The Nolan Gate Return with a New Five Song EP

New Jersey trio The Nolan Gate just posted an unexpected five song EP that arises like a snow bound Goliath welcoming the winter's first great storm. Featuring personnel that have served in acts such as Snag, Dahlia Seed and most recently Davenport Cabinets to name a few. The Nolan Gate have been an under the radar force in heavy music for decades.  Take a listen, download the tracks before passing the link around like stuffing at a Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe it will inspire them to play out more frequently. Only time will tell. JD

https://thenolangate.bandcamp.com/album/serpentus

I Am Heresy Post Video for a Track from their Upcoming Album and Debut on Century Media

I Am Heresy, featuring Boy Sets Fire's frontman Nathan Gray and his son Simon, have released their first lyric video for their song "Rahabh." The track will appear on their Century Media debut 'Thy Will 'out March 4, 2014

Washed Up Media and Moon Tooth Debut Video for Ebb/Flow

Sean Ageman of Washed Up Media and Long Island's Moon Tooth team up to release video for 'Ebb/Flow', the opening track from Moon Tooth's debut EP 'Freaks'. The video can be seen here and on you tube. The EP 'Freaks' can be downloaded here Moon Tooth Bandcamp Be sure to check in later this week for my review of the EP. James Damion

Thinning The Herd - Freedom from the Known

If you've been following the many highs and absolute lows of Thinning the Herd over the past year or so you will know how absolutely important this record is to the band and it's founder Gavin Spielman.
With a number of personnel changes over the years and upon hearing of the very tragic and unforeseen death of the bands drummer Rich Cimato on December 26th, I'm sure many wondered about the future of Thinning the Herd. Would they sink or would they swim? Luckily for all involved, the future would prove the latter.

"Freedom from the Known" is highlighted by Spielman's exceptional guitar wizardry, trademark thick muscular riffs and powerful vocals. The album opens with the Motorhead heaviness and menacing vocals of "Never Wanted". "Doctor Reed", my personal favorite track follows, bringing early Metallica to mind  with it's angry growls and abusive guitar attack.
The albums third track "Sludge" lives up to it's title by bringing things to a slow, grinding pace. It's muddier than a Warrior Dash, with elements of unrelenting bluesy stoner rock, with Sabbath inspired rhythms and power. Spiraling , spoken word samples sprinkled in give the album a nice narrative feel. While the lyrics convey a spiritual and survivalist nature that hints at transcendentalism.

Released on St. Marks Records, "Freedom from the Known" is a stellar collection of songs and a soaring triumph for a band that's been through the ringer. Gavin's musicianship, leadership and overall resilience stand as testament of what can be accomplished with the drive and determination to execute the overall plan. James Damion

Get it Here TTH music

Fuck the Heartless - Bluebeard

Having been blessed with a very short attention span.
I'm more than equipped to handle single and shorts bursts of energy, creativity and pure power. So when some old friends asked me if I would share my thoughts and a few words on a recent burst of fury.... Let's just say, I was up for the task.

F.T.H. features three quarters of the band My Rifle.
With Hobi Klapuri being the only absentee on this track.
And though one can't help but draw comparisons to My Rifle. "Bluebeard" takes on an even darker, heavier approach. Driving guitars and pounding rhythms compliment dark, heavy and powerful vocals.
Unlike a lot of the heavier stuff I'm hearing these days, these guys don't rush through things. The mid paced "Bluebeard" decides to stick around a while. Coming in at 5:26, it does a good job of leaving a lasting impression.

Though the future of My Rifle remains questionable. The pieces assembled for this particular track really deliver. "Bluebeard" was recorded and mixed by Andy Guida at Six III studio in Forest Hills, Queens. It features Lewis Dimmick on bass and guitar. Andy Guida on drums and Jason O'Toole on vocals. James Damion

Bluebeard Download

Super Snake - Summer Girls

As I sit here with tingling extremities in an apartment within view of Japan's
Mount Fuji waiting to add layers before heading out. I thought it would be the perfect time to add my two cents about an EP that's been on replay since I got off the plane two weeks ago.

It's hard to imagine it's taken me so long to review a four song EP I downloaded on Bandcamp over a month ago. It's just that these four songs are excellent on so many levels that it's taken it's fair share of time to fully delve into their unique eccentricities.

Super Snakes is a "Super Group" of sorts. Comprising Jerry Jones of Trophy Scars and former personnel from Chambers and I am Heresy respectively. Three uniquely special bands in their own way; Jerry Jones being the most notable.

