Listening to Brooklyn trio Bad Dream is like being picked up on the side of the road by a bunch of bleary-eyed strangers in a black van who just stare at you the whole hazy ride, numb to their new friend, while you’re gripping your jeans, mistaking the flash of passing headlights for the glint of a hunting knife. It’s a heavy kind of nervous energy, a fuzzy psych-doom that spins thick webs in your head, and each of the songs on this 7″ drip with sacrificial wax. Side A’s “Black Blizzard” is a carry over from their Demonstration EP, but it sounds considerably more evil this time around, while side B’s “1134″ tortures you with its medieval riffs. Bad Dream might be a tad more psychedelic than Electric Wizard but they come from the same soul-frying school, that’s for sure, and will no doubt please all the dope fiends and (bad) dreamers out there.
Note: That’s not exactly the proper cover; there’s all sorts of different coloured covers, which you can see here. I got myself the purple swirl cover on white vinyl, number 129/300. Oh, one more thing about Bad Dream…they have the best prices for merch. I got this 7″, a poster, a t-shirt, and some patches all for like $15. And that included shipping. You’d be crazy not to send ‘em some money.
Listen to “Black Blizzard”! This is actually the version from the Demonstration EP because it was all I could find, but you get the idea.
Black Pyramid Stormbringer EP
Hydro-Phonic Records
Black Pyramid’s 2009 self-titled full-length debut was nothing short of devastating, and I mean that in the best way possible, of course. It’s a festering slab of warmongering fuzz often compared to a maligned mix of Black Sabbath, Sleep, and High on Fire, and it’s as close as you’ll get to a modern day doom classic, if such a thing exists. Well, the Massachusetts trio is back (on their own after a few splits) with two new songs, side A’s “Stormbringer” (not a Deep Purple cover) and side B’s “Cloud of Unknowing,” and both remain true to Black Pyramid’s rotting character but offer some subtle twists that hint at an evolving metal sound; “Stormbringer,” for instance, rides into battle at a Sword-like tempo and contains a mid-song breakdown reminiscent of Metallica’s “Orion” or “The Call of Ktulu” while “Cloud of Unknowing” opens in a more haunting, melodic death fashion akin to Swallow the Sun before it converts to crushing. If you’re not into Black Pyramid yet, now is the time. Guitarist/vocalist Andy Beresky is quickly emerging as one of my favourite in the genre, and assuming they haven’t sold out, this 7″ has an amazing die-cut cover and is available in both a standard and deluxe edition.*
*I was lucky enough to snag one of the 100 deluxe editions before they sold out. It came with glow-in-the-dark vinyl and a CD containing six songs (the two from this EP, three from Black Pyramid’s 2007 demo, and the vinyl-only track, “Macedonia,” from the self-titled full-length). To the best of my knowledge, though, the standard edition is still available.
Check out a video of Black Pyramid performing “Stormbringer” live!
Black Wizard Mountain Bitch b/w Jesus 7″
Evergreen Records
It’s not enough anymore to say that Black Wizard are emerging as one of my favourite Canadian bands because that’s an unfair limitation for such a colossal stink of a stoner rock band. The patterns of abject abhorrence displayed by these dirty pastors of pot make ‘em young leaders of wrong morals; the fervor of their foggy franchise gets its momentum from wonderfully sketchy influences, and the wheel is really starting to roll. A hefty sum of hyperbole, sure, but Black Wizard is, flat out, the million dollar beast you want to keep secret lest everyone get hip to its bankable savagery. Truth be told, though, I’m not sure how long the chains would hold. If I was smart, I’d start a label right now and put everything I had into ‘em. Last year’s self-released, self-titled debut was full of raw, thick-necked goodness, and really got me excited about what was to come. Well, as good as their debut was, this here seven inch is better. Its two songs, “Mountain Bitch” and its backside “Jesus,” are huge statements; heavy, high-flyin’ slabs of mature (gasp!) psych-doom that prove the band have found a retro-fuzz sound worth exploring and elevating. Now all that’s left for these dudes to do is ruin the freedom and reap the benefits that come with breaking out. Shouldn’t be long now.
Bad Dream
Black Pyramid
Black Wizard