Trying times call for trying music, and solo band Sodus drops an album's worth on September 24th with an excellent blend of instrumental doom, drone, noise, post-metal, and shoegaze. The end result is "We Only Want the Earth" with 36 minutes of angst and dread which is invigorating and chilling in its delivery. There are haunting guitar solos, samples, and enough energy to keep things riveting to the end. The album is on pre-order until September 24th and you can hear the lead single "Between The Hours" right now on Bandcamp:
5 songs and 36 minutes of fuzzy, doom-filled drone that you will want will want to check out if you like your shoegaze to have a dark edge.
Fuzzy's Favorite: the title track "We Only Want the Earth" hits all the right highs (lows?) with fuzz, drone, and haunting effects, although all the songs carry their weight and the overall album is excellent. "Gutshot" is another highlight.
Sodus is Ben Mitchell. From the band:
We Only Want the Earth began as a collection of drum machine experiments inspired by early Godflesh albums. These quickly expanded to include full instrumentation, all performed by Mitchell. Currently, Mitchell is writing and tone chasing for his sophomore album, and putting together a live show to perform a We Only Want the Earth from start to finish.
"Between The Hours" was featured on Fuzzy's "Loud & Lonely Vol. 2" compilation on Bandcamp.
You don't need to ask Fuzzy twice to check out instrumental metal work by a solo band, so I was glad when INTERTIAL sent me a link to the pre-release tracks from the upcoming "Orenda." These 3 preview tracks strike a balance between the energy and tension of prog metal with some of the extended groove of shoegaze. Check out "Orenda" on Bandcamp:
Definitely worth a listen for any fan of instrumental post-metal, and I'm looking forward to hearing the full album on January 8.
From the band:
Jackson Searfoss is a multi instrumentalist from Central Connecticut who blends his early influences of Progressive Rock and Metal (Ex: Rush, Tool, Oceansize) with Post rock and Alternative influences such as Mogwai, Caspian, Russian Circles and Mono, with a touch of ambience. All of the music is written and composed, recorded, and produced by him in his home studio.
FREE PROMOTION PACKAGE!! Fuzzy has over 200 super fans, bloggers, podcasters, reviewers, and DJs in The Swamp Krewe subscription on Bandcamp. Send album codes to fuzzycracklins@gmail.com and if your music is KILLER then I'll share them with The Swamp Krewe. They have a lot of their own followers, so your album will get into the collections & feeds of many Bandcampers very quickly. It's FREE! Contact fuzzycracklins@gmail.com
CD OF THE MONTH MAILERS!! Fuzzy mails out over 100 CDs to super fans, podcasters, reviewers, and DJs in the USA and around the world every month. They love to hear about new bands and new music, so send Fuzzy your stickers, printed album codes, promo CDs, whatever you want. Any number is good. Fuzzy is already paying the postage, and The Swamp Krewe loves swag and frequently posts their swag photos to Instagram, so contact fuzzycracklins@gmail.com to make it happen! Bands, labels, podcasters, radio show DJs, bloggers, reviewers, get at me! It's FREE!
Fuzzy is swimming in a sea of amazing psych rock concept albums this year (LOOT THE BODY, MELLOW BEAST are just a couple of them), and the new "Astral Arcade" by GHOST FROG sails this psychedelic ocean at the top of its class. Ghost Frog is a little edgier than the others with extra layers of dreamy synths, and fuzzier vocals, both of which serve to set Ghost Frog apart from the others. Some might call it shoegaze which I can't argue with, but every psych rock fan will want to check out "Astral Arcade" on Bandcamp:
The tone takes a sharp turn when we get to "Bio Break" with the drums coming way up in the mix and the pace slowing way down. It's the lone instrumental song on the album, and serves nicely as the interlude between the two acts.
So what's the concept of the album? Kinda sorta life in the future at a video arcade where both the games and the players seem to taking things to the extreme. In a possibly dystopian authoritarian society with some aliens thrown in. One thing that is critical in a concept album is for the theme of the lyrics to fit with the theme of the music, and Ghost Frog have nailed it. The frenetic yet catchy riffs with futuristic effects are the perfect match for the stories being told in the vocals.
The second thing I always ask myself when I'm listening to a concept album is, "Does the story add anything to the music?" and the answer is a resounding YES because when you dig into the lyrics, you are find more details for the entire album. And, there is something about a good concept album which really just makes you want to start at the beginning, and listen all the way through. "Astral Arcade" has that nailed.
Only gripe I have is, this could use another song or 2. Not practical given the album is on vinyl, but I was enjoying the high-energy vibe so much that when it ended, it was a bit startling. Maybe the last song needed to let me down a little easier. Just one gator's opinion, and very minor niggle at that. But concept albums live to a higher standard than just a collection of songs, and need to take into account the overall sonic flow of the album.
Fuzzy's Favorite track: "Astral Arcade" is such a strong album that picking out a single as the favorite feels like nit-picking, so I'll pick "Agent Provocateur" as the track I would suggest to a new listener who only has time to listen to a single Ghost Frog song. This one captures the essence of the band's big energy, dreamy sound, and fuzzed-out vocals.
From the band:
We’re a space rock band from Portland, OR called Ghost Frog. We play heavy psychedelic stoner rock that combines doomy riffs with punk energy, while also evoking themes derived from sci-fi/ horror film and literature as well as all things paranormal. The result is what we call “paranormal stoner punk,” a retrofuturistic brand of nebulous noise rock that sounds like it was made by angry aliens on acid. We just released our third album. It’s called “Astral Arcade,” and it’s a sludgy (cyber)space rock opera about extraterrestrial life, the universe and video games.
FREE PROMOTION PACKAGE!! Fuzzy has over 200 super fans, bloggers, podcasters, reviewers, and DJs in The Swamp Krewe subscription on Bandcamp. Send album codes to fuzzycracklins@gmail.com and if your music is KILLER then I'll share them with The Swamp Krewe. They have a lot of their own followers, so your album will get into the collections & feeds of many Bandcampers very quickly. It's FREE! Contact fuzzycracklins@gmail.com
CD OF THE MONTH MAILERS!! Fuzzy mails out over 100 CDs to super fans, podcasters, reviewers, and DJs in the USA and around the world every month. They love to hear about new bands and new music, so send Fuzzy your stickers, printed album codes, promo CDs, whatever you want. Any number is good. Fuzzy is already paying the postage, and The Swamp Krewe loves swag and frequently posts their swag photos to Instagram, so contact fuzzycracklins@gmail.com to make it happen! Bands, labels, podcasters, radio show DJs, bloggers, reviewers, get at me! It's FREE!
So when CAPTAIN SHRUGS sent me his latest project to check out, I was pretty excited. And The Captain did not let me down! "Boredom City" mixes fuzzy psychedelic riffs with shoegaze effects and haunting vocals in a way that is energizing and relaxing at the same time. These songs are like riding a wave of sound, where you get lifted up but then sink back down, only to be lifted again by the next wave. Stream "Boredom City" on Bandcamp:
Another thing that really stands out is the drumming. Many solo artists use a drum machine or software (nothing wrong with that!) but it leaves the sound a little too perfect, and well, ... machine-like. The drumming on here is authentic, energetic, creative, and really excellent. A great foundation and complement to the riffs.
