Monolith Cult - Run from the Light (Review)

 

Welcome to the medieval cult of heaviness !
Let me introduce you the "all-star" band called Monolith Cult that is based in Bardford, UK. Featuring members from the likes of Lazarus Blackstar, Solstice, Ex-Khang and Ex-The Dead Resurrected, Threads, Serenity, Silverburn.

So if suddenly you run out of electricity and don't have any chance to listen to the Monolith's tunes, but you did print the Review just to read on the bus station - here's my comparison "You can take the heaviness of Warhorse, Goatsnake and mix it with the Candlemass/Obsessed/St.Vitus and add some classic Pueple/Dio".

Robust fuzzed-out sound / high-quality riffage / change in tempo / recognizable chorus - that stuff makes this band fuckin unique!

Let's say what I like about this album :

- First of all - the sludgy samples, that start it all. They sound awesome in such swampy atmosphere.

-

- It's not boring at all ! Gonna listen this album again and again.

- The whole album is a solid masterpiece. And such songs as "Monolith Cult", "Human Cull", "Suicide and Heroin" - should be carved in stone, because that's timeless classic.
- Another cool release on my favorite Future Noise Recs.

What I don't like about this album :

- Why I don't have it on the white vinyl yet ?

"Run From the Light" is probably the best doom album of the year!

Highly recommended !!!

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Monolith-Cult/469161969792692
www.future-noise.co.uk
http://futurenoise.bandcamp.com/

http://monolithcult.bandcamp.com/track/monolith-cult-2

Buy CD or LP here :

http://futurenoise.bigcartel.com/

The Brimstone Days - 2013 - The Healer (Review)

Наше с Вами путешествие по волнам отличной музыки из Швеции продолжается! Сегодняшний улов - восхитительный альбом от лучезарных и позитивных ребят The Brimstone Days с не менее оптимистичным названием - "The Healer". 

Эта одиннадцатипесенная пилюля бодрости и рок-н-рольного задора обязательно вылечит Вашу осеннюю депрессию и более того, придаст Вам сил, ибо когда музыка пишется с душой - она всегда ЛЕЧИТ!! 

Приступаем к осмотру с первой композиции Black And Blue - ритмичному и заводному прологу, за которым следует практически "клятва Гиппократа" от музыкантов - We Come In Peace и тут действительно нечего добавить, раскрывайте свои чакры глубже!!!! 

Matter Of Moments приятной волной пройдёт по Вашим зонам удовольствия и непроизвольно раскачает голову в такт, только лишь для того, чтобы в следующие 3 с половиной минуты вы хлопали в ладоши под Clap Your Hands. Со следующей вещью Bag Of Bones альбом слегка прибавляет в мощи и радует приятными проигрышем, но нам некогда останавливаться - Nightmare Is Here уже здесь и он УЖАСНО хорош! 

Следующая вещица,одноимённая The Healer - слегка уравновешенная и умиротворённая, оканчивающаяся шикарным соло. Но это вовсе не значит, что здесь все успокоились - Miss Understood покачивая бёдрами делает Вам вызов, а ты готов слушать дальше? О, да - я многое могу уверенно и дерзко говорит нам Hold Me и мы уже на взводе, а что дальше? А дальше - неожиданно и поначалу робко выплывает I Won't Let You Go, практически идеальное любовное рок-откровение. Ну а подытоживают свою работу парни композицией Stubborn, отличным громким эпилогом в лучших традициях жанра. В конце обзора хочу подчеркнуть,что данный альбом отпускается без рецепта и без ограничений к употреблению. Повторное прослушивание усиливает положительный эффект!!!!

Будьте в тонусе!!!!

(Review by Dron)

Thank you guys for a wonderful set on the Robustfest vol.III

Hope to see you again soon !

