Sandwiched 100 kilometers between Hamburg and Denmark, alt-stoner-psych band BONE MAN has been playing the Kiel/Flensburg area for several years now. Their bio tells us, “The band has been shaped in times of pervasive teenage angst, and has ever since been about the corrosive hardships of life that contaminate the soul and the people in a world of mundane welfare and growing mental poverty.” With two EP’s to their name, we heard that they’d recently unveiled their first LP on Pink Tank Records, and we had to give it a listen. Melissa’s review follows. and stick around at the end for a flashback to my original interview with Bone Man one year ago. 

-BillyGoat-

                          cover art by Samson Julian Goetze 

Bone Man Plastic Wasteland (2014 - Pink Tank Records)

Tracklist: 

1. Plastic Wasteland 6:35
2. Wayfaring 4:35
3. Old Brew 5:12
4. Dry Habit 5:06
5. Graveyards 5:56
6. Flesh Land 6:20
7. Undergrowth 6:08.

Musically, there’s a lot to discover from Germany.  In fact, many of the start-up bands we’ve talked to there say it’s quite often hard to get a local gig if you’re not sufficiently recognized. Today, we cast the spotlight on a band we introduced you to last year: Bone Man. Their newest album Plastic Wasteland is what I’d title an unlikely discovery. It’s unlikely because the sound is so “American”–like something i can identify with as part of my past. Bone Man skillfully combine 1970’s psychedelic rock and grunge rock from the 90’s with copious amounts of stoner fuzz. They use these 3 elements in such a way that it became an emotional journey for me.

“Plastic Wasteland” begins with the title track and it’s a great representative of the album in terms of what vocalist/synth/guitarist Marian, drummer Otzi and bassist Arne can do. The guitar technique is stellar, and the vocals are heartfelt, yet very strong on their own, and just as vital as any part of the band. It’s very easy to pick up on the influence from Alice in Chains and other grunge bands, and this touch really takes me back in time to my youth, when i was a teenager playing “Nutshell” on my guitar, without a worry in the world.

There’s also a heavy cosmic journey of psychedelic riffs, challenged by stoner fuzz, which is evident on the second track “Wayfaring.“ These two elements, battling with each can be overwhelming as they feel like waves crashing in. However, Bone Man is doing more than combining grunge with psychedelic rock; they prove their great craftsmanship as musicians with the way they piece these varying elements together to form incredible melodies that generate immense emotion. This really gives the album a more authentic feel, and it’s obvious that it was composed from the heart.

All of the songs are great, but i feel the last half of the record is where it’s really at. Give “Graveyards” a spin and tell me it doesn’t sound like something The Doors might have played. The vocals drone on add a feeling of melancholic pain, which floats above the guitar and hammering drums. I think it is my favorite track because of how personal it feels–perfect for a moment of self reflection. The next track, “Flesh Land,” continues with this retro sound in a more heavy riffing style, yet still staying true to the kinds of melodies we’ve come to anticipate from previous tracks. Fuzzy tones kick in and make this a high-energy, groove fueled fury! Plastic Wasteland finishes with “Undergrowth” which takes us out on a high note, while maintain a real sense of coherence with the previous track. In fact, I could imagine Bone Man combining these final two fuzzy, psychedelic tracks into one song for live performances or even a music video.

With Plastic Wasteland, Bone Man have proven to be a genuine rock band with something to say, as well as play. The music is an emotional trek into our very being and the lyrics are as bleak as the name of the album. It’s as beautiful as it is dark, perfect for those listeners who aren’t afraid to feel. The entire album won’t be streaming online until December, so you just might be intrigued enough to order it now from Pink Tank Records and let the music take you where it may.

-Melissa-

AN INTERVIEW WITH BONE MAN

(originally published October 28, 2013 and posted in four parts on our Flagship Facebook page: here, here, here, and here)

BILLYGOAT: "So what’s the story—how did the band get together?”

Yesterday, we shared with you the magic of that new EP by stoner rocker extraordinaire Crobot (who I keep wanting to call Crowbar, I guess I have Kirk & friends on the brain tonight). Tonight, they dropped a new music video on us.  

What a great pairing!  Graves At Sea and Sourvein.  And I love the name of the split, because it describes the content so perfectly: Caustic. Here’s your chance to hear the split in full on Seventh Rule Records, by way of Metal Hammer. Both bands, by the way, are playing Maryland Deathfest for the first time this month.  

From Vancouver, B.C. it’s BLACK WIZARD with a single that will surely make you want to check out their other recordings.  It’s the vocals, really, that make “Eliminator” stand out from a by-the-numbers classic rock song. A definite win for fans of that timeless doom metal sound!

Today, Svart Records has revealed the ultra-retro cool music video for “One More Time” by Brooklyn’s heavy, doom-psych rockers The Golden Grass. Their self-titled debut comes out just days from now, on May 9th. Love what I’m hearing so far!

The Golden Grass is:

• Professor Plum Brandy (guitar/vocals)
  
• The Golden Goose (drums/vocals)
  
• Wild Company (bass)

What a fantastic year for new releases, so far–especially for sludge metal. Meet Tucson, Arizona 6-piece GODHUNTER. While your stereotypical sludge metal album may sing about, say, drinking, doping, and despair, City of Dust (2014) has an entirely different concern: “Fire on high/the hills are burning.” In other words, there is trouble afoot, right here in River City.  "This place means the world to me/this place will be the death of me,“ the opening track announces, "The best of all/the worst of all. It’s that duality that defines me.” We’re challenged by the unstoppable pace of technology, which is blurring our social, moral, and spiritual boundaries. The bad guys have been quick to take advantage of this to fuck with the rest of us–and GODHUNTER is sounding the alarm. What Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down are to alt metal,Godhunter aspires to be to sludge. Well, they’d probably just say that they’ve just got something that need to be said, a loud noise to stir things up in the established (dis)order. With this new album, I’m definitely in the mood for listening.

D&S Ranking: 8/10

-BillyGoat-