Review: You can always expect Speedy Underground to bring something ear-snagging to their 7" series. Anyone with a craving for wild-eyed, hard rocking party destroyers will be more than satisfied with O and their razor sharp mix of snappy groove and explosive, overdriven drops. 'OGO' is rocket fuel pressed onto a little round disc, and for those who like it trippy and swimming, the 'dubbO' on the flip is just the ticket.
Review: Few conversations or analyses surrounding doom metal can begin without mentioning the integral Sleep and their genre-defining opus Dopesmoker. That same analytical discussion cannot be rounded up without OM coming into the fray, as the duo of bassist Al Cisneros and drummer Chris Haikus originally worked together as Sleep's rhythm section. The hypnotic 'Gebel Barkal' single would serve as the final recording from the pair following the 2007 full-length Pilgrimage, before 2009's God Is Good would welcome the arrival of current drummer Emil Amos and signal the group's continued expansion into an eventual three-piece.
Review: Tara Jane O'Neil's latest album, The Cool Cloud of Okayness, is a poignant reflection on transformation amidst adversity. Recorded in the aftermath of the devastating Thomas Fire, the album embodies resilience and renewal. O'Neil's ethereal vocals and spectral guitar work are complemented by a talented ensemble, including drummer Sheridan Riley and multi-instrumentalist Walt McClements. Together, they craft a sonic landscape that blurs boundaries between genres, challenging easy categorization. The album's themes of grief and hope are palpable, underscored by deft production and rock-solid bass lines. Each track feels like a journey, offering both solace and introspection. The Cool Cloud of Okayness is a powerful album of music used to heal and inspire, reminding listeners that even in the darkest moments, there is light and possibility.
Review: Led by the incomparable Sami Albert "Witchfinder" Hynninen (Reverend Bizarre, The Puritan, The Candles Burning Blue), Opium Warlords are the lo-fi, sultry, genre-less playground where all of the sonic auteurs most insightful and bizarre predilections come to life. Described as an audible melting pot of "pussy techno, sludge, industrial pop, hardcore punk, drone, shamanistic pulse, noise, heavy metal, old school gothic rock and march music", Strength is the sixth full-length from the mysterious project which essentially guarantees from the outset that you're entering into an utter mess of ideas, yet reliably reigned into one cohesive vision. While compared to the oppressive gloom of 2020's Nembutal, the material here benefits from brighter synths and glossier production yet underpinned with a macabre and alienating dissection of Machiavellian and Nietzschean philosophies of strength and elitism. That's when the lyrics aren't directly pulled from the back of shampoo bottles. Confused? Good, that's the only requirement for entry
Review: Harry Pussy co-founder Bill Orcutt has since moved on from those riotous noise rock years to explore other modes of expression with his guitar. Across an accomplished and many-sided career he's laid down a powerful statement against the idea everything's been done on six strings, and this album is another fine case in point. If the title sounds formal, don't be fooled - there's a raucous energy to Music For Four Guitars. It sounds free and raw, even as it deals in minimal motions between clashing axes played by Orcutt in conversation with himself.
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