Child - Child

Labels: Self-Released/Heavy Psych Sounds

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 19-Feb-2014/26-Apr-2024

Tracklist:

1. Trees

2. Stone By Stone

3. All Dried Up

4. Mean Square

5. Blue Overtone Storm/Yellow Planetary Sun

Earlier this year Italian purveyors of all things doom 'n' groove Heavy Psych Sounds set about reissuing   the entire back catalogue of Australian blues/stoner rock band Child, starting with their debut self-titled record from 2014, almost ten years after it's original release. This power trio are a new name to me but thanks to the HPS PR wheel that's forever turning, I have the chance to get acquainted with them. I hope you'll join me for what promises to be a wild ride.

On an evening when I’ve been given the annual reminder about noise levels within the block that I reside, a chilled out interlude is much needed. Child deliver a hefty dose of blues-rock with minimal urgency. Easy going percussion, sumptuous melodic guitar work and vocals oozing with that classy Desert Sessions-style drawl work in unison to deliver fantastic music on opener ‘Trees’.

‘Stone By Stone’ starts of with more immediacy, albeit not necessarily due to tempo. It has a more traditional song structure from the off but it later descends into a heavily-instrumental blues number, showing off just how impressive Child are musically. Where I live in the UK, there’s a bar that specialises in blues and to be honest, it has never appealed to me as a venue because it has an obvious clique; however, if it were to one day book Child (unlikely I know), I’d be there like a shot just to see them.

The screeching solo mid-section of ‘All Dried Up’ is upon me before I know it, alongside the warming Moog/organ and the whisky-drenched vocals that sound even more powerful now. Child’s momentum seems to grow with each song on this record and while this one is their shortest, it’s by no means forgettable.

From this point on Child go back down a fuzz-laden road on penultimate song ‘Mean Square’, thanks to the rumbling bass tone that kicks it off. That bass is the heaviest thing about it and the trio’s sound throughout this record, but there’s no need for anything louder to be honest. It’s not often now that I venture to this end of the slow/low musical spectrum but it’s something I should really do more often. Less dissonance, more resonance.

Ending their first record with the ten+ minute freak out ‘Blue Overtone Storm/Yellow Planetary Sun’ is (was?) a masterstroke. Kinda like if Kyuss, Oneida and Nebula formed one hell of a supergroup. I guess they would sound like Child do here. It’s an absolute joy to behold. Almost fourteen years after this blog’s conception, discovering bands that are new to me is the best thing. Child are excellent and well worth diving down the rabbit hole for.

You can stream and purchase Child directly from Child below:-

Physical vinyl and cd copies can be purchased from Heavy Psych Sounds here - https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/child-child

Child - https://www.facebook.com/childtheband

Heavy Psych Sounds - https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS

The Bobby Lees - Bellevue

Label: Ipecac Recordings

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 07 Oct 2022

Tracklist:

1. Bellevue

2. Hollywood Junkyard

3. Ma Likes A Drink

4. Death Train

5. Strange Days

6. Dig Your Hips

7. Have You Seen a Girl

8. In Low

9. Little Table

10. Monkey Mind

11. Greta Van Fake

12. Be My Enemy

13. Mystery Theme Song

When you're sent a promo of an album that's been released via Ipecac Recordings, you tend to take notice. The label that's called home by some of alternative/heavy music's greats including Fantomas, Melvins, Isis and countless others released the latest album from Woodstock, New York punks The Bobby Lees in October. Bellevue is the quartet's second album and this review is possible thanks to Ipecac Recordings, Speakeasy PR and Haulix, who have just rolled out their new Haulix+ promotional service.

I can see how The Bobby Lees found the home that they did in which to release this album. Their fast and sassy punk screams as if it were born in the 80s on opener ‘Bellevue’. It’s a short sharp shock that sets the tone but it also flatters to deceive as ‘Hollywood Junkyard’ is not as frenetic. They slow things down, but loose none of the attitude while doing so. Sound-wise, punk is very much the main ingredient but it’s also layered with a solid amount of rock, blues and even some of the madcap antics that helped Fantomas back in the day.

There’s a British influence flowing though ‘Ma Likes A Drink’ that I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s the unapologetic delivery that verges on snotty. Either way, it’s super catchy. Your utterly blindsided by the percussion on ‘Death Train’, which leads with it’s front food, providing a bouncing rhythm that the rest of the band has to catch up with. The bass and bluesy guitar work provides a subtle nod to horror-punk in places (I’m talking T.S.O.L) and the more accented, almost shrieked vocals give out more energy than they take.

It’s great to hear how The Bobby Lees can vary their sound so greatly without actually stepping too far from their original blueprint. Keys are employed on ‘Strange Days’ to provide a stripped down replacement to their full-on drumming and add to a much cleaner sound, yet it’s never too far away from the loud pedal, as the song’s second half shows.

