Review: Infinity Dream - Memories

Infinity Dream, a quartet hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina released last week their debut album titled Memories on the Metal Assault Records label. The band has a unique sound, blending traditional heavy metal, melodic metal, and gothic rock. In a landscape such as today’s where there are hundreds of subgenres of metal/rock, they’ve managed to craft an album that distinguishes itself and stands out from what we’ve been hearing these past couple of years.

Infinity Dream’s music has atmosphere to boot and if I were to compare their brand of metal, I’d say that they have a sound that harkens back to the Tony Martin-era of Black Sabbath from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, mixed with drops of Candlemass and a touch of Dio. Their songs are dark, melancholic, but also offer a glimmer of hope. The gorgeous cover photo/artwork is an accurate indicator of what awaits the listener inside. “The Future Past”, first track and first single, paints a picture-perfect soundscape and sets the tone for the rest of the record: terrific vocals, weeping guitars, melodic keys, and a tight, solid rhythm section. “Under Darkened Sky”, “Bitter End”, and “Circle in Time” are tinged with melancholy and all highlights of the album. “Coming Home” is a sing-along-song and one of my absolute favorites. “Another Day” is a bona fide rock ballad and I love it! There isn’t one miss on the entire album; it’s all hits, no filler.

Memories will create lasting memories for the listener, the way your favorite band immortalized your youth with its anthems and memorable songs that you carry with you to this day. Infinity Dream have an incredibly accessible sound and if you’re into catchy choruses, vintage guitar solos with weeping guitars, keyboards that rock you gently, softer vocals that add extra textures to songs, then Memories will be a true gem for you. This is a special record, folks, one that I see myself listening to for years to come. A definite album of the year contender!

Infinity Dream on Bandcamp: https://infinitydream.bandcamp.com/album/memories 

Audiobook: The Avengers – The Man Who Stole Tomorrow

The Avengers are probably Marvel’s second most popular superhero team right behind the X-Men. Their roster has changed and evolved over the decades but they’ve always had a fair share of appeal with comic book readers. Back in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, writer David Michelinie was in the midst of a four-year run on the celebrated title which made him the perfect candidate to write a novel based on the beloved comic book series. Originally published in 1979, The Avengers: The Man Who Stole Tomorrow was the superhero team’s very first novel.

Here’s the book’s official synopsis: “Iron Man, Thor, Vision, The Beast, Quicksilver, and The Scarlet Witch band together to save the life of Captain America, the living legend of World War II! Travel with these six sensational heroes 2,000 years into the future as they come face-to-face with the unimaginable villainy of Kang the Conqueror, a descendant of Dr. Doom who is determined to be rid of Captain America—for good.” The audiobook is narrated by Qarie Marshall and was released on April 5th, 2022.

Cover art for the 1979 print edition

This book is right up my alley, written by one of my favourite comic book writers back in the day, David Michelinie, who really wrote this as if it were a multi-issue comic book story. The action leaps from the pages, well, the pages being read by the narrator, that is. Michelinie really knows his stuff and does perfect characterizations of the cast of heroes. Fun fact: Michelinie is only second to Stan “The Man” Lee in terms of the longest run as writer on The Amazing Spider-Man. His run on the Iron Man title back in the ‘70s and ‘80s hasn’t been matched before or since, in my opinion, akin to Frank Miller’s run on the Daredevil series. Speaking of heroes, the selection of members for the Avengers in this novel is really great. I love having Quicksilver and Beast as part of the group, something quite different to the team’s cinematic iteration. Having Kang as the villain is also a wise choice, seeing as he was a popular recurring baddie for the Avengers.

The Avengers issue #267 from 1986

I won’t get into too many details regarding the plot, except to say that the Avengers find themselves facing a powerful opponent with mystic powers by the name of Brother Bear who is directly linked to Captain America’s disappearance. It feels like two stories wrapped into one with a connecting thread. The back-and-forth between the characters is always fun, the action scenes are well laid out, the story moves at brisk pace, and it’s an enjoyable ride throughout in spite of the titular villain only showing up in the latter part of the book. I love the feel of these vintage novels and while I’m sure some readers will bemoan the fact that they’ve kept some politically incorrect terms when referring to a specific group of people—not the most offensive of terms—I appreciate the fact that they’ve kept it intact, preserving the novel’s integrity as it was written back in 1979. There’s even a reference to Mork and Mindy, which was a highly relevant TV show around the time the book was published—if you’ve never heard of Mork and Mindy, just Google it! Since this is an audiobook, the narrator is a key part of the package and Qarie Marshall provides an excellent reading and voice-acting of the plethora of characters featured in the story.

