Double Shot of Reviews: Breaths & Roseneath

It’s always interesting to hear what artists and bands do when they take on solo projects or when they combine forces with other musicians from different bands. In this case, it is multi-instrumentalist Jason Roberts whose solo project Breaths has evolved into a mesmerizing ambient/doomgaze instrumental album. In the second portion of this review, I’ll discuss his other band, Roseneath, a grunge/shoegaze duo with Brian George on guitar and bass.

Breaths had released two albums prior to this upcoming soundtrack for the mind titled Isolera which comes out on June 3^rd. This release is a much different one being that it is devoid of vocals and much quieter and accessible than its two predecessors. Roberts does it all here: guitar, bass, programming, engineering, mixing, mastering, etc. It reminds me a lot of Nine Inch Nails’ instrumental output and Trent Reznor’s collaborations with Atticus Ross on soundtracks like The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Divided into four movements, it’s an immersive sonic journey for the duration of its 36 minutes. “Movement I” is the lengthiest piece running at 17 minutes and it lays the foundation for what follows, building from quiet to melodically noisy. “Movement II” is another subdued track segueing into “Movement III” which is more dynamic and adds percussion and strings to the mix. The motif concludes with “Movement IV” coming full circle. This is an album I’ve already gone back to quite a few times and will continue to revisit often while writing, relaxing, or just as background music while I do chores around the house.

Roseneath is a completely different experience and wears its ‘90s influences on its sleeve. The 5-song EP titled Shine will see the light of day on July 15^th. Fans of Nirvana and the Deftones will rejoice at hearing this catchy record which goes down easy like a cold beer on a hot summer day. “Blurred & Bent”, arguably my favorite track here, has cool Nirvana vibes. “By a Thread” has an infectious chorus. “Say Never” is a great ballad. “Chasing Ghosts” is a head-bobbing tune with driving guitars. And the title track, “Shine”, is slower-paced and leaves you wishing there were more songs and that the album would keep going.

Mark your calendars for two terrific, very diverse sleeper albums to kick-off your summer in style. Jason Roberts is clearly a very talented musician/songwriter and whether he is helming Breaths or as one half of the lighter fare of Roseneath, he has something for everyone. Both Isolera and Shine come highly recommended by your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M., so have no fear and pre-order your copies today!

Breaths on Bandcamp: https://breaths.bandcamp.com/album/isolera

Roseneath on Bandcamp: https://roseneath.bandcamp.com/album/shine 

A Conversation with AAWKS

You know what time it is: time for another convo with a hard-working band that makes awesome music. Today we sit down and shoot the breeze with a Fuzz Rock quartet from Barrie, Ontario by the name of AAWKS. They were featured in the very first Canuck Spotlight here on the blog and I’ve also reviewed their sizzling hot upcoming debut LP, Heavy on the Cosmic, which will be out on June 10^th through Black Throne Productions.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: First off, congrats on making such a brilliant album! It flows marvellously from beginning to end. I’m sure you get asked this question all the time—and I know the answer to this one—but for all the people out there who wonder: where does the name of the band come from and what does it mean?

AAWKS: Thanks man!! When I was in high school an “Awk” was a slang term for a big, socially uncomfortable, oaf of guy. I’ve always felt like a bit of an alien in social settings so it’s really kind of a metaphor for being OK with “being the weirdo.” I also like the way that it’s sounds like the animal ‘Ox.”

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: I hear a wide range of musical styles and a soundscape that feels retro, yet modern all at once on Heavy on the Cosmic. How did you go about deciding which direction to take musically and what genres/bands influenced you the most collectively to define the band’s unique sound?

