In the tradition of Coven, Castle, and Blood Ceremony, comes HIGH CRIME. Recently formed, this North Carolina crew features the collaborative talents of Larry Burlison of Demon Eye, Ryan Masecar of Cygnus X-2, Matt Couchon of Noctomb, and Reign of WitchTit.

Today, we’re hearing “Succumb,” a riff-centric amalgamation of ‘80s-era metal and hard rock. The beat and groove of the song are undeniable, and have a way of wooing you like the fabled Succubus. It’s one of those tracks I could (and indeed did) listen to several times over.

For the band’s part, “Succumb” is “about the struggle against addiction and vices in an attempt to cope with mental illness and succumbing to vices and escapism. It personifies that concept and that’s who’s speaking in the song”

High Crime’s “Succumb” is available now for digital download (get it here). This month, High Crime embark upon a tour with Mortal Man. Stick them on a playlist with Joan Jett, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Larry and Reign of High Crime became friends through the local music scene when their bands Witchtit and Demon Eye performed together in November 2018. They started sending riffs and vocals back and forth until they had a few song ideas to expand on. In September of 2022, they brought in Matt Couchon and Ryan Masecar and established their line-up.

High Crime started writing quickly, working off of old and new riffs Larry had, and pretty soon they had a set and started gigging in early February 2023. Musically the band draws from an array of influences including the likes of Deep Purple and Geezer Butler to Joan Jett and Iron Maiden.

HIGH CRIMES Tour Dates with MORTAL MAN

• June 23rd - The Golden Pony, Harrisonburg VA, with Krode
• June 24th - Milk Parlor, Blacksburg VA, with Engineered Extinction
• June 25th - Cobra Cabana, Richmond VA, with Riot Queen

Progressive doom meets dark rock and folk on the new album ‘Gratitude’ (2023) by Gothenburg’s OCKRA. It would, of course, be tedious (if not impossible) to trace back the various strands of influence on the songs before us. As I stated in my review of their EP, 'Infinite Patterns’ (2020):

It’s a bit tricky to draw a direct comparison between OCKRA and other acts. After all, it’s not often we hear a band attempt blending progressive rock with doom metal!

The name Ockra is not, as I briefly assumed, a reference to “okra” (that dreaded nemesis of my childhood, along with brussel sprouts), but rather “ocher” in the Swedish tongue. Ocher, that is, the color and substance of earth. Thus it is no surprise to find that Ockra’s songs deal with earthly matters of the here-and-now, leading off with the track “Introspection,” which preludes such songs as “Acceptance,” “Tage Wie Dieser” (“Days Like This”), and “Tree I Planted.” This is music that’s meant to be intensely relatable.

“Weightless Again” starts as a straight-up garage rocker that features robust drumming from Jonas Nyström, bouncing about joyfully amidst stirring vocal harmonies and traditional doom riffage. The piece slows up and gets misty, with an aura of sadness at about three-minutes. I praised Cruthu for capturing a similar spirit on 'The Angle of Eternity’ (2017), which takes a folk-like approach to writing doom. As the song crescendos, confidence rises, and we return to the peppiness of the beginning, but the atmosphere is still bittersweet, and the chorus remains psychologically piercing. The vibe is “things will get better, just keep hanging on” – or, to quote the song, you’ll be weightless again.

“Tree I Planted” is singer-songwriter fare that hints at the old country and western tradition. If you like the songs that Alice in Chains singer Jerry Cantrell writes, this one is a cinch. Alex Spielhaupter’s vocals are earnest, with a serious metallic edge, and get bluesy at times, backed by guest vocalist Stefanie Spielhaupter.

Fourth track “Acceptance” is bound to find its way onto a “Metal Classics” playlist one of these days. From the opening riff on, guitarist Erik Björnlinger had me hooked. The vocals are dark like Pentagram, moody like Goodeye, producing a bonafide earworm of a chorus. The song is thoughtfully structured, took, with a bridge of overlapping voices that brings The Byrds to mind.

