Happy 4/20! We’re helping you get the day good and lit with this sludgy cover of a smoking favorite, “Bury Me In Smoke.” Y'all know I’m a sucker for covers, and we’re about to witness two bands taking on this Down standard from 1995’s NOLA. I’m talking about Atlanta’s DAYGLO MOURNING and Birmingham’s EMBR, two top notch doom bands we’ve featured in these pages before and played on The Doomed & Stoned Show. The pair had this to say about their collaboration:

Dayglo Mourning and EMBR are fans of each other’s music so we decided, “Hey, why not collaborate on something special”? We threw around a couple ideas on what to do. After a few conversations we finally decided to cover a classic song together: “Bury Me In Smoke” by Down. Not just because it’s a jammin’ song – it’s also a fucking classic. I mean really, who doesn’t like that song?

We had a few jam sessions and headed to Ledbelly Sound Studio – and the end result? - we think you’ll dig it. We tried something different with the video and collected short clips from Old Blood, MWWB, Witchpit, and Blacklab, among many others. It’s all a tribute to the 4/20 holiday.!

The EMBR/Dayglo Mourning rendition of the song features big, sweeping riffs, sludgey beats, and dank vox. My guess is you’ll have this on regular rotation in the 4/20 playlist today. Personally, I couldn’t help listening to it on repeat. May the smoke be with you!

Give ear…

Metal veteran Tommy Stewart is quite an interesting character. He first came to us with a bass and a beastly attitude with thrash stalwarts Hallow’s Eve, yes the band that really was formed on Halloween of ‘83 in Atlanta. After a solid decade of action, the band disbanded in '93, reuniting in 2004 (with Tommy on vocals for 3 or 4 of those early years) until the band finally rested after a lusty run in 2013.

What’s cool is that Tommy Stewart has been known to play very doomy versions of those original Hallow’s Eve standards at shows, which brings us to the band before us today: TOMMY STEWART’S DYERWULF.

It would be interesting to hear about Tommy’s journey into doom. What we know: the two-piece Georgia band introduced themselves to the ears of the heavy underground in 2015 with an album titled, Clef Doom, then Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf in 2017. Year before last, the band dropped an EP, Sordid Songs for a Cold Grey Sun which is just about as morbid a title as you could ask for. Throughout it all, Tommy has collaborated with drummers Eric Vogt and Dennis Reid. Now, Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf gets even darker with a positively evil headbanger of a third album, 'Doomsday Deferred’ (2021) on his own label, Black Doomba Records.

Today, we’re giving you beautiful Doomers & Stoners out there a first-listen to the album’s raucous new single, “Two Trop Romp,” which would have been the best companion ever to TAD’s “Wood Goblins” on MTV in the '90s. Certainly, it bounces groovily along with anything by Goatsnake. In that neighborhood, let’s say, only I don’t think I’ve heard a bass this dirty elsewhere. You can’t deny the swinging rhythm of the song, which vaguely takes me back to the radio of America’s swing era, but with some dark, backwoods charm that also recalls the golden age of folk. It’s retro, but very base and familiar at its root.

Says Tommy:

There’s natural imagery and a bawdy, earthy feel to much of the 'Doomsday Deferred’ album. So I discussed with the videographer, Erik Bigelow, about sub-theming each song video with the elements most close to the song’s meaning. The last single, “Shadow in the Well,” was about earth. “Two Trog Yomp "reflects fire which can be as relentless as the march of time.

If you dig this one, you might be inspired to go back and hunt down all the records by Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf (and Hallow’s Eve, too), as you never know what inventive take this grim genius will take next! Look for 'Doomsday Deferred’ (2021) on Black Doomba Records in multiple physical formats, in addition to digital (pre-order here).

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

From its inception, Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf has been an outlier, a perplexing charge which the metal scene has never been able to put its finger on. A solo project for metal nerds, Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf embraces a minimalistic approach to doom, but with a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Stewart’s new release 'Doomsday Deferred’ (2021) - a mammoth CD/vinyl release via Black Doomba Records.

