Events, News, Releases

FUNERAL HORSE RETURN! Texan doom punks deliver new album, Psalms For The Mourning

Made up of front man/guitarist Paul Bearer, drummer Chris Bassett and new addition, Clint Rater on bass, Funeral Horse return to the fold this June with a brand-new studio album; their third in the canon for the Houston-based record label, Artificial Head Records.

Catching up on almost three years in the wilderness since the release of their 2015’s stoned-opus, Divinity For The Wicked, Psalms For The Mourning finds the industrious Texan trio revamping the thunderous doom-pop and hard rock that secured their cult status amidst the current crop of underground US rock. As an aural monument for the maligned, Divinity… made several inroads into the media with positive reviews from the likes of Terrorizer and Decibel, but here on Psalms For The Mourning, Funeral Horse serve up a true rock ‘n’ roll sermon for the masses. It’s an album that’s positively waiting to be picked up and played by those that have chosen their whole lives to turn on, tune in and drop out in pursuit of volume.

Amid a mass brawl of fresh proto-metal riffs, warped vocals, neo-folk and red eyed ’80s post-hardcore punk, under the influence of bands such as The Melvins, Led Zeppelin, Kyuss and Harvey Milk, the sonic experimentation Funeral Horse found on previous albums remains, but is now deeply woven into their songs and not separated into stand-alone pieces. This is music to gouge minds to. From the seemingly/misleadingly upbeat opener ‘Better Half of Nothing’, to the brooding and bold ‘No Greater Sorrow (Than My Love)’ and outright brutality of ‘Sacrifice of A Thousand Ships’, the band opens its doors once more to an even wider world of distortions and digressions.

“We took more time writing and recording this material, taking in the turmoil from touring and personal conflicts and the loss of some good friends along the way,” explains front man Paul Bearer. “We’ve kept to the roots of who we are but the band’s tours in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Mexico last year was another big factor in the amount of care and time we took with the album. Those tours exposed us to some amazing bands and people who have helped to share in what the band is today.”

LIVE DATES:

16/6 – RECORD RELEASE SHOW: Spruce Goose Social Flyers Club – Houston, TX
17/6 – RECORD RELEASE SHOW: Antone’s Record Shop – Austin, TX
20/6  – 524 Studios – Baton Rouge, LA
21/6 – Hops and Habanas – Jackson, MS
22/6 – Old Nicks – Birmingham, AL
23/6 – Autograph Rehearsal Studio – Murfreesboro, TN
24/6 – Hot Springs Event Centre – Hot Springs, AR
7/7 – ARTIFICIAL HEAD RECORDS SHOWCASE: The Almighty Moontower Inn – Houston, TX

Psalms For The Mourning by Funeral Horse is released worldwide on 15th June via Artificial Head Records – Pre-order now at artificialheadrecords.bandcamp.com. Stream and share new song ‘Burial Under The Sun’ below:

 

News, Releases, Videos

FIRE DOWN BELOW: Belgian fuzz rock quartet to release Hymn of the Cosmic Man | New video for ‘Saviour Of Man’ premiered on Doomed & Stoned

This June will see the official worldwide release of Hymn of the Cosmic Man, the brand-new studio album from Belgian progressive rock quartet, Fire Down Below.

Following on from last year’s hugely successful rerelease of Viper Vixen Goddess Saint, the Ghent-based foursome are back with yet another exceptional melee of fuzzed-out stoner rock, heavy psych and grunge on Ripple Music, home to some of the finest acts in recent years to emerge from the underground.

On Hymn of the Cosmic Man, Fire Down Below trade the hot desert winds of their debut for the cold desolation of outer space. With a storyline that pitches a single soul against an unnamed threat to mankind, the band express fear, hope, defeat, surrender and courage across seven tracks, making for one truly compelling journey.

“We had this background story that guided us in the songwriting process,” explains bassist Bert Wynsberghe. “Yet we left it somewhat vague so that it wouldn’t limit us and we could still pursue ideas that were more ‘out there’. That really worked for us, we got to explore new sonic territories and we’re excited to see what reactions we might get.”

As a glowing endorsement and belief in their sheer quality, Fire Down Below’s second full-length not only plants a flag into the earth’s crust, it endeavours to propel the band into orbit. Never ones to mess with a winning combination, after the critical acclaim of their debut, Fire Down Below teamed up again with Tim De Gieter at Much Luv Studio in Belgium for recording and mixing, with Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland on mastering duties.

“We were happy to be able to work with Tim again. We’d raised the bar for ourselves for the new album and we were thrilled to see that he had done the same thing for his studio work. And then of course we’re super excited that Ripple Music is releasing this album. To be part of a family with bands such as Wo Fat and Mothership is just beyond anything we had ever considered possible.”

