Category: Metal

REZN open up a dark, doomy “Chasm” with their newest single.

Photo Credit: Alexa Viscius

REZN – the Chicago-based band of Rob McWilliams (vocals, guitar), Phil Cangelosi (bass), Patrick Dunn (drums), and Spencer Ouellette (synth/saxophone) – announce their new album, Burden, out June 14thvia their new label Sargent House. In conjunction, they present its massive lead single/video, “Chasm.” Since their inception, REZN have mined the stark monochromatic depths of underground metal and fused them with the kaleidoscopic delights of psychedelia, prog rock, and shoegaze. With their latest album Burden, they plumb the deepest, bleakest trenches of their sound while retaining a lifeline into the cosmos. Staking a claim at the crossroads of the hazy dimensions of modern psych acts like Black Angels, the cavernous gloom and reverb-drenched guitar of bands like Spectral Voice, and the lurching low-end meditations of artists like OM, REZN have created Burden—an album of immense amp-worshipping weight and intoxicating instrumentation.

Burden was recorded simultaneously with their previous album Solace back in July 2021 at Earth Analog Studios in Tolono, IL by Matt Russell. Rather than release a double album, REZN divided the material into two separate records, each with its own distinct emotional timbre. Whereas Solace was meant to uplift and create a sense of narcotic dreaminess, Burden skews towards the themes of delirium, claustrophobia, and misery. Musically, Burden favors riffs over atmosphere, percussion over ether, dissonance over beauty, but there is still an undeniable cohesion between it and its predecessor. The marriage of brute force and sublime textures has always been a key tactic in REZN’s approach—a duality that may explain their touring history with fellow synesthesia-inducing metallurgists Elder and Russian Circles—but the spectrum of the band’s mercurial temperaments has never felt as clearly defined and fully explored as it does on Burden.

Burden’s artwork is a literal continuation of Solace’s landscape painting, showing the fiery depths at the foot of the mountain range. Even Burden’s most reserved moments feel like the calm before the storm, a gathering of momentum before the punishing closer and lead single “Chasm,” a megalithic weedian crusher further bolstered by a scorching guitar solo courtesy of Russian Circle’s Mike Sullivan. “We wrote ‘Chasm’ to depict the final phase of an existential descent, when you’re on the last few steps of the spiral staircase and realize there’s no going back,” says Rob McWilliams. “We wanted it to sound like walls closing in on all sides and you’re looking at the exit getting further and further away. Mike’s melodic finger-tapping style blurs the section into a kind of dizzying, infernal panic attack. In the final moment of the song you’re faced with the repetitive churning of a molten, fuzzed-out wall of sound that builds until the audio itself starts to singe and catch fire, then abruptly self destructs.”

 
Watch REZN’s Video for “Chasm”
 

As knowledgeable gear heads, experienced sound engineers, and seasoned DIY veterans, REZN were able to create an early body of work devoid of any sonic compromises in their speaker-rattling dirges and heady lysergic forays. Their four self-released albums—Let It Burn (2017), Calm Black Water (2018), Chaotic Divine (2020), and Solace (2023)—have all gone through multiple vinyl pressings without any distribution or retail presence, and the international underground heavy psych world has routinely selected the band for distinguished festival slots across North America and Europe. From their inception, REZN have been a fiercely independent band with a fully realized aesthetic and a fervent cult following. Now ready to take things even further, REZN have teamed up with Sargent House to release Burden unto the world.
 
This summer, REZN will tour across North America with Pallbearer. Following, they’ll tour in Europe with new label mates Russian Circles as well as performing at multiple festivals. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.