My musical tastes must be evolving for sure because I used to be all about the really heavy and dissonant side of punk, but over the last few years I’ve been reaching for lighter, brighter and more danceable punk. This record is the perfect example of why that latter should not be overlooked and ‘Dig Your Hips’ is perfectly wound, as is the fuzzy, scuzzy quick-fire ‘Have You Seen a Girl”. All leather, brass studs and flipping v’s. 

By now you’re into the latter half of Bellevue and the songs have gotten shorter, and more urgent, especially ‘In Low’. It’s short and oh so catchy. It gives way to ‘Little Table’, which sounds like it’s rhythm and instrumentation was stolen straight from a Parisian blues/jazz cafe. I’m not complaining because it sounds brilliant.

That blues/jazz influence only grows on the amusingly titled ‘Monkey Mind’, with it’s twinkly keys and lyrics that could either be about the animal or human variety. I guess only the band knows which. Spoken word lyrics sound great in the right setting and  ‘Greta Van Fake’ is just that setting. More spoken than sung, they work perfectly up against the rock n roll underneath. 

Up till this point the music contained on Bellevue hasn’t been overly off-kilter, until penultimate song ‘Be My Enemy’ that is. Don’t get me wrong though, this isn’t artsy or progressive by any stretch but in the verses it’s certainly got something different going on that’s ear-pricking. Closing with ‘Mystery Theme Song’, The Bobby Lees lay to rest an album that’s infectiously enjoyable. Long enough to get lost in but short enough to keep you hooked. 

You can stream and purchase Bellevue on all formats below:-

The Bobby Lees - https://www.facebook.com/TheBobbyLees

Ipecac Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/ipecac

Pyre Fyre - Rinky Dink City/Slow Cookin'

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 18 Feb 2022

Tracklist:

1. Rinky Dink City

2. Slow Cookin'

It feels great to have some real momentum again writing-wise. I'm flying through the review schedule I devised two weeks or so ago and this evening I'm focusing on a new band, who released their first two-track single back in February. Pyre Fyre are a trio from New Jersey, USA who play heavy-psych/sludge. Between February 2019 and this little EP, they digitally released three singles. This EP features backing vocals by Ambriosia Gainous and also a guitar solo from Dustin Bartee of Ethereal Sea. 

Pyre Fyre’s music is not at all what I was expecting (though I should learn not to take press-releases/bandcamp tags too literally). It does contain heavy-psych/sludge influences, but also loads of noise-rock, jazz and blues that would be at home in the deep south. It may initial sounded a bit rough around the edges but as it grows, the sense of fun and genuine rhythm show through. The additional soulful vocals of Ambriosia Gainous give a lot more that just backing and elevate things ever higher.

‘Slow Cookin’’ is a proper stoner/doom jam that’s all about the groove. Bass-heavy and raw in the right way, it shows Pyre Fyre’s potential. They like a bit of humour and it shows here. The solo from Dustin Bartee (at least I think it was his!) rounds out the song in style, even if it does end abruptly.

Pyre Fyre have talent for sure and hopefully they’ll follow these two songs up with something lengthier on their next release. I think they have a great base sound and if they focus on building on what they have so far, they’ll grow and grow. 

You can stream and purchase Rinky Dink City/Slow Cookin' digitally below:-

Pyre Fyre - https://www.instagram.com/pyrefyr /  / https://www.facebook.com/pyrefyre

Robust Split Series - Season 1: #3 - One Magic Megawatt/Silver Gallery

Labels: Robustfellow Prods

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 24 Dec 2021

Tracklist:

1. One Magic Megawatt - Psychoblues

2. One Magic Megawatt - End Of Season

3. One Magic Megawatt - Fuckdub

4. Silver Gallery - Sagawa Lunch

5. Silver Gallery - Head Will Roll

6. Silver Gallery - On My Way

7. Silver Gallery - My Life

8. Silver Gallery - Burning Soul

The Sunday afternoon lull is over. It's time for the third instalment of my mini review series focusing on the five tape split box set from Ukrainian label Robustfellow Prods. The idea of this set was to put five Ukrainian sludge/doom bands on tape alongside five bands from other countries. The first two I reviewed featured Kasu Weri (with Taser from Finland) and Celophys (with Radian from the USA). This one features One Magic Megawatt and Silver Gallery (of France). Each of the tapes have been limited to 75 copies and there was also a special run of 42 box sets featuring all five. There are still copies of each for sale via Robustfellow's bandcamp page, but they're going down all the time so if you like what you read/hear, grab them while you can!

As with three of the four bands I’ve already written about during this series, it’s the first time I’ve heard both One Magic Megawatt and Silver Gallery. OMM, as I’m going to refer to them from now, provide three tracks on their side of this split and they’re long, especially opener ‘Psychoblues’. This quartet definitely has their own identity because alongside the stoner riffs, percussion and clean/harsh vocals, there’s a harmonica and trombone adding some extra blues flavour. As if those riffs weren’t bluesy enough!

