KILLER NEW PSYCH JAMS ON CARDINAL FUZZ!!!
Our reissue of Black Bombaim's first lp "Saturdays and Space Travels" for RSD didn't quite quench our thirst for their interstellar psych jams, but we're all in luck cuz Cardinal Fuzz Records just released their brand new third album, "Far Out." YES! We couldn't be more stoked!!!!!
"Far Out" is the summing up of all their travels, and the true identity of a unique band in Portugal. A band that bases its history on being on the road, while meeting different people and exchanging views and experiences. "Far Out" is an improved recipe, cooked over time in trial and error. Most of all, it reflects three guys who grew up together playing a certain kind of rock. "Africa II", as the title suggests, finds them in the mother continent and is an ingenious way to resume both the band’s legacy and career, as well as setting up an instruction manual for this kind of music. With virtuous Lisbon based Rodrigo Amado blistering the tenor saxophone with melody breaks and improvisation, in one song only Black Bombaim seem to converge various points of view in which we categorize them, such as explored by the likes of Maserati, Causa Sui, the indescribable Earthless and in a certain way, deliberate or purely casual, Electric Masada.
The second and final track, slightly sloping towards the Middle-East, is a clear demonstration of energy, following the challenge set by "Titans", their previous release. With the contribution of Luis Fernandes, aka "The Astroboy", the band mixes infectious guitars, dynamic drums and a dense bass with the Astroboy’s master touch, enforcing its modular synthesizer in the echoes and voids of these eighteen minutes of music.
So far, you have realized that I am biased writing about this band, but the truth is that Black Bombaim have returned with a new album. This fact alone will save a list of accolades for many people who have become accustomed, naturally, to the quality level of these three dudes. Paulo, Ricardo and Tojo, did it again. To conclude, I'll leave you with a sentence that I wrote in 2012 for the previous album, "Black Bombaim are the ultimate instinct of playing music on its primary spectrum, the skeleton and flesh of this album in blood transfusion with every guest'. - Manuel A. Fernandes
Yeah these are some powerful freak out jams!!!!! Black Bombaim must've locked themselves in their practice space and played to their fingers bled, cuz "Far Out" is some in sync, mind destroying improvisational psych rock. Fiery as the best of early Hawkwind, as mind melting as "Fun House" era Stooges, as locked in the groove as White Hills and as all out assaulting on the senses of Assemble Head Of The Sunburst Hand, Verma or Comets On Fire. Manic guitar solos undergirded by a propulsive rhythm section, some wailing sax and some kosmische synth, all building up to two soaring lysergic / feedback caked climaxes, each that'll leave you and yer stereo completely and utterly transformed. "Far Out" is right and with this new lp Black Bombaim delve further into the outer realms then most would dare. And that gets a HIGH FIVE FROM US AND RECOMMENDATION TIMES INFINITY!!!!!!!!!
2xLP - You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons - Contact High - Import - $31.99 - BUY
- LISTEN 
- LISTEN
KILLER NEW PSYCH JAMS ON CARDINAL FUZZ!!!
Cardinal Fuzz is one a helluva roll and one of their newest and most dear to their heart releases is the double lp reissue of You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons' 2009 album "Contact High":
"One of the main reasons we at Cardinal Fuzz entered the choppy waters of record making was with the sole intention of doing justice to this gloriously fuzzy psych/garage monster on the format it truly belongs – 2 slabs of vinyl. Originally released on CD by Function Records in 2009, Contact High is a rhapsody of thundering biker fuzz evangelizing! Naming themselves after a late night TV programme about Japanese female wrestlers, You're Smiling Now But We'll All Turn Into Demons carved a name out for themselves a force to be reckoned with.
Over 4 sides of vinyl, The Demons bring forth massive grooves and dreamy vocals shot through with wah wah, tremolo and fuzz mania - sounding not unlike Blue Cheer, Black Sabbath and Mudhoney stuck in a revolving door. Sides C and D are given over to one track on each side, both of which are psychedelic dirges that channel Hawkwind at their most strung out collapsing into a blizzard of wah wah and fuzz chaos. For the first time includes a new track ‘The Plague’"
YES, we're sure glad the folks at Cardinal Fuzz got this Demon's album onto wax where it belongs. "Contact High" is four epic sides of fuzzed out / supercharged psychedelia that leans on the greats and might just bust through to the front of the current line of go-to psych bands. You got yer Blue Cheer riffs, yer Flower Travellin Band extendo jams, Pink Fairies' interstellar drive and plenty of guitar droning feedback that'll make Earthless, and the Heads jealous. So yeah fans of Fuzz, Acid Mothers Temple, Hawkwind, Black Bombaim, Naam and Amon Duul take note!!!! We mean it. Everything is gonna get better once you get "Contact High." RIGHTEOUSLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!
