Friday 29 March 2024

Fuzz Rock Group Thermate Release New Song/Video For BUZZKILL In Anticipation of New Album

Single Cover Art: Maciej Kamuda / Layout: Juuso Honkanen

Fuzz rock group Thermate (est. 2012) have released a new song, “Buzzkill”, along with a mesmerizing psychedelic sing-along video. With a dynamic blend of heavy riffs and infectious groove, the new single guarantees to make anyone's flare pants flutter.

New material has been in the pipeline for quite some time, while the rhythm section has seen some changes since their debut album's release in 2019 through Argonauta Records. The group's sophomore LP can be expected to come out some time next year.


"The song cruises like a convertible on the groove-filled highways of the ‘70s, making your hair blow in the breeze no matter how bald you are! Towards the end, we slow things down a bit veering towards '90s vibes and introducing some deliciously heavy stoner riffs. Shamelessly combining various styles, this track serves as a compelling preview of the diverse nature of our forthcoming material," says the band's guitarist, Mikko Väätäinen.

Vocalist Arthur Thure continues: "Throughout the history of mankind, good and evil have clashed. Although tyrants have usurped power, there has always been a counterforce which has paved the way for victory over tyranny. The lyrics of this song are meant to encourage one to take a stand against injustice, everywhere and always."

Photo: Marc Sabat

Members:

Arthur Thure – vocals
Mikko Väätäinen – guitar
Juuso Honkanen – guitar
Perttu Moilanen – bass
Sami Taskinen – drums

Discography:

Redshift City (Argonauta Records, 2019)
Black Desert Highway EP (2017)
Off to Hades EP (2016)

Links:

Bandcamp: https://thermate.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thermateband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thermateband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thermate
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/685hjZFXJCEh3vDlLmKgZz


Thanks to Vastus Promotions for all of the info.

DEAD QUIET Interview - The Electric Highway Festival Interview Special - An Interview With Kevin Keegan Classic Rock/Doom Metallers DEAD QUIET

Classic Rock/Doom Metallers Dead Quiet are performing at the annual The Electric Highway Festival on Saturday April 06th 2024 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The band released their outstanding new album IV last year which is perhaps the band's most thrilling and original album yet. 

I caught up with Kevin Keegan (Guitar/Vocals) from Dead Quiet to discuss their upcoming festival performance amongst other things. 

Hi Kevin. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today?

KK: Good!

I know you're currently busy preparing with Dead Quiet for the forthcoming The Electric Highway Festival happening April 4th to April 6th and with you guys performing one of the headlining slots on Saturday night. How are the preparations currently going?

KK: They’re going smoothly!

What can people in attendance expect from Dead Quiet for this festival performance?

KK: They can expect an enthusiastic performance with a couple of songs we’ve never played live.


What type of set will you be performing though I presume it will be focusing upon your excellent 2023 album IV and some of your classic tracks

KK: Yeah we are busting a couple of songs we have never played live actually, so it’s definitely a special one for us.

Will you be doing any more gigs before the festival happens and if so where will you be performing at?

KK: Yeah we are playing in Edmonton the night before with our brothers in Anciients.

What bands are you looking forward to see performing live at The Electric Highway Festival?

KK: Empress and Anciients for sure.

 

Dead Quiet released their latest album VI way back in June 2023.. Has it surprised you the response that it received so far.

KK: It actually didn’t get much of a response, which was disappointing but we are very proud of it and as a band it’s our favorite so far.

What has been the high points and low points performing with the band?

KK: High points include touring Europe and the low points include getting robbed in Europe.

Do you have any other musical projects that folks can check out or any exciting releases coming in the future?

KK: Brock plays in Anciients and they have a new album coming out in September. Mike is in Empress and will be gigging a ton in the future and I have another band called Fearbirds.

How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?

KK: My brother handed me a cassette of Metallica “Kill em all” when I was 9 and that was pretty much it from there.


Will you be performing any gigs later in the year?

KK: Nothing booked as of yet but I’m sure we’ll do one or 2 more.

Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there?

KK: Rock onward!

