The Bateleurs – A Light In The Darkness

 

 

 

The Bateleurs – A Light In The Darkness

Discos Macarras Records – 2025

Rock, Blues

Rated: ***

There’s something wild and uncontrollable about the Portuguese blues rock warriors The Bateleurs. Uncontainable since they dropped their The Immanent Fire back in 2018. But still, it still feels like their sound has been rumbling underneath the earth, building and waiting, for the right time to explode. The full-sized debut The Sun In The Tenth House felt like a punch in the gut, but the new A Light In The Darkness pins you against the wall and demands you complete attention. 

Ten tracks of raw, yet o’ so soulful, blues rock swagger. Thick riffs that grind like leather, basslines that throb deep in your chest, and drums that crack like a whip. But their ace in the hole, their secret weapon is without a doubt the beautiful voice of Sandrine Orsini. A touch of smoke, fierce, proud, hypnotic and commanding. Able to whisper sweet nothing into your ear one moment and then leading the army into battle like a roaring banshee. There aren’t many that have that gift. 

Riffs a plenty and solo work so beautiful you would love to hear it continue for another wild minute. All courtesy of the new guitarist Ricardo Galrão, who has sounding like a razorblade down to an art. And then there are those tracks that implore the aid of the Hammond, wailing and grooving, slide guitars crying over it and a rhythm section that becomes the heartbeat of that party in your ears. 

And at the moment you get comfortable and bask in the glory of their blues rock you arrive at the final, bonus, track of the album. Before The Morning Is Done shows The Bateleurs at the most fragile, delivering something satin, like an acoustic ghost of a song, with Irish flute and violin weaving through Orsini’s barely-there breath of a vocal. The calm after the storm, for stormy it is. The entire album, tempestuous and thundering, uncut blues rock power. The Bateleurs aren’t just playing the blues, they are living it and once they’ve gotten hold of you, they won’t let you go. They don’t need to twist your arms; they’ve got that blues rock gold. They’ve got A Light In The Darkness… 

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Linktree

Instagram

Facebook

The Mothercrow – Foráneo

 

 

The Mothercrow – Foráneo
Discos Macarras Records / LaRubiaProducciones – 2024
Rock, Hard, Seventies, Blues
Rated: ****

Just two more days! The Foráneo album will be out on September 17th through Discos Macarras Records and it will be the second full-length album that Barcelona quartet The Mothercrow send out into the world. Founding members Karen Asensio and Max Eriksson are still part of the team that put out their first single Hard Attack back in 2016 and have Daniel Ribeiro bass and backing vocals for this album (Although since then Daniel left and Victor Sancho has joined in his stead) and on drums Jaume Darder. It’s a classic in every sense of the word! We’re talking all out blues based, seventies inspired hard rock. The good stuff. The stuff that takes you back to the golden age of rock ‘n roll. When guitars and amps ruled the entire world! And of course vocalist Karen Asensio is taking a lot of the spotlight, with her superpower voice and that spitting and raw edge to it, immediately there and in your face on the opening track. Lovely! Something to become besotted by. I bet she’s electric on stage. Or that bass work of second track Howling, rumbling, warbling and gunning the song on. There is simply no real way any music lover can become jaded, listening to The Mothercrow. This is hitting the sweet spot with every track as they roll on. This is that one shot that will send a wavering junkie back into the grips of his addiction. Even half tempo rocker changing into a ballad here and there Tumbling Down, breaks up the album perfectly, offering up so much succor and soul that your eyes will close and you can’t help but swaying along. So warm, slightly nostalgic and absolutely tragically romantic. So much so, that if you hadn’t already invested yourself entirely into the sound of Foráneo before, you will by then. (Doin’ It) For The Thrill will groove you out of your socks and that wild guitar work will flare your pants. Gonna Burn with its funky touch, summer time in the big city, watching how the people on the streets make their way to wherever where they need to be while you drink your dubious red wine and wait till the sun sets. Waiting for them Northern Lights. Closing out the album, perfectly composed, with instrumentation that is stunning and pristine. A bass shining, a guitar that glows and the drums that glisten, all there and taking their moments even though they leave all the room in the world for Karen Asensio to once again spin her tale with attitude, whirling movement and a squint in her eyes. And then to add that luscious key work courtesy of Julian Batista is putting the icing on the cake. Classic in every sense of the word…

