Job For A Cowboy: ‘Doom’ and ‘Genesis’ LP re-issues now available via Metal Blade Records
On July 26th, Metal Blade Records will re-issue Job For A Cowboy‘s classic albums on vinyl for fans: Doom (for the first time ever on vinyl!) and Genesis! See below for an overview of all versions; pre-order your copy now at IndieMerch (USA) or Kings Road (EU).
Doom LP re-issues
– golden orange / blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 500 copies)
– clear / forest green marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 200 copies)
– green / red splatter vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 100 copies)
– yellow / red marbled vinyl (US exclusive – limited to 500 copies)
– green / dark green marbled vinyl (US exclusive – limited to 500 copies)
Genesis LP re-issues
– orange / brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 500 copies)
– clear / nut brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 200 copies)
– beige / orange marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 100 copies)
– pastel orange marbled vinyl (US exclusive – limited to 300 copies)
– maroon marbled vinyl (US exclusive – limited to 200 copies)
Job For A Cowboy online:
https://www.facebook.com/jobforacowboy
https://twitter.com/jfacmetal
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I’ve been noticing an emerging trend where record labels organise their own festivals/gigs/tours, primarily to showcase their roster of bands. Amongst these are Mighty Music, of Denmark, and Rocksector Records, of England. Heavy Psych Sounds has also started to do this, clearly a strategy aimed at enhancing its profile as much as it aims for short-term gains.
The record label, based in Italy, specialises in Stoner Doom and related sub-genres, and in February organised showcase gigs in England (London), Belgium (Brussels) and Holland (Deventer). This review focuses on the England leg of this enterprise.
I’ll be honest here….most of the bands I heard for the first time while preparing for the gig. This is in fact a music niche distinct even from Traditional and Epic Doom. But one of the pleasures of writing for a Metal webzine is discovering new (‘new’ for me, at least) talent.
First impressions were of a professionally and well-organised event. While they entered the venue, punters were politely handed a promo-CD and literature about some of the label’s bands. The merch stand also ran smoothly with members of performing bands seemingly eager to interact with interested fans. The venue was changed twice in a short space of time so I was surprised that this didn’t seem to have been detrimental on attendance figures.
But at the end of the day what really matters is the music. So let’s see how that went….
To the band’s credit, Deadsmoke have a clearly-defined image. A lot of smoke obscured the trio and with strong green lights consistently mingling with that smoke, so what you got was not a band but the silhouettes of three dark demons spewing hellish woes. The downside of this, of course, was that their show was a nightmare for photographers trying to do their job.
I have to say that Deadsmoke played with a palpable passion and intensity and consequentially I quite enjoyed their set.
After their show I shot a few questions at Gianmaria, the band’s bassist, who was surprisingly jovial. Listen to what he had to say…
I felt that the band had a very tight rhythm section and the music was generally imbued with creative attributes, thanks in part to a range of instruments and sounds. Before the show I didn’t imagine I would like Giobia’s set but it turns out they were probably my favourite band of the night.
Before Giobia hit the stage, I had asked them about their music and about their plans for the immediate future:
Flying on the wings of a dirty and grimy sound, the compositions were leaps away from the jamming approach of Giobia and in fact here the songs had their own definite psyche (yeah, intentional pun). This was something the audience seemed to appreciate.
During a conversation I had with guitarist Gabriele Fiori I discovered he is also the owner of Heavy Psych Sounds:
Dead Witches kicked off their show with ‘The Final Exorcism’ and ‘Goddess Of The Night’ but the band hadn’t yet set The Borderline alight. Then, around half-way through their set, they played ‘A World Of Darkness’…from the “Ouija” album of 2017….and from then on the quartet appeared really unstoppable.
Like with Black Rainbows before them, the vocalist of Dead Witches had a tiny element of eloquence missing when communicating with the audience…but other than that, Soozi Chameleone (Dead Witches’ vocalist) was deeply immersed in the band’s repertoire, like an unbound Linda Blair.
Marc Greening was in top form and, technical problems aside, guitarist Oliver Hill also had a great night. I spotted a tattoo of Saint Vitus’ logo on him and that pretty much explains where he is coming from as a guitarist.
Eventually ‘Fear The Priest’ drew the evening to a fitting and triumphant close. If there was an exorcism tonight it must have failed because bands and audience remained as possessed as ever.
