Classic Rock 407 Items

In 1995, Zao released their first album, "All Else Failed," on Steadfast Records. Never a band to repeat a past success and always searching for new boundaries to push within their own music, "The Well-Intentioned Virus" finds Zao utilizing just as many familiar touchstones from their catalog as introducting new ones. Dense and clastrophobic one moment, beautiful and spacious the next. Vinyl version includes digital download.

Pink vinyl seems unplayed. Original inner sleeve. Seam split. Limited edition. With poster.

Historical Graffiti is the band’s fourth full-length, out in 2016. Gary Arce, the guitarist, seems comfortable sitting on a single vamp throughout the opener ‘The Wind Cries Edalyn’, allowing the additions of violin and bandoleon accordion (played by the tango musicians Sara Ryan and Adolfo Trepiana, respectively) to weave melodies in between. Despite the titular connection to the Jimi Hendrix song, it bears no discernible resemblance to ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ and it is a deceptive number; what seems such a simple, almost easy-listening song reveals more colour with every listen. ‘Her Phantom Finger of Copenhagen’ is slightly darker and almost sounds, with the slight distortion on Arce’s guitar, as if it could have come from Pot Head, the EP the band released in 2005. Mario Lalli, the bass player, begins the third song, ‘Naomi Crayola’ with a throbbing single note, aided by Bill Stimson’s metronomic drumming. Imagine if Can grew up near the beach, it’s that sort of vibe. The only problem with the song – and the album, as it happens – is that it is too short. Ryan’s violin returns in ‘The Secret Language of Elephants’, this time playing the role of keeping the main vamp alive while Arce’s guitar generates an evocative soundscape that opens in your mind a wide, violet sky like that above a desert the moment after the sun disappears for the night. The closing song and title track is the most free of the five on the album, with Stimson’s beat conjuring memories of Kyuss’s more mellow moments from Welcome to Sky Valley, Lalli’s bass marking the simplest of bottom ends and Arce having a ball over the top. (taken from the band's Bandcamp)

Historical Graffiti is the band’s fourth full-length, out in 2016. Gary Arce, the guitarist, seems comfortable sitting on a single vamp throughout the opener ‘The Wind Cries Edalyn’, allowing the additions of violin and bandoleon accordion (played by the tango musicians Sara Ryan and Adolfo Trepiana, respectively) to weave melodies in between. Despite the titular connection to the Jimi Hendrix song, it bears no discernible resemblance to ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ and it is a deceptive number; what seems such a simple, almost easy-listening song reveals more colour with every listen. ‘Her Phantom Finger of Copenhagen’ is slightly darker and almost sounds, with the slight distortion on Arce’s guitar, as if it could have come from Pot Head, the EP the band released in 2005. Mario Lalli, the bass player, begins the third song, ‘Naomi Crayola’ with a throbbing single note, aided by Bill Stimson’s metronomic drumming. Imagine if Can grew up near the beach, it’s that sort of vibe. The only problem with the song – and the album, as it happens – is that it is too short. Ryan’s violin returns in ‘The Secret Language of Elephants’, this time playing the role of keeping the main vamp alive while Arce’s guitar generates an evocative soundscape that opens in your mind a wide, violet sky like that above a desert the moment after the sun disappears for the night. The closing song and title track is the most free of the five on the album, with Stimson’s beat conjuring memories of Kyuss’s more mellow moments from Welcome to Sky Valley, Lalli’s bass marking the simplest of bottom ends and Arce having a ball over the top. (taken from the band's Bandcamp)

Vinyl close to NM

Wizrd is a Norwegian rock band that dips its toes in all kinds of genres. From rock and indie to jazz and prog, Wizrd knows all the rules but deliberately break them.

Formed at the Jazz Conservatory in Trondheim, Wizrd's four-piece line-up consists of Hallvard Gaardløs (Spidergawd, Draken and more) on bass and lead vocals, Karl Bjorå (Megalodon Collective and more) on guitar and vocals, Vegard Lien Bjerkan (Soft Ffog and more) on keyboards and vocals, Axel Skalstad (Krokofant, Soft Ffog and more) on drums.

Since 2020 the band has been working on their debut album, produced by Norwegian film score composer and Jaga Jazzist drummer Martin Horntveth. The album was recorded in Studio Paradiso in Oslo by Marcus Forsgren (Bror Forsgren, Jaga Jazzist) and Horntveth. Bergen based musician and producer Matias Tellez (Young Dreams, Girl in Red) has mixed the album.

“Seasons” is a groovy, catchy and progressive masterclass, with beautiful vocal harmonies, awesome melodies, quirky jazz grooves and a rock’n’roll drive to die for.

1. Lessons

As our forthcoming record, we knew we had to go big on Vulture’s Paradise. These songs found the perfect balance of a raw, live sound and psychedelia. Though the lyrical themes revolve around death and destruction, the music is more alive and creative than ever.

Warlung is a Texas rock band formed by longtime friends and brothers in 2016. Inspired by the sounds of old, they wrote heavy, catchy songs with a psychedelic twist. By February 2017, they recorded their debut album, Sleepwalker, which was self-released the following fall. Playing festivals such as End Hip End It Fest and opening for acts like Wo Fat and Dead Meadow, they quickly gained a cult following around Texas.