The folk influence really shines through on the next track, “We, Who Didn’t Know.” What might have found life as a two-minute interlude, gets fleshed out into a full-fledged seven-minute song. After a soft vocal introduction (which references “Weightless Again”), the balance shifts to a largely instrumental portion. The whole feel for me was one of daisy-lit hills, until the band goes full metallic at the four-minute mark. Again, Ockra goes for grand, with a crescendo and a full-on rush of soundwaves launching an impassioned chorus, finishing with the solitary note of the guitar.

“Imorgon Här” (“Tomorrow Here”) follows, and while the title is in Swedish, the lyrics are still in English. The song is has got an upbeat, bluesy tempo (not unlike Graveyard), but the strength of Ockra’s harmonic singing distinguishes them here in a way that is simply magical.

“Tage Wie Dieser” (“Days Like This”) is sung entirely in Swedish. Personally, I love when bands include a song or two in their native tongue. If you approach vocals as just another instrument in the band (rather than someone telling you how to think or feel about the song), you may find you appreciate the experience all the more. Here the vocal harmonies are consoling and heavenly.

Suffice it to say, there were things that grabbed me upon first listen (namely “Acceptance”), but the second spin turned out to be even more meaningful, probably because the material was more familiar and I could lean into the songs more comfortably.

Look for Ockra’s Gratitude on Friday, May 26th, releasing digitally and on compact disc on Argonauta Records (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Young Hunter, Dunbarrow, and Asteroid.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

The band OCKRA arose in early 2018 in Gothenburg from what was left of the stoner doom band Sulphur Dreams. With a strong desire to stretch musical barriers away from what is known as classic stoner or doom metal, the trio around Jonas Nyström, Erik Björnlinger and Alex Spielhaupter set out to develop their songwriting skills and find their own style under the new name OCKRA. The band has a wide range of influences from metal to folk, americana and jazz.

The first EP with four songs was self-recorded in a 'DIY’ spirit at the home studio in Onsala during spring/summer 2019 (with guest singer Ammy from EPA/Lastkaj14) and was released in March 2020 via Argonauta Records a week before the first lockdown put everything on hold.

The songs were well received by the media and the reviews in online and print magazines turned out very positive. As an example, the EP got 12 out 15 points in Germany’s largest print magazine for extreme metal “Legacy.”

During the summer of 2021, the trio went out to the little village Hesedorf near Hamburg to record their debut album 'Gratitude’ together with Peter Voigtmann (The Ocean Collective, Heads.) at his studio “Die Mühle” (the mill).

The calm environment and the nature around made it possible to go into a state of creative isolation. That may have had an impact on the music, which now has more elements of singer-songwriter and folk music.

The lyrics have been written in the shade of the pandemic and severe illnesses amongst close friends and family members in this period. Writing these very personal lyrics has been some kind of therapeutic and despite the severeness of the topics they are meant to provide a glimpse of hope.

New sounds from New Hampshire now, as dark rocking Manchester four-piece CRONE VISIONS presents “Possession.” It’s the first single from ‘Mystic Delusions of Astral Travel’ (2022), the Queen City troupe’s intriguingly titled second EP.

Lonely acoustic strings strum crisply over a ghostly melodic line. An electric switch is turned on and the volume surges with vigorous metallic charge. “Black candles lit and I shut my eyes,” Morgan heralds eerily over drizzly guitars. “Smoke rolls in, as I gasp for air.” Her vocals are given ample space on this recording, so that they sometimes seem to surround us. “Can you hear it, the distant drumming?”

Crone Visions tells Doomed & Stoned readers:

“Possession” is the tale of a pact made with dark forces, an exchange made to satisfy desires beyond their ability to obtain. However, all deals have their price, and this bargain has a high one; to surrender one’s body and soul to evil.

The song finishes unusually. Instead of the usual bridge back to a chorus, we are swept away by an extended guitar passage care of Eric Sauter (also with area band Magnatar). His axe swings through the ominous midnight fog with determination, taking us all the way to a damning conclusion.

