Fuzzy's ears are still reeling from SONIC DEMON's twin sonic attacks in late 2020, and without mercy the band has just detonated another bomb of psychedelic acid doom with "Vendetta." This time the agent of destruction is a full album, clocking in at 40 minutes with 8 songs. The band delivers a blend of fuzzy doom metal and rough vocals which reminds me of PROFESSOR ELECTRIC in the best possible way.
Drenched in acidic fuzz with catchy riffs and some killer clean guitar solos, Sonic Demon kicks off 2021 with a fantastic album. I wonder if my ears will get a chance to recover before Sonic Demon drops their next bomb?
Fuzzy's Favorite: "Revenge" has all of the band's caustic sound with a groovy guitar solo, but really, if you dig one song on this album, you're going to dig them all. "Cosmic Eyes" stands out, too, with its slow build-up and stand-out length.
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!
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 digs demos and suggests you feast your earholes on 3 fresh tracks from SPACE WEED which hails from (appropriately) Cape Canaveral, Florida. Fuzzy, lo-fi, instrumental stoner doom with plenty of fresh riffs to check out. I especially dig the frantic guitar work towards the end of "Lazer Rust Animation." It's music like this that makes me glad to be a part of the Underground scene. Check out "Sorry We're Stoned" demo on Bandcamp:
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!
What better way to send off 2020 with a big "Fuck you!" than with 2 nasty tracks on a 7" split with a 28 page zine to back them up? SEUM and FÁTIMA drop covers of each band's songs on December 24. The digital download on Bandcamp includes the zine in PDF format, and there will be a limited number of 7" vinyls with custom popup art by comic artist Gorka Uztarroz.
Seum kicks it off with their cover of Fátima's "Saliva Bath" and then Fátima returns the favor with their cover of Seum's "Raining Bricks." The biggest difference from the originals to the covers is with the vocals, with Seum slathering gritty dirty vocals on their song, and Fátima dropping a grunge interpretation.
To me, a great split not only sounds great, but makes you want to dig into the other band's music. For me, hearing the sludgy take of "Saliva Bath" with its drawn-out ending was enough to get me to head over to Fátima's "Turkish Delights" from earlier this year, and hear the original. Much more in a grunge style and got me listening to the whole album.
Don't miss the 28-page PDF zine included with the digital download! Art, lyrics, backstory, inspiration for the split, detailed recording info -- this is a music lover's delight. There's even a section dedicated to the album's art and cover.
Each band has made their cover into their own creation. 2 great covers, a killer zine, and a popup 7" make for a great send-off to a shitty year!
Follow the bands to get the split & 7" vinyl when it drops on December 24 --
SWAMP KREWE 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!
