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Photo by Rodney Hicks

North Carolina power trio IRATA will release their long-awaited new full-length, Human, on July 10th via Small Stone Recordings.

Since their 2007 genesis at the hands of founding members Jon Case and Jason Ward, IRATA has mutated relentlessly. Through four previous records, the band has never sat idly in any specific style, while maintaining a signature mesmerizing and grinding pulse between bass and drums that permeates an enigmatic vision of heavy rock.

After releasing Tower in 2019 as a four-piece, IRATA is once again a trio, and continues to push forward into new sonic territory. On Human, the band is building on the structures that have created some of its enduring favorites, namely, thundering bass riffs, hypnotic drums, and grandiose choruses. They do not sacrifice expression for refinement but manage to have it both ways.

Their progression is evident in the patience with which “Altar” leads off, a melodic confidence that overarches the eight included songs, and the atmospheres in pieces like “Slipped” and the expansive finale “Daystar,” but none of Human is so overblown as to give up its organically dynamic nature. And perhaps in an era marked by the advent of machine-made art, Human can be as much a statement of purpose as a declaration of self. In any case, with this collection of songs, IRATA‘s focus on vocal melody and intricate riffing distinguish them from a crowded underground sphere.

The record moves as two sides of one image, opening with reflections of a final chapter, and closing with reflections of a new beginning through transformation; a story being told as it’s lived. What could be more human than that?

Of the record’s lead single, “Altar,” guitarist Owen Burd notes, “‘Altar’ explores one perspective of an unbalanced ending, represented musically through hypnotic passages of introspection cut with explosions of emotion.”

Stream IRATA’s “Altar” HERE.

Human was recorded with longtime friends Hunter Allen and Adam Joyce of The Bronzed Chorus at Amplified Acres in Liberty, North Carolina and mixed by J. Robbins at The Magpie Cage in Baltimore, Maryland.

IRATA’s Human will be released on CD and digital formats as well as limited 180g vinyl (100 – Birthday Cake Mix and 100 – Blue Grackle Mix). 

Find preorders at the Small Stone Bandcamp HERE. 

Fans of Jane’s Addiction, The Smashing Pumpkins, Helmet, Shiner, SHUN, and the like, pay heed. 

Human Track Listing:  

1. Altar 

2. Confessions 

3. Seeds 

4. Delirium

5. Mirrors 

6. Slipped 

7. Goodside 

8. Daystar 

IRATA: 

Jason Ward – drums, keys, vocals 

Jon Case – bass, vocals

Owen Burd – vocals, guitar, keys 

Photos by Ossobuko Studio

Stream GREEN DESERT WATER’s “The Blacksmith” HERE.