Words by Steve Howe and Kevin Keegan

Words by Steve Howe and Kenny Cook

Thanks to Asher Media PR for arranging this interview and for Kenny Cook for taking the time out to do this interview.

Dead Quiet Links


The Electric Highway Festival Links

Festival passes, tickets, and merchandise are available at https://theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/​

ANCIIENTS Interview - The Electric Highway Festival Interview Special - An Interview With Kenny Cook With Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers ANCIIENTS


Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers ANCIIENTS are making their return to the Heavy Metal World with a headlining slot of this year's THE ELECTRIC HIGHWAY Festival on Saturday April 06th 2024 in Calgary, Alberta.

The band have been away from the scene for quite some time and I'm really pleased their coming back in a big way as I'm a huge fan of their 2016 album Voice Of The Void which has become an undeniable classic since it's initial release.

I caught up with Kenny Cook (Vocals/Guitar) from the band this cool interview where he provides details about ANCIIENTS festival appearance and speculating on rumours about a new full length record. 

Read on for a great interview.

Hi Kenny. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today?

We are doing very well!

I know you're currently busy preparing with Sasquatch for the forthcoming The Electric Highway Festival happening April 4th to April 6th and with you guys performing headlining slot on Saturday night. How are the preparations currently going?

Rehearsals have been going amazing, we are living in different cities these days so it’s always a good time when we can get together in the same room and unleash some pent up energy.

What can people in attendance expect from Anciients for this festival performance?

For one, they can expect a new line up. Since the last time we played in Calgary, we’ve acquired a new bassist. Everyone in the band is now firing on all cylinders and we are quite excited to get back to playing our music live, after quite a lengthy hiatus. We’ve got a special set of songs picked out, one of which we’ve never performed live before.

What type of set will you be performing though I presume it will be focusing upon your excellent previous albums. Will you be performing or trying out new material for this festival slot.

We’ve chose a killer set of songs which I think will gel well with the overall vibe of the festival. Hard and heavy as well as dynamic and sonically pleasing. Most of the material will consist of songs from ‘Heart of Oak’ and ‘Voice of the void’, Although, we do have a few new songs also included! We are excited to see how they go over with the in attendance.

Will you be doing any more gigs before the festival happens and if so where will you be performing at?

We’ve got one warm up show happening on April 5th at the Starlite Room in Edmonton.

What bands are you looking forward to see performing live at The Electric Highway Festival?

There are a ton of killer bands on the bill. I’m really excited to check out Empress. They are an awesome band from Vancouver. I’m always ready to see Dead Quiet melt some faces as well. There is a handful of performers I have yet to see or hear so it will be great to check out some new music.


Anciients released their last album Voice Of The Void way back in 2016. The album was critically acclaimed across the board. Did it surprise you the response that it received and how it's still highly regarded to this day. Did you know you had something special when you released that album.

We don’t ever go into the writing room expecting any certain type of reaction to the music. For me personally, anyways, I can’t write thinking about whether or not the material being written will sound good, or bad, to the ears of the masses. I just try to make sure that we as a group, are satisfied with the songs we create. If the material gets us stoked, and we enjoy performing it, that’s all that really matters. With Voice of the Void, I felt like we had a decent collection of songs, but we didn’t have and major expectations, the music will always feel special to us after putting so much time and effort into putting the album together, but it’s hard to think it will be special to anyone other than us.

We were certainly surprised when the album won the Juno award! That was something you could never expect, especially with so much talent spread out across the country. It does feel quite rewarding when people also enjoy the music you create. We really do appreciate all of the fans that have shown interest in our band.

I've heard rumblings of a new album being released in 2024. Can you confirm this or is everything still top secret for the time being. If you can provide details when is the album being released.

I can definitely say the rumblings are true! Though I can give too much information about it yet, I can confirm the album is fully complete and ready for release. Season of mist will be putting it out, and it should start seeing the light of day within the next couple of months.

What has been the high points and low points performing with the band?

We have had many high points as a band. Whether it be getting to tour with the like of Death to all, Lamb of god and travel the world. Receiving accolades such as the Juno Award were also very nice.

