Wizard Rifle (Stoner/Noise Rock) - 'Here in the Deadlights' CD Review (Seventh Rule Recordings)

Portland-to-Los Angeles three-piece Wizard Rifle released their second disc, Here in the Deadlights, in October (Seventh Rule Recordings) and this new five song disc combines sludgy stoner rock with muscular garage punk along with some elements of free-form jazz. In terms of comparisons, the sludge of Melvins, the bluesy stoner-rock of Mudhoney and the destructive garage punk sounds of any of the early AmRep bands (i.e. Halo of Flies) immediately come to mind but Wizard Rifle’s music is also cross-cut with the free-form unpredictability of no-wave punks like James Chance and the Contortions. All of the songs clock in around the six minute mark and they are highlighted by excellent production, which clearly brings the band’s sonic wall of sound to the forefront. Here in the Deadlights was recorded at guitarist Max Dameron’s Breakfast Studios and mixed by Billy Anderson (Sleep) and Jesse Johnstone.

The disc starts with “Crystal Witch”, which combines the swirling psychedelia of early Pink Floyd with stoner sludge and a big, muscular guitar sound. This is a high-energy number with building guitar riffs and tom rolls over which Dameron and drummer Sam Ford sing in a bluesy, hoarse rasp. This number immediately flows into “Buzzsaw Babes”, which is a garage/blues number that features a twisting guitar line, a big bottom-end bass and pounding drums along with fuzzed out vocals. “Paul The Sky Tyrant” is more of a heavier song with its grinding, groove-based riffs and marching beat. The (mostly clean) vocals on this number are beneath a twisted guitar line and the music is more bluesy than fuzzy. “Psychodynamo” is the longest track on the disc, clocking in at almost nine minutes, and this number starts with minor key, atmospheric, space-rock and spoken word vocals that build and eventually pick up speed , taking the song to an old-school hardcore ending. The disc closes with “Beastwhores”, which starts as a post-punk free-form jazz number that morphs into stoner psychedelic sludge.

What is fitting, given the sound of this band, is that Seventh Rule has pressed a limited edition vinyl version of Here in the Deadlights on “Deep Purple” Color-in-Color Vinyl (ltd to 100 Copies). Buy this through the label’s mail order shop before you have to pay eBay collectors’ prices.

Wizard Rifle has shared the stage with the likes of Yob, Church Of Misery, Black Cobra, Arabrot and Rabbits and the band was recently in town for a show at St. Vitus. In an era where almost every concert is recorded, I couldn't find any live footage from the band's recent fall tour so - here is a video from Wizard Rifle's 2012 show at The Acheron.



Links:
Wizard Rifle

Immolate - "Ruminate" CD Review (Impedance)

Australian power-trio Immolate expanded to a four piece for the release of their second full-length Ruminate. This new disc’s sound is lumbering noise-metal that is directly akin to the sound of AmRep bands (Hammerhead, Helmet, Unsane) from the 90’s.

To get into the details of the music, vocalist/bassist Nick Irwin has a vocal style similar to Bruce Loose (Flipper) and his angry, spoken-word vocals are mostly buried beneath a wall of guitars and walloping drums. Guitarists Justin Irwin and newcomer Dave Achille wrap repetitive, noisy dirges of guitar feedback around each song but occasionally break into some wild soloing. It is a raw and primitive disc that is helped along by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Eyehategod) who mixed the disc.



The band changes up tempos and song structures across the disc and deftly avoid sinking into a sludgy quagmire. For example, the opening track "Heathen" rumbles like a classic Melvins track and it is followed "Hot Hot Heat", which is an up-tempo alt-rock/grunge track with clean(er) vocals. Almost all of the disc's tracks race by around the three minute mark and the almost nine minute psychedelic dirge "Code" wraps up the disc.

Ruminate was recorded by Russell Pilling (who worked with Immolate on their debut full-length) at Damien Gerard’s studio in Sydney.

Links:
Immolate

White Mice Kick Off Maxximum Ganjahovahdrive Tour 2010/ Show at Shea Stadium on April 16th

"We're talking the scabby riffs of Buzzov*en, the rhythmic eccentricities of Lightning Bolt and the psychedelic clutter of a shotgun full of mescaline." - Decibel

White Mice's Maxximum Ganjahovahdrive Tour 2010 kicks off tonight in Providence, Rhode Island. From there the blood encrusted, furry savages will infest and pillage the country for the next month and a half, bringing their vomitous, psychotically-entrancing apocalyptic hymns about Cheesus and such to the masses, including a massive headfuckfest in the southwest, as they invade SXSW for a plethora of shows.

When asked to describe their sound in a recent Hellbound.ca interview, White Mice drummer Phallusturd Scrowleak spouts "Diehearearrock is what wee call it. Grate music to Commit Sin to, others might attempt name us butt there is only one true name, of which can only be produced by the screaming flatulence of 666 demons breaking winds of 666 different tones and can only be heard by the whoreshippers of Cheesus Miced the lard and slaviour."

The band kicked off a cross-country tour today that includes a stop at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn for a show on April 16th with Liturgy and Suffering Bastard.

Here are the complete tour dates:
3/10/2010 AS220 - Providence, RI w/ Fuzz Orchestra, Stress Ape
3/14/2010 Now That's Class - Cleveland, OH w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy, Stress Ape
3/15/2010 The Mopery - Chicago, IL w/ Liturgy, Tinsel Teeth, Cacaw
3/16/2010 Camp Concentration - St. Louis, MO w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy
3/17/2010 The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy, Black Cobra
3/18/2010 Mouse of Tinnitus - Denton, TX w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy, Nite Shadez
3/19/2010 1111 - Austin, TX Saucedo - 4PMouseparty
3/19/2010 Headhunter's - Austin, TX | SXSW 20 Buck Spin/Profound Lore showcase w/ Liturgy, Endless Blockade, Coffinworm, Salome, Yakuza
3/19/2010 "2 AM @ Lamar Bridge" - Austin, TX
3/20/2010 Okay Mountain - Austin, TX
3/20/2010 Club 1880 - Austin, TX | Load Rec's Showcase w/ Tinsel Teeth, Drunkdriver, Todd, Pigeon Religion and more
3/21/2010 Brofest 2010 - Doublewide Bar - Dallas, TX w/ Tinsel Teeth, Liturgy +many more
3/22/2010 Ambitious Loser Fest - OZ Cafe - Wichita, KS
3/23/2010 Rhinoceropolis - Denver, CO
3/25/2010 V.A.C. - Boise, ID w/ Uzula, Micro Babies, For Fuck’s Sake
3/26/2010 The Josephine - Seattle, WA
3/28/2010 The Know - Portland, OR w/ Lesbian
3/29/2010 The Tube - Portland, OR w/ The Ramjac, Lesbian
3/30/2010 The Hub - Sacramento, CA w/ Mom, Nuclear Death Wish
3/31/2010 21 Grand - Oakland, CA w/ Lesbian, Nuclear Death Wish
4/01/2010 Hemlock Tavern - San Francisco, CA w/ Lesbian, Nuclear Death Wish, CCR Headcleaner
4/02/2010 Women of Crenshaw - Los Angeles, CA
4/03/2010 Mountain Bar - Los Angeles, CA w/ Lesbian
4/04/2010 The Tribe - Phoenix, AZ w/ Pigeon Religion, Melted Cassettes
4/05/2010 tba - Tucson, Az
4/06/2010 Mohawk - Austin, TX
4/07/2010 Super Happy Funland - Houston, TX w/ Useless Children, Golden Axe
4/08/2010 Schiller Street - Little Rock, AR
4/09/2010 Little Hamilton Collective - Nashville, TN w/ MLU, Suffering Bastard, No Compassion, Laser Slut
4/10/2010 CFBG’s - Greensboro, NC w/ Mutant League, Three Brained Robot, Suffering Bastard
4/11/2010 The Juggling Gypsy - Wilmington, NC w/ Suffering Bastard, Food World, Caucasians, Khnum
4/12/2010 The Nightlight - Chapel Hill, NC w/ Suffering Bastard, Cheezface, Ex-Monkeys, Nuss
4/13/2010 The Triple - Richmond, VA w/ Suffering Bastard
4/14/2010 *TBA - Philadelphia w/ Suffering Bastard
4/15/2010 Sidebar - Baltimore, MD w/ Suffering Bastard, Fourth Horseman
4/16/2010 Shea Stadium - Brooklyn, NY w/ Liturgy, Suffering Bastard
4/19/2010 Charlie's Kitchen - Boston, MA w/ MLU, Rotten Apples, Crazy Dreams
4/20/2010 17 Mules - Providence, RI w/ Useless Children, MLU, Holy Sheet and more

Links:
White Mice

White Mice - Ganjahovahdose CD Review / Show at Death by Audio on Jan. 15th

Providence, RI noise rock wackos are back in down next Friday night (Jan. 15th) for a show at Death By Audio with Liturgy and Little Women.

White Mice's latest release is Ganjahovahdose (20 Buck Spin) which came out last October. On this release, the band sticks to their tried and true formula of combining groove-oriented noise rock with an adolescent sense of humor that ranges from religious blasphemy to an obsession with cheese.

White Mice are one of those bands that your friends will never understand. The band performs in bloody mouse costumes and the new disc contains songs entitled "Placenta The Crotchtower", "The Shroud of Urine" and The Crapture". This alone should tell you a lot about the band's toilet-humor based outlook on life.



Ganjahovahdose is a sticky, sludgy mess that comes on like the inbred bastard child of the Butthole Surfers and The Jesus Lizard. This is loud, rumbling noise rock that careens off in multiple directions and production values be damned. The vocals are completely buried in the mix and range from black metal growls to tortured (likely) drug-induced yammering. What adds to the fun is that between the songs, there are snippets of dialogue and crazed sounds bites. One example of this is the 911 tape of the Michigan cop who called for emergency assistance because he thought he was dead from eating pot brownies.

The funny thing is that, beneath all this cacaphony and noise, there are some solid bass/drums melodic grooves that make it hard to get these songs out of your head.

Links:
White Mice