If your band is going to release a debut single, you might as well make it epic. Are you not sure exactly what an epic debut song sounds like? Then take a listen to TORSION by MALSTEN which starts off very doom and dark like it should, layers on the effects, and builds up the riffs and tension like the plot of a good gothic movie. In fact, this song sounds like a movie soundtrack to me, or as if a good movie was edited into a 10 minute version of itself, and this song was the soundtrack. Listen for yourself:
The heaviness, the drop into the fuzz towards the end, and especially that short part where the vocals break into Swedish. There is so much to dig in this song.
Malsten is:
Manne - Vocals Fredrik - Guitar Andreas - Bass and synths Joen - Drums
Malsten tells me they have more music in the works so be sure to follow them and stay in touch:
VELA NEGRA has their debut single ready to deafen your eardrums and it is called O Inevitável Porvir (The Unavoidable Future). This is very heavy doom with great riffs to keep things moving, and sometimes the guitar heads off into space to keep things very interesting. The vocals here are simply incredible, starting clean and slow and building to tougher screams later on. Take a listen:
I will keep it super real and tell you that this song sounds extra dark and mysterious to me because I cannot understand any Portuguese. I am the same way with any language, and when in English I love fuzzed-out vocals. The singing here is very clean with variety, too -- sometimes low and steady, sometimes building up with energy.
Vela Negra is a new band from Basilia, Brazil. The band is new but its members bring with them experience from previous bands, and that explains why this debut single is so good. Vela Negra is Marcel on guitar, Fabão on bass, Tamiel on drums, and Zé Dai Hou with vocals and production.
And good news! Vela Negra has more songs in the works, so be sure to follow them to stay in touch:
This is a very special review for me and I'm really excited to share this one with you guys. Pusherkid has a few singles on Loud & Lonely vol. 1 and Ides of March so this is my first chance to write up a review for him with his new debut EP dropping on 4/20. The EP is called Smokedoper so check out the pre-release tracks right here:
Overall what I dig so much about Pusherkid is that he is right at the very forefront of where doom and psych and heavy music are headed. If he is looking back over his shoulders for inspiration, he might have found it but the music that is coming out on this EP is all looking into the future. The doom is so thick you can cut it with a chainsaw but the tracks do not drone or get lazy. These songs are moving and shaking.
The emphasis here is on the bass. And by emphasis I mean, it's all about the bass. If I could play the bass, this is how I would want to play it. Thick, heavy, and at the center of the music.
Ah and of course the samples. It's no secret I dig the samples there are some choice ones going on here. Marijuana, LSD, public service announcements, it's all here.
You can hear Misty Morning and Crystal Ball for yourself during the pre-release until 4/20. Fuzzy thick bass, samples, choice drops. Haunting vocals. It doesn't get any more doom psych than this.
I got to hear the early previews of Moon and Teethgrinder which keep going with the heavy but nicely-paced music, chill vocals, and samples. If you dig the first two pre-release tracks you will not be let down with the final tracks that drop on 4/20.
Go to the Bandcamp page for Pusherkid and celebrate 4/20 with the right kind of music! LINKS BELOW!
Let's meet Pusherkid!
FUZZY CRACKLINS: How would you describe your music to a fan who has not heard it yet?
I'd say it's kind of a melting pot. You have a lot of heavy riffs, which I was really into at the time I wrote these songs. Musicians like Belzebong or OM would play non-stop on my Ipod back then. But there are also some lighter sounds, that could be qualified as spacey or hazey. I don't want my music to only sound one way, like it's only heavy music, or only calm. We are not one thing, and I guess I want that for my music too.
FUZZY CRACKLINS: You are recording all of your music yourself. How do you decide which instruments to record first?
I never really thought about that I must say haha. But I'd say the drums are the foundation of the recording. I don't think I'd make an honest take if I were only recording with the click of the metronome. I wouldn't feel the groove as much, and it maybe wouldn't be as sincere.
FUZZY CRACKLINS: What is your songwriting process like? Some artists carefully write their music out in advance, others just jam it out. What is your method?
I would consider myself to be of the first category. Being anxious to have everything organized and neat around me, I would tend to demo all of my music, carefully label each recording, and then write my drum grooves. But it starts with jamming, and more and more I just jam with a few effects, see where it gets me, and record a riff I really dug. Some riffs stay unused on my phone for a long time before I find another riff to go with it. I don't try too much to make things work.
FUZZY CRACKLINS: You are also a member of Artifex. Any news going on with Artifex?
Well we have been writing some new material for a 3rd release, and have been talking about recording soon. Lately we've been working on adding these new songs to our repertoire, and changing the course of our artistic direction.
FUZZY CRACKLINS: Your music draws on different influences. Tell us about them?
Where to start with the bands I love haha. For this record, I'd say the main influences were Belzebong, a bit of Sleep, a bit of Electric Wizard, a bit of Sabbath (isn't it always the case with doom?). If you listen close enough, you can hear where each riff comes from. But maybe it's easier when you are behind the tunes. And in some ways, the reason why this project is name Pusherkid is because I consider myself being a kid in the world of music. I live among talented people, and I listen to some very talented people. And this record is a way of saying "hey, here's what these people have inspired me to do!" It's my homage to those people. Some might say it's a bad one, but I don't really care about haters haha
FUZZY CRACKLINS: What are some other bands you think we should be listening to?
My first answer would be to make sure everyone is getting enough of their Grateful Dead daily dosage haha. That being said, I recently fell into Circles Around the Sun, and I think everyone should be listening to their record "Let It Wander". Kikagaku Moyo's "House in a Tall Grass" is a really treat too. Most of the artists at Sargent House are also worth listening too, such as Emma Ruth Rundle, or Brutus!
FUZZY CRACKLINS: What else would you like to tell us?
Well I hope you had a nice time reading these lines, and I hope everyone's well. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and be safe!
