JOHN GARCIA

As things start to slowly pick up, here is a shortlist of some new albums that drop today.

John Garcia And The Band Of Gold – John Garcia And The Band Of Gold

It is very hard to mistake John Garcia’s voice or deny his influence. As much as people may focus on former bandmates, his voice was just as important as any other component that made up the seminal band Kyuss.

Based on recent comments, this may be Garcia’s last album, and his touring in the US could be coming to a halt as well. A recent show in Las Vegas, which featured members of his previous bands Unida, Hermano, and Kyuss (bassist Nick Oliveri), is supposedly his only U.S. electric show for this album.

Callejon – Hartgeld Im Club

If you’re not familiar with the band, they’re probably the second biggest band out of Germany, behind Rammstein, that only sings in German. They’ve got a considerable following not only in their native country but all over Europe.

They are a metalcore band, but this is a covers album, consisting of their renditions of some big hit German hip-hop.

Legion Of the Damned – Slaves Of The Shadow Realm

The Dutch death metal band returns after a four-year hiatus, with their first album since 2014’s Ravenous Plague. Based on the material I’ve heard so far, the vocals seem to be a bit more black metal-tinged this time around, and for lack of a better term, they have added groove elements to their trashiness, which is kind of a cool thing.

I realize purists might not dig that, but it gives the album a distinct feeling that their previous outings did not have.

Mark Deutrom – The Blue Bird

Deutrom is best known for being part of the Melvins, producing, as well as co-founding Alchemy Records. He coincidentally produced the Melvins debut Gluey Porch Treatments, released it on Alchemy, and had his hand in Ozma their second album.

He became their bassist from 1993 through 1998. On The Blue Bird, Deutrom plays almost everything you hear on the album. Much like his career, this album covers a lot of ground, that said, I’d say it’s more of an experimental art-rock album.

Article by Victor M. Ruiz of Mars Attacks Radio & Podcast, and Galaxy Of Geeks Podcast.  Connect with him on Twitter:  @vmr907