 
Pre-order Burden
 
Burden Tracklist
1. Indigo
2. Instinct
3. Descent of Sinuous Corridors
4. Bleak Patterns
5. Collapse
6. Soft Prey
7. Chasm
 
REZN Tour Dates
Sat. May 11 – Oslo, NO @ Desertfest Oslo
Tue. June 11 – Durham, NC @ The Fruit %
Wed. June 12 – Asheville, NC @ Eulogy %
Thu. June 13 – Virginia Beach, VA @ The Bunker Brewpub %
Fri. June 14 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Baltimore %
Sat. June 15 – Lancaster, PA @ Tellus360 %
Sun. June 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts %
Tue. June 18 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom %
Thu. June 20 -Brooklyn , NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg %
Fri. June 21 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair %
Sat. June 22 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount %
Sun. June 23 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground %
Tue. June 25 – Milwaukee, WI @ Vivarium %
Wed. June 26 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall %
Thu. June 27 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club %
Fri. June 28 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck %
Sat. June 29 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall %
Fri. July 26  – Indianapolis, IN @ Post. Festival
Wed. Oct. 9 – Berlin, DE @ Astra $
Thu. Oct. 10 – Koln, DE @ Kantine $
Fri. Oct. 11 – Munich, DE @ Keep It Low Festival $
Sat. Oct. 12 – Prague, CZ @ Archa $
Mon. Oct. 14 – Vienna, AT @ Arena $
Tue. Oct. 15 – Bologna, IT @ Estragon $
Thu. Oct. 17 – Metz, FR @ La Bam $
Fri. Oct. 18 – Antwerp, BE @ Desertfest $
Sun. Oct. 20 – Gothenburg, SE @ Monument $
Mon. Oct. 21 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret $
Tue. Oct. 22 – Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan $
Thu. Oct. 24 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega $
Fri. Oct. 25 – Aalborg, DK @ Lasher Fest $
Sat. Oct. 26 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefaehrlich $
Tue. Oct. 29 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute2 $
Wed. Oct. 30 – Glasgow, UK @ Slay $
Thu. Oct. 31 – Belfast, N-IRE @ Limelight 2 $
Fri. Nov. 1 – Dublin, IRE @ Button Factory $
Sat. Nov. 2 – Manchester, UK @ Damnation Fest $
Sun. Nov. 3 – London, UK @ EartH $
Tue. Nov. 5 – Paris, FR @ Le Trianon $
Wed.Nov. 6 – Rennes, FR @ L’Antipode $
Thu. Nov. 7 – Bordeaux, FR @ Krakatoa $
Sun. Nov. 10 – Madrid, ES @ Nazca $
Mon. Nov. 11 – Barcelona, ES @ Salamandra $
 
%= w/ Pallbearer
$= w/ Russian Circles

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jaycee at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol – Big Dumb Riffs

Aaron Metzdorf, the bassist for Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, described the writing process of their new album, Big Dumb Riffs, as “What if we just played two notes the whole song? What if we tuned down to almost unusable string tension? What if we write a record that will make everyone say ‘Wow, that is dumb.’?”

That record would be a fun ride, that’s what would happen.

RBBP are never short on heavy riffs, goofy lyrics, and projecting a raw, fun energy, and this time they’ve gone all-in with that idea. Right away, “Clowntown” unleashes chugging, charging mania and you can’t help but laugh as you’re moshing. “1-800-EAT-SHIT” is just as fun, and I’m sure causes phone number chants whenever it’s played. “Papa Pop It” has early Primus-like bass licks all over it.

Leo Lydon‘s guitar on “Peanut Butter Snack Sticks” sounds like he’s pulled it out of a deep fryer and is playing it with a belt sander. Sean St. Germain‘s drum groove on “Whip It Around” immediately grab you and make you pay attention. The song transitions perfectly into “Body Bag” – which hits harder than a good number of doom metal tracks.

“Brat” stomps along like an angry elephant as Lydon calls out haters who can’t and won’t back up their words. “El Sapo” is a quick roughie, leading into the almost-panicked “Bastard Initiated.” I’m sure the pits during this song are bonkers (and, really, I’m sure their entire shows are just plain nuts). “Blue Collar Man” throbs, growls, and snarls as Lydon sings about a woman in love with a blue collar worker, but the lovely dream seems to turn into a nightmare.

They save the longest track on the record, “In a Jar” (at three minutes and thirty-eight seconds), for last. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” Lydon almost croons as he and his pals slow down the pace, but don’t relent on the fuzz.

Again, Big Dumb Riffs is a crazy ride that’s over in a flash – a bit like a roller coaster that only slows down at the end but your brain is still foggy from the adrenaline rush and your body is a bit sore from banging around in the car.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

Bossk release “Truth II” from upcoming album due May 10, 2024.