There is something surreal and dreadful about the atmosphere that Crone Visions invokes. The band calls it Gothic Dreamdoom. Earlier in the year, they gave us an ultra-dank dreamscape “Sin(k),” which followed an impressive debut in 'Devour’ (2021).

As the gloom of October settles in, autumn winds will surely bear more. In the meanwhile, “Possession” will fit just fine on a playlist with Magnatar, Castle, Black Cobra, Young Hunter, and Ancient VVisdom. Look for Mystic Delusions of Astral Travel on Seeing Red Records.

Give ear…

It will come as no surprise that Sweden is one the planet’s prime locations for heavy music. The Sign Records has done a fine job of documenting the stoner-psychedelic end of the spectrum, tossing in some delightful surprises along the way. Recently we were given word that the label had signed Linköping’s NOCTURNALIA and plans to release new material in September.

I’ve had an affinity for the dark rock vibe since discovering Ancient VVisdom and Young Hunter and first became aware of the five-member Nocturnalia in 2013, with the release of their debut, ‘Nocturnal’ (2013), followed by 'Above Below Within’ (2015). There’s an emotional undercurrent in Nocturnalia’s sound that I find impossible to resist. Drawing from late-seventies and early-eighties influences like Rainbow, Linus Ekermo (vocals), Martin Ericsson (bass), Kalle Elfvin (guitar), Linus Lundgren (guitar), and Dennis Skoglund (drums) have carved out a vibe that’s meant for the night, the kind of music you listen to on the drive home from a night of revelry. Something about the simple composition, crisp soaring vocals, and gothic sheen conjures a mood for contemplation and emotional honesty.

If this is your first time hearing Nocturnalia, I think “Beyond The White” makes a fitting introduction. Look for the new album 'III: Winter’ (2019) later this year, with pre-orders soon announced here.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

In the mysterious vast lands of Scandinavia, where ancient monuments of stone erecting towards the sun, dark and heavy rock quintet Nocturnalia resides. With thunderous and organic sounds of classic rock, ritualistic drum patterns and sinister yet beautiful storytelling they create a hypnotizing blend of music and impressions characterized by epic soundscapes and sublime winding melodies.

The eerie and cold yet peacefully quiet atmosphere of the harsh Scandinavian winter manifests itself clearly in the cultural heritage throughout history; the hostile conditions, the absence of daylight, famine and stagnation have put emphasis on humanity’s endless and determined struggle for survival. These occurrences have shaped the tradition of music, philosophy, poetry, art and folklore connected to our nature and it’s mysticism, and has also been the primal source of inspiration for Nocturnalia.

With influences ranging from classic rock acts such as Rainbow and Black Widow to ‘Hammerheart’-era Bathory and traditional folk music woven together they have shaped their sound into something quite familiar but at the same time remote and unexplored.

The spiritual aspect of their music has also been an important part of the song writing as well as their intense and fiery live performances - to let go of habitual structures and allow the music to resonate with higher levels of the consciousness and deeper within unconsciousness. To let creativeness take form on its own premises. To put meaning free from words into music.

The idea behind Nocturnalia saw its first light in late 2011 when founding members Kalle Elfvin and Dennis Skoglund started to write material which eventually became their first 7” single “Until the morning light” followed by 12” single “Night rainbow” and their first full length album ”s/t” (2013), released by local label Gaphals records. After some touring around Europe and a couple of lineup changes they evolved musically into something more complex and introspective. They entered the studio to record their sophomore album “Above below within” (2015), also released by Gaphals records.

After the second album they decided to take a short hiatus from song-writing and touring in favor of other musical and creative projects - Drummer Dennis Skoglund is a member of the rock band Night and occasionally a live musician in dark ambient/folk music acts Forndom and Draugurinn. Guitarist Linus Lundgren is also a member of occult rock pioneers Year of the Goat and singer Linus Ekermo is the bass player in label mates Oblivious.

In early 2018 they started to write new material and later that year they recorded their third full length album “III: Winter”, to be released by The Sign Records in September 2019.