Supernaut hit the road tomorrow with fun riffhacker single

This is the sort of music that keeps me on the stereo. The stoner metal formation from the United States created a heavy riff that rocks straight through my ears. It's going agressively in but never misses to form something that remains listenable.

The cover reminds me a bit of computer game shells.

The drums accompany to the guitars and keep the groove tight and round. But what I liked most are the vocals on "Resist the urge". They have this legendary spirit in it. These direct vocals only pure underground bands have in them. They hit you direct in the face and keep it short and straight forward. No holding back, no overload just straight in to the noise. The lyrics accompany to this.

The overall sound is also like these thrash bands used to have them when they started out. 

Make sure to listen to the full song 'till the end. The last third holds some nice play-around with more rough riffing that spread a lot of fun. 

The brand new single comes packed in a nice sleeve that hopefully will see a T-Shirt release sometime.

Make sure to support this combo on the coming tour in the United States that already starts tomorrow! Here are the exact dates.

August 2022

Friday 19th The Blue Lagoon - Santa Cruz, CA
Saturday 20th The Partisan - Merced, CA
Sunday 21st Jerry's Pizza and Pub - Bakersfield, CA
Tuesday 23rd Transplants Brewing - Palmdale, CA
Wednesday 24th Supply and Demand - Long Beach, CA
Thursday 25th The Continental - Fullerton, CA
Friday 26th The Pourhouse - Oceanside, CA
Saturday 27th Bancroft Bar - Spring Valley, CA
Tuesday 30th Yucca Taproom - Tempe, AZ
Wednesday 31st The Rockin' Bar - El Paso, TX

September 2022

Thursday 1st The Deadhorse - San Angelo, TX
Friday 2nd Wake The Dead Coffeehouse- San Marcos, TX
Saturday 3rd Green Jay - Austin, TX
Sunday 4th Acadia Bar - Houston, TX
Thursday 8th Freetown Boom Boom Room - Lafayette, LA
Friday 9th Gasa Gasa - New Orleans, LA
Saturday 10th The Tavern - Hattiesburg, MS
Sunday 11th TBD - Memphis, TN
Tuesday 13th TBD - Fayatteville, AR
Wednesday 14th TBD - Norman, OK
Thursday 15th Leftwoods - Amarillo, TX
Friday 16th Longhair Records - Albuquerque, NM
Saturday 17th The Attic - Prescott, AZ
Sunday 18th The Sand Dollar Lounge - Las Vegas, NV

A full album release is also slated for the 19th of August 2022. Keep a eye on Bandcamp for the moment it hits the shelves.

Keep in touch with the guys directly through Facebook or Instagram.

CD Review: Krokodil Dental Plan - Feed my Krokodil (Stoner, 2020)

The music of the french stoner combo gave me hope and power on a cloudy day. Which route does the band take? It's the mixture of direct riffs that leave the speakers a unpolished way to lay the foundation for dirty Rock 'n' Roll.

 

Next to go is that groove that pumps relentlessly and will keep you rockin' out to the music. It makes you want more of the same once you've had taste of it. The second track "Die A Million Times" brings this on point. 

Finally the vocals are rough and mixed more to the background but it's welcomed. I think it would ruin the sound if taken too much to the front.

The biggest strength however is the many faces the band shows during performing it's music. Each of the six tracks has been worked on in detail. While sure it's loud and rude music it's also that Krokodil Dental Plan fine-tuned each number on the EP. 

 

"Né Pour Perdre" for instance is keen on giving you the extra of rough guitar sounds. It centers well around those loud notes but doesn't have the groove monster under it "Die A Million Times" presents.

The title track itself seems to focus on speedy vocal performance but surprises with a softer jamming solo-section. The bass guitar rules "Hot Served Enemy", a straight Rocker with slightly guitar-driven variations. The last song "Old Man of Sorrow" closes the release with midtempo slower music but with the distinct sound that makes this band remarkable for me.

The EP is well worth the money for the many sides of Dirty Rock it provides. The CD is shipped out for 5 Euro plus shipping and handling while the download comes at the same price at Bandcamp.

 

Let's speak with Fierce Deity (Stoner/Power Metal, 2020)

This was a love upon first sight. I just watched the video on YouTube and the warrior at the fire instantly woke my interest. 

To my further pleasure the music and further progress of the lyric video spoke from my heart. It felt like being back in my childhood days listening Iron Maiden for the first time. I simply had to know more about who stands behind Fierce Deity. Happily my questions where listened to so here's what I was able to find out...

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Hey! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions of the Heavy Metal Underdogs blog.
Fierce Deity / Jonathon Barwick: Really appreciate you having me, Jens!

- Where does the inspiration for the warrior at the campfire on the cover come from?
I call him ‘The Traveller’ (or ‘Trav’ for short) and I got inspiration for the images a few years ago when my life was chaotic. I grieved by reading The Witcher and travelling to Japan. Witchers and Samurai share many philosophies that helped me move forward and find peace - well, that and a little LSD.

- Do you practise meditation for yourself?
I started in July 2017. I found a group of Tibetan Buddhists in my city that allowed the public to join in their meditations. I wrote ‘The Path’ after my first session - I got home, picked up my guitar and all those riffs fell into place.

 
- Do you play retro-games? If so: which systems and games/genres do you prefer?
My first console was a SNES but I spent most of my childhood on a Nintendo 64. I don’t prefer any system and I love all genres. My favourite games always seem to be single player adventures - Zelda, Witcher 3, Fallout 3, the Souls games… Also I’m the best in the world at Mario Kart 64.

- What do the japanese letters underneath the band name stand for?
It translates to “INTENSE GOD”. I visited Japan in 2018 - I was blown away by their culture and I haven’t seen life the same way since. It opened my eyes to the big wide world and the possibilities of life. A year later Fierce Deity was born but without a doubt the idea was conceived in Japan.

- Could you imagine converting the one-man project Fierce Deity into a full band if there was a demand for shows?
I sure can but I have a wild imagination! If the music catches a strong wind I’ll put a show together - and I mean “a show”. I have zero desire to do the local grind. I’d rather do something special a few times than do the same mediocre thing over and over again. I like the idea of Lemmy and Motorhead - he had a bunch of awesome people come through his band creating a different sound from his writing over the years.

Keep in touch with Fierce Deity with a subscription on Facebook.

CD Review: Interdrive - EP3 (Alternative Stoner Metal, 2016)

This came in at the right time on a stressy Monday evening - what a healthy cure.

The cover of Interdrive's "Aetheral" EP, (c) by Interdrive, used with kind permission

Summary
On a first listening this is typical brutal release. But as always a second look pays off. It's those moments when you take a closer look that you'll spot what makes this so special. It's the many ups and downs this EP provides that gives the music this mark - here comes something special to you.

I love those mixed vocals. The roughness of the dark toned voice just suits good to the agressive structured parts while the softer voice gives those melodic sections it's silk moments you need to be balanced. It's further great to hear that no moment lasts all too long in here. Just like in real life it changes quickly all the way throughout the duration of the whole material. The tempo is different on all tracks so it should offer something for all tastes out there.

A additional plus is the drummers work. Without ruining the music he moves like a shadow underlining the songs with the proper groove - that's not to be found all too often. Every here and there like in the opening track the songs changes over and moves to a time off - taking a time out of the usual structure. This feels refreshing and re-news the attention to the music. Overall the productionis fat and modern but not feeling overproduced or unreal.

Purchase-Link and Album-Stream
With every purchase you help a band to grow further. So spending a few spared bucks on this one will give you a calming down everytime you need it. Buy the digital version at Bandcamp or iTunes.

Contact
Connect with Interdrive on Facebook to keep a eye on the further progress. It's a pleasure to seesomething grow so it's well worth following them.

St Nicholas Day gift: Missiles Of October - Better Days

It's the day again where you should give your wishlist and add some bread for the journey of St Nicholas. As for me it feels as if the list of wishes get's smaller with every year because those things can not be bought in shops....

But Missiles Of October left a nice present for all of us. Their album "Better Days" is a kicking mixture of raw vocals, pounding rhythm and dirty rough guitars. It feels great and helps a lot to let some pressure burn. It's stuff like Helmet used to craft back in their prime days I also feel slightly reminded of the anger level of Motörhead recordings - this also goes for the direct sound the recording offers.

The download is available for free but please consider to give a little to this band based in Bruxelles, Belgium. Every little bit helps them to keep on the road and play a show near you or to be able to record more music for us in the future.

You may also pick a CD or vinyl. The CD comes with nice stickers in a cool package. Just have a look at the cover - think of putting one of the cats to your next letter. Wouldn't that look cool? You can order directly via Bandcamp. A detailed list of additional retailers is at the bottom of the same Bandcamp page.

Missiles Of October Better Days album cover, (c) by Missiles Of October, used with kind permission

Finally make sure to stay tuned with the band through a Facebook connection.

CD Review: Dö - Astral: Death/Birth (Dark Stoner Metal, 2017)

Introduction

Over a year has passed since the Finish stoner trio released "Tuho", and now they are back with a brand new two song EP called "Astral: Death/Birth".

It's a concept EP inspired by things happening around us at this very moment, and the future that does not look that bright for mankind.

The songs were recorded live during one session at their rehearsal space. The aim was to capture the intensive live feeling and maintain their roughness this way.