The Avengers issue #201 from 1980

That being said, The Man Who Stole Tomorrow still remains a book that is very much a product of its time and similar to my previous Marvel audiobook review, Fantastic Four: Redemption of the Silver Surfer, it’s quite straight-forward and simple by today’s standards. For those reasons, a younger, more sophisticated group of readers might not find this book as appealing as someone who grew up or was a comic book collector back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. If you want to experience what the Avengers were like in the Bronze Age of comic books, or if you’re simply a fan of vintage comic book stories or of the Avengers in any way, shape or form, then you’re bound to have a good time with David Michelinie’s excellent prose book. It’s a terrific adaptation of a great Marvel franchise. Avengers Assemble!

Rating: Four stars out of five

Get your copy on Audible 

A Conversation with Earl of Hell

It’s that time again: another conversation with a cool band! This time I’ll be chatting with the boys from Earl of Hell, a Scotland-based stoner/fuzz rock quartet and discussing their six-song EP, Get Smoked, which will be released on Slightly Fuzzed Records this coming April 29. I recently reviewed Get Smoked here.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Hey guys, glad to you have you on here! Congrats on a stellar EP! How long did it take you to put Get Smoked together, from start to finish, and how did you decide on making a concept album of sorts with songs focusing on death and vengeance?

Earl of Hell: “Get Smoked” is our debut release so it features a mix of songs from when we first started playing in 2020 and some newer ones written at the end of 2021. We recorded and mixed the EP in 5 days and we’re really pleased with the result. Evidently, we’ve uncovered a secret fetish for murder! The concept wasn’t intentional to begin with, it only became apparent when thinking of a title to suit and we realised all the songs were linked by the theme of death. This macabre feel combined with our dark, satirical humour birthed the name “Get Smoked” meaning to be killed.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Earl of Hell has a polished sound that usually comes from years of a band playing together, yet the band is about two years old. How did you achieve this or is it just that you guys are that damn good to have crafted such a tight-sounding EP in a short span of time?

Earl of Hell: There must be some truth in the latter. We started playing together in 2020 once the lockdown restrictions began to ease off and we rented out a private rehearsal room. Unable to socialise outside of the room, we just put all our efforts into playing and writing new songs. It was only when we eventually started gigging that we were able to finally meet and have a drink together outside of that room because up until then it was all about practise. If it hadn’t been for lockdown, we probably wouldn’t be as well rehearsed.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Scotland has had a burgeoning stoner/doom music scene in recent years. What’s different compared to say, ten years ago, and how has it impacted you as a band?

Earl of Hell: It’s great to see a scene starting to develop in certain parts of Scotland and there is undoubtedly some great talent emerging from the local rock clubs which needs to be supported. The music scene in Edinburgh seems to be getting more stripped back whereas Glasgow has a lot more to offer up and coming bands. Personally, we can’t compare it to ten years ago as we haven’t been involved in the stoner / doom scene for that long, but we can see that Covid has left a huge hole where live music used to be and we’re prepared to fill it up with loud, evil guitar riffs and ominous lyrics about vengeance and death.

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: You have some upcoming tour dates in the UK. Is there a chance we’ll see Earl of Hell in North America in the near future, at a festival or special event? What are your touring plans for the next year as things slowly start to reopen?

Earl of Hell: We’re excited to be playing across the UK with some top bands, developing our live act and showcasing our new EP. We’re eager to get over to Europe at some point in the next year and get involved in the bustling stoner scene over there and of course we’d love to visit North America in the future too, especially now that we have the connection with Slightly Fuzzed. We have our hopes set high!

Harbinger of D.O.O.M.: Thank you so much for your time and for answering my questions. I wish you much success with Get Smoked and on the road. You guys rock!

Earl of Hell: Thanks for taking an interest in us and we’re really glad you loved the EP as much as you did!

Watch the video for the EP’s lead single “Hang ‘em High” on YouTube

Earl of Hell’s Official Website

Earl of Hell on Bandcamp

Earl of Hell on Twitter

Earl of Hell on Facebook

Earl of Hell on Instagram

Earl of Hell on YouTube 

Review: Venator – Echoes from the Gutter

Do you find yourself craving the good old New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) onslaught of the mid-‘70s to early ‘80s? You know, bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon, Judas Priest, Venom, and Blitzkrieg, to name a few. There’s been a modern resurgence of that kind of music lately and it fills me with glee. Venator, a band from Austria, is a shining example of the revival of this beloved subgenre of heavy metal. Venator released a fantastic three-song EP titled Paradiser back in 2020 and about a month ago they followed it up with their full-length debut, Echoes from the Gutter, on German label Dying Victims Productions.

