What could be better than a breakfast with Death? What a party, right? Might sound bizarre, but you’ll be up for the vibe right away as soon as you get this album rocking. DUEL releases ‘Breakfast With Death’ (2024) this weekend on Heavy Psych Sounds, a hard-fighting, whisky-spitting, rubber meets the road rock 'n’ roll road trip from Austin, Texas. But it’s not just rock, this is heavy rock with desert, doom, and psychedelic mods on this stream rolling machine, with a rhythm that will not let up from Drew Potter (bass) and Patrick “Scooch” Pascucci (drums).

This is just high octane, kick-ass stuff, beginning with the over-caffeinated heartbeat of “Ancient Moonlight” made perfect by cool, lower-range crooning from frontman Tom Frank (vocals, guitar), who doesn’t seem concerned in the slightest about how fast this thrashy train is moving. The dank ending 3:13 is like everything suddenly going into slow motion and the tracks melting right beneath the wheels.

“Chaos Reigns” has a rambunctious '70s rock start, but the low-end is like nothing heard generations ago. This is heavy as all fuck with two downtuned guitars. And those verses are defiant. The rhythm section likes to go insane in short bursts, especially during the punk-thrash chorus. Nice to have some bitchin’ guitar soloing too from Jeff Henson (lead guitar).

“Satan’s Invention” was the lead single from this album and starts strong and rebellious “I don’t believe in the devil! Hell is a place here on earth!” Later the guitars do a solo version of that verse and the chorus. The band describes this one as “a four-minute Thin Lizzy-sequel rocker exploring the evils of man and the illusions of life. The countless lies we are fed from birth to death. All at a beat you can dance to!” The backing vocals are effective and the riffs and vocal intonations work out really well together here

Nice to see a band like Duel traffic in and out of different styles of rock and metal so seamlessly, not just between songs but within the tracks themselves. In “Fallacy” we get full-on groove metal, but everything about the song still screams DUEL, whether it’s the tuning of the instruments, the chemistry of the musicians, or the defining vocal tone and harmonies (a singer and two backers). The middle section goes into a more regret-filled, horror-tinged sentiment that’s right in Beastmaker territory.

“Pyro” may not be the best song to highlight on the 4th of July (let’s keep our forests from setting on fire for Pete’s sake, folks), but it’s definitely high octane and mischief-filled. “You think you’re innocent, Tom quips, and right away you’re thinking no. The guitar solo here takes us into an alternate universe, while the second guitar joins the rhythm section for some truly impish grinding and some sweet dueling guitar play later in the song.

"Berserker” features some grueling bass and drum work, and a trippy chorus with hypnotizing guitar riffage that recalls 1960’s classics.

“Tigers of Destruction” charges at us with Metallica-esque fury in those monstrous monotone verses that greet us from the start. The Duel beast continues to morph and evolve throughout the song, and the guitar solo introduces elements of psychedelic and grunge. This is going to be one of your favorite tracks on the album.

“Greet The Dead” dredges up a stormy clash of riff and rhythm, then showcases some awesome basswork. Tom’s range works ideally on this song’s verses and chorus. Finally vocals that aren’t high for me to sing along with. There are some great harmonic touches from backing singers Jeff and Drew, as well as a whirling dervish of a solo the finish.

“Burn The Earth” begins with an early-doom, Saint Vitus type groove but gets way rowdy just a minute in. I cannot emphasize how important it is to listen to this with some decent speakers that really bring out that bass. It’s pulse pounding with great energy, rowdy vocals recalling those gritty early Neal Fallon days in Clutch. Two minutes in and the song is still revving strong, then a disjointed, jerky breakdown that takes us into strange Ozzy dimensions of spooky. When the ravaging chorus returns at 3:07, you’ll for sure snag this for your End of the World mixtape.

Duel’s Breakfast with Death comes out Friday, July 5th on Heavy Psych Sounds on vinyl, CD, and digital (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Red Fang, Danava, High Desert Queen, Hippie Death Cult, and Greenbeard.

TRACKLIST

1. Ancient Moonlight
2. Satan’s Invention
3. Chaos Reigns
4. Fallacy
5. Pyro
6. Berserker
7. Tigers of Destruction
8. Greet The Dead
9. Burn The Earth

Doomed & Stoned Debuts

By Billy Goate

Austin, Texas rockers DUEL can always be counted on for one hell of a good time. They made an appearance on Doomed & Stoned in Texas awhile back and are pushing ten years as a firestarting act.

Now the band reveals fresh sounds from their upcoming studio album, ‘Breakfast with Death’ (2024), with a new song: “Satan’s Invention.” Rumbling rhythms meet commanding vocals, with addictive riffs and Sabbath overtones on this ripper of a single. The album promises to flex a “heavier and faster side of Duel” with every song “a beer soaked banger.” If this doesn’t get your heart pumping, nothing will!

Reached for comment, the band says:

“I don’t believe in the devil! Hell is a place here on earth!” Satan’s Invention is a four-minute Thin Lizzy-sequel rocker exploring the evils of man and the illusions of life. The countless lies we are fed from birth to death. All at a beat you can dance to!

Look for Duel’s Breakfast with Death, releasing July 5th on Heavy Psych Sounds (pre-order here). Make sure to catch them live!

Give ear…

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

It has been estimated that some four million new songs are being released into the world of sound every year. Certainly, it’s been hard – neigh, impossible – to keep up with all the new albums churned out just in the doom scene. As a consequence, it is all too easy to loose touch with the great songs of the past. I’m not talking about songs from the ‘70s, '80s or '90s, but those written generations and generations ago, stretching back into Medieval and Renaissance times.

