Molassess – Through The Hollow

 

Molassess – Through The Hollow
Season of Mist – 2020
Rock, Psych
Rated: ****

After the passing of Selim Lemouchi and thus the demise of The Devil’s Blood it was a long and painful wait to see if Selim’s sister Farida and her very characteristic voice would return to the stage. Without a doubt she was one of the keys to their magical sound. The end of The Devil’s Blood has paradoxically also brought us so much good and we could name so many amazing bands and albums that originated from those members. But we’re not here to do just that but to talk about THE new formation featuring four members of The Devil’s Blood and Rrrags, Astrosoniq, Atlanta, Birth Of Joy, Death Alley, and Donnerwetter... Well, Selim had another formation called Selim Lemouchi and His Enemies and from the album Earth Air Spirit Water Fire comes the final track Molassess. And that’s now the name of this new formation and Through The Hollow is their debut record. A psychedelic spiderweb of rock that would definitely get a nod from Selim himself. We still hear those wonderful sounds from the seventies, the doom and space side of the seventies, the prog approach and the thirst to combine everything into one huge heavy cauldron. But there is definitely less darkness and less occultism in comparison to The Devil’s Blood. And that is a good thing, cause Molassess moves forward, paying tribute to the dark melancholy and to twisted dreams layered with hidden meaning, but always with an eye on the horizon. Formed for Roadburn festival in 2019, it was the start for the slow but determined crawl to Get Out From Under and see the light. Through The Hollow is without any question just that and it’s damn impressive…

(Written by JK)

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Van Records

Rrrags – High Protein

Rrrags – High Protein

Lay Bare Recordings – 2020

Rock, Hard, Blues, Psych, Seventies

Rated: ****

Two Rob’s and a Ron! That’s RRRags for ya! The delivered their self-titled six track debut back in 2018 and now their back with follow-up High Protein! That sound, that color, that bronzed atmosphere! Holy hell! But of course, the fact that we’re listening to pure gold again becomes pretty logical when you realize it’s bassist Rob Zim from Lords Of Altamont, drummer vocalist Rob Martin from Bliksem and guitarist Ron van Herpen from Astrosoniq/The Devil’s Blood. It’s retro, it’s seventies and it’s got so much groove it will have your bell bottoms go apeshit. Impossible to stand still when The Fridge opens up this can of High Protein rock! Grand Funk inspired, Graveyard colored goodness that exhumes this amazing cloudy soul and intense energy. Most of the record has this otherworldly up tempo boogie happening, except for the eight minute Dark Is The Day. This slower, psychedelic track opens up the album and seems to break it into two pieces together with closing track Window. Together they seem to serve as two devious bookends, splitting the record into bite size portions of High Protein! If anything prevents this record of being a masterpiece is the fact that High Protein gives you a truckload of energy but the music runs out before you have managed to get rid of it all. Sure, Window will tone it down and make you able to sit again, but the rest was so addictive and so full of energy, you will want more! More and more!

(Written by JK)

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The Doom Chart For June 2018

   

Doom Chart

“The future is uncertain but the end is always near.”

    ― Jim Morrison

The year is halfway over already and the intensity continues to build each month here at the Doom Charts. We are growing our roster, our team, our family, reaching into deeper waters and harvesting a larger cross section of the heavy underground. This month marks the end of the beginning of the year and the beginning of the end. Nearly 300 individual unique albums were voted for this month of which 25 made the final cut, based on frequency and ranking, presented below. Another month splitting the tally between newcomers and repeat acts vowing towards the throne of Doom at #1. Turn out the lights folks.

Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio, podcasters and album reviewers from the doom-stoner-heavy underground around the globe.  Each month, our critics submit their picks for the best new doom, sludge metal, stoner-psychedelic and heavy rock albums.  The results are compiled and tabulated into the chart below.  This is a one-stop shop for the best new albums in the world…

And as Bucky already stated, almost 300 stunning albums got voted for this month. Of the 25 I submitted, 6 made the final cut. And in the 25 below that are another 5 and in the 25 below that are another 6. And that's how it goes on. There's so much great stuff out there. We listen to what we can and we love all we love. And those make the final 25! But I'm sure the new Astrosoniq album just needs to be heard some more by my fellow Doom Chart cats. Or the new Yawning Man for that matter!  They'll make the cut next time around! Right?! Who knows. For now, check out that that damn fine Doom Chart June 2018 edition and get freaky!

The Doom Chart For June 2018 

Death Alley – Live at Roadburn

Death Alley – Live at Roadburn

Suburban Records/Teepee Records – 2017

Rock, Psych, Stoner, Doom,

Rated: *****

This live album contains two things we love. Death Alley and Roadburn. A live recording from their impressive 2016 show on that infamous festival in Tilburg, Netherlands. Where they were joined by Ron van Herpen (Astrosoniq, ex-The Devil’s Blood, currently of ZooN) and Jevin de Groot (ex-Mühr) to deliver a moving and awesome performance. And those four tracks have now been saved for eternity. Having more ex members of The Devil’s Blood on stage ofcourse summoned the spirit of Selim Lemouchi. Which was punctuated by the It’s On track, penned by Lemouchi. And before I start stealing Walter’s words, let me just focus on the recording in hand and on ears. They jump right in with the It’s On track and have it breath life and room into this Death Alley incarnation. Which originally sounds much more concise, speedy and to the point. This time however we are treated to spacious, wild and jam like renditions of the four tracks. Which ends with the amazing twenty-two minutes long Supernatural Predator. Overwhelming, emotional waves of pure musical bliss. It is twenty-two minutes of excellent momentum and high energy, straight and direct from the great magnet. They did not just channel the spirt of Lemouchi, they channeled the spirits of all the music Gods. And this live is recording will rank among the top five of live recordings ever done and is meant for them… The fallen ones. The Gods of yore…

(Written by JK)

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