(Written by JK)

List to the first single Howling here:



Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

Discos Macarras Records Bandcamp

Discos Macarras Records

Dätcha Mandala – Koda

 

 

Dätcha Mandala – Koda
Discos Macarras Records – 2024
Rock, Hard, Seventies, Blues, Classic, Stoner, Pop
Rated: ****

There’s something so bittersweet and wonderful about the slow and steady progress, development and evolution a band can go through. There are listeners that come in at a later state and go back to discover how it all started. There are the ones that started at the very beginning and go with them through every stage. And of course, everyone is entitled to feel whatever they feel about those changes. A few that have difficulty accepting change. Those last music loving crazies will have trouble keeping up with the grandiose Bordeaux, France three called Dätcha Mandala. For on Koda they’ve taken yet another giant leap in progression of their art. Production wise, composition wise and perhaps even more so when it comes to delivering such ear pleasing rock that it’s difficult to come to grips with the fact that this band will not be exploding out of the Heavy Underground. Why not you ask, when it is so catchy? Well, they’ve chosen to do that hardrock thing, that classic rock thing, that blues infused, seventies inspired rocking. And even though you and I will agree that it’s the most honest, pure and lovely form of delivering the riffs and the rock, it is not the kind that will easily go big. Even though Wild Fire could easily have been a big hit by The Black Keys. Om Namah Shivaya, with its swagger, a muddy Black Crowes rocker. Or when you listen to opener She Said and are remembered of so many bands and sounds that it constantly throws you a curveball, earworm and all and you just cannot stop yourself from listening to it. Title track Koda follows, almost going the way of Muse, the track feels even bigger in the sense of gestures and the manner in which it can seize you whole. Prog touched, and with such incredible instrumentation, its another early highlight. But the highlights keep on coming, cause the Koda album keeps on giving. They shapeshift, change color, but keep the overreaching Dätcha Mandala vibe going. Just listen to The Wanderer, which goes big in the way of pop sensibility, turning an eighties turn in the beginning, yet has gravitas and heaviness thanks to the guitar tone, the riffage and the lumbering giant end. Majestically written and composed. We can even forgive them for the bit too cheesy Love Myself, even though the message is admirable, the music feels so light in weight and color when it starts out, that you while listening, you might accidentally take flight. But of course, this kind of sun dappled songs will do exceptionally well during those midday sets on a summer festival, and I would not mind at all hearing it on any or all of them. And on some level they might have found it a bit too sugary as well perhaps? Cause they immediately go more punk, with even a starting belch and a riveting, energetic punch and kick during the following Thousand Pieces. It’s Not Only Rock And Roll, has a weird flow during the refrains, brings you minor Eastern motifs and an absolute brilliant ending, building and delivering and sending you off towards a genuine ballad called Julietta. But Julietta has heart and a raw electricity to it. It’s not a ballad to be taking lightly. End track Homeland brings you full circle, home indeed. And on some level to the Dätcha Mandala you might or might not know. For on many levels it does remind more of the earlier Dätcha Mandala sound, yet it also goes back to the earlier tracks on the album and yet, paradoxically enough also might sound like what the band might turn into on a future album. Heavy footfalls, aired out by guitar licks that take flight and double vocals, both growling and emotive as they have been throughout the album. With Homeland they give us a song to feel completely comfortable with, and a future to look out for. And with Koda as a whole, they have once again drawn us a house to live in and given us enough colors to do endless dances with…

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Discos Macarras Records

Saturna – The Reset

 

 

Saturna – The Reset
Discos Macarras / Spinda Records – 2023
Rock, Metal, Prog, Blues, Psych, Stoner
Rated: ***

