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ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: Portland Psychedelic Stoner Doom Collective To Release Mystic Goddess Full-Length May 21st Via Small Stone; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available

[Photo by Eddie Brnabic]

 Stream / Share ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD’s “Mystic Goddess” HERE

Portland, Oregon based psychedelic stoner doom collective ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD will release their Mystic Goddess full-length via Small Stone on May 21st! Forged thanks to a rare 2015 planetary alignment, ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD made an immediate impact with a meteor shower of cosmic grooves and high-octane riffs in the galactic vortex where doom, psych, and stoner rock collide. As a live act, they are a force with which to be reckoned and their 2019 debut Cosmic Riders has garnered over 300,000 plays and counting on digital streaming sites, including Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube.  

Eager to take their sound to uncharted regions of the galaxy, ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLDentered Seattle’s Soundhouse Studios in February 2020 to record with Jack Endino, famed sonic architect of the grunge revolution, and his longtime protégé Mikel Perkins. They emerged through the wormhole with Mystic Goddess, a forty-three-minute hallucinatory sound excursion through a wide range of styles that keeps listeners engaged while never losing focus or sacrificing flow.  

“Raw, powerful, no nonsense production is what we were seeking,” says guitarist Justin Laubscher. After connecting with Endino through a friend and veteran of the grunge wars, Laubscher says the band “scraped up every nickel we could and went for it.” 

Recorded, mixed, and mastered in six days, Mystic Goddess almost crashed and burned prior to liftoff. Four days in, Endino abruptly fell ill, “wrecked from this weird flu from hell,” according to Laubscher. “At the time, COVID-19 was not yet a thing in the US.” Perkins engineered the final two days of tracking. “Perkins is a legend, stepped in without missing a beat, and we all felt at ease. He entertained our more fringe ideas, the ones up until that point I was apprehensive to present to Jack.” Endino eventually finished the mixes remotely and Perkins is credited as co-producer. 

 Musically, the new album includes nods to stoner rock titans like the Stooges, Kyuss, and Boris but the band also wasn’t afraid to borrow ideas from Guns ‘N’ Roses and Santana, while deep diving into their usual lyrical fetishes.  

“I’m intrigued by psychedelics, esotericism, and conspiracy theories. I love to go deep with secret societies, other dimensions, and all that jazz. So, when you hear the Carl Sagan intro to ‘Cosmic Riders’ or David Icke closing out ‘Mystic Goddess,’ it’s a tribute,” notes Laubscher, “a nod to those dudes who are a creative inspiration for my song writing.” 

In advance of the release of Mystic GoddessROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD is pleased to unveil the record’s hypnotic opening title track. Vocalist Caleb Weidenbach comments, “I think for us, this song really is in a way a blueprint to our sound. Justin showed up with these killer riffs and I was hooked on the track. A lot of times my lyrics come from a place of feeling and the words often just spill out of my mouth when they are ready. It’s about women who captivate you, it’s about loneliness and those times we feel lost. I was going through some heavy shit at that time and this song pulled out a lot of the feelings.” 

Bask in the galactic grooves of “Mystic Goddess” at THIS LOCATION

Mystic Goddess, which features cover art by Swedish artist Robin Gnista, will be released on CD and digital formats via Small Stone with Kozmik Artifactz handling a limited vinyl edition. Find preorder options at THIS LOCATION

Mystic Goddess Track Listing:

1. Mystic Goddess
2. Wasteland
3. Agua Caliente
4. Out Of The Gallows
5. Unholy Trinity
6. MK Ultraviolence
7. Lucifyre
8. Ordo Ab Khao 

ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD: 

Caleb Weidenbach – vocals
Nico Schmutz – guitar
Justin Laubscher – guitar
Trevor Berecek – bass
Harry Silvers – drums

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30 March 2021 Uncategorized Read more

MISS LAVA: Lisbon Heavy Rock Unit To Release Doom Machine This January Via Small Stone / Kozmik Artifactz; “Fourth Dimension” Video Now Playing + Preorders Available

View / Share MISS LAVA’s “Fourth Dimension” HERE. Lisbon’s premier heavy rockers MISS LAVA will release their long-awaited new full-length, Doom Machine, this January via Small stone.  The perfect soundtrack for the post-lockdown world, the band’s fourth album and follow-up to 2017’s Dominant Rush EP stands as their densest output to date doused in kaleidoscopic riff explorations and hypnotic interludes; a multi-textured sonic journey that’s at once deep, heavy, mesmerizing, and cathartic. Captured live at Generator Music Studios in Sintra, Portugal by Miguel “Veg” Marques, the record carries with it the warmth and soul of a band full of fresh vigor and perhaps the demons of these tumultuous times. The record is loosely focused on the tragic death of guitarist K. Raffah’s baby son and the other members’ children born during the creative process. “Doom Machine is a very emotional experience for us…,” Raffah shares. “[My son] was only here for a month and a half, but his light was very bright. We feel his presence every time.” Thematically vocalist Johnny Lee adds, “This album reflects on how each one of us can breed and unleash our own self-destructive force, assembled to be part of a giant ‘Doom Machine.'” In advance of the record’s release, today the band is pleased to unveil a video for first single, “Fourth Dimension,” noting, “this is a riff raff explosion that urges people to get out of the cave allegory they live in.”Directed by José Dinis, view MISS LAVA’s “Fourth Dimension” at THIS LOCATION.