That’s why it’s so refreshing to encounter a band taking on an old Scottish ballad like the one before us. Taking a cue from Battlefield Band, the traditional folk group who brought “Cruel Brother” to a wider audience decades ago, Austin, Texas band AIWASS gives this tragic tale a unique twist.

Dark, moody synthesizer surrounds the senses as the track begins, as if to transport us hundreds of years into the past to a scene unthinkable: a dying bride, a spiteful brother, a grieving knight, and an atmosphere teeming with sadness and revenge. Gently plucked mandolin strings cross with acoustic guitar. Misty, forlorn vocals tell the tale of love found and lost, eventually engaging the full powers of the doom metal quartet, complete with foreboding drums and bluesy, bittersweet guitar riffs.

Frontman Blake Carrera comments:

The themes of the song, despite being an old Scottish ballad, are quite familiar to listeners of doom and metal in general: love, lust, violence, and loss. By reinterpreting this song, we hope to bring the past into the future. The screams at the end of the song are not just an identification that this is “blackened doom”; they are also the screams of loss and sadness that are perpetuated throughout time by all of us.

Aiwass caught my ear during the pandemic, when we premiered and gave a detailed review of their first LP Wayward Gods. Since then, the band has expanded with founding member Blake Carrera (vox, guitar, mandolin, synth) joined by Eddy Keyes (vox, acoustic guitar, bass), Pablo Anton (guitar), and Grant Husselman (drums). As a result, the Aiwass sound has evolved into something wonderfully nuanced and altogether powerful.

“Cruel Brother” will be issued as a standalone single on Friday, March 28th (get it here). Fans of Green Lung, take notice

Give ear…

LYRICS

[Verse 1]
There were three ladies played at baw
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
But a knight cam by, played ower them aw
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 2]
This knight bowed low tae aw the three
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
But tae the youngest, he bent his knee
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 3]
O lady fair, gie me your haun’
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
And I’ll mak ye lady ower aw my land
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 4]
Sir knight, ere you my favour win
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
Ye maun gain consent ower all my kin
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 5]
He gained consent fae her parents dear
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
And likewise fae her sisters fair
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 6]
He’s gained consent ower all her kin
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
He forgot tae speak tae her brother John
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 7]
When the wedding day was come
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
This knight would take his bonnie bride home
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 8]
Her mother led her through the closs
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
And her brother John stood her on her horse
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 9]
He took a knife baith long and sharp
And he stabbed the bonnie bride tae her heart

[Verse 10]
Lead me tae yon high, high hill
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
And I’ll lie doun and I’ll mak my will
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 11]
And what will ye gie tae your brother John
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
The gallows tree for tae hang him on
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

[Verse 12]
And what will ye gie to your brother John’s wife
Hey wi the rose and the linsey o
The wilderness tae end her life
Doun by the greenwood sidie o

If you want to know where rock ‘n’ roll is alive and thriving today, it’s with barnstorming acts like HOLY DEATH TRIO. The music of this Austin, Texas band just makes me feel good, and their live shows have legendary kinetic energy.

This week, Holy Death Trio is unveiling a brand new single, with badass single art to match. The beat is rumbling and the guitar tone wicked, with lyrics that wanna kick some ass, too (“Will you take me to heaven or hell?”).

The band had this to say about “Death Rider”:

This song represents a turning point in our careers as songwriters. We intended to push past our comfort zone and create songs that truly resonate with the theme of Holy Death. By fusing together the dark-side and light like a yin and yang in rock 'n’ roll, “Death Rider” offers just a taste of what’s to come on the next full-length album.

The single drops Tuesday, August 8th and Doomed & Stoned readers get to hear it first!

Give ear…

I want to introduce you to an album that has been widely overlooked in the flurry of post-pandemic releases. It’s also one of the greatest commentaries on the pandemic I’ve come across.

Austin, Texas band GOODEYE picks up the mantle left behind in the 2010s by the late, great ultra-bass heavy German band Aleph Null on their debut, ‘GoodEye’ (2021). Both influenced by the legacy of Black Sabbath, Sleep, and Electric Wizard, but let us not fail to observe the powerful influence that acid rock and grunge has had on their sound. The vocals make this worthy of standing alongside Soundgarden and Chevelle for its depth of authentic emotional expression.

Few bands have been able to strike a chord of relatability with me like GoodEye. The album begins with the end: “Fare(Well).” All the song titles are configured similarly, making for a bit of a diversion to try mixing and matching these oddly configured words.

Lyrics reflect the genuine despair of the times:

We think we can take it
So we’re trying
But all breaking
Nobody’s buying
They won’t believe it
Until they see it
We better start bleeding
So they know we’re alive

Who “they” is, is the question. Parents? Church? The people plugged into an artificial machine that’s cracking the bigger it gets? All of these could work, I suppose.

And then the powerful chorus:

Nothing is free
You get what you pay for
Nothing is free
You pay for everything that you give

The sense of the song is one who is opting out of the system altogether, as in the powerful closing moments of the song. The ghostly farewell at the end echoes and fades into the background, as if to suggest the unthinkable.

The next song is “Ill(Prairie),” which is the one song I come back to time and again when I’m feeling blue. Thick bass, guitar, and cymbals cast a dour mood. The singer talks about the pain that will not be erased and laments with a series of Ecclesiastic woes the state of things today:

There is no passing time
There is not reason, only rhyme
We get ahead just to fall behind
Then get right back in the line

And yet there is an underlying will to plow ahead, despite hardship: These hands will not let go. Well that’s just one interpretation. Another is he can’t let go because he’s become fused to the system, bogged down in the ways things just are, not the way we once dreamt them to be.

