Brave Black Sea - Fragments [12", LP]

BRAVE BLACK SEA is a new band formed by drummer Alfredo Hernandez (ex-Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age and Slo Burn), singer/guitar player Damon Garrison and lead guitar player Chris Hale (both ex-Slo Burn) and bassist Clint Cunningham. Or actually it's more like old friends, coming back together to finish something they started in the nineties. FRAGMENTS is the debut album by these sons of the desert, and pictured here is the limited edition first pressing on greenish blue (turquoise) coloured vinyl. Comes with a CD as well, which i always like better than a download coupon. It would definitely not do them justice to be labeled as a stoner band, just because of their musical background. Other than you'd expect perhaps, there are more elements of punk rock and grunge (Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots are often just around the corner), than sludge or stoner. Ah heck, let's just call it in-your-face rock music, with a capital R. Very promising debut album! There are some European tour dates confirmed now for June and I'd love to see them live, so hopefully they'll plan a gig in Holland as well.

Label: V2
Cat.nr.: VVL24921
Year of release: 2014

SIDE A:
01. Running Away
02. Abandon Ship
03. The Five Visitors
04. Bandana Republic
05. Silence Is Golden

SIDE B:
01. This Is This
02. Beginners Luck
03. Ghosts
04. The Road
05. Fragments

Bossk - .1 & .2 [12", 2LP]

This release on Garden Of Exile is actually a reissue, in that it combines two EP's (.1 and .2) that had previously been released on CD only. I've seen BOSSK live once (supporting Textures) and was pretty impressed at the time, so that's why i decided to buy this album when it came out. It's pretty good stuff. While .1 is more strictly post-metal throughout, .2 has some sludge/stoner elements. Especially the song Define has some riffs that you don't hear very often from post-metal bands. The artwork for this "compilation" album was done by Seldon Hunt, as you already might have guessed if you're only somewhat familiar with his work. Amazing how he always manages to deliver such signature photographs. They pressed 600 copies of this album: 100 on yellow/black, 200 on yellow and 300 on black. As you can see i have a yellow edition.
I thought that Bossk had split up for good some years ago, but apparently they have reformed earlier this year and are recording and playing shows again. Good news of course!

Label: Garden Of Exile Records
Cat.nr.: GOE16
Year of release: 2008

SIDE A:
01. I

SIDE B:
01. II

SIDE C:
01. Define

SIDE D:
01. Truth