Goatsnake - Flower of Disease (2005)

This album will shut some mouths up. While some of us could have thought that the band would never do any good, Goatsnake get serious and seem to decide what direction are they going to take. They pick up the stoner density and the great vocals from Pete Stahl, and they mix it together with even more Sabbathian riffs, if possible. But the harmonica is the THING. They bring it on, and damn it fits so well! You only have to listen to El Coyote, and it will blow your mind. Well, in fact, I consider it the best song in the whole album. 


Nowadays, with the unavoidable presence of Kyuss' bassist, Scott Reeder and Cave In's drummer we can only hope everything will go even better. 

1. "Flower of Disease"
2. "Prayer for a Dying"
3. "Easy Greasy"
4. "El Coyote"
5. "The Dealer"
6. "A Truckload of Mamma's Muffins"
7. "Live to Die"
8. "The River"

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P77PB9GB

Goatsnake - Vol. I (1999)

When The Obsessed happened to split, not eveything was lost. Wino made his moves and Guy Pinhas (bass) and Greg anderson (drums) did not wait either. They both started Goatsnake, together with Greg Anderson and Pete Stahl. Well, as you will imagine, nothing bad could have ever come out of this union. Though this debut is quite dirty and does not point at any concrete direction, the rage is still there as well as the good ol' Sabs' shadow, always lurking around -in this case the voice will eventually remind you of Ozzy's. There are really good songs, like 'Innocent' or 'Lord of los feliz', which can remind you of... any of the previous bands these guys have been in (obvious): Thorr's Hammer, Earthlings... You name it. We can never escape our past. I personally suggest you to listen closely to 'IV', the riff just makes it.

And despite everything else, look at the front cover... I mean, you don't need to say anything else.

"Slippin the Stealth" – 3:15

"Innocent" – 3:32

"What Love Remains" – 6:50

"IV" – 4:31

"Mower" – 6:05

"Dog Catcher" – 2:32

"Lord of Los Feliz" – 5:06

"Trower" – 4:57

http://www.mediafire.com/?mcp5rnb3abfbcyx

Coven - Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls (1969)

Here you have, without exaggeratig a bit, one of my favourite all-time treasures: Coven's Witchcraft destroys Minds and Reaps Souls, from 1969, a turning point in the history of rock and everything to come. Jinx Dawson's voice will bring you through rituals, secret meetings and demon conjurations. But the importance of this record trascends the music, and their influence get even into the history of rock and its relationship with magick and the occult. The band from Chicago brought out a turning point in psychedelia and occult rock, and it would be unforgivable to keep on going with this blog without paying our respects to them. Even Black Sabbath were considered to be the British response to Coven, when they released their first LP.

So if you're are looking for some classic bits, the pioneers of 'occult rock', good ol' style psych-folk, or  if you have a ritual and nothing to listen to, download it now or repent forever!

Tracklist:

1. Black Sabbath
2. Choke Thirst Die
3. Coven In Charing Cross
4. Dignitaries Of Hell
5. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
6. Mcdonaldland Massacre
7. Pact With Lucifer
8. Portrait
9. The White Witch Of Rose Hall
10. Wicked Woman

http://rapidshare.com/files/87833002/Coven_-_Witchcraft__1969_.rar.html

The review in Spanish I made for this blog.

Tenéis ante vosotros la joya de la corona, sin exagerar ni un ápice. Amig@s, he decidido finalmente subir este archivo a la red, pues es un documento histórico -no os perdáis la portada o las fotos del libreto, por ejemplo. Se trata de un disco de la banda de Chicago, pionera en lo que podríamos considerar "Occult Rock", con claros toques de satanismo de la rama de LaVey, no sin desprestigiar elementos de la magia cerimonial. Musicalmente es un disco muy correcto, que recuerda mucho a unos Jefferson Airplane -gracias a la voz de la eterna Jinx Dawson- absolutamente pasados de vueltas con un libro de ocultismo o magia negra. Pero su tratamiento de la brujería es lo innovador. Igual que en el caso de los Black Widow, Coven habla de la brujería y la magia desde dentro, no como observadores, ni jueces ni inquisidores, sino como practicantes.

