Intronaut is a post-metal band from Los Angeles, California. They play in the style of progressive metal with some harsh vocals, as well as, more recently, melodic vocals and vocal harmonies, combined with progressive and jazzy instrumental breaks. Their sound incorporates traits from prog rock, sludge metal, Indian, African, and Afro-Latin rhythms, as well as a heavy jazz influence. Intronaut features guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunable, guitarist/vocalist/percussionist David Timnick, drummer Danny Walker, and bassist Joe Lester. In 2005, Intronaut released a four-track demo entitled Null – Demonstration Extended Play Compact Disc. They signed to Goodfellow Records in October, and in early April 2006, recorded Void at Shiva Industries in Santa Ana, California with producer John Haddad. In August 2007, guitarist/vocalist Leon del Muerte left the band to focus on his Murder Construct project. He was replaced by Dave Timnick. Shortly thereafter Intronaut toured Europe for the first time, supporting the heavy prog-metal band The Ocean. In January 2008, the band announced that they had signed a world wide deal with Century Media Records, and completed their next album, Prehistoricisms. They also covered Eyehategod’s Dixie Whiskey for the Century Media 20th Anniversary cover album.
Hailing from Chicago, The Atlas Moth take their bluesy hometown roots and combine that with New Orleans style sludge & 60s psychedelic. Gritty and raw, yet thought out and insightful. If you grew up living in a swamp wearing a Black Sabbath T-Shirt and ate nothing but fried chicken, this is your band. “Hails to The Atlas Moth! This is slap your mama up against the wall and eat your biscuits and red-eye gravy swampin’ sludge! A band to look out for, and for sure lock up your daughters!” - The Sludge Swamp
If there was any question who would rise to the top of the occult rock heap, Castle leaves no-one guessing on their second full length, "Blacklands". Written and recorded over a span of 4 months in San Francisco, Castle's Blacklands pulses like a raw nerve and manages to remain organic amidst a crushing heaviness of guitar rock orchestration. Produced by Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Sleep, Eyehategod) whose musical pedigree speaks volumes (literally!) and a release date of April ? on Germany's uber dark art house Van Records, Blacklands is an electrifying mix of rock, metal, psych and doom that promises to be one of the highlights of the year in heavy music. Castle's "witch thrash" sound began as a solo project for guitarist, songwriter and producer Mat Davis. Along with his wife, vocalist and bassist, Elizabeth Blackwell and longtime collaborator and drummer Al McCartney, Davis formed the band in 2010 to record Castle's debut "In Witch Order" for Germany's Van Records. The album received much acclaim from the underground press and made Metal Hammer Norway's best of the year as well as Roadburn Festival's newcomer of the year amongst other accolades. With shows in the past alongside Blood Ceremony, Orchid and Kylesa, Castle will be kicking off their release for Blacklands this spring with a tour through Germany and the Netherlands followed by dates in Europe, Canada and the U.S. .
From stoner to desert, to post-rock sludge, Pektop’s debut covers a wide gamut of genres.
Although predominantly instrumental – apart from the eerie cries of ‘Sadie’ – there is never a time when you miss the lack of vocals; such is the tightness of the Belgian’s musicianship.
Inspired by the quickening bass riff of Pulp Fiction, the opening title-track is awash with fuzzy bursts of white noise, before driving guitar grooves are lead through eerie atmospherics, in the darker caverns of ‘Drowning’. ‘Dusk’, meanwhile, continues to offset the wider swaths of darkness, thanks to slowly, tolling riffs and heavy drones. On the other hand, ‘Flame of Rhys’, which follows, adds a much-needed tempo change, to the albums only brief lull.
Hoping to avoid being “boxed into one genre”, the Leuven trio’s talent for merging big crescendos with ever-changing dynamics, is an impressive feat.