ISAAK Reveal Tempestuous New Single and Music Video “The Whale”
ISAAK and Doomed & Stoned practically grew up together. The Genoa, Italy four-piece stoner metal crew began life as Gandhi’s Gunn in the mid-2000’s and released two LPs, then began moving in a more up-tempo and progressive direction that outsized the original band – thus, giving birth to Isaak in 2012.
Three of the four original founding members remain a decade later: Giacomo Boeddu (vox), Francesco Raimondi (guitar), and Gabriele Carta (bass), with Davide Foccis joining on drums for the band’s recent third full-length Hey. This team really gets the job done, evincing an unyielding verve that faces off with a savage world. In Isaaks own words, a “riffalicious fast-forward stoner rock band.”
Now Issak are splitting a disc with a band of complimentary temperament, New York’s Geezer, for ‘Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes’ (2024) on Heavy Psych Sounds. Today, Doomed & Stoned brings you the first of the three Isaak tracks, “The Whale,” with a music video that vividly captures the song’s vibe.
Buzzing feedback summons us to a churning ocean, where furious drumming suggests wild, tossing waves. The interlacing of riff and rhythm is seamless throughout this roiling four-and-a-half minute ride. Vocals are stubborn and heroic in the face of dread (“I will find you!”), as the vessel treads the unpredictable territorial waters of a mighty aquatic Colossus.
“Take the sounds of the first Baroness albums,” the band says, “mix them with stoner riffs and imagery inspired by Herman Melville’s masterpiece Moby Dick and you will get this nuclear bomb.” Yes, indeed.
Look for the Isaak/Geezer split to emerge May 17th on three variants of vinyl, CD, and digital format, as Heavy Psych Sounds continues to plunge into the mighty depths of it’s 14+ year run (pre-order here).
Give ear…
THE DOOMED & STONED SHOW
It’s time to cut loose mighty Episode 5 (nearly 3 ½ hours!), which begins our look at the Spring edition of the Doom Charts, starting with the month of March. We’ll be meeting to record episode 6 next week, which will focus on April’s chart. Here’s your chance to catch up on a ton of new music and relevant commentary about the bands and tracks.
Hosted by Billy Goate (Editor, Doomed & Stoned), John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution), and Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect).
PLAYLIST:
INTRO (00:00)
1. DRYAD (no. 21) - “Gaia” (00:31)
HOST SEGMENT I (06:03) - March Doom Chart
2. Heezer (no. 25) - “Fourth Line” (24:03)
3. Goat Explosion (no. 16) - “Thundertower” (27:34)
4. OHHMS (no. 38) - “Eaten Alive” (32:16)
HOST SEGMENT II (36:13)
5. Swan Valley Heights (no. 12) - “Looking For Bird Pet” (51:07)
6. Zålomon Grass (no. 17) - “Cosmic Relief” (55:25)
7. Desert Storm (no. 13) - “Master of None” (58:57)
HOST SEGMENT III (1:02:59)
8. Witchthroat Serpent (no. 10) - “The House That Dripped Blood” (1:13:02)
9. Morass Of Molasses (no. 9) - “Wings of Reverie” (1:18:57)
10. Stoned Jesus (no. 8) - “Thoughts and Prayers” (1:24:27)
HOST SEGMENT IV (1:30:50)
11. Isaak (no. 7) - “OBG” (1:40:40)
12. Green Yeti (no. 6) - Witch Dive" (1:44:10)
13. Witch Ripper (no. 5) - “Icarus Equation” (1:48:14)
HOST SEGMENT V (1:55:33)
14. Håndgemeng (no. 4) - “Temple Of Toke” (2:29:21)
15. CHILD (no. 3) - “Moment in Time” (2:34:26)
16. REZN (no. 2) - “Possession” (2:41:21)
17. Acid King (no. 1) - “Beyond Vision” (2:47:17)
OUTRO (2:53:23)
18. L'ira Del Baccano - “Cosmic Evoked Potentials” (2:54:31) [BONUS]
19. Black Helium - “The Keys to Red Skeletons House (I Open The Door)” (3:01:09) [BONUS]
CREDITS:
- Theme Song by Dylan Tucker
- Incidental Music by Hellvetika
- Thumbnail Art by Adam Burke for REZN
2015: The Year of Italy’s Revenge
By Billy Goate (Editor in Chief)
It’s been one hell of a year. I don’t know if I’m just paying attention more or if there’s really been a tremendous groundswell of creativity in the heavy underground, but this year - 2015 - has been like none other!
I decided to monitor several scenes around the world to see just how robust the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Music was (you know, doom metal, stoner rock - the twin styles of Black Sabbath). What I discovered was a bonafide DIY revolution, as the millennial generation joined members of the old guard in picking up their instruments, tuning low, and playing mind-blowingly heavy music.
My journey transported me on wings of sound to the great booted country of Italy, a land with a rich heritage of thrilling composers - from the spirited works of Vivaldi and Scarlatti to the bold, operatic opus of Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini. Perhaps Italy’s first “rock star” was violinist Niccolò Paganini, whose virtuosic powers stretched the limits of conventional sound and solo concerts left audiences agape with awe. Paganini earned himself the dubious reputation of being possessed by none other than the devil. This bold, innovative, and hedonistic nature of Italian musical culture has had an undeniable influence on the development of metal, with acts like Paul Chain, Death SS, and Ufomammut delivering powerful, larger-than-life statements. One simply cannot discuss Italian heavy music without taking into account this rich heritage of mind-bending, border-stretching, even rebellious sound.
