Review...LA OTRACINA - 'The Aquarian Wind'

It would seem, that this Brooklyn collective, travelled across vast desert landscape - drank the waters of some mystical lake of enchantment and upon their return, released their latest offering, The Aquarian Wind, and, played at the mighty Roadburn Festival in Tilberg. Firmly establishing themselves in a modern age of 70’s inspired, cosmic, heavy psychedelia.

The album in its entirety, has a traveling kind of feel to it, with each track documenting the varied paths to which the journey may lend itself. Our trip begins with ‘Voyage To Heldonia’ opening with an erratic episode of drum rolls, as if signaling to take your mark.  Then the bass kicks in and the Voyage begins.  A warm bass guitar and gentle drum taps set the pace of the opening track, soon followed by the curious finger tips of guitarist Philippe Ortanez.  The track flows like water, exquisitely recorded with the soft ssssshhhhimmer of the cymbals existing beneath a current of saturating reverb, exposing subtle waves of feedback.

‘Lost In The Sunrise’ takes the listener along a different road, introducing vocals to the ensemble from drummer Adam Kriney.  Once again, the drums along with some sweet sunburnt fuzzy desert bass lines, effortlessly hold the track in place, confidently spiraling off at their own discretion.  There is a gentle sound of single guitar notes, ringing out with the occasional glimpse of a dusty chord. Permanently on the cusp of braking into the menacing chorus riff, followed shortly by shredding guitar tones cloaked in wah and lush 70s fuzz. After a second chorus the heavy improv jammin’ continues, and rightly so. It sounds fuckin’ sweet.

‘California Orange Sunshine’ bares a strange schizophrenic melancholy. This is a relatively short instrumental meandering that would well soundtrack a moment of ritual confusion within an old psychedelic occult horror film.Emerging from the bass and percussion intro of ‘Cornfield’ come swirling effect laden strikes of the guitar that flourish into a lead melody line, gradually bleeding into the free from and progressive vibes familiar to each member of the band. One of the many great aspects of La Otracina, is the moments of improvised jammin’ the unrehearsed freedom of this band is something that has become somewhat lost in todays musical realm in comparison to that of their predecessors.

’Forgotten To Be Free’ has a heavy proto-metal feel to it, similar to that of pentagram.  Dark bluesy guitar riffs and slow heavy drums accompanied by colossal bass rumblings and Mr Kriney bashing out some more high pitch vocals.  We began our trip with an astral wave of psychedelia, only to finish with a final tale of triumph, charged with awesome valve driven 70’s doom riffage.

La Otracina were formed by Adam Kriney in 2003 and has since evolved into a gargantuan psychedelic cosmonaught - evoking spaced out grooves and artistic improvisational tendencies on a platform of sun kissed 70’s desert prog. This band is not to be overlooked.

Words by Dan S.

La Otracina Bandcamp

HAMMERS - 'Vardogr' (2012) : A Review

HAMMERS are a group of musicians hailing from Manchester with an original approach to creating brutal crust-laden hardcore. I wanted to include 'metal' in the synopsis, but as soon as I use the words hardcore and metal together my whole body cringes. It is crusty in that it projects gritty bass, low guttural voice and stampeding tempos.. all driven along in an adventurous early Dischord-era style where technical prowess and unpredictable structures aren't sneered upon.

The first track 'Casting Spells' oozes dark feedback(y) mess all over my ears, before spitting out a pristine sounding riff that instantly cuts through the layers of vicious feedback...From black metal to early Baroness in the flip of a switch. The titles of this album almost remind me of the chapter names of some prophetic book out of the middle ages; encouraging a bewildered sense of awe. A similar feeling most have experienced through attempting to read 'Dante's Inferno' when they were 17...intriguing nevertheless.

The kind of head-nodding (cause there are 'kinds') it gets out of me is a kind of blend between the focused jarring approach induced by math rock and the head-down-to-the-ground shake techniques regularly seen at your local thrash gig. Its easy to say Hammers envelop many styles in their music, it is hard to determine exactly how due to the fluency of it. A track that sticks out to me lasts a timely :23 secs named 'Endoteric'. Mainly because I have a great big mushy soft spot for grimy doom but secondly for that chord at the end of the riff; sounds like an orchestra of electric bass guitars all playing the same note in a massive expansive auditorium.

Review: "Regress" by Slabdragger

A review of "Regress" by Slabdragger (Holy Roar)

If you were to delve into the apocalyptic womb of Heavy Metal, “Regress” is the colossal beast that you would find. It is summoned here in a valiant crusade to save Heavy Metal, its leaders and its adversaries.
This beast will tear off your balls, replacing the contents of your scrotum with swollen spheres of steel and like a dwarf afoot a mountain, you shall stand in awe. Slabdragger strike upon various nuances of stoner, doom, sludge and groove awesomeness throughout this entire album, while forging a sound of their own. It leaves you with a recognisable sense of fatigue after the whooping you have just subsequently received.

