Free Metal Detector: Taxi Driver Records Sampler Share:

It’s been a while since one of these was posted; thankfully, this lizard is looking out for you cheapskate bastards. This sampler that Italian label Taxi Driver Records released a little while back will please fans of stoner, doom, sludge, metal and rock alike. Did I mention it’s FREE.

This little sampler of awesome from Genova has something for everyone. Everyone loves some stoner doom. I said everyone, dammit! I’ve been sporadically giving this compilation a run since July and have only deleted a couple of tracks to make room on my drive; that’s a pretty damn good strike-rate. So go get yourself a hop-laden brew, something to inhale and stab play below.

1. Eremite – “Drift Away”: Shimmers and glistens wetly, seemingly drenched in the progressive swells and tormented atmosphere usually associated with bands such as The Ocean.

2. Hyperwülff – “Raging Hunger”: Brings to the table a blend of Remission-era Mastodon riffs with the stompy sensibility of Earthship. Replete with eerie warbling leads, this is a beefy beast indeed.

3. Nudist – “See The Light Beyond The Spiral”: After the entrancing intro, Nudist bash out some post-hardcore type angst until mid-way through, where a bass-heavy Opiate-era Tool sound emerges. This is quickly superseded by another hardcore-ish breakout but with a prog-twist. Nudist? Bullshit! They’re clearly wearing a heap of influences here.

4. Satori Junk – “Monsters”: Get your psych-doom fix right here. The dense and booming riffs echo with the same sort of clout as the heavier sections on Acid King‘s latest, which when combined with that cosmic space-signal overdub sound that was integral to Saturndust‘s awesome self-titled from earlier this year, show that Satori Junk are capable of taking you on an escape-velocity trip while you remain in the comfort of your lounge.

5. Jussipussi – “Bury You Deep”: Rocking along with a swagger that only a band with the name Jussipussi can muster, this track is one of the most artistically straight-forward and shortest tracks on the sampler.

6. Psychedelic Witchcraft – “Angela”: This is the band that originally drew my attention to this label, and for good reason; they fucking rule. If you are into occult-themed stoner retro-rock then you simply must check out their Black Magic Man EP. The title track from that four track release was stuck in my mind for weeks on end, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

7. Morgengruss – “River’s Call”: While I do enjoy the guitar tone in the intro, this track is not really my thing. The horns give it a sort of Kayo Dot feel, but without the intrigue or diversity. Some of you weirdos might be into it though. FFO: Spoken-word minimalism, boredom-induced malaise.

8. Kröwnn – “Sleipnir”: Great riff-laden rock for getting your drink and smoke on. This reminds me of what could happen if Neil Fallon laid down his trademark pipes atop a fluent Orange Goblin number. FFO: That thing next to the accelerator and brake, Tangerine Gargoyles.

9. Antea – “Distorted Truth”: This track is more of an ignorant alt-rock number that would fit right in on a playlist from a radio station stuck playing the same old late 90’s ‘hits’. FFO: Days Of The New, asking “what the fuck ya talkin’ about?”.

10. Flying Disk – “I Don’t Feel Anything”: These Italians have an unpolished garage-rock sound, which is comprised of roughly thumped, loose sounding bass-lines and a no-frills guitar tone. FFO: Not feeling anything.

11. Fabio Cuomo – “II Sogno Del Reale”: I deleted this track. It was fairly incongruent with the rest of what’s on offer here, it sounds like something from a movie score. Which would be fine, but without the context it seems extraneous.

12. Sator – “R Sparrow Is Coming Back”: Back to the sludgey-depths with this track. Larger areas of space between chords lets the percussion take hold of the attack during the verses. Pissed-off vocals remind you that the maw of the swamp is a hostile and unforgiving place to spend time.

13. Vanessa Van Basten – “Fascination Trip”: Another deleted track. Not really my thing either. It might be your bag. If it is, pack it up and tell your story walking, like uhhh… a tour guide. I dunno. Fuck.

So head on over to Taxi Driver Records and grab yourself this free offering. Also, give them a yell on Facebook and tell them the Toilet sends their greetings.

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