Progressive Metal group Left Eye Perspective is premiering their single “Death Of The Sun” today through us and we couldn’t feel any more honored! These guys mix a sludgy, stoner sound with the melodic prog style that peaks its head out every now and then. The song is taking from their upcoming EP “Defiance!” officially out March 2nd. The band is a riff heavy prog band similar to my Mastodon boys. I love their dynamic guitar work, rhythms and eclectic vocals. I’ve been waiting on this project for a final product, and man am I glad the patience paid off. There is so much emotion and mood packed into this 7 and a half minute epic you’ll be craving more. But you’ll have to wait until March for that! For now, we hope you enjoy this new jam.
Category: Stoner Metal
Jollymon- Voidwalker
Now, there has been a decent number of bands and artists that have reached out to me since the website’s inception in February. This has to be one of the coolest bands I digitally laid my hands on since then in the sense its not another kiler tech death band. The northwest Trio stoner metal band draws heavy influence from music since JFK was alive and in office. I premiered the title track from this album not too long ago, and my crazy ass quote from that article still stands true…. “It’s kinda like Mastodon, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Clutch got drunk and had a child. But, it was not a mistake! This is a gritty, melodic band with relentless riffs and killer rhythms that make you want more. John’s guitar playing is very eclectic….all kinds of mood changes and great guitar leads that should make you wear your seat belt while driving.”
The band has had a grunge rock past, but on Voidwalker injected a lot of cojones. It’s a lot more heavier than their past work, and includes a lot of experimentation ad psychedelic elements. For an independent release, it’s pretty damn impressive. And, it’s better than the pop metal and rock (Nickelcrap, Five finger cunt punch, Nothing That Remains) that constantly has been shoved down our throats to no end.
What I love about the Jollymon folks is their lack of repetition. There’s a lot of classic rock and prog rock influences respecting the past of music…..and a lot of newer elements and rhythms of the aforementioned bands (Mastodon, Clutch and even a bit of High On Fire and the legendary Primus) have made popular. Voidwalker takes you through the fucking sludge and throws more mud at you when you come back up gasping for air. It’s a serious headbanger and fresh of breath air in the metal and rock worlds. They have that slight unusual sound certain people like Les Claypool have accomplished over music’s extremely long existence. Voidwalker is slated to be released June 8th.
If you need further convincing, here’s the album stream to check out.
Grab the album right here. This band was quite an awesome surprise for me, and hope they are for the rest of the world.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CRRKLCD/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_awdb_t1_x5g7Ab2J6FXMT
https://www.facebook.com/PDX.Jollymon/
Instagram- @jollymonband
Jollymon- Voidwalker Album Stream
‘Member the title track I streamed off the Jollymon guys latest album Voidwalker? Today I am excited to announce the full album stream, ahead of it’s official release June 8th! They’re a great melodic stoner rock band that tickles the fancy of many people, younger and older…..they have carefully crafted a great sound of multiple genres that should catapult them into spacey and groovy realms.
Enjoy the album folks! Don’t forget to support the band by preordering Voidwalker!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CRRKLCD/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_awdb_t1_x5g7Ab2J6FXMT
They’re also playing a CD release show the day of Voidwalker’s release….if you live in or near Oregon, GO!
JOLLYMON Record Release Show!! With Shelter Red and Cedar&Crows
Voidwalker track listing:
- Tsunami
- Monlekyhawk
- A Good Day
- Be Nice
- Slice Of Life
- Forecast
- Missile Commander
- Void Walker
- Sky Burial
VOIDWALKER ALBUM STREAM VIA TECHNICAL MUSIC REVIEW
Tsunami
A Good Day
Monkey Hawk
Be Nice
Slice Of Life
Forecast
Missile Commander
Voidwalker
Sky Burial
Matter of Planets April 2018 Interview
Matter Of Planets is an instrumental progressive rock/metal band from Ohio that has finished a follow up to their technical, intricate and smashing debut album “Ballad Of Baberaham”. I recently had a conversation with the drummer Joel about the band amongst other things. Their new album “Somewhere Out Among The Stars Is Home” drops Friday, don’t miss it fools. Stay updated!
TMR: What’s the meaning behind your band name?
I originally came up with the band name when I was in Michigan many years ago visiting my Dad right after a terrible motorcycle crash. I was looking for something positive in a name, in a meaning. Light, cosmic, universal, but solid and grounding. Matter of Planets almost literally means “As a matter of fact, we are all made of Stardust” Thanks Carl Sagan!
TMR: Any information on your new album “Somewhere Out Among The Stars Is Home” you want to share?
The last album was us figuring out how to be this band and how we were going to take our previous material and adapt it to our new form (we had a vocalist once upon a time but don’t tell anyone). The new album is definitely us very much at home with who we are now. What we are now. There’s less traditional song structures, more timing changes and multi-movement songs. Varying song length. More focus on the narrative and sonic exploration. It’s also the first time we’ve been in the studio with Roger on bass.
TMR: What are your personal favorite albums of all time and any newer releases as well?
My personal favorite albums are:
TOOL – Aenima
TOOL – Aenima
The Blood Brothers – …Burn, Piano Island, Burn
Converge – Jane Doe
Aesop Rock – Labor Days
Fugazi – 13 Songs
The Party of Helicopters – Space, and how sweet it was
Bad Religion – Process of Belief
BTBAM – Parallax II: Future Sequence
The Hot Snakes – Suicide Invoice
Godspeed, You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas
Beastie Boys – Ill Communication
NAS – Illmatic
N.E.R.D – Fly or Die
Deftones – White Pony
Radiohead – O.K. Computer
I don’t know. There are so many. I come from a jazz background where my love for Big Band runs deep. I think that the early 2000’s should be known as the Golden Era of Underground Hip-Hop (Rhymesayers, Def Jux, Living Legends). Wu-Tang FOREVER!
Husbandry from Brooklyn put out the best release of 2017 with their E.P. Bad Weeds never Die. I hope that works for you.
TMR: How did you all get started as musicians?
I started playing and jamming with folks in my late teens. Didn’t get into a serious band until 2004. Joe has been in punk bands forever, pretty sure we all got started as kids in school or in our teens.
TMR: How was the recording and writing process different than your first full length “Ballad Of Baberaham”?
It was a very similar process. Different studio, bass player, and songs but other than that it was close. Well….kinda. Andy Sartain was still in the control booth but Oranjudio provided a very different environment than Electraplay had. Bigger room, different toys, a grand piano (that shows up on the record more than once). But, like last time, we were very well rehearsed, knew what we were doing before we got there, and only spent a few days recording. The songs were honed over 2 years at least so when we get in there, we bang it out.
TMR: Chicago or New York City style Pizza?
Pat’s Cheese steaks.
TMR: What band would you guys love to play a show with currently?
And So I Watch You From Afar would be amazing! I’d take Baroness, Torche, Lizzard Wizzard, Rosetta, or Russian Circles are also choice picks.
TMR: What led Matter Of Planets to being instrumental rather than just another metal/prog band? Your band’s sound is like no other.
Gosh..It’s all the different influences. I love love prog and metal but sometimes they just aren’t any fun. We really want to have fun. It has to keep us interested as a whole, we play what we want to hear I think. That’s probably why it comes off so ADD and crazy. But at the end of the set, when I feel like I’ve run a marathon, it feels pretty damn good.
TMR: Intimate shows are the best….the only show I saw of yours was here in Buffalo at a house show. I love those types of shows, or small ones in general where you can talk to the band afterwards and have an actual interaction rather than feeling so far away. I’m not crazy for stadium shows and sold out shows.
Intimate shows are the best. I want to connect with the band/artist. I want to feel what they feel and vice versa. But there is something to be said about the vibe of a large venue too.
TMR: What are your opinions on music theory? Some artists love it and hate it.
Music theory to me is like many other things, a tool. It’s something to have in your arsenal that enhances your playing and songwriting. Do I find it tiresome when a band is overly technical? Yes. Do I think that musicians can become mired in theory at expense of the music? Yes. But on the other hand, when people want to shit on extraordinarily talented and technically gifted musicians, it makes me crazy!! That has to come from a place of jealousy and it’s sad. Just cause it’s not your think does not make it bad.
TMR: What tour or festival would your band love to play on one day?We are such a festival band.
All of them. Austin City Limits, SXSW, Pitchfork, Bunbury, Maryland Deathfest or Doomfest, big, small, national, local, whatever. I’m working on one for Columbus. I don’t know if I’d ever really want to do a big tour like Mayhem or Slaughter though. I just want to tour and play killer shows, make new friends, meet new people, see places, experience life. It’s a good time. Sometimes we are lucky enough to be able to tour with our friends and that’s a treat.
TMR: What are some of your favorite pieces of gear recording or instrument wise past and present?
When we recorded the last album I played on a 14″x6.5″ DW Collector’s Series snare drum. I went and bought immediately after. Blake plays this awesome Yamaha SG. We play with the same stuff on tour that we record with and we’ve all spent some serious money and time over the years putting together rigs that we really like and help us craft the sounds we want.
TMR: Any endeavors you guys have outside of Matter of Planets please link here whether its music related or not.
Thanks man!
https://matterofplanets.bandcamp.com
Jollymon- Void Walker song premeire
Melodic Stoner Rock Band Jollymon is releasing Void Walker On June 8th. We have a melodic, sludgy, heavy release for you all.
VOIDWALKER SONG PREMIERE
Pretty cool…..right? It’s kinda like Mastodon, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Clutch got drunk and had a child. But, it was not a mistake! This is a gritty, melodic band with relentless riffs and killer rhythms that make you want more. John’s guitar playing is very eclectic….all kinds of mood changes and great guitar leads that should make you wear your seat belt while driving.
Mark and Carey’s chemistry in the rhythm section on the Drums and Bass respectively add a lot more flavor to Jollymon. Carey also has some cool occasional vocal effects that make their music spacey, if ya know what I mean.
Enjoy the track folks. Expect more when their album drops June 8th.
https://www.facebook.com/PDX.Jollymon/
https://www.jollymonband.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB-9qPtMRxBWlTJjd_199kg