Richard Parker + The Party Program + Shields + Magnapinna @ The Well, Leeds

Instrumental astral wanderings of local lads Richard Parker can be experienced at the Well tonight with 2 other awesome Leeds bands and Party Program from Scotland.

Big Spaceship took the time to listen to Richard Parker's self-tiled EP a few weeks ago and was very much intrigued. The subtle aether that surrounds this offering is evident in the cerebral expanse of this EP. It treats the listener to a lush spatial feel that expands toward euphoric washes of speedy picked lead guitar, soaked in so much reverb it sounds almost like a glissandi string section amid a cinematic orchestral arrangement. An innocence echoes inside the interwoven harmonic registry between the arpeggios and swirling lead parts of the guitars. Reminiscent of such post rock gods as Mogwai, Sigor Ros and the rich sensuous undulations of Mono, RP invoke nostalgia you didn't think was present before you had bore witness to this EP. Dynamically, this EP takes you on a journey through serene lands alien to human presence... This record gently inebriates, exhilarates and tingles the senses... sit back, close your tired eyes and melt into your chair to the surging contrapuntal soundscapes of Richard Parker.
The first date of the brazenly named 'The Dick Party Tour' with THE PARTY PROGRAM begins tonight.

Download RICHARD PARKER's EP here:
http://richardparker.bandcamp.com/album/richard-parker

THE PARTY PROGRAM
http://www.thepartyprogram.com/
SHIELDS
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shields/106121999460153?sk=info
MAGNAPINNA
http://magnapinna.bandcamp.com/

BS

Dopefight / Wiht / Dead Existence / Groan @ Royal Park Cellars, Leeds – Review 03/06/11

This write-up has come a little late due to a busy schedule on board Big Spaceship but nevertheless, here it is.

As I descended the dark staircase of The Royal Park Cellars on this hot Friday night I was cloaked with the mist and humidity of this gloomy venue even before I walk through the door. Upon entering this underground sweat-box, I was greeted with the twisted psychedelic meanderings of Groan (Doomanoid Records). Solid 70’s style riffs, catchy hooks and wailing solos, Groan are like a culmination of Sabbath, Deep Purple and Grand Funk Railroad with a little Kyuss thrown in there for good measure. It’s hard not to nod your head as these guys deliver a lively performance with an obvious love for what they do. Groan present a sound that has been heard before and yet it is impossible to not admire this infallible formula of concrete 'fists in the air' groove without donning a massive set of pendulous heavy balls. Yes, I went there.

http://www.myspace.com/groanuk

The mighty DEAD EXISTENCE were next to take the stage and fuck me balls swinging they were heavy as FUCK! In all honesty I wasn’t prepared for the bludgeoning barrage they had waiting behind the first 1, 2, 3, 4. Bone crunching, earth shattering, apocalyptic, these are all common ways of describing the various forms of heavy but I promise you, This is heavier. This is what you will hear resonating from the skies as the earth comes to a slow and bitter end. The dragging riffs of Dead Existence lure you into a state of sadistic hypnosis, so much so that when you are released from their thundering tidal wall of noise you will fall forward, realising that your body had been solely held up from the force emanating from DEAD EXISTENCE's demonic tones. Check their split with Dopefight here:

http://www.deadexistence.bigcartel.com/product/dead-existence-dopefight-split

http://www.deadexistence.net/

The penultimate segment of this doom laden musical theme park was an instrumental journey through unknown arcane wilderness in the form of WIHT. There is something about them that makes you shut the fuck up and pay attention. As you cross ambient plains with them you will discover mountainous riffs that erupt into colossal states of mind warping splendour. WIHT have the ability to create an overwhelming sense of tension and anticipation that holds you on the brink of insanity, before plummeting into a void of unrelenting power. Fantastical and progressive orchestration leaves the audience with seldom-opportune moments to congratulate the band on their talent and abilities. The aftermath of Wiht's performance sees a troop of bodies stood static in awe, gawping at the heavy load just released by Wiht's musical phallus. Wiht Are in the process of finishing an album with Ghosttown recordings (leeds) and hopefully shall be with us soon. In the meantime, check out their EP and also the sneak preview of their new album:



www.myspace.com/wihtleeds

Last on the bill was London-based DOPEFIGHT. The crowd waits patiently as levels are achieved on stage before the performance; sporadic bursts of powerchords and doom riffage are rife. The first thing I noticed was the insanely heavy tone of the bass guitarist's sound. Playing through just one distortion pedal, the sound that followed rips up the air like auditory shears, trimming the air molecules before tearing into your ear drums. The Dopefight commences and waves of nodding heads answer the call of the groove portrayed by this southern trio. The breakdowns that occur twixt stoned passages, ooze aggression and intensity usually attributed to more hardcore and punk rock realms. As though during an angst fueled punk gig in the past, someone had pulled the plug, offered up a monster bong to everyone in there and slapped some Sludge on the PA leaving everyone in a hazy, trance-like state worshiping every Sabbath riff pre-Sabotage. BOOM.
Check the new album out 'BUDS', it will put hairs not only on your chest but on your lungs, hands and your mothers face. Smoke. Listen. Mosh. Mong. In that order.

http://www.myspace.com/fightdopefight

Check out "Baby Goat Sick" put to a rather cool clip from Kill Baby Kill. Awesome.

Etai Keshiki, CAG, Vom + Pyramidion @ The Fenton, Leeds - Review

Star trekking through Leeds' run down fringes, with the looming signs of social decline in the air, I journey to the next BS pit stop @ The Fenton.
Entering the front door I am greeted with hoards of long-haired and bearded metallers soaking up the pre-90's thrash and heavy metal played through the jukebox. The Fenton, I hear, used to be a popular destination for bikers, punks and metalheads decades ago and one can still witness the aftermath of its influence on the misdemeanor and mentality of its present customers. I share affinities to the mentality of these kind of pubs, still reeling off the unquestionable impact these lost eras had on their establishments. I admire its honesty and I feel it's this kind of history that needs to be preserved.
All that aside, I wasn't here to bask in any kind of cultural reminiscence, tonight was about the unearthly vibrations being emitted from above.

First on was newly borne Leeds improv-groovesters CAG (CASTRATO ATTACK GROUP). As I entered the room, I was accosted by a towering tidal wall of high frequency guitar feedback. Before I could pinpoint where I was, the disorientating aggression of the piercing feedback loop was like a clutched hand at your throat, willing you to listen or be asphyxiated where you stand. A plodding down-tempo groove was provided by bass and drums. As i watched, it was as though there was no acceptance of an audience being present, they might as well have being playing to a regimented robot gathering, heads slowly nodding away in unison. Which, incidentally is what the listeners portrayed. Time passed and I found myself staring vacantly into the dark kick drum cavity, the mixture of groove and wailing guitar feedback was hypnotic to my earholes. 30 mins of purely improvised stringent stoner groove, like driving music for the undead.

CAG are Luke Vollar, Gav Montgomery and Phil

Next up were another loud Leeds ensemble that go by the name of ETAI KESHIKI. They represent a particular malevolent dystopian nightmare, where doleys are permitted to get together and release their pent up up frustration on the world. A distant assault on the drums provide a hellish tribal backdrop to the harsh reality protruding from the variegated onslaught of the backline. Etai are a claustrophobic entity on the brink of exploding all over the listeners personal space, but in the nicest possible way. I've witnessed Etai perform in the past, and tonight they treated us to a brand new set, offering a more stunted selection of songs that seem to concentrate their energy to great effect. For circuit bent, sharp sounding black and grey hues of nuance and heavy as fuck riffs with shouty behaviour... Etai fulfil every pocket of your discontent for everything soulless in this world while still harboring a wide grin on your face.
I admire the bands choice to release an EP on a dying format, it aptly sympathises with my growing love of today's anachronistic tendencies.
Their new EP "ETAI OR DIE" is available on cassette tape now.
Email etaikeshiki@hotmail.com to purchase the tape.
Listen online here:
http://etaikeshiki.bandcamp.com/album/etai-or-die

Next on the menu were VOM, a Psych-doom offering hailing form Scotland. A contagious more softer doom emanates from the offset of their performance. Lights were turned out and replaced with a slow blinking white light on the stage that reveals fragmented pockets of their movements. A disjointed rhythm from the light throws the headbanger and forces you to close your eyes and concentrate, which I personally have found myself doing more often than not in recent gigs. It is an invitation to be more critical in your listening approach. Psych guitar chords striking, doom-laden bass swelling and marching percussion pounding a visual representation of a birds eye panoramic view of desolate alien topography. Gliding above this topography riding the fire winged griffin, a dead sea comes into view where you spy archaic, ineffable objects emerging and floating eternally in the scorched sun. VOM is the surf music from dead seas.

http://www.myspace.com/vommusik

Rather than fake a detailed description of last band of the night, Pyramidion, I will instead confess to missing the majority of their performance due to getting carried away conversing in the smoking area. I did catch their final 10 mins or so which I very much enjoyed. I heard an indulgent delicacy in this fragment of their performance.. Like a looser construct to the proggy echoes of the 60's and 70's, with bands like Zappa and Yes coming to mind. More Crimson in sound but more psych when one contemplates the more cosmic improvisational approach to their music. I have played in improv orientated bands in the past and find the most difficult thing in composition is controlling the ups and downs in emotional peaks within the live performance. I found Pyramidion executed this well, conducting themselves in a way they would bring their density up and down in quick succession and in unpredictable ways. I highly recommend this band, and hope the next time I see them, I am not cemented to the smoking area!

http://pyramidion.tumblr.com/

Pyra 190509.4 by Pyramidion

TOM
BS