As you might know, might have seen, read and heard, we’ve had the honor of premiering their Your Whimsical Selfishness single and naturally also mentioned the follow-up called: The Never-Ending Star. Which means we should definitely write a few words of praise about the full The Reset album as well, right? Of course, cause we absolutely adored the earlier Saturna releases! This time around, they decided to move their psychedelic and stoner rock into more progressive and metal territories, taking everything they do into classic territory. That was already clear after hearing that first single, which opens the album. And that feeling carries over to the second track, The Never-Ending Star, with which we have also already spent quite some time. To hear it continue to, a bit more seventies, and a bit more hardrock on third track Smile, feels like a justification that our instinct was right. The guys want to embrace the metal past and aim for a timeless masterpiece. But continuing with Smile that almost AOR, traditional feeling isn’t all there is, for Smile does bare its teeth, Smile leaves a definite bitemark and that clench and grit only gets dispelled by following track December’s Dust. Twin acoustic guitars, vocal harmonies, a Saturna take on the classic ballad. It could have been written by any of the great rockers of yore. Into The Sun aims for a more proto, seventies, bluesy, Graveyard sounding approach. That blues touch is present in the following A Few Words To Say as well. With a vocal touch that also reminds of the formidable Kamchatka, which means the blues feels completely free of all constraints. A touch also heard in ninth and tenth tracks On Fire and A Way To Reset. That final A Way To Reset is so soulful, warm and completely rounded out. Ending the The Reset album on a high note and with forty-five minutes. The perfect amount for the vinyl treatment. Although the digital version has six bonus tracks, which will be tempting to be purchased as well! Looking back at 2023, I doubt I heard a better and more powerful blues, prog and classic rock statement than The Reset.

(Written by JK)

Youtube

Bandcamp

Instagram

Facebook

Spinda Records

Discos Macarras Records

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

 

 

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

Every week the amount of albums we would love to write about gets bigger and bigger. Unfortunately, we do not have all the time in the world. Cause well, the rent must be paid and we need to keep Mr. Charley of our back. So, we can only do as much as we can. It is however a necessity and obsession. We cannot do without it. And to give a few more singles, eps and albums a bit more attention, albeit little, we started doing that Stoner HiVe Quick Fire Friday thing. And guess what, it’s Friday again! So here it is, another Stoner HiVe Quick Fire Friday! And it burns hot like molten lava!

 

Bandshee – Bandshee III

We assume that the title of their new EP hints at the mount of tracks on their new release. Cause, yes sirree, Bandshee III has tracks numbered to the amount of three. Which delivers highly bluesy heavy rock, seventies inspired and touched by a little bit of psych here, grunge there or even stonerrock. Turning it all beautifully soulful and warm. Bandshee III, isn’t enough for me! I personally can’t wait a Bandshee Eight!

Homepage

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

 

Der Mancha Red – Shame

Very soon the very cool Face Your Underground compilation disk will be out, edition Number 27. Featuring all sorts of heavy underground bands from the Lowlands. Among them, Eindhoven’s ten ton dead body heavy hitters Der Mancha Red! Recorded solely for this compilation, their new single Shame. An emotive, howling and slow-moving dance into the firepits of despair. Or as they stated themselves: “Just in time to spend a nice and melancholic Christmas in the light of witch burning and Gotterdammerung!”

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Face Your Underground

 

Saturna – The Never-Ending Star

Its only about two weeks before the release of their new studio album 'The Reset', but last week Barcelona hard psych rockers Saturna dropped a new single titled "The Never Ending Star". Progressive and seventies oriented, in both metal and hardrock genres, The Never Ending Star brings the goodness for five and a half minutes. So, set your alarm for December 1st and keep an eye out on Spinda Records and Discos Macarras Records for the release!

Youtube

Bandcamp

Instagram

Facebook

Spinda Records

Discos Macarras Records

 

 

Dark Shaman - Evil Ceremony

Italian trio Dark Shaman delivers their new Evil Ceremony EP with a truckload of fuzz and scuzz! Grimy occult, garage doom, dipped in acid and licked by the Four Horsemen. There is something extremely inescapable about this, and as soon as opening track The Black Skull starts its unholy ritual, you know you are in for a hell of a good time. Twenty-two minutes of it to be precise!