Photo by: Charles Fitzgerald.

One of the shining beacons of the UK post-metal scene, Bossk have steadily built up an unrepentantly loyal following since their inception 2005. As they approach 20 years as a band, Bossk are taking this opportunity to take pause and reflect on their past and all the hard graft that has led them to become one of the most lauded bands in the genre. .4, the latest in a series of numbered releases that presents material outside the remit of Bossk’s full-length album output, is a celebration of those 20 years and provides an enticing aperitif for their 3rd album proper, to be released sometime in 2026.

As is tradition with these numbered releases, .4 is not a Bossk album in the conventional sense, instead forging a more experimental path by presenting re-worked versions of some old favorites, as well as a smattering of re-recorded songs that only the most obsessed Bossk fan will be familiar with.

The band were keen to re-visit “Truth”, a song they identify as one of the most important in their early repertoire. Plans to record an acoustic version of the track were soon abandoned when the band were tagged in a vocal cover of the song on Instagram by Dubai-based composer Sheenagh Murray. Her rendition galvanized Bossk to re-write the song entirely from the ground up with her vocals in mind, which has resulted in the rendition heard on .4, imaginatively titled “Truth II“, which sounds almost unrecognizable from the original, showing the growth the band have made in the past 14 years.

Bossk comments on the track: “When we heard Sheenagh’s version, it completely changed our idea for ‘Truth II’, and we practically wrote the song around the vocals she had done and just kept adding elements as we went. The original version of ‘Truth’ is a hugely important song to us, it felt like such a progression from the first 2 songs we had released and was in our live set for many shows in the early years. We recorded this new edition of the song with Joe Clayton in Manchester and was such a great experience getting to come up with a completely new version of the song with him. A slightly unknown fact about this song is that it is named in part to the Halo mission titled ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ with the second element already written for the next full-length album we have planned for 2026. Stay tuned for its sequel….”

Listen / share “Truth II” on YouTube.

One deciding factor that emboldened Bossk to celebrate their past is the amicable departure of vocalist Sam Marsh due to his permanent relocation to the United States. The band wanted to give Sam an epic recorded send-off and the colossal 13-minute “Events Occur in Real Time provides a fitting farewell for the vocalist, who’s guttural razor-wire screams have provided tectonic shifting textures to the band since their inception in 2005. Acting as the centerpiece of .4, this is the first studio take of the song ever recorded, conceived as it was in 2008, just months before the band went on temporary hiatus. The only version available prior was recorded live and released on a limited edition split 12” with long gone fellow post-metal band Rinoa. .4 gives Bossk the opportunity to record the song in a new and reimagined way, replete with mariachi-style trumpet work courtesy of Adam Faires.

In a move that displays the band’s love of collaboration, this collection also presents four classic Bossk tracks re-worked by their contemporaries, giving a new lease of life to songs that have become staples of Bossk’s set. First up is Manchester-based post metal project Pijn’s take on fan favorite “Kobe”, an interpretation that initially suggests a more sedate take on the song that gradually swells into a symphony of swirling strings and percussion that accelerando to an almighty climax. Japanese experimentalists in heavy music Endon previously collaborated for the second full-length album Migration released in 2021. “White Stork”, the song that opened that album, is presented here with the Bossk elements stripped back entirely, so it’s now possible for the listener to immerse themselves in the disquieting noise drone textures the band added to Migration without distraction. Matthew Daly and Robin Southby of British instrumental quintet Maybeshewill contributed a beautiful piano rendition of “The Reverie” for inclusion on .4, which echoes the ambient neo-classical works of Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnaulds and Philip Glass. The last collaboration comes courtesy of Canadian prog-psych duo Crown Lands who add moog synths, Tool-esque percussion and soaring dynamics to their interpretation of “The Reverie II” that completely revitalizes and enhances the epic concluding track to Bossk’s 2016 debut full-length Audio Noir.