Health issues with family taking a front seat for a while, caused us to take a step back after Voice of the Void was released, coupled with the COVID years, it seemed like we were out of the game for quite a while. If there were any low points for the band, I think that period of time, with not much activity, would be front and centre.

Do you have any other musical projects that folks can check out or any exciting releases coming in the future?

A couple of the guys have other projects they’re involved with. Our guitarist Brock, also plays with Dead Quiet, who are also performing at festival. Our new Bassist Rory, plays n another project called Ritual Dictates. They are both great bands and worth checking out.


How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?

My household growing up always had music playing loudly. My father, although not a musician, has always been very enthusiastic about music and a lot of variety of genres. I believe that must’ve played a huge part in the desire to learn how to make music.

It was bands like Nirvana and Metallica that really flipped the switch for me to want to learn how to play and instrument. I got a CD player and Nirvana's In Utero from a flea market when I was 11 or 12 and was hooked ever since. Once I got my first I was obsessed with getting better at playing, so I’d spend countless hours hacking away at learning my favourite songs, and trying to learn the craft.

 

Will you be performing any gigs later in the year?

We’ve got a string of dates lined up surrounding our record release, but nothing that we can announce at this point in time. Eventually we will be covering ground across North America and Europe in support of the new record!

Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there?

Nothing other than, Try to spend your life doing something you love and enjoy, make the most of your time as it is a priceless commodity.

Words by Steve Howe and Kenny Cook

Thanks to Asher Media PR for arranging this interview and for Kenny Cook for taking the time out to do this interview.

ANCIIENTS Links


The Electric Highway Festival Links

Festival passes, tickets, and merchandise are available at https://theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/​

Thursday 28 March 2024

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Psych/Alt/Post-Rock/Stoner Rockers FRANK NEVER DIES New Album RED MOON RISING


Frank Never Dies released their second LP called Red Moon Rising.

Compared to their debut LP (Behind the Paradox, Blood Rock Records), the sound created by the band is now less melodic and presents more free structures that recall 70′ psychedelia. Inspirations from jazz, trip-hop, funk, and grunge merge with it.

The result of this eclectism creates a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere, following the main themes of the LP, related to the red moon as worshipped or feared symbol: before it, the humanity reveals its most irrational aspect, between madness and adoration.

The first LP was completely instrumental, in Red Moon Rising instead Mirko Giuseppone and Simona Ferrucci sing in some tracks.

The drum’s sound of Luca Zannini is direct, sometimes aggressive, tribal and lead role all the time.

Mirko’s guitar, compared to the first LP, has a rough and vivid sound, frequently played through wah-wah pedal. The inspiration is between rock & blues and grunge.

The vintage’s sound of Simona’s synths contributes to the creation of a ’70 touch.

The bass frequently becomes the third melodic line in the tracks, with unconventional rhythm patterns and effects.

The composition of Red Moon Rising started in 2020. After three years, the drum and voice recording, mixing and mastering were made by Fabio Ferri (renowned sound engineer and former drummer of Il Balletto di Bronzo), in his studio in Roma Millenium Audio Recording.

Guitars, bass and synths were recorded in Rome at Blue Bird Studio of Simona Ferrucci and Mirko 

We are happy to premiere the whole album in full which you can hear below thanks to the great folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion and Argonuata Records.


You can buy Red Moon Rising via Argonuata Records on CD/DD from March 29th 2024

Links

Wednesday 27 March 2024

Max Boogie Overdrive - Stoned Again (Album Review)

Release Date: March 29th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Stoned Again - Tracklisting

1.The Devil Knows My Name 05:09

2.Suffer Sister 03:04

3.Freakazoid

4.Van Boogie

5.Bomb Incoming

6.Demonaire

7.King Of Fire

8.Stoned Again 05:58


Members

 

Drop Dee -  Bass, Lead Vocals

Max Boogie - Guitars, Vocals

RC - Guitars

Tom Hernandez - Drums


Review


Stoned Again is the debut full length from Doom/Sludge/Stoner Rockers Max Boogie Overdrive who consume a healthy dose of Classic 70’s Hard Rock, Boogie Rock and Proto Doom Swagger with the added goodness of 90’s Stoner Metal and Sludge Metal heaviness. Lending the classic sounds of bands such as FU MANCHU, The Melvins, ZZ Top, Motorhead, KISS, Black Sabbath and Orange Goblin for this thrill-a-minute and NO-FUCKS-GIVEN blast of Sludgy and Stoner soaring based grooves.


