Sunday, February 23, 2020

Stone Priest - Buffalo, NY


Stone Priest - Buffalo, NY
Helmet Lady Records


Stone Priest description and artwork courtesy of their bandcamp page.
https://stonepriest.bandcamp.com/
Stone Priest on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0aW7EbGUqN2WwZXWe9C8mQ

Stone Priest band members...
Harold Pollinger - Keys, Vox
Shea Rayhn - Drums, Vox
Christopher Delmont - Guitar, B/U Vox
Larry Gartley - Bass

Stoner rock roaring out of Buffalo, NY – Stone Priest are bringing a keyboards infused riff assault to the masses! Their keyboard histrionics and gothic undertones set them in a league of their own.





Pallor Mortis is available on blue vinyl.


Stone Priest: Pallor Mortis album review by Joe Tell. 
(Pallor Mortis is the first stage of death, it's an after-death paleness that occurs in those with light/white skin.) 
Pallor Mortis from Stone Priest starts off with Take It Back. The first few measures are dominated by a keyboard sound that can best be described as the eerie sound that is often heard in horror/slasher movies, the sound sets the tone for what's to come. A solid, melodic bass line pierces the keyboard sound establishing the rhythm. The vocals immediately reminded me of Black Sabbath's drummer Bill Ward. Bill Ward sang lead vocals on It's Alright and Swinging The Chain. Comparisons can also be made to Dave Walker and Al Atkins. The tempo of the music gets faster as the keys take a solo, a return to the original tempo takes the song out.  
Warped begins with a wavering keyboard line that continues into a melancholy melodic line. As the band comes in the keys and band switch off playing a descending and ascending melodic pattern, the sound is distinctive and psychedelic. The song continues with some staccato starts and stops, a brief keyboard solo adds yet another cool sound to the mix. 
Doomsday kicks off with the band showing off some excellent musicianship, with its fast tempo and blazing lead guitar. The vocal mix could be better. Deep Purple and Faith No More come to mind when listening to this particular track.
Time Takes All starts off slow and builds into a 70's space rock jam. The rhythm section and the keyboards dominate the mix. The sparse sound effects and spacy vocals are a nice touch. My only qualm is the guitar could be louder in the mix.
Dwarf is a quick little jam that starts off with a laugh that sounds evil. The band shows off a progressive side that is pierced by some cool keyboard rakes. Stone Priest fits in some quick tempo shifts that keep the sound interesting.
One For The Money is my favorite song on Pallor Mortis. The keyboard intro is dramatic leading into the song. A comparison to Pink Floyd seems obvious going by the song title and lyrical content. The guitar solo is the best on the album. The band shows off it's tight musical chops and a great keyboard solo takes the song out.
Rotten Blarney Stone features the best vocal and percussion performance on Pallor Mortis. The song has a decidedly 70's progressive rock sound. 
Ash To Dust is the heaviest track on Pallor Mortis. The bass heavy mix is powerful and full of aggression. 

Special thanks to Stone Priest and Helmet Lady Records.

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Carina and The Six String Preacher - Buffalo, NY


Carina & The Six String Preacher - Buffalo, NY

Latest Performance News and Events

https://www.facebook.com/CarinaandTheSixStringPreacher/

2020





2019






Lotus Road Productions LLC presents "Heartbreak Falls" THE PARTY! on Nov. 2nd.

Join the producers of the upcoming feature film "Heartbreak Falls", slated to film in and around the Buffalo/Niagara Falls region in 2020, at this one of a kind fundraising event.
"Heartbreak Falls" is a modern day ensemble set against the back drop of a crumbling mob empire and is centered around the lives of two dissonant brothers.  Both lost personally and seeking redemption for love lost with two downtrodden dancers, the brothers confront their past and present while embracing the deteriorating health of their grieving father.

THE PARTY! NOV. 2nd!

