Psycho Diary:

An Australian Visits The Fest to End all Fests

Day I

Words & Photos by Sally Townsend of Sally Townsend Photography

Video by Arturo Gallegos

So many people I met in the states said to me… “You came all the way from Australia for this?!”

Yep. I sure did. And until music no longer fuels my fire (hint: Never) I will continue to try and experience it as much as I can.

Music is universal. The connection to music, particular bands and songs, can create life long friendships with people all over the world. I know this because I’ve been experiencing it and it has led to the most fulfilling moments of my life. The strongest friendships. The best collection of shirts, patches and photos!

As far as Psycho California festival highlights?

CONAN

Conan KILLED IT! So stoked to see their first US tour be a huge success and throughout the morning they were the band everyone was looking forward to on Day 1 and they were all anyone talked about after they played.

ATRIARCH

SAMOTHRACE

SAMSARA BLUES EXPERIMENT

CRYPT TRIP

ANCIENT ALTAR

BLACKOUT

BEDEMON

OLD MAN GLOOM

COUGH

EYEHATEGOD

RUSSIAN CIRCLES

Look for Sally’s pictoral diary of Days II & III in the days ahead.

To be continued…

From Cali it Came…!

Doomed & Stoned Reviews Psycho California

Words and Photos by Hugo “Huggable” Guzman (The Intern)

Video courtesy of YouTube’s sexthrash69 and smitterous

Walking around the Santa Ana Observatory from May 15th to the 17th, you could be forgiven for thinking you were at Denmark’s Roskilde Festival or another European heavy metal mecca. But then again, you’d also be wrong. PSYCHO CALIFORNIA was the latest of Thief Presents’ heavy metal festivals in the Southern California area. Housed in sunny Santa Ana, the dates had been circled months in advance on my own calendar and calendars around the world. Fans poured in from Australia to Europe to pay tribute to heavy metal legends and up-and-coming stars alike. Although I couldn’t make it on Friday, Saturday morning my Doomed & Stoned teammate Frank and I were hyped and ready to enjoy a weekend full of doom.

Horror movie buffs, Acid Witch was the first band to grace the main stage on Saturday. Playing songs like “Trick or Treat” and “Midnight Mass,” as well as some older material from 2008’s Swamp Spells, Acid Witch was right at home in Santa Ana’s Observatory. The guys even had time to banter with the crowd a bit in between songs, setting the tone for the festival as a place of unity between bands and fans.

Vancouver’s Anciients (pictured) were also among the bands to grace The Observatory’s Monarch Stage, along with Pallbearer, who started their set with Foundations of Burden’s “World’s Apart.”

This album made several critic’s Top Ten lists last year, and when the mic checks ended and the music began, the crowd’s cheers threatened to drown out the band a few times. Not to be outdone, Pallbearer proved themselves to be great showmen, and played one of the loudest and most intense shows I’ve witnessed yet.

The Monarch Stage wasn’t the only area that saw some serious crowd participation. Grizzly Stage, a smaller concert area, was home to bands who were no smaller than their main stage counterparts. One set that seriously struck me was that of Subrosa (pictured), coming out west from Salt Lake City, Utah. The homeland of the Mormons prove to also be the home of one of Saturday’s best acts, and there were few dry eyes by the conclusion of Subrosa’s “The Usher.” The crowed banged heads like there was no tomorrow, and lead singer Rebecca Vernon stuck around for a few minutes afterwards to mingle and chat with fans.

Saturday’s heavy metal festivities concluded with the legendary Sleep, playing for an hour and thirty minutes. It could’ve been easy to think that they would have a hard time following up their predecessor that night, Kylesa.

While grabbing fresh drink after their set, I heard a few guys wondering how Sleep would top the Southern sludge titans. I have no doubt that those concerns were blown away the moment “Holy Mountain” began to blast through the venue.

Sunday morning, I had a chance to chat it up with some personal heroes of mine, the guys from Truckfighters. These Swedish desert rockers keep things clean before sets, and fuel their shows with caffeine instead of alcohol. It may have been worth it — lead guitarist Dango jumped like crazy, especially during the modern classic “Desert Cruiser,” served up at the set’s conclusion.

Although Sunday’s show included heavy hitters like Pentagram and Om, special mention has to go to Mothership (pictured) — the Texas natives with a taste for groovy heavy metal and authentic Mexican food. Although they tend to prefer the real stuff south of the border, Mothership concluded that California does just fine when it comes to cuisine…and a bit more than “just fine” when it comes to hyped up crowds!

A special mid-set shout-out also went to John Juett, Mothership’s original drummer, who is the father of brothers Kyle and Kelley Juett, founding members of the band. He was at Psycho, celebrating great music and his own wedding anniversary, with his sons and Mothership’s newest drummer and family friend, Judge Smith.

But family reunions weren’t the only heartfelt moments at Psycho California. Frank and I got a chance to chat with Bedemon’s Geof O’Keefe. After playing live for the first time in nearly 40 years, Geof was overcome with emotion as people of all ages and backgrounds came to him and explained how he had inspired everything they were doing at Psycho. Even Thief cameraman Patrick, who joined us for the intimate conversation, couldn’t help but choke up a little at seeing the emotion and love for heavy metal, and his fans and friends, in Geof’s heart. I’m not ashamed to admit that I teared up a little bit myself. (That interview will be featured in a separate post.)

There are some great things in store for Bedemon, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that without their hard work decades ago, Psycho California would have been outright unimaginable. Another hero who needs to be mentioned is former Relapse Records agent Sean “Pellet” Pelletier, who brought Geof to Psycho California and currently manages Pentagram. Without him, Bedemon’s and Pentagram’s appearance on Sunday night would have been impossible.

But the other heavy-hitters at the three-day festival didn’t play any sets at all. Since Psycho de Mayo 2013, Thief Presents has made it their mission to bring heavy metal to the thirsting masses of Southern California, whose drought extends to more than just water reserves. Across this desert landscape, good music scenes are hard to come by, but shows like those that Thief has made it a habit to put on are turning the tide against a land ruled by Top 40’s and radio pop.

Were you there (or maybe watched some of the the footage) and still hungry for more? Seems to me like the next step is to clear your schedule for Thief’s upcoming heavy metal adventure, Night of the Shred/ Day of the Shred. This revamped iteration of last year’s November festival is already enshrined as SoCal’s most anticipated music event for those with heavy metal in their hearts. If you’re after a festival that rivals the quality you can find in Europe, and where you can share great music and great times with fellow fans and favorite bands alike, there’s no reason to stay at home this October 31st and November 1st. Tickets and full lineup will be available through Facebook on June 15th. So far Captain Beyond (featuring Bobby Caldwell), Black Bombaim, and White Manna have been announced. Rest assured, Doomed & Stoned will be there to report on all the hot metal action!

Now this is exciting….

PSYCHO CALIFORNIA HOSTS FIRST EVER LIVE PERFORMANCE OF AMERICA’S ORIGINAL DOOM BAND, BEDEMON

via Speakeasy PR & Marketing:

April 17, 2015, Santa Ana, Calif. – Bedemon, who formed in 1973 by then Pentagram guitarist Randy Palmer, are set to play their first ever live performance on May 15 at Psycho California. Bedemon’s music was the much darker shadow of the hard rock mountain that was Pentagram at the time. Along with the pioneering Palmer, the players involved included Pentagram co-founders Geof O'Keefe and Bobby Liebling, along with bassist Mike Matthews. This sinister entity ended up recording various sessions spanning from 1973-1979 which was finally officially released 25 years later as the now cult classic, Child of Darkness. 

Eleven years after Palmer’s tragic death in 2002, the band released its sophomore effort, Symphony of Shadows (Svart Records). The doom masterwork featured new vocalist Craig Junghandle and Palmer’s final performances, which were recorded shortly before his untimely passing. Due to prior commitments, vocalists Liebling, who performs at Psycho California with Pentagram, and Junghandle are unable to perform with these fellow legends. Then and current member Matthews also won’t be able to appear due to a commitment he has with his television production career. Doomed you are not, California, as ex-member and original Pentagram four stringer Greg Mayne will be appearing on bass. This will be the first time he and O’Keefe appear on stage together in nearly 40 years. Stepping in on vocals is a very special guest and another DC legend in his own right, Scott “Wino” Weinrich (Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, Shrine Builder, The Hidden Hand). 

 Says O’Keefe of these developments, “This is a very special line-up for a very special show. I’m very excited to have my old buddy Greg Mayne on board. I haven’t seen him in nearly 30 years and haven’t played with him in nearly 40! Wino is a DC legend and international star in his own right and it’s an honor to have him guesting on vocals!” Wino continued, “I am super happy and proud to be singing a full set with Bedemon, one of the first and still one of the coolest "heavy” bands in the world. Randy isn’t with us , but he remains an inspiration for us all. When Geof, Greg and Pellet, my manager, grabbed the reins, I was honored to have been asked to be part of this special event. And remember, If it ain’t HEAVY it ain’t S**T!“ See you at Psycho California!” 

California drummer and current O’Keefe collaborator Frank Hayes will be rounding out this stellar line up. O’Keefe will be moving over to guitar. “People not familiar with the early origins of Pentagram might not realize that when Bobby and I put the band together back in the fall of 1971,” says O’Keefe, “I was originally the guitarist for the first two versions of the band. I’ve actually been playing guitar longer than drums. Not only is this the first time I’ll be playing guitar live on stage but it’s the first time I’ve stepped on a stage in 30 years. I couldn’t be more excited and appreciative to be part of this special and historic experience!" 

