Dahga Bloom's second album, No Curtains, is warped danger muzak for those chemical-fueled police chases you keep getting yourself into, with a suitcase full a' money and a dead body in the trunk. These four guys from Orange County have that ragged, ugly mutt sound of the late 80s/early 90s Pacific Northwest that i miss so much, like Love Battery and Screaming Trees and Mudhoney and Soundgarden, but all out of its mind from huffin' on model airplane glue. it's interesting to note that not only is Dahga Bloom guitarless, but they feature not one, not two, but THREE fucking basses, and holy shit are they making a racket. an unrelenting hallucinogenic wall of noise. whatever you are running from, No Curtains will aid you in your getaway. drive safe.
and they were kind enough to provide some tasty mind-melting eye candy to soak in while listening. god bless them. i wish more bands did this.
Earthless, a ridiculously talented power trio from San Diego, released a new album From the Ages in 2013 and it's one of the most unrelenting slabs of acid metal in recent memory. guitarist Isaiah Mitchell pulls out all of the guitar pyrotechnics of Hendrix, the dreamy atmospherics of Trower, the flair of Eddie Van Halen, Iommi's riffage, and the full tilt jams of Jimmy Page all at once, and the the solid iron core of the rhythm section (bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba) provide the gravity that holds everything together. their mostly-instrumental jams are retardedly over the top... when every other similar group would have long ago tapped out, Earthless routinely puts it in a higher gear and pushes on, spiraling straight into the sun for ten, fifteen, twenty, THRITY+ minutes longer.
they honed their sound on 2005's Sonic Prayer and Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky in 2007, but From the Ages is arguably their most focused to date. and if their album Live At Roadburn and the videos of their live performances are any indication, they are a must-see. i will be eager to soak in their sounds at the Austin Psych Fest this spring.
HIGH ON FIRE -- 2012 BAND OF THE YEAR "FERTILE GREEN" (Directed by Phil Mucci) -- 2012 VIDEO OF THE YEAR
2012 was a banner year for the Oakland California stoner power trio High on Fire. over the last 12 months, HoF released their most finely honed album to date, De Vermis Mysteriis... they unleashed the video of the year for "Fertile Green"... their heavy-as-fuck debut record, Art of Self Defense, was remastered and re-released by Southern Lord... and after singer/guitarist/badass Matt Pike's rehab stint forced the cancellation of the band's summer tour, High on Fire emerged healthier and stronger than ever with a triumphant headlining tour across the country. This was the year when the planets aligned and all doubt was laid to waste as HoF rose up and grabbed the ring as the best metal band on the planet.
in case you didn't know, in the meatheaded, knuckledragging world of modern heavy metal, HoF is a more evolved breed. Walking upright and having touched the Kubrickian slab of enlightenment, they roam the land, conquering all that comes before them, ruthlessly destroying anyone who challenges them, and consuming any mind altering substance that can be scoured to fuel their violent and entrancing vision quests. High on Fire's instantly identifiable brand of brutally heavy psychedelic stoner rock quite simply decimates anyone else in music today. there's noone even close.
