Uk groove rockers GRIFTER’s first album never reached this man’s ears thus “RETURN OF THE BEARDED BRETHREN” is for me the introduction to the band. Album opener “Black Gold” is a clear statement for things to come. Hard rocking southern grooving boogie rock from the school of the mighty CLUTCH or closer to home ORANGE GOBLIN all be it that singer / guitarist Ollie STYGAL’s voice bares more resemblance to – again CLUTCH ‘s Neil Fallon than to the infamous BEN WARD.
Let’s be honest: Weed Is Weed as band’s moniker… You might have a clue what this stuff would sound like / would be dealing about, don’t you. Besides, the band consists of members currently or formerly involved with the likes of Earthride, Spirit Caravan, Bobby Liebling’s Ram Family, Pentagram and Land Of Doom, so you cannot deny it anymore: this must be hazy and psychedelic Doom. And indeed, it is!
Atlanta based Volume IV, featuring Joe Carpenter of Nihilist, has just announced the release of their Ripple Music debut album, Long In The Tooth, which will be coming out in the US on March 11th, and is scheduled to hit the European stores on March 14th of 2014!
Live albums are not something I typically go for. Of course there are exceptions. With a live CD, it has to be quite something special in my opinion. Unfortunately, this live recording does not offer anything that you can’t get from listening to their studio albums Growers of mushroom (their must-have debut) and their follow up Unleashed.
Poohbah this bands name doesn’t ring a bell to me. When search them on the net: founded in 1972, Youngstown, OH, United States. Made 10 studio albums from 1972 till 2007. Line the last time was: Jim Gustafson (Zang, Gitaar), Phil Jones (Bas, Zang), Ken Smetzer (Toetsen, Zang) and Gen Procopio (Drums). Jim Gustatson is the driving force of the group and the only original from the beginning.
The septet, including two drummers, two guitarplayers, one vocalist, one famous Trouble-bass player Ron Holzner and one female violinist, Earthen Grave executes their music with much routine, you hear their experience, the compositions are flowing, the breaks well placed and the faster passages add nice dynamics.
One of the finest labels for those with a liking for 70s influenced style stoner rock is Californian label Ripple Music, whose latest releases (Mos Generator, Grifter, Stone Axe, Devil To Pay, Mothership) maintain the quality and reputation with energy a-plenty.
It's great how Devil To Pay sounds refreshing with every new release. The band might not leap forward, but it is also remote from repeating itself. Devil To Pay’s style is stoner meets doom meets NOLA meets southern rock with all its elements in harmony.
Imagine a blend of Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, AC/DC and some other bands, and you’ve got Stone Axe. This album was recorded at the 2011 Roadburn Festival, but it could just as easily have been a studio recording, because the public is hardly to be heard on the album, and the performance of the band does not much differ either.
With this Deluxe Edition, Ripple Music brings us a rerelease of Stone Axe’s second album. As a matter of fact it’s the complete original album, expanded by a second CD, with tracks that were previously only available on vinyl, or were part of a compilation, and some tracks that were never before released. Is this alone worth buying this album? I’m not sure. After all it’s more of the same stuff, being seventies inspired rock, reminiscing to many of the great bands that existed or sprouted in that period of time.