Already, the band has garnered some truly remarkable comparisons with bands like Truckfighters, Red Fang and Soundgarden, and now with Hymn of the Cosmic Man, from the swelling, space swallowing opening of ‘Red Giant’ and ‘Ignition/Space Cruiser’, to the spectacularly progressive closer ‘Adrift In A Sea Of Stars’, we will at last see them step up, take flight and traverse the universe powered by hard rock, stellar riffs and their own, breathtaking volition.

Hymn of the Cosmic Man by Fire Down Below is released worldwide on 8th June via Ripple Music. Stream and share new the new video for ‘Saviour Of Man’ below:

News, Releases

HIGH PRIESTESS: Badass LA-based doom trio to release debut LP next month on Ripple Music

High Priestess is a heavy psych trio from Los Angeles that throw down lush harmonies, crushing riffs and killer grooves.

Consisting of Katie Gilchrest on guitar and vocals, Mariana Fiel on bass/vocals, and Megan Mullins on drums, they have created a sound that echoes both past and future incarnations of doom and psychedelia.

Formed in the spring of 2016 when Fiel placed an ad on Craigslist seeking like minds for a devastating new project, Katie and Megan heeded the call and together they immediately started producing long, hypnotic jams that morphed into crafted songs with dynamic crescendos and soaring improv sections. The band self-released a five-song demo in July 2017 which, through word-of-mouth garnered critical praise and a growing fan base around the world.

Newly signed to Ripple Music, home to some of the biggest and best heavy rock acts to emerge from the underground in recent years, their self-titled debut album will be unleashed worldwide on 18th May 2018.

Prepare to worship at their altar of High Priestess… their time is coming.

TOUR DATES:

25/5 – Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
26/5 – Haul – Grants Pass, OR
28/5 – Tonic Lounge – Portland, OR
29/5 – Funhouse – Seattle, WA
30/5 – Astoria – Vancouver, BC
31/5 – Palamino – Calgary, AB
1/6 – Temple – Edmonton, AB
2/6 – Vantopia Festival – Equity, BC
3/6 – Siksika Community Centre – Siksika, AB
4/6 – Old School Records – Kalispell, MT

Stream and share new song ‘Take The Blame’ here:

News, Releases

BANG ARE BACK! Ripple Music to Release Career-Spanning Best Of

Often referred to as America’s answer to Black Sabbath, BANG is one of the most unsung bands in the history of US hard rock. Toting the heaviness of Birmingham’s finest, Led Zeppelin and the dirty groove of Grand Funk Railroad, BANG released three critically acclaimed albums on Capitol Records in the early 70s, inadvertently going on to establish the heavy genre that is now universally known as proto-metal.

Busting out of the turmoil of the post-psychedelic ’60s, BANG’s 1971 self-titled debut is considered an important forerunner of the early Doom Metal genre with Decibel Magazine hailing it as a, “landmark album in the badass pantheon of metal,” and inducting it the Decibel Metal Hall of Fame. Yet, as richly deserved as that honour is, BANG were no one-trick pony. Undoubtedly one of America’s heaviest proto-metal bands they also had a strong sense of melodic power, versatility and their song writing skills were second to none.

In the summer of 1971, Frank Ferrara, Tony Diorio and Frankie Gilcken hit the road, driving from their native Philadelphia area to Florida to try their luck. While buying rolling papers in a record store, they learned of a Small Faces and Deep Purple concert nearby in Orlando. Brazenly, they showed up at the venue and declared they were ready to go on stage. The concert organizer asked them to set up and play for him and after a handful of songs, the band found themselves opening for Rod Stewart and Small Faces. Before they knew it, BANG was playing with Bachman Turner Overdrive, Deep Purple, Three Dog Night, Fleetwood Mac, Ike and Tina Turner, The Doobie Brothers, and even Black Sabbath. Capitol Records signed them, and three LPs were subsequently released.

Highly regarded as a cult act by many for years, it’s now time for this truly amazing rock band to be enjoyed by a new audience worldwide. On the heels of the publication of the complete band history book, The BANG Story, Ripple Music is thrilled to announce the first ever Best Of… compilation from this historically heavy and fascinating band. Best of BANG features eighteen of the band’s best-loved and heaviest songs from their Capitol Years, personally curated by Ripple Music and the band themselves.

For all those who’ve longed to dig into the band’s history, there is no better place to start than Best of BANG. Available worldwide on double vinyl LP with gorgeous gatefold, featuring rare photos, a cover featuring the original BANG girl and liner notes by esteemed music journalist, Sleezegrinder, Best of BANG is also available on digipack CD and all digital music formats.

Best of BANG is by BANG is released worldwide via Ripple Music on 20th April 2018. Pre-order now at www.ripple-music.com.

Stream and share ‘Keep On’ by BANG here: