Back in 2021 there was a huge buzz around a new band dropping their debut. After a lot of chatter, the Texas band High Desert Queen released Secrets Of The Black Moon to pretty much universal acclaim, appearing on a whole bunch of year end lists due to its killer riffs, heavy stoner goodness, and excellent song writing.
The beast lived up to the hype and your new favourite stoner band from Texas was born, brought to you by Ripple Music, who then featured the band on their Turned to Stone Series last year, providing us three more tracks of heavy and fuzzy goodness, partnering with another excellent band, Blue Heron. Now in 2024, the band has made the jump to Magnetic Eye Records for full length number two, and with huge expectations to live up to, HDQ gives us Palm Reader. Does this new record live up to their small but awesome previous output? It is not really a fair question, but the answer is mostly yes.
The opener, Anicent Aliens is exactly what you would expect from the band: heavy killer riffs that crack you in the head and leave you wanting more along with an amazing guitar sound and great song writing. Track two is where the band really starts to exceed those lofty expectations, with the duet with the Bjork influenced and amazing frontwoman Francis Tobolsky from Gaupa, and the song Death Perception. Wow, is this the Close My Eyes Forever of Stoner Rock? This was co-written by Tobolsky and is next level stuff from HDQ that separates them from the last record. It’s not just the duet and how the voices work together. Musically this track kills as well, putting the expert production of these seven songs into focus.
The opener, Anicent Aliens is exactly what you would expect from the band: heavy killer riffs that crack you in the head and leave you wanting more along with an amazing guitar sound and great song writing. Track two is where the band really starts to exceed those lofty expectations, with the duet with the Bjork influenced and amazing frontwoman Francis Tobolsky from Gaupa, and the song Death Perception. Wow, is this the Close My Eyes Forever of Stoner Rock? This was co-written by Tobolsky and is next level stuff from HDQ that separates them from the last record. It’s not just the duet and how the voices work together. Musically this track kills as well, putting the expert production of these seven songs into focus.
Head Honcho is up next and while the nine minute length may put some people off this track is the heaviest on Palm Reader and to me boarders on the sludge side with that non-stop driving guitar. The vocals are excellent on this one too. I love the 70s leaning noodling riff on the title track that is as funky as this band is going to get, and I mean this in the most loving way. The chorus part absolutely rules and this may be my favourite track on the record.
Time Waster sounds like a Clutch song to open which I am always here for but goes to a more psych direction, at least psych as far as HDQ goes, and I go back to my sludge comparisons because I hear maybe some Baroness in this one as well. Tuesday Night Blues is perfectly named, given its leanings, and the spoken word vocals adds a new element to the repertoire of the band. A nice slow burn that leads to the closer, Solar Rain. I hear elements of Trouble with this one and the band gets a psych as they ever have with this slow burn turn riff machine (don’t forget that great solo) over nine minutes.
Palm Reader is a killer record and High Desert Queen knocked it out of the park. The only thing I am missing is that one above and beyond track like on the first record, when The Mountain Vs The Quake destroyed us all. It is not fair to compare this album to that masterpiece, but High Desert Queen makes another mark on the scene with the form of Palm Reader. These guys are and will be a force to recon with for a long time. 9/10
DarWin - Five Steps On The Sun (Townsend Music) [Matt Bladen]
Virtuosity on top of virtuosity is what you get with this new album from enigmatic guitarist DarWin. Five Steps On The Sun is his second album, and his sceodn collaboration with drummer/producer Simon Phillips (Jeff Beck/Toto). Probably one of the best percussionist around, his talent on the title track is obvious, but he showcases skill throughout. As for DarWin his playing is beautiful, techicallly gifted but with soul and groove too it. Fluid lines remind me of both Steve Howe and also Ty Tabor who has that ability to meld soul and funk with prog rock precision.
In Gravity is our lead off, with Scott Kennedy guesting and following a building instrumental it kicks into what feels like a dialled back, polished attempt at cultivating a certain audience. It’s not thrash as I recognise it as the clean / extreme vocal split that comes in doesn’t work like it should. It’s like two songs glued together that do not fit, two arrangements that would work better if it was one or the other.
Foundations opens with its title track and the building guitar and drums of the intro, set the scene, not only for the song but indeed the album itself. What follows are some notable moments that stand out from the familiar grounds and staple tropes of the Doom genre, the tribalism of the opening drum pattern in Mirrors, the guitar accents in The Joker And The Fool.
Here comes the gripe however, for whilst the instrumentation is as Doom laden as I would like, it lacks the depth and diversity that other bands within the genre are adept at producing, a subtle addition of keys or more classical instruments would make these songs feel more solemn yet vibrant. The vocal style is where my personal preference really comes into question, lyrically I feel as though it’s forced, the compulsion to rhyme standing in the way of a good rhythm and whilst the album is called Foundations and I accept that as a theme, the impulse to return and repeat that mantra could have been tempered slightly.
The physical voice itself also an issue for me, again a personal preference, but the tone could’ve been different, grittier to match the music, rather than the higher pitch presented here. As always, this is my personal preference, there’s a lot to get into within the album but for me there’s as much that I find lacking. 5/10
Palm Reader is a killer record and High Desert Queen knocked it out of the park. The only thing I am missing is that one above and beyond track like on the first record, when The Mountain Vs The Quake destroyed us all. It is not fair to compare this album to that masterpiece, but High Desert Queen makes another mark on the scene with the form of Palm Reader. These guys are and will be a force to recon with for a long time. 9/10
DarWin - Five Steps On The Sun (Townsend Music) [Matt Bladen]
Virtuosity on top of virtuosity is what you get with this new album from enigmatic guitarist DarWin. Five Steps On The Sun is his second album, and his sceodn collaboration with drummer/producer Simon Phillips (Jeff Beck/Toto). Probably one of the best percussionist around, his talent on the title track is obvious, but he showcases skill throughout. As for DarWin his playing is beautiful, techicallly gifted but with soul and groove too it. Fluid lines remind me of both Steve Howe and also Ty Tabor who has that ability to meld soul and funk with prog rock precision.
DarWin has performed alongside Billy Sheehan (Mr Big), Guthrie Govan (Aristocrats) and Derek Sherinian (Black Country Communion/Whom Gods Destroy), the latter also appearing here. Five Steps On The Sun is an album about the modern day, carrying an environmental message, the trio of One Step On The Sun, Five Steps On The Sun, and The Sun, form one suite at the centre of this album, surrounded on both sides by choppy, virtuoso prog pop rock.
Filling out the band are shredder Greg Howe, who is something of a guitar genius and a Shrapnel records alumni. Howe and Phillips are now on their second album, but joining for this one is bassist Mohini Dey, playing precision grooves that happily sit high in the mix, gaining a solo on Hulks & Heroes. Additional lead guitars come from Andy Timmons, acoustics from Jesse Siebenberg, Julian Pollack joins Derek on keys.
While the vocals come from Matt Bissonette, an accomplished bassist who has played alongside drummer brother Gregg with David Lee Roth amongst others including Elton John, showcases his vocal chops here, having the harmonic, emotional deliver of Joseph Williams on tracks such as Season Of A Life. Prog, rock, pop and jazz fusion but never stroking it's chin too strongly DarWin may be a mystery but the music is an obvious hit. 8/10
Shrapnel - In Gravity (Candlelight Records) [Mark Young]
A late review for UK natives Shrapnel, with their latest full-length In Gravity via Candlelight Records. Presented as one of the exponents of UK Thrash, I’m always excited to be given the opportunity to review British music and hopefully find new bands to follow. Active since 2009, they have slipped under my radar at least until now so let’s see what they are about.
Shrapnel - In Gravity (Candlelight Records) [Mark Young]
A late review for UK natives Shrapnel, with their latest full-length In Gravity via Candlelight Records. Presented as one of the exponents of UK Thrash, I’m always excited to be given the opportunity to review British music and hopefully find new bands to follow. Active since 2009, they have slipped under my radar at least until now so let’s see what they are about.
In Gravity is our lead off, with Scott Kennedy guesting and following a building instrumental it kicks into what feels like a dialled back, polished attempt at cultivating a certain audience. It’s not thrash as I recognise it as the clean / extreme vocal split that comes in doesn’t work like it should. It’s like two songs glued together that do not fit, two arrangements that would work better if it was one or the other.