AAWKS: Collectively we listen to a really wide range of stuff but I think we all agree on a few bands. I’d say Fu Manchu, Black Sabbath, Melvins, Pink Floyd, O.R.B. (Australian band) and Jeff the Brotherhood would be the top bands collectively but others like Electric Wizard, Sleep, Mephistofeles, Deep Purple, the Stooges, Windhand, Hawkwind, Conan, 1782, Monolord, Sonic Demon, Ufomammut, the Sword are definitely a big influence on our stuff; there’s so many great bands it’s impossible to mention them all. I agree with the idea that music is a psychoactive experience that quite literally changes our brain chemistry, hormones and perceptions and ultimately, our reality so I’m really inspired by anything that takes me somewhere mentally and also makes me bob my head and gives me ‘the stankface.’ Good music or sound defies genre or parameters in my opinion; sometimes it’s a combo of melody and harmony or an interesting rhythm or even just an interesting timbre like with Sunn O))), John Cage or Merzbow or even birds chirping or the distant sound of a church bell when I’m out on a walk. Lyrically, our themes refer a lot to psychedelic experiences, fantasy and sci-fi. My Dad was into muscle cars and choppers and, growing up, our family had a groovy old, bright orange boogie van with a psychedelic patterned carpet on the walls and ceiling and a bed in the back. Some of my first childhood memories are family trips to the drag strip or car shows. So that culture has always influenced my lyrics. Or, sometimes I write about what I’d imagine the story to a Roger Dean, Robert McCall or Frank Frazetta painting might be.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: How long did it take you to write and record Heavy on the Cosmic? Did the pandemic slow down the process or did it have the favourable effect of giving you more time to play together, rehearse, and write music?

AAWKS: Heavy on the Cosmic took about a year and a half from conception to final product in total. I’m constantly writing stuff all the time, I bring ideas to the band and then we flush it out as a group in our practice space ‘the PoolHaus.’ The pandemic definitely slowed things down for us. We were just getting off the ground in 2019-20 and we had all of our gigs cancelled. It also hampered rehearsals for the first year or so as we kept things locked down and isolated to try to curb the impending plague. I work in healthcare so I’ve been well educated on the history and cycles of worldwide pandemics long before COVID. According to some, we’ve been overdue for a worldwide pandemic for sometime so, despite all the horrible outcomes of COVID, I’m glad it wasn’t something like Bubonic Plague or Spanish Flu. We recorded the album over the course of 7 days during the fall of 2021 with Zack Horvath at Z Hollow Studios in Hamilton.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: With life slowly getting back to normal, are you guys excited to be playing live again? What does your touring schedule look like and where can fans see you in concert this summer?

AAWKS: Absolutely, we love playing live! We’ve got a bunch of dates coming up and more being planned all the time. I mean, ideally, we could all quit our day jobs and hire full time travelling Nannies to watch our kids but between the four of us we manage to gig as much as 2-3 times per month. Some of us are in other projects as well which takes time away from AAWKS but eventually I’d love to branch out and tour further outside of Ontario. So far, we’re playing these shows (below) but check our social media as we’ll be booking more shows:

June 10 - Hard Luck Bar Toronto with Black Budget, Ol’ Time Moonshine and Lousy Riders

July 9 - Doors Metal Bar Hamilton with Astral Witch, Old Ceremonies, Sun Below

July 17 - The Queens Barrie with Ethereal Tomb, The Sickneeds, Torque to Yield

July 29 - The Cat on Q Toronto with Ethereal Tomb, Lousy Riders, Sun Below

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You guys are from Barrie, Ontario which is a relatively small city in Southern Ontario. What is the current music scene like out there? Any famous alumni from Barrie?

AAWKS: There’s a ton of great bands in Barrie and a great musical community of many different styles and genres. There’s not many bands that do the “Stoner/Doom/Fuzz/Psych etc” thing. Indian Handcrafts are a well established and killer, local Stoner/Metal band and Ethereal Tomb is an up and coming band that does an amazing nasty blend of Doom/Metal. Peace Reaper Records puts out Ethereal Tomb’s stuff and they also work with the bands Loose and Overcrook. Some good friends of ours run a tape label called Tarantula Tapes and also make some killer punk rock in the bands Heavy Petter, the Speed Humps and Angry Spells. Unfortunately, we lost our local live club ‘the Foxx Lounge Rock Bar’ during COVID which was the epicentre of our scene and a place we really loved. Barrie’s post COVID scene is starting to pick up again and shows have been great. I’m hopeful that things will continue to pick up again for Barrie and we see another good live venue that caters more to the underground scene that we all love here.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Thank you all for answering my questions. I wish you much success with the album and on tour. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the band?

AAWKS: We’d like to thank Harbinger of D.O.O.M. for the killer review and opportunity to chat and also our amazing promo team and management at Black Throne Productions. If you dig the sound of our Heavy on the Cosmic, make sure to hit up Zack Horvath at Z Hollow Studios and please check out the super talented Strange Matter Lightshow for his excellent liquid lightshow skills. Also, keep your eyes peeled for the Doomicorn.