On the bands debut they pull out all the stops and take things to a level usually selected by seasoned veterans and bands we hold in the highest regard.
Dirty, "Don't Give A Fuck" relentless Rock excess. Jerry Jones delivery is part screamish, part menacing, demonic slithered word. Each of the four track names come from some real badass characters both real and fictitious. "Baron Samedi" was a Loa of Haitian Voodoo. "Frank Booth" the fictional character and antagonist from the 1986 classic "Blue Velvet" "Anton Chigurh" was the hit man from the novel "No Country for Old Men" and "Stringer Bell" the drug kingpin from the TV dram  "The Wire". Lyrically these tracks are even more sinister and creepy. "Frank Booth" was so dirty I felt like I needed to be bathed upon listening. John Pinho's guitar work on "Summer Girls" is not only notable but praise worthy to say the very least.  Whether or not you're a fan of any of the aforementioned bands. This is an EP and a band you should be looking into. Super Snake has it's first full length already recorded and due out soon. Go make yourself familiar with these four songs before it arrives. James Damion

Get it Here

Sautrus - Kuelmaggah Mysticism: The Proloque EP

Every now and then we get a request for a review from outside of the country. The majority of which don't even seem to come close to matching the kind of material we cover here at United By Rocket Science. That said, when I first came across The Proloque EP from Sautrus I was not expecting much return on the bands download. Never mind the name, title or the fact that this came to me all the way from Poland. This complete "Out of Left Field" surprise is a complete gem and one of my most listened to EP's of the late year.

Kuelmaggah Mysticism offers four songs of sludgy,
Stoner Metal that also offers a good dash of bluesy, 70's Hard Rock debauchery. Weno's vocals are deep, soulful and bluesy while still holding down the Rock n' Roll fort. There are moments on "The Blackest Hole/Black Hole" that remind me of an insanely dark and sinister MRI I had last week at 2:30 in the morning. I found myself immediately hooked on these four tracks. One can only hope that the band will delivering many more dirty little gems in quick form. With hope the wait won't be long.
Very impressive. James Damion

Get it Here

An Interview with The Sun The Moon The Stars

Every now and then I accidentally come across a band whose live set just simply blows my fucking mind. On one particular February night  I was standing in the slim corridor of Maxwells when I asked Adam Bird of Those Mockingbirds if he knew much about the bands they were playing with that night. Without pause he cocked back his head and said, "You absolutely have to check out The Sun The Moon The Stars". "The band is fucking amazing live." Heeding his words I made my way through the revolving doors. That night I learned a couple of things. 1. Adam Bird tells no lies. 2. The Sun The Moon The Stars were a band I wanted to get to know better. That night I spoke briefly with Matthew and  took home the bands record Mind Reader. Upon listening to Mind Reader the hooks sunk deeper and deeper moving me to contact their bearded, barefoot, singer/guitarist to learn more about the band and what they were all about. James Damion


James: I was really sorry to have missed your record release show at The Clash Bar the other night. I heard you guys brought some much-needed energy to the place. How did everything go?

Matthew: Magical. We couldn't have asked for a better night. The support from our friends and family was absurd. Truly one of the best nights of music I've had in my life. It's a really cool little bar. I hope they will get a solid promoter and get some good music coming through.

James: Tell us a little about the new record "Mind Reader". How does it differ from "We are Swine"?

Matthew: "We are the Swine" was written mostly by me over the course of a year. I intended on making something for myself to find musicians and hopefully garnish some interest locally. At the time of recording "We are the Swine" I had already played with about ten different people, none of which really fit the mold besides Joe--and he barely fits into anything. Adam from Those Mockingbirds was living with me at the time and knew what I was looking for drum wise, so he stepped up and helped on drum duty for those demos.

"Mind Reader" came after Joe and Ian so we all worked on some of the songs together rather than it being a one-man show. Vocally I started to find where I am more comfortable. There is just a lot more dynamics to the songs. A lot more time went into recording/writing. Way more polished overall. The truth is we recorded Mind Reader a pretty long time ago. We just got smashed with delays. To see it finally materialize is a blessing.

James: How did your signing with Black Numbers come about?

Matthew: I've known Dave since back when I was in The Oval Portrait. We've been buds forever. Once "Mind Reader" was done and needed a home I showed him the songs and it just sort of worked out. Black Numbers is a more punk centric label, but both Phil and Dave were excited to put out something heavy and I've always loved the DIY approach they have. It's been an adventure so far.  

James: So you're in really good company. Have you played any shows with artists on the label?

Matthew: Not yet! We do have something lined up with Kill Wealthy Dowager. Banquets have been super busy as of late. The dudes in Luther love metal, so we really need to get down to Philly and party in a basement with those guys.