(video by Kirai)

 https://www.facebook.com/thebrimstonedays

www.thebrimstonedays.com 

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBrimstoneDays 
http://thebrimstonedays.bandcamp.com 
http://vk.com/thebrimstonedays 

 http://recordheaven.net/

 http://transubstans.net/

Coffins - 2013 - The Fleshland (Review)

Coffins have been punishing our eardrums with the poisonous mixture of sludge/death/ doom/crust for as much as 17 years, having released 4 LPs and a decent mount of splits and EP’s. The Fleshsland is the band’s first full-length effort over the last five years, and it was definitely worth the wait. Disgorging extremely slow, down tuned to ferocious degree and blatantly sick death doom occasionally boosted by thick sludge riffs, Japanese quartet have been providing source of inspiration for a plethora of new bands, including highly-acclaimed formations like Electrozombies and Freakhate. It seems their writing process is about as slow as their music as the band has not been very prodigal of full-length stuff over the last years, but what the band stresses is quality over quantity in an era where recording an album can easily be done at home.

“Here comes perdition “ starts the album from a slow note, evoking the atmosphere of dilapidated asylum infested with hellish abominations ready to consume everyone reckless enough to dare venture into such place. The track starts with a heavy crawl, slowly evolving into mid paced monstrosity and perfectly incorporating all elements what the band has been so favored throughout its existence. A slow solo breaks the party closer towards the end of the song, however fades quickly giving the driver seat to the sick riff fest. This pace transitions well into the neck-wrecker ‘Hellbringer’, which demonstrates the band’s capacity to incorporate curst punk elements into their vibes.

Where Coffins truly excel is when they trudge through songs at a grueling mid-tempo march. ‘The Vacant Pale Vessel’ is the highlight of the Japanese quartet’s fourth album. Guitarist Uchino often forgoes any lead playing, but textures the pummeling sludge with simple, yet effective leads to accent the unforgettable riffing here. The solo section in this death/doom rocker is bluesy, showing that not everything about this band is ugly and gritty.

Much has changed in the band since the release of Buried death. Fleshland marks the first appearance of the group as a foursome. Ryo had been handling the drums since 2010, but has abandoned this position taking center stage as a front man. His guttural approach is a welcome shift from the Uchino’s more yelping style, who in turn had retired from the double responsibility of a frontman/axeman continuing to wield guitar with even more efficiency.

In terms of production, Flesh land is the pinnacle of excellence beyond any reasonable doubt. Maintaining crystal clear sound but yet retaining the rawness/ basement touch is how I can describe what I have heard here. The drums no longer sound like digital samples and the cymbals resonate well and perfectly squeeze through the massive wall of sound erected by other instruments.

To sum everything up, I do believe that I have just listened to the best material the bands have produced so far. Retaining the face of their own by making no alterations to their sick style, the band continues to be the in forefront of Japanese metal scene. Unwavering, the four have merely set out to write a better batch of songs each time they hit the studio and nailed it once again. One of Japan’s greatest extreme metal exports are a prime example of how time makes perfect.

P:S .First person survival horror Outlast has just hit the shelves, but has already gained enormous following worldwide with some gamers describing the game “As the scariest game ever”. Taking the role of investigative journalist, you venture into abandoned mental Asylum to check the strange happenings their. Abandoning Lovecraftian dread and zombie/ghouls themes, the game shows how well the relatively mundane beings can scare the shit out of you It doesn’t shame to see you crawl through the wall full of shit in an attempt to escape hulking behemoth , gladly showcases scenes of ultimate gore and sickness however retains constant suspense and unpredictability. But all this does not matter as much as how well the Coffin’s last offering fits well into the style of the game: mental asylum, perverted psychiatric organization, piles of shit and gore and sense of complete helplessness and impending doom- these are the best words to describe what you will see in the game. All this is stuffed with immerse brutality and immeasurable cruelty. 
Listening to Fleshland is highly recommended in order to fully submerge into the game. ))

(Review by Den)

 

https://www.facebook.com/intothecoffin  

http://www.coffins.jp
http://paganresult.digi2.jp
https://twitter.com/CoffinsJP
http://coffins.bandcamp.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/coffins
http://www.myspace.com/intothecoffin
http://www.youtube.com/CoffinsJP
http://www.last.fm/music/Coffins

Weedpecker: The Most Promising New Band from Poland 2013....