AAWKS’ Official Website in the works

AAWKS on Bandcamp

AAWKS on Twitter

AAWKS on Facebook

AAWKS on Instagram

AAWKS on YouTube

Canuck Spotlight: Stone In

Well, well, well, look at the time! It’s time for another Canuck Spotlight, a showcase for up-and-coming Canadian bands and artists. Today we focus on Stone In, an inventive duo from Vancouver, British Columbia dedicated to exploring heaviness in all its musical forms. The duo consists of Greg Valou on double-neck guitar/bass and flute with Alberto Centurion on drums. The boys have a unique improvisational style that lends itself perfectly to their brand of music, dabbling in psychedelic rock, prog rock, and stoner rock with jazzy flourishes.

Stone In released their album Men in UFOs this past February on vinyl and digital formats. What’s particular about this record is that it was recorded live on a hot summer night in 2011 and it was entirely spontaneous, a long unrehearsed jam session that delivered terrific results. Guitarist Greg Valou played his double-neck by jumping from the guitar to the bass and vice-versa with the help of a loop pedal. The pounding rhythm these guys have is ten shades of awesome; that bass and drum combo is spellbinding at times. And there’s a flute that makes its appearance too, which adds layers to the proceedings and gives the whole affair more oomph. You quickly forget that you’re listening to a duo. It feels more like a trio or a quartet whenever the haunting flute jumps in.

If you enjoy lyric-less heavy/stoner rock, then tune in to Stone In for an instrumental album that’s sure to leave you coming back for more. There are shades of Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys, Al Cisneros’s OM, and even echoes of fusion Jazz à la Miles Davis circa Bitches Brew. Men in UFOs is a spacey musical trip and it will be interesting to see what journey this talented Canuck duo embarks on next.

Stone In’s Official Website: http://stoneinband.com/

Stone In on Bandcamp: https://stonein.bandcamp.com/music

Stone In on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stone-In-133729933376052 

Review: Valley of the Sun - The Chariot

Valley of the Sun is a heavy rock quartet hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio. All right, I have to admit, I slept on this band. They’ve been around for twelve years and prior to their upcoming LP, The Chariot, which will see the light of day on June 17^th via the mighty Ripple Music, they had released three albums and an EP. How did I never get around to giving them a proper listen? They must’ve fallen through the cracks of the ever-increasing ocean of music releases coming out on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. For this one though, they have my full attention. The Chariot is one hell of a stunning album, ladies and gents!

Valley of the Sun provide a healthy dose of heavy rock mixed with some good old grunge to the delight of our ears. They remind me a lot of the Stone Temple Pilots and often give off an Alice in Chains vibe, which is always a good thing in my book. The first two tracks, “Sweet Sands” and “Images”, are solid heavy rock numbers. They’re followed by the two awesome singles, “Devil I’ve Become”, which is a barn-burner, and the title track, “The Chariot”, maybe my favorite track of the whole record. “Headlights” is rooted in STP territory, “As We Decay” is a beauty and shows the band slowing the pace for a more laid-back track. “Running Out of Love” is an earworm of a song that will get you humming its catchy lyrics. “Sunblind” is a kick-ass, old school rock tune with a fiery tempo. “The Flood” is one of the highlights of the record with its powerful rhythm and relentless guitar playing. “Colosseum” brings the curtain down in stunning fashion, with harmonies channelling Alice in Chains and pulling you into its grip one last time.

The Chariot is the kind of album you put on in your car for a long drive to make sure you’ll have a great time while getting to where you’re going. It’s the perfect throwback to the ‘90s with a fresh coat of paint to give it some extra appeal for these dark modern times we live in. If you’re into grungy rock ‘n’ roll, high-octane heavy rock, or you like your stoner rock with muscles, then look no further: Valley of the Sun’s The Chariot will take you where you wanna go. So, grab a cold beer, pre-order your copy today, and get the two fantastic singles instantly.

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for The Chariot: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-chariot

Valley of the Sun’s Bandcamp page: https://valleyofthesun.bandcamp.com/ 

Review: Las Cruces - Cosmic Tears

Las Cruces return after an absence of over a decade and what a comeback it is! The kings of San Antonio, Texas’s long-awaited follow-up to 2010’s Dusk will land in our universe on June 3^rd via the mighty Ripple Music. For the uninitiated, Las Cruces was formed in 1994 by guitarist George Trevino and is an absolute doom powerhouse. Their 1998 album Ringmaster is widely considered to be their masterpiece. This could all change with Cosmic Tears, a concept album about space horrors, Egyptian lore, and mysteries of the occult. Sadly, their drummer Paul De Leon passed away in January 2021. This album will serve as a testament of his skills and gifts on the drums in this uber talented band of musicians. There’s something to be said about bands that still make doom metal in the 21^st century but who got started in the ‘90s—they have a very distinct sonic palette than bands from, say, the last decade or so. I really dig the melodic brand of doom and uniqueness of Las Cruces' sound.  

