He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt.

Band: Sunn O)))
Album: Cro-Monolithic Remixes for an Iron Age
Origin: U.S.A. (Los Angeles, California)/France (Paris)
Genre: Drone, Doom, Experimental
Year: 2004

Here's some more Sunn O))) to drone away on these last days of 2009. This EP contains only two tracks. The first one is Teeth Of Lions Rule The Divine, originally from Earth. I think it's the same track as on the Legacy of Dissolution tribute album (which I already posted here) but with a different name.
The Second track is Catch 22 (Surrender or Die). It also appears on Merzbow's remix album Frog Remixed and Revisited. This EP was released on vinyl only (300 red and 200 black). Enjoy!

Sunn O))) - Cro-Monolithic Remixes for an Iron Age

Danger! High Voltage! V

I hadn't posted this one.

...But they saw something that's real, and they see it when they're on drugs...

Band: The Heads
Album: Peel Session 01/10/2000
Origin: Great Britain (Bristol)
Genre: Stoner Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Year: 2000

It's The Heads' third Peel Session. The original file had a different track order, and a different date, but I trust the BBC website to be correct. It was recorded, like most Peel Sessions, in the Maida Vale 4 studio. Enjoy!

1) False Heavy
2) You Took Me By Suprise
3) Fuego
4) 75 (Version) John Have A Pee

The Heads - Peel Session 01/10/2000

The first empty bottle that makes me smile...

Band: Boris
Album: Live At Empty Bottle, Chicago, 20/07/08 Bootleg
Origin: Japan (Tokyo)
Genre: Metal, Punk, Drone, Shoegaze, Experimental
Year: 2008

This is a bootleg from Boris (with Michio Kurihara) after they played the Pitchfork Music Festival that very same day. They apparently succeeded in blowing out the power twice at the festival (and after the second time they just called it quits). The Empty Bottle luckily had the juice to support a Boris gig. The setlist is basically Smile with pink and rainbow thrown in. Enjoy!

Setlist:
1) Flower Sun Rain
2) Buzz-in
3) Laser Beam
4) Pink
5) Statement
6) Floorshaker
7) Rainbow
8) My Neighbor Satan
9) No One's Grieve
10) You Were Holding An Umbrella
11) [ ]

Boris - Live At Empty Bottle

Sometimes I need what only you can provide, your absence.

Band: Melt-Banana
Album: Initial t.
Origin: Japan (Tokyo)
Genre: Punk, Noise, Experimental
Year: 2009



I'm going to make up for my absence by trying to post a load of EP's and singles starting with this one. It's the newest Melt-Banana single, Initial t. You know the drill, it's fast, it has high pitched vocals and screeching guitar sounds. Enjoy!

Melt-Banana - Initial t.

Drowning in sound...

Band: Skullflower
Album: Birthdeath EP
Origin: Great Britain
Genre: Noise, Drone, Experimental, Psychedelic Rock
Year: 1988

Fuzzed out, feedback drenched, bass-heavy, droning noisy stoner rock. That's how I would describe Skullflower. I discovered this band because they were invited by Neurosis to play Beyond The Pale at Roadburn. This is their first release which explains the very minimal and basic production. It's very hypnotic, with lots of delay and feedback, tribal like drumming and almost hidden vocals. The song structures are provided mostly by the bass and the drums while the guitars just freak out. Enjoy!

Skullflower - Birthdeath

An act of defacation, hmmmmm...

Band: Sunn O)))
Album: Candlewolf Of The Golden Chalice
Origin: U.S.A. (Los Angeles, California)/France (Paris)
Genre: Drone, Doom, Experimental
Year: 2005

It's Sunn O))) 's Peel Session, although it was recorded, released and aired after the death of John Peel. It's released on vinyl exclusively and contains only one track. The line-up on this one is Stephen O'Malley(guitar and harmonium), Greg Anderson(bass and moog), Rex Ritter(moog), Edwin Pouncey(Tamboura) and Tony Sylvester(Harmonium and sruti box). Enjoy!

Sunn O))) - Candlewolf Of The Golden Chalice

Psychedelic Bikers

Saw these guys last night on their 20th anniversary tour. Needless to say that they were awesome.

Poor Strong Factory!

Band: Various Artists
Album: Tokyo Flashback 2: P.S.F. Psychedelic Sampler
Origin: Japan (Tokyo)
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Experimental
Year: 1992

It's the second P.S.F. sampler and it gives you a good taste of what this label has to offer. To be consumed with some japanese acid. Enjoy!

