Pharmakon – Devour

Scott Murphy
Reviews
There's been much written about both the quality of vinyl and the lack thereof. I'm not interested in wading into the fidelity wars, but I do want to cite a recent "What's In My Bag" segment with Shepard Faire... Read More...

White Suns – Psychic Drift

Scott Murphy
Reviews
Over the past several releases, New York-based White Suns have crafted an abrasive and esoteric noise rock formula. Rather than operating in the genre's standard fare of "noisy rock," the trio of Kevin Barry (vocals, guitar), Rick Visser (guitar, electronics) and Dana Matthiesen (drums, electronics) have opted instead for a seamless marriage of noise and experimental rock, with an elevated mood of unease conjured by Barry's cryptic lyricism and spoken word delivery. It's a peculiar formula which unfolded spectacularly across nine disorienting tracks on the band's previous effort, Totem (2014). The album presented an abundance of these unhinged noise rock bastardizations accented by extended passages of dark ambiance and industrial noise that created a painful degree of suspenseful dread before the band finally released the listener back into its chaos-ridden assault. It's the styling of these moments that composes the bulk of Psychic Drift, a four-track bludgeoning anchored by a nightmarish lyrical* journey as disturbing as the music that engulfs Barry's narration.

Editors’ Picks: March 2017

Heavy Blog
Editors' Picks
We like to joke around here pretty constantly that the amount of quality music out there in the world for us to consume and critique is magnitudes more than we can possibly manage, that we are drowning in a sea of music and are suffering mightily for it. We are all the "Why can't I hold all these limes?" guy.

Pharmakon – Contact

Scott Murphy
Reviews
The Ancient Greek word "φάρμακον" (or "pharmakón") is ingrained with a dichotomous etymology and, by extension, philosophical implications. At its root, the word has a conflicted translation of repres... Read More...

Bandcamp’s ACLU Day of Donation: A Heavy Blog Guide

Heavy Blog
FYI
Just this past week we saw how important the ACLU still is. One of the first to confront the so called "Muslim ban" enacted by the indifferent pen of Donald Trump, it began the long and arduous legal battle against this administration. With not only the presidency but also Congress and Senate painted in the most extreme and reckless red imaginable, their work will grow seven-fold; now they must take on the legislative branch instead. Thus, and despite of the already remarkable success their fundraising has seen in the past week, Bandcamp's contribution to the ACLU is admirable. We're here to do our share; below you'll find a list of artists that are worthy of your support on this Friday.