Forming in the late 90's from the ashes of the legendary sludge lords Sleep, High on Fire has been constantly evolving out of the primordial ooze of their first album, The Art of Self Defense, to the towering monuments built upon 2007's Death is this Communion and culminating with their most recent release and the densest example of their full range of sounds, De Vermis Mysteriis. Pike's legend as one of metal's greatest guitarists only grows taller throughout the record with his staggeringly heavy riffs and flesh melting solos, all with that super stoney flair that separates him from his peers. and hidden under his crusty and oftentimes unintelligible vocals is the fact that he is an absolutely killer lyricist... celestial, biblical, and full of Lovecraftian terror... and De Vermis Mysteriis is his masterstroke. built upon concepts originally laid down by Robert Bloch, Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard, Pike weaves a bizarre tale of the twin of Jesus Christ who sacraficed himself to give his brother life, and is now a celestial time traveler, aided by an ancient Chinese black lotus serum, allowing him to see the past through his ancestors' eyes. it's all absolutely fucking insane, of course, andif you find yourself a bit confused by the concept, don't worry. you are about to get the shit kicked out of you for the next hour... you won't even notice. not to be overshadowed by HoF's frontman, Des Kensel has built a reputation as one of the hardest drummers in the world and he only adds to his legacy on this album. pummeling grooves continuously trample over the listener like a charging mass of armored war horses. your skull has never felt so good being crushed into a fine white dust. and Jeff Matz, the only non-original member, turns in a stunning performance, and stakes his claim as a powerful creative force within the band. while still filling in the concrete-heavy bottom end, his bass cuts through like a rumbling chainsaw, literally growling at times, while also flashing several slower cliff burton-esque melodic bass solos. As a whole, the band has never sounded better. there is an unmatched clarity that never declaws the ferocity of the music (which is what happened on their previous album, Snakes of the Divine). credit the production of Kurt Ballou for all of this. where Billy Anderson, Steve Albini, Jack Endino, and Greg Fidelman fell just short, Ballou perfectly captured the fury of High on Fire and helped them craft their possibly career defining album.
De Vermis Mysteriis
*click HERE for full album lyrics... a must to enjoy this album to the fullest*
all of the elements that make up classic High on Fire is on display with the opening track "Serums of Liao"... a punishing Kensel drum roll starts things off and then, next thing you know, yer face is blasted off. and there is nothing you can do about it.
next is the full throttle punch to the neck of "Bloody Knuckles." absolutely no subtlety here. ouch.
the video for "Fertile Green," directed by Phil Mucci, is a brainblowing Ralph Bakshi/Frank Frazetta Metal Hurlant hallucination and is easily the winner of HEAD MEDICINE'S 2012 Video of the Year. an awesomely heavy ode to marijuana, with a war march drum intro before the full on assault begins... a searing guitar solo giving way to a devastating, downshifted, primal sex groove (which just might be the coolest thing HoF's ever jammed on), before finishing off with it's bludgeoning finale. the video is fucking spectacular from beginning to end, and it's not everyday that you get to see a sex scene with a marijuana goddess and the time travelling twin of Jesus Christ, so just sit back, spark one up, and soak it all in.
The slo-motion molten metal being poured on "Madness of an Architect" harkens back to pike's old days in Sleep. monolithic and terrifying, this will make your eyes roll back in your head, lost in a leaden fog
but High on Fire isn't just about the vicious head beatings they routinely deliver. lately, they've been able to stretch out and explore more expansive terrain with exotic instrumentals like "Samsara," with Matz's layered melodic bass work and a mesmerizing Pike lead woven through. HoF cannot write enough songs like this one.
"Spiritual Rites" scorches the earth as it stampedes through the countryside, setting everything aflame and sending the villagers screaming into the night. This song is just ruthlessly heavy, as any tune about burning witches should be.
"King of Days" is as close to a ballad as HoF can get yet still densely heavy. This dirge has Pike's most soulful vocals to date and the triumphant call-and-response solo trade-off between the guitar and bass is fucking magical. get yer lighter up in the air, this is an album highlight for sure
the terrifying title track, summoning an ancient behemoth from the earth's core. it sounds like pike prepared for his vocal performance by swallowing a handful of rusty nails and chasing it down with a coupla shots of battery acid. unforgivingly brutal and fucking awesome
"Romulus and Remus" tells the ancient tale of the infant twins, heirs to the throne, who were left for dead and kept alive by suckling a she-wolf. they eventually went on to found the city of Rome. classic Pike reference material. Matz and Ballou combine to capture the perfect chainsaw bass growl on this one
and "Warhorn" closes the album with a final thunderous battle charge.