KILLER NEW PSYCH JAMS ON CARDINAL FUZZ!!!
The almighty Mugstar has been turning heads (and turning "Heads" on) for years now and their latest is on U.K. label Cardinal Fuzz (who are on a HOT STREAK, we tells ya); a VINYL reissue of their 2010 (CD only) album 'Sun Broken'. Stand at attention & heed the words of the Cardinal:
"Over the past year Cardinal Fuzz has brought you some great original releases. However, there are a few releases that for one reason or another never made it onto vinyl. If there is one album that deserves the Cardinal Fuzz vinyl treatment then it would surely be Sun, Broken by Mugstar.
Mugstar are without a shadow of a doubt THE premier space rock act in the United Kingdom, if not the world. Their potent brew of punishing riffing, krautrock grooves, clattering surf guitar and post punk urgency all filtered through an intergalactic pulse has ensured them a place on all the major psych-rock festivals throughout Europe. Sun, Broken was originally released on Important Records in 2010 – but contains songs that are still staples in their set to this day. From the neuron destroying opener ‘Ouroborous’ , all the way through to the spacefaring ‘Furklausundbo’, Sun,Broken offers no let up from start to finish .
Released on stunning intergalactic black/white swirl and housed in a redesigned embossed cover printed in metallic ink with hand numbered insert all designed by longtime Mugstar cohort, Sam Weihl – this could well be the re-release of the year!"
A true stunner - even in the canon of Mugstar's already stellar oeuvre of heady, cosmic riffage! The A-side starts off real mellowand& ambient, before settling into a comfortable mid-tempo, repetitive groove (not unlike local heroes Cave), but the B-side really knocks it home - lurching off the platter with "Labrador Hatchet" - an organ-drenched, prog-tinged beast of a track and doesn't really stop from there. Six tracks in all, but you know - it's Mugstar, so those tracks are 5-6 minutes each! A stellar band that really gets very little props (at least in the U.S.) - limited to 500 copies on glorious white/black haze vinyl - sweet revised album art too! All-in-all beautiful package! GRAB THEM CAKES NOW before it's all sold out (and it WILL sell out). RECOMMENDED!
KILLER NEW PSYCH JAMS ON CARDINAL FUZZ!!!
New EP from U.K. psych act The Oscillation, released by the killer Cardinal Fuzz label! Read on:
"Hot on the heels of last year’s "From Tomorrow" LP, which saw The Oscillation continue their progressive mutation into one of the most hallucinogenic bands on the scene today, The Cable Street Sessions adds a further shot in the arm to these claims. Anybody who has managed to catch The Oscillation live will confirm that their brand of liquid psyche is some of the heaviest and best kraut-a-delic music out there.
Although The Oscillation was originally the brainchild of Demian Castellanos, he is now joined full time by the rhythm section of long time cohorts - bassist Tom Relleen and drummer Valentina Magaletti. The Cable Street Sessions gives extra breadth and depth to the rhythm section, allowing their telepathic improvisations to drive a pulsing miasma under Demian Castellanos’s unholy hail of effects. All too often bands are tagged with references made to Can, Pink Floyd and Spacemen 3 but here on these live in session tracks The Oscillation meld that holy grail together on a trip to the outer limits.
Features a cover of The Deviants classic - "Somewhere to Go"
We've had nothing but good things to say about these guys' previous efforts and the "Cable Street Sessions" is no exception - an amazing 4-song head-bopper! The thing we've dug about The Oscillation (and what we feel sets them apart from their fellow U.K. cosmic brethren) is that these guys don't necessarily pull from the "head-down, pedals on" school of psych, there's a real palpable layer of soul in the tunes. Main-man Demian Castellanos has a real knack for letting the grooves breathe a bit, thereby letting the bass guitar in particular really propel the songs forward. Pepper that with some killer guitar work and beguiling synthesizer noodling and we're sold, baby! Sweet cover of The Deviants' "Somewhere to Go" from their "Disposable" album too! Housed in an amazing-looking mirror-board jacket and limited (of course) - grab this one now before "we told you so"! RECOMMENDED!
KILLER NEW PSYCH JAMS ON CARDINAL FUZZ - LIMITED TO 350 COPIES!!!
New extended play EP from former (current?) Heads guitarist/keyboardist Paul Allen - previously a solo affair, but now augmented to a full-band! Released on the mighty Cardinal Fuzz Records out of the U.K. - read the steez from the Cardinal:
"With Gareth Turner and Jesse Webb (of Big Naturals) now fully assimilated into the line up, Anthroprophh {which was previously Paul Allen of the legendary The Heads’ one man output) are set to release this mind blowing prelude ahead of their upcoming sophomore platter on Rocket Recordings. With Turner and Webb on board, Anthroprophh seem to have become exponentially galactic in proportion with these two tracks, which are exclusive to Cardinal Fuzz.
