DAYGLO MOURNING - Dead Star review

 

DAYGLO MOURNING - Dead Star

Black Doomba Records

Just to be honest here (hey I'm as honest as the day is long) when I saw this release was by a stoner rock band I had my misgivings. Personally I'm fairly stoned out when it comes to this sub-genre of doom. I've been thinking that for a dozen years now aka: since the last time it had a revival that lasted a bit. Since then I'll hear at least twenty stoner rock band releases a year for review purposes. Usually one will standout from the generic crowd and really be fuckin cool. This one here is a standout.

DAYGLO MOURNING is a three piece act from Atlanta, Georgia. They've been around for just a couple of years, 2017 to be exact. So far they have one self titled full length album plus a split EP they did with another Atlanta doom band, BLUDY GYRES. Both of those releases came out in 2018. Now as far as this one goes let me just say yeah this band has a grasp of the stoner rock basics. In other words yes they know the fundamentals of SABBATH's Master of Reality heavy groove. 

What stands out is how they inject some amazing early 70's hard rock/blues guitar soloing. To me that's so fuckin cool to hear since I grew up with that stuff. And if you hit the wah wah pedal you win me the fuck over. Something else interesting is that the riffs used here sound familiar but in a good way. It's like yeah I heard that one before but I really like how you do it as well. The vocals are not your standard fair as well. At times there's this evil low toned singing as well as some deep baritone. 

While I was listening to this I kept thinking this is not a band trying to expand the boundaries of a worn thin genre. Instead they incorporate ideas which are part of the genre's not so SABBATH influences which is basic 70's hard rock. Very cool album here and hopefully, if things in the touring world get back to normal this year, maybe they'll come up my way for a show.

https://www.blackdoombarecords.co/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dayglomourning2.bandcamp.com/album/dead-star-2

DAYGLO MOURNING / BLUDY GYRES - Rope Enough For Two split review

DAYGLO MOURNING / BLUDY GYRES - Rope Enough For Two split

Black Doomba Records




Here we have two doom metal bands from Atlanta, Georgia. One of whom I know about and the other totally brand new. Let's start with the one I know about and that's BLUDY GYRES. This band is known to me in a way because it features guitarist Chris Abbamonte and bassist/vocalist Tommy Stewart both of whom were in HALLOWS EVE. 


A quick story for ya. I've got a friend who is the biggest HALLOW'S EVE fan around. He even booked a show here with them years ago. In the past every time I was partying over at his house, he'd get a little drunk and then put on History of Terror box set. Then he'd flash the cover at me and say "This is True Metal".


So a few years ago I learned about another Tommy Stewart side project called Tommy Stewart's Dyerwulf. So I sent my friend a link to a single from them. He checked it out, didn't like it and then sent me back a link to the song "Death & Insanity" followed by the words "True Metal".


BLUDY GYRES contribution to this split here is a remastered version of a previously released song by them, “Behold! Your World Now Burns”. The cut is a seventeen and a half minute opus of SABBATH-ian pleasures, 70's era KING CRIMSON and psych. It's a weird cut starting off but after listening to it a few times you get the idea that BLUDY GYRES is and will be a band to watch in the future. 


On the other side of the coin we have a three piece stoner/sludge act, DAYGLO MOURNING, who supply three cuts of raw, simple but thunderous fuckin doom. The only problem I have with their contribution is that the caustic vocals, which are a breath of fresh air, are low in the mix. Then again when the fuckin beast from 20,000 fathoms is marching down mainstreet, crushing cars and eating people it's hard to hear vocals.


This split is a great representation of two cool sounding bands who don't follow trends. One's pushing the rage while the other touches on contemplation. Both are great at what they do.


https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/

https://dayglomourning1.bandcamp.com/releases

DEATH OF KINGS - Kneel Before None review

DEATH OF KINGS - Kneel Before None 

Boris Records




It was around a week or two ago that I reviewed a seven incher by this Atlanta thrash act and now here they are with their debut full length. But after listening to Kneel Before None I believe an update on genre categorization on my part is needed. So lets just call em metal since the band does bring in some variety whether it's fast raging blasters or straight up classic sounding metal from the bygone days. Ya got yer harsh screeched vocals, extreme metal screams, explosive riffs, a pummeling rhythm section workout and extremely sharp solos.


The nine songs on here definitely harken back to the mid-80s style of metal. Don't call it proto thrash or I'll kill you. I hate that term along with proto anything. No this is metal in the vein of EXCITER but even with that said DEATH OF KINGS are not trying to ride some nostalgia trip revival. This release is for all and is perfect from start to finish. Easily one of the best metal releases of 2017. Hell I really wanna see this band play my town. Great artwork as well and yes I did say this is ONE OF THE BEST METAL RELEASES OF 2017.

http://boris-records.com/

https://deathofkings.bandcamp.com/album/kneel-before-none-2017

https://www.facebook.com/deathofkingsmetal

DEATH OF KINGS - Hell Comes to Life review

DEATH OF KINGS - Hell Comes to Life  

Boris Records 




OK two points I have to make the first is I can't believe I'm writing about two song 7"ers again. The second point is that I can't believe I'm actually going to say something nice about a band from Atlanta. Of course this four piece band from there are an exception to those previous points. DEATH OF KINGS are a thrash band which is the complete opposite of the typical sludge metal I've heard come out of their town which probably overshadows what else their local music scene has to offer.


But yeah this is a single, "Hell Comes to Life" with the flip being a JUDAS PRIEST cover "Hell Patrol" from the Painkiller album. No surprise on the choice of a PRIEST cover since that was a thrashy album. As far as the original cut on here DEATH OF KINGS do push the old school thrash theme well. Think more Bay Area thrash sounding than say the East Coast. When the song opens it has a SLAYER - esque riff feel plus their vocalist gives off a Tom Araya type scream but other than that it's pretty indistinguishable from most famous thrash acts of the past. Great guitar soloing by the way which is a face ripper. Vocals basically have that high pitch aggro touch.

This is the band's second single but they have a few more small format releases to their credit. Of course there's word that they'll have a full length out later this year. That's something to look forward to.


http://boris-records.com/

https://deathofkings.bandcamp.com/album/hell-comes-to-life-hell-patrol-7

https://www.facebook.com/deathofkingsmetal