available in 2009. And has now gotten a re-release via Phil Anselmo’s label Housecore. Red Planet is a nice mix of stoner with some doom-influences and a love for Sabbath Riffs. Ringing fuzzguitars that force-feed a gigantic piece of groove with some mighty force; or hardrock with a poppy feel and never shun psychedelics and even delve into some proggy jazz. A divers record from a couple of guys who just feel like doing whatever they want. Let’s hope it won’t take till 2019 before their fourth album hits the stores…

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Redcoats - Dreamshaker

Search For Delta 9 – Before Somewhere

Search For Delta 9 – Before Somewhere
HighB – 2001
Stoner
Waardering: ****

One of the few sentences to be found about Search For Delta 9 is the following: “Delta 9 fit all the criteria's for the quintessential stoner rock outfit.” And this sentence is absolutely true and absolutely right. The Australian three-piece based out of the seaside in Sydney did not last long and only recorded one two song single back in 2001 called Before Somewhere. It’s desert rock and fuzzy stoner at it’s finest. Unfortunately the band stopped playing shortly after due to the fact to quote singer/guitarist Mat McHugh “Where we grew up around here on the beaches, every guy was in a band like that, maybe not stoner but either that or punk or metal – all distorted guitars and screaming”, he recalls. “I got to the point where I was just done with that. I mean, I live on the beach, I’m not really that angry... It was a lot of fun, but I knew there was some other side to me than just that... The whole thing was, calling the band The Beautiful Girls and playing really mellow acoustic music – at the time it wasn’t in any way fashionable. This was before the whole surf movement or whatever happened, and I was like, ‘I’m gonna do this style of music and I’m gonna call the band The Beautiful Girls and I’m gonna piss all the other guys in the rehearsal studio off!’ At the time that seemed like the most punk rock thing we could have done, after what we’d come from.” So that’s where Mat went; to form roots, pop, rock band The Beautiful Girls. Taking the other two guys with him for a while. But bassplayer Clay MacDonald went of on his own little journey; after playing with The Beautiful Girls first. Later on he toured with Angus and Julia Stone and he’s now doing something with the strange reggae, laid-back rock Orange Bird outfit. Drummer Mitch Connelly had a similar story. Starting with Beautiful Girls, moving to London to play with Angus and Julia Stone; and dating her at the time inviting Clay down and he is now still playing with Julia. The search for Search For Delta 9 is over...

We now know what happened…

Thanks to the kitty...

The Parlor Mob – Dogs

The Parlor Mob – Dogs
Roadrunner – 2011
Rock, Hard, Seventies
Waardering: ***

In the year of our Lord 2004 in some dirty back-alley neighborhood of New Jersey five buddies decided to form a band. And after that The Parlor Mob started to perform like a mad dog and soon became famous in the live circuit. So it does not have to amaze many that their debut-album And You Were A Crow was released by Roadrunner in 2008. After that they resumed their quest to conquer the world via incredible live performances. Last year they reckoned it was time to record a follow-up record. During that process their bass-player decided to quit and it took a little while to find a new one. But now the band is complete again and their new album Dogs has been finished. On this they continue down that road they were already travelling. Authentic retro rock with a dash of hardrock and completely grafted on that seventies feeling. But now the band sounds even more aimed at a larger audience and filled stadiums; grand, stirring and radio-friendly. But if they will succeed in this quest remains to be seen. It all seems a bit too interchangeable…

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Freedom Hawk – Holding On

Freedom Hawk – Holding On
Small Stone – 2011
Rock, Stoner, Doom, Metal, Classic
Waardering: *****

On their third full-sized album the American freaks from Freedom Hawk once again pull out all the Black Sabbath stops available. And where most bands that try such a feat immediately go wrong, Freedom Hawk shows on their new record Holding On that they know how to do it right. Ofcourse thanks to guitarist/singer T.R.Morton who sounds an awful lot like Ozzy. But besides him we hear a new era Iommi in the form of guitarist Matt Cave. And where the band used to be compared a lot to Fu Manchu that resemblance has faded a bit. Gone are a lot of the groovy and lazy pieces and we are now treated to up-tempo driving arrangements and classic metal. Sure; we still get a few of those easy going influences but above all Holding On is a one of the most genuine and beautiful ode’s to the almighty riff released this year. Venomous soloing, mean drum pounding; grand in rhythm, structure and intent. ‘Looking for perfection…’ Morton sings in Nomad; and that is exactly what he found…

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Japanese Voyeurs – Yolk

Japanese Voyeurs – Yolk
V2/Spinefarm/COOP
Rock, Stoner, Hard, Grunge
Waardering: ***

