A Flourishing Fall in a Grain of Sand, the heavy new album by Humanotone

Posted on April 1, 2022 by thesonicsofa

*A Flourishing Fall in a Grain of Sand was released on March 11*

Humanotone is a one man musical project, produced and performed by multi-instrumentalist, Jorge Cist, who is based in Coquimbo, Chile. His music is a progressive dose of muscular stoner rock and shares the same psychedelic vein as heavy hitters such as Elder and Swan Valley Heights. Jorge just released Humanatone’s second album, A Flourishing Fall in a Grain of Sand, an impressive follow-up to 2017s self-titled debut.

Flourishing Fall consists of six richly layered, flowing compositions, five of which range from eight to over 12 minutes in length. Initially written between 2017 and 2019, the songs were structured and recorded between May and October of 2021. According to Jorge, “All the songs were inspired by the sea and are a way of thanking the healing power it had on me during rough times.”

While listening to this album on repeat on a recent bus trip through the Rocky Mountains, I realized why this album stands out: It seriously flows! Similar to the ocean or the mountain ranges passing before my eyes, the album has a natural quality, indefinable by words alone. While many similar progressive rock albums can tend to get bogged down in their own complexity, Flourishing Fall flows seamlessly from riff to riff like crashing waves or thunder on mountain peaks.

In addition to performing vocals and instrumentation, Jorge also recorded and mixed the album in his own Massive Void Recordings studio and created the artwork using pointillism technique on 140g Canson paper. Make sure to also check out the artwork produced for the album’s first single, Light Antilogies. A Flourishing Fall in a Grain of Sand is available on Bandcamp, where the entire discography can be downloaded for under five dollars. While there, you can also link to videos and social media.

Pike vs The Automaton

Posted on March 9, 2022 by thesonicsofa

Matt Pike’s first solo album came to us in a time when we needed it the most. In the dead of a winter filled with wars and rumors of wars, pandemic, natural disasters, as well as between releases and tours by primary groups Sleep and High on Fire, the riff-master took matters into his own hands and produced Pike vs The Automaton.

It’s a heavy album that explores retro sounding heavy metal, thrash, punk, and even some twangy blues. Falling somewhere between the riffy thrash of High on Fire and the stoner-doom of Sleep, Pike gave in fully to his musical instincts, riffing his way through an assemblage of songs guaranteed to induce head-banging and disgust with authority.

Recorded in his garage during the pandemic, Pike’s describes his work this way: “I made a psychedelic rock record that Sleep and High on Fire fans would like. And maybe if you’re not a Sleep or High on Fire fan, you might like it too. I definitely think it’s interesting; it has D-Beat punk, two-step. It’s got everything and it still works together, it doesn’t sound odd. It’s just an off-the-wall psychedelic rock record.”

At the core of the ensemble group is Pike on guitars and vocals, backed by friend and drummer Jon Reid. Featured among many guests on the album are some familiar names. Brent Hinds of Mastodon appears in a surprisingly chill cameo on the twangy “Land.” Pike’s wife provides caustic vocals on the hard-core “Acid Test Zone.” Jeff Matz, bassist of High on Fire, plays the Turkish electric saz on the album’s epic 11 minute closer, “Leaving the Wars of Woe.”

The album clocks in at 63 minutes with 10 tracks, and features beautifully rendered, symbolic cover art. It’s available on vinyl and CD, as well as digital release.

Howling Giant set for 4/20 release; heavy new single out now

Posted on April 16, 2021 by thesonicsofa

*Alteration, the instrumental EP by Howling Giant*

The lockdown was tough on all of us, but especially for bands whose bread and butter is touring and selling merch. Some, like Nashville’s Howling Giant, have had to get creative in order to endure the quarantine. With regular Twitch streams as a way to connect with fans, including live jam sessions on Saturday nights, the progressive stoner rockers began creating impromptu instrumental jams to names created by audience members. Alteration, the new EP by the band, features four of these jams, crafted and refined in the studio. Look for the release on 4/20 and for now, check out their new single, Luring Alluring Rings.

With a rich psychedelic atmosphere, the track features an epic chord progressions, huge drum sound, and ethereal keyboard tones. The song has a beautifully melodic theme. In the middle of the track, listen for the soaring guitar solos and heavy chugging changeup, right before the triumphant return of the main theme in the last third of the song. Listen to Howling Giant’s new track, Luring Alluring Rings, and make sure to check out the full EP, Alteration, available for $5 on their Bandcamp page, out on 4/20.