Well, it turns out that Peace, and Other Horrors, the four-song EP Dwellers put out last year, was an experimental little project because there’s not much folksy, acoustic Americana Gothic to be found on their debut full-length, Good Morning Harakiri. Although, to be fair, Good Morning Harakiri does contain a good deal of slide guitar, but it’s used as a vehicle for delivering some grungy psych-blues instead. I suppose the idea behind this one is that the six songs included here are the musical equivalent of splitting yourself open and spilling your guts all over the place, and if that’s the case, this Salt Lake City trio (comprised of Iota and Subrosa members) has made one fine mess. While it is atmospheric, exotic, and trippy at times, Good Morning Harakiri is, ultimately, blessedly doomed, absolutely heavy, and full of Southern-fried muscle, and if Gideon Smith was to ever rip through a set of songs from Soundgarden’s Ultramega OK in Earth’s jam room, this is what it would sound like. Forget what it does to your insides — this ritual rock rattles your goddamn bones.
Ancient VVisdom A Godlike Inferno
Shinebox Recordings
Yes, that’s VVisdom, with two V’s instead of a W, perhaps to denote some sort of kvlt affinity, and why not when you’re a band whose first recorded offering is a split with Charles Manson and your dark, acoustic doom is black metal played out as the Devil’s blues? Driven by a forbidden force of steel-stringed conviction and Antichrist alchemy, the Austin band’s debut, A Godlike Inferno, is more than a poor cover, fancy spelling, and men in costumed ceremony — it’s eight tracks of pagan chamber music, a melodic and catchy gush of neo-folk played by dudes in dirty denim vests. And nevermind that Ancient VVisdom contains members of the louder groups Iron Age and Integrity because this is simple, stripped down, fire-licking rock n’ soul, like Agalloch at a biker camp-out or Days of the New in corpse paint, which is actually way better than it sounds.
Check out two videos for “The Opposition” and “VVorld of Flesh” from A Godlike Inferno!
Backyard Babies are on an indefinite hiatus (they do say there will be another album in the future, they’re just not sure when); Dregen’s currently touring with Mike Monroe and putting out albums with Midlife Crisis, and Nicke Borg is putting out solo albums as Homeland. Borg released the four song EP Chapter 1 last year and is already back with the full-length Chapter 2, but that’s no surprise given the sleazy Swede’s penchant for penning songs. In fact, Borg, clean and sober for the first time in his life (thanks to friend and fellow rock n’ roller Mike Ness), spends most of his time now reaping commercial success by writing hit songs for teen pop stars in his native land. Anyone familiar with the last few Babies albums might have seen this kind of thing coming from Borg, as Chapter 2 presents a continuation of the kind of music found on songs like “Abandon” and “Saved By the Bell” from 2008′s self-titled album and “Roads” from 2006′s People Like People Like People Like Us. However, without the constraints placed on him by his role in a sleaze rock band, Borg stretches his acoustic styling to include orchestration (“Leaving Home”), straightforward rock songs (“No Regrets,” “Nowhereeverdevilland,” “Father of a Father”), and a duet with Camela Leierth (“All Stars”). It’s also clear that Ness’ influence not only impacted Borg’s personal life, but his life as a balladeer as well, as songs like “Alone,” “The Young Ones,” and “Heroes and Freaks” contain the country-fried, So-Cal twang n’ drive of Cheating at Solitaire and some of Social Distortion’s sun-drenched moments (there’s even a cover of “Bad Luck” included here). We might not know until the next Babies album if Borg is suffering his own midlife crisis right now or not, but before Total 13 there was “Lies” and “Kickin’ Up Dust” and “God’s Favourite,” so this kind of genuine songwriting has always existed in Borg. However, it would be awfully nice if the Babies put out another album like Total 13 so we can all forget how old we are and pretend we don’t need a Chapter 3.
Check out the video for “Leaving Home” from Chapter 2!
Dwellers
Ancient VVisdom
Nicke Borg Homeland