:: Exhalers – Trial and Error (single, self-released)
THIS just in from Alan Lynn, ex-Lafaro tub thumper and occasional stunt drummer for NI alt-rock royalty Therapy? and Ash: the soon-to-be-released tune Trial and Error is the first single from his new solo project Exhalers, the first fruit from a forthcoming and as yet untitled debut album due out in May.
"The debut album comprises 10 tracks written, played and recorded by myself," says Alan, who's clearly been channelling his inner Davy Grohl of late.
"It mixes elements of hard and alternative rock with melodic tones, taking influence from bands like Queens of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Nirvana and Therapy?
Now, before you start cracking jokes about drummers writing songs or albums comprised exclusively of extended drum solos, be advised that Trial and Error is a bit of a stormer which certainly lives up to the promise of at least 50 per cent of those stated influences – especially as its vibe is pointedly more QOTSA-y than Foo Fighters-y, thankfully.
Pleasingly for fans of Alan's much missed former outfit, there's also more than a hint of LaFaro's bruising attack in those bludgeoning guitar riffs, the fuzzed-up bass and crash/bash/crashin' drums, but catchy and hugely atmospheric cruncher Trial and Error conjures a vibe that's more 'mean 'n' moody' than 'twitchy eyed 'n' possibly psychotic'.
A great attention getter / appetite whetter, Trial and Error will be released via Exhalers.bandcamp.com on April 2, with the album release following on May 7.
I should probably end this review with a cutesy topper along the lines of "Trial and Error? 'Right first time', morelike", but I'd only go to bed upset with myself. More Exhalers news coming your way as and when it arrives.
:: Slomatics / Ungraven (split EP, Black Bow Records)
HEAVY tunes for heavy times, here comes the new split release from Belfast crushers Slomatics and their similarly ear-endangering English chums Ungraven, founded by Conan man Jon Davis and also featuring former Fudge Tunneler David Ryley on bass and Tuskar's Tyler Hodges hitting things very hard indeed.
Between them, these two like-minded yet stylistically distinct acts provide six cathartic blasts of wall/bowel-shuddering doom-mongering sludge.
Ungraven – rhymes with 'John Craven', but you're unlikely to confuse the two – take charge for side one, making their vinyl debut with a trio of thunderous, industridoom head nodders hewn from downtuned grunge metal riffage, relentlessly driving/churning bass and explosive, concussive percussion, all topped by Davis's signature end-of-days vocal wailing.
The trio take no prisoners right from the off with stomping opening gambit Defeat The Object, a hypnotic mid-tempo ear pummeler that softens us up before the perfectly titled Onwards She Rides to a Certain Death ups the aggro factor further with its expertly crafted boiling sea of string bending guitar abuse and Davis's portentous howls.
They bow out on a suitably scorching high with lurching rager Blackened Gates of Eternity, on which Hodges absolutely blitzes his kit into submission. This lot must be some live act – pray that we get the chance to find out sometime soon.
Over on side two, Slomatics offer a more considered, controlled outpouring of pandemic times angst: Kaan is a slow-mo synth-enhanced space doom trudge across the barren face of a dying alien world, complete with mournful violin-aping guitar embellishment and drummer/singer Marty's effectively chilling 'evil monk' croonage.
He's in particularly fine voice on their prog Sabbath slogger Proto Hag, a heaviest of metals-tinged soundtrack to a lost sci-fi horror classic (sign me up for a screening when cinemas reopen) and indeed on the climactic/fantastic Monitors, an epic, almost operatic slow-burner that's as close to power ballad territory as Slomatics are ever likely to get.
Guaranteed to annoy the neighbours while leaving you earwax free, the Ungraven / Slomatics split is available in digital form and/or vinyl in a choice of delightfully disgusting colour combos. Own them all now via Slomatics.bandcamp.com.
:: Stendhal Festival tickets now on sale
LIMAVADY'S premier/only music festival Stendhal are hoping to welcome punters through its gates this summer as Covid restrictions begin to ease. The Ballymully Cottage Farm-based event has now released tickets for two weekend-long happenings scheduled for this summer: the first on July 9 and 10 and the second on August 12 and 14.
While operating at a deliberately reduced capacity with Covid-safety in mind, the festival is still hoping to welcome up to 6,000 music fans across both dates. Stendhal director Ross Parkhill explains why he's confident that a return for live music events is on the cards for this summer.
He says: "I think there is enough evidence to suggest that, if the vaccination programme continues to be as successful as it is proving to be and that if the majority of the population can get at least one jab by mid-summer as is the current projections, then the risk/reward balance tips greatly in the favour of reward over risk.
"We are working hard now to produce what could be our most memorable events to date. The vaccination progress plus the roadmap in England, which has prompted far larger events than ours to press ahead, would suggest that we won't be far away from a great reduction in restrictions in good time for our July event."
However, Parkhill admits that this year's Stendhal – the line-up for which has yet to be announced – will be be a bit different by necessity.
"I can't see it being business as usual for any events this year," he explains.
"For example this year we are running two events at a much lower capacity than what we would normally run. This is so that we can allow people much more space and hopefully give people the confidence to get back around larger crowds, meanwhile allowing us to marshal the event with Covid safety still very much in mind."
He adds: "Tickets to both events will be incredibly limited as we will be operating at between 50 and 60 percent of our normal capacity. We anticipate that the tickets will sell out far quicker than ever before.
"We can't wait to welcome everyone back to the farm. It's been a long time coming."
:: Tickets for both the July and August editions of Stendhal Festival 2021 are on sale at Stendhalfestival.com now.
:: Malojian's A Month of Sundays continues
FINALLY for this week, be advised that Stevie Scullion, the man behind the mighty Malojian, is filling the lockdown-induced void in his live diary with weekly streaming solo performances "live from Malojianland" which find him working his way through his entire back catalogue.
These A Month of Sundays performances kicked off last Sunday with a run though his superb 2012 debut The Deer's Cry, meaning that this week it's the turn of the excellent follow-up, Southlands, originally released back in 2015.
The show will stream at 8pm via the Stage Left service: grab your ticket right now for a mere £9 via Stageleft.live/style-records, and don't forget to mark March 21 in your diary for This is Nowhere and March 28 for Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home.