Her voice holds the middle between a whiny little girl, a feisty Lolita and a rough and wild rockchick. It might take a little getting used to the voice of guitarist/singer Romily Alice of the British formation Japanese Voyeurs. But when she has hypnotized you with her razor-sharp velvety voice there is nothing left to do but embrace her. Although she’d probably kick you square in the nuts for trying that. The five-piece started out in 2007 and have now released their full-sized album Yolk. Besides the attractive singer and her distinct voice the record is filled with rock songs that refer to the nineties. A sort mix between grunge, riotgrrrl punk and that of the somewhat later stoner genre. A mix between Alice In Chains, Hole, Distillers and Queens of The Stone Age. On occasion it gets even a bit harder but it also get a lot more radio-friendly from time to time; but it’s always entertaining, interesting and exciting even though it might not be all that original. But hottdamn; it was about time for a new rockvixen!

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Japanese Voyeurs - Cry Baby

Kamchatka – Bury Your Roots

Kamchatka – Bury Your Roots
GMR/Bertus – 2011
Rock, Blues, Stoner
Waardering: ***

On their fourth album Bury Your Roots the Swedish freaks from Kamchatka decide to pull open a nice can of nineties (alternative) bluesrock which borrows the sugar from the seventies. Ofcourse the threesome still use that tiny layer of stoner they are known for but those roots are most of the time buried under catchy guitar-lines and a lovely groovy singer. Guitar-player and vocalist Thomas Andersson sounds like a bluesman reborn who does not just sing because he has to, but because he wants to and claims it. Making the songs sound fresh and roomy without becoming too frivolous. And with the help of ex-Opeth keyboard-player Per Wiberg again on songs like Before Things Get rough we get treated to some grade A classic rock and albeit none to innovating it is always invigorating. Up-tempo bluesrock without too much hassle or useless attire; simply wonderful.

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Backwoods Payback – Momantha

Backwoods Payback – Momantha
Small Stone/Bertus – 2011
Rock, Stoner
Waardering: ***

Lovely authentic stoner in the vein of Kyuss, that’s the easy and an accurate way to describe the new record Momantha by the American formation Backwoods Payback. Though you’d forget to mention that this third album also has a small tingle of radio friendly rock and that Momantha also carries with it a caseload of southern rock influences. Even though the major part exists out of raw, rude, hefty, intimidating, pushing, no-nonsense stoner set in a low tempo. With a voice still resembling that of Danzig on occasion, with a pitch similar to that of Garcia and a bunch of tasty gritty riffs which sound like Clutch on certain moments, their album Momantha is again a step in the right direction. But one that shows ever more that Backwoods Payback still got a lot to offer!

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Night Beats – Night Beats

Night Beats – Night Beats
Trouble In Mind – 2011
Rock, Sixties, Surf, Psychedelic, Garage
Waardering: ****

Memories of years never lived, psychedelic experiences in dark caverns and Roky Erickson dancing in front of you with the tip of a needle right in front of your eyeball. There’s no old scratched vinyl of some obscure sixties band spinning on the record player but a brand new one. It’s the guys from Night Beats who originated from Texas but are now operating from Seattle who with their gravelly and sleazy garage rock tap straight into the heart of the soul of years long gone. And even though they add little to the musical experiments from those years; they know exactly how to perform their version of everything that came before them with the utmost perfection. Screaming guitars drowning in fuzz, flat tin can drums and a wailing and yelping singer who dance before you in Day-Glo paint in the right combination of lo-fi production and crackling reverb. Like a wonderful dream that fades at the morning light but makes every fiber in your body tingle for the remainder of the day…

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Morkobot – Morbo

Morkobot – Morbo
Supernatural Cat – 2011
Rock, Robot, Instrumental
Waardering: *****

Picture old worn down factories still operational; with brass and copper robots hard at work; hammering and beating and big steam exhausts everywhere huffing and puffin; with automatic lines gone haywire and every tool hitting another different piece of pipe to the rhythm of some weird and ancient beat. The new album Morbo from the Italian three-piece formation Morkobot is the perfect copy of such a profound imagery and is live performed with equal zeal and perfection as on record. With their hypnotic, obscure and ever changing time signatures they weave intricate and sublime pieces of chaotic jams to occupy your mind. Morkobot has never been easy listening; but with this album they take it a step further and demand your utmost attention. The two bass’s focuses your brain on the complex riffs and rhythm arrangements while the drums complete these, keeps them in line and fills them up like a magnetic beast. This is no music for the quiet soul; but for the disgruntled steamrobot about to break down and collapse into a million little pieces of machine…

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