Cloud Catcher – Trails Of Kozmic Dust

This is this Denver-based Power Trio’s second album, unleashing their fuzzy riffs and sub-earthy jams.

Astral Warlord‘s opening crescendo sets up a feeling of eager anticipation. The listener is clearly promised something heavy.
The quick Deep Purple-inspired opening riff leads in a hearty rocking romp. Celestial Empress evokes 70s Swampy Blues Rock, witch the driving rhythm section edging a wailing guitar on.

Beyond The Electric Sun continues in much of the same vein, with a an added Boston vibe though the excellent bass lines, the screeching guitar solo’s and the hypnotic drumming . The vocals are going in overdrive in short bursts. Dimensional interlude is a pleasant little psychedelic filler.

Visions turns up the riffage again, with some confident vocals and the continuing eager work of the rhythm section. A great track to dance to at 11 pm after an evening of whisky. Title track Trails of Cosmic Dust builds on what came before, the guitar waving its song around the start-stop Acid Rock. Impossible to keep all feet still on this one.

Super Acid Magick lets the effects have a free reign, Space jamming an instrumental with an ending filled with urgency. Closing out the album, Righteous Ruler settles back into no frills Blues Rock, letting the guitar dream the song into different tempo’s and a powerful vocal performance. The band gives their all to complete this journey through their craft.

I enjoyed the album, it’s very clearly an album of a live band trying to capture their sound in the studio, and I’m pleased to report their energy and drive comes through very well on record. Even though some of the songs are a bit rough around the edges the whole listening experience is very enjoyable and I felt myself taken away on their psych spacey jam journey.

My Rating: 80/100

Cloud Catcher‘s Trails Of Kozmic Dust is out now, get it through Totem Cat Records or bandcamp.

Top 15 albums of 2016

Another year, another pleasing look back at the great music released but also the agonizing choices about which songs should make the year’s end list.

Sadly this year we managed to only see 5 of our Top 15 bands live, here’s hoping next year the touring schedules are better again 🙂

15

King Buffalo debuted with Orion, a very cohesive album much more mature than most first. Keeps your attention from beginning to end.

14

Another debut,  Wretch delivers a Traditional Doom powerhouse to announce their emergence at the scene.

13

Their opening slot for Sleep in London this year was definitely the best support we’ve seen this year. Revengeance is a testament to the great place Conan is now.

  12

Black Rainbow’s Stellar Prophecy is one of the Stoner highlights of the year. These guys can play, and theirs is a journey I love to go for a ride on.

11

Youngblood Supercult delivered an absolute masterpiece with High Plains. Their bluesy psych is just what the (witch)doctor ordered.

10

Rise of the Dawncrusher by Slabdragger was years in the making and this massive album crushes the Sludge competition.

9

I might have shaved off my beard years ago but I am still a proud Beardo and Crobot’s Welcome To Fat City was always going to be one of my highlights of the year.

8

Druid has been going from strength to strength and this year’s Odysseus shows them in absolute top form. They are keeping it real and producing awesome music in the process.

7

Psych Stoner masters Wo Fat cement their place at the top of the genre with Midnight Commeth, their finest so far.

6

A new Moss Generator is always something to look out for and Abyssinia showcases the talents of the new lineup perfectly. In my opinion Tony Reed does not always get enough credit for the amazing musician and champion of heavy music he is.

5

Salem’s Bend self titled debut makes no secrets about their influences, and delivers an album that is without fault. Can’t wait to see where these guy go next!

4

Another debut, what a year for new music. Vokonis burst on the scene with Old One Ascending. An album that keeps impressing with every spin. Also the best small venue show I’ve been to this year, hope to see them again soon.

3

Yet another debut, Geezer’s anciously awaited first fulfills their promise, and then some. Accomplished songcrafting and musicianship lifts this album to a modern classic. Hangnail Crisis especially is a magnificent song.

2

It is seldom an album has so many rock songs of this quality as Fatso Jetson managed to fit on Idle Hands. Apart from Earworm of the year winner Royal Family there’s amazing songs like Nervous Eater, Than and Now and 48 Hours. Still going strong after all these years.