Perhaps the most interesting to me lyrically is “Blood(Line).” After the last song, this one is like a release. It’s tone downtrodden and tender, but soon picks up with crunchy guitar licks.

Just a little disappointed
In where and who we come from
Though they mean no harm
And it does no good
No good it does to argue
Cause they always win

Here we are again with the “we” and the “they.” Reflecting a struggle of humanity against something bigger than we are individually, but do we stand a chance of accomplishing anything lasting and meaningful collectively? A newer, brighter future for the world? No, we are lost in a sea of stimulation flooding our senses at ever ping and click. The voices of reason have gotten lost in all the noise. On top of that, what we might be fighting is an abject and irreversible flaw in the homo sapien himself.

We fight the blood
We might just lose
We aren’t born to win
We are born to do

That chorus just crushed me. It reflects a depth of depressive thought that recalls my state of mind when I wrote an article on my own depression some years back. It is the abject, nihilistic assessment of reality that realizes we can no longer be farmers and live off our own plot of land. We have to plug into the machine that keeps the economy propped up, and thus we make our living. But where does the individual seeking meaning in life fit within its tangled wiring, to borrow imagery from NIN’s “The Becoming.”

Another great song, both musically and lyrically, is the embarrassingly named “Shit(Finger).” The song begins with jagged bass licks and a cloudy, bluesy Soundgardenesque melody that has an awesome grunge tone circa the early '90s. The drums are absolutely bruising.

The singer is at the edge of despair:

This is not fair.
It doesn’t even matter
It’s all gonna blow
Maybe I should just scatter

The bass is mean and nasty on this one and has a chance to really grab you. The guitar is frizzled and frenetic like some crazed Fraggle Rock performer, interestingly set back a little in the mix, but perhaps the band wanted us to get lost in the haze.

The chorus is once again paradoxic:

Burning in water
Drowning in flame

“Body(Soup)” would figure well on a playlist with Primus and Alice in Chains. It’s got that quirky ragged charm of Layne’s “Nothin’ Song.” I regret so much not going to see them perform at RippleFest Texas last year, but it looks like they will be on the bill this year.

“Dead(Flight)” has that dead-eye acid-fuzz thing going on that bands like Atlanta’s Null do so well, and obviously pair well with most of the bands in the Austin heavy music scene. The vocals are on point: “We don’t know where we are. There is no day, there is no night. There is no light.” It’s another song with a bittersweet, bummed-out feel, yet has an underlying frustration and energy that makes it a compelling listen. It captures a certain feeling of lostness. Perhaps, doomed and stoned.

“Tater(Heads)” is another banger. It’s a stoner-punk number and the guitar is ultra fuzzy, with a tone you could really drone out to. The shortest song of the set at two-and-a-half minutes, but it really roars.

The album closes out with high energy on “No(North)” and a chug-chug rhythm that hearkens back to classic '80s metal. Once again, there’s a dire message:

What you see
Is what they sell you
All you can hear
Is what they tell you
How to think

I wished the band had published their lyrics, as the words sometimes get drowned out by their massive sound. In sum, though, it’s a great album that has endured the test of time for me. As I wrote on my Bandcamp review:

Without question, one of the most emotionally relatable albums of the pandemic for me. Genuine doom and gloom, in a warm grunge cocoon. I genuinely love every single song on this record, and had I known about it earlier it would have been my album of the year.

Stick it on a playlist with Aleph Null, Domkraft, The Swell Fellas, Alice in Chains, and the mighty Soundgarden.

Give ear…

It’s been a while since we featured the visual output of Drew Nesbitt of Njorodynphoto, who caught up with Nashville crooners ALL THEM WITCHES on their recent US tour with soulful doom rockers, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT from Portland. Along the trek, the bands paid a visited to an enthusiastic Texas crowd at the Mohawk in Austin on January 22nd, 2022, and Doomed & Stoned has the evidence! I’m tossing in the setlists and some live vids from the trail for your ocular and aural delight! (Billy Goate, Editor in Chief)

ALL THEM WITCHES

Setlist

1. Diamond
2. 1x1
3. Enemy of My Enemy
4. 3-5-7
5. Alabaster
6. Rob’s Dream
7. Charles William
8. Everest
9. The Children of Coyote Woman
10. The Marriage of Coyote Woman
11. Saturnine & Iron Jaw
12. Swallowed by the Sea
13. See You Next Fall
14. When God Comes Back
15. Blood and Sand/Milk and Endless Waters (encore)

BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT

It’s hard rock havoc from the heart of Texas, baby! Get ready, because Doomed & Stoned is about to unleash new sounds from Texas four-piece heavy crew SUDDEN DEAF. Their latest single, “Headhunter,” sports a badass and brutal sound, with old school touches and riffs that’ll singe your flesn if you get too close.

Frontman Drew Potter (vox, bass) has a clean, metallic sheen that reminds me of Truckfighters, Greenleaf, Dozer, Sons of Huns, and Taiga Woods. Dylan Bigelow (guitar) and Alex Turner (guitar) have a harmonious give-and-take, but watch out as the song advances and those powerful axes collide – it’s almost enough and rip the floor right from under you. Max Cortez (drums) strikes a vigorous power metal tempo that gives the song a sense of urgency and mission.

Like many of the standout bands today, Sudden Deaf is a mosaic of influences and weaves these strands effortlessly into a sound that they can proudly own. “Headhunter” is taken from the band’s debut LP, currently in progress.

The band comments:

We are thrilled to release our debut single. A song about rage, power, and disdain, “Headhunter” stands as the first song off our upcoming album and sets the initial tone for what’s to come.

And as far as the song itself, we learn:

The narrative focus is on a tale of a Viking, but the track also delves into emotions of rage and greed, lust and disdain that we all feel. A thundering introduction driving a fury of anticipation leads to the hard-hitting pay off seeing epic wailing guitars and head-banging rhythms.