Tommy Stewart comments: “The making of this album happened during a dark time for me, the same dark year or so many of us had to endure in 2020. Writing and recording this album was a catharsis, a personal therapy, and the session helped me break through the loneliness of isolation that I’m sure many of you could find relatable. 'Doomsday Deferred’ shares my personal journey from dark to light with you.”

The doom experiment that is Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf began with the release of ‘Clef Doom’ (2015). Originally a solo project, Dyerwulf garnered enough positive response to add Eric Vogt (drums) and begin performing live. The band continued to push forward into their next release, the self-titled, Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf LP in 2017. A 7” vinyl single of “Shadow in the Well/Lilith Crimson Deep” marked a further evolution in the band and the creation of Tommy Stewart’s Black Doomba Records, through which the single was released. Dyerwulf’s third release, 'Sordid Songs for a Cold Grey Sun’ came in 2019, also via Black Doomba Records.

Tommy Stewart is also known for his work in thrash band Hallows Eve of Metal Blade Records as well as his work as a producer with Blue Ogre Noise Lab and as the owner of Black Doomba Records. Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf live performances often include doom interpretations of classic Hallows Eve tracks.

Tommy Stewart has used his extensive career in metal as an opportunity to recruit various artists to work on Tommy Stewart’s Dyerwulf, including: Raymond Miner, Jarrod Page, Dennis Reid, and Eric Vogt. 'Doomsday Deferred’ is to be released in 2021 on CD, vinyl, and cassette.

Atlanta-based blackened sludge outfit WITHERED return with their 5th studio album ‘Verloren’ (2021), once again blurring the divisions between genres and creating atrophied and crid tones over it’s 8-track length.

Opener, “By Tooth In Tongue” seeps in silently like gas: Noxious, putrid waves of mountain-high riffs propelled at funeral pace to forge a crusted doom crusher.

“The Predator” quickens the pulse: relentless skin-pounding over a slurry of black metal riffs and inhuman shrieks, a bludgeoning, merciless noise.

Squalls of feedback usher in “Dissolve”, alternating with full death mode, vehement and vicious. “Passing Through” is a squall of noise and feedback, blackened and filthy, then “The Long Hurt” creaks in on a bed of death-doom riffage ushering in the title track “Verloren,” which opens with subtle acoustics before the evil riffage of closer “From Ashen Shores” – kicks smarting and stinging like a raging hornet assault.

Withered deliver unashamed, blasphemous filth that completely cements their reputation as one of the leading lights in their field. One for the dark nights and pagan fire assemblies…

Who could have foreseen that by the close of the year Atlanta would hit the heavy underground in such an impactful way? Why just last week, we kicked off the gloomy month of November with some damned fine pickings from a band called Big Oaf, and now who should we encounter but lumbering heavyweights DAYGLO MOURNING!

Listening to this beast roar, it makes me wonder whether a handful of magic beans were spilled during the ‘90s by touring acts Melvins, Tad, and Electric Wizard and this, mingled with the rich soil of the Atlanta heavy underground, birthed the quintessential doom 'n’ grunge act before us.

Frontman Joseph Mills is a wild man on vocals and guitar in dreadful opener, “Dead Star,” while bassist Jerimy McNeil strums the sweet spot every damned time in “The Offering.” There’s something urgent – crazed even – about Ray Miner’s drumming in “Bloodghast,” as if emerging from the cracks of Stone Mountain itself. The atmosphere is as dank as you could ask for when these three have a meeting of the minds, and we’re climbing the “Witch’s Ladder” to a “Faithful Demise” in no time.