Así encontramos temas con atmósfera oscura, que supongo compusieron para dar algún rollete a sus rituales (...), así como temas de índole más folk, como en el caso de The White Witch of Rose Hall, hablando sobre casos de brujería en un plan campestre, de hecho relatando la leyenda haitiana de Annie Palmer, nativa irlandesa que se convirtió en reina del voodoo en Haití en el siglo XIX. Realmente, cuando uno lleva mucho tiempo escuchando gritos de "burn witch burn", es agradable recordar que no todo es tan tópico, y aunque musicalmente no gustará a todos, es una pieza de coleccionista, tanto para un fan del rock de los 60s-70s como para el ocultista-satanista retro.

Su influencia en la escena rock (y heavy metal), no obstante, va mucho más allá de lo que pensamos. Recordemos que este disco es del 1969, pues bien, es el primer disco de rock (y disco en general) en el que se ve el signo de los cuernos como algo asociado a la música. Aquí tenéis la prueba:

Con esto tenéis que pensar que seguramente el origen y el uso generalizado vino después con Ronnie James Dio y su llegada a Black Sabbath el año 1979. Ya en algunas entrevistas, Dio afirmaba que "seguramente no había sido el primero en usar ese signo", pero está claro que fue a partir de su unión al grupo británico que ese signo se popularizó para llegar a ser uno de los signos identificativos del rock y, consecuentemente, del heavy metal.

Otras pruebas de la importancia de Coven en el mundo del rock se pueden hallar aquí:

• 1970: la revista Rolling Stone en la crítica del disco homónimo de Black Sabbath: "algo así como la respuesta inglesa a los Coven".
• 1998: King Diamond, otra de las figuras clave de este blog, explica la influencia que halló en Jinx, vocalista de Coven: "Una cantante increíble, su voz, su rango vocal -había algo en ellos que me gustaba."
• 2002: en el libro de KISStory se explica que su productor, Neil Bogart, intentó sin éxito presentarlos como primera banda disfrazada. Algo que finalmente consiguió con KISS.
• 2007: en la revista Terrorizer Magazine, en el especial "Black Prog": "Meses antes de que saliera el disco homónimo de los Sabbath, Coven sacó a la luz un álbum igualmente brillante y rompedor llamado "Witchcraft..." Se considera que Coven tiene el crédito de popularizar el signo de los cuernos hoy en día reconocido como gesto rockero universal."
• 2009: la revista Metalhammer:"Se pueden trazar los orígenes a partir de la primera banda de "occult rock". ¿Estamos hablando a caso de Black Sabbath? No. De hecho hablamos de la legendaria banda de Chicago, Coven."

Para descargar: http://rapidshare.com/files/87833002/Coven_-_Witchcraft__1969_.rar.html

¡¡¡Espero que lo disfrutéis!!!

Premonition 13 - 13 (2011)

Wino is back to kick some ass. And he deinitely does it with his new band Premonition 13 and their debut album, simply called '13'.  The Obsessed and Saint Vitus' frontman created gloomy atmposheres with a psychedelic touch, but never losing sight of his roots: pure American hard rock. Songs like the one that opens the LP, 'B.E.A.U.T.Y.' make life worth living: it's a nine-minute masterclass. And no need talking about 'La Hechicera de la Jeringa', which has become a hit in Youtube. Enjoy it, and try not to get addicted to it... well, but if you can't help it, it won't hurt you that much.

 1. B.E.A.U.T.Y.
 2. Hard to Say
 3. Clay Pigeons
 4. Senses
 5. La Hechicera de la Jeringa (Prelude)
 6. La Hechicera de la Jeringa
 7. Deranged Rock n' Roller
 8. Modern Man
 9. Peyote Road

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ASX6XABZ

Cathedral - Caravan Beyond Redemption (1998)

The good-humoured, sarcastic and ironic mood of the best times of Cathedral returns in this LP released in 1998. Film references, motorbikes and groovy riffs come back hand in hand with Dorrian's renovated energy. Sometimes it sounds more stoner than doom, but who cares, anyway? Songs like Voodoo Fire, Freedom or Heavy Load are fresh but don't mistake "fresh" with "lighter". The sound is 100% Cathedral. If you have never listened to this band, I recommend you to start listening to this one. 

1. "Voodoo Fire" 
2. "The Unnatural World" 
3. "Satanikus Robotikus" 
4. "Freedom" 
5. "Captain Clegg"
6. "Earth Messiah" 
7. "The Caravan" 
8. "Revolution" 
9. "Kaleidoscope Of Desire"
10. "Heavy Load" 
11. "The Omega Man" 
12. "Dust Of Paradise" 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TW2YYL0L

Cathedral - Supernatural Birth Machine (1996)

I personally consider this album to be a quite strange thing in the middle of the band's career. Though trying to keep their style intact they fail at writing and composing new and exciting songs, making thus one of the least inspiring LPs they have. Anyway, luckily this accident did not destroy Cathedral's trajectoire, for the next LP, Caravan Beyond Redemption would accomplish with what was to be expected from those guys from Coventry. Supernatural Birth Machine may not be brilliant, but there is power behind the songs. 

1. Cybertron 71/Internal Countdown 
2. Urko's Conquest
3. Stained Glass Horizon
4. Cyclops Revolution
5. Birth Machine 2000
6. Nightmare Castle 
7. Fireball Demon
8. Phaser Quest
9. Suicide Asteroid
10. Dragon Rider 13 
11. Magnetic Hole
12. Tucker's Ruck

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IKHDMNNW

Cathedral - Carnival Bizarre (1995)

Now we're taking the direction I wanted to. This album is the perfect balance between stoner rock and doom, and trying to find out how much of those styles is more present in here would be eventually useless. Cathedral's Carnival Bizarre includes some of their most famous and best songs, such as Vampire Sun or Hopkins, and this is not something to be perceived as casual, since this album culd be considered a turning point in the band's career. their sound takes an actual shape, there are no gaps or holes, there are no doubts about which direction to follow, and this is something I really appreciate about Cathedral and about this album. I personally consider Hopkins their best song, and though the rest of the album is not as groovy and funky as this song, as I have said, there are no gaps about it, at any point of the album you are absolutely conscious that you're listening to a good band called Cathedral, and either you feel yourself into a horror movie or involved on an acid trip, you undoubtedly know you're at Dorrian's side.
1.   Vampire Sun
2.   Hopkins (The Witchfinder General)
3.   Utopian Blaster
4.   Night of the Seagulls
5.   Carnival Bizarre
6.   Inertias' Cave
7.   Fangalactic Supergoria
8.   Blue Light
9.   Palace of Fallen Majesty
10. Electric Grave
http://www.mediafire.com/?r52c22h1nnf6y86

Cathedral - The Ethereal Mirror (1993)

The Ethereal Mirror, Cathedral's second album, is something else. In this LP, the band draws a distinct and genuine image of themselves. Dorrian's voice acquires a much more vital and tragicomical hint, the riffs go back to 70s hard rock and the undeniable legacy of NWOBHM (something that can easily be felt in the sound of those guitars), and even the topics treated along the lyrics seem contribute to a much more vital and consistent sound, but without losing any of their essential darkness, only making it funnier and easier to listen to. I personally consider this album the best example of British doom, though lots of people identify this sound as being more stoner than doom, that's something I'm not going to get messed in. And perhaps the song which defines this album the best is Midnight Mountain or Grim Luxuria, and they are absolutely 'Cathedralish' tracks, but I'm not willing to argue whether those songs are doom or stoner, this is something you should decide for yourself. Ow yeah!

1. "Violet Vortex (Intro)"
2. "Ride"
3. "Enter the Worms"
4. "Midnight Mountain"
5. "Fountain of Innocence"
6. "Grim Luxuria"
7. "Jaded Entity"
8. "Ashes You Leave"
9. "Phantasmagoria"
10. "Imprisoned in Flesh"

http://www.mediafire.com/?vqlf8ijvizb5u33

Cathedral - Forest of Equilibrium (1991)

This is the first album from the British doom band Cathedral, and it is probably the darkest of their albums. Lee Dorrian sings in his lowest notes, and the Black-sabbathian influences can easily be perceived all along the record. This album is definitely different to the groovy/funky style Cathedral is now using as their sign of identity, but anyway is an important LP to understand the whole growing procees Cathedral has undergone. Those listeners who expect the ironic lyrics and theatrical voices of Dorrian, Hammer-film-references and such things will be disappointed -though you will see some of this in the song 'Equilibrium'-, but if you are waiting for a dense and dark gloomy atmosphere, go and take it right now!

1. "Picture Of Beauty & Innocence (Intro)/Commiserating The Celebration"
2. "Ebony Tears"
3. "Serpent Eve"
4. "Soul Sacrifice"
5. "A Funeral Request (Ethereal Architect)"
6. "Equilibrium"
7. "Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain"

http://www.mediafire.com/?1f7pc8xw7duascm