James: Are you planning on touring on the record?

Matthew: Regionally, yes. It's just not feasible for us to be on the road for 2-3 months at a time right now. This summer we are planning to do some dates with our buddies in Sydbarret and then some more with the riffs of Changes. Hopefully we can make it to a few fests later on in the year and maybe to Europe next year.

James: You guys are all over the Metal radar mixing a lot of different styles and blending all that aggression with a lot of harmony. It really makes you stand out. When you were forming the band and when you're writing songs now, is there a certain vibe or sound you're going for?

Matthew: We just like making loud heavy music you can bang your head and raise your fist too. Have fun, drink a beer, smoke a joint, be free and get loose--whatever gets you off. I've never been a "singer" before. This whole thing is new to me, but I just had some things I wanted to say and it all just worked out. So it goes.  

James: The Sun The Moon The Stars is a pretty all-encompassing name. I get somewhat of a spiritual vibe from it. What does it mean to you personally?

Matthew: Honestly this came right from Black Sabbath's NIB. That's not to say it didn't manifest itself into other meanings. Sometimes I'll name something or write something and later on it will hit me and I'll think, "Holy shit that’s what that meant." The unconscious mind is outstandingly powerfully. Sometimes I just trust what it's giving me and run with it.

James: You've had two Birds in the band one past in Adam and one present in Evan. Besides their instruments of choice. How would you describe the personalities, similarities and differences? Do you think they could ever co-exist in a band?

Matthew: Oddly enough Adam is not a drummer and Evan is not a bass player. The instruments they play in TSTMTS aren't their primary weapons. Even when we look at Joe, he's been a drummer in most of the bands he's played in. Ian and I mostly bass. Everything got all jumbled up. It keeps us honest and allows us to work harder. But Evan and Adam--like Adam and Eve/black and white. These dudes came from the same gene pool but are super different. Even the way they learn songs--Evan doesn't want anyone to show him, he just wants a copy in his email so he can figure it out. Adam is more hands on. He wants to sit down, learn it with someone, and then writes it down to take home.
Who knows if they could. I doubt it. It would be fucking incredible, though, and I would love to be part of it.

James: Tell me a little bit about the rest of the band, their personalities and backgrounds in music.

Matthew: Joe is a fuck. Dude picks up an instrument and it's like he's been practicing for fifteen years. I have to bust my ass to try and keep up with the dude. His comic book collection is unreal.
Ian is a fuck too. He's got the higher gamer score than Joe. I don't know where he finds the time to write music between watching reruns of Wrestlemania and playing retro console games, but dudes got volumes of music written. The two of them are compulsive collectors. And i hate collecting. And I'm no good at video games. Rehearsal is always interesting. We've all been playing in punk/hardcore bands since we were kids. I can rattle off tons of bands we played with but most important is here, now. Each of us have super distinct tastes in music that the other one wouldn't be caught dead listening to yet our roots are all the same. Somehow it works.

James: We talked a bit earlier about Buddhism. What was it that initially drew you to the philosophy? How much of it do you apply to your everyday life?

Matthew: Eastern philosophy has always attracted me mainly because it's so different from what I was taught when I was younger. I was looking for something new that I could relate too. All these esoteric ideas really caught my attention. But the more I study it's all very much the same. Look for the good stuff, weed the bad stuff out. Or weed the bad people out. I like using theological ideas, stories and characters and sliding them into songs. We talked about the song Mara//Traitor on We are the Swine which is heavily influenced by the Buddhist demon. And then on Sire it's a fabrication of Ganesha's story. On Mind Reader's Sand and Stone Methuselah from the Hebrew Bible shows up and gives us some advice. 

James: How long have you been growing the beard?

Matthew: Turns five in July. That's a long time not to see my face.

James: I bet you get a lot of attention at airports and such? Any stories you can share?

Matthew: Ya know the only place that ever gives me a problem is when I am flying back into the US. My cousin and I were coming back from traveling through Costa Rica and we were "randomly" stopped and searched. Not that good of a story really. They just want to find drugs on us. We smoked it all man!

James: That brings me to the feet. Is playing on stage in bare feet just an invitation to disaster? When did you start this practice and why?

Matthew: Story of my life. Really though, if I could I would never wear anything on my feet. I picked up the habit back when The Oval Portrait was on tour. Sometimes I would just feel constricted so I would kick off my shoes. Now it happens pretty much all of the time. It's like being able to stretch out your fingers--feel the freedom. Plus it feels more connected to where I am. The worst thing that’s ever happen is I get really bad cramps in my arches when it's super cold.

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