Behold: the new face of doom! This is DayGlo Mourning and, yes, you’d better get to know that name because we’ll likely be hearing more of them in the months ahead. Were I a betting man, I’d place a healthy wager on you going back to spin their first album 'DayGlo Mourning’ (2017) immediately following this music video premiere from their second. 'Dead Star’ (2021) releases February 10th on CD and digital formats via Black Doomba Records (pre-order here). It’s just the kind of attack that doom needed to kickstart a new year, while consigning 2020 to the dustbin of collective memory.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Sometimes a band just lands with such impact that their momentum carries them into instant recognition. DayGlo Mourning out of Atlanta are just that band. It wasn’t long after their self-titled début that they signed on the dotted line with established connoisseurs Black Doomba Records, which has been their home label ever since. Now, the time has come for a new record to showcase the best of what they have to offer. Dead Star embodies the band’s name: DayGlo vibrant colors adorn the packaging which envelops the Mourning-laden riffs.

The trio are not ones to waste a listener’s time, and go straight to what they do best – an homage to the fuzziest, most classic doom metal they can muster. The drums are on fire; Ray Miner may not be breaking any speed barriers, but he crashes and pounds out a fierce rhythm such as on opener “Dead Star.” Bassist Jerimy McNeil, meanwhile, gets a welcome center stage slot on more than one occasion, leading the charge on “The Offering” and “Faithful Demise.” Naturally, the guitars are in the constant search for That Tone, and the one here is just the right level of amp-worshipping distortion, counterbalancing the beer-soaked yet melodic vocals of Joe Mills.

DayGlo Mourning didn’t get to this position by resting on their laurels, though, and Dead Star has a few tricks up its sleeve. One of these is the delightful blues-driven solos that litter the record, including a talk box solo on “The Offering”, while “Witch’s Ladder” shows just how low and heavy they go, while featuring intonations of curses to drag the listener into the depths of the occult. On a similar vibe, “Faithful Demise” feels strangely playful given its dark topics of death and religion, while the church-like choirs on “Ashwhore” are suitably sacrilegious.

In short, while the début was a strong opening statement, Dead Star is a necessary next step for DayGlo Mourning. Bound to delight fans of doom metal of all stripes, it’s a must-have record that stands proud among the growing accolades of a band who rep their city’s metal scene so strongly.

Introducing BIG OAF from Atlanta, Georgia, the band with a name you just gotta love because it matches the stride of their swagger. Formed by brothers Crew Gibbs (guitar, vox) and Graham Gibbs (drums) in 2016, the pair were joined by bassist Matt Whiteside a year later. From there, the power trio went to work forging its sound in the fertile soil of the Atlanta heavy music scene, which has delivered no small share of wonders – from breakthrough and crossover acts like Mastodon, Black Tusk, Kylesa, Whores. and Royal Thunder, to savage undergrounders such as Zoroaster, Order of the Owl, Demonauta, GRUU, Sons of Tonatiuh, and Negative Wall.

Big Oaf started life as a purely instrumental proposition, but as their songs evolved over several years of live performances, the trio decided adding vocals was the right choice. How right they were! One thing led to another and by early 2020 Big Oaf teamed up with recording engineer CJ Ridings to lay down some tracks. COVID-19 threatened to put a kink in the works, but the band persisted, wrapping up their eponymous record over the summer months. Let’s explore it, shall we?

Opening track “Elephant” comes barreling through the gate like a crazed pachyderm on the lam, full of guts and glory. After travelling a pathway of atonal broken chords, everything grinds down to a mammoth’s pace, while the singer warns: “you ain’t built for this kind / the elephant in the room.”

“Chew” is the song that convinced Doomed & Stoned to host the Big Oaf premiere. Its opening riff is staunchly Sabbathesque, but takes on a melancholy turn. Crew Gibbs sings with plenty of heart, reminding me at times of King Buzzo, and with humor that’s just as dire: “I told you I’d eat you / you taste like a rat.”

Without missing a beat, Big Oaf lumber ahead with “Shove.” I can almost picture some drug-addled drunk pushing his way into bars, stomping through clubs, getting into fights with randos, and generally becoming a belligerent pain in the rear as dusk turns to dawn.

