Unkle K's Bands of the Week

Merlin
Kansas City band Merlin have an interesting approach to the stoner/doom genre, with what sounds like Western style slide used at times. The songs are catchy, the lyrics are cool and they create a great atmosphere over the course of these 5 songs. This band has made a massive jump as they improve with each release. Check out if you dig Clutch, the Melvins or Pentagram.
Bandcamp

Eight Bells
Out of the musical hotbed that is Portland, Oregon, comes Eight Bells, which is a new band made from ex-members of psychedelic rockers Subarachnoid Space. This is cool, going from proggy hard rock to proggy metal. I’ve read reviews that keep mentioning black metal but, besides the occasional vocal shriek, I don’t really hear it. I’ve also read some scathingly bad reviews of this, which surprises me because I think it’s pretty good.
Bandcamp

Judd Madden
Judd Madden is from Melbourne and releases his own instrumental doom metal. This is around the 7th release from Judd in what seems to be a short period of time. Judd plays all the instruments himself and then puts his releases out on Bandcamp, and they are all available for "name your price" download. Each release seems to have stunning artwork and presentation. Support this dude.
Bandcamp

Video of the Week
Electric Wizard - "I Am Nothing" (acid video), from the forthcoming LP Time to Die: YouTube

Playlist: Unkle K
1. Merlin - Christ Killer
2. Bert Kreischer - Everything
3. Thou - Heathen
4. Neurosis - All
5. Dead Infection - Corpses of the Universe

Playlist: lxp
1. The Atlas Moth - The Old Believer
2. Sunwolf - Beholden to Nothing and No One
3. Trap Them - Blissfucker
4. Lecherous Gaze - Zeta Reticuli Blues
5. Barghest - The Virtuous Purge
...and also spinning everything Neurosis.

Unkle K

Obits transiting

Next week, Canberra will be the first stop on a short Australian tour by Obits from Brooklyn, NY. Their indie and punk tinged rock 'n' roll comes straight out of the garage and will provide a welcome reprieve from the cold. The band features members of Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu and Girls Against Boys. If you haven't heard their music, there are a few videos and downloadable tracks on their website.

Wednesday 30 July at Transit Bar, with support from locals TV Colours and Wives (formerly Sweet Shoppe).

lxp

Mt. Mountain - EP

I'm really getting the impression that there is something in the water over in the west...

Hailing from Perth, Mt. Mountain are definitely on the softer and more subdued end of what we usually cover on this blog. But when I hear warm, earthy, psychedelic rock such as that displayed in the five tracks on their (self-titled?) EP, I find it hard to resist.

From start to finish, the relentlessly hypnotic, down tempo rumble of the bass acts like an undertow, churning subliminally but forcefully, to drag you wholly into the rest of the music. It is by no means the most complex bass work out there, but it is extremely effective. Upon repeat listens, I found myself happy to just follow those thick, rubbery basslines as they meander unhurriedly through the rest of EP's landscape.

And that landscape resembles some kind of dense, mossy forest, spotted with sunlight, its shadows populated with a procession of familiar spirits crossing your path - the Black Angels, Dead Meadow, Mark Lanegan, Hawkwind.

However, even with its inviting familiarity, EP is more than just a moody psychedelic scrapbook. Mt. Mountain are not afraid to throw unpredictable elements together to make their music reverberate in its own interesting way. "Tomorrow", with its crooning harmonica, adds a touch of the Doors-inflected blues. In "FX/My Love", you know the breakaway riff is coming as the song builds, and when it does it kicks with a big, groovy swagger (akin to Black Mountain). But it only rears its head in that form once - when it returns towards the end of the song it is dismantled with noise, bends and notes left hanging in the air. In closer, "Ghosts" unexpected outbursts of fuzzy, spacey guitar cut right through the brooding, heavy-headed trudge that characterises the rest of the song, lifting it to unexpected heights.

Mt. Mountain's EP has plenty of twists and turns to hold your attention, but is also more than capable of lulling you into the aether. Highly recommended if you are looking to just drift away for about half an hour. Listen here.

lxp