The Sonic Sofa Podcast: Babylon Tree, Circus Cannon, and King of None

Posted on September 23, 2019 by thesonicsofa

Podcast Transcript: I’m The Purlenaut and you’ve landed on the Sonic Sofa, your home for stoner rock reviews and podcasts. Check out thesonicsofa.blog to read lots of articles and hear some awesome music. This month, we’ve got some new mystical music by Babylon Tree, the psychedelic aura of Circus Cannon, and the head banging hard rock of King of None. So buckle up. Become one with the Sofa, and prepare for liftoff.

First up on the show is Babylon Tree, an instrumental heavy psych band from Athens, Greece. The six member band recently released their debut album, Eastern Tales, which came out on May 30th. On it, the band attempts to capture the sound and aesthetic of the Far-East. Their music is positively Middle-Eastern sounding, employing the use of Persian scales. The album is made up of six songs, each around 8-10 minutes, and each is a richly layered composition. Here’s the second track, called Dunes and Wind.

And that was Dunes and Wind by Babylon Tree, from their debut album, Eastern Tales. Next on the Sonic Sofa, is Circus Cannon, a powerful four-piece psych band from London. The band honed their sound while rehearsing in unused buildings, and ended up producing a sound that is both unique and eclectic. They draw from powerful influences, but produce a sound that’s unique and which adds diversity to the genre. The band’s newest independent release, Ashmedai, came out on July 4th, and is available for free or “name your price” on Bandcamp. Ashmedai contains four songs, each very different from each other, but tied together by the common threads of riffs, trippy guitar leads, heavy bass, and pounding drums. Here’s the fourth track from the EP, Wendigo.

You just heard Circus Cannon with the song Wendigo, from the new EP, Ashmedai. Wrapping up the show is King of None, a hard-rock band from Helsinki, Finland. They produce riffy hard rock, with plenty of stoner and prog-rock elements. Weightless Waters, released on April 28, 2019, is composed of six heavy songs. It’s a high energy ride that is arguably their most polished, mature EP to date. The songs range from four and a half to seven minutes. Each song is crisp and tight and it’s a headbanging, hard rock ride from start to finish. Here’es the second track from the EP, called Worlds Collide.

And that was King of None with Worlds Collide, from their EP, Weightless Waters. Thanks for listening to the Sonic Sofa podcast. Check out the Sonic Sofa on mixcloud.com/purlenaut and thesonicsofa.blog. Please support the bands by buying their music and merch. If you have music or an artist that you think should be featured on the blog or podcast, contact The Purlenaut at thesonicsofashow@gmail.com. Go in peace and rock on, Sofanauts.

Circus Cannon releases new heavy psych EP, Ashmedai

Posted on August 25, 2019 by thesonicsofa

Hailing from London, Circus Cannon is a powerful four-piece heavy-psych band. The band honed their sound while rehearsing in unused buildings, and ended up producing a sound that is both unique and eclectic. They seem to draw from powerful influences, but produce a sound that is unique and which adds diversity to the genre. The band’s newest independent release, Ashmedai, came out on July 4th, and is available for free or “name your price” on Bandcamp.

Ashmedai is the latest in the band’s quadrilogy of EPs, all of which demonstrate the band’s ability to create both interesting vocal driven and instrumental music. Ashmedai contains four songs, each very different from each other, but tied together by the common threads of riffs, trippy guitar leads, heavy bass, and pounding drums. The EP also features plenty of cool change-ups, heavy distortion, and an experimental flavor, sharing a vein with notable veterans like Dead Meadow.

Frog King (4:49) is the instrumental first-track. The wah pedal features heavily and the song has several tight change-ups that keep it rocking. Dynamic guitar leads and a dialed in rhythm section make this a solid opener, and the intensity and heaviness of the ending sound amazing.

The second track, Yes Yes Yes Yes (4:56), is proabably the EP’s most structured song. It starts right in with a riffy groove before the vocals make their first appearance. The vocals, though shaky at times, are very melodic and gave me some slight Nazareth vibes. The instrumental outro is mellow, with a nice, understated guitar lead.

Goblin (3:09) is one of the most experimental tracks on the EP, with a trippy opening, and an interesting drum beat that plays off of both the bass and guitar, which are employing different time signatures. This section is satisfyingly interrupted by a heavy section that unifies all of the instruments, before falling back into the multi-rhythmic groove for the finisher.

Wendigo (4:49) finishes up the EP solidly. The heavily distorted vocals sound great, forming out of phasing guitars, with each taking turns supplying the melody. The bass stands out heavily in a good way, holding down the song while the guitars explore the sonic space. The song wraps up with some tasty drum fills interspersed throughout a syncopated finish.

Ashmedai is a solid release that rewards repeat listens and draws you in with its complex sounds and arrangements. Remember to download it for free on Bandcamp or support the band by naming your price. If you’re in the London area, check out the band at a free show on September 13th at The Underdog, performing with Trevors Head and Dead Yeti.

Yung Druid release riffy, 70’s influenced debut album

Posted on April 29, 2019 by thesonicsofa

Yung Druid is a London-based heavy doom, psych quartet with low-tuned, riffy guitars and high-pitched melodic vocals. The group’s music is straightforward and solid, without being too complex. The group creates riffy, sludgy, classic metal, in the vein of Black Sabbath, but with some of the psychedelic sensibilities of softer bands like Dead Meadow and Sleepy Sun.

Ever since the single, Take Me to Your Dealer, dropped back in September of 2018, the groovy lead drew me in and I started keeping an eye out for the full album. Released on Bandcamp in April, Yung Druid’s self titled album is no disappointment: It’s full of high flying vocals, killer guitar leads, and walls of reverb and distortion. The drums sound great in the mix, with heavy cymbals that are really allowed to ring out and sing. The guitars and bass are down-tuned and heavy, and the vocals never struggle to hit the high notes.

The album officially releases on June 1, 2019 through Totem Cat Records. A limited run of 300 vinyl records is available for purchase on Bandcamp. Hopefully the band reissues more units for the June release as supplies are already limited (32 remain at the time of writing this).

Take Me to Your Dealer (5:56) is the album’s riffy opener. It’s a groovy, psych-doom song with X-Files inspired lyrics and a trippy last half that feels like you’re being taken away on an alien abduction trip.

Sleepy Eyes (6:47) is filled with commanding riffs and has some cool change-ups. Two vocal tracks create nice harmonies throughout the song. Heavy distortion on the guitars and lots of reverb on the vocals give this song some great psychedelic qualities.

Underneath the Aching Sky (4:35) is a shorter headbanger with some seriously catchy guitar and vocal hooks. The vocals carry some echoes of Ozzy and Geddy Lee, and the guitar riffs are dark and Sabbath-esque. Pay attention for the awesome sounding china cymbal.

Lung (4:47) takes a break from the heaviness is much softer. The vocals are a little more laid back and the song has some great guitar solo work.

After a hard hitting intro, Went into a Wooden Room (6:24) features a standout bass line guides the way into a psychedelic audioscape. The track grooves along and takes its time unfurling itself.

Morning Come (4:26) finishes the album strong. The closing song featuring strong guitar riffs, a solid rhythm section, and beautiful vocal melodies.

If you’re into 70’s influenced retro rock with tons of riffs, high flying vocals, and plenty of stoner lyrics, look no further than Yung Druid. Check out the music video which is just as trippy and spaced out as the music. The video also has tin-foil hat wearing aliens, so go for it!