We find ourselves smack dab in the middle of “Nowhere” next, perhaps in some kind of a psychogenic fugue, boxing our way back through uncertain times to regain a sense of safety, stability, normality. The power of wordless songs is they have a tendency to direct one’s imagination towards some awfully strange places.

Crew’s rough and rumble vocals greet us again at the beginning of “Tooth and Claw,” backed by a sawing riff that sears right into your noggin with surgical precision.

Stripped raw
Tooth and Claw
We all fall
To nature’s law

“Antswarm” rouses a mean nest of fire ants – a source of endless fascination for me as a kid growing up in Texas. After a good rain, you’d see ‘em scurrying out of their hovel like clockwork to rebuild the foundations of the nest. Once I was posing for a picture on a family trip to neighboring Louisiana when a swarm of those fuckers crawled up my legs and started stinging me all over. I had to strip down to my undies in front of God and (worse) my parents just to get them off of me.

The jammin’ “G.H.T.S” (which is an abbreviation for something, not quite sure) rushes in next and by the time “Never Learned” cues up, we’re connecting with our emotions – deep, red, and raw.

I am driving nails in my coffin
Standing in my grave (my grave)
Circumstance has led me to this place
Never learned how to behave

The tempo increases midway through, emassing speed and power as it chugs along like a steam-driven locomotive with a mind of its own. We’re not quite sure if this one will come to a graceful end, either, as it breaks away. I envision a ton of moshing going down to this song.

Perhaps the secret to Big Oaf’s appeal throughout the record is they don’t stop.  The massive assault comes off much like I imagine one of Big Oaf’s live sets would, sans interruptions for tuning and the like. This is one to take with you to the gym (if and when you return). It makes me want to start pumping iron again…well almost/maybe not.

“King Of Town” restores my faith in the riff. As a reviewer, you just hear so much stuff that sounds alike, so I love when a band charges forward with spontaneity, confidence, and vigor. The start-stop sequences feel like they could stand in for a defibrillator, if needed. I can see the advertising slogan now: “Big Oaf: guaranteed to restart any heart.”

The album comes to a crashing conclusion with “Hangover,” a song that simply refuses to go down in a katzenjammer…not without a fight (or at little more hair of the dog).

I”m too drunk to get up
Leave me here, I’m just fucked
Slave to what’s in my cup
Pushing my fuckin’ luck
Forever hungover

As the material would suggest, the Big Oaf is just itching to hit the stage again. The band relayed this to us:

The feel we are going for with the album was to keep it as raw as we would play it live. We wanted to really give people the range of our energy but also to be unapologetically heavy. Though our influences are present in pieces of songs, we want this first record to be a taste of what’s to come. As we write this now there are several new songs that are well into development. This is the first record, but not the last. We have big fat plans for much much more.“

Big ups to Big Oaf on a smoking hot debut, which will be released digitally on Friday, November 13th and on a limited run of 100 red vinyl in January (pre-order here). For fans of Mastodon, High on Fire, Big Business, Melvins, and (of course) Black Sabbath.

Give ear…

Hembree and the Satan Sisters are preparing to unleash their debut onslaught of high energy, high attitude punk rock, under the moniker, ‘F.Y.F.’ (2019) This record will be available on September 20th via Rusty Knuckles Music, and it is one killer grouping of songs.

Zach Hembree was the founding member/vocalist of Nuclear Blast artist, Toro, but wanted a project that was more punk rock oriented. That idea blossomed into a band whose live shows are a force to be reckoned with, all backed by some of the most catchy punk-fuelled songs that I’ve heard in recent years.

Now, when I say punk, I don’t want you to think that’s all these guys do. Throughout this album are influences from metal, punk, rockabilly/psychobilly, and much more – all adding up to one cool fucking record!