I got sidetracked with other reviews and never got around to reviewing it upon release, but I’ve listened to the album countless times since and it’s time to remedy that omission from the blog. In short, Echoes from the Gutter is a NWOBHM fan’s dream come true. The band sounds tight with singer Hans Huemer who has great vocal range and it feels like they were thawed straight out of 1983. From the electric opener “Howl at the Rain”, absolutely stellar tracks like “Nightrider”, “Manic Man”, “The Rising”, and the pure delight that is “Streets of Gold” to close things off, this album feels like a greatest hits collection. I kid you not, it’s that brilliant! It’s got hooks galore, riffs for days, tremendous guitar solos to play air guitar to, and instant classic anthems throughout.

Venator’s Echoes from the Gutter is a superbly crafted modern-day NWOBHM classic. This band and its debut album are the complete package, folks. From the cool vintage-inspired album artwork to the thunderous 9-song set without a single dull track, it’s a record that can be played on repeat. I will go as far as pick it as my favorite album of the first trimester of 2022. A bold statement in a year full of phenomenal releases thus far, but I stand by it. What are you still reading for? Go buy yourself a copy right this minute!

Dying Victims Productions’ Echoes from the Gutter Bandcamp page: https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/venator-echoes-from-the-gutter

Venator’s Bandcamp page: https://venatorsteelcity.bandcamp.com/ 

It’s Bandcamp Friday and that’s no April Fool’s!

It’s that time again, my friends! You know the drill by now: Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists and labels until midnight tonight. As usual, your friendly Harbinger of D.O.O.M. is here to give you some purchasing suggestions so you can spend your hard-earned cash wisely.

First off, Detroit Deathgaze duo VAZUM released their fantastic new double single “Thief” last Friday consisting of a dark rock and electronic version. “Thief” is inspired by energy vampires who feed on the desperation of their lackeys. You can pay what you want and pick it up here.

Second, WEEDIAN is back with another epic-length compilation, this time with Trip to Switzerland, exploring the best Swiss Stoner/Doom/Psych/Prog bands. It’s 50 bands with over five hours of music! Another “Name Your Price” release. Check it out here.

Third, the mighty Ripple Music unleashes fan-favorites Steak’s epic new concept album, Acute Mania. And as an added bonus, the band also shot an ultra cool 35-minute Samurai mini-movie and an awesome comic book. You can grab the record and comic book here and check out the movie over here.

Fourth, if old school rock ‘n’ roll and metal is your thing, then you’ll get a kick out of Swedish rockers The Hellacopters’ Eyes of Oblivion released via Nuclear Blast Records. You can purchase that record full of bangers right here.

And fifth, as an upcoming release, a melodic metal band that shows a lot of promise, Infinity Dream, has their debut on Metal Assault Records out in just a week’s time on April 8, titled Memories. Judging by the two singles released so far, it’ll be a memorable album. Pre-order now and get two songs instantly here.

And that’s all she wrote, folks! Enjoy the tunes, support those hard-working artists and labels that provide us with so much great music and musical therapy. Until next time, the Harbinger wishes you a terrific weekend. 

Review: Saturna & Electric Monolith – Higher Selves

Ripple Music will release the fourth chapter of their popular Turned to Stone split albums on April 15.  This series has been stellar and a great way to discover new bands. My favorite thus far was Chapter 2: Masamune & Muramasa featuring Howling Giant and Sergeant Thunderhoof. Well, let me just say that volume 4 has now dethroned it. Titled Higher Selves, it shines the spotlight on two bands I’d never heard of, both hailing from Barcelona, Spain and playing an outstanding blend of classic rock for the modern crowd. The first side of the record introduces Saturna, and Side 2 features Electric Monolith. And man, what an album this is!

Channeling the spirit of ‘70s rock ‘n’ roll, Saturna delivers riffage galore, southern-inspired grooves with rich and textured vocals. The opener, “Keep Me Trying”, is a terrific showcase of what this band is all about and sets the tone for both sides of the split. The bar is already high, but “Following the Sun” continues to impress; a beautiful, soulful number with acoustic guitars that really add a special shine to the song. “Drowning” was the single that I first heard and infinitely piqued my curiosity. A fantastic song with tremendous vocals where the band flows like crystal-clear water playing together. Maybe my favorite track of the entire record. “Don’t Run” has a lovely piano intro and is reminiscent of vintage Bob Seger at times. Gentle and dreamy guitars drive this one home and it’s over far too soon.

