There are big waves coming from North Dakota.  No, seriously!  Where you may least suspect it, I have found Ingress.  Their crunchy riffs and massive vocals have swept me away in a weedian haze of Vikings battling in the cold northern frontier!  They may only be a two person band: “TG” on guitars, drum programming and vocals, and “BF” on bass – but they have a much larger sound than most four member bands. The music is grand enough to allow the listener’s imagination to wander.  The artwork for their debut album Kingdom Of The I (a DYI album they released on July 29^th) depicting the mountaintops under an angry sky is a great tool in finding our own epic journey.

Ingress Ÿ Kingdom of The I (2014 – Self-Released)

I: The Threat 09:06

II: The Dagger 09:58

III: The Initiation 10:54

IV: The Resolution 10:12 

Other than the incredible Candlemass-esque artwork, the first thing that really attracted me to this album was the track listing. Just the titles alone create imagery of an intense duel—combat to the death!  One might think that Conan would be an influence, but this classic doom sound takes me back to the mid-to-late 80’s. Slow riffs are rampant throughout the 4-track album and they hearken the Mournful Cries of Saint Vitus. The riffs are monstrous, like Odin himself stomping to the battle scene. This is most evident in “The Threat” which sets the scene for the album.

Kingdom Of The I is more than just heavy riffs.  In “The Threat,” you’ll get some light blues rock soloing. It’s a nice change of tempo, then the riffs take over again. The vocals are low, bellowing – even crushing. These growls give the heavy music even more edge, and I most identity his voice with the almighty Kirk Windstein of Crowbar while TG utilizes growing, as opposed to Windstein’s yelling technique.

“The Dagger” starts with some faster riffing, which will take you back to Trouble’s Psalm 9. They’re almost a bit on the thrashy end of the spectrum, while still staying true to doom fashion.  This accented riffing, along with help from BF on bass, really packs a strong punch. One thing is for sure—Ingress aren’t afraid to add in different elements, as made obvious with the touch of blues in the previous track. Nearing the end of the second song that blues guitar is back bringing beautiful expression with it. Enjoy it while it lasts, because the slow, rumbling riffs return shortly.

“The Initiation” is my favorite track and kicks in with those heavy Wino-esque riffs that we just can’t get enough of. This song has a lot of movement and headbanging just isn’t enough in response. It makes me wanna jump up and stomp into the wilderness, in search of my own battle. This song has more sludge tone to it than any of the others, which also makes it more interesting. Crushing, yet groove-laden—a perfect balance, in this reviewer’s opinion.

“The Resolution” closes the album and has a tone of empowerment and achievement to it. Once again, tempo is all over the place, from the slow doom riffs of the victor dragging his contender’s body through the muck, to fast and choppy rhythms of horses galloping home to victory.  A few different times, you can hear sections with a fuzzy stoner tone that one might hear in a Kyuss jam. Kingdom Of The I comes to a close with swampy, yet majestic riffs that paint a picture of the warrior returning to slumber after annihilating his brave, but not strong enough enemy.

While Ingress is a band that was perhaps born from influence, they create their own sound in such a way that they aren’t merely a throwback to the masters of doom. The sound is huge and modern. These four epic tracks, alone clocking in between nine and eleven minutes, are a perfect listen—close to forty minutes in length. It’s hard to believe that something of is caliber is a debut album. The only thing that may stray some listeners is how difficult it is to decipher the lyrics, however I don’t think this will stop the true doomers out there. The song titles are descriptive enough and matched with their magnificent musical sound, it allows the listener to create their own exciting and unusual experience.

-Melissa-

p.s. BillyGoat has tracked down the mysterious band from Fargo for an interview, so keep your eyes out for that one this week!

I’m listening to this vicious new album The Unobserved (released 9/9 - Belief Mower Records) by Portland blackened doom-noise mongers HUNGERS, the follow-up to their 2013 self-titled debut. Fanatical readers may recall we featured a track called “Animist” (not on the present EP) by Hungers in our Doomed & Stoned in Portland compilation back in July. I’ll have to say, though, this new effort amps up the ferociousness intensely! On one song (“Projection”), you hear some wild Oregon beast howling in the dark night air, and that pretty much sums up the spirit of The Unobserved. Get yourself a copy on Belief Mower Records and rage!

                                                Art by Metastazis

If you’re in or near the Portland, Oregon area, see Hungers live at everyone’s fav dive bar Slabtown on September 19th.  

….and just in time for Hump Day! Yay! Now you can breath easy, as you hear the soothing savage tones of doom and sludge metal wash over your heavy minds, loaded with cares (no more! at least not for the next two hours!).