About a month ago my good friend PhillO))) recommended me a new band from Poland "Weedpecker". Well, to tell the truth during the last couple of years I developed a strong antipathy for the band names including words like "bong", "weed", "smoke" etc. (note: just the band names, not the bands itself). I know it's ol' good stoner music, and that it's permeated with the spirit of the mighty herb, but for fantasy's sake, can people get a bit more creative? To cut the long story short, I wasn't enthusiastic about listening to another "weedbong smokestoner" band.

To my greatest surprise my prejudices were pointless. From the first chords of "Berenjena Pipe" Weedpecker's music charmed me with its warm, pleasant grooves. When the vocal stepped in, tag "grunge" automatically came to my mind. Some time after it I was able to notice how melodic the music itself is. It's not just a usual combination of riffs which forms couplet-chorus song with a short solo after it. What Weedpecker offers is well thought compositions filled with great melodies which create a magic atmosphere both in your mind and your ears while you listen to it.

The second song "Mindbreath" had the same spirit as the first one, which wasn't surprising, because these two songs were actually released as a single in May 2012 and their task was to form a certain kind of impression about the band. The band was right to choose these two songs for a single because they really have the capability to demonstrate the good vibes coming from the band's music.

Who knows what guys tried to tell with a title "Don't trust Your Elephant" (guess it's just the continuation of the trip started with a first song), but this track makes my favorite part of the album. It's an amazing instrumental track with a meditative beginning filled with different layers of all kinds of psychedelic sounds, which give way to charming acoustic guitar. It continues this sonic tale to the point when the almighty riffs kicks in. And even during the heavy riffage you can hear the psychedelic landscapes beautifully shifting their forms on the background of the mix. Solo guitar leads the third part of the song. Going beyond the pentatonic scale its melodies inflame imagination and can even endow you a state catharsis if you give all your attention to the power of vibration behind the music. Brilliant song.

Fourth song "Kraken" is an instrumental too. It hasn't impressed me that much in terms of composition and the overall flow, though there were some remarkable parts too, For instance I haven't expected to hear black-metalish riffing with double bass drum in the end of the song – that sounded fresh! Solo and melodic passages were great as well.

Continuing the theme of the herb the band dedicates next song to Cannabis sativa which is one of the remarkable species of the Cannabaceae family. Clocking at more than 8 minutes the fifth song is called "Sativa Landscapes". It goes without saying that it really creates a good musical interpretation of how such landscapes would look like. Completely Weedpecker's style beginning comes to the point of a highly appreciated fast part which morphs into my favorite part of the song – relaxing, pleasant, dreamy, with extensive solos. When it ends, you have a feeling like it could go on and on, but it is only an illusion, as all things come to an end. Fortunately, not an end of an album!

Last song which is my second favorite on the album was performed together with Cheesy dude from Belzebong. And again – the good vibes! More than six minute long psyched out instrumental is an excellent way to finish this stellar debut album. To tell the truth it doesn't sound like a debut album. This CD sounds like a solid peace of mature musicianship, which you definitely have to listen if you're into stoner rock, grunge, psychedelic rock or simply good music. Gentlemen of Weedpecker – bravo! Robustfellow salutes you.

P.S.: While writing a review I was mostly considering the strong points of the band. Below, I'd like to sum it all up by highlighting the overall personal/subjective impressions including strong and weak points.

Weak points:

- Whole concept of the album is about weed again

- Compositions are very cool, but there are still some place for improvement

- Production – in my opinion digipack preforms much better than the jewel box. Though the front cover art is great, all other illustrations on the CD are just variations of one picture. I guess the band can work more on it next time

Strong points:

- Excellent music which makes this debut album nearly perfect – compositions, melodies, vocals, solos, psychedelic landscapes and all the tiny details in the mix entwine into an outstanding peace of music. An attentive listener will definitely notice that this album was created and thought out with great care and attention. You should be sure to support the band by buying their stuff and coming to their gigs. Weedpecker's folks are talented and very promising, help them become big - they deserve it. 

