WINDS OF NEPTUNE: Detroit Rock Trio Featuring Current/Former Members Of Flogging Molly, The Meatmen, 500 Ft. Of Pipe, And More To Release Eponymous Debut On November 21st Via Small Stone Recordings; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available

Photo by Joe Alberty

In the summer of 2020, with the world on lockdown, and consequently drummer Mike Alonso sidelined from his otherwise intense touring schedule with renowned Celtic punk rockers Flogging Molly, and with guitarist Kevin Roberts and bassist/vocalist Ross Westerbur both between projects and with pretty much nothing else to do besides ride out the pandemic, the three Detroit rock stalwarts verified their respective COVID-19-negative statuses, and then agreed to take what was a pretty bold step in those days: getting together face-to-face in Kevin’s basement for a good old-fashioned rock and roll jam. Ross, who was until then primarily a keyboardist (with a long resume that includes noted stoner rockers 500 Ft. Of Pipe, as well as alt-country road warriors The Deadstring Brothers, and just about everything in between), had recently acquired a Fender Mustang bass, and was glad to have an excuse to finally figure out how to play it. (Although for those first few jams he brought along his Wurlitzer 200 electric piano just in case.) Kevin was not long off of a stint with Tesco Vee’s notorious hardcore punk unit The Meatmen, but the COVID-19-era jam session cover songs that would gradually evolve into WINDS OF NEPTUNE would be closer to his deep classic rock roots: “Fire And Water” by Free, “Hope You’re Feeling Better” by Santana, and “New Day Yesterday” by Jethro Tull.

For that first year, it wasn’t so much a “band” as it was just a way to try to stay sane. The idea of ever playing a gig was at most a dark running post-jam joke during those “unprecedented times.” It was pandemic relief, in the form of the making of music in the old rock style that the three mutually loved. For its own sake. No band name, no gigs, no records, no merch… just jams. But nonetheless, the jams were good.

It probably wasn’t just a happy accident. The apparent effortlessness with which WINDS OF NEPTUNE operates is likely a direct result of their intermingled history. Each member has been previously involved in projects with each of the other two members, pairwise-speaking: Kevin and Ross in the heavy psych-blues band Bluesong, Kevin and Mike in the old-school thrash metal project Mykronian, and Ross and Mike in the MC5-inspired stoner trio Aquarius Void. It was maybe inevitable that they would eventually close the loop — especially given their shared affinity for the early ‘70s canon of heavy rock: Sabbath, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, etc. And as the pandemic ran its course, covers would eventually lead to originals. And originals begat more originals. Gradually, organically, unspokenly, the still-nameless group began to dial in a sound. And then in July 2021, as clubs began to cautiously re-open their doors, an opportunity for an actual, real-life gig at Detroit’s Lager House presented itself. The band adopted “Winds Of Neptune” from the name of the last unreleased Bluesong instrumental track, and the rest was history.

Since then, WINDS OF NEPTUNE has continued to cultivate a sound that makes no apologies for its obvious classic rock influences, while still forging a distinct and powerful identity of its own. Beyond just the heavy riffs (and make no mistake, the riffs are indeed most heavy), there is a foundation of fantastically nuanced songwriting, played by three legit musicians who know their instrument and know its place in the greater whole of the band. It’s a sound that is firmly planted in the ‘70s, evoking the likes of UFO, Budgie, and Captain Beyond, but it is equally at home alongside retro-informed contemporaries like Earthless, Kadavar, and Clutch. And in 2023, that sound would eventually catch the ear of Small Stone Recordings’ Scott Hamilton at a gig in Royal Oak, Michigan, paving the way for the band’s first full-length album.

And with that there could no longer be any doubt: the evolution from COVID-19 bubble to the seriously heavy rock of WINDS OF NEPTUNE was complete.

In advance of the release of Winds Of Neptune, today the band unveils first single and album opener, “The Faun’s Rhyme,” noting of the track,” It’s one of the first songs we wrote as a band, but it’s still one of our favorites to play live. It’s a simple, to-the-point 4/4 stomp, maybe a little bit of an Earache My Eye vibe. Lyrically it’s just a big homage to Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth, because why not?”

Stream WINDS OF NEPTUNE’s “The Faun’s Rhyme” HERE.

Winds Of Neptune was recorded by Jake Halkey and Al Sutton at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak, Michigan, mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan and features artwork by Bloodworld and layout by Alexander von Wieding. The record will be released on CD and digital formats with two bonus tracks as well as Black Dust vinyl (limited to 200 copies).

Find all preorders at the Small Stone Bandcamp page HERE.

Winds Of Neptune Track Listing:

1. The Faun’s Rhyme
2. Gas Giant
3. La Cacciata
4. Temporal Mutant
5. U.S.L.
6. So Sayeth The Mouth Of The Void
7. The Fitz (Bonus Track – CD/Digital Only)
8. Queen Of Sumatra (Bonus Track – CD/Digital Only)

WINDS OF NEPTUNE:
Ross Westerbur – bass, vocals
Mike Alonso – drums
Kevin Roberts – guitar