(*Originally broadcast LIVE on Grip of Delusion Radio (9/7/14) from 7-9 pm PST. Tune in each Sunday eve and get in on the fun!  You can also listen to Doomed & Stoned Podcast: Uninvited Fest Preview - Days 1 & 2, along with our other podcasts, directly on Mixcloud)

BIG PREMIERE TIME! Electric Wizard’s second music video for the upcoming album ‘Time To Die’ (which I’ve listened to NON-STOP for days and LOVE, btw). Behold: “SadioWitch”! Directed by the inimitable Shazzula!

And who can forget the first single, “I Am Nothing”? I listened and listened and listened and listened to it for hours on end, that’s how much I love it.

Pictures by Cherry Darling | Words & Video by Billy Goate

Acid King’s visit to the first annual Hoverfest in Portland, Oregon couldn’t have come at a better time. The legendary Bay Area threesome had just come off something of a hiatus during which they announced new songs were in the works (as of September 2nd, the new album has been mixed and 2015 settled upon for release).  

By the time Lori, Mark, and Joey took the stage in the North Portland industrial alleyway, it was approximately 4:30.  The weather was actually reminiscent of San Francisco, the sun beating down happily upon a crowd of a few hundred, more than happy to quench their third with that sweet summer Widmir ale.  A merciful breeze wafting from the Willamette River to keep patient bystanders happy while guitars were tuned ‘n’ tight and the amps just right to suit the ear of sound guru Billy Anderson (who has meddled with more than a few winning albums, counting Sleep's Dopesmoker and damn near a half-dozen Acid King records, among them). 

The feeling of seeing, hearing, experiencing Acid King live, well, it was almost beyond words. I scribble a few here because that’s what bloggers are supposed to do, but truly in the moment I was awestruck.  Hearing the wicked, fuzzy, distorted riff that opens “2 Wheel Nation” was just….well, you’ll just have to hear it for yourself. That’s right, I captured the full set on my little Canon, while Ms. Darling was snapping away, capturing every wicked moment.

And here it is–every song sung, every chord played, every wicked note that reverberated that Saturday, August 23rd.  It’s Acid King at Hoverfest 2014….!

Deep within the dirty swampland of South Carolina lays a powerful source. It’s filthy and dark, gritty and earthy. This force is Black Hand Throne – a five-piece sludge band that formed in 2008. In April, they released their fourth album, simply titled IV (2014). These ten tracks tell us an apocalyptic story about a Master hell bent on destroying the world He once created, utterly disgusted by Man. Will he decide to rebuild? That’s up to you to decide as you follow the story, song-by-song.

In the beginning before humans were humans the master stumbled upon our planet earth. After discovering an almost perfect food source for his planet early man was genetically modified to be exactly what the horde needed to save their dying species. After thousands of years the earth’s population grew in numbers and in size with the planets obesity epidemic and the overpopulation of earth The Master knew the time was right. Lying in wait for thousands of years always planning our demise as we lived our meaningless lives. Now on this day after the apocalypse the master starts his harvest.

Black Hand Throne - ‘IV’ (April 2014)

1. Apocalypse #1
2. The Harvest
3. Gods Rejects
4. War of the Ancients
5. Red River
6. Ruins
7. Wolves Now Dine
8. The Assembly
9. Master’s Descent
10. Widows Womb

IV takes you on a lurking adventure, a path made by groove-laden guitar riffs that are both dirty and extremely catchy. Many times you’ll feel like you’re listening to a NOLA-style sludge band, while at other times you’ll be reminded of early Sabbath. The vocals are intense and laden with power, as vocalist Denny Stone challenges his inner Phil Anselmo – and coming close to achieving that goal. Drummer Harold Smith is kept quite busy on the drums, and he does a great job. The use of the double bass adds a real tribal feel, and all of these elements together recreate the atmosphere of the south.

While heavily influenced by bands that have blazed the trail, they are unique and have crafted their own identity. They are riff masters - not only because they create memorable riffs, but because they play them in a big way. Check out “Red River” for a great example of this. In the beginning, they repeat the same riff, but it’s executed in such a way that you can feel it spiral around as you become consumed with the groovy way in which it transforms itself. The drums and bass pound away, and this accented rhythm creates the perfect excuse for headbanging. Another must hear track is “War of the Ancients.” Slow guitar matched with a thundering bassline begins this journey into the unknown, allowing Danny Stone to soak up some of the spotlight with what can only be described as a stellar performance! His vocals range from bellowing growls to high pitched screams, without once even sounding strained. This song has so much movement to it that it’s reminiscent of Pantera, and nearly as heavy as Conan.

I find Black Hand Throne’s IV a most enjoyable album from a band that’s comfortable with their sound. These ten songs clock in around seventy-five minutes, which, while much more generous than many of the releases we’ve been reviewing lately, might actually be too much for the average listener. The album is pretty uniform, so after about three quarters of the album it seemed to drag a bit, which is unfortunate because the last few songs are very good.  I’ve returned back to this album several times since its release in April and Black Hand Throne definitely has staying power with repeated releases.  For this reason, Doomed & Stoned is proud to make IV by Black Hand Throne our Pick of The Week!