Intense energy and a fast pace results in sheer chaotic havoc. Being engulfed by Sudeen Deaf’s wall of sound may leave you deaf but it’ll be worth it! And watch out for any demons accidentally summoned in the process.

Sounds like a good time to me. We’ll keep you posted on the band’s progress on The Doomed & Stoned Show. In the meanwhile, there’s freshly baked riffage to tear into.

Give ear…

You know how excited we’ve been all about HOLY DEATH TRIO in these pages – the frenetic rock ‘n’ roll trio out Austin had our ear the moment they teased their first demo material. In fact, Doomed & Stoned was the first to bring you the single “Black Wave” in November, which provides the cornerstone for this boisterous and joyful hop across the boundary of rock and metal, with nods to garage, southern, psychedelic, stoner, and blues.

Of course, unless you’re one of those weirdos who like to look for and untether the various styles and influences of a band’s music like me, you probably won’t notice any jarring shifts between genres. All you know is that “White Betty” is the shit and “Bad Vibrations” is a great road song 'cross desert roads (with the wickedest stomping ending ever, too).

Today, we’re giving you a first-listen to the last track on the record, a definite change of pace compared to the staunch ire of “Black Wave,” the foot-tapping southern swagger of “The Killer,” and other instant hell-raisers. The attitude has been unmistakably aggressive at times, with frontman/guitarist John P. Rosales declaring, “You don’t need to know me – you’d better stay away,” “You stay away from me, I’ll stay away from you,” along with a chorus of “I don’t care.”

By way of contrast, “Witch Doctor” pitches an almost meditative mood to start, leading into a slow blues jam with undertones of doom and backwoods rituals. It’s as swampy a number as you could ask for from Holy Death Trio – especially if you were curious to see what this vibrant, high energy crew can do with a dark, occultic dirge. Though initially quiet throughout, the raspy, frayed vocals of the chorus eventually raise the song to a crescendo, joined by one mean hornet of a guitar tone that stings you just bad enough to trigger a harmless, but cathartic headbanging sesh. There is an unexpected send-back of the theme from “Black Wave,” which makes this a great show closer for the set.

Holy Death Trio’s ’…Introducing’ (2021) leaps to life on September 17th on Ripple Music (pre-order here). This record will make a significant capstone to the long, hot summer of 2021.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Formed during a Mercury retrograde in Central Texas, the stars were truly aligned when Holy Death Trio began their sacred trip through the sonic waves. Raised on Hendrix licks and Iommi riffs in the land of big skies and southern blues, the band shows both a reverence for the masters that came before them and a drive to carve their own footnote in the history of heavy music. With John P. Rosales’ fiery guitar heroics and the killer, crushing rhythms of Jonathan Gibson and Trey Alfaro their live shows have already become legendary.

Refining their anthemic songs with an endless series of live shows, Holy Death Trio entered the studio with Producer/Engineer Charles Godfrey (Trail of Dead, Swans, Whiskey Myers) to record their debut full length record.

Hand picked by revered Ozzy bassist Blasko to release their debut album as the first release in his partnership with Ripple Music, the band present here a Texas tornado of high octane rock 'n’ roll and heavy cosmic beauty. Strap in and hold on tight, Holy Death Trio are gonna take you on a spiritual, riff-fueled trip though the cosmos that’ll make you wanna bang your head, shake your ass and blow your mind!

In his never ending quest to find the filthiest bands from around the world, Shawn Gibson brings us face-to-face, virtually speaking, with frontman Keith Young from Austin, Texas trio SHITBAG. The band dishes out a harsh blend of crust, grindcore, hardcore, and sludge, a sound you may already be acquanted with if you’ve heard their new EP Burden on Transylvanian Recordings. (Editor)

So why are you a Shitbag? What’s the name all about?

I guess when I came up with the name, the thought was that Shitbag was a person I didn’t want to be and I lived in fear of becoming. It’s a catchy two syllable band name. (laughs)

Oh very catchy!

Half of it’s just taking the piss right?

Oh yeah.

People think it’s great or they think it’s really fucking stupid.

I love the name Shitbag. It grabs your attention. It is so fitting for your style of music, the sludge-grind duo.

Definitely. The idea was to get a very dirty sound from the start. The name stuck with me. You can tell from some of our earlier releases to hone the sound but you can see that it’s falling into place. I think we were zeroing in on the sound on the album we put out last year.

Which was ‘Furnace,’ right?

Correct.

Your latest release 'Burden’ is out now.

Yes, that’s now through Transylvanian Records.

Awesome, they are a good label! I have definitely heard of them and have some of their artists’ music. So is 'Burden’ your third release?

I guess it’s our fourth, if you count the first EP. We don’t really push that one out anymore.

'Furnace’ is a really good album! I think I bought all your digital albums on Bandcamp.

Oh, thank you.

I definitely fell in love with the sound! “Emasculator” is a great sludge song from the record Can you tell me a little about that one?

It is about castration. The riff was a fun thing I kind of threw out there. I told Eli our drummer this is in 4/4 and he said" it is absolutely not, I can try to play along to it anyways.“ As usual, he did. the different pieces kind of fell into place. The bass guitar always stuck out to me on that one. The speed of the song and the mix we got on those recordings allows the bass to shine through I think. Also, I think that might be one of my favorite vocal performances off of Furnace as well.

Who all is in the band and what roles do they have?

So I play guitar and vocals. Eli Deitz plays drums and Eric Prescott plays bass.

I would say 'Burden’ sounds heavier than 'Furnace.’ Can you tell me about your guitars and the set up you use for writing and recording?

Oh, sure!

What are you using to get that Shitbag sound?

So first off I think it’s worth noting that we recorded Burden at a different location and we had more power at our fingertips. The guitars definitely did get beefed up. For the first two releases I had been playing a Randall RH 150 with a Randall 150 amp head. It gets this really nasty distortion right out of the box, you don’t need a distortion pedal, which is pretty convenient. It wasn’t reliable at high volumes. That was becoming a problem more and more playing alongside Eric, as he was playing an "O-R something” Orange head and also running that through an HM2 and some fuzz stuff in front of it, as well. He gets a very loud, snarling bass tone.

He’s covering the low end, but there’s an intersection where the guitars and bass compete when we are playing live. So I needed something that I could crank up just to keep up. The Randall wasn’t cutting it. May of last year I purchased a Sunn Coliseum 880. That was great but I needed to beef up my cabinet setup. Before I had been playing out of a Laney 4x12 with two different Celestion speakers and an old Marshall 2x15. The Celestion speakers are just not cut out for running something like a Coliseum880. At 4 ohms I think it’s already at 230 watts.

Oh, wow!

That is when I moved up to a Worshipper 4x12. It’s an Intown establishment, and some good friends of mine run it. They got me a new cabinet in 8 to 12 weeks. Kinda crazy to think about from what I heard from Dillon at Worshipper they had good business during the pandemic.

That is great! I love to hear that everyone’s keeping up the practicing at home.

Yeah, It definitely has a silver lining. I got a 4x 12 and I’m trying to remember what speakers are in it. My technical knowledge of that stuff is a little limited, I’ll be honest. I went with Dillon’s recommendation. I told him what I was using currently, this is what I want out of it. I already have a 2x15 cabinet so I don’t need a whole shit ton of low end power coming out of the 4x12. He kind of went with something that had the right profile and could handle 320 watts. After that was the matter of finding a distortion pedal, because Sunn Coliseums don’t really have a built in distortion the way a Randall does. For a while I was a really great distortion pedal that does all kinds of great stuff the Earthquaker device’s grey channel.

It has six different clipping presets, clipping diodes, and you can do just about everything from straight up gain to kind of a fuzzy effect to full-on Moss clipping diode, which does the whole balls to the wall heavy metal thing. Great diversity on that pedal but it wasn’t quite hitting the right spots. I went to a Boss HM2 and was very reluctant to do so because I know everyone does those. I ran that with a Graph equalizer like I would any distortion pedal. I made it not sound like I’m playing in tuned riffs. That’s my equipment set up and how it evolved from Furnace to Burden.

Awesome, thank you. Something that attracted me to Shitbag’s music is the sludge is the jelly and the grind is the peanut butter that makes this great Shitbag sandwich. There are moments in your music that it is as thick as swamp mud, then the next it’s firing out like bullets out of an AR-15!

Hell, yeah!

With that being said you have a song like “New Day” that’s grind as fuck, clocking in at a minute long, just blasting through! Then you have songs like “Rogue Furnace” that’s right up the sludge/doom alley clocking in at 15-minutes, 20-seconds. Shitbag has a really great balance between different styles in your music.

Well, thank you!

What bands influenced Shitbag’s music?

Yeah, so I think the time I was getting into sludge and doom in my college days and I came across Primitive Man.

Oh, yeah!

I grew up listening to death metal and shit like that.

Me too!

The way they threw that together with just oppressive doom sound. It was something I had never heard before. I instantly heard that and said"this is the future.“ I don’t want to shit on anything but Black Sabbath has been around 50 years and that sound has been around 50 years.

Newer and current bands are still using that sound, yeah.

Maybe I shouldn’t disparage it, right? Even the stuff I’m drawing influence from is 30 years old now. Maybe I shouldn’t say it that way. I think it’s a matter of pervasiveness rather than how old something is. There are a lot of bands in the sludge/doom canon that are like, "Black Sabbath, hell yeah!”

You can find lots of music that was coming out of the death and grindcore scene in the '80s, '90s, and 2000s that had very slow, lurching oppressive moods. To me, it’s not so much a matter of the notes that are being played or the rhythms, it’s the atmosphere. So yes Primitive Man, God Flesh, they are a big one. I’m a big fan of Assuck, Dystopia, and Grief. Then a lot of older death metal shit, too. Napalm Death, Eric and Eli loved Entombed. Full Of Hell is tight as shit, too!

Yes they are! By chance have you heard of Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire?

Oh yeah, yeah.

I thought you might, being they were before Primitive Man. Great shit, as well!

Every band of theirs that the members of Primitive Man have been in that I have checked out, I have been very much into.

Vermin Womb, Many Blessings…

John put out an album with a death metal band called Black Curse last year that I thought was fucking phenominal!

I’ll have to check that out! I like just about everything across the board, personally.

You are mentioning that we’re striking this blend, we are not even playing the same genre through the whole EP. It’s kind of like there’s moments where it’s one thing then there’s moments where it’s another. I think the more important thing is that it sounds like a cohesive thing. I hope we manage to do that.

You do! Shitbag has it’s own sound that is unique to you guys!

Well, thank you!

I stumbled upon Shitbag’s music on Bandcamp on Fathers Day. I saw the song title “Fathers and Sons” off of Burden and thought, “That’s no coincidence – I need to check this band out!” I was wondering if you can tell me a little about that track?

The song is about grappling with father and son relationships that are, I don’t want to say estranged but you know trying at times. That was something that was a really big deal for me over the past year and a half, cause my mother passed away at the end of 2019.

I am sorry to hear that!

Thank you. When you have a death in the family like that, there is a lot of time for reflection that comes about. That’s where the concept came about. I would not say that it’s entirely autobiographical, there is definitely some exaggeration in there. We had the music for the song written and we couldn’t figure what to write the lyrics about. I was just spitballing ideas and concepts to Eli. That was the one he said, “Yeah, I’m not really a fan of this draught but this is the concept to go with. Keep going with this.”

Historically, I think I have been a weak lyricist. I would not call myself good by any means. We definitely made that part of the writing more collaborative process. Like the music has always been with us. We ironed out the words with each other so it felt a lot better. We came out with something more polished.

I understand completely.

A little graciousness opens yourself up. I think it’s true with lyrics, as well. You probably don’t have people say that to you very often, I imagine. I think it’s especially true with lyrics when you’re trying to make something that’s personal and vulnerable. Having someone say, “Hey I would word that differently!” YOU MOTHERFUCKER!

Exactly. (laughs)

Take a step back from the initial knee-jerk response and just let it sit. You can really go places with that. I think lyrics are different just because people are not accustomed to making themselves vulnerable in that way.

What bands from Austin and surrounding areas that are heavy and you love to see them play or play with?

Let’s see… Zyclops, really fucking great! There’s bands like Glassing, Inhalants, Portrayal Of Guilt.

Yep, familiar with them.

There’s a band called Godshell, they are new. I saw them play at a house show in North Austin in a living room full of people younger than myself. A crowd that was young enough to make me feel old. They played an outstanding fucking show! Those guys are rad live! There’s also Metal Abortion, who is a pretty fun noise core band that Shitbag has played with a couple times. They put on a hell of a show and they have some crazy fucking records, too!

We have had the pleasure of playing many great shows with Desist on account of Shitbag and Desist being the two “Austin sludge” bands. Lucas is an outstanding vocalist and an even better human being. I don’t know if Desist has been active through the pandemic but word is they have shit in the works. Another band forming a major constellation in the Austin shit-verse is the crusty blackened thrash outfit Vacha. Every show we’ve played with them was a fucking barn buner. I have nothing but love for all those dudes! Special shout out to Carlos for his God-like endurance behind the kit.

What makes Shitbag laugh? What’s funny to you guys?

Oh, man. Eli and I have decided that a good way to get around when I bring a riff and don’t know the time signature, is that we count everything in one. There ’s no more time signature.That’s a fairly recent joke. There are times at practice instead of playing a Shitbag riff with the distortion and everything balls out, I will go to the clean channel and push on the wah pedal and play with a funky staccato thing.

Hell yeah!

I think everyone else finds it annoying.

I have always enjoyed when the one guy in the band during practice either gets funky or jazzy, one of the two.

There is also something that Eli does that is fucking histarical. He never warns me he’s going to do it. We will be in the middle of a song in the intense parts of the song he slips in the ba-dum tiss like a joke was told. When he nails it it’s really a special thing.

Well, Keith that is all I have for you. Thank you again for your time!

Thank you very much, Shawn! The cassettes are available through Transylvania Recordings and Bandcamp. They are up for pre-order. I am not sure when those pre-orders will be in. There are some delays.

Several bands and labels having a tough time with vinyl getting pressed and shipping, too.

If you order the cassette you will get it eventually. I hope there is new music to announce in the near future.

We hope so, too!

One of the most exciting bands to originate from the fertile musical soil of Austin is WITCHCRYER. Having left an indellible impression on us already with their first full-length, ‘Cry Witch’ (2017), Suzy Bravo (vox), Jason Muxlow (guitar), Javi Moctezuma (drums), and Marilyn (bass) return with an impressive second album on Ripple Music.

“When Their Gods Come For You,” the band says, “is a concept album that deals with deities across various ages of civilization throughout time. The album starts with 'Devil & The Deep Blue Sea,’ a Faustian tale of a damned soul swallowed by an apocalyptic leviathan, Hellmouth, and the narrator’s attempt to fight for their life. The album continues with the song 'Hellmouth’ in which the narrator is now the Anglo-Saxon depicted demon fish itself. Songs about Greek gods and titans with tales of pride and punishment follow, as well as a Mesoamerican sun deity teaching its doomed warrior people to fly, a Roman goddess seeking justice for crimes against women, the tale of the Blackfoot creation god.”

Today, Doomed & Stoned is bringing you a listen to that enchanting doomer, “Hellmouth,” and asked the band for further comment on the track. They happily obliged, taking us on a deeper walk through the ancient lore:

Hellmouth is an apocalyptic tale of an enormous Leviathan fish whose gaping jaws act as an entrance to hell. At the crack of doom, Hellmouth surfaces from the depths of the ocean to seek and devour doomed souls by swallowing them whole and taking them to the depths of hell. This tale is told through the narration of Hellmouth.

Historically, the story of Hellmouth is based on 12th century Anglo-Saxon art that was retold and spread throughout Europe throughout the ages. Witchcryer’s modern day rendition of Hellmouth is retold in collaboration with Austin based Golden Monkey Tattoo artist, John Michael Bowley. This single release features colorful detailed artwork created through the use of a technique called “spit shading,” a technique that uses the replacement of water through the artist’s spit to control the amount of pigment that is blended outwards to make colors lighter than the original pigment.

To create the non-human demon-like voice of Hellmouth, dual vocals from Witchcryer vocalist, Suzy Bravo and Destroyer of Light’s Steve Colca were recorded and processed through TC Helicon Critical Mass vocal effects. The song is bass heavy with a “low end punch,” so hold on tight and take a ride to the doom that is Hellmouth.

With my background being similar to Suzy’s religiously, I’m anxious to get into the lyrics even deeper! Oh, and did I mention that the album features guest vocalist Steve Colca from Austin stallwarts Destroyer of Light?

