MAZE OF ROOTS - Two Chapters

Maze of Roots is one of my favorite doom "bands".  They aren't talked about very often and that's partially my fault. I could do more to spread the word. Part of it though, is that the "band" doesn't go around making a big deal of itself. "They" are the definition of low key. Low key and low-tuned.

I use quotations here because Maze of Roots is mostly the work of one guy from Finland, but lately he's been drafting in drummers to help him. The self-titled album and 'Earthen Castle' EP's were two of the first doom albums I found on bandcamp and they were basically, exactly what I was looking for. Maze of Roots is unrelenting, unapologetic doom. Slow, heavy riffs in the devil's third structure, tortured and pleading but otherwise clean vocals and a foggy atmosphere. 'Two Chapters' features six songs for a total of 53 minutes, with three songs each recorded in two different sessions with two different drummers.

Now, because I was basically without internet for about seven months in the middle of last year, I missed out on a ton of great albums and other odds and ends from some of my favorite bands that didn't get as much insistent hype as say Yob's new album. I suspect I will catching up for some time. Mountain Witch's "Snake Wand (vocal version)" single was one of them, Woodrue's 'Gas Huffer' EP was one, Giza's 'I am the ocean I am the Sea' album was one, and 'Two Chapters' was yet another. You can stream it on the player below, but it's not available to download on bandcamp. There are still some cassette tapes available at this location and this one. If you want a CDR the wolf group of the Finnish Nature League has a few copies available for €10 plus €5 for shipping (to Canada) and proceeds go to a worthy cause.

Either way, Maze of Roots has some incredible doom on display, 'Two Chapters' is just as good as a fan can hope. For those unfamiliar with the sound, it's not entirely unlike Moss or even Cult of Occult. As always I consider Maze of Roots to be HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Dö - Den

Saw this album up on bandcamp tagged under Doom, and I passed on it, more than once. I have to admit to a cover bias here. I saw the band name, saw the umlaut, saw the black and gray cover, and thought this has got to be another death metal band disguised as a doom metal band. So, I didn't even listen. My mistake.

(Tangent Time: Is anybody else getting annoyed that every black and death metal band out there tags themselves as doom because they have one slow or dropped out moment on their record?)

It wasn't until I'd seen that brave heavy metal front liner Steve had ventured in and stuck a flag in the album's soil that I felt courage enough to venture in myself. What you'll find here is four songs and 28 minutes of solid sludgy stoner doom. It won't start any revolutions, but that doesn't matter, it's just really good and that's good enough in a world of saturation, also it doesn't hurt that YOU-NAME-THE-PRICE.

JUST THE FACTS (according to the band's facebook page):
Start Info: Opened on February 13, 2013

Genre: Doom, Stoner, Metal

Band Members
Big Dog
General Development Officer of Riffs and 6 strings

Peat Rex
Chief Executive Officer of Rhythm and Tempo

Deaf Hank
Executive Vice President of Low-end and Oral Messaging

Hometown: Hellsinki

Short Description
Through the gates left open. From the paths unknown. Came three unholy bastards...

Bio
Den EP – 2015
Recorded by Esa Alavillamo
Mixed & Mastered by Samuli Pesonen

Dö – EP 2014
Recorded by Esa Alavillamo
Mixed & Mastered by Samuli Pesonen

Available in cassette tape format:http://aonairproductions.bigcartel.com/product/do-ep-2014

Email: doofficial666@gmail.com

Website: http://doofficial666.bandcamp.com/

JUST THE MUSIC:

ABBOT - Between our Past and Future Lives

I first heard Abbot on the Soggy Bog of Doom podcast what feels like ages ago. I didn't rush out to rent a plane to fly over their houses and douse them in money, but they made a strong enough impression on me that when I saw this album up on bandcamp, I had to drop everything and check it out. I don't remember the song I heard on Soggy Bog, but I remembered that it was different. However else the band has progressed in the ensuing two or three years, they stick to that uniqueness like a little brother wanting to be shown the way to the mystery. Anyway, this album almost passed me by. It's gone a bit under the radar, maybe because of the unassuming cover, I can't be sure, but I'm glad I eventually found it. This is iconoclasm in action. Abbot carefully charts their influences and blogs about them, most of the names on their list will be familiar to you, how it all comes together might not be. But that's not a bad thing. This is very unique stuff, Les Claypool-like vocals with hard driving riffs and high energy that isn't entirely unlike Egypt. Now if you can imagine Primus and Egypt combined, you're getting close to the kind of idiosyncracy you'll find here. It's hard to imagine any fan of classic hard rock and proto-metal turning these guys away once they've heard Abbot. You can hear them on the player below:

OULU SPACE JAM COLLECTIVE - Umm Srrpt Psst

This is the perfect companion to the Deep Space Destructors album up today as it features all three members of the band, with forces joined by 4 others (see 'facts' below). Finland's space rock answer to the Wu-Tang Clan have kept themselves busy since their debut in August 2013, this release is eight parts of improvised music split into two tracks which tower near or over the 50 minute mark! Now, I've only just begun to dissect this thing, but I've been an avowed believer in this cult's teachings since I first saw a video of the group performing a live outdoor jam (see bio below). As I move past the halfway point through parts I-IV I'm impressed with how the Collective is able to whip the piece into an absolute frenzy from very humble beginnings then gear it all the way back down again. This release has basically given me exactly what I expect which is some windy jams that put the space back into space rock. So nearly two hours worth of kraut-y, psych-y, space-y jams here and the best part is YOU-GET-TO-NAME-YOUR-OWN-PRICE.

JUST THE FACTS:
Genre: Oriental Oulu Kraut Control

Band Members
Joonatan Elokuu – guitar and synthesizers, Markus Pitkänen – drums & percussion, Olli Niemitalo – Black Deck, Petri Lassila – guitar, Jani Pitkänen – bass, also featuring Kalle Veikko – electronics, lap steel & guitar, Petri Henell - percussions and sounds

Hometown: Oulu

Affiliation: Universe

Short Description
Oulu Space Jam Collective is channeling cosmic flows of the universe through their chosen instruments. Jams happen when galaxies collide.

Bio
1st jam 22.08.2013 at the Oulu Night of the Arts

2nd jam 09-10.05.2014 at the Rehearsal Vortex

3rd jam 21.08.2014 at the Oulu Night of the Arts

4th jam 25.10.2014 at Pikku-Berliini, Oulu


Other projects by members:

http://deepspacedestructors.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/kiiltomatolyhty

http://kiiltomatolyhty.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/black-deck-project

http://boar.bandcamp.com/

http://arsonunderthesea.bandcamp.com/

Email: ouluspacejams@gmail.com

Website: https://ouluspacejamcollective.bandcamp.com/

JUST THE MUSIC:

DEEP SPACE DESTRUCTORS - III

Cover artwork by Ilkka Vuojala

It happened some time back (in summer), but just because it isn't "new" news, doesn't mean it's not news worthy. Deep Space Destructors, arguably the strongest space rock outfit on this and at least two other planets released their third album, fittingly enough titled 'III'. The album picks up their increasingly familiar sound and expands greatly upon it. This is hallucinogenic music, prog, krautrock and space rock at its finest, not for those prone to bad acid trips. Consider this album HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

JUST THE FACTS (according to the band's facebook page):

Founded on January 2011

Genre: Psychedelic space rock from Earth

Band Members
Jani Pitkänen - vocals, bass
Petri Lassila - guitars, backing vocals
Markus Pitkänen - drums

Hometown: Oulu, Finland

Record Label: DIY

Affiliation: Infinite space and chaotic cosmos

Short Description
http://deepspacedestructors.bandcamp.com/ Deep Space Destructors plays psychedelic space rock.The band’s journey continues towards deeper space ∞

Long Description
Upcoming gigs:
4.4.2015 at DEPO, Riga, Latvia w/ Boar and Tuliterähttps://www.facebook.com/events/838659002821657/

Bio
Deep Space Destructors was founded in the beginning of the Earth year 2011 in Oulu, Finland, on band members’ mutual love for 60’s and 70’s hard, prog and psychedelic rock. The band added influences from stoner and doom genres, resulting into collision of musical galaxies to be described as psychedelic space rock from Earth.

A year later, the first small step (one giant leap for mankind) was taken out from the Rehearsal Vortex and “I” was released to the unaware public. In the last quarter cycle of 2012, DSD started performing live and released “II”.

During 2013, DSD met with wizard Olli Niemitalo who had invented and assembled, Black Deck, an optoelectronic instrument out of a broken vinyl player and scrap electronics. Together with a mutual friend, DSD and Olli founded instrumental space rock jam band Oulu Space Jam Collective which performed at Oulu Night of the Arts
in August. The collaboration continued in 2014 as Black Deck joined forces with DSD on “III” recordings and a couple gigs in Oulu.

“III” can be described as an unintentional theme album from the band’s collective subconscious and the most spaced out creation so far. Deep Space Destructors' journey continues towards deeper space and sounds.

"III" tracklist:

1) Beyond the Black Star
2) Spaceship Earth
3) Cosmic Burial
4) An Ode to Indifferent Universe
5) Ikuinen Alku

Deep Space Destructors can be found wandering through space and time at:

http://deepspacedestructors.bandcamp.com/
http://soundcloud.com/deep-space-destructors/sets
http://www.youtube.com/user/DeepSpaceDestructors?feature=watch
https://plus.google.com/106386298155001608425/posts

Current Location: Oulu, Finland

Artists We Also Like
Black Sabbath, Camel, Hawkwind, Eloy, Judas Priest

Influences
Black Sabbath, Camel, Hawkwind, Eloy, Judas Priest

Email
deepspacedband@gmail.com

Other Accounts
https://twitter.com/dsdspacerock(Twitter)

Website
http://deepspacedestructors.bandcamp.com/

Press Contact
deepspacedband@gmail.com

Booking Agent
deepspacedband@gmail.com

JUST THE MUSIC: