Space is trippy, Witch is heavy. Let it be known that the ones who are called Space Witch were spawned in the shining month of July 2007 AD in the kiln strewn kingdom of Stoke on Trent.
They unleashed their astral drone, and the peasants were afraid and they flung themselves down and prayed to the one, for they knew the time had come for the Space Witch, in all her arcane and timeless glory, to finally return to the earth and claim what was rightfully hers.
Press “play” on Slow Season’s second full-length album “MOUNTAINS” [RidingEasy Records], and you might just forget what era you’re in. It could very well be the sixties, seventies, or now. It almost doesn’t matter though because this is hypnotic, heavy, and howling rock ‘n’ roll that defies both musical and temporal categorization. The Central California quintet—Daniel Rice [vocals, guitar], David Kent [guitar], Hayden Doyel [bass], and Cody Tarbell [drums]—scale new heights, while recognizing where it all began.
“I’d love for people to wonder if this record is actually from 1969,” grins Cody. “We wanted to capture that spirit. That was the goal.”
In order to do so, the musicians holed up in Cody’s home studio, which actually doubles as his parents’ garage, and cut the ten tracks on “MOUNTAINS” throughout the course of early 2014. Hayden had just returned home from a short detour at college in Idaho before recognizing he belonged jamming with his brothers. Officially back in the fold, excitement to record proved pervasive. Moving when inspiration struck, they actually recorded the songs live on reel-to-reel tape. Eschewing the digital mindset of today and not even uttering the words “Pro Tools”, everything was caught on analog, giving the music a crackling kinetic energy.
“I like everything associated with reel-to-reel,” Cody goes on. “I love the sound. I like the mojo that comes along with it.”
“Working with the limitations of tape really pushed us to play our best,” adds Daniel. “You have to prioritize your ideas. You can’t layer too much on there. You also have to nail the takes. You don’t get to go back and cut paste. You have to feel it when you’re playing it. When everything comes together, it really shines because we’re all playing together on tape.”
They lock in during the album opener and first single, “Sixty-Eight”. It snaps into a bluesy riff and bombastic beat before Daniel lets out a soaring refrain and a screeching solo roars. “We wanted to nod back to Led Zeppelin,” the vocalist says. “We managed to get this really big sound in the garage. It’s very organic and natural. The subject matter is pretty gnarly, and I’d encourage everyone to take a close listen to the lyrics.”
That mystique carries over to the hazy “Synanon”, which details the exploits of a mountain cult nearby where the boys reside. Meanwhile, “Endless Mountain” drives forward on robust guitars and propulsive drums. It also reflects the overarching theme inherent within the title.
“MOUNTAINS embody a few things,” explains Daniel. “They’re difficult, seemingly insurmountable, and bigger than us. They’re both foreboding and beautiful at the same time. I had been doing a lot of hiking and backpacking in the higher Sierra Nevada. It all fit together. We live right next to Sequoia National Park, and we go up there all the time. We connect with the idea of man versus nature.”
Slow Season first emerged in 2012 with their self-titled debut. Supported by shows throughout California and nationally, they began to garner palpable buzz. Now, “MOUNTAINS” kicks off their next chapter. However, they’ll continue to exist within an epoch of their own.
Daniel leaves off, “I want to people to walk away knowing there’s integrity behind the music, the process, the words being sung, and the notes being played. We love what we do, and we hope that listeners do too.”
Formed in 2012 from constantly boiling musical cauldron that is Austin, TX, Destroyer of Light has taken a straight forward approach to tempering the disparate and harmonious parts of their influences into a total sum of slow motion tidal heaviness that bows to no altar but that of the riff. With the smoky flavors of hazed out doom and the stomping cadence of rock’s heyday, the band both tickles and deafens the ears with the theatrical flashes of Mercyful Fate, the ominous tones of Electric Wizard, and the ferociously feral feedback of a Sleep dirge.
Having released a self-titled EP and a live recording, Destroyer of Light hit the road and spread their interpretation of the heavy gospel all across the U.S. before hitting the studio in late 2013 to record their newest EP, entitled ‘Bizarre Tales Vol.2’. Released in January 2014, this sophomore effort was called “The perfect sludge/stoner/doom metal album for Halloween” by The Sludgelord, this most current release has taken Destroyer of Light to new towns and cities along the road they call good times and the love of music. As the fall of 2014 approaches, the band will be on tour throughout October and November in the midst of writing new material for their third recording.
Embracing the cold, the danger is real
Mustn’t loose hold of wood handled steel
Feeling their eyes move across my skin
I hear their approach, let battle begin
The abundance of sex and drugs
In this den of debauchery
I feel like I’m on top of the world
Through the portal, psychedelonaut
Seeking truth, certain doom without
Green smoke, laden with meaning
Moordenar haze, tongue of beguiling