On to Side B with Electric Monolith. Vocals are higher-pitched, the music is more psychedelic but wears its classic rock roots on its sleeve. “By My Side” is a blues-tinted rock song with echoes of Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar and Black Sabbath vibes. It’s followed by “I Hope You Feel Better”, a short and exquisite instrumental evoking a sad and lonely night. “Hold Me Again” picks up the pace, a chorus-heavy song with duelling guitars and a persistent riff. “So Lonely Drying” draws its inspiration from Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan”, a trippy percussion-driven tune. The curtain comes down with “Nightmares”, the single that was released and longest track on the album that you won’t get tired of listening to. It closes the split with a nice bow: a perfect song in every aspect, a synonym of the term “classic rock”, and my fave on this side of the record.

What an incredible pairing this is! I’ve become an instant fan of both bands and cannot wait to hear full-length albums from each of them. Ripple Music is spoiling us classic rock enthusiasts these days, first with Stone Axe’s Stay of Execution and now along the same vein with Turned to Stone: Higher Selves. This latest chapter drops on April 15 and you should immediately pre-order your copy! Whether you’re into classic rock, heavy rock, psychedelic rock, or just love retro rock, this one has it all. Saturna and Electric Monolith will make a big splash in 2022, mark my words. Both bands have a brilliant musical future ahead of them. Long live Rock ‘n’ Roll!

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Turned to Stone - Higher Selves: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-4-higher-selves 

Review: Alunah - Strange Machine

Hailing straight out of Sabbath city in Birmingham, UK, Alunah first came to my attention in 2018 with a superb rendition of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” off of their excellent Amber & Gold EP. It marked the arrival of new vocalist Siân Greenaway. They followed it up with the excellent Violet Hour in 2019. The quartet will release their sixth LP, Strange Machine, on April 15 via Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

Things get going in style with the title track, a catchy, spacey song and Greenaway’s vocals are a thing of beauty here amid the percussion-driven, guitar-laden atmosphere. “Over the Hills” is a faster and solid track that gets you nodding your head. They slow it down a bit for “Fade into Fantasy” which showcases a different facet of the band with a very accessible song. Love this one! “Broken Stone” is a heavy, killer song infused with psychedelic vibes, and certainly a highlight of the album. The aptly-titled “Psychedelic Expressway” has a vintage psych sound full of infectious rhythms. A contender for my favorite song on this LP. “The Earth Spins” features guest guitars from Shane Wesley of Crowbar fame putting his spin on the trademark Alunah sound and a terrific song at that. It morphs into the short “Silver”, which proves that all that glitters isn’t always gold; a truly awesome song with very cool guitars. “Teaching Carnal Sins” is soulful and bluesy at times and yet another fantastic cut where Greenaway shows how much of a strong presence she has as a frontwoman. The Strange Machine winds down with what is in my opinion the best song on the album and one of Alunah’s all-time greatest with the groovy “Dead Woman Walking.” This one has it all from a sing-along chorus to the band sounding like a well-oiled machine.

Alunah delivers a phenomenal album that doesn’t have a single dud on it. By now they are masters of their craft and the songwriting on this LP has evolved and matured to elevate the band’s status and push them even farther in the stratosphere to reach the masses. Full of doom, heavy rock, psychedelia, hints of prog, and experimentation, Strange Machine is an album that will make the rounds on year-end lists, I’m sure. Pre-order your copy today, folks; this one deserves to be played loud!

Heavy Psych Sounds’ Bandcamp page for Strange Machine: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/alunah-strange-machine

Alunah’s Bandcamp page: https://alunah.uk/music 

Review: KISS - Off the Soundboard: Virginia Beach 2004

KISS, a band that needs no introduction—and my favorite band of all-time—have just released the second volume of their Off the Soundboard series dedicated to putting out authorized bootleg concerts in their entirety from various eras of the band’s storied career. This time around, we go back to July 25, 2004 in Virginia Beach for their Rock the Nation Tour. The first official live bootleg KISS release, Off the Soundboard: Tokyo 2001, which I’ve reviewed here, was phenomenal and one of the band’s best live releases ever. It even wound up in my top five albums of 2021. This one isn’t as outstanding, but it’s still very much a worthwhile release.