The cover of Dö's Astral: Death/Birth, Cover by Big Dog, (c) by Dö, used with kind permission

Summary

This EP takes some of the finest elements of the predecessor and developes the music of the band to a new more atmorspheric level. The EP starts out with many loud-silent soundscapes in track number one "Astral Death" as if the song slowly fades in. It's a intensive but slow introduction to the fresh material followed by the typical compact stoner sound. The band shows what they're capable of when it comes to being a tight rhythm oriented band. The song is filled to the brim with compact riffs and kick ass drums that you'll love once you've discovered 'em. The end rips the track up - things start to get much more rougher on this one but things are still enjoyable. It's my favorite of the new EP - it has this relaxing effect on me once again (at least in the begining of it).

The second song "Astral Birth" comes as a extended jamming number. The track unfolds throughout the full duration. So there is basically a core drum pattern and melody present while more elements are added every here and there. This reminds of music in tradition of longtracks of progressive bands. At the middle at around 6 minutes more rough elements are added to the track giving the song a rougher sound jacket. Finally there's one more change at round 9 minutes giving it a even more devasted feeling. The song is great yet the only thing I would change is not to put in too many of the high notes with it - they tend to dominate the sound a bit too much.

It may sound as a contrast but in all the rough live sound the band has put in a lot of outworked fine details. More than ever this is music for relaxtion and mediation. Concentrate and focus on the music. You'll love the enjoyment this will bring you.

A promo band shot, Photo by Jaakko Rinne, (c) by Dö, used with kind permission

Purchase-Link

The EP is self-released digitally on May 26th 2017 via Bandcamp, and there will be a small amount of CD's available from the Bandcamp site, too. If the band will set up a EP stream I'll include it here so please check back from time to time.

Update 2017/05/26: The EP is out and a stream has surfaced so I've added it below.


Contact Data

Make sure to follow the next steps of the band via Facebook. That's where you can also pick up more info on upcoming dates and so on.

CD Review: Dö - Tuho (Dark Stoner Doom Metal/2016)

This album has a calming and positive effect on me. It helps you to distress from things and besides that comes with much variations in the songs.

Introduction

Dö is a dark stoner doom trio from Helsinki, Finland. The origins of the band go all the way back to 2007, but the current style has been developed only for a few years. The men behind the wall of sound are Deaf Hank (Bass & Vox), Big Dog (Guitar & Vox) and Joe E. Deliverance (Drums & Vox - 'E' stands for 'Epic')

The band's music is a genuine combination of stoner, doom, sludge with death/black metal twists here and there.  "Tuho" has been released in April 2016 and is the second release of the trio.

The cover of Dö's album "Tuho", Cover Art by Big Dog, (c) by Big Dog, used with kind permission

Summary

The record that comes under the title of "Tuho" (meaning Devastation) has a dark basic tonality no question. The vocals are black and doomy but the music has a constant movement and note inside of it. It's this continuous song structure that makes me feel positive about it. It's like that the songs go slowly but they always move along. They may never take big steps but you feel all along that they keep the direction. It's this permanent movement that makes me feel so good about it.

The first two tracks are typical for this style. The production is heavy and strong but there's also much clearness in the sound. The drums for example shine through fine and clear something that cannot be found too often in these musical style. Everblast II (The Aftermath) is a bit faster, yet it's still midtempo, something much welcome to me in times where music often tends to be played all just too fast.

Ex Oblivione is a surprise It's a slow track with a great melody inside and feels as if it has been written in a jamming session. But beware: it's a great song that unfolds slowly just to blast you away towards the end. One of the best tracks I've heard in a long time!

Kylmä is a bit mixed to me. A rough and edgy track but I somehow dislike it. I doesn't feel so harmonic through it's various parts in it so I don't like it as much as the other numbers on the record.

The album closes out with the shortest and the longest songs of the whole release. The first one Hail The Fire comes as a short clear guitar intermission - a welcome pause after the rough music in the track before. Forsaken Be Thy Name reminds me the most of the longtracks that Black Sabbath did release back in their early days. A mighty riffer with a jammed melodic and clear intermission part. You nearly don't notice when it's over that it was about twelve mintes long. A great way to round out a fine release.

Album stream

The full record can be heard from the Bandcamp widget below.



Purchase-Link

The album is available as a paid download on Bandcamp. If you decide to give a few bucks more you'll have the chance to get your hands on one of the CD-R copies. The price includes worlwide shipping so it could be a nice addition to your stoner/doom collection. It's well worth the money since I guess a lot of the fans of the mentioned genres will pick the album up often to have another listen and relax from the daily stress.

Contact Data

Be sure to keep in touch with Dö using Facebook or Twitter, maybe you'd also like to add them to your watch list on Spotify. They are looking for a label to release the album on vinyl so if there's someone interested out there - don't hesitate to contact them!