August is Here and So is Harbinger Friday

Bandcamp Friday is set to return in September, but for this first Friday of August, your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M.’s got you covered with some hot music picks to cool you down. You can support bands and labels all-year round, but I like to share my suggestions whenever Bandcamp Friday is missing in action. So, without further ado, here are my top five picks for this Harbinger Friday.

Numero um, master curator Weedian is back once again with another stellar compilation, this time, Trip to Portugal, jam-packed with 35 bands bringing us a wide range of variety in the genres of Doom/Stoner/Metal/Heavy Rock/Psych. As usual, it’s a “Name Your Price” release which you can grab right here. 

Number two with a bullet, Dying Victims Productions unleashed speed metal band Raptore’s phenomenal Blackfire. This is my favorite album of the month, folks, and I’ll have a Musings column about it sometime this weekend. Get in on the fun here.

Third, Riding Easy Records has struck gold by signing a new band from Los Angeles called Early Moods. Judging by their EP and first single, this debut LP will be smokin’ hot! They have a classic doom/metal sound that I just love. The album is out today and I can’t wait to take it for a spin and so should you.

Fourth, the mighty Ripple Music releases the fifth tome of their excellent Turned to Stone series today. This time around, the split features Australia’s Planet of the 8s and Duneeater. You can find my review of it here and pick up the record right here.

Fifth, if you’re looking to pre-order an album that will surely be hotter than hell, how about the return of San Francisco’s Hell Fire on Riding Easy Records with what promises to be their biggest album yet titled Reckoning. It’s out on August 12^th, but if you pre-order it now, you get three songs instantly right over here.

That’s it for another edition of Harbinger Friday, boys and gals. Hopefully you’ll find something to your liking and contribute in supporting those hard-working indie bands and labels we love so much. What would we do without music in our lives! Until next time, stay hydrated and enjoy your tunes!