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

 

Onda – Onda

Bella zio! More Italy for ya. We mentioned the opening track Ancients back in July, and Italian quartet Onda has now released their self-titled four track EP. Precious alternative rock that moves into progressive, post and has that lovely gothic touch. For yes, the three other tracks deliver all that was good about Ancients, but in abundance. Prized compositions and instrumentation, and on top of all that a wonderful vocalist named Erika Maffi. I’m a fan!

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

 

Glue - Black Earth at His Feet

Glue is a trio from Switzerland, and with the new single Black Earth at His Feet deliver a wild and sprawling instrumental stonerrock and psychedelic metal track. Nine minutes that riff off their progressive side and uses extra ambient touches to paint an extremely detailed atmosphere. Blown away by the entire composition and then to find out they’ve been releasing music since 2019. Onwards and backwards through their music we shall go! Glue'd to the stereo for more heavy Swiss goodness!

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

 

Vantre – Sanji

You in for a fifteen-minute-long adventure through a landscape that marries droning elements to those of freak out rock? Vantre does a whole freaking lot in those fifteen minutes, its math rock, psychedelic, progressive, stoner and so much more! Noisy ruckus one moment and jazzy subdued, yet disturbing confusion the next. Like a predator lying in wait to pounce and eat you whole!

And if you are hungry as just as fast… We’ve got a few codes!


REDEEM HERE

8s46-vlt7
ju58-cdvv
7w6t-wcg8

Bandcamp

Instagram

Facebook

Linktree

Northern Heretic - Killing Floor

Heavy band featuring members of Kings Destroy, Eternal Black, Begotten, Reign of Zaius, and End of Hope, straight out of New York, New York the new three called Northern Heretic deliver their Killing Floor single. Doom metal, with attitude! Slow, almost morose grooving, straight out of the gutter and into the filthiest dive bar you can imagine. No pineapple on pizza here, you will get thrown out of the city for trying to order that filth, and the three will see you out. And that end minute or so is them pummeling you silly if you try to get back in…

And for those that understand, the fast and lucky three… We got you a code:

REDEEM HERE

k9uk-h64b
lz92-kxkl
4ytw-kqtj

Bandcamp

Instagram

Facebook

Queen Marsa – I Am The Land

 

 

Queen Marsa – I Am The Land
Discos Macarras Records / Metalway Records / Runaway Records – 2023
Metal, Classic, Hardrock, Stoner
Rated: ****

There are moments when their classic metal sound drifts over to that of the LA scene, when it was in full swing, but for the most part Mallorca five-piece Queen Marsa delivers hardrock and metal of the very knock heads, bump fists and big muscle kind! Especially on their new eight track release called I Am The Land. Which means it continues in the vein of their debut self-titled EP from 2020, but not entirely so. For even though those five tracks already showed Queen Marsa in all its glory, the new I Am The Land release, gives you a Queen that has grown up to be a righteous ruler. Benevolent in paying homage to their roots, they have traded a lot of their seventies grooving from that earlier release to do more eighties rocking. More fire and more fury, and more traditional metal love. I cannot help but envision an old dusty biker bar, where the stage is sheltered by chicken wire, the bourbon is cheap, and the smoke can be cut with a knife. And right there beyond all the shouts and mayhem from the patrons is Queen Marsa, just rocking out, undisturbed by all the chaos in front of the stage. The stomping build up towards the end of second track Made Of Lovers, with that magnificent guitar work that closes it off, will surely result in many beers flying through the air. But you won’t need to frequent dive bars of dusty watering holes, cause with a bit of sleaze and a lot of swagger, Queen Marsa will surely rock every stage around the land. Cause well, it’s obvious, they stated themselves: I Am The Land!

(Written by JK)

Instagram

Facebook

Discos Macarras Records

Metalway Records

Runaway Records

Santo Rostro - Después No Habrá Nada

 

 

Santo Rostro - Después No Habrá Nada
Discos Macarras Records / LaRubiaProducciones / Spinda Records – 2023
Stoner, Sludge, Prog, Rock, Doom
Rated: *****

Today is the day! We were honored to premiere the opening track of this album back in February, but we were even more excited for the entire album. For the full Después No Habrá Nada album by the Santo Rostro three has been spinning ever since, for after hearing it, there could be nothing more after it… Sorry, had to make a weak pun about the translation of the album title. But it does have a lot of merit, and we shall in fact end this little write-up with it as well, for even though that sensational opening track Telarañas and following Carcasa Digital, who complement each other, will undoubtedly wow every part of your being with its psychedelic doom of the highest order and the lowest tones, the progressive sludge and the wild, whirl winding atmospheres. Third track Aire, truly winds its progressive, sludgy maelstrom sound all around you and when that middle eastern motif hits, you will lift off, you will fly, you will soar, you will see things that are below, behind and beyond. Mystical and almost transcendental, the almost six minutes of Aire will put you in a different state of mind, culminating in what feels like a supernatural merry go round gone berserk. It’s the perfect example of the nature of their psychedelic rock, a continuously spinning, almost polymorphing every sound into one another. Indeed, the three from Jaén, Spain are doing magic. Whether it’s the synth lines, careening with the guitars or the drums, prog jazz dancing towards a heavy explosion, before opening up and turning into a slow spacey doom hike on fourth track Matriz. In fact, that final part of that fourth track is the first part where the dervish circle dance slows down and the frenzy becomes this ecstatic sluggish salsa. Twelve-minute-long closing cathedral and title track Después No Habrá Nada brings you back to the center of your ecstasy, that centrifuge of meditation, to your reborn, reformation of self, where you will do away with personal desires, ego’s and worship nothing but Santo Rostro. Or heavy rock. Or psychedelic rock. Or love. But as you know, ‘All loves are a bridge to Divine love’, to the face of love, to Santo Rostro. And that is where you are at, in the middle of that closing track, dead center, as the guitar is barking, howling, dancing around you, taking it all to a devotional sole acoustic guitar, setting things up for a highly prog lead out, build up, that takes what they did with rhythms now to new sonically full heights, taking all that earthy and dizzying dance into a cosmic flight among… Everything… And once you’ve seen everything… There can be nothing more after…

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

International Premiere - Santo Rostro – Telarañas

 

International Premiere - Santo Rostro – Telarañas

 

We’re honored to bring you the Premiere of the new Santo Rostro single Telarañas! The full album will be arriving through Discos Macarras, LaRubiaProducciones & Spinda Records on March 10^th and is called ‘Después no habrá nada’! And trust us! If you dig this single, you will be absolutely smitten with the album! This is psychedelic doom of the highest order and the lowest tones! Sludgy when needed and progressive when wanted! This is the good shit!

“Andalusian power trio returns with a dark-psych rock album, with long tracks including complex instrumental developments, processed atmospheres and a dirty sound plenty of echoes, different modulations and occasional synths.

Many things have changed in Santo Rostro since they put out 'The Healer' in 2017, and this is obviously reflected in this new album. 'Después no habrá nada' is the result of a more mature band, with thousands of kilometers touring both Spain and EU on their back, several TV appearances and a couple of stand-alone video-singles - and everything 100% DIY.

This way, we find ourselves with a more balanced and determined sound, with a tremendous solid and seamless rhythmic base, powerful and organic at the same time, with a dance of tempos that accelerate and slow down at the right time - there's no clapperboard in here.

In 'Después no habrá nada' you'll find from doom to sludge, with high doses of progressive metal and even Andalusian heavy psych. It could be understood as a great mix of bands such as Viaje a 800, Adrift, Oransi Pazuzu, Mastadon or Russian Circles, but with an imprint that only Santo Rostro has. This new album is a kind of a personal delirium and hangover; with some rehearsal room taste and accumulated fatigue.

The album was produced by the band itself; then recorded and mixed by Raúl Pérez at La Mina (Spain); and mastered by Mario G. Alberni at Kadifornia Mastering (Spain). Behind the artwork is The Braves Church, based on photographies by Manu Rosaleny.”

