MINOR STARS • Through Pinholes in the Sky LP

MINOR STARS  • Through Pinholes In The Sky LP 

2019/2020

By the looks of this LP -the record the isn’t something I think I’d typically listen to or try to seek out… but after I threw it on my turntable and cranked the volume I was pleasantly surprised by the heavy fuzz of these North Carolina psych-rock vets. It reminds me of some Sabbath minced up with some 90’s indie shoe gaze. “Cavepainter” the first song on side 2 really should have been the opening track. It’s super heavy with killer dragging Sabbathy doom riffs and some great vox. I’d maybe compare parts of it to really really early Soundgarden. The production and mastering is really stellar making it super pro. You can tell much time and effort was put into this record, and these guys really tried to make the perfect product for themselves. The bass sustains all the way through the record.  

My only complaint would be the sequencing…. Side 2 should be side 1. I think the songs on side 2 are way better/heavy and might get people who might not typically listen all the way through to actually flip the record over with some real excitement. Guys, if you read this get at me next time for sequencing advice (har har har). I’m really glad I got to experience the band’s record… Like I mentioned earlier it’s nothing that would have come across my radar but I’ve listened to it four times in two days. I’d dig seeing them live to see if they can pull this full sound off live.  (NW)

Hit me up on Instagram if you want to send me your release for review at: nate_gloom

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA

MIRACLE DRUG / PIECE OF MIND split 7″

MIRACLE DRUG / PIECE OF MIND– Split 7″

Available on a few different color vinyl options and with a download code to boot!

 Available through Trip Machine Laboratories

 I have to start this review with a few clarifiers:

 

·      I purchased all 3 versions of this 7in (see pic).

·      If you are a fan of hardcore, then you should grab this.

·      Split records, for good or bad, are a contest of which side is better.

·      Sorry to anyone in Piece of Mind but…well…you were outgunned. 

 

I file my split LPs, 10ins, 7ins at the end of the alphabet but I’ve found I’m in the minority.  I was in NJ this past week visiting some pals and the consensus was that any split is filed alphabetically by the band you like better. An example being that the Faith/Void split rarely sees the F section of a record collection (FYI, mine would be in the F section so that may automatically go to the credibility of this review). 

With that, had this just been a Piece of Mind (PoM going forward) record review I would have gone bananas for it. They are very competent and hit all the right marks to make me throw a fist in the air while sitting in my chair reading along to their lyrics.  But here’s the thing, the folks in Miracle Drug (MD going forward) have each been in bands and playing and recording since the mid ‘90s (C.R., Mouthpiece, Supertouch, By The Grace Of God, Enkindle, Mouthpiece and on and on and fucking on… uhh, an exhausting amount of stuff). And, if I’m any good at math at all, that’s around 300 years of combined experience. Furthermore, with over a century’s worth of experience, MD have a “fuck you(ness)” about them that only comes with that. I’m not talking about the “fuck you” of being in a band in your 20s where you pretend that shit rolls off your back but if there is one missed note at a show, the entire band sends a palpable wave of embarrassment over the crowd. And then a band meeting ensues where an entire hour is spent saying things like “we gotta get tight before our next show”. The “fuck you” I’m talking about comes from adulthood. I imagine that if MD messed up a song at a show it would be an exchange of smiles among the band and their band meeting, if they even would have one, would be them giving each other shit and bustin’ chops. Also, as far as Hardcore goes, I’d be surprised if these guys listened to a lot of hardcore at all these days. I’d put money on that a few of these fellas dig Steely Dan as well as Black Sabbath.  There are a couple changes that took me by surprise and pulled me in. Who knows, they might also all be assholes.  

In the end, this is a great record with two great bands but maybe not the greatest combination. It wasn’t a chocolate and peanut butter tasty combo, but it wasn’t a toothpaste and orange juice one either. Maybe it was milk and Pepsi, complementing but not peer to peer. However, I did do this. I ordered the PoM demos and recent cassette to check out and maybe review. Look, PoM were just outgunned on this release and I bet they’d agree. Regardless, go grab one before they are gone. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.  (JD)

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA

SLEEP Live at Third Man 4 x 12″ box set

Sleep – Live At Third Man Records 4×12” Box Set

Released in March of 2019

Third Man Records

For those living under a rock for the last couple of decades Sleep is a three piece stoner rock/doom band who worship the almighty Black Sabbath.   I, like many folks, am a huge fan, and pretty much like and own their entire discography.  

From the get go upon hearing of this release I some how got it in my head deciding that I wasn’t going to order/buy this because it was ridiculously expensive and gimmicky (a club edition).  It seemed like a cash grab to me.  From the moment I heard about it I just wanted to hate it.  Four records, all different colored wax (Blue, Green, Purple, and Orange).  Locked grooves… packaged in a box jacket,  live songs recorded at Jack White’s venue in Nashville.  It all just seemed like utter nonsense.  Like a RSD product that nobody needs.  

Well I did not buy it as I previously said but I managed to get a copy to review.  I immediately fell in love with it.  This, of course, after a build up of me wanting to hate it for months and months.  I went into this thinking it was going to somehow suck.  It doesn’t suck, its very well done.

The reality is that it’s so beautifully put together that its hard not to just spend time looking at every aspect of the packaging and being mesmerized by the quality of the product as the music pounds through your speakers.  

The recording is straight up dope.  I’ve seen them live and this sounds like being in a room with them while they mosey through their set.  I cranked this while doing late night mailorder, and immediately had my wife came down stairs and reminded me that we had a sleeping baby in the house.  Uh-oh!!  

The sound quality is killer.  It was recorded in front of a bunch of dirt heads.  They used a direct-to-acetate system and then mixed/mastered in real-time.  I don’t fully understand what all that means, but it is pretty insane sounding.  

At any rate I don’t think this is a necessary part of their discography that one needs to own.  After a few listens I’d guess I’d become fairly lazy with being able to get the right records back into the right sleeves, and into the box.  It seems like a lot of work to basically listen to one or two songs per side, flip it over and then go through the same process over again through all 4 records.  

The tunes…

A
Leagues Beneath 

B
Dopesmoker (Part One) 

C1
Dopesmoker (Part Two) 

C2
Holy Mountain 

D1
The Clarity 

D2
Aquarian 

E
Sonic Titan 

F1
Marijuanaut’s Theme 

F2
Giza Butler 

G1
The Botanist 

G2
Dragonaut

(NW)

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Justin Dratson: JD   Nate Wilson: NW   Matt Average: MA

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964)

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (aka 6 Donne per L’Assassino) (1964)

Directed by Mario Bava

Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Eva Bartok, Thomas Reiner

Streamed on Amazon Prime

Transfer Quality is great.

This is a beautifully filmed horror thriller that I’m just now seeing for the first time.  Its hard to fathom how I’ve slept on this one for so long.  It spawned an entire genre of Italian film.  The colors, and lighting are magnificent.  The transfer quality is great for Amazon Prime.  

The story is sort of complex…. but boils down to a masked murderer who is killing off models at a fashion house in Rome.  The killings are pretty brutal for the time period, and very scary mainly due to the killers appearance (wears a stocking of sorts over the face, with a hat and long jacket). 

 The movie starts right off with a slaying that happens within the first five minutes of the picture.  There are well over a dozen characters that keep you wondering who the killer is. Many of them are junkies, and just straight up odd acting characters that keep the viewer confused and constantly guessing who the evil one might be.  It really could be anyone based on a diary of a dead model, drugs, sex, etc.  

This film must have been completely shocking for people to see in 1964.  Don’t sleep on this one.  (NW)

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NW: Nate Wilson    DC: Devon Cahill   MA: Matt Average