HERE is the bonus track, "Speak in Tongues," from the limited edition vinyl
The Art of Self Defense re-release
originally released in '00 on Frank Kozik's legendary Man's Ruin record label, "The Art of Self Defense" is an indisputable stonerrock classic. these are minimalistic, mystical interpretations of the sacred Iommi texts from the hallowed Temple of Sabbath. riffs and grooves that drone on and on, gathering a heavier mass as they expand outwards into infinity. cosmic metal at it's absolute finest! but the album, produced by Billy Anderson, always sounded a bit murky, and maybe not necessarily on purpose. this year, the mighty Southern Lord Records stepped in and dispatched Brad Boatright to scrape away 12 years of thick stoney resin to reveal, for the first time with startling clarity, all of the rich sounds that lay underneath. Southern Lord even gave the package the deluxe treatment, with updated original cover art, a 48 page booklet of classic photographs, the two bonus tracks from the 2002 Tee Pee Records re-release, "Steel Shoe" and the Celtic Frost cover "The Usuper,"as well as the three tracks from the band's original 1999 demo recording. it's the definitive version of a must-have all-time classic. easily the Reissue of the Year here at HEAD MEDICINE.
*note: these are not links to the re-issue. these are from the original release. buy the reissue HERE*
"Baghdad"... There isn't much to say about the melted lead psychedelic riff, the warped groove, or pike's cosmic chant that the song doesn't say for itself. a classic of the highest order.
i love the part around the 3:00 mark where the riff collapses under it's own weight and just punishes the listener for a few moments before straightening back out again. fuck yeah
High on Fire - Live! and a short Matt Pike Q & A
earlier this year, just after De Vermis Mysteriis was released and HoF was prepared to embark on a summer long trek of American and European music festivals, Matt Pike, who had been touring with the newly reformed Sleep, suddenly announced that he was going into rehab and the entire tour was scrapped. Things were looking a bit grim for HoF, but Pike emerged clean and sober and was ready to get back to work. another tour was plotted. after several missed attempts in the past, i finally got my sorry ass to a High on Fire show in Kansas City in December and, as expected, the performance delivered a transcendental pummeling. i couldn't tell you what songs they played, i couldn't even have told you my name at a certain point. the show is a hazy fog in my memory. waves of sound were bombarding us on a molecular level, rattling each cell in our bodies. and when we staggered out of the Riot Room's doors, it was like we were taking our first breath all over again.
afterwards, i talked with Matt Pike for a few moments. it was balls cold outside, and the man just played his ass off for us and i'm sure he wanted nothing more than to enjoy his smoke and get back on the tour bus, but he graciously answered a couple of brief questions for HEAD MEDICINE. thanks matt.
HEAD MEDICINE: This year saw the release of what may be your finest album, a deluxe reissue of your first record, a successful stint in rehab, and a victorious tour. what are your thoughts looking back on 2012?
MATT PIKE: It's just one day at a time, man. just trying to, y'know, keep my bearings... keep my head straight. y'know, there's alot more work to it now that i don't have my comfortable buzz on... there's just alot of anxiety that i have to overcome. but i've been killin'... i've been playing very well.
HM: your video for "fertile green" is our Video of the Year. what's the story behind that one?
MP: well, i came up with the story, it's a part of the story of the theme of the whole record and Phil Mucci put it to film. i told him over the phone exactly what the song was about and he did the rest. HM: The Art of Self Defense definitely benefited from a facelift... are there any plans to re-master any of your other early records?
MP: um, not as of now. not yet.
HM: you said you are taking things day by day... are there any plans at all for High on Fire in 2013?