All words, interviews and live photography by Chris Galea (© 2019)
]]>Pre-order: https://www.tonzonen.de
band quote:
“This album is the result mainly of two things: In the process of developing the sound we made no compromises, especially timewise. But most importantly, during that very process, chance was on our side. Right from the start we knew, that we wanted to combine the sound of the syntheziser inspired live electronica scene and the straight forward but heavy sounds as used in downtuned prog or doom metal. What made this attempempt special, exhausting and adventurous was the restriction, that there should be nothing used but ONE electric bass and acoustic drums, and that we should be able to reproduce the recorded sound on stage. This had an enormous impact not only regarding the equipment, which had to be able to deal with full blown subs and hights as well, but also and primary regarding the playing technique. The clean voice on the other hand plays the role of a second melody instrument. And together, voice and bass create an harmonicaly open atmophere which generate a tension to the massive sounds of the bass and the drums. And finally: Our music should be played quite loud!” – Moto Toscana
Welcome to the world of MOTO TOSCANA. Sludgefunk Doomdisco – melodic vocals, uncompromisingly tight, groove-oriented drums and a distorted bass wall conjure up the intense sound of the trio. The band brews an ultimately completely independent mix, which is used not only in DOOM, STONER & PROG, but also in detail at FUNK. In concerts the combination of guitarless and monster sound, clears any doubt, because not even the thickest sound needs more than just three people and four strings.
Tracklist
1. Sickandtwisted
2. Sweet Demise
3. Craving
4. Dolorous
5. Never Over
6. All Of It
7. Ride
8. Exclusive
9. Among The Dead
Links
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mototoscana
Bandcamp: https://mototoscana.bandcamp.com
Label Official: https://www.tonzonen.de
]]>When you look at Shaw’s track record since he appeared on the scene in 1989 as the replacement for Mikkey Dee on the drum stool in the King Diamond band, there is little doubt that the guy lives, breathes and farts metal. And it’s not like it’s just one type or genre of metal. No, no, we’re talking everything from speed, thrash, glam and symphonic to black. Is there in fact anyone more metal than Snowy? Hard to say, but if I’m to trust the promo letter, which came along with the album, Mr. Shaw is betting everything on this. This is the end of being part of other bands, this is a full-on bet on the solo career.
Having given White Is The New Black a few spins, I’m convinced that the drummer/guitarist/bassist/keyboardist/singer is onto something that just might work.
As most of you would have figured, Snowy Shaw isn’t your regular bloke. No, the thing about this debut album is that it is, in fact – wait for it – the best-of album that he’ll make years from now. Yeah, it sounds weird, but why does it make sense? Because (naturally) Shaw has six albums laid out already, and White Is The New Black consists of two songs that represent the style of each of those six (future) albums. Looney. I like it.
What I also like is that the album certainly also shows us that Snowy is a man who refuses to be caged in one particular genre and that he allows his past to be reflected in what he does. He’s certainly a guy who’s got a diverse taste, which is a wonderful thing.
When I listen across the heavy soundscape that makes up White Is The New Black, there are a multitude of references and points of inspiration. Everything from traditional heavy metal over German speed metal to Type O Negative, Rammstein, Venom, Black Sabbath, Priest and Cradle of Filth.
In my book, as diverse as they are, the sources of inspiration are aligned like start signs, and Shaw has a perfect understanding of putting together tunes. The only two songs that fail to impress me are ‘Evil Twin’ and ‘Family Feud’ towards the end of the album – they aren’t bad, but they do tend to be filler material for me – however, that’s all I can complain about.
In sum: A great album by a great musician and a highly recommended effort.
I can’t wait to hear the albums that’ll form the basis for this best-of! 
With Eric Wagner leaving the band, Kory Clarke coming in, and then later Kyle Thomas, I also left the band, so to speak, although the band’s concert at Wacken in 2009 was a fine experience.
Wagner moved on to other projects, most notably Lid, the almost-Trouble outfit The Skull and, yes, you guessed it; Blackfinger. The self-titled debut came out in 2014 and sounded a lot like Trouble, mainly due to Wagner’s characteristic voice.
The same can be said of When Colors Fade Away, although, there is one big difference; Eric is relying less on the almost shrill style that he has been using throughout the years. Rather, he’s exploring the deeper end of his register, and I must say that it sounds fantastic. I also have a feeling that it’s more accessible for the broader audience.
From the very outset, the listener is left with no doubt that Black Sabbath music is on the table. The title track oozes Sabbath, from sound to riffing, but there is also that understanding of ur-pop-rock melody, which takes this album a couple of notches beyond the many, many mediocre doom rock and metal bands out there. I’m talking about The Beatles. Those melancholy pop phrasings that they knew exactly how to put together, that’s also obvious in Blackfinger songs like ‘My Old Soul’ and ‘Till We Meet Again’. The former in particular is a song that has been spinning in my head the past couple of weeks. Amazing stuff!
