Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Bandcamp Picks: October Tide, Demon Lung, Luder, Pheroze


October Tide has been one of my favourite unsung bands since my college days, back when they were tagged as a Katatonia side project; that label isn't really applicable anymore since none of their members are currently in Katatonia, though the comparisons are still inescapable. Tunnel of No Light is firmly on the road of frigid death/doom that the band have traveled since the beginning, only more confident and, dare I say, mature. As Renske and Nyström head into more commercial territory, October Tide becomes an increasingly more attractive alternative to the band they sprung from. The album is available as a digital download for $7.92.


Demon Lung has been getting a lot of love lately; usually that's my cue to move somewhere else, but The Hundredth Name is pretty impressive. With nary a blues lick in sight and avoiding the monotony of sludge, this is "doom metal" with an emphasis on "metal." The riffs are Candlemass at their Sabbathiest, topped by the forlorn wails of vocalist Shanda Fredrick. The album is available as a digital download for $7.99.


For a deathhead like me, Luder aren't particularly heavy - but they are very good; and if I had to choose one or the other, I'm going with the latter. On their second album Adelphophagia, shoegazing psychedelia wanders into desert rock territory ("Luder is not stoner rock" according to their website ...point taken). It's like Lush or Mazzy Star got lost at a Kyuss gig, and then decided while they were there to do a cover of David Bowie's "Afraid of Americans". The album is available as a digital download for $10.



One of the big regrets of my NY trip (besides the fact that it's over) is that I missed seeing my buddy Pheroze play, especially since he just put out a new EP, Ennui. The refinement since his first album is obvious; the Chris Cornell/Soundgarden influence is still evident, but it's now more of a jumping off point as his sound develops its own identity. The five song EP is available for $4.99.



And check out the very entertaining video that Pheroze did for "Today I Belong to the Dead":

Are furries the new hipsters? Or are these hipster furries? This video raises more questions than it answers.

Dreams of Consciousness is on Facebook; put on your bunny suit and come hang out.