 

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

'Después no habrá nada' comes out on 10th March 2023 through Discos Macarras, LaRubiaProducciones and Spinda Records in the following editions:

    Digital
    300x CD Digipack
    150x Black Vinyl
    150x Orange Translucent Vinyl

TRACK-LIST: 1. Telarañas / 2. Carcasa Digital / 3. Aire / 4. Matriz / 5. Después no habrá nada

 

Discos Macarras Records

LaRubiaProducciones

Spinda Records

World Wide Premiere – Plastic Woods – Dragonfruit

 

 

World Wide Premiere – Plastic Woods – Dragonfruit

We are once again truly honored to be working with Spinda Records and the newest band they welcome to their roster! It’s the Plastic Woods powertrio hailing from Antequera (right at the heart of) Andalusia, Spain. They released their first album called Icarus two years ago on Surnia Records and now they are back, well almost, with their sophomore release called Dragonfruit! It comes out on December 3rd and we now get to share with you and everybody who cherishes seventies prog rock the first title track of said album. Oh yes, it is Dragonfruit, it is on fire and it is might tasty!

But before you hit that play button; we just want to share a few words from the label with you. Cause we feel they are dead on regarding the album, the band and the single!

"Reminiscences of jazz, psychedelia, doom, folk and even garage rock, among others, are used to escape from traditional structures, making versatility an own way of expression and an identity mark. This expressiveness, attached to a present understanding of the possibilities of progressive music, is used as a tool for breaking some of the barriers that today´s genres impose. With an spectrum filled of different influences, energy, subtelty and technic come together in Plastic Woods.

Their first álbum, Icarus (2019), edited by Surnia Records, takes this direction, bleeding out on eight tracks in which the band explores the ancient greek myth through a conceptual work. The consecuences of war, violence and madness are the main topics that will be accompanying the tragic hero to its fatal destination. This approach also gets in touch with different kinds of sonorities: the music flies, remembers, empathizes and falls down with the protagonist. The listener will find him/herself gratefully trapped in this mutual experience as the songs flow around some extreme and dichotomic emotions, powered up by strong and intense rock compositions.

This album will lead the band through several different locations on their homecountry and on Portugal. Cities such as Santiago de Compostela, Oporto, Aveiro, Barcelos, Granada, Marbella or Málaga (as well as festivals around the west coast of the peninsula) will become Icarus first destinations. On those venues, the Plastic Woods will share stage with formations such as Astrodome, Degraey or Mr. Mojo, well known for participating on beloved festivals, like Sonic Blast or Resurrection fest. This concerts will prove the band as a solid reference for live situations, being capable of attract all kinds of audiences.

Two years after, the band enters the studio with several different acompanying musicians and records Dragonfruit, their second work. Edited by some of the most important underground national and european alternative rock labels (Spinda Records, The Braves Records, Discos Macarras, Violence in the Veins, Quebranta Records and Gato Encerrado Records), this album becomes an intention statement. Having developed themselves as a band, Plastic Woods redefines its sound and takes a step forward, creating a piece of work that explores new territories, mixing new genres and textures in an unique way. The chaotic times we are living inspire this three musicians to push their personality as a band through six songs, thought to take the best of each style involved. Classic psychedelia renovates itself as Dragonfruit travels around the extreme situations lived, personally and colectively, on this world crisis. This is an album that brings both dreams and nightmares to life, reflecting on a wide range of emotions and topics. Ranging from naive and introspection to political and social complaint, each song tells its own story, in a delirious an poethic way. Plastic Woods offers a piece of work that will engage with different kind of audiences, no matter if they are into progressive music or want something different to get their ears on."

Now, hit play and go to bed early… Cause it will be December 3rd sooner that way!

Spinda Records · 1- Dragonfruit

Bandcamp

Instagram

Facebook

Spotify

Youtube

Spinda Records

The Braves Records

Discos Macarras

Violence in the Veins

Quebranta Records

Gato Encerrado Records

And all those crazy freaks out there who truly loved the single and who stuck around to read through all the text and all the links… Here are a few bandcamp codes!

xnkm-bzwd
h5y9-x6lc
47kk-egvw
4l3k-u36s
4cat-v49l
chfy-6pgj
c4d3-knrk
es4m-6mx9
8hsf-k6at
tc4x-g6ub