The band gets us going with the pointed anger of “Fuck Your Religion and Fuck Your Politics.” This track is 50 seconds of catchy riffs and pissed off rhetoric, rhetoric that I’m sure quite a few of us can agree with. Zach has taken shots at both Antifa and the White Power clowns within the first quick verse, before launching into a maddeningly catchy chorus section. In my opinion, this is easily the best song on F.Y.F.

“Say it to My Face” reminds of something Gwar would write, which, for me, makes it highly enjoyable straight out of the gate. The performance of the vocals, along with the lyrical content, makes me think that Beefcake the Mighty (Gwar bassist) could have been an influence here. This is very catchy and very kick-ass all around.

The following track is called “Nothing to Prove,” which is pretty much about what you think it is. I relate to the lyrics, because I have taken the same stance in my life. Just listen to these lyrics and bob your head to the infectious sound of this track.

The next track I’d like to bring up has an intro that makes me feel like it’s 1955, with it’s old school sound – even the guitar solo section gives me that feeling. The track then drops into a straight up punk edge, just a bit on the slower side of things. It’s definitely cool musically, but the lyrics are what I found most interesting. This is a great song overall though.

Hembree and the Satan Sisters have put together a banger of an album, and I can’t urge you enough to go check it out. It’s available now. Enjoy!

I’ve been really looking forward to introducing you to this new project from Tommy Stewart of Dyerwulf. Last month, I mentioned in my Moonwatcher debut that I was delighted that more bands are finding inspiration behind the unfortunately hackneyed world of wizards, witches, and weed, moving closer to realms of science fiction and horror – in particular, the great movies and television shows of the 1950s, ‘60s, and '70s. I remember watching strange programs with my dad as a kid in the '80s, many of which I’m still trying to track down (including one clip that is forever engraved in my memory bank of a group of people who were cursing God for letting them live forever and demanding that he let them die. If anyone can help, I would be forever grateful). Among them: Dr. Who (featuring Tom Baker), The Twilight Zone, and an especially gripping weekly serial called The Outer Limits. It was, in my mind, the superior sci-fi/horror production of its age.

All that set-up is to introduce you to NEGATIVE WALL, a band immersed in the potent world of the ABC series that ran from 1963 to 1965, later revived from 1995 to 2000. In my mind, the original black and white was more stark and terrifying than its later iterations, but that’s another discussion for another time. You don’t even need to be familiar with The Outer Limits to get into 'Gammagelu’ (2019), the forthcoming debut from the Atlanta band, featuring alumni from Hallows Eve, Bludy Gyres, and the aforementioned Dyerwulf.

Negative Wall describe their sound as “a sci-fi doom voyage through '70s inspired stoner music scapes and blues riffs from this battle scarred line-up of musicians you’ve probably heard on many metal recordings.” That line-up includes frontman Tommy Stewart (bass, organ, vox), Don Cole (guitar), and Dennis Reid (drums, keyboard). They also like to spice up the ambience with exotic instruments like the Theremin and didgeridoo.

Having already released the first single from Gammagelu, the band today brings us its second: “Imperii Exsules,” here featured as a music video from one of their live performances. Reached for comment on the song, Tommy Stewart remarked:

“Imperii Exsules means the exiled imperials. This song is influenced by our love of the sixties TV show Outer Limits, particularly the episode entitled The Zanti Misfits. The different take on it from the TV episode is the lyrics are written from the point of view of those who executed the exile from the planet of Zantis.”

Look for the album’s full release on February 8, 2019 on Black Doomba Records, already available for pre-order here.

Give ear…

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

I’m a big fan of instrumental metal, though admittedly it’s hard to pull it off. Bands like BelzebonG, Weedpecker, and Clouds Taste Satanic get it, and you can now add Atlanta’s SPORE LORD to that list.