1

Traditional Metal has had its up and downs over the years/decades and can sound tired at times. But Spell comes along and unleashed For One and All on the world this year, proving that when it’s done well there really is quite nothing like it. Album opener Madame Psychosis is an amazing track in its own right but sets up our Song of the Year Whipping Sigils, an awe-inspiring tour de force of virtuoso playing, brilliant songwriting and perfect vocals. The rest of the album keeps up the high quality and atmosphere throughout.

Tomorrow’s Dream Top 15 albums of 2016:

1 Spell – For None and All
2 Fatso Jetson – Idle Hands
3 Geezer – Geezer
4 Vokonis – Old One Ascending
5 Salem’s Bend – Salem’s Bend
6 Moss Generator – Abyssinia
7 Wo Fat – Midnight Commeth
8 Druid – Odysseus
9 Crobot – Welcome To Fat City
10 Slabdragger – Rise of the Dawncrusher
11 Youngblood Supercult – High Plains
12 Black Rainbows – Stellar Prophecy
13 Conan – Revengeance
14 Wretch – Wretch
15 King Buffalo – Orion

Top 15 albums of 2015

Tomorrow’s Dream has only been operating as a site for a short while, but we have been listening to a lot of albums all through the year. It’s been a very great year for Rock music.

The 15 albums we chose as best of the year 2015 are a pleasant mix of established names, emerging talent and breakthrough acts. These albums had that certain something that kept us coming back to them again and again. And as the translation of music to the live experience is important to us it helped in the decision making that we saw 10 of the 15 featured bands live this year.

15

clutch

Clutch was true to form in delivering  Psychic Warfare. Their eleventh album is varied and impressive in quality and production. Relased by their own Weathermaker label.

14

goatsnake

Goatsnake‘s Black Age Blues came out of nowhere. After 15 years of absence the boys proved they still had all their chops and knew how to make a classic Doom album. A Southern Lord release.

13

horisont

HorisontOdyssey. These guys are breaking out of the shadow of their illustrious Swedish genre mates and this album sees them maturing into a force to be reckoned with.  Irresistible guitars and organs painting elaborate musical landscapes. Released by Rise Above.

  12

stoned_jesus

Stoned Jesus‘s third album,  The Harvest, showcases the result of their steady progression through constant gigging into their own mature style. The album has some interesting mystical elements and really sounds intense.

11

snowydunes

Snowy Dunes have been flying a bit under the radar perhaps, but their self-titled debut shows that this is a very talented bunch indeed. Desert Cold alone is a song so strong it is worth the price of admission alone. An excellent album by a band that should be going places soon.

10

doctordoom

Doctor Doom‘s This Seed We Have Sown hit me like a brick the first time I heard it. What a debut, this retro-rock extravaganza manages to hold your attention from start to finish without a problem. Released by Ripple.

9

magister_templi

Magister Templi has been making new fans all over Europe with their tour promoting Into Duat , an occult rock album the likes of which you would think would not be made anymore. Think again. The band sounds very polished, and frontman Abraxas Lancelot d’Ruckus weaves his intricate lyrics almost into ceremonies. Released by Cruz Del Sur.

8

ironmaiden

The story of Iron Maiden‘s The Book of Souls should be familiar to all. The quality of their releases remains incredibly high, but this is the first album since their rebirth with Brave New World that a bit of the hunger seems to have been stilled, and most of the songs do sound eerily familiar.  That said, Empire of the Clouds is an awe-inspiring modern classic.

7

graveyard

Graveyard released Innocence & Decadence to an eager audience and the album did not disappoint. The band keeps growing and shifting nuances in their music as they go along. Not a weak track to be seen. A Nuclear Blast release.

6

vintagec

The Vintage CaravanArrival. The second album from these young Icelanders shows their progression in composing compelling songs and their growth as a band.  Especially Innerverse and Eclipsed show a lyrical and musical depth that any 70s Rock band would have been proud to have. Released by Nuclear Blast.

5

withthedead

I was excited when I saw With the Dead‘s artwork. I was pacing the room in anticipation until the album would arrive. And when I finally had it played it three times through whilst my windows vibrated dangerously with the heavy tunes of this Doom supergroup. These veterans show how it’s done. Released by Rise Above (obviously).