Today, the underground Italian heavy music scene is witnessing unprecedented creative activity – a musical renaissance of sorts that stretches from ocean to mountainside. Italy has always had a long, proud tradition of epic doom, but this year a new generation of doomers and stoners are flourishing and have been given wonderful platforms to reach a wider audience through homegrown labels such as Argonauta Records, Blood Rock Records, Brigadisco Records, Cruz Del Sur Music, Heavy Psych Sounds, Jolly Roger Records, Taxi Driver Records, Terror from Hell Records, just to name a few. Together, they have birthed some of the year’s most vibrant records.
Here, then, are some of the notable EPs and LP’s from doom-stoner bands, released between January and December of 2015, that really stood out to me: l'anno che io chiamo “Italy’s Revenge!”
24 MOONS
Sardinia
ABYSMAL GRIEF
Genoa
ABYSSIAN
Milan
APE SKULL
Roma
ATOMIC MOLD
Verona
AWAKE THE SUN
Venice
BANTORIAK
Livorno
BEESUS
Roma
BIRCH CROWN
Gorizia
Editor’s Choice
BLACK CAPRICORN
Cagliari
BLACK INSIDE
Napoli
Editor’s Choice
BLACK OATH
Milan
BLACK RAINBOWS
Roma
Read our review here.
Editor’s Choice
BRETUS
Catanzaro
Editor’s Choice
CARONTE
Parma
CONCRETE JELLY
Trieste
CRIMSON DAWN
Milano, Verona, Ravenna
CULTRO
Roma
DARK QUARTERER
Piombino
DEADSMOKE
Roma
DESERT RIDER
Perugia
Editor’s Choice
DOOMRAISER
Roma
Read our review here.
DUSTRIDER
Roma
FIRELORD
Torino
GRAAL
Rome
Editor’s Choice
GRIME
Trieste
HELIODØME
Roma
HUMULUS
Brescia
Editor’s Choice
HYPERWÜLFF
Bologna
Read our review here.
IL VUOTO
Piacenza
Editor’s Choice
ISAAK
Genova
JUSSIPUSSI
Milan
Editor’s Choice
KAYLETH
Verona
KENOSIS
Forli
KILLER BOOGIE
Roma
LAST MINUTE TO JAFNA
Torino
LVTVM
Arcidosso
MEGATHERIUM
Verona
MONDO NAIF
Padua
MOTHER ISLAND
Vicenza
Editor’s Choice
MY HOME ON TREES
Milano
Read our review here.
MUTONIA
Ceptrano
NIBIRU
Augusta Taurinorum
Read our review here.
Editor’s Choice
NIGHT GAUNT
Roma
NINELEVEN
Sermoneta Scalo
NITEHAWKS
Editor’s Choice
NUDIST
Florence
OLD SCRATCHINESS
Pavullo nel Frignano
OJM
Maser
Editor’s Choice
ORGAN
Belluno
OSSO
Lodi
POSTVORTA
Ravenna
PREMARONE
Alessandria
Editor’s Choice
PSYCHEDELIC WITCHCRAFT
Roma
Read our review here and interview with singer Virginia Monti here.
Editor’s Choice
RETURN FROM THE GRAVE
Venice
Read our review here
RITI OCCULTI
Roma
Editor’s Choice
SATOR
Genoa
SATORI JUNK
Milan
SATURNINE
Bologna
SONS OF A BEACH (S.O.A.B.)
Torino
SOUL OF ENOCH
Genoa
Editor’s Choice
SPACE PARANOIDS
Italian Alps
TEMPLE OF DUST
Monza
THE APULIAN BLUES FOUNDATION
Bari
Editor’s Choice
THREE EYES LEFT
Bologna
THOMAS DOC
Catania
Editor’s Choice
UFOMAMMUT
A Mysterious Undisclosed Location!
Read our review here.
VAREGO
Genoa
Editor’s Choice
VEUVE
Spilimbergo
Editor’s Choice
VOID OF SLEEP
Ravenna
WEEPING SILENCE
Malta
WITCHWOOD
Forlì, Faenza
POSTSCRIPT
You’re probably wanting to know my favorites of the lot, and I admit it is hard to choose even 20 of the best, so I’ll just give you a few that jumpstarted my heart as soon as I listened to them: Black Capricorn, Bretus, Caronte, Doomraiser, My Home on Trees, Psychedelic Witchcraft, The Black Oath, and Ufomammut, to name a few clear stand-outs.
Also, you’ve probably noticed several of your favorite bands out of Italy are missing from the list, but remember this only represents the 2015 releases. Thus, bands like Epitaph, Il Malpertugio Band, Krownn, Loimann, etc. etc. are not represented here.
As you can tell, I’m leaning in the direction of doom, but for you stoner-doom and psychedelic aficionados, there is ever so much to absorb yourself in, so get lost in these wonderful offerings and continue to keep your eye on Italy as a hotbed of proflific underground talent!