I did this backwards…I found Dead Shrine in 2023 via the amazing release, The Eightfold Path, before I heard Datura. Now I knew about Craig Williamson and his other work, but had not really listened anything from his late 90s band that started it all for him.
The records have been long gone, so of course, what does Todd from Ripple do? He goes and rescues it from out-of-print Hell and gets it to the hungry heavy rock fans via the Beneath The Desert Floor series, and oh how happy we should all be because Chapter Eight, Visions For The Celestial, is a breath-taking and amazing record.
Originally released in 1999, Visions For The Celestial is the second record of the early times of stoner rock trio and expanded their sound to a more psychedelic and atmospheric vibe that very much shows how Dead Shrine came to be. I mean all you have to do is listen to the first track to understand how amazing this record is.
Originally released in 1999, Visions For The Celestial is the second record of the early times of stoner rock trio and expanded their sound to a more psychedelic and atmospheric vibe that very much shows how Dead Shrine came to be. I mean all you have to do is listen to the first track to understand how amazing this record is.
Magnetise is 90s stoner rock at its absolute finest, with a ridiculous guitar tone, killer riffs, a wide-open sound, and a rawness to it that is just so very real. This sentence applies to all six tracks on Visions For The Celestial. When you listen and think, “whoa, that was awesome…”, just wait until the guitar takes off on Sunshine In Purple. Holy crap that guitar tone.
While the first two tracks were mid-tempo stoner jams, Reaching Out goes faster; more Kyuss, less early Monster Magnet, for a reference point. It works perfectly in the sequencing of the six tracks. How about that middle breakdown? Damn. Craig Williamson is the name you may know but Brent Middlemiss guitar work on these songs is something to behold.
While the first two tracks were mid-tempo stoner jams, Reaching Out goes faster; more Kyuss, less early Monster Magnet, for a reference point. It works perfectly in the sequencing of the six tracks. How about that middle breakdown? Damn. Craig Williamson is the name you may know but Brent Middlemiss guitar work on these songs is something to behold.
The real mind-bending commences on Euphoria, where the psych is turned up to 11. How about all of the awesome of the first four tracks but now add keys? Well, that is Voyage. If you thought that closing with a 14-minute spacy psych out was a good idea, then you will be super happy with Mantra too. Just an amazing piece of recorded music.
Ripple Music gets it. Todd understands what records should have been given more exposure and love and what records deserve to be out there for everyone to be able to experience, not just because of how great they are, but also because of how important they were and are to the genre at large.
Even if you missed them or weren’t into the scene the first time around. Visions For The Celestial is the perfect example of this. Anyone who likes the music I write about needs to experience Datura in their prime and buy this record. 10/10
Sarcator - Swarming Angels & Flies (Century Media) [Matt Bladen]
Sarcator are a band who are only six years old but my lord they make an unholy racket. Swarming Angels & Flies is their third full length album and shouts about being their most dynamic yet.
Sarcator - Swarming Angels & Flies (Century Media) [Matt Bladen]
Sarcator are a band who are only six years old but my lord they make an unholy racket. Swarming Angels & Flies is their third full length album and shouts about being their most dynamic yet.
Well on first listen I have to confirm that there is certain an experimental edge to Burning Choir and Comet Of End Times, both switching riffs with disregard for any convention in way that reminds me of Coroner.
The dive bombs, fret slides and explosions of widdly solo ferocity are grounded by raw intensity from the blasting blackened thrash metal rhythms. So it's extreme metal, inspired by Kreator and Slayer but now with a fuller sound as there's classic metal coming through on The Deep Ends, post punk on the bass heavy instrumental Closure.
The dive bombs, fret slides and explosions of widdly solo ferocity are grounded by raw intensity from the blasting blackened thrash metal rhythms. So it's extreme metal, inspired by Kreator and Slayer but now with a fuller sound as there's classic metal coming through on The Deep Ends, post punk on the bass heavy instrumental Closure.
By leaning on their influences, alongside eight of their own songs they have three covers, the first being The Black Vomit by Brazilian extreme metal band Sarcófago, they jump into the punk side with Dogfight by Anti-Cimex while a Torture by Sadus is obvious and still as brutal as before.
Sarcator take pride in doing things with simplicity, recording most of the record live in the studio just increasing the technicality as they weave complex guitar over the ferocious metal, there's moments where acoustics take hold at the beginning and through the swirling cosmic death of Where The Void Begins as Unto Sepulchres closes the album with yet more flesh ripping thrash.
Sarcator take pride in doing things with simplicity, recording most of the record live in the studio just increasing the technicality as they weave complex guitar over the ferocious metal, there's moments where acoustics take hold at the beginning and through the swirling cosmic death of Where The Void Begins as Unto Sepulchres closes the album with yet more flesh ripping thrash.
Sarcator's third album refines their last two but manages to keep the aggressive vitality of what they do as a band. 8/10
Howling Giant - Howling Giant EP - 10th Anniversary Edition (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
I love Howling Giant. The Nashville, Tennessee trio (there is a 4th member now) bring everything to the table for the music I love. The band combines the perfect mix of stoner, desert, psych, and doom while incorporating organ and harmonies (they all sing!) into their songs, so yeah, of course they are one of my favourite bands, with proof of this being my ten out of ten rating for their last record, Glass Future.