If I were to sum up Cosmic Tears in one short sentence, it’d be: a modern-day doom classic. The opening number, “Altar of the Seven Sorrows”, is a doomy and sludgy instrumental to whet the listener’s appetite. The title cut, “Cosmic Tears”, is like a smoldering fire with spellbinding vocals channeling Candlemass at times. “Stay” has to be the highlight of the album: an instant classic. The perfect doom metal song. If you still had any doubts about how phenomenal this album is, "Wizard from the North”, also the first single of the record, will undoubtedly convince you with its evil, addictive riff reminiscent of Dio-era Sabbath. “Reverend Trask” is an ominous gem of a song. “Egyptian Winter” continues the story with a scorching guitar solo. “Holy Hell” fires on all cylinders, with tolling bells and all. “Terminal Drift” is a slow, bass-driven instrumental. The aptly-titled “Relentless” has unstoppable riffage and frenzied rhythms. Track number 10, “The Wraith”, is heavy as hell and an impeccable closer for this cosmic journey.

In the late ‘80s/early ‘90s when I was a teenager, I used to go to bed way past my bedtime on school nights and stay up to watch the Arsenio Hall Show. I’ll always remember in the summer of 1991 when Arnold Schwarzenegger was a guest to promote his new movie, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, he kept telling Arsenio and the audience that it was gonna be “the biggest movie of the summer!” He went on and on, hypnotizing the crowd, repeating over and over that it was the biggest movie of the summer. And you know what? He was absolutely right. T2 destroyed the competition at the box-office all summer long and it went on to become a modern-day classic sci-fi/action movie. I predict the same fate for Las Cruces’ Cosmic Tears: it will be the biggest album of the summer! If you want earth-shattering riffs, conceptual lyrics, soaring vocals, and a band that sounds just as tight as they did 20 years ago, then head over to Ripple’s Bandcamp and pre-order your copy today so you can join the celebration.

Las Cruces’ Bandcamp page: https://lascruces.bandcamp.com/releases

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Las Cruces: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-tears

Review: AAWKS - Heavy on the Cosmic

AAWKS is a fuzzy quartet from Barrie, Ontario. I featured them as part of the Canuck Spotlight showcase not too long ago. They are about to unleash their first LP, Heavy on the Cosmic, on June 10^th via Black Throne Productions. I always enjoy promoting Canadian artists and it’s even more fun when it’s a band of really good people making excellent music that I happen to dig a lot. And, man, what an absolute trip this album is! As a side note, I think it’s super cool that in a band of three guys and a woman (Randylin Babic), the woman happens to be the drummer. If that’s not girl power, I don’t know what is!

Heavy on the Cosmic is a concept album of sorts. The marvelous album artwork reminds me a bit of Phantasm (1979), one of my favorite horror movies of all-time. The LP opens with “Beyond the Sun” and the fuzz is strong with this one! A spacey, distorted tune that sets the tone for the sonic journey that follows. “Sunshine Apparitions” is a catchy summery song. “The Woods” is trippy and singer/guitarist Kris Dzierzbicki’s vocals here are particularly reminiscent of the band Filter’s frontman Richard Patrick. A definite highlight of the album. Track 4, “All is Fine”, has a doomier vibe, and it may very well be the best song on the record with a riff to die for. It serves as a centerpiece. “The Electric Traveller”, which was the second single, is a stellar track and quite possibly my favorite on here. I just never tire of hearing it. Sixth, we have “Space City”, the first single, a hypnotic tune that channels the band Filter at times. “Star Collider” has rhythm for days and is a chill track that’ll make your head bob. The trip comes to an end with “Peeling Away”, a spaced-out song to make you feel like you’re drifting into outer space.