“They raise the bar for some metal bands, and definitely anyone who's making their blend of metal and psych. The band seems to accept that they don't have to stick to traditional themes and goes for more epic storytelling, helping to further expand their sound.” – David Garrick (Houston Press) Less than a year later, they entered the studio to record their second album, released in February 2019. Immortal Portal went on to hit #14 on Doom Charts and was included on Weedian’s first artist compilation. They continued to host various breweries and festivals like Sxsw, and quickly became a fan favorite within the local rock community. Their audience grew as they opened for bands such as High Reeper, Forming the Void and King Buffalo. “Warlung gasp the airwaves with pneumonic rage, utilizing elements of true doom, heavy metal, stoner rock, psychedelic and occult driven blues. The wicked riffs, dreamlike vocals and sinful solos subdue the listener deep into a deep state of Sabbath fantasia.” – Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)

As our forthcoming record, we knew we had to go big on Vulture’s Paradise. These songs found the perfect balance of a raw, live sound and psychedelia. Though the lyrical themes revolve around death and destruction, the music is more alive and creative than ever.

Warlung is a Texas rock band formed by longtime friends and brothers in 2016. Inspired by the sounds of old, they wrote heavy, catchy songs with a psychedelic twist. By February 2017, they recorded their debut album, Sleepwalker, which was self-released the following fall. Playing festivals such as End Hip End It Fest and opening for acts like Wo Fat and Dead Meadow, they quickly gained a cult following around Texas.

“They raise the bar for some metal bands, and definitely anyone who's making their blend of metal and psych. The band seems to accept that they don't have to stick to traditional themes and goes for more epic storytelling, helping to further expand their sound.” – David Garrick (Houston Press) Less than a year later, they entered the studio to record their second album, released in February 2019. Immortal Portal went on to hit #14 on Doom Charts and was included on Weedian’s first artist compilation. They continued to host various breweries and festivals like Sxsw, and quickly became a fan favorite within the local rock community. Their audience grew as they opened for bands such as High Reeper, Forming the Void and King Buffalo. “Warlung gasp the airwaves with pneumonic rage, utilizing elements of true doom, heavy metal, stoner rock, psychedelic and occult driven blues. The wicked riffs, dreamlike vocals and sinful solos subdue the listener deep into a deep state of Sabbath fantasia.” – Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)

Svart Records set to release the 10 year anniversary edition of Voivod's Target Earth. 2LP edition, including a booklet with photos and extra graphics. The limited Svart exclusive colorway comes with a slipmat.

Target Earth is the thirteenth studio album, and the sixteenth release overall, by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, which was originally released in 2013. This is the first Voivod studio album to feature Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain on guitar (replacing the late Denis "Piggy" D'Amour) and the only one since 1991's Angel Rat with Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault on bass.

The main songwriters on Target Earth were Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault, in his first songwriting credit with Voivod since 1991, and Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain, who replaced Piggy. As Michel "Away" Langevin explained, Mongrain's role was both challenging and natural: "He had to think from his point of view how Voivod should sound like nowadays...He learned to play guitar listening to Voivod, and he knows all the albums, he's a fan of all the eras, so it feels very natural for him to write Voivodian material."

"Target Earth is somehow, against all odds, the best Voivod album since probably The Outer Limits. It’s super-prog, plenty heavy, and pretty damn weird. And it has something to offer fans of any era of Voivod’s past, while also having its own identity and direction. Welcome back, guys." - The Angry Metal Guy

"For this, VOIVOD's thirteenth studio album, ever present drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and long reinstated vocalist Denis "Snake" Belanger managed the coup of dragging founding bassist, Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault out of retirement, making it three-out-of-four original VOIVOD-ers - the better to facilitate new guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain's unenviable task of filling Piggy's space boots. To his credit, Mongrain blends right in, and so too does "Target Earth" blend in with numerous portions of VOIVOD's itinerant musical past, arguably making it the band's first truly "regressive" - not "progressive" - album, and, as such, likely good news for the band's oldest fans." - Blabbermouth

Svart Records set to release the 10 year anniversary edition of Voivod's Target Earth. 2LP edition, including a booklet with photos and extra graphics. The limited Svart exclusive colorway comes with a slipmat.

Target Earth is the thirteenth studio album, and the sixteenth release overall, by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, which was originally released in 2013. This is the first Voivod studio album to feature Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain on guitar (replacing the late Denis "Piggy" D'Amour) and the only one since 1991's Angel Rat with Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault on bass.

The main songwriters on Target Earth were Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault, in his first songwriting credit with Voivod since 1991, and Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain, who replaced Piggy. As Michel "Away" Langevin explained, Mongrain's role was both challenging and natural: "He had to think from his point of view how Voivod should sound like nowadays...He learned to play guitar listening to Voivod, and he knows all the albums, he's a fan of all the eras, so it feels very natural for him to write Voivodian material."

"Target Earth is somehow, against all odds, the best Voivod album since probably The Outer Limits. It’s super-prog, plenty heavy, and pretty damn weird. And it has something to offer fans of any era of Voivod’s past, while also having its own identity and direction. Welcome back, guys." - The Angry Metal Guy

"For this, VOIVOD's thirteenth studio album, ever present drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and long reinstated vocalist Denis "Snake" Belanger managed the coup of dragging founding bassist, Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault out of retirement, making it three-out-of-four original VOIVOD-ers - the better to facilitate new guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain's unenviable task of filling Piggy's space boots. To his credit, Mongrain blends right in, and so too does "Target Earth" blend in with numerous portions of VOIVOD's itinerant musical past, arguably making it the band's first truly "regressive" - not "progressive" - album, and, as such, likely good news for the band's oldest fans." - Blabbermouth

Box is close to NM.