The prot-metal foursome will bring us When THeir Gods Come For You via Ripple Music on August 20th (pre-order here). It’s a welcome addition to the mighty Catalog of Doom and an Album of the Year contender to be reckoned with!

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Witchcryer was created by guitarist Jason Muxlow during his time with Chicago doom band, Earthen Grave and became his priority when he moved to Austin in early 2015. That summer, he began co-writing songs with drummer Javi Moctezuma and vocalist/lyricist Suzy Bravo joined the band later that year, which led to the release of their demo The Preying Kind,With the final addition of San Antonio bassist Marilyn Monroe (Pillcrusher, Las Cruces), Witchcryer played its first show in April 2016.

Their debut album Cry Witch was released on Ripple Records in 2018, comprising nine songs of classic doom produced by the band & Brant Sankey. The band toured the Southern states with Italian doom band Messa, then made their way north to Chicago later in the year, while playing regularly throughout Texas.

In the fall of 2019, the band headed back to producer Brant Sankey’s Studio E in San Antonio to work on the new album. This time out, the sound is bigger, grander, and more epic, the band leaning into their rock and metal roots with special guest vocals by doom metal vocalists Gary Rosas (Ungrieved, Mala Suerte) and Steve Colca (Destroyer of Light).

'When Their Gods Come For You’ (2019) is a new conceptual album from Texas classic doom band Witchcryer, featuring songs about gods across various ages of civilization throughout time. Featuring thickly-woven epics such as a Faustian tale of a damned soul swallowed whole by an apocalyptic leviathan, an account of a Mesoamerican sun deity teaching its doomed warrior people to fly, and a Roman goddess seeking justice for crimes against women. Ambitious and dynamic, this is anthemic old-school metal mixed with weighty modern doom!

Vocalist Suzy Bravo about writing this new album: “This is the album that I’ve been writing in my head my entire life. When I was about 7 years old in 1983, my grandmother took me to the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio to see a double feature of Hercules starring Lou Ferrigno and Clash of the Titans. I fell in love with Greek mythology and stories about these mighty gods. I would obsess over encyclopedias around the house and find every book I could about gods from every religion.

Suzy continues: "I became a Jehovah Witness by myself when I was about 8 or 9. I used to read my yellow Children’s Book of Bible Stories and recite every story to memory. I’ll never forget how dazzled I was by the illustrations. I became a Christian when I was 11 years old all by myself. I would go to churches by myself and even got baptized by myself. I knew that whoever I wanted to be, I had to figure it out by myself. In high school, I briefly got into Buddhism and then a teacher loaned me a book called If You Meet the Buddha On the Road, Kill Him. I was taken aback and was offended by the title. But, when I read the book, the book taught me that it was okay to question religious hierarchies. This is a very personal album, but I’m not trying to tell anyone what to believe in. Overall, the album is just my chance to tell a bunch of great stories with great illustrations.”

Here’s something to rock you right out of your socks. “The Mountain vs. The Quake” is the debut single from Austin rockers HIGH DESERT QUEEN. It was produced by Jeff Henson from Duel and comes out on Friday, December 11th.

This, a foretaste of their debut album Bury the Queen, will emerge in the New Year on March 5th c/o Lick of My Spoon Productions. It’s a celebration of wide open spaces, hot desert days, and cold desert nights.

Give ear…

Over the past few years, I’ve had the excellent pleasure of having the fine gentleman of RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL serving up a list of menu items akin to the heartiest of southern rich meals! I can remember the first time walking into The Lost Well to catch another act that I’ve always relied on for my live music fix, and being completely blindsided by the unique foundation this group provides through their sound and structure. While their offerings in taste and delivery may be a complete overhaul of what your typical joint would be willing to throw up on the menu, please come with me on a stroll through this contemporary dining and neck breaking experience!

First off and simply put, the sound is massive. It always has been and from the looks of it, always will be. The arrangement of the tracks, vocals, instrumental tones, and beats all come together like a quarter pounder that hits you straight in the chest like a silver bullet to each pumping artery. It’s sizzlin’, it’s fresh, it’s juicy, it’s a downright classic that you’ll be coming back to time and time again – just as much, if not more so, than their previous menu items.

Their latest album, ‘Burger Babes…FROM OUTER SPACE!’ (2020), emits a completely new set of palatable taste options that any listener in the heavy rock genre can digest. From the first bite all the way to the last tasty morsel, you’ll understand why this grease filled banger of a playlist has what it takes to knock it out of the park.

It’s notable to recognize that there are present tonal differences, percussive patterns, and underlying low tuning that weren’t previously available between the last EPs Grease Beast and Burger Time Classics. It can be stated that the electrifying guitar and bass tones have stepped up a notch, sprinkling a little extra salt on these grooves, and filling out the combination of flavorings that this trio is famous for.

It seems to me that the addition of Aaron has been like a recipe change that adds a new specialty combo with his low lingering hooks that leaves plenty of cheese melting before you even catch your plate! It’s almost impossible to not acknowledge that Sean has given thorough, delicate, and accurate searing to their new signature patty, too.

The tightness, nuance, and the tender care to jump up or back off of the heat between cook times from track to track are nothing short of ultimate grill mastery. The new signature sauce lended by Leo’s vocal tracking has a special array of flavoring and layers that can be found on more than a few of these tracks. I could only describe it as a habanero mayo that tastes sweet at first bite, then comes creeping back with a vengeance as the distorted vocals hit your gut a moment later.