MP: yeah, there's some talk of tours, y'know, but yeah i'm just taking it slow at the moment.
when we last heard from Soundgarden, it was on 1996's "Down on the Upside," and the fading notes of the last track, the Floydian "Boot Camp," drifted off into the ether as cornell yearned, "there must be something else/there must be something good/far away/far away from here." those lyrics would prove to be prophetic when, after a staggeringly fruitful 13 years together, Soundgarden fractured and its members left to find their own musical identities. Cornell left to travel down a variety of well documented musical paths, and Matt Cameron kept busy as the drummer of Pearl Jam, while Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd seemed to walk off into the musical void, rarely to be heard from again. There never seemed to be any animosity between the band members, but a reunion always seemed unlikely tho never completely out of the question. the seeds for an official reunion were planted when Thayil, Cameron, and Shepherd, on stage together for the first time in over a decade, performed "Hunted Down," "Nothing To Say," and "Spoonman" with Tad Doyle at Tom Morello's Justice Tour at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle in 2009. Cornell, critically and commercially reeling from a disastrous collaboration with hip hop and r&b producer Timbaland, caught wind of the performance. Soon, the planets aligned and the Soundgarden juggernaut was awakened from it's 14 year slumber, ready to reclaim it's throne. A series of live shows cemented the relevancy of a Soundgarden reunion, and the anticipation was high for King Animal, an album of all new material.
i knew it was going to be a good album, i had no doubt about that. but i wasn't expecting an album that would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the classic work in the band's catalog. and i was ok with that. but it turned out that King Animal was a fucking fantastic album... a throwback to all of those early-mid 90's rock masterpieces that were routinely being created--bold, cocky, ambitious, fearlessly creative and highly individualistic. Soundgarden always had a singular, distinctive voice, never recycling cliches or painting themselves into a creative corner, it was the alchemy between the four members of Soundgarden that made Soundgarden sound like Soundgarden, and King Animal rose up and continued the tradition. Amazingly, the band is still in top form: Cornell has somehow dodged Father Time, sounding better than at any point since Soundgarden dissolved. Cameron is still a drumming machine, well oiled from years of global Pearl Jam tours. Thayil emerged from the shadows looking like Gandalf the Grey, still conjuring all of those odd riffs and harmonics. And Ben Shepherd rolled in, looking like something the cat dragged in, yet ready to get down to business.
and like all of the Soundgarden albums before it, King Animal is full of magical musical moments.. the absolutely no-fucking around, diamond-hard grooves of "Non-State Actor" and "By Crooked Steps"... the exotic Zeppelin-esque travelogue "A Thousand Days Before," with it's sitar intro, subtle horn arrangements, and Cameron's intricate, jazzy drumlines... The ominous clouds rolling in on "Blood on the Valley Floor" is prime Soundgarden and, as they have always done so well, for a brief moment the clouds open up and reveal a glimpse of a pure pop chorus before the gloomy tentacles wrap it up and drag it off never to be heard from again... The dark beauty of "Bones of Birds" and "Taree"... classic arena anthems "Black Saturday" and "Worse Dreams"... and "Eyelid Mouth" shows that the band is as beautifully weird as ever.
But the album's undeniably greatest moment is the closing track, "Rowing." an odd bit of Shepherd's bass noodling sets the mood, while Cameron comes in with a "When the Levee Breaks" drum beat. Cornell's unforgettable mantra, "Don't know where i'm going/i'll just keep on rowing/i just keep on pulling/gotta row," as the music swells like a swirling storm, just might be his finest lyrics and melody. the song sticks on repeat in your head and it seems to sum up all that is great and perfect about this reunion... this isn't a nostalgic cash grab, this is four musical brothers picking up exactly where they left off and continuing that relentless creative drive that made their past work so enduring, to keep on moving forward at all times, never slowing down, never stopping, and never looking back. something the band has always specialized in. it's good to have em back.
kojak, head pharmacist at HEAD MEDICINE, recently completed the artwork for "Become the Sun," the new album from Fargo, ND stonerrock gods Egypt. check it.
a monolithic slab of the heavy from Oakland, CA's High on Fire. seriously, this is just absolutely fucking ridiculously badass. and if the music is a bit more than you feel you can handle, cuz i'm not gonna lie, it's very very heavy, skip ahead to the 3:00 mark... it settles into a thunderous grooove as a marijuana goddess has sex with Jesus' time traveling twin. i shit you not. it's well worth your time. video by Phil Mucci (click HERE for more Mucci) NSFW