Howling Giant - Howling Giant EP - 10th Anniversary Edition (Self Released) [Rich Piva]
I love Howling Giant. The Nashville, Tennessee trio (there is a 4th member now) bring everything to the table for the music I love. The band combines the perfect mix of stoner, desert, psych, and doom while incorporating organ and harmonies (they all sing!) into their songs, so yeah, of course they are one of my favourite bands, with proof of this being my ten out of ten rating for their last record, Glass Future.
The band has grown so much in their ten years together, and getting the 10th anniversary of their debut EP re-released on vinyl with some demos and a crazy cover song is a great treat for fans of the band and others who may be just getting into them and want to hear how it all started.
The original EP, recorded in guitarist/vocalist Tom Polzine’s bedroom, has four songs that show the major promise of what these guys were musically all about. Three of the four were written when they were a four-piece called SKLDZR, so let’s be happy with the name change. The remastering on the tracks sound great, while still capturing the rawness of the band at that time.
The opener, Husk, has those harmonies next to some chunky riffs and serious power trio activity. Yeah, it’s a bit raw, but damn is it killer. Whale Lord is one of my favourite Howling Giant songs, as the call and response vocals are awesome and it is one of the heavier tracks by the band out there today, lead by the excellent guitar work.
The original EP, recorded in guitarist/vocalist Tom Polzine’s bedroom, has four songs that show the major promise of what these guys were musically all about. Three of the four were written when they were a four-piece called SKLDZR, so let’s be happy with the name change. The remastering on the tracks sound great, while still capturing the rawness of the band at that time.
The opener, Husk, has those harmonies next to some chunky riffs and serious power trio activity. Yeah, it’s a bit raw, but damn is it killer. Whale Lord is one of my favourite Howling Giant songs, as the call and response vocals are awesome and it is one of the heavier tracks by the band out there today, lead by the excellent guitar work.
Doug is another excellent track, the fastest of the four and the one where the organ makes the most impact, with excellent results. Camel Crusher, sounds like the name, a plodding, slow, doomy, mostly instrumental track that shows off how the band can mix up a bunch of styles seamlessly, even on a four song EP.
There are three demos included in the anniversary edition, including two demos of the first two tracks on the EP and one other, recorded as SKLDZR that are not too far off from what the originals sounded like, but fun to hear nonetheless. The biggest treat of the set is Tusk Of The Thunder Mammoth, a SKLDZR demo track that rocks and has some seriously cool proto vibes.
There are three demos included in the anniversary edition, including two demos of the first two tracks on the EP and one other, recorded as SKLDZR that are not too far off from what the originals sounded like, but fun to hear nonetheless. The biggest treat of the set is Tusk Of The Thunder Mammoth, a SKLDZR demo track that rocks and has some seriously cool proto vibes.
The anniversary edition goes in a weird direction next, with a heavy cover of Yummy Yummy Yummy (yes, that song) done originally by the Ohio Express that sounds like it would belong on one of those 90s Saturday morning cartoons comps they did back then, and WZRDLF Origins, a spoken work origin story that is quite interesting to say the least.
Howling Giant rules, and hearing these songs in both their remastered and early demo forms is really fun for me, especially as a huge fan. The Yummy Yummy Yummy cover is a huge bonus on top of this entire origin story of the might Howling Giant. 8/10
Thy Kingdom Will Burn - The Loss And Redemption (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
Finland has quite a history with melodeath, in particular the more emotional side of melodic death metal be it Children Of Bodom, Amorphis, Insomnium, Wintersun, Swallow The Sun or Omnium Gatherum there’s a rich vein of melodic, folksy death metal that comes from the “land of a thousand lakes”.
Howling Giant rules, and hearing these songs in both their remastered and early demo forms is really fun for me, especially as a huge fan. The Yummy Yummy Yummy cover is a huge bonus on top of this entire origin story of the might Howling Giant. 8/10
Thy Kingdom Will Burn - The Loss And Redemption (Scarlet Records) [Matt Bladen]
Finland has quite a history with melodeath, in particular the more emotional side of melodic death metal be it Children Of Bodom, Amorphis, Insomnium, Wintersun, Swallow The Sun or Omnium Gatherum there’s a rich vein of melodic, folksy death metal that comes from the “land of a thousand lakes”.
The third album from Thy Kingdom Will Burn is deeply indebted to the bands I have talked about, as were their previous records too.
The Loss And Redemption though brings more darkness and emotional turbulence than before. It’s their most personal album, swathes of melancholy can be felt on Obscure Existence, lyrically inspired by loneliness and wanting to escape modern life, allowing them to be bit more broad with the styles they choose to highlight.
There’s a progressive lifeblood that pours through the record, tracks such as Escape From Solitude and They Have Come going harder towards the gothic soundscapes, synths, strings and keys creating the atmosphere.
Suffering Sky and Dreams Of Calamity are more traditional melodeath driven by twin guitar harmonies (Sami Kujala/Esa Virén), galloping rhythms (Janne Ruuskanen) and blastbeats (Lauri Virén).
A track that really shows what this album is about though is The End Of Times, putting the clean guitars with thrashy riffs it’s insistent and propulsive while also being vocally emotive due to the harsh and cleans both creating introspection and catharsis.
With so many of the Finnish melodeath bands, they have quietly adapted their songs towards the gothic doom sound and with final track Sydänyö, Thy Kingdom Will Burn bring to mind Swallow The Sun, it’s actually STS’ Juho Räihä that produced the album, which explains why it sounds vast.
Third album The Loss And Redemption sees Thy Kingdom Will Burn, calcifying their place in their countries melodeath scene. 8/10
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