The tone within Stoned Again is one of REBELLION and fusing the tropes of Classic Heavy Metal against the Psychedelic and WEEDIAN pastures that Max Boogie Overdrive play throughout the album. Certain parts of the album will be familiar to just about everyone but it’s the band's determination with their brilliantly funny and well observed lyrics that gives them an extra sense of danger to their music.


The sound can be firmly rooted in Classic Heavy Rock the next with shades of KISS, Motorhead and Black Sabbath before changing into a Stoner Metal behemoth conjuring up classic vibes of KYUSS, Orange Goblin and FU MANCHU especially on tracks such as The Devil Knows My Name, Freakazoid and Van Boogie. Drop Dee’s lead vocals have a certain over confident and flashy style to them which allows his delivery to be very on point especially within the more daring lyrics the band have written for this album.


Stoned Again captures the golden age of Sludge Rock and Stoner Metal superbly well before changing to a style of 1970’s Hard Rock and 1980’s Heavy Metal where there’s a lot of cool guitar shredding which could see twinges of Van Halen and Metallica starting to appear. Max Boogie Overdrive are quite obsessive with the multitude of different styles of music they employ and play on this release alone. 


Other standout tracks include: Bomb Incoming, Demonaire and Stoned Again with these songs showing flashes of groove laden heaviness with an epic Boogie/Swamp Rock tone whilst keeping up with a Sludge Rock/Metal attitude. A kick-ass THIN LIZZY and BUDGIE influence starts to shine through especially when the Classic Twin Guitar sound takes full effect. The other main strength with this record is how brilliantly FUN the whole album is. Max Boogie Overdrive is just a damn great album to listen to no matter what style of music they play within the album.


Overall, Stoned Again is an absolute blast of non-stop grooves which will surprise you in many ways. 


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to US/THEM PR Group for the promo.


Stoned Again will be available to buy on CD/DD from March 29th 2024.


Links


Linktree | BandCamp | Instagram


An Interview With Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers BONGFOOT (The Redacted Edition)


Rebellious Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers BONGFOOT will be releasing their new album HELP! THE HUMANS! on May 8th 2024. The band play a blend of Sludge Metal, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal but with a weird of Freaky Heaviness, Gonzo Attitude and Highly Experimental sounds.


Taking influence from bands such as High On Fire, The Melvins, Mr Bungle, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and All Them Witches. With varied influences such as those great bands then you can expect their upcoming debut album HELP! THE HUMANS! to be quite surreal and it is. 


I was asked to do an interview with the band but what they wanted to say has been REDACTED by the powers that be. Perhaps to give an air of mystery to their upcoming debut album. Anyway, here's what I'm able to publish. 


Hi guys. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you all today.

Ryan: Good morning!


Curry: …


Jacob: No comment


For people not in the know, can you give a brief history of how the band came together and where it is today.


Ryan: It all began when ███ ████ █████ ████ ██ ███████ ███ ███████ █████████ ██ ███████ ███████  ████████ ████████ ███████ ███████ in great length ███ ███ ████████ ██ ██ ███████


Curry: durrrrrrrrr


Jacob: As the newest foot in the Bong family, I had been friends with Ryan and Curry for a good couple years. We all happened to live in the same band house when their previous bassist left. I was available at the time and immediately fell in love with the project and our chemistry, so I haven’t looked back since.


Why did you call yourselves BONGFOOT


Ryan: Foot Bong was too silly


Curry: ██ ████ ███████████ ██ ███████████ ██ ███ ███████ ███████ ██ █████ █████ ██████ ██████████ ████████ ███ ██ ████  information.