With these two side long jams, Anthroprophh ploughs even further into deep space as propulsive rhythms of pure lavational joy are crowned with some of Paul A Allens masterful fuzzed out Karoli -esque tones. From the deeply meditative organ mantra reminiscent of Soft Machine and Terry Riley, through to a rhythm heavy Kraut piece that resounds with an occult Cluster vibe, this EP is not to be missed.
Anthroprophh are playing the biggest European Psychedelic events of the year at Eindhoven Psych Lab (June) and Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (September) and a new LP is due early Autumn on Rocket Recordings."
If you were lucky enough to snag Anthroprophh's 2013 debut on Rocket Recordings , then you know what's up here; vaguely arcane synthesized organ/guitar grooves, but a more mellow affair overall than the album. Cluster and Terry Riley are touchstones to be sure, but we definitely hear echoes of Tangerine Dream and This Heat (or even Oneida? Especially when the drums kick in). SUPER great extended-play 12-inch and well worth it, if only to tide you over 'til their next album later this fall. As with all Cardinal Fuzz releases - this one's pretty f'ing limited (350 copies to be exact) and word on the street is that this might be it, so grab this one QUICK. RECOMMENDED.
LIMITED TO 600 COPIES !!!!!!!
Sound Of Cobra has unearthed another great psych/prog treasure, this time from Italy's La Piramde Di Sangue and their new lp "Sette." Read on for the mystical details:
"LA PIRAMIDE DI SANGUE - "The bloody pyramid" - is a seven musician ensemble from Torino, Italy. The sound of the band is built on two guitars, two basses, one clarinet, one synth, several effects, drums and percussions.There's a rich history in psychedelic music, and we all know it. The best trip is always the one yet to be embarked upon. And each trip is different from the one before. You can't jump into the same lysergic river twice. Don't even try. Instead, prepare to be washed away by the sonic waves of „Sette“ - a sunbaked stoner trip for both the funky freshman and the psychedelic veteran. The latter may find traces of Santana's "Caravanserai“ or Embryo's "Reise“ when listening - as well as some strong Spiritual Jazz vibes, resembling the Phill Musra Group and the likes. It's all there and much more."
"Sette" seamlessly mixes eastern tinged psychedelia with elements of hard rock, jazz experimentation, European street music and the more occult end of the prog spectrum. Hints of Agitation Free, Guru Guru, Soft Machine, and Gong all seep through, but with a sort of gypsy krautrock / hippie improv feel. With seven members, dual guitars, wind instruments, synths and dual drummers, La Piramide Di Sangue's repetitive, droned out, super percussive collective jamming sucks you deep into a trance, one that's hard to shake afterwards. Astral prog meets Turkish psych maybe? "Sette" defies easy categorization. And that's a good thing, cuz killer music needs to be challenging. Fans of Bobby Beausoleil's Orkustra, Ya Ho Wa 13, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Goat, Erkin Koray, Henry Cow and the stranger outliers in the psych / prog / kraut scene in the 70s would do themselves a favor in checking out "Sette." This one's RECOMMENDED and guaranteed to take you to a higher plane!!!!!!!!
BACK IN STOCK!!!!
Utterly AMAZING psych-rock hailing from the Great White North! Bent Wind blazed bright for a short time in the late Sixties, self-releasing this rager in 1969 before burning out in a cloud of left-handed cigarette smoke. Luckily the SAINTS at Ugly Pop Records have taken it upon themselves to officially reissue this private-press masterpiece for our lucky ear-holes! Read the ugly truth from Ugly Pop right here:
"The Holy Grail of Canadian rock, this raw, murky slab of heavy psych was released by local indie label Trend in autumn 1970 and immediately sank without a trace. Over the decades, however, obsessive fans and collectors of the era's unsung greats gradually came to recognise the obscure Toronto band's genius, the now impossible-to-find original LP eventually trading hands for $5000+ plus in the rare vinyl market. After years of bootlegs, compact discs and pricey European pressings, this mythical Canadian LP is finally available at home in its intended format for the first time in 44 years. Fully authorized high quality pressing licensed direct from Marty Roth. "
Make no mistake - "Sussex" is an absolutely KILLER record that deftly toes the line between Blue Cheer/Sabbath heavy rock-ness and the dark, minor-key, acid-soaked excursions of folks like The Index or The Bachs. These guys really could have been big with some backing (or motivation - whichever was lacking). If you dig wailing guitars and heavy riffage, then this one rightly deserves a spot on your record shelf - we can't stop listening to it!! If you HAPPENED to even see an OG of this one, you'd have to take out a second mortgage just to buy it, but Ugly Pop have made this available again for a pittance, so grab this one now - TOTALLY essential and RECOMMENDED!