Tickets are $17 presale and $25 at the door.  Your ticket will include a free Resurgence beer sampling and one free drink during cocktail hour (7pm to 8pm).  Each ticket also grants entry for one of many door prize raffles.  Refreshments will also be provided.
VIP tickets (Pre Sale Only) are $75 and includes early entry to the event (6:30pm).  Two free drink vouchers for the cocktail hour, a sheet of raffle tickets and a special Heartbeak Falls gift.  
One of a kind silent auction items for the event include -- Authenticated autographed posters and photos from "Game of Thrones", "The Dark Knight Trilogy", "Star Wars", "The Sopranos", "The Natural" and more!

Live Music provided by local upstart ascending band "Carina and the Six String Preacher"

Described as a spicy blend of crime jazz, surf, latin, and pop with a touch of blood and a dash of cinnamon, Carina and the Six String Preacher’s signature sound is a modern day jazz noir with a twist.  The band was formed by singer/songwriter Carina M. and guitarist/songwriter Vincent James Mastrantonio— has been independently writing, recording, and performing since 2013. They’ve since released three albums and singles, including their most recent song, Shattered. While recording their second album “Why You So Wild, Crocodile?”, the duo began making music videos on YouTube for the new songs off their forthcoming EP. Their videos have garnered thousands of views and followers from around the world. Recently joined by esteemed drummer Erik Eimiller in 2018, the band continues to create music and perform at some of the most renowned venues and festivals in the region.

Pre-sale ticketing ends 24 hours prior to the event!




Live Music from Carina & The Six String Preacher this Sat the 28th!

Carina & The Six String Preacher will be performing in the Revolution Gallery auditorium this Saturday the 28th from 3:15pm to 4:30pm.  Check out the incredible art installations in the works at Play/Ground 2019! This is an interactive/immersive art experience featuring over 30 artists plus live music and food all weekend long. Check out the link for directions and to purchase tickets online- https://www.artplaygroundny.com/about





Check out the latest video from Carina and the Six String Preacher called Shattered.
Carina and the Six String Preacher have their own website
https://carinaandthesixstringpreacher.com/
and they can also be found online on all the major music digital platforms.







www.facebook.com/carinaandthesixstringpreacher



Special thanks to Vince and Carina.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Helmet Lady Records - Buffalo, NY


Helmet Lady Records is an independent boutique record label based in Buffalo that specializes in high quality, limited release vinyl, t-shirts and CDs. 

Helmet Lady Records website: https://helmetladyrecords.bigcartel.com/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/helmetladyrecords/


Bands on the Helmet Lady Records roster include Stone Priest, Nine Layers Deep, Hawkeyes, 1886, Brothers Of The Nod, Saturndust and Shepherd Demonstration 2. 

Stone Priest - Pallor Mortis album art. Pallor Mortis is available on blue vinyl.



Nine Layers Deep - Sludge Life: I album art. Sludge Life: I is available on red vinyl and CD.



Hawkeyes - Last Light Of Future Failure album art. Last Light Of Future Failure is available on yellow and blue vinyl.



1886 - Before The Fog Covers The Mount album art. Before The Fog Cover The Mount is available in red/orange/white-smoke psych starburst vinyl. 



Brothers Of The Nod - album art. Album is available on opaque tundra grey vinyl.



Saturndust - debut album artwork. Album is available in grey/black smoke, copper/black smoke and purple/black smoke vinyl.


Ruination Series #1- Shepherd Demonstration 2 album art. 


Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Nine Layers Deep - Buffalo, NY


Nine Layers Deep - Buffalo, NY
Helmet Lady Records


All art, photos and description courtesy of the 9LD bandcamp page: 

Firmly rooted in underground filth and with weighty ambitions to match their filthy tones, Nine Layers Deep are looking to take on the world. Powerful, heavy and undeniably potent Nine Layers Deep are bringing thoughtful and simply crushing doom metal to the masses and forcing you to choke on their wonderfully bitter sonic pill.

9LD is:
Alaysa - Guitar/Vox
Jim - Lead Guitar
Kevin - Drums 

https://helmetladyrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ninelayersdeep/
https://ninelayersdeep.bandcamp.com/


Review for Nine Layers Deep: Sludge Life: I by Joe Tell. 