Second vol. of this series. More psychedelic than previous one. All unreleased tracks by White Heaven, HIGHRISE, Fushitsusha, Ghost, Yura Yura Kingdome, Marble Sheep, etc 11 groups! (label description)

1) White Heaven - Silver Current
2) High Rise & Keiji Haino - T.F.B.
3) Maher Shalal Hash Baz - M.S.H.B.
4) Marble Sheep & The Run-Down Sun's Children - I Just Stay In The Up-Side
5) Overhang Party - Now Come Out
6) Yura Yura Kingdom - Bakano Furi
7) Yuragi - Improvisation
8) Kousokuya - Kizashi
9) Ghost - Sun Is Tangging
10) Ohkami No Jikan - Thin City, Pt. 2
11) Fushitsusha - Marianne

Tokyo Flashback 2: P.S.F. Psychedelic Sampler

Danger! High Voltage! IV

Japanese Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 1&2 video

Tripping out, the oldskool way...

Band: Blue Cheer
Album: Vincebus Eruptum
Origin: U.S.A. (San Francisco, California)
Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock
Year: 1968

Blue Cheer is rightfully considered to be one of the pioneers of heavy and psychedelic rock and this record alone has earned them a place in the rock and roll pantheon. I wouldn't know how to review this record so just get it, you won't regret it!

...Blue Cheer were not just knockin’ on Heavy’s door and they weren’t invited, either: they broke on through it, tore off the hinges, tore up the threshold, took a huge chunk outta each side of the wall and then dropped a huge napalm log in the fireplace and split. Casually inventing a genre as they did so, no less. (read the full review here)

Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum

R.I.P. Dickie Peterson

The King Always Knows What He Means

Smoking Electric Cigarettes...

Band: Baby Woodrose
Album: Coming Around Again 7"
Origin: Denmark (Copenhagen)
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock
Year: 2008

I could review this great single, but this whale is very tired so I'm going to post Lorenzo Woodrose (the band's main man) his comments on both songs. Enjoy!

"Coming Around Again" could have been a hit for anybody, except we ended up playing it a bit too fast and adding lots of over the top twangy surf guitar and beeping Farfisa organ that kind of detract from it's easy listening qualities. The end result is somewhat bubblegum sounding. Some uplifting lyrics about coming back up after having been down for some time. This one turned out much better than I thought it would during mixing. This was actually considered for "Chasing Rainbows" album quite a lot.

"I Feel High" is really different. If it wasn't for the lyrical theme (sex, drugs, rock'n'roll) it would have fit well on the Chasing Rainbows album, where I deliberately wanted to go a bit deeper with my subject matter. Acoustic guitar, bass, tambourine and a hauntingly hypnotic Farfisa organ. We actually recorded this as a band, but felt it worked better sounding a bit folky and psychedelic. The intro was later pasted on, consisting of backwards drums and distant fuzzguitar".

Baby Woodrose - Coming Around Again

A Blunt Cobra

Band: Black Cobra
Album: Black Cobra EP
Origin: U.S.A. (Los Angeles, California)
Genre: Sludge, Doom, Metal
Year: 2004

Black Cobra is a two man band that plays thick dirty sludgy doom. Drums are handled by Rafael Martinez (also bassist for Acid King) with Jason Landrian (formerly Cavity) playing guitar. This Ep was self-released on cd but has been re-released on 7" by Blackflash Records in 2006. It has only three short songs, but it gives you a good idea of what this band is all about. Enjoy!
(and yes, I am going to try to keep that promise of posting more often).

Black Cobra - S/T EP

Back In Black

I'm back, and I just wanted to say that I'm going to try to post more often. Enjoy!

Belief Is The Death Of Intelligence

Band: Nadja
Album: Base Fluid Single
Origin: Canada (Toronto)
Genre: Drone, Shoegaze, Doom
Year: 2007




I'm in the middle of my exams so here's a freebie. Enjoy!

