New album by Vrovl: join the duck hunt and enjoy the ride

Vrovl, a heavy band from Ghent, Belgium, share their second full-length album: ‘La Chasse Au Marais / De Eendenjacht’ (The Duck Hunt). Only three songs, but 38 minutes playtime in total. As we said earlier: this is a band enjoying themselves. There’s lots and lots of noisy fun and mesmerizing riffs.

We reviewed the first track last week, but it goes for the full album: “The atmosphere goes from heavy and slow to psychedelic and mesmerizing, then to rhythmic riff-work that reminds of an early Tool, then back and all over again. On top of that, there’s some great solos in there and some superb electronic noise.”

But what about the story, what’s that about a duck hunt, and why in god’s name would you name a song ‘De Aangeschoten Wilde Eend’ (The Mallard That Got Shot). Rest assured, dear animal-loving Fuzzy Sun-readers, this album is not a petition to go hunting. In their own words: “Only three songs, but we take our time to tell the listener a vague story about nothing in particular. Play it loud, get absorbed in the trip we prepared for you.”

Listen below. Favourite track: De Vlucht v. Waterwild (track number three).

New ‘Radar Men From The Moon’: only 8 tracks, but a world of ideas

Radar Men From The Moon’s sixth full length album ‘The Bestial Light’ is due for release May 8th on Fuzz Club. We got a sneak peek and were delighted. It’s an amazing mix of punk, noise, kraut and metal. The variation and creativity on this album is pretty impressive. And we spotted what we think is an hommage to Belgian grungerock icons dEUS. Extra points!

The band from Eindhoven, The Netherlands, has showed in the past that they are up to anything heavy that comes in mind. With their sixth album ‘The Bestial Light’ they go for an industrial noise-sound with a lot of kraut and metal influences. Neurosis, Swans and Gnod spring to mind, for example.

Opener ‘Breeding’ carries a repetitive riff and screaming and howling vocals. There’s a lot of built-up tension until the finale: a slow-paced outburst of noise and shrieks. Follow-up ‘Piss Christ’ (watch the video below) is as noisepunk as it gets, but the repetitive riff gives the track a groovy feel. Third track ‘Sacred Cunt of the Universe’ is a surprise. Slow pace, no vocals, beautiful saxophone, a kind of spacey, dark ballad vibe.

Then there’s ‘Eden in Reverse’ (listen below). Maybe we are wrong, don’t sue us if we are, but the opening riff, which is played in variations throughout the track, sounds very much like an hommage to suds&soda by Belgian grungerock icons dEUS (listen below). Now we love dEUS, and we love Radar Men From The Moon. And Antwerp and Eindhoven are not that far apart. Anyhow, listen for yourself and let us know if you think we are right.

Title track ‘The Bestial Light’ starts off with a long build-up that leaves you aching for the finale. ‘Self’ we can only describe as a fucked-up mantra for psychopaths looking for self-help, ‘Pleasure’ as a punknoise anthem. ‘Levelling Dust’, the last track, has a new wave-feel and carries some great electronic noise.

In conclusion: ‘The Bestial Light’ stands out because of two things: great vocals throughout, and the album’s creativity: there’s only 8 tracks but there’s a whole world of ideas to discover here. Maybe you won’t like some of them, but none of them are bad.

Out May 8 on Fuzz Club.

These previously unreleased tracks by METZ will get you in a noisepunk frenzy

METZ share two previously unreleased tracks from the ‘Strange Peace’-sessions called Acid and Slow Decay.

As you know, the Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on artists’ revenues. Today, May 1st, Bandcamp has decided to waive their share on all sales, meaning everything you pay goes straight into musicians’ pockets.

It’s a nice gesture, but what’s really cool is that a lot of bands share new or previously unreleased music. And yes, Canadian noiserock gods METZ are among them, praise the lord! You can download the tracks ‘Acid’ and ‘Slow Decay’ right now. The songs were made during the sessions for the 2017 album Strange Peace, but didn’t make the cut.

‘Acid’ is a full-on noisepunk pounder and sounds very METZ. Every line is drowning in reverb and overall noise, the energy is massive. The verse is as punk as it gets, the chorus is an invitation to shout along and thrash the room while you’re at it. ‘Slow Decay’ is even grittier, a catchy punksong hidden underneath layers and layers of noise and reverb.

These are a must-listen for Fuzzy Sun-readers. Highly recommended!