Jacob: No comment


How would you describe your overall sound for your upcoming new album Help! The Humans!. As I love the off-kilter/Weirdo/Gonzo attitude of the whole Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal sound you deliver for this album. Reminds me of The Melvins and High On Fire in so many ways but also with you guys doing your own thing.


Ryan: Chart toppers


Curry: The album is dynamic- we’ll show you how fast we can go as well as how slow we can go.


Jacob[redacted]


What can people expect from the album and what is the creative outline or story for the album.


Ryan: Patriotically Un-American!


Curry: A glimpse into the world we are doomed to live in if we don’t change our ways…


Jacob: No comment


Where did the name Help! The Humans! for the album come from. 


Ryan: █ ████ ███████ ██ █████ ██ █ ████████ ████ ██ ███ ████████████ ██ barnyard animals ██ ████ ████ ██ █████████ extraterrestrial entities, ███ ███ ███ ███████ ██ ████████ ████ ████


Curry: *pause* *exhales* The double entendre. 


Jacob: No comment


Was this an easy or hard album to record for. 


Ryan: Yes and no.


Curry: ██ ████████ ████ ████ ██ ███████ ███ but Reilly at Roundtable Recording made it a great experience. 


Jacob: No comment


What is the creative process or setup within the band? Do you write the music together or do certain people within the band do that.


Ryan: I rule with an iron foot.


Curry: Ryan is the oracle of onomatopoeia. I follow


Jacob: Since I’ve joined the band ████ ██ ██ ████████████ ██ ███ ███████ ███ ████ ██████ ██ █████████ ██████ ██████ riffs on bass ██ ████████ ███ █████ ███ ████ █████

████ ██████ ██ ██ ███ █████ ███ █████ █████████

here and there, but for this album ████ ████ ██████ █████████████ ██ ███ ███ scientist front man ████.



You're from Boone, North Carolina. What is the local Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scene like there. Is there a thriving gig scene and community that allows you to perform regularly or do you have to travel further afield to perform on a regular basis.


Ryan: Lily’s Snackbar and Boone Saloon are our favorites. 


Curry: We get around.


Jacob: No comment


What future gigs have you coming up and will you be promoting the album more this year.


Ryan: Yes


Curry: Yes, plenty of shows are coming! April 4th at the Odd with Belushi Speedball and 4/20  with ████ █████ and █████ █████ ███ ████ We will be dropping the album on May 8th and will ███████ ██████ ███ █████. ██ May 16th ████ ██ The Milestone Club in Charlotte, ██ ██████████ ██ May 17th █████ ██ ██ Neptunes in Raleigh, ████ ██ May 18th █████ ██ ██ Reggie’s in Wilmington.


Jacob: No comment


What are your favorite venues when you have toured in the past. Any particular venues or locations you always look forward to when touring.


Ryan: The Milestone Club, Reggies 42nd Street, The Pour House


Curry: The Hideaway, The Brickyard, The Flickr Theatre


Jacob: No comment


How would you describe the live BONGFOOT experience? 


Ryan: Primordial


Curry: The barrel has been kicked off the mountain… Either take the hit or get out of the way.


Jacob: No comment


What bands or artists influenced you to pick up an instrument and to become a musician.


Ryan: Jerry Reed, Angus Young, Alexi Laiho, Frank Zappa, Phil Collins


Curry: Filthy Phil Taylor, Phil Rudd, and Des Kensel


Jacob: I was homegrown on Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Audioslave, and Alice In Chains.


Do you have any side projects that folks can check out.


Ryan: No.


Curry: No!


Jacob: No comment


Who is releasing the album and what formats is the album being released on.


Ryan: Us. Hopefully physical


Curry: Digital, and CD. We’re looking into vinyl


Jacob: No comment


Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there.


Ryan: Wisdom from a fools mouth should be taken with a grain of salt <3


Curry: I don’t know…


Jacob: Stay in school, abandon your dreams, eat your broccoli, and brush your teeth.


Words by Steve Howe and BONGFOOT


Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for arranging this interview.


HELP! THE HUMANS! will be available to buy on CD/DD from May 8th 2024.


Links


Facebook | BandCamp