Another lost treasure on .4 is Albert, a new song that has only been played once at ArcTanGent festival in 2019. Despite including it in that set, the band were never happy with it, until drummer Nick Corney completely reworked it into the version here, which displays the influence of electronic artists on Bossk such as Boards of Canada, Battles, Nine Inch Nails and DJ Shadow.

The remaining two tracks that make up this compilation were originally only available on 2008 live video .3. A remix of I by Twin Zero guitarist Reuben Gotto is the oldest song on .4, dating back to 2006 shortly after the band’s debut EP release of the same name. The other track is “181 to Beulah”, a song written by Bossk guitarist Alex Hamilton which, like “Events Occur in Real Time“, has only previously been released as a live track. The song, which is played entirely on guitar, ends this 65-minute collection on a sombre note, as gently reverberant chords ring out across a mellow bed of harmonious feedback, recalling the more tranquil, ambient experimentation of bands like This Will Destroy You and Hammock. As a segue-way into whatever the future may hold, it’s about as laid-back and serene as Bossk has ever been.

With .4, Bossk fully intend to put a full stop on one era, before beginning a new chapter in 2026, a year which will see the release of a brand new full-length album of original material, their 3rd in total, and the recorded debut of vocalist Simon Wright, who has been playing with the band for the past 4 years and is now fully integrated into the band.

Look for .4 to be available May 10th via Deathwish Inc.  Pre-order here and look for more singles to drop in the near future.

Bossk, on tour:

May 15  Bristol, UK @ The Fleece
May 16  Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
May 17  Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
May 18  Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
May 19  London, UK @ The Garage
August 15  Bristol, UK @ Fernhill Farm
August 17  Bristol, UK @ Fernhill Farm

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Stephanie at Another Side.]

Live: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs and Edging – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL – February 22, 2024

The last time I saw Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs in Chicago, it was their first time there, let alone their first U.S. tour. It was at Chicago’s Sleeping Village, and there were maybe eighty people there. They flattened that place.

Now they were playing Chicago’s Lincoln Hall and the size of their audience had tripled. There were a small number of us who’d been at the Sleeping Village show, and it seemed only a couple dozen more who knew much about them. I envied their innocence. They had no idea what was about to unleashed on them.

First up, however, were Chicago’s own Edging – a wild post-punk band that my friend described as “They look like a bunch of people who all answered the same ‘looking for a roommate’ ad and then decided to start a band.” It’s accurate, and it somehow works. We only got to see the last three songs of their set, but it was wild and fun, and their saxophone player (around whom the band seems to rotate) plays a crazy horn.

The porcine quintet were next and they started out with a psychedelic version of “GNT” that grew into a menacing beast. They barely let up for a moment, with heavy-hitters like “Rubbernecker” and “Big Rig” flooring those people who didn’t know what to expect.

Some mosh pits started a couple times, but they were short-lived and not well attended. I think this is because people were too amazed at the sheer amount of weight they were dropping on the place to even think of moshing. I, too, noticed how much heavier they were from the first time I’d seen them. Songs like “Mr. Medicine” and “Terror’s Pillow” practically laid on you like a weighted blanket…thrown on you from a fourth-floor balcony.

“Sludgy” was a word I heard multiple times as my friend and I walked out of the venue. People who hadn’t experienced a live Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs show were marveling at the thick, almost viscous sound they’d been pummeled with for a little over an hour (and no encore, as the band said they decided at the start that “Encores are for bullshitters.”)

Don’t miss them. They’re touring the U.S. a lot through the spring. You need this fae-melting stuff in your life to sandblast you out of your doldrums.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Tangled Horns – Lighter

Lighter, the new album by Belgian rockers Tangled Horns, was written and recorded during the pandemic – a time when the band, like most of us, were separated from each other and looking for ways to cope with confusion, misinformation, loneliness, empty toilet paper shelves, and impermanence. It turns out that Light would be, according to the band’s Bandcamp page for the album, “their most personal and introspective work—a coping album born from the unique circumstances.”

One of their coping mechanisms was, and I’m guessing still is, brain-shredding rock. The album opens with Tim Van de Plas telling us “I fell into a deep slumber in the dark and when I woke up I felt lighter.”, and then they launch into “April Fire” – a song chock-full of hard-hitting guitar riffs and a bass line from Raf Vorsselmans that gets your attention right away. “I’m tired of dragging my feet,” Van de Plas sings. Good heavens, weren’t we all in 2021?