This Japanese-Korean nomadic family shows you what nature sounds like

‘Tengger‘ is Itta and Marqido and their son Raai, a travelling musical family with roots in Korea and Japan. Their latest album ‘Nomad’ is due for June 12th on Beyond Beyond is Beyond. Their ‘new age drone magic’, as they call it, is as calming as it is uplifting.

Tengger apparently means ‘unlimited expanse of sky’ in Mongolian. The moniker fits the music perfectly. With a harmonium, a battery of analogue synths and sometimes children’s toys they create a perfectly unique, spiritual sound. It’s easy to lose yourself in the waves of their repetitive, hypnotic music. The term ‘spiritual journey’ comes to mind.

This might not be a perfect fit for the average Fuzzy Sun-reader, but we like it a lot. And hey, these are hard times. If you want to re-connect with the world around you and you’re too lazy for yoga, Tengger is the answer. Watch the beautiful video below, and make sure to listen to the track ‘Eurasia’ as well.

Twin Sister’s heavy drone leaves you weak-kneed and disoriented

Dutch band Twin Sister, with band members from Sex Swing, Dead Neanderthals and Mugstar, presents its eponymous debut. Heavy, repetitive drone that knocks you off your balance.

The album consists of five tracks, ranging from 4 to 10 minutes. The pace is very slow, the mood threatening and abbrasive. Every track is made up of one heavy riff that is repeated over and over, with only minimal variation. The result leaves you dizzy and disoriented, like it’s meant to bring you in a slightly unsafe trance. Listening for a while gives you the feeling that the overtones of the riffs are nestling themselves between your brain lobes.

What really stands out here, is the album’s consistency. Five tracks, no compromises whatsoever on the recepy: slow, heavy and repetitive doom-drone. The album should come with a warning though; do not drive and listen, high risk of heavy car crash.

New tracks by Bill Nace: Get high or get a headache

Bill Nace, half of experimental duo Body/Head (with Kim Gordon), shares two tracks of his upcoming solo album ‘Both’: Part 5 and Part 7. Either get high or get a headache.

Bill Nace has collaborated with artists such as Yoko Ono, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, and saying he likes experimental improvisation is an understatement. His solo album ‘Both’ will be released on the 22nd of May, but we get to hear two tracks right now: Part 5 and Part 7.

In his own words, Bill Nace ‘has found a stimulating, chiaroscuro-stubbled path back to the electric guitar’s anarchic promise, drawn through eight colorful pieces that are equal parts sound, noise and music.’

It’s hard to say anything about repetetive experimental noise without sounding stupid, but we’ll try anyway. The guitar loops have an organic, moody feel, and are calming and uncanny at the same time. All we can say is we liked it. We’ve even put the loops on loop – the noise bounces through your skull like a bat with corona in an empty cave. You either get high or you get a splitting headache. Listening is the only way to know.

Shit and Shine wrecks your mind with messed-up album Scenic Farm

If we are to believe Discogs, ‘Scenic Farm’ is Shit and Shine‘s 23d album. Seems like a lot, but professional music wacko Craig Clouse never disappoints. ‘Scenic Farm’ is a collection of totally messed-up electronic noise with equally messed-up titles, and the result is very entertaining, especially because of the groovy beats.

The album is recorded at the ‘Shit and Shine Ranch’ in Austin, Texas. We don’t know if there’s also an actual farmer growing stuff there, but if there is, we would like to buy his produce. Scenic Farm consists of 15 tracks, ranging from 8 seconds to more than 11 minutes, and they’re all highly wacky and highly captivating.

Every track is different, from techno-inspired noise (opener whaxaxaxki) to krautrock-americana electronics (camino real) and dubstep-oriented bass (slub) and just plain insane-ness (title track scenic farm and $$PTBRK). Most of them have one thing in common, the beats are not as messed-up as the mood, which makes the album feel groovy and even danceable. And the jokes are great fun (listen to EE, seems like Clouse pressed a wrong button and decided to make it a track).

Scenic Farm is out on Rock is Hell Records. Our favourite track: Yates and Madison.

Vrovl shares ‘De Stuurman’: 11 minutes of mesmerizing heavy fun

Vrovl, a heavy band from Ghent, Belgium, shares the first track of their upcoming mini-album ‘De Eendenjacht’ (The Goose Hunt). It’s called ‘De Stuurman’ (The Navigator) and it’s more than 11 minutes of noisy fun and mesmerizing riffs.