 This first-ever show under the name Bedemon is a tribute to founder Randy Palmer, who passed away in 2002 following a tragic auto accident three months after recording the backing tracks for Symphony of Shadows. More than half of the songs performed are songs Palmer either wrote or co-wrote. Individual day tickets for Psycho California have sold out with a limited number of 3-day passes remaining at www.psychoca.com. (Monica Seide)

Editor’s Note: read out track-by-track review of Bedemon’s ‘Child of Darkness’ here. 

D&S Reviews

Bedemon: Child of Darkness

By Paul C. Rote

Where do I start in reviewing such an historic piece of music? The songs here are so great I’m fighting back tears typing this review. In part, because of the history. In part, because of Bobby Liebling’s life story. In part, because the songs cannot be fully enjoyed as the artists intended. These songs were never produced. They were, as far as I can tell, recorded live with poor equipment. Bedemon are Pentagram make no mistake about that. The only difference being Bobby Liebling was not the band leader here. No, the late Randy Palmer was. Unfortunately, Randy was killed in an automobile accident in the late seventies, further adding to the often tragic Pentagram history. The other three members are from the “classic” seventies Pentagram line up.

The music here first saw the light of day in the nineties, released as a bootleg by a notorious bootlegger. In 2005, Bedemon saw their first official release on a small Italian label. While never widely distributed, this great LP quickly became known to the underground cluster of Pentagram devotees. Finally, in February 2015 Relapse Records released this legendary record worldwide, available on vinyl, CD, and digital download. Forty-plus years after most of these songs were recorded, they will finally reach around the globe to Pentagram’s still growing audience.

Some identify this as the first American doom album. It is surely one of the first. The opening song and title track “Child of Darkness” should put a chill down your spine from the opening riffs to the moment Bobby starts to sing. This is CLASSIC early Pentagram. This could have easily been on First Daze Here LP. The lyrics are very dark and set the stage for songs of despair (mostly from drug abuse) that would prophecy Bobby’s life story.

Next up: “Enslaver of Humanity,” a psychedelic doom song with some searing lead guitar. It is about prison and corrupt politicians. More prophecy?

The third song, “Frozen Fear,” is surely a foretelling of a life of drug addiction. Very Sabbathy at it’s core, this track would fit right into the first Black Sabbath album. The lyrics are so heavy they must have been penned by firsthand experience.

“One Way Road” rocks like only Bobby can, with his unique touch. It’s like a dark and doomy Johnie B Goode!

The fifth track suffers more than the others from production problems, but what a song - it has to be heard! “Serpent Venom” is about heroin addiction, the serpent’s fangs being the needles that bite into his skin. There’s some outstanding acid guitar work here.

Sixth track mellows things out a bit with some electric acoustic guitar that kicks into pure acid rock at the end. It’s called “Last Call,” about facing eminent death. Again, some very weighty subject matter.

The next song really suffers in sound quality, but it’s pure doom metal heaven, with psychedelic blues touches. “Drive Me To The Grave” has drug overtones, although not as overt as the others. By now, you are starting to expect those killer acid guitar leads to accompany each song.

“Skinned” is a two-minute garage rocker about the hard life leading to death’s door, and yes there are even some short guitar bursts in this short song.

“Through the Gates of Hell” will be about the closest thing to ballad you’ll hear from Bobby on the record, a twisted tune about God and religion.

“Touch the Sky” is a psychedelic number, grooved of doom and despair. Check out this lyric: “Just stick me with the death needle, ‘cause I’ll never be free.” Wow. More bone-chilling prophecy, accented by some killer guitar passages to bring it to a close.

“Child of Darkness II” is the twelth song and a continuation of the first, where the drug abuse indeed ends in death. By now, you understand why this is an honest-to-goodness, dyed-in-the-wool doom album.

The thirteenth song is a groovy rocker, full of fuzzed up acid guitar leads. The last line of the song is, “A thousand needles have scarred her for life and she’s living in hell as the devil’s wife.” It’s called “Time Bomb,” appropriately enough, about a drug addict turned whore for the next fix. Are you starting to understand the tears that started this review? Musically, it’s just as intense as the lyrics.

There’s one more song left (“Nightime Killers”), plus an instrumental (“Axe To Grind”) on the digitial download. The closing lyric of the album is fitting with the dread that’s been established throughout the journey: “Your blood is yellow, your mind is decayed. You know you got more than the devil to pay!”

The overall quality of this release (from the original master tapes) is not all that bad, except on the two songs noted earlier. This album is far too good for anyone to be deterred by that. If you do not know Bobby Liebling’ s story, watch the now cult classic documentary, “Last Days Here” (2011), directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton. When you watch that movie and read along with the lyrics as you spin Child of Darkness, it will send a shivers down your spine. A lot of music is labeled doom nowadays, but here is a true doom milestone as some of the first doom ever recorded. It remains a standard that newer doom bands can aspire to, both in sound and in spirit.