4

kadavar

Kadavar‘s Berlin came highly anticipated as well, they had been going from strength to strength touring Europe and the Americas, and this follow-up to Abra Kadavar does not disappoint. They trimmed the edges a bit and played around with some more accessible song structures but that does not detract from their own style and charm that is still oozing from every groove. Released by Nuclear Blast.

3

savannah

SavannahDeep Shades. Now where did these guys come from? They are still at on the cusp of their career but this debut EP is showing tremendous quality and potential. The opener en closer, Deep Shades and Blue Reality are without a doubt the best I have heard this year. Musically the band is incredible, and the eerie vocals complement the music perfectly. This is one of those albums that seems lost in time. Released by StoneFree.

2

blackwulf-300x300

Blackwülf Oblivion Cycle. JdW reviewed this album here and was very impressed, giving the album a rating of 91/100. No doubt there are great things in the future of Blackwülf and I can’t wait to hear and see. A Ripple release.

1

uncleacid

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats managed to impress me the most of all with Night Creeper. From start to finish their particular brand of Psych grabs you and takes you along on their journey. A masterwork. Released by Rise Above.

That’s the lot for 2015, thanks to all bands and everyone involved in making the albums for a magnificent year in music. Hope we can keep the momentum going into 2016 🙂

Tomorrow’s Dream Top 15 albums of 2015:

1    Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats    –    Night Creeper
2    Blackwülf    –    Oblivion Cycle
3    Savanah     –    Deep Shades
4    Kadavar    –    Berlin
5    With The Dead    –    With The Dead
6    The Vintage Caravan    –    Arrival
7    Graveyard    –    Innocence & Decadence
8    Iron Maiden    –    The Book of Souls
9    Doctor Doom    –    This Seed We Have Sown
10    Magister Templi    –    Into Duat
11    Snowy Dunes    –    Snowy Dunes
12    Stoned Jesus    –    The Harvest
13    Horisont    –    Odyssey
14    Goatsnake    –    Black Age Blues
15    Clutch    –    Psychic Warfare

Blackwülf – Oblivion Cycle

blackwulf

I first became aware of Blackwülf when I received their newest album in my bandcamp collection through my Ripple subscription. I like playing an album without any preconceptions like this, and from the first few songs Blackwülf had reeled me in. This Oakland quartet weave their 70s Sabbath-inspired riffs into a very pleasing soundscape, taking you along on their ride.

Colossus opens with a light and pleasing intro riff, shifting gears into more heavy riffage for the verse and chorus after a brief while. From the start there’s no denying the musical intentions of this band. Melodically it flows seamlessly into Memories, which really has some very intense vocal work and a nice fuzzy solo to lead out the song. Acid Reign interestingly starts with interwoven arpeggios with some echoes of Sweet Dreams of all songs, but not in an unpleasing way. The body of the song itself reminds me a lot of Mothership, who I love a lot, and this song thunders along very nicely indeed. Dark Tower is a laid-back folksy link that helps to build on the vibe of the album. The Locusts brings us back in Hard Rock territory, with a song that follows the riff-vocals-rhythm-solo-outro blueprint that is so effective and pleasing to the ear. Wings of Steel has a very strong chorus, and is a nice high-octane rocker overall with a style change halfway that helps to elevate the song to one of the best of the album. Faith Healer and Red Eyes continue on along the same vein, solid rocking songs, I particularity loved the bridge in the latter. Never Forget has an almost ominous start, continuing with the band keeping on-form with their driven playing and intense vocal work, with some rare but effective vocal harmonies. March of the Damned closes the album by evoking the Gothic proto-Doom that can be so pleasing, with more than a passing nod to Sabbath, and indeed it is done very well here. A fitting tribute and an awesome finish to one of the best albums of the year as far as I am concerned.

My overall impression: A  very solid heavy Rock album indeed, paying tribute to the past but having their feet firmly in the present, the band managed to create their own sound from a blend of influences. Has not left my play rotation since getting it. One of the best of its kind released this year, I will follow these guys with interest and hope I will be able to see these tracks played live in the near future.

My Rating: 91/100