Album Review: Mystic Vulture by Cleõphüzz

Posted on March 10, 2023 by thesonicsofa

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This album review comes with bittersweet news: Cleõphüzz, the five piece desert rock band from Ville Marie, Quebec, unique for their addition of cello in the mix, have announced that they are parting ways, citing problems related to the pandemic. Lucky for us, they were able to rally their forces one last time to release Mystic Vulture, their epic final album.

Mystic Vulture is the group’s second full length, a followup to 2018’s Wizard of Phüzz. The album has everything you could wish for from a stoner rock album, from spacious sounding drums and gnarly riffs, to the huge, spaced-out sound, down to the psychedelic desert scape cover artwork by Tessa Najjar. Going back to that “huge, spaced-out sound,” it’s refreshing to note that this album really ‘breathes,’ with the band taking time to establish psychedelic auras, explore riffs, and really jam. The eight song album clocks in at 47 minutes. It was recorded and mixed by Francois Lachapelle during the pandemic and released in February.

1. THE END 2:32
2. DESERT RIDER 5:54
3. SORTILÈGE 4:15
4. DESPERADO 9:02
5. SARCOPHAGE 3:27
6. WHEN THE SIREN BLOWS 6:49
7. MYSTIC VULTURE 6:32
8. SUNDOWN IN THE AFTERLIFE 8:01

The album is mostly composed of instrumental tracks, which are given cinematic quality by the cello, notably on opener, The End, and closer Sundown in the Afterlife, which features a cool symphonic ending with some beautifully harmonic resolution. The grungy vocals come in to play on the swaggery riffer, Desert Rider. Listen for some Alice in Chains-esque harmonies on Desperado, which also features some heavy guitar progressions and a cool grindy organ.

A great album from psychedelic start to finish, Mystic Vulture can be found on Bandcamp. Digital download is available for $5. There’s no word of a physical release given the band’s current status. The band still maintains an active social media presence. Check out this interview with guitarist, Alex Savourin, for more insight into the band’s creative process, influences, as well as their disbanding. Hopefully they will reunite someday and give us a chance to hear these tracks performed live.

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“Demonic Bongolic Cannabinoise” Debut EP by Bongoloid

Posted on January 8, 2023 by thesonicsofa

*Demonic Bongolic Cannabinoise released Dec 27, 2022*

Bongoloid is the cannabinoisy doom metal project of Franciso Calvinho, a multi-instrumentalist based in Rafaela, Argentina. His exploratory and experimental debut EP, Demonic Bongolic Cannabinoise, was released in December. It’s like a bowl fully packed with stoner doom riffs and weedy lyrics. If cannabis infused vocals, trance-inducing rhythms, and chunky doom tones are your bread and cannabutter, you’ll dig Bongoloid.

By The Lighter And The Bowl 06:37
The Altar Of The God Of Bong 3:15
The Color Of Ashes 06:24
Smoke & Mirrors 04:07

The guitars are thickly layered, providing thick walls of trance-inducing riffs and feedback infused leads, like on opener, By the Lighter and the Bowl. Frequent coughing and sustained bong hits are employed throughout the EP and used like additional instruments. The words are primarily cannabis oriented, as indicated by the song titles, and the smoky lyrics are delivered yell style, like early Elder, with occasional hardcore vocals like on the “creepy” The Color of Ashes. On the bottom line, Francisco lays down unique pattern-oriented beats, soaked in dubby reverb, paired with a thick, doomy bass tone, notable on The Altar of the God of Bong and instrumental closer, Smoke & Mirrors. The EP features trippy art provided by Tercer Ojo Disenio. It’s available on Bandcamp for $3.

Dead Meadow release Force Form Free

Posted on December 23, 2022 by thesonicsofa

*Force Form Free was released on December 9th*

Dead Meadow is a psychedelic rock band. Formed in 1998 in Washington DC, the band is now based in LA. The group has spent the better part of 25 years immersing listeners in laid back, fuzzy audio waves. Their music is soaked in a deep groove you can almost taste, with wah drenched guitar leads that will astral project your ears into a different reality. Dead Meadow will appeal to fans of bands like Sleepy Sun, Black Mountain, and The Re-Stoned.

Force Form Free, the band’s latest album, was released through independent label, Blues Funeral Recordings. The album was produced for the label’s Post Wax vinyl subscription series, with the band “working up a disparate yet cohesive group of songs that placed new works alongside the culmination of ideas they’d been tinkering with since the band’s genesis.”

1. The Left Hand Path 6:51
2. The Lure of the Next Peak 5:51
3. Valmont’s Pad 4:27
4. To Let the Time Go By 3:20
5. Force Form Free 6:28
6. Binah 8:03

The album is mostly instrumental, immersing listeners in six richly layered psychedelic jams. We’re treated to dreamy reflections like chill tracks, The Lure of the Next Peak and Force Form Free, with it’s drony Middle Eastern sound. There’s plenty of groovy riffs and wah pedal steeped leads like on the fuzzy Valmont’s Pad. Jason Simon gives a taste of his distinct vocals on To Let the Time Go By and Binah, the only two tracks with lyrics.

Force Form Free is the perfect album for sinking into the sofa and letting your ears drift away to the dreamy rhythms. Check out the psychedelic visualizers for the tracks on Youtube. You can find the digital album on Bandcamp. Stream it or download the album for $7. Dyed vinyl is available for $26 and CD’s for $11. Check out the band’s website and social media.

Tour dates

JAN 14 The Lodge Room – Highland Park, CA