Connect with the band: 

Bandcamp | Facebook

Rating: 80/100.

Robustfest vol.III (Review)

LADIES & GENTLEMEN

Finally. We've made it for the 3rd time !

One week passed after the fest. 

And It's time to take a deep breath and make a review.
Robustfest is rising slowly from year to year.
Around 400 people came for Robustfest (including crew/guests and band members).

All the bands came to the festival and burned the stage.
Thank you guys doing these thousands of km.

(There were tons of difficulties during the road to the fest :

The Machine & Loinen flights were delayed for 4-6 hours.

The Grand Astoria had some problems with the tour bus and they decided to come by train for Ukrainian tour.)

We've started and ended right in time. (That was really necessary for the Old Opera crew).

Thanx Jura & BOMG, Marco / Shiva the Destructor / Checkpoint base for help with Backline !

Val Stonezilla & Lepa for the main stage Sound & Lights!

Zvukotzech studio for recording the sound !

The backyard was working as a food court with herbal tea/candies and vegan falafels.

Thanks our volunteers for preparing the place.

(Sanya, Artem, Lera and the whole Robust Crew - you rock fellas !!!)

The Robust Afterparty also happened in a "Secret Cave" right after the main Fest.

Thanks you guys from BOMG, Turnaround and Dropsum. You've made that night !
Big thanks goes to Jura & BOMG for help with the afterparty & Jam with DropSum !

Three tours have crossed on the ROBUSTFEST :

Belzebong & Satellite Beaver burned the bong the day after in Ternopil.

The Brimstone Days continued their 7-weeks-long Euro tour. (Thanks to Slavik Glory for helping with Ukrainian part of this Tour)

The Grand Astoria followed their road to the south and have played in Odessa for next day.

It was also a pleasure to see fresh releases from Loinen, The Brimsone Days and The Grand Astoria on the merch balcony. They were made in time. Right for the Robustfest.

And we sure that different collaborations between the festival's bands will see the light of the day in the nearest future.

Please welcome short Robustfest's overview :

(Photos by Kovalenko Olga & Nestor Podgurskiy)

(Videos by Kirai)

Thank You, Iceland!

 Satellite Beaver

Keepleer 18

 

Somali Yacht Club

 The Brimstone Days

 

 

 Belzebong

 

The Grand Astoria

 Loinen

 

 

 The Machine

 

Afterparty Spirit

(BOMG is the soundtrack)





So our little "Fuzzstock" is over !
Thank you all for coming and support !
This inspires!

See you fellas on Robustfest vol.IV

PhillO))) & The Robustcrew

PS. We still have some Festival's merch left (T-shirts/Caps/Patches/Wind-stoppers/"Robust Session 2011-2012" tape series and more...)
So if you're interested in supporting future DVD production and Robust actions in the future  - the best way is to buy something from the Robustshop.

Here you can watch/read some more reviews about Robustfest vol.III :

http://syto.com.ua/uk/reportazhmusyky/1640-robustfest-vol-iii-kak-eto-bilo.html
http://anxi22.livejournal.com/186024.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/abrisad/sets/72157636667010916/
http://sapatrylo.com/blog/my/2638-robustfest-vol-iii.html
http://new-wave.com.ua/article?id=146

Robust Schedule & Merch 2013

Here comes the

Robust Schedule for the Fest & Afterparty 2013

First 50 visitors who will come for the fest will get nice digi CD from one of the best psychedelic bands from Ukraine - Slow Ride Home

http://slowridehome.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-southern-supercluster

Massive Merch Bazar is coming as well...

Everyone why buys anything from the Robustshop will get free sticker and pin/magnet for choice.