Doom Machine will be released on CD and digitally via Small Stone with Kozmik Artifactz handling a limited vinyl edition. Find preorders at THIS LOCATIONDoom Machine Track Listing: 1. Fourth Dimension2. In The Mire3. Magma4. Brotherhood Of Eternal Love5. Sleepy Warm6. The Great Divide7. Karma8. The Fall9. Alpha10. The Oracle11. Terra12. Doom Machine13. God Feeds The Swine *14. Feel Surreal *15. Red Atlantis *** Bonus tracks on CD and digital only  Doom Machine is the successor to MISS LAVA‘s Dominant Rush EP (2017), Sonic Debris (2016), Red Supergiant (2013), and Blues For The Dangerous Miles (2009) – named by Loud Magazine as one of the Top 5 Portuguese Albums Of The Year – as well as a limited edition self-titled blood red vinyl EP (2008). MISS LAVA has brought their explosive presence to stages in the UK, Spain, and Germany and played slots at festivals like Stoned From The Underground, Stonefest, Super Bock Super Rock, Rock In Rio Lisboa, Reverence Valada, Vagos Open Air, Barroselas Metal Fest, and Faro Bike Meeting in their home country. In addition to having traveled to play an exclusive one-off at the legendary Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles, the band has shared stages with Queens Of The Stone Age, Graveyard, Ufomammut, Greenleaf, W.A.S.P., Kyuss Lives!, Fu Manchu, Valient Thorr, Entombed, Truckfighters, and many more. The band hopes to return to stages in 2021 to showcase that audio crush that is Doom Machine.

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12 November 2020 Uncategorized Read more

TIA CARRERA: Austin-Based Heavy Psych/Blues Rock Instrumental Trio To Release Tried And True Full-Length Via Small Stone June 12th; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available


Stream / Share TIA CARRERA’s “Layback” At THIS LOCATION 

Austin, Texas-based heavy psych/blues rock instrumental trio TIA CARRERA will release their long-awaited Tried And True full-length via Small Stone June 12th.Guitarist/engineer Jason Morales and drummer Erik Conn are pushing two decades under the TIA CARRERA banner. Thus, latest endeavor Tried And True, has more than earned its name. Ahead of 2019’s two-song Visitors/Early Purple LP, the founding duo recruited longtime friend and Austin legend Curt Christenson (Dixie Witch, Crimson Devils) as a permanent member, and his well-established bass wizardry has served to embolden the band’s sound, dynamics, and unspoken communion as artists. Tried And True represents in blistering fashion TIA CARRERA‘s unwavering trajectory of heavy psych/blues bliss exploration.  

The band is famously selective about what they release to the public. With each performance unique by virtue of improvisation, they’ve amassed a huge, never-issued collection of recorded material, both live performances and private studio tracks.  Tried And True is a sonic voyage culled from their latest studio work and across a thirty-seven-minute LP (the compact disc runs seventy-one minutes with the only-previously-on-vinyl “Visitors” and “Early Purple” as CD bonus tracks) the three-piece once again scorches their way into the hearts of the lysergic converted. As veterans, TIA CARRERA remains fueled by passion and creative drive, and any time they’ll let us hear what they’ve been up to, we can only consider ourselves lucky.  

Recorded and mixed at The BBQ Shack in Austin, engineered by the band’s own Jason Morales, mastered by Jerry Tubb at Nova Mastering (also in Austin) and swathed in the eye-catching artwork of Alexander Von Weding, Tried And True will see release on CD, digital, and limited edition vinyl formats. Fans of Earthless, Jimi Hendrix, All Them Witches, Fu Manchu, Black Elephant, and Kyuss pay heed. 

For preorders and to sample first single, “Layback,” visit the Small Stone Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION

Tried And True Track Listing:
1. Layback 
2. Taos 
3. Swingin’ Wing 
4. Zen And The Art Of The Thunderstorm 
5. Tried And True 
6. Visitors* 
7. Early Purple* 
* CD Only Bonus Tracks 

TIA CARRERA: 
Jason Morales – guitar 
Curt Christenson – bass 
Erik Conn – drums  

“…groovy heavy rock jams with psychedelic mood, lengthy, tasty solos and hazy atmosphere. Alcohol consumption is strongly advised during the listening…”  – Downtuned Mag

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30 March 2020 Uncategorized Read more

LORD FOWL: Connecticut Riff Rock/Retro Metallers To Release Glorious Babylon Full-Length April 24th Via Small Stone; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available

Connecticut riff rock/retro metal unit LORD FOWL will release their Glorious Babylon full-length April 24th via Small Stone.

LORD FOWL took shape in New Haven in the summer of 2007 with one goal: to write songs like those they grew up hearing. Songs that drive you. Songs that come alive. Songs that rock. With Glorious Babylon, their third LP and second to see release via Small Stone Records, LORD FOWL refuses to compromise this high standard, bringing forth the energy of their dynamic stage presence and dual lead vocals, as the song-craft of singer/guitarists Vechel Jaynes and Mike Pellegrino reaches its next level of progression. 

 Recorded at BirdsEye Studios in West Haven, producer and bassist Jon Conine (with the assistance of by Steve Hill) captures LORD FOWL‘s vitality as only one part of the fray could hope to do, and though drummer Michael Petrucci has since left the band with Van Hartley stepping in to fill his significant percussive shoes, the drums provide the foundation of Glorious Babylon.  

Across the record’s ten-track/thirty-seven-minute span, LORD FOWL raises their own bar. Following 2008’s Endless Dynamite and 2012’s Moon QueenGlorious Babylon arrives as an awaited third chapter in LORD FOWL‘s peculiar mythology, harnessing the spirit they’ve brought to stages up and down the East Coast, at SXSW, and beyond, breathing life once more into classic, soulful, and psychedelic heavy rock and roll.  

With a sound just as likely to nod to Thin Lizzy and a heavy Funkadelic as to early Queen or Paul Di’Anno-era Iron Maiden, it is still the vision and classic purpose of their songwriting that brings the band together. Songs that rock. Old heads, new heads, riff-worshippers, and freaks: LORD FOWL have built a city just for you. Fans of Queen, Dirty Honey, Rival Sons, Freedom Hawk, Crobot, Rival Sons, Greenleaf, Fu Manchu, La Chinga, and the like pay heed. 

Glorious Babylon will see release via Small Stone Recordings on CD, digital, and deluxe gatefold vinyl formats on April 24th. The vinyl edition — a German import pressing via Kozmik Artifactz — is limited to 500 and will be available in two color variants: transparent pink or clear with purple and white splatter.

For preorders and to stream opening track “Fire Discipline,” visit the Small Stone Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION.

Glorious Babylon Track Listing: 
1. Fire Discipline 
2. Glorious Babylon 
3. Get Lost 
4. Deep Empty 
5. The Wraith 
6. In Search Of 
7. The Gramercy Riffs 
8. Red Cloud 
9. Epitaph 
10. Space Jockey  

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22 February 2020 Uncategorized Read more

SEVEN PLANETS: West Virginia Heavy Instrumentalists To Release Explorer Full-Length Via Small Stone This February; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available


West Virginia-based heavy instrumentalists SEVEN PLANETS will release their third full-length, fitting titled Explorer, in early 2020 through Detroit’s Small Stone Records.

Drawing on classic metal, heavy boogie, and blues rock, the group formed in 2007 and consists of guitarists Leonard Hanks and Jim Way, bassist Mike Williams, and drummer Ben Pitt, all of whom have played in bands together in different configurations for over twenty-five years. Its groove-anchored sound has drawn comparisons to Brant Bjork and Clutch-offshoot The Bakerton Group with The Obelisk noting, “the instrumental chemistry and stylistic foundation… fuse the varying sides of their sound into a cohesive funky, heavy psychedelic whole, entirely their own.”

Written and recorded over a period of personal difficulties and individual strife for the four band members, Explorer captures a sense of escapist freedom in its deep grooves, burly riffs, and expansive atmosphere, which further illustrates what Heavy Planet stated in its review of the band’s self-titled 2012 LP, “SEVEN PLANETS take you on an amazing journey into another cosmic dimension.”

Notes Hanks, “The writing and recording of Explorer was a long and interrupted process. We started writing the album in early 2014. But in April of that year I was diagnosed with cancer and had to have surgery so there was a hiatus while I recovered. Then Jim was unavailable the last few months of that year. 2015 started with the same intentions of getting the album done but more personal issues came up, so it wasn’t until 2016 that we were really able to get to work on it. Finally, in 2017 we were able to pull everything that we had been working on together and get a cohesive album mixed. Mike who had been dealing with some things had to leave the band after the album was done. Fortunately for us, our good friend Chris Berry stepped right in to pick up where he left off. One thing we wanted to do with this album was have a few more up-tempo, straight forward songs. ‘Vanguard,’ ‘206,’ and ‘The Buzzard’ came from that. The other songs on the album feel like an evolution of what we’ve been doing for years.”

Explorer features artwork by renowned German illustrator Alexander von Wieding (Monster Magnet, Brant Bjork, Karma to Burn, etc.), giving further representation to the idea of escape with a spacebound retro-style rocket headed to the unknown. Exploration in the truest sense.

Explorer will be released CD, digital, and limited-edition vinyl formats (available in two color variants: 200 green marble and 300 purple) and February 7th, 2020.

For preorders and to sample opening track “Vanguard,” visit the Small Stone Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION. Fans of Clutch, Brant Bjork, and Monster Magnet pay heed.

Explorer Track Listing:
1. Vanguard
2. Plain Truth In A Homespun Dress
3. Explorer
4. 206
5. Seven Seas
6. Great Attractor
7. Grissom
8. The Buzzard

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21 November 2019 Uncategorized Read more

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