When Colors Fade Away is one amazing album. It doesn’t tear your head off with its brutality or makes your ears bleed with a 1000 miles-per-hour riffing; it is simply good music in a way that I believe can bring generations of metal fans together.
]]>Sinistro from Portugal were unknown to me until a week ago when I checked them out on Spotify. What I heard was surprising, and surprisingly beautiful. Patricia Andrade’s vocal is truly amazing, and the studio recordings are mesmerising, offering a sludgy soundscape with Andrade’s voice in a very dominant position (and rightfully so).
Seeing the band is a no less special experience, however with a slightly different twist. First of all, due to the live mix, Andrade is much less dominant, and that, I’m afraid, is not a good thing. Her voice being the driver of Sinistro’s sound, that is simply something that cannot be lost.
Secondly, with her onstage antics (read: spasmodic moves), pale skin and very red lipstick, the singer adds an element of cabaret to the show, which is not necessarily a bad thing, although it is a stark contrast to the rest of the band who appear like a bunch of shy shoegazers.
But the thing is, after three songs or so, Sinistro become a dull live experience. When the music rather than the vocal dominates (unlike the studio recording), there’s simply not enough going on to keep a man interested and eventually it feels a bit like being hit by a tranquilizer dart.
Highly recommended Spotify listening, though!
The Edith Piaf of doom: Patricia Andrade
Pallbearer, whom I read many praises of in the German music press, are supposedly the hot shit. Compared to Sinistro, they do fare better with a from the outset much more varied approach to the doom/sludge genre and a lot more interaction with the audience. ‘That guy is kind of proggy’, my mate Michael notes about singer/guitarist Brett Campbell, and, yeah, he does have a point. I have to distract from the fact that he reminds me a lot of a guy who works in the Finance department where I work, but let’s forget about that.
Again, I had to use Spotify to check out what this was before the concert, and to me, the Arkansas four-piece’s music actually had a lot of Paradise Lost in it. This, however, is not so obvious to me tonight. This sounds like sludgy doom with elements of prog, and it ain’t half bad, although I eventually fall into the same lethargy as I’ve done so often with other bands of the genre.
Sympathetic bunch, though.
Doom sludge with a touch of prog – Pallbearer from Little Rock
When Lost Paradise came out in 1990, I was in awe; it was different, it has heavy, it was dark in every possible way. I can in all honesty say that up until 1999, each and every album Paradise Lost made was in some way groundbreaking and defining, and certainly enjoyed heavy rotation on my record player or in the CD player. They were and are one of my all-time favourite bands, plain and simple.
The first time I saw Paradise Lost live was in 1994 and I’ve seen them a number of times since, and have always enjoyed Nick Holmes’ dry, English humour along with the amazing songs this band has created over the years. However, tonight’s performance, I fear, is not one I can call their strongest ever. Now you are warned.
Nick and the boys kick off with “Gods of Ancient” from the latest opus brutalis, Medusa. In the photo pit, the sound isn’t at all the best, and this song isn’t exactly one that captures the audience with melodic hooks or catchy choruses like so many Paradise Lost songs, but you could say it’s a statement that PL mean doomy business.
With “Remembrance” from Icon, there is more catchiness to be had, but it’s as if the energy level is slightly under par with Halifax’s proud sons, and the Aarhus is disappointingly easily lead into lacklustre responsiveness on this Saturday night.
Sadly, this defines the concert, even through classic or near-classic material like “One Second”, “Tragic Idol”, “Shadowkings”and “Faith Divides Us”. With “Eternal” (see clip below), one of my favourite tunes ever, it’s as if Paradise Lost finally find the nerve and basically themselves. This continues into the earth shattering “Beneath Broken Earth’, one of the the master pieces from 2015’s The Plague Within. With “Ember’s Fire”, another true classic is aired, and it is around this time that the audience at long last figure out who they have in front of them. Ironically, this is the last song of the set proper.
It is a relief to hear how adamant the demand for encores is, and as Paradise Lost launch into the mighty ‘No Hope in Sight”, they are celebrated feverishly.
Instead of doing the obvious (playing “As I Die”), they then play the slow doom tune “The Longest Winter”, a lesser know new piece from Medusa, and one could argue that this was a bad choice. But, hey, this is Paradise Lost. Much to everyone’s relief, the final encore is “The Last Time”, another grande classic, and exactly one of those songs you’d like to say farewell and see you the next with.
In the end, an approved gig, but it wasn’t a seal of approval that came easily, and it was only carried over the finishing line with a strong repertoire of doom.