Before starting I wanted to say that Nine Layers Deep reawakened my love for hearing loud de-tuned guitars, working together in harmony. A heavy, raw sound that initially drew me into music which led me into wanting to learn how to play. So special thanks to 9LD. 
OK, on with review, Sludge Life: I starts off with the instrumental title track Sludge Life. Before you play this song I have a small suggestion, dial-up a little more bass on your stereo system, more on this later. Placing Sludge Life as the first track of this new release is a brilliant choice. The choice for an instrumental works as it highlights each members musicianship as well as showcasing how the band works together as a cohesive unit. The pounding drums by Kevin and the crushing dual guitar attack by Alaysa and Jim kick off this song and will beat you into submission leaving your brain numb and waiting for what's next. The slow tempo and doom and gloom sound harks back to the late 60's and early 70's when the band Black Sabbath were in their prime. Fans of Metallica, early Queens Of The Stone Age and the lesser known band, Trouble will certainly love the sounds on Sludge Life. This is one of my favorite tracks on Sludge Life: I.



My review copy of Jupiter starts off with "When your heart is in love you're floating weightless. But when you lose that love you have to re-enter the atmosphere and it can get pretty rough. You're just bouncing off one molecule and on the next. Ripping through them at such a pace that they just ignite and explode. Until you find another heart that's doing the same thing, it has landed and cooled and then you start to float again." 
Jupiter is another outstanding heavy track. Combined with the de-tuned distorted guitars and bombastic drums the unique vocal sound that Alaysa contributes to the band gives the music a special quality. All of these factors combine to give the band a distinctive sound which sets them apart from a lot of the other doom metal bands on the scene. The raw, emotional lyrics tell of a undying love that lives on through space and time. The cool lead guitar fills add melody and aggression to the sonic palette. The band breaks into a massive pounding groove before the song ends with some melodic guitar picking.


Funeral is another offering of crushing mid-tempo doom metal. The guitar intro sounds very cool and unique. I like the heavy fade in which brings in the power of the rest of the band. Alaysa's vocals are laid back highlighting the grinding groove. The vocals become more aggressive right before the solo, setting it up perfectly. More screaming vocals and guitar soloing take the song out.


Fury // Beauty is my favorite track from Sludge Life: I. The power the band possesses is undeniable and on full display. The intro sounds cool with one guitar exchanging notes in harmony with the other guitar. The guitars then come together to sound like pounding sledgehammers only to sound like an angry swarm of hornets on the next verse. The lead guitar and drum performances on this song are some of the best on Sludge Life: I. The heartfelt and angst-filled vocals from Alaysa really shine through on Fury // Beauty. Remember my suggestion to turn up the bass on your stereo system in the beginning of this review?... Most listeners probably won't notice but being a bass player I noticed a bass guitar missing from the mix. I still enjoy this song a lot, I can picture a giant monster (Godzilla?...) stomping through a burning landscape along with the beat when I listen to this song as well as the title track from the album. A nod to one of my favorite bands, Black Sabbath is definitely in order.
The intense MetaSin is up next. The sarcastic lyrics add a sly sense of humor to the song, which I appreciate. The band shouting "That's Neat!" along with trading vocals with Alaysa show a different side of the band.    


Nero is a fantastic song that closes out the album. Nero is well composed with it's many tempo twists' and turns. The dual guitars work in unison to set a dark tone for the drone metal that's to come. The heavy pounding riff is further enhanced with Alaysa's screaming vocals. The band then breaks into a uptempo, giant-size riff completed with some killer soloing. The energy of the track is lifted high then brought back down intro the crushing intro music as it closes out. 

I think 9LD is a great, doom and gloom metal outfit and Sludge Life: I is a great first release. 

Special thanks to Helmet Lady Records for submitting 9LD for review. Visit the local record label, Helmet Lady Records online @ their website https://helmetladyrecords.bigcartel.com/ to purchase Sludge Life: I and many other great local metal releases.