“Pig” takes a swing, and connects hard, at rich elitists taking and not giving, or at least not replenishing what they’ve taken from neighborhoods and the Earth. The roaring, squealing guitars from Stef Kustermans and Dennis Van Der Auwera are like buzzing hornets you can’t escape. “Sleeping Dogs” has a bit of a proto-metal sound to it, and a good chunk of menace.

Kris Martens‘ drums on “Suspended Animation” remind me of early Genesis stuff by Phil Collins, and the rest of the song has a neat mix of prog and punk. Van de Plas’ vocals on it have some Bad Religion-like stylings, and his opening wail on “No More Mistakes” is raw fury backed with rough garage-blues guitars. The song builds to a wild frenzy that’s a bit jolting. “Mug,” I’m sure, causes a mosh pit to erupt whenever and wherever it’s played…so be careful where you blast it, or just blast it anywhere and enjoy the chaos.

“Here’s to us and all the rest. I guess we did our best,” Van de Plas sings on the heavy-hitting drinking song “Pissing in the Wind.” “Tick” is a wild, fast ride that’s just under two minutes and packs the power of a song four times longer into it. “Nothing Everything” closes the album with heavy psych riffs, suitable for journeys through deserts or infinite space.

Lighter is as heavy as they come, but it’s designed to elevate us all.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Polder Records!]

Review: Filth Is Eternal – Find Out

Filth Is Eternal‘s Find Out is one of the grungiest, rawest, grimiest punk albums I’ve heard in years. All that’s missing from it are the words “Fuck Around and…” in front of the title, because FIE will flatten you at the first opportunity.

The album opens with ten times the rage Nirvana was playing on Bleach on the track “Half Wrong.” The soft, almost gentle hi-hat work at the beginning of “Crawl Space” is a fake. Don’t fall for it, because the heavy punch of the song is right behind it – knocking you against the ropes in the blink of an eye. “Magnetic Point” and “Cherish” have this great heavy groove to them, and the drums on “Roll Critical” are nuts. You keep thinking, “Is that just one person making all that racket?”

“Curious Thing” is, I think, a love song hidden inside a punk rager. By the time we get to “Into the Curve,” the halfway point of the album, you’re barely able to breathe…and there are still seven more tracks to go before you can rest. The second half of the record puts more emphasis and clarity on the vocals and includes some straight-up garage rock grooves. “Body Void” takes on a bit of a psychedelic touch with the drumming, and “The Gate” continues this groove into almost King Gizzard-like psych-metal. “Signal Decay,” like many songs on the album speaks to issues of gender, body acceptance, sexual attraction, the confusing world of love, and how there are many others in the same boat seeking acceptance (“I’m not alone in this lonely place.”).

“All Mother” stomps the gas (and drum) pedal and drives down the middle of the highway. “Last Exit” practically tears through a construction zone to jump an unfinished bridge over a rubble-strewn ravine. The album closes with “Loveless,” which isn’t a My Bloody Valentine cover, but is a sludgy, crushing track that leaves nothing on the table.

Seriously, this is a stunning record. Everything on it works – the growling / howling vocals, the wicked guitar riffs, the menacing bass, the explosive drums…it all works. Do not fuck around with FIE. You will find out.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: The Death Wheelers – Chaos and the Art of Motorcycle Madness

The Death Wheelers describe their sound on their Bandcamp page as “sleaze ‘n’ roll.” That’s perfect, and their newest album Chaos and the Art of Motorcycle Madness is a prime example of that sound.

Churning out a dozen instrumental stoner-doom jams (apart from some clever samples of dialogue from biker and horror films), The Death Wheelers get right down to dirty business (after the brief intro of “The Scum Always Rises to the Top”) on “Morbid Bails,” showing off deft shredding and growling bass thuds in the same track.

The voice of Scott Glenn in the movie Angles As Hard As They Come saying “I ride where I want, wear that I want, get stoned when I want,” starts off the wild, hammering “Les Mufflers Du Mal.” “Ride into the Röt (Everything Lewder Than Everything Else)” is both a fun Motörhead reference and a stoner-surf ripper (with a sample of Ernest Borgnine from The Devil’s Rain, no less).

“We want to be free to ride our machines without being hassled by the man! And we want to get loaded!” yells a young man in the film Lucifer’s Bend at the start of “Triple D (Dead, Drunk, and Depraved),” which is a quick introduction to, no surprise, “Lucifer’s Bend” – a song about the devil’s long reach. “Brain Bucket” is a fun little track about a motorcycle crash that leads into the horror-surf of “Open Road X Open Casket.”

“Motortician” is, go figure, a track about tripping out and ultimately checking out on your bike. “Interquaalude” might be the best-titled track in a long while. “Sissy Bar Strut (Nymphony 69)” is a wild psychedelic jam that fades out because it appears to have no end in sight. “Cycling for Satan Part II” takes off with all pipes open and throttles jammed forward and roars to an abrupt, distorted end.

It’s another ripping album from The Death Wheelers, who don’t need vocals. Their riffs say it all.

Keep your mind open.

[Ride over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

Mr. Bungle announces 2024 U.S. tour dates.

Mr. Bungle continue to extend their 2024 world tour, adding headlining dates to cities the band has not visited since the turn of the millennium, with newly announced performances now also slated for the Southeastern and Midwestern U.S.:

May 6 Dallas, TX House of Blues

May 7 Austin, TX Emo’s

May 8 Houston, TX House of Blues

May 11 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle

May 12 Raleigh, NC The Ritz

May 14 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl

May 15 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room

May 19 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue

Tickets are on-sale this Friday, Jan. 26 at 10 am local time. Ipecac alum, Otto Von Schirach opens on all headlining dates. Ticketing links are available at Ipecac.com/tours.

Full list of Mr. Bungle tour dates:

February 28 Tokyo, JP Toyosu Pit

February 29 Osaka, JP Namba Hatch

March 3 Auckland, NZ Auckland Town Hall +

March 6 Melbourne, AUS Festival Hall +

March 7 Adelaide, AUS Hindley Street Music Hall +

March 9 Sydney, AUS Hordern Pavilion +

March 10 Brisbane, AUS Fortitude Music Hall +

March 12 Perth, AUS Metro City +

May 6 Dallas, TX House of Blues #

May 7 Austin, TX Emo’s #

May 8 Houston, TX House of Blues #

May 10 Daytona Beach, FL Welcome to Rockville

May 11 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle #

May 12 Raleigh, NC The Ritz #

May 14 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl #

May 15 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room #

May 17 Columbus, OH Sonic Temple

May 18 Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee Metal Fest

May 19 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue #

June 16 Zurich, CH X-Tra %

June 17 Milan, IT Magnolia %

June 19 Berlin, DE Huxley’s %

June 20 Copenhagen, DK Copenhell

June 23 Luxembourg Atelier %

June 24 Tilburg, NL 013 Poppodium %

June 27 Oslo, NO Tons of Rock

June 29 Clisson, FR Hellfest

+ with Melvins

% with Oxbow & Spotlights

# with Otto Von Schirach

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]

[Thanks to Monica at Speakeasy PR.]

Top 10 live shows of 2023: #’s 5 – 1

And here we are with my favorite concerts of 2023.

#5: Be Your Own Pet – Headliners, Louisville, KY, Otober 29th

It’s so good to have them back, and it was so good to finally see them live. Their reputation as a wild live band is not lightly given. They tore up this stage, moving from one song to the next with no written set list, playing audience requests, and blowing the minds of the small crowd at Headliners. Shame on you if you were in Louisville and didn’t go to this show.

#4: Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade – Kemba Live!, Columbus, OH – May 31st

Another surprise reunion. I figured the days of Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade touring the nation were long gone and we would have to be content with the one live album released many years ago. Nope. He brought in Sean Lennon, who can tear up a lead guitar, and some other pals and put on a cool show – playing Pink Floyd‘s Animals in its entirety in the middle of the set.