"More Nadja, this time its free too, which can only be a good thing although the trouble with free stuff is that it can on occasion guarantee crapness in the musical department. Luckily, the two tracks here are not in that department and showcase more of the ambient doom drone we have come to expect from Aidan and Leah. With this release one track is new, one is old, yet both melt into each other perfectly. Opener Base Fluid is the newest of the two tracks and is slightly more ambient than anything else they have done recalling Aidan Bakers solo work at parts. Its got a killer opening and towards the end the tightness of the duo becomes very clear. The second track Numb is more of a chillout piece, at least for the first half anyway. At times almost reminiscent of Jesu at times, certainly much more in the ambient department than doom, with synths taking presence over full on heaviness, that's not to say this isn't loud and heavy, its just not depending on the trick of deafening people. Again, you can't really go wrong with Nadja, and these two tracks are totally free so you may as well have a listen, cant be that bad right?" (Nothingatall.net)

Nadja - Base Fluid Single

Danger! High Voltage! III

The trailer for one of the two new Boris splits (one with Torche and one with 9dw). Enjoy!



Edit: I just found this other (strange) trailer.

It's Not Harry Potter IV

Band: Various Artists
Album: Electric Magic Vol. 5
Origin: Various
Genre: Stoner Rock
Year: 2009


It's the fifth sampler by german stoner rock fanzine Generated X. Enjoy!

01. Radio Moscow - Broke Down
02. Grifter - Slow Boy
03. Iguana - Broken Halleluja
04. Good Day To Die - Crush The Skies
05. Toner Low - Two
06. Umor - Uncouthly Thought
07. Highway Child - Love For Sale
08. The Machine - Jam No. Phi
09. Cojones - Clearing Potion
10. The Flying Eyes - Lay With Me
11. Zaphire Oktalogue - Carrion Fly

Electric Magic Vol. 5

Did You Drink Spermatozoa?

Band: Boris
Album: Demo Vol. 3
Origin: Japan (Tokyo)
Genre: Metal, Doom
Year: 1994






I know it has been a while so I'm making it up with this gem. It's a rip of one of the two known Boris demo tapes. This means that it is one of the rare recordings with Nagata on drums (it also labels Takeshi as Otani). The quality is great and you can really hear how they are influenced by The Melvins on these recordings.
You can find the artwork here. Enjoy!

Tracklist:
1) Scar Box "Misery in your arms."
2) Mosquito "Knife blowing in to my eyes."
3) Matozoa "Did you drink spermatozoa?"
4) Deep Sucker "Taking ever harpy."

Boris - Demo Vol. 3

P.S. : The file contains 2 extra songs, Loud and Water Porch. I think they are hidden tracks on the tape.

Worthless people blame their karma...

Saw these guys for the first time last night, and they were awesome!

Whales! Whales! Whales!

It has been a while because of my exams and some computer problems but I'm back so expect some great music soon.

Psychedelic Speed Freaks!

Band: Various Artists
Album: Tokyo Flashback: PSF Psychedelic Sampler
Origin: Japan (Tokyo)
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Experimental
Year: 1991

This sampler is a good start if you want to explore the hazy maze that is the japanese psych underground. I read somewhere that the cover picture was taken in Modern Music, the record store connected to PSF, and the hidden smoking figure on the cover is supposed to be Ken Matsutani from Marble Sheep. Enjoy!

"This is a good and obvious place to start with the Poor Strong Factory (P.S.F. -- originally stood for Psychedelic Speed Freaks, which was the name High Rise first used for their group) label -- unquestionably the best, weirdest, wildest currently ongoing label in Japan. Exclusive tracks by Ghost, Fushitsusha, White Heaven, High Rise, are here & the 68 minutes of overloaded distortion and simple, modern, psych-underground destruction going on here is honestly breathtaking. First of 5 volumes (to date), all editions of Tokyo Flashback are worth investigating." (Forced Exposure)

1) Marble Sheep & The Run-Down Sun's Children - 22. February 1991
2) High Rise - Mainliner
3) Ghost - 'Improvised' Tama Yura
4) Fushitsusha - Omea Kotchi
5) White Heaven - Blind Promise (Alternate Take)
6) Verzerk - Heavy
7) Kousokuya - Akatsuki no Owari
8) Keiji Haino - Tattaima

Tokyo Flashback: PSF Psychedelic Sampler

Scuse Me, While I Kiss This Guy...

I know it's been going very slow over here, but I'm very busy. I'm going to try to post more regulary, but I'm also studying for my exams so...

First I Drink, Then I smoke...

Band: Melvins
Album: Star Spangled Banner 7"
Origin: U.S.A. (Montesano, Washington)
Genre: Hard Rock
Year: 2008

This was a tour only release limited to 666 copies. First song is the a capella version of the Star Spangled Banner. The second song is a cover of Detroit Rock City. Enjoy!

Melvins - Star Spangled Banner