Off the Soundboard: Virginia Beach 2004 consists of KISS’s current lineup of Paul Stanley on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Gene Simmons on bass and lead vocals, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and vocals, and Eric Singer on drums and vocals. This lineup has been together for nearly twenty years at this point and they form a very cohesive unit. To all the disgruntled KISS fans out there still moaning about Ace and Peter being gone and that it’s not KISS without them, give it a rest already; this is the longest running lineup the band has had. I love Ace to death, but Tommy does a great job on guitars and is a hell of a nice guy. But I digress. Back to the review. This show served as the basis for one of the two concerts filmed/recorded for KISS’s Rock the Nation Live! DVD from 2005. The DVD showcased footage from the Virginia Beach set as well as the Washington, DC concert. If you’re wondering what differs in the setlist from the DVD versus the Soundboard CDs/vinyl, only two songs have been swapped. On the DVD you have “Love Her All I Can” and “Parasite” which have made way for “King of the Night Time World” and “Psycho Circus” on this release. “King” is one of my personal favorites so I’m thrilled to have it here, while I miss not having “Love Her All I Can” which the band doesn’t perform that often live. The order of the setlist differs slightly between the Soundboard release and the DVD from 2005. The setlist is as follows:

Disk 1:

1.     Love Gun

2.     Deuce

3.     Makin’ Love

4.     Lick It Up

5.     Christine Sixteen

6.     Tears Are Falling

7.     She

8.     Got to Choose

9.     I Love It Loud

10.  I Want You

Disk 2:

1.     Psycho Circus

2.     King of the Night Time World

3.     War Machine

4.     100,000 Years

5.     Unholy

6.     Shout It Out Loud

7.     I Was Made for Lovin’ You

8.     Detroit Rock City

9.     God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II

10.  Rock and Roll All Nite

I won’t do a track by track rundown, I’ll just give you my overall impressions. Right off the bat, you can tell Paul’s voice is strained and raspy but he manages to pull it off and he actually does sound better as the show progresses. The vocals are in the front of the mix and the crowd noise doesn’t sound as present as on Tokyo 2001. The instruments sound crisp and clear, and it rarely feels like anyone is getting buried in the mix. The song selection is pretty great and covers all eras—happy to hear some tracks off of Revenge with “Unholy” and “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You.” In the end, it does look a lot like the kind of setlist that’s currently being played during their End of the Road Tour, but KISS is known to have become creatures of habit in their latter days in terms of shaking things up and they do prefer to stick to a winning formula of hits the fans love spanning four decades of music. I’m not complaining, I think this is a terrific show that paints a pretty accurate snapshot of what it was like to be at a KISS concert eighteen years ago, warts and all. That’s the beauty of these Soundboard releases: they sound genuine and raw, not re-recorded and polished to perfection in the studio. At an hour and forty-nine minutes long, it’s twenty minutes shorter than Tokyo 2001 with only one song less. I actually appreciate the fact that there aren’t as many lengthy solos on this release.

Bottom line, if you’re a KISS fan, you know you need to have this CD/vinyl set. Sure, the packaging may be lacking, but it’s a good replica of what a bootleg live album should look like. I do hope that KISS ventures into other unreleased eras of the band for this Off the Soundboard series and that they won’t go to the Alive 35 Tour of 2008 next or subsequent tours as their next picks. Give us the 1980 New Zealand from the Unmasked Tour. Or something from the excellent ‘80s lineup of Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr. Or the awesome Psycho Circus Halloween show of 1998 at Dodger Stadium with Ace and Peter. I’ll be writing an article about my favorite KISS live bootlegs soon where I’ll discuss my wish list of concerts I’d love to see released for this series. In the meantime, until the next volume—in nine months time perhaps—the Virginia Beach 2004 show remains an amazing concert, whether you’re a die-hard KISS fan or were born on the other side of the 21^st century and have only just begun enjoying what this awesome band has to offer. After all, the best way to experience KISS is live!

Visit KISS’s Off the Soundboard Shop 

Review: Stone Axe - Stay of Execution

Stone Axe, for the uninitiated, is a classic rock band helmed by multi-instrumentalist Tony Reed and lead vocalist Dru Brinkerhoff. They haven’t had a release in over a decade. Come March 18, Ripple Music will unleash their latest, Stay of Execution, a collection of hidden gems, oddities, and unreleased recordings. Make no mistake though, this set of songs forms a very cohesive album, and a tremendous one at that. 