#3: Viagra Boys – Salt Shed, Chicago, IL – February 24th

This show was either a sell-out or very close to it. The band claimed it was the biggest show they’d played in the U.S. so far, and I believe it. The Salt Shed was jammed, sweaty, and jumping. You easily forgot that snow and ice were coating the landscape outside. The whole crowd was buzzing throughout the set, and Viagra Boys further cemented their reputation of being one of the best bands out there right now.

#2: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Sleeping Village, Chicago, IL – March 28th

I almost didn’t go to this show due to other plans I had that week, but I knew I had to be there when I learned it was not only Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs‘ first show in Chicago, it was also their first U.S. tour. It turned out to be another one of those “Shame on you if you missed it.” shows, because the porcine quintet pretty much flattened Sleeping Village and still had time to chat with anyone who wanted to chat after the gig. They’re now on my “I’ll see them any chance I get.” list of bands – and I already have a ticket to see them in Chicago again at Lincoln Hall in February.

#1: Love and Rockets – Riviera, Chicago, IL – June 06th

I figured I was never going to see Love and Rockets live. I’d seen David J perform an acoustic set, and thought, “Well, that’s the closest I’ll get.” Lo and behold, they surprised everyone with a reunion tour and they sounded great. They were in full rock star mode and everyone in the crowd was jubilant to see and hear them. It was a dream-come-true show for me and gave everyone hope of a new record soon.

There you have it. Onto more gigs in 2024!

Keep your mind open.

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Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol stuffs rock in a “Body Bag” with their new single.

Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol share the first single today from their forthcoming new album Big Bumb Riffs. The single “Body Bag” premieres via Invisible Oranges HERE. Pre-orders for Big Dumb Riffs are available via Bandcamp HERE and all DSPs HERE.

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol also launch their Big Dumb Tour 2024 in late March. Western US dates announce today, with tickets on sale this Friday, January 12th. Eastern US dates will announce soon. Please see current dates below. Ticket links HERE.

“Our catalog has never been short on big dumb riffs, but the idea on this record was to really turn the screw,” says RBBP bassist Aaron Metzdorf. On Big Dumb Riffs, that screw is cranked incredibly tight. 

“We just wanted ‘the part’: The opening of Pantera’s ‘Primal Concrete Sledge’, the breakdown in Primus‘ ‘Pudding Time’ — the shit that makes you move and lose your mind. Just that part the whole time.”

Across 11 concise, taut songs — most clocking in around 2 minutes or less — Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol demonstrates their skillful ability to blend the merciless low end of Leo Lydon’s 8-string guitar, Aaron Metzdorf’s masterful chordwork on the bass, and Sean St.Germain’s driving drumming. 

Hot on the heels of their breakout 5th studio release Doom Wop (2023), Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol returns with Big Dumb Riffs: A whole new variant of the fuzzed out, overdriven, melodic, groovy music they have been making since 2016. While Big Dumb Riffs is decidedly more aggressive and rhythmic, it still retains the overtly melodic feel of Doom Wop. But Leo Lydon’s vocals are considerably more angry and negative (song titles like “1-800-EAT-SHIT” and “Body Bag” should be a clue.) 

“The whole writing process was, ‘what if we just played two notes the whole song’,” Metzdorf says. “‘What if we tuned down to almost unusable string tension?’, ‘what if we write a record that will make everyone say ‘wow that is dumb’? Leo and I really move around on stage a lot. Being a dingus is crucial to the groove. All these riffs were designed to allow us to act bigger and dumber on stage.”

Big Dumb Riffs will be available for streaming and download on March 22, 2024. LP to follow in late Spring. 

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL LIVE 2024:

02/03 Austin, TX – Sagebrush 

03/09 Houston, TX – Moontower Sudworks

03/22 Austin, TX – St Elmo Brew – album release show

03/23 Dallas, TX – Double Wide

03/27 Phoenix, AZ – Linger Longer

03/28 Los Angeles, CA – Resident

03/29 San Francisco, CA – Kilowatt

03/30 Sacramento, CA – Cafe Colonial

04/02 Seattle, WA – The Funhouse

04/03 Portland, OR – Mano Oculta

04/05 Salt Lake City, UT – Quarters DLC

04/06 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]