I think it’s fair to say that the summer season for music releases has officially begun. Heavy on the Cosmic should be your first must-buy album of the season. It’ll spoil you because I believe it will be one of the best records you’ll hear all summer long. It’s just the perfect fix for those lazy summer days when you just want to chill out while drinking some cold brews or when you wanna roll it up, light it up, and smoke it up with some good buddies. It’s also the perfect soundtrack for the skate park. If you’re into fuzzy, spacey stoner rock with hints of doom sprinkled on top, then don’t wait any longer to take a hit of AAWKS’s awesome debut album.

AAWKS on Bandcamp: https://aawks.bandcamp.com/ 

Audiobook: The Ultimate Hulk

The Incredible Hulk is one of the most popular and recognizable comic book characters of all-time. Along with Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man, you’d have a hard time finding someone anywhere in the world of any age group and background who wouldn’t know who the green behemoth is if you showed them a drawing or an image of him. Back in 1998, as part of their ongoing prose book series, Marvel published an anthology of short tales by some of the industry’s most well-known authors. As part of Audible’s continued effort to release those vintage books in audiobook format for the very first time, The Ultimate Hulk made its debut on April 19^th, 2022 and is narrated by Jeffrey Kafer. Here is the book’s official synopsis: “This stunning collection of more than a dozen never-before-published original tales stars one of Marvel Comics' most enduring characters: The Incredible Hulk. The stories included within this anthology span the entire career of the green goliath, from his early days as an inarticulate savage to his more intelligent incarnation to an unprecedented glimpse at his future as he faces the end of the world.”

The collection of 16 short stories features a who’s who of Marvel talent and established fiction authors, past and present. The last tale is penned by famous Hulk writer Peter David who wrote the comic book series for twelve years and redefined the character in the 1990s. The tales showcase the green goliath throughout his long publishing history, from the feral green Hulk to the smarter and more articulate grey Hulk, against and fighting alongside a plethora of comic book characters such as Magneto, Rhino, The Leader, The Avengers, The Thing, and many more. The Hulk’s alter ego, Bruce Banner, also gets plenty of time to shine in stories focussing on him rather than the monster lurking inside. The Hulk’s regular title cast also get some yarns dedicated to them including Rick Jones, Betty Ross, General Thaddeus Ross, and Doc Samson. Some of the stories even pay homage to the beloved 1970s TV show that starred Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. You can find the Table of Contents below:

Cover art for the 1998 print edition

Introduction by Stan Lee

Retroduction by Peter David

“Sidekick” by Dennis Brabham

“In the Line of Banner” by Danny Fingeroth

“Transformations” by Will Murray

“Assault on Avengers Mansion” by Richard C. White and Steven A. Roman

“Pitfall” by Pierce Askegren

“Out of the Darkness” by Glenn Greenberg

“Truck Stop” by Jo Duffy

“Hiding” by Nancy Holder and Christopher Golden

“Here There Be Dragons” by Sholly Fisch

“A Quiet, Normal Life” by Thomas Deja

“A Green Snake in Paradise” by Steve Lyons

“The Beast with Nine Bands” by James A. Wolf

“Leveling Las Vegas” by Stan Timmons

“The Samson Journals” by Ken Grobe

“Playing It Safe” by Keith R.A. DeCandido

“The Last Titan” by Peter David

Cover art for The Incredible Hulk #206 (1976) by Dave Cockrum

As with all short story collections, there are of course some hits and misses, but for the most part, this book leans more towards very good to excellent. Out of the sixteen tales, there were only three or four that I didn’t care for and I found more than half of them were captivating and quite enjoyable. The stand-out stories for me were “Sidekick”, “Truck Stop”, and “Hiding.” Jeffrey Kafer who’s no stranger to Marvel prose books when it comes to narrating does a stellar job with pronunciation, pacing, and voice-acting as he portrays a slew of different heroes and villains. I believe most of these stories would translate well into comic books if they were to be adapted. If you’re a fan of the jade giant, comic books or fantasy short stories in general, I think you’ll have a blast with The Ultimate Hulk.