Asturias, Spain-based power trio GREEN DESERT WATER is back with a new album, Eerie Meadows, set for release on June 19th via small Stone Recordings.   The record features eight immersive and engaging tracks, merging heavy psychedelia and melodies born across decades from the 1970s on, speaking seamlessly in a way that is their own while still providing as much grunge shove as it does boogie vibes.   Their third album with Small Stone, Eerie Meadows follows the fan-favorite Black Harvest (2021), which established the current lineup of Kike Sanchís (guitar, vocals), Juan Arias (bass), and Dani Bárcena (drums) as one of the most enjoyable live acts in the heavy rock scene.   “With Eerie Meadows, we wanted to explore the duality between the heavy and the ethereal the mist, the ancient woods, and that feeling of finding home in the wild,” says the band. “Recording in a new studio was a challenge we set for ourselves to push our sound further; it’s a record about the cycles of life, the scars we carry, and the fire that burns even under the northern lights.” While GREEN DESERT WATER keeps one foot decisively embedded in the classics – Mountain, Sabbath, Sasquatch – they execute the tight 37-minute LP with earned confidence and purpose, finding variety in mood amid a universal quality of craft. From the opening journey of “Northern Lights” to the closer “Meteora,” the band explores themes of loss, primal power, and spiritual survival. For the converted or those willing to be, it is a thing to be celebrated.   In advance of the record’s release, today the band unveils first single, “The Blacksmith,” now streaming at THIS LOCATION.   Eerie Meadows was recorded and mixed by Sergio Tutu at Tutu Estudios, Corvera (Asturias, Spain), co-produced by Diego Martinez and Sergio Tutu, mastered by Chris Goosman at Baseline Audio Labs in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and features cover art and design by Ossobuko Studio, additional layout by Alexander von Weiding, and backing vocals by Alvaro Barcena.   GREEN DESERT WATER’s Eerie Meadows will be released on CD, and digital formats as well as limited edition LP in conjunction with Germany’s Kozmik Artifactz. Find all preorders at the Small Stone Bandcamp page HERE.   Eerie Meadows Track Listing: 1. Northern Lights 2. The Blacksmith 3. Eerie Meadows 4. Woodcutter 5. Holy Ground 6. Wolfhound 7. Bos Primigenius 8. Meteora   GREEN DESERT WATER: Juan Arias García – bass Dani Barcena – drums, percussion  Kike Sanchís – guitar, vocals For GREEN DESERT WATER coverage inquiries, contact liz@earsplitcompound.com.   http://www.facebook.com/greendesertrock http://www.instagram.com/greendesertwater http://x.com/greendesertrock https://www.smallstone.com https://www.facebook.com/smallstonerecords https://www.instagram.com/smallstonerecords https://x.com/SSRecordings

Photo by Andrea Casagranda

DESERT COLLIDER will unveil their debut full-length Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity on March 6th via Small Stone Recordings.

Drawing inspiration from the hypnotic grooves of the ’90s desert rock scene, the Italian four-pieceblends elements of stoner, metal, space rock, and progressive rock with subtle psychedelic undertones to forge an expansive and immersive sound. Echoes of Kyuss, Lowrider, Monster Magnet, and Yawning Man give rise to a compact and determined sound that evolves into a loud stoner style that is at once both raw and sophisticated, balancing monolithic riffs with deep, atmospheric textures and a sense of cosmic storytelling.

After a year of relentless experimentation, DESERT COLLIDER entered Stone Bridge Studios to lay down their debut full-length, Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity. Produced and mixed by Andrea Cola and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén (Lowrider, Dozer), the album features eight tracks that revolve around themes of self-loss and rediscovery, a yearning for the primordial, and the inner journey as the sole mission and pathway to redemption. Shifting between heaviness and atmospheric passages, the album adds to the modern psych-stoner rock arrangements with intricate soundscapes through the use of synths and acoustic interludes. Additionally, the album draws conceptual inspiration from the themes and ideas explored by [science fiction novelist] Robert A. Heinlein in “Orphans Of The Sky.” 

Comments the band on first single, “Floating Space Hand,” “In ‘Floating Space Hand,’ the music pushes forward with a mid-to-fast pulse, a swirling, fuzzy propulsion hurtling through cosmic dust and starlit voids. A token is given to the cosmic void. It becomes a quiet emblem of what ambition takes from the inner self, adrift in the void, uncertain if it will ever return. Even if reaching for the stars, fragments linger in the void, a haunting reminder that to soar is to sacrifice, and to dream is to wonder if what is scattered can ever find its way home.”

Stream DESERT COLLIDER’s “Floating Space Hand” at THIS LOCATION.

DESERT COLLIDER’s Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity features additional strings and string arrangements on “ThumpeRRR” and “Far Centaurus: Drifting Without Guidance Through Interstellar Space” by Andrea Cola, artwork and design by Francesca Santini, and layout by Alexander von Wieding. The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as limited 180g vinyl (200 units on Amber Sandstorm).

Find preorders at the Small Stone Bandcamp page HERE.

Fans of Dozer, Black Elephant, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, and the like, pay heed.

Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity CD/Digital Track Listing: 

1. Orphans Of The Sky Part I: Generation Ship

2. Floating Space Hand

3. Sonic Carver

4. Orphans Of The Sky Part II: Disembark

5. Thumperrr

6. Nomads Of The Red Sun

7. Far Centaurus Drifting Without Guidance Through Interstellar Space

8. Nebuchadnezzar

Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity Vinyl Track Listing: 

Side 1:

1. Orphans Of The Sky Part I: Generation Ship

2. Floating Space Hand

3. Sonic Carver

4. Nomads Of The Red Sun

Side 2:

5. Orphans Of The Sky Part II: Disembark

6. ThumpeRRR

7. Nebuchadnezzar

DESERT COLLIDER:

Federico Costanzo – guitars, vocals, percussion, synthesizers

Federico Gianfanti – vocals, synthesizers

Manuel Colucci – bass

Andrea Casagranda – drums, percussion

For DESERT COLLIDER coverage inquiries, contact liz@earsplitcompound.com. 

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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

Photo by Luca Scarabicchi

Italian psychedelic fuzz rock conjurors BLACK ELEPHANT have returned to release their new full-length, The Fall Of The Gods, on October 18th via Small Stone Recordings!

In 2018, BLACK ELEPHANT unleashed Cosmic Blues. A true underground classic, Grizzly Buttshailed, “a full-on hard-bluesing stoner rock album that collects the spirit of early Fu Manchu, the space-faring fuzz-rumble of Dozer’s debut and a heavy chug of acid rock’s finer blues guitarists for inspiration,” while Ave Noctum wrote accurately, “Their main source of inspiration is obviously seventies fuzz, but also guitar heavy music from the ‘90s. Think Jimi Hendrix making music with Chris Cornell’s Soundgarden. How does that sound? Pretty good, actually.”

Two years later, the band delivered the Japanese themed Seven Swords, a record MetalSucks lauded for its glassy-eyed riffing and cosmic cadence. “BLACK ELEPHANT stomp their pedalboards like their namesake pachyderm. These Italian riffmeisters also engage in some serious amplifier abuse, but it’s all in the name of kick-ass heavy psych-blues jams.”

The DNA shared between these two albums is simple: both are collections of classic-minded heavy groovers, picking the best the ’70s, ’90s, and ’00s had to offer in face melting riffery.

The Fall Of The Gods continues the trajectory of their two previous sonic gems, while taking things to a heavier place, both literally and figuratively. Comments guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader Alessio Caravelli, “The theme this time around is the fall, from the decay to the reborn… After the last very tough years for all societies, we understood that many principles and colossuses have fallen, exactly like the gods and ancient cultures such as the Maya and Aztec civilizations did. This has been also the inspiration for our graphic designer Farfante, who hand drew the cover and art for the new album with these concepts in mind.”

On The Fall Of The Gods, a wide range of dynamics are present (All Them Witches come to mind). Hints of Hendrix meld with moments of ‘90s shoegaze à la The Verve’s A Storm In Heavenbefore heading down a long desert highway that would make Brant Bjork feel at home.

Fuzz pedals preach on, the sky cracks, and the riffs themselves seem to lock bellies in sumo battles, so what the hell? The world’s ending anyway. You might as well have some fun with it.

In advance of the release of The Fall Of The Gods, today BLACK ELEPHANT unveils first single, “Go,” now streaming at THIS LOCATION. 

BLACK ELEPHANT’s The Fall Of The Gods will be release on CD and digital formats as well as limited edition vinyl — 250 units pressed in the US via Small Stone and 250 units pressed in Germany by Kozmik Artifactz.

Find preorders at the Small Stone Recordings Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION. 

The Fall Of The Gods Track Listing:

1. Mother Of The Sun (Part 1)

2. Go

3. The Fall Of The Gods

4. Vedova Nera

5. Se Chiudo Gli Occhi

6. Dissociale

7. Cuori Selvaggi

8. Shadow

9. Jupiter

10. Mother Of The Sun (Part 2)

BLACK ELEPHANT Recording Lineup:

Alessio Caravelli – guitar, vocals

Massimiliano Giacosa – guitar

Francesco Glielmi – bass

Simone Brunzu – drums