Recorded between 2008 and 2011, one could easily be fooled into thinking some of these songs were recorded in the ‘70s. Very few bands can pull off that genuine classic rock sound to perfection the way Stone Axe does. If you’re a fan of Thin Lizzy, Free, late ‘70s/early ’80s Whitesnake back when they used to make some rock n’ blues, then I guarantee you that this album will make you jump for joy. “Fell on Deaf Ears” instantly takes you back in time for this barn-burner of an opener. It features an awesome guitar solo to boot! “Lady Switchblade”, this one has it all: a slower-paced track with a catchy chorus and beats that’ll leave their imprint on your mind. “Sweet Sweet Time” is a bluesy number with soulful lyrics, heart-thumping drums, classic keys, and weeping guitars. “Deep Blue”, another slower cut, poetic and evocative with a gorgeous guitar serenade. “Metal Damage” has got a head-bobbing riff with traditional rock n’ roll lyrics. Effective and the very definition of a short & sweet song. “For All Who Fly” is my favorite song on this marvellous LP. Zeppelinesque at times, with absolutely beautiful lyrics, a good mix of acoustic and electric guitars, and also reminiscent of the Black Crowes. “King of Everything” is deeply rooted in ‘70s classic rock and is another gem of a song. “The Last Setting Sun” is a farewell song of sorts. The lengthiest track at nearly eight minutes, it’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. An epic song and the strongest of the record.

I will spoil my picks for year-end list of best albums by saying that Stone Axe’s Stay of Execution will undoubtedly have its place in the top five. I really hope Tony and Dru consider teaming up again for another Stone Axe album in the near future; this is just too great a collaboration to be their last. A stellar record in every aspect that feels more like a hits package than an oddities collection. For all of you classic rock lovers out there, this one’s for you!

Stone Axe’s Bandcamp page: https://stoneaxe.bandcamp.com/

Ripple Music’s Stone Axe Bandcamp page: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/stay-of-execution

Bandcamp Friday March(es) On!

March is here and winter will soon be over (hopefully)! And with it comes the first Friday of the month AKA Bandcamp Friday: a day where Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists and labels. This particular BC Friday is a very strong one! As usual, I’ll share with you my five (and a few more) picks and recommendations to spend your hard-earned dollars and support hard-working bands/labels in the process.

First off, released last Friday via Dying Victims Productions, a fantastic old school metal/NWOBHM debut album by Austrian quintet Venator titled Echoes from the Gutter. If you enjoy Iron Maiden and Judas Priest’s brand of metal, then you’ll get a huge kick out of this thunderous record. You can get it here.

Second, also out last week is fellow Canadian Fuzz Rock band AAWKS (a slang term for an awkward person) and the first single off of their upcoming LP, titled “Space City.” It’s fuzzy and spacey as hell and it’s priced at only a Canuck buck, so show them some love over here.

Third, if you’re in the mood for some fuzzed out rock n’ roll straight out of New Zealand, Swamp Rat Collective just came out with a smokin’ track called “a.k.a. Rollergirl” as well as redux versions of two singles, “Dusk” and “Buzzsaw Disco.” You can pick up those groovy songs right here.

Fourth, last year saw the passing of Eric Wagner, the beloved ex-lead singer of Doom legends Trouble. His posthumous album, In the Lonely Light of Mourning, is now being released and from what I’ve heard of it so far, it’s a memorable document of one of rock, doom, and metal’s finest vocalists. You can get this gem here.

Fifth (and sixth, and seventh), the mighty Ripple Music label continues to be a dominant force in the realm of heavy rock. Earlier this week, a stellar “Name Your Price” compilation celebrating the upcoming RippleFest in Nantes was released. You can grab it here.

Today Ripple unleashes JIRM’s new album; I’ve had time to sample it and it was well worth the wait. Think Soundgarden meets Pink Floyd with an edge. You can pick up The Tunnel, The Well, Holy Bedlam right this way.

And if you’re looking to pre-order what is sure to wind up in my top five albums of 2022 at the end of the year, Stone Axe’s Stay of Execution comes out on March 18 and it’s an absolute masterpiece! I’ve spun the entire album twice already and it’s phenomenal! Eight instant classic songs featuring Tony Reed and Dru Brinkerhoff at the top of their game. Pre-order now via Ripple and get a couple of songs instantly right here.

That’s it for another edition of #BandcampFriday, folks. I hope I helped shine some lights on some well-deserving bands that truly merit your support, money, and ears. Treat yourself and help some great bands and labels by the same token, it’s a win-win situation. Have a rockin’ weekend and may it be filled with awesome music!