Sageness delivers third full length, Tr3s

Posted on May 26, 2022 by thesonicsofa

Sageness is an instrumental psychedelic rock band from León, Spain. The power trio treats their music with an infusion of post-rock and shoegaze guitar work, and live recording in the studio gives them a fresh, raw sound. The group has just released their third album, the aptly titled Tr3s. It’s a mature, well-developed follow-up to 2019’s Akmé (Full review here) and their Self-titled album from 2017.

1. The Effect of Colours 9:45
2. Greenhouse 8:04
3. Spirit Machine 6:16
4. Event horizon 12:22

Tr3s is composed of four tracks, clocking in at 37 minutes. Throughout the album, muscular riffs and sensual guitar textures, infused with plenty of wah-pedal and shoe-gaze FX, are underscored by a crisp, clean bass sound, and solid drum patterns. Subtle, spacy synth sounds add to the atmosphere. The album is a further testament to Sageness’s skill as a well-rehearsed jam band. The long, creative arrangements at times remind me of Elder, in the vein of their instrumental album, The Gold & Silver Sessions, but with more of the muscle of Dead Roots Stirring. Whether you’re on a road trip or sonic tripping on the sofa, Tr3s is an ideal soundtrack. It’s got plenty of headbanging as well as spacy post-rock introspection.

You can find Sageness on Bandcamp. The digital album is available for download for $7. Tr3s is also on CD for $9 or vinyl for $25. Ceck out the band’s social media and merch pages for vinyl/t-shirt bundle deals, and don’t forget to check out the music videos for The Effect of Colours and Spirit Machine.

The Dry Mouths release new psych album, Thödol

Posted on May 20, 2022 by thesonicsofa

The Dry Mouths are a psychedelic instrumental power trio from Almería, Spain. The band specializes in creating sonic landscapes of hypnotic, psychedelic soundwaves, laced with occasional heavy stoner rock sections. Active since 2006, the group has six full length records, with the release of 2022’s Thödol.

Released in May, Thödol is inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The band elaborates on their interpretations with 10 tracks, ranging from two-seven minutes. According to a statement from the band, “The album is a work of fantasy and extra-sensory experiences, of life and death, of both peaceful and dark visions, of self knowledge and of the fight against the fears that our own minds create. The album is a mental journey in which consciousness separates from the physical body and tries to gain enlightenment and ascend above, through the act of listening.” For the best effect, Thödol should be listened to start to finish, as a single composition, to fully induce the trance.

1. Den-Dro Sum 3:40
2. Hinayana 6:29
3. Kyenay 4:26
4. Milam 2:49
5. Dhyana 3:34
6. Ngen-Dro Sum 5:20
7. Chikhai 3:40
8. Dharmata 5:37
9. Zhi Tros Lha 7:10
10. Chönyid 2:01

Opener Den-Dro Sum sets the mood for the first three quarters of the album with soothing guitar leads that more than take the place of vocals. It’s easy to get lost in the hypnotic drum patterns. Hinayana introduces a fat bass tone, bordering on dub, and listen for some creative percussion throughout and a kettle drum sound at the end. Kyenay features a groovy rhythm section and some cool post-rock guitar leads, while Milam has some creative Middle-Eastern sounding guitar that gave me Babylon Tree vibes. The ethnic sounding drumming and sitar on Dhyana made it a stand out track for me. Another stand out was Ngen-Dro Sum, which changed things up with one of the heaviest riffs on the album. The last four tracks of the album mostly replace the guitar melodies with spacy synth layers. Chikhai features a chill transition with layers of keyboard tones building up throughout. The heavy synth tone on Dharmata gave me some low-key Dimetrodon vibes. Listen on Zhi Tros Lha for a spacier synth sound and groovy, fx-heavy bass tone, while Chönyid closes out the album in a satisfying, low-key way.

The record, a follow-up to 2019’s Lo-Fi Sounds for Hi-Fi People, was recorded at Desert City Studio between October, 2020 and June, 2021. The artwork was disigned and created by Iván Carreño. It can be downloaded on Bandcamp for under $7. The vinyl record, co-released by Spinda Records, Aneurisma Records, Violence In The Veins, Discos Macarras, Zona Rock Productions, Bandera Records, Quebranta Records and Odio Sonoro, can be ordered for $20. Check out the band’s merch page for current and back releases and find the band on social media.

Blue Heron set to release debut album, Ephemeral

Posted on May 16, 2022 by thesonicsofa

*Ephemeral will be released on May 27th*

Blue Heron is a four-piece desert rock band from Albuquerque, NM. Their debut album, Ephemeral, will be released in late May. The group deals out a psychedelic mix of grungy heavy metal, with strong desert rock vibes and rhythms.

Ephemeral, featuring beautiful artwork by Mirko Gastow, is set for a May 27th release. The eight track album clocks in at a very listenable 47 minutes. It’s heavy from start to finish, with the exception of a few quiet interlude tracks that give short breathers between headbanging and breakdowns.

1. Futurola 5:22
2. Sayonara 13:20
3. Push the Sky 4:39
4. Infiniton Field 2:20
5. The Buck 6:19
6. Black Blood of the Earth 7:14
7. Where One Went Together 2:02
8. Salvage 5:53

Futurola music video by Dedisuseno

There’s plenty of driving, desert rock guitar, like on opener, Futurola, and even some High on Fire flavored riffage, like on Black Blood of the Earth, which also features a heavy, Sabbath-worship ending. Keep your ear out for plenty of spacy guitar solos, especially on the epic, 13 minute track, Sayonara, and even some reflective acoustic work on interlude track, Infiniton Field. Fans of Kal-El and Dozer will aprove.

The bass is impressive, with a full, in your face sound. It creates a solid, rhythmic counterpart for the drums, often taking the lead when the guitars are spacing out. Fans of Kyuss and Clutch will appreciate the complexity and driving rhythm. Check out Sayonara and The Buck for excellent examples of the growly bass tones and competent leads.

The drums are solid and driving throughout, featuring bluesy patterns and plenty of heavy breakdowns. There’s plenty of tasty tom work and cymbal accents, notable on Push the Sky, and a crisp sound shines through on closer, Salvage. Black Blood of the Earth has a definite stoner metal drumming sound, which fans of High on Fire and The Sword will appreciate, and don’t miss the shuffle pattern for the heavy blues ending.

The vocals are unique and diverse. Most of the album features melodic vocals with a throaty, aggressive delivery. Several of the tracks, including Sayonara and Push the Sky, have some edgy hardcore vocals at the end. Fans of John Garcia, Neil Fallon, and Matt Pike won’t be disappointed. Lyrical content ranges from mortality and the fleeting nature of existence to mythic fables about deposed gods and failed civilizations.

The album will be released by Kosmik Artifactz and Seeing Red Records. You can find the band on social media. Pre-order the digital album on Bandcamp for $6 or vinyl for $25, with supplies shipping on May 30th. Check out the merch page for bundle deals on their album and Black Blood of the Earth/A Sunken Place EP from 2021. Also, check out the music videos for Futurola and Push the Sky. Definitely keep an ear out for more from Blue Heron.