OOM are a lot more progressive than I was initially expecting. I know the term is used a lot nowadays (especially by me) but it’s still relevant as the psych sounds of ‘End Of Season’ swirl out from the speakers. Initially, it’s a very easy-listening song but the further in you get during the first two+ minutes, the more bass-heavy it gets. Ritualistic at times, it’s one for appreciating without distraction or interruption. It’s latter half is more anthemic and musical, but don’t be fooled, it’s also stark and dense as well. The vocals employed here are more akin to those used in depressive black metal for a time too.

As if the two songs above weren’t enough to tempt you in, OMM’s last song ‘Fuckdub” is basically a cross between improv blues rock and some crazy drugged up hoedown in the Deep South (to be honest both of those examples are interchangeable). There is a bit of Eyehategod influence coming through here for sure, though it’s more their groove than their caustic sludge that permeates the song. This has been some of the most out-there stoner I’ve heard.

Next up, Silver Gallery with five songs. As their opener ’Sagawa Lunch’ begins, there’s a much more straightforward sound going on, with thicker riffs and plenty of rumbling bass. More mesmeric and repetitive, the spoken word vocals seem more menacing and even slightly sleazy to these ears. I’m fine with sleazy though when it comes to heavy rock and so far Silver Gallery have me glued to the speakers. There’s more urgency in their sound (if not in their tempo, which is still slow), especially on ‘Head Will Roll’. They tell a story with the lyrics and it’s the first time you catch a glimpse of their disgustingly harsh, screechy growls. They turn this release on it’s head in the finest way. 

‘On My Way’ is such a flowing song that you can easily lose yourself in it. The groove is real here and the drums add to it immensely, while the vocals are slightly more distant yet still harsh. The feedback that rings out at the end never stops ringing in your ears as you’re led into Silver Gallery’s penultimate beast ‘My Life’. Once again, if repetition in doom/sludge is your thing, then there’s plenty of it here but there’s also some really killer lead work as well. Fully gone by this point are the sleazy spoken vocals, as they give way to those roared/growled ones I mentioned above. They’re used sparingly though in favour of letting the instrumentation breath. 

It’s left to ‘Burning Soul’ to close out both Silver Gallery’s side and also the split as a whole, and it does it brilliantly. Just crushing heavy doom extremity with very adept musicianship. Somehow it’s super catchy as well, mainly due to the melody hiding within the riffs. Getting faster in tempo and denser in musical layers, the ending comes far too soon. Again, another great musical find by Robustfellow. Silver Gallery have certainly left their mark on me.

Overall, this split is a pretty unique one. One Magic Megawatt might be a head-scratcher for some but their avant-garde, bluesy stoner is an experience that’s well worth the effort. Silver Gallery on the flip side are much more gung-ho, with heavier everything. Enjoy!

You can stream all of the tracks from this split, as well as from the set via Robustfellow's bandcamp page below:-

All five splits are available digitally and on tape while stocks last there too,

One Magic Megawatt - https://www.facebook.com/1mmwt

Silver Gallery - https://www.facebook.com/silver-gallery

Robustfellow Prods - https://www.facebook.com/RobustfellowProds

The Parasite Paradise - His Only Begotten Son (A.D. MMXVII)

Labels: The Cursed Order/Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: Oct 31st 2017

Tracklist:

1. His Only Begotten Son

2. Lucifer Luminous

Finnish one-man black metal band The Parasite Paradise started life in 2016, self-releasing a debut EP in December of the same year. "His Only Begotten Son (A.D. MMXVII)" is the most recent offering. Very little is known about the band other than that it's sole creator mixes black metal with blues to form a hybrid of extreme metal. The EP was self-released in October on both CD and digitally via bandcamp.

The Parasite Paradise’s unmistakable black metal is laced with groove and theatrics on title-track His Only Begotten Son. It’s a mid-tempo song with really solid guitar work, machine-like drums, bluesy and catchy bass as well as typically icy and harsh vocals. Second song Lucifer Luminous appeared is more bluesy, with whispered vocals as it begins. It brings to mind the likes of Marilyn Manson and Mortiis to start with, at least before the black metal kicks in. Perhaps that’s where the theatrical influence comes from! 

The EP is very good musically and oddly depressive, while the production and mastering (Blackvox Studio) of the songs give it a big sound. A different take on a well trodden genre and formula but one that’s got a lot of potential. I can see The Parasite Paradise becoming a full band in the future and playing similar venues to the reprobates I mentioned above. 

You can stream and purchase this EP digitally below:-

You can purchase CD copies via the bands Facebook page below.

The Parasite Paradise - https://www.facebook.com/TheParasiteParadise/