LP - Rudimentary Peni - Death Church - 2014 Official Reissue w/ Original Fold-out Poster Artwork - $24.99 - BUY - LISTEN
- LISTEN
OFFICIAL & ESSENTIAL REISSUE WITH FULLY REPLICATED ORIGINAL NICK BLINKO FOLD-OUT POSTER ARTWORK!!!
YES!!! Southern Records and Outer Himalyan have teamed up to reissue Rudimentary Peni's first studio album "Death Church" and we're flipping the fuck out about it! Rudimentary Peni were an anarcho-punk/deathrock group from the early 80s hailing from the UK. "Death Church" was originally released on Corpus Christi Records in '83 and is by far their definitive release showcasing RP's utterly unique take on dark tinged UK punk. Rudimentary Peni had released earlier EPs on Crass Records and were definitely affiliated within the anarcho/squat scene of 80's UK punk scene. Corpus Christi Records was a Crass side label set up with engineer John Loder that released records by UK Decay, Icons of Filth and Crucifix. Rudinemtay Peni songs deal with macabre rants of sociopolitical issues and autobiographical woes of desperation and their albums feature singer/guitarist Nick Blinko's hand drawn artwork of dark and twisted forms adding to the psychotic feel of the band's overall approach. Long considered as one of the classic UK punk bands, Rudimentary Peni pulled no punches, as in their scathing track "Rotten To The Core", an indictment of John Lydon and Joe Strummer being hypocrites. This here reissue comes with original fold out poster artwork and a printed inner sleeve with lyrics, as well as a download code. Done with plenty of love, just as it should be. TOTALLY ESSENTIAL AND F'ING RECOMMENDED!!!!!!
Beach Impediment Records wrangled the unruly beasts in Gas Rag into recording a full length, named "Beats Off" and if you blink you might just miss it. So read on:
"The anarcho-prostitutes of Chicago's GAS RAG return with the "BEATS OFF" LP, featuring 11 more tracks of the hardcore punk that you dingles have come to know them for. Following up the "HUMAN RIGHTS" EP (and their demo "Six Track EP") that lit up all the interwebs and print media rags with a plethora of praise and hate from all kinds of bloggers, "music journalists," and other assorted dimwits; the gang is back with their first 12" that continues to pay homage to their Midwestern homeland whilst sending warm regards to the distant land of Scandinavia all the while churning out a special brand of aggressive rock. This is a platter full of frantic yet tasteful riffs, a savage vocal delivery, and professionally executed pre-teen drumming - producing an end result that will inevitably aid in the listener's self destructive course of choice. Try not to freak the fuck out."
"Beats Off" is one frantic / violent slab of crust / d beat inspired lightspeed punk mayhem, packing 11 songs in under 11 minutes. Which seems like more of an EP, but we sure don't wanna quibble with these guys. After all we'll probably just flip this one at least three times every listen. Fans of local punks, Culo and Sea Of Shit, as well as Profane Existence / Maximum RnR junkies, and those into hardcore punk, powerviolence and thrashcore need some Gas Rag now. This shit is sick, extremely brutal and WAY FUCKING RECOMMEDED!!!!!!!! Just don't buy this lp for yer mom!
Tall Pat Records continues to document Chicago's seedy RnR underground, and this time around The Man get their 7 inches of wax. Read on for their mission statement -
"THE MAN is a dynamic organization dedicated to maximizing shareholder value by changing the paradigm of producer-market-consumer relations. As a recognized leader in their field, they have consistently demonstrated their ability to add value to any brand, regardless of the constraints of content or current market share. By choosing THE MAN, you've made a savvy investment in the future profitability of your organization and/or business." - Tall Pat Records
Yes just let THE MAN TAKE OVER YER TURNTABLE!!! Cuz they're one lean efficient punk rock machine. Angular blown out guitars, pummeling drums, surging basslines, distorto vocals and a good Midwestern RnR work ethic all make s/t ep from The Man more than necessary. Yes, you're right. You'd though we'd never be schilling for the Man, but in this case these Reatards / Negative Approach / Tyrades loving musicians, HELL YES WE ARE!!! This single is just that damn killer. You might've heard their 7 inch or seen them slay around town, but if not now is the time to GET DOWN WITH THE MAN. SERIOUSLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!
THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTED! GAS RAG'S DEMO TAPE NOW ON WAX!
Local label Not Normal Tapes didn't want Gas Rag's demo tape to stay out of print, outta the reach of the trouble making youth, and locked away in the hands of the collector scum. Hence this more than necessary reissue 7 inch, "Six Track EP". Savage, fast, ear splitting and nasty hardcore, sure to kickstart an insta mosh pit anytime it hits the turntable. Chicagoans know what an epic punch Gas Rag can deliver, now the rest of the world will know too. FURIOUSLY RECOMMEDED!!!!!!!