Damn, do these guys ever know how to ride those wild riffs! Matt Irvin (guitar), Cam Barnes (drums), and Dan Giampietro (bass) lasso those bucking broncos and do not.let.go. Just when you think you’ve lined up your list of top albums, ‘In The Beginning’ (2016) comes along and proves to be one of the most exciting releases of the year.

Today, Doomed & Stoned premieres the “Spore Lord V” from the eight track album.

In The Beginning was recorded by Matt Washburn of Ledbelly Sound Studios (think: Mastodon) and he really gets it right. The sound is pristine, but not overly produced. You can really feel the punch of those downtuned soundwaves. Spore Lord’s debut LP enters your earspace on December 2nd, at which time it may be gotten at sporelord.bandcamp.com.

And now, some buzz….

Spore Lord “was born and raised in acid washed riffs and fuzz induced fires,” write Curtis Dewar. “Its power lies in the way it weaves listeners into a tapestry of fungus fueled dreams. You can easily get lost in the grooves of its records. The sounds are slick and tightly composed shifting over growing and glowing landscapes with every breath. It leaves a sludge bathed trail that reeks of sultry bong water. In person its performances create threads of inter-dimensional vibrations that clothe and feed homeless eared vagrants, deafening them into submission with bone crushing towers of amplifiers. It nurtures these doom inspired thieves. Then lulls them into a false sense of security with enigmatic harmonies right before it churns them into heavy grinding machinery, cranks them out like ground beef and buries them in a medieval bog to grow more mouthwatering spores.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

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Still wondering about the new Mastodon Record? Here are Melissa’s two cents…

                                       Album art by Skinner

When I sat down to listen to Mastodon’s Once More ‘Round The Sun, I had no clue what I would be hearing, but I knew I’d love it. After all, no two albums created by the Atlanta metal legends leave anything to be desired. Furthermore, no two are the same. From the impressive riffs of their 2002 debut Remission to the atmospheric vibe of Crack The Skye, Mastodon is one band that never fails to impress and stick with people, as well as a band that continues to progress musically. It became obvious early on in their career that they were not destined to be another typical sludge metal band. Even the one album that people seemed to dislike (The Hunter) is a display of great musicianship. While not crazy about The Hunter, I assumed the new album would be different because of how truly progressive Mastodon is. If I had to describe the album in one word, it’d be this: EPIC.

I find that many people feel the need to relate Once More 'Round The Sun to the band’s earlier works. I didn’t do that until after I gave it a few listens and I’d say this album is the missing link between The Hunter and Crack The Skye. The album is extremely catchy like The Hunter and I hear that in a lot of moments, such as the chorus in “High Road,” which reminds me of Josh Homme.

For those who prefer the groove of Crack The Skye, you’ll definitely appreciate “Chimes At Midnight,” which has a psychedelic intro that builds up over a galloping rhythm. A couple other highlights that stood out for me: the acoustic guitar in the opening track, “Tread Lightly” (which really sets the mood for the album), Scott Kelly’s (Neurosis) guest appearance on “Diamond In The Witch House,” and the emotionally moving song "The Motherload” (my personal favorite).

Lyrically, Mastodon seem more personal, which I really prefer. I enjoy all the lyrics, but find the word to “Chimes At Midnight” truly intriguing. Hearing “All my heroes, they’re all dead” leaves one to wonder if he’s talking about personal heroes, or the likes of Ronnie James Dio and Jeff Hanneman. Another standout point very much worth mentioning is just how great the vocals are. It’s a shame you won’t hear much growling on this record, but I can easily overlook that given the trade-off.

If I had one complaint about the album it would be “Aunt Lisa,” which features chanting that just seems like it doesn’t belong. Other than that, I absolutely adore Once More 'Round The Sun. The album flows in such a way that it seems like it one long jam session. The songs seem to fit together so well that it almost seems wrong to skip ahead to a different song. I certainly would not call this album their masterpiece, but it’s an excellent record that goes to show that Mastodon doesn’t need to create something overly complex to prove what talented musicians they are.

-Melissa