Rating: Four stars out of five

Get your copy on Audible

Other Marvel Audiobook Reviews:

Fantastic Four: Doomsday

Avengers: The Man Who Stole Tomorrow

Fantastic Four: Redemption of the Silver Surfer 

Review: Besvärjelsen – Atlas

There are some bands you hear for the first time that for some reason don’t resonate with you. Then after a couple of listens, you click and you wonder why you weren’t won over from the get-go. For me, Stockholm, Sweden’s Besvärjelsen (Swedish for “Conjuring”) is such a band. Although they’ve been around for a few years—formed in 2014, they released their first LP, Vallmo, in 2018—they only came to my attention last December. It was with the release of Magnetic Eye Records’ AC/DC tribute album, Back in Black Redux, where Besvärjelsen covered the beloved title cut and upon hearing it, I was lukewarm to the cover and the band. Fast forward to about two months ago when the first single off of their upcoming LP Atlas, “Digerliden”, came out and it got my attention. It was a solid track with great vocals. It was followed by “Clouds” a month ago. This is where I got hooked. I remembered their cover of “Back in Black” and decided to give it another spin. I got it this time and it hit home. They made it their own and I was okay with the fact that it was so different than the original song which I love so much. Besvärjelsen and its charismatic lead singer Lea Amling Alazam had won me over.

So, when Atlas landed in my inbox for consideration, I was thrilled. I wasn’t prepared though for just how much this album would blow me away! Atlas is an amalgam of music genres from Rock to Doom via Prog Rock and Metal, all perfectly fused together to give monumental results. The quintet is fronted by Lea whose strong presence in the band’s videos comes across through each and every song. She’s got an amazing set of pipes reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and Adele. You can tell this group’s a cohesive unit with a polished sound that kicks things to the next level. This is a band that will soon be unstoppable, mark my words. From the fierce opening track, “The Cardinal Ride”, to the two afore-mentioned singles, to highlights like the catchy and contagious “House of the Burning Light”, the gorgeous ballad that is “Paradise”, the stellar “Descent”, to the poetic “Obscured by Darkness” and the record’s culmination with the epic 8-minute long “Divided Ends”, Atlas is a titan of an album.

Besvärjelsen is a word that you should all learn to say correctly (check out this fun video on YouTube where Lea teaches us how to pronounce it) because you’re bound to hear it quite often in the years to come. Fans of Alice in Chains and Windhand will particularly enjoy the band’s brand of music, in my opinion. When Atlas will be unleashed upon the world on May 27 via the Magnetic Eye Records label, aficionados of Occult Rock, Doom, Metal, and all its subgenres will revel in its splendour. Do yourself a favour and give this band a chance, if you haven’t already. Besvärjelsen’s Atlas is a definite album-of-the-year contender.

Besvärjelsen’s Bandcamp page: https://besvarjelsen.bandcamp.com/

Magnetic Eye Records’ Bandcamp page for Atlas: https://besvarjelsen.bandcamp.com/album/atlas

May Bandcamp Friday Reign Supreme!

Happy Bandcamp Friday, friends! Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists and labels until midnight tonight. It may be the last one for a while as Bandcamp had stated back in February that there would be four BC Fridays until May. If ever that is the case, have no fear, your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M. will at least continue to give you some purchasing suggestions so you can spend your hard-earned money and still bring some support to all those beloved artists who make great music for us.

Without further ado, let’s start off with our first pick: Green Hog Band are back to pummel our ears with their special brand of fuzzy desert/doom/stoner rock with Crypt of Doom which was released on May 1^st via The Swamp Records. You can grab a copy of that bad boy over here.

Numero dois, Weedian continues to deliver the goods and unveils Trip to Brazil, a brand-new compilation that includes the best of the Brazilian underground scene. A whopping 51 hand-picked tracks with an emphasis on stoner/doom metal. As usual, it’s a “Name Your Price” release so you have no excuse not to get it. 

Third, after a six-year absence, fan-favorites Wo Fat return with their seventh studio album, The Singularity, a lengthy heavy rock fest out today via the mighty Ripple Music. You can feast your ears on it here.

Fourth, the Lord of Coolness Brant Bjork himself, and the mighty Rex Everything AKA Nick Oliveri formerly of Queens of The Stone Age are back as the band Stoner with their sophomore album, Totally… via Heavy Psych Sounds Records. These guys don’t know the meaning of the expression “sophomore slump.” Get stoned while you listen to it right this way. 

Fifth, and certainly not least, Greenseeker will release The Wish in a week’s time on May 13^th. This heavy psych/stoner band from Portland, Oregon shows a ton of promise with this concept album of sorts. Pre-order it today and get two terrific songs instantly.

And that’s our Bandcamp Friday for the month of May, folks! Let’s hope it returns sooner rather than later. Enjoy the music, show some love to your favorite artists and labels and maybe take a chance or two on some new ones that will eventually become new favorites. Until next time, the Harbinger wishes you a sunny weekend filled with awesome tunage.