Vrovl is all about a dark, hypnotizing atmosphere combined with heavy, rhythmic riffs. The music is often rather solemn, but there’s room for fun as well. In their artwork, song titles and live performances, the band shows a humorous approach. Their first EP, called Koeterwaals (translated it means something like ‘gobbledygook’) consists of one 17-minute long track.

Their newest fledgling is called ‘De Stuurman’. Again, it seems like the band must have had lots of fun. The atmosphere goes from heavy and slow to psychedelic and mesmerizing, then to rhythmic riff-work that reminds of an early Tool, then back and all over again. On top of that, there’s some great solos in there and some superb electronic noise. The band succeeds in delivering a 11-minute track without one dull moment, and there are no vocals whatsoever. The more we listened, the more we liked it. This is a must-hear.

Oh, and you’ll enjoy the weird video with animal violence and sexy ladies from a different age.

 

 

Hypochristmutreefuzz’s ‘Hypnos’: Old fashioned schizophrenic nightmare

Belgian noiserockers Hypochristmutreefuzz (try saying that three times in a row) rock the boat with their second full length album, called Hypnos. The tracks are nightmarish, the influence of American experimental hip hop band Death Grips is everywhere.

‘Hypnos’ is a concept album. All of the tracks are an attack on the senses, all of them short and concise. A couple of scary interludes knit the whole thing together. The mood is nightmarish and chaotic, like an old school horror movie. The influence of Death Grips is everywhere, but ‘Hypnos’ also has a definite nineties noiserock and industrial feel – to the point of being a bit nostalgic.

After an old fashioned intro, the first track is Hypochristmutreefuzz more or less like we know it: ‘Ding Dong’ sports an irregular riff with out-of-control screams and yells on top. Next up is the album’s single, ‘Ode to the night’. It’s a great track, but it could’ve been Death Grips just as well.

The rest of the album goes along similar lines. Interludes and audio fragments that feel somewhat dated, but set the mood, and tracks that yo-yo between nineties industrial and an ode to Death Grips. ‘Ghostess’ somewhat stands out, with a clear hook and melody.

‘Hypnos’ is at its best when you can yell along (terrified! terrified!) and when the typical Hypochristmutreefuzz-riffs join in. The songs with a Death Grips-feel are great and expertly executed, but the original is hard to beat.

You can find Hypochristmutreefuzz and more on “The Big Belgian Noiserock List”.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Hypochristmutreefuzz/

 

Öresund by Kanaan: Euphoric jam from Norway’s tiger city

Kanaan, or the promised land in Hebrew, is a psychedelic band from Oslo, Norway. With their third, soon-to-be-released album ‘Double Sun’, Ask, Ingvald and Eskild clearly have one goal in mind: get you to higher spheres. Here you can listen to the album’s third track, Öresund.

We did some googling, and apparently Öresund is bridge between Sweden and Denmark. There’s no lyrics, so we can only guess why the track is called after an eight kilometre long bridge in Scandinavia. The song lifts you up to higher plane, the mood is ecstatic and slightly melancholic. If crossing the bridge gives you the same thing, we know where to go in the summer.

Anyhow, Öresund feels more like an elaborate jam than a structured song, but we don’t mind in the least. The pace is rather high, the drums have a nervous feel and the guitars are stacked with effects that propel the track to a euphoric finale. The whole jam has a dreamy, liberating quality to it. No need for opioids, this does the trick.

https://www.facebook.com/kanaanband/

https://www.facebook.com/elparaisorecords

https://elparaisorecords.com/

 

Kooba Tercu shares ‘Qasan’: there’s always something lurking in the shadows

Psychedelic noise band Kooba Tercu, based in Athens and partly in London, shares the first track from their upcoming album Proto Tekno, to be released late May at Rocket Recordings. The track is called Qasan, the mood is tribal and ominous.

The tracks starts off with a threatening, repetitive riff accompanied by menacing floor toms. Then, tribal-like moans join in. A fast paced blues-beat interspersed with high toms, bells and weird chanting strengthen the impression of a tribal war party around a gloomy bonfire. There’s a pause, and then the mad dance really hits off.

The accompanying video is shot in the woods around what is probably Athens. Again, the mood is sinister, like there’s something evil in the dark, preying on the city. In interviews, the band often expressed that the dichotomy between civilisation and rapid progress on the one hand and counteractive forces on the other hand is a recurrent theme.

What better time for a theme like that? We usually go about feeling safe and secure, supported by the pillars of society. But now, while the coronavirus is raging, we know there’s always something lurking in the shadows.

https://www.facebook.com/KoobaTercu

https://www.facebook.com/rocket.recordings.uk/