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol is:

• Leo Lydon (vocals, guitar)
• Aaron Metzdorf (bass)
• Sean St. Germaine (drums)

This trio comes together with one of the most climactic and tense releases of the year for me. To have seen this DIY outfit countless times over the past few years and still relish every minute of it, speaks to me of how strong an act they are in the current times we’re going through. It’s the change in pace for me, the transition to more heartfelt composition, the feeling of emotion, but in a way also keeping that uniquely thick, dirty, fast, and fucking erratic groove that I can’t point to anywhere else. It’s a lot like one of the classic burger joints you run into across in town that is constantly surprising you with some wild stroke of genius ingredient change-up.

This is the kind of stuff that you’ll soon be jamming at the bar and in the car – it’s ornately different in all aspects. It’s got an edge that you can’t find anywhere on the playing field. I mean, if you haven’t listened to them before, you wouldn’t understand. So let this be your first serving.

Roll up to this joint with a drip pan around your mouth. There’s a fun and revitalizing vibe to this newly outfitted establishment that the boys have been broiling in the back.

Burger Babes… is getting 3 out of 3 Michelin stars from my chap ass!

Nothing gets me more fired up than HOLY DEATH TRIO these days. Today, the Texas rockers belt out another feisty song as we inch closer and closer to the release of their debut LP. “Black Wave” follows up to their critically acclaimed song, “Bad Vibrations,” which we played on episode 39 of The Doomed & Stoned Show.

Comments the band:

“This song was written with The Devil’s Tritone and it’s about being at your lowest of lows when you can’t go down any farther down so you stare death in the face and say, ‘Is that all you got, bitch?’ When you have nothing left to lose and are prepared to die.”

"Black Wave” sticks a middle finger in the face of discouragement, loss, and demise, rustling what remains of the human spirit to live life hard in the darkest of times.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Borne out of a Mercury Retrograde, the stars literally aligned when Holy Death Trio formed. These Central Texas natives sound like what would happen if Jimi Hendrix played with Black Sabbath and John Dwyer from Thee Of Sees set up his pedalboard. Suffice it to say, the ever-shredding band knew they were onto something special from the first. Psychedelia rams into hard hitting riffs when Holy Death Trio play, and they are determined to give it their all. This is a group who love the grind and have ambitions that reach all the way up to the big Texas sky.

Holy Death Trio’s songs reflect an attitude of living each day like it’s your last and embracing self empowerment. The band take pride in staying fit and maintaining healthy habits so that when they hit the road, they can easily put in the work needed. A band who refuses to half-ass anything, Holy Death Trio demands the whole ass. This has paid off with appearances at numerous festival showcases and opening slots for countless stoner rock titans.

Now the band is focusing on their debut full length, a veritable Holy Death Experience. The power trio is preparing a concept album that promises to act as a sacred trip through the sonic waves. With aspirations to tackle many of the heavy rock festivals that have come to dominate Austin over the years, Holy Death Trio are well aware that they live in a breeding ground for heavy music. It puts them in a prime position to take on the scene at large, and with their virtuoso guitar leads and crushing rhythms, you know they will.

My email is always jam-packed with promos from an assortment of genres. Yesterday, it brought me a group I’d previously been unaware of, and upon listening to them I discovered that they were a pretty badass band deserving of a few moments of our collected time.

The group in question is called MORTALES and these Texan musicians deliver hard hitting guitar riffs, pounding drums, and killer vocals. The album in question is their sophomore effort, ‘Death Rattle Valley’ (2019). I’ll let the band take over for a brief bit of background:

“Some time back in 2016, Mortales spawned from an itchy and beer-soaked practice room floor in Austin, Texas. Since then, we have conducted our own experiments with creatures sewn together from various influences and aspects mined from our own individual psyches. Our current faculty consists of Lucas Indrikovs on lead vocal and rhythm guitar, Michael Munoz on rhythm and lead guitars, Luis Roa on bass guitar, and Brett Hanrahan on drums.”

Thanks, guys! Now that we have some history on the guys making the music, let’s get into the music itself.

“Warhead” is the first of seven overall tracks and it comes out with phasers set to kill. The energy that this song emits is pretty intense, as is the quick tempo and overall vibe of the song. What I found particularly interesting is how they mix those upbeat sounds with some slower, stoney elements that have a sludgy influence and some really cool, spacey sound effects.

The second song is called “Hostility of a Bomb” and is one of the best ones on Death Rattle Valley. During the first couple minutes, there’s a huge use of a flanger pedal, my all time favorite effect pedal. The inclusion of that effect, an infectious melody, and more upbeat musical awesomeness helped ingratiate this track to my mind. I guarantee this will be stuck in your head for hours after you hear it, it’s that catchy.

Now we have arrived at what I feel is most badass track, and it goes under the name of “Bring All Your Fire.” There’s so much groove going on that it’ll make you dizzy bobbing your head along. I can hear a 1970s sound during the vocals, a sound full of old school rock 'n’ roll flavor. However, it’s the groove that grabs me, and keeps me entertained. It goes without mentioning, all the excellent guitar riffs, vocal performances, and solid drumming bonding it all together perfectly.

I asked them what song they’d recommend to people who weren’t familiar with Mortales, and they actually picked one of my other favorites. I’ll allow them to explain: “We’d recommend 'Bricks’ to any listeners out there because it’s one of the more focused songs on the album with a classic doom feel and lyrics that are meaningful to us as people. We hope you feel it, we hope you enjoy!”

To sum up, I asked how they viewed their album now that it’s out there, and they had this to say: “With Death Rattle Valley, I feel like we’ve created something with some solid ground beneath it that’s still reaching for the sky. It’s the truest representation of our songwriting as a collaborative effort allowing each members’ sensibilities and backgrounds to shine. That being said, the research is far from finished.”

I definitely concur, as this is a solid album and I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s next for the band. Enjoy!