Amber Screams comes in with a slower, muscular stomp with precision riffing but there is something not hitting with me, and I can’t put my finger on it. The riffs are there, lead breaks are good, but it feels like it’s a bit like paint by numbers. It is possibly due to my vintage, but as we traverse through the tracks they follow a key work-print: fast bit, singing bit which is built for being sung back to them.
Guardian has some top riffing but the reliance on slowing it with clean vocals trips it up.
Guardian has some top riffing but the reliance on slowing it with clean vocals trips it up.
When they let go in the final third of this, it rips until they loop back to that slower / singing arrangement again. It is so frustrating because when they go for it is as good as anything you will hear. Breaker on the other hand comes flying in, and then they kick me in the shin. Dropping another slow bit when it wasn’t required. I appreciate that if they have been doing this since 2009, they are wanting to stretch themselves as artists but by Christ they should know that when they come out of the traps at a 100mph then almost stop is criminal so they can drop a melancholic clean section in.
Just like Guardian, they drop some cracking full-pelt riffs but are preoccupied on bringing the cleans in which ruins the good work they have done. Dark Age begins firmly on the front foot, but they soon switch to bringing the cleaner vocals in once more, and to a reduced extent they do follow the pattern established earlier. On this one, they keep it more to the heavier side, but the clean / melodic side is shoehorned in.
Anyone who has read my reviews knows I go out of my way to find something positive, and on here I found that there is some belting riffs which come flying at you thick and fast. Follow The Cold is a great example of a song that starts on fire but loses its way as they use the cleaner style. If you are going to sing (and he can sing, no question there) then stay in that style and write to suit it. The melding of the two styles doesn’t work for me and as a result I found myself pressing next, wishing that the following song would crush. It’s a shame because musically they can rip like you wouldn’t believe.
Anyone who has read my reviews knows I go out of my way to find something positive, and on here I found that there is some belting riffs which come flying at you thick and fast. Follow The Cold is a great example of a song that starts on fire but loses its way as they use the cleaner style. If you are going to sing (and he can sing, no question there) then stay in that style and write to suit it. The melding of the two styles doesn’t work for me and as a result I found myself pressing next, wishing that the following song would crush. It’s a shame because musically they can rip like you wouldn’t believe.
On the whole, it feels as though there is two albums within here, or at least the meshing of two styles where they drop some of the most frantic riffs only to be arrested by trying too hard to be something they aren’t. 6/10
The Human Condition - Foundations (Self Released) [James Jackson]
This seven track album from UK based Doom Metal band The Human Condition is their second and according to their social media accounts, their last.
Like the majority of UK Doom bands, The Human Condition are from the North, where according to the old saying, it’s grim and perhaps it’s that environmental aesthetic that lends itself well to the genre.
The Human Condition - Foundations (Self Released) [James Jackson]
This seven track album from UK based Doom Metal band The Human Condition is their second and according to their social media accounts, their last.
Like the majority of UK Doom bands, The Human Condition are from the North, where according to the old saying, it’s grim and perhaps it’s that environmental aesthetic that lends itself well to the genre.
Foundations opens with its title track and the building guitar and drums of the intro, set the scene, not only for the song but indeed the album itself. What follows are some notable moments that stand out from the familiar grounds and staple tropes of the Doom genre, the tribalism of the opening drum pattern in Mirrors, the guitar accents in The Joker And The Fool.
Here comes the gripe however, for whilst the instrumentation is as Doom laden as I would like, it lacks the depth and diversity that other bands within the genre are adept at producing, a subtle addition of keys or more classical instruments would make these songs feel more solemn yet vibrant. The vocal style is where my personal preference really comes into question, lyrically I feel as though it’s forced, the compulsion to rhyme standing in the way of a good rhythm and whilst the album is called Foundations and I accept that as a theme, the impulse to return and repeat that mantra could have been tempered slightly.
The physical voice itself also an issue for me, again a personal preference, but the tone could’ve been different, grittier to match the music, rather than the higher pitch presented here. As always, this is my personal preference, there’s a lot to get into within the album but for me there’s as much that I find lacking. 5/10
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