Just by the time our poor American asses will be beginning to recover from the onslaught of terribleness known with cruel irony as “the holidays,” the irresistible urge to renew the hangover will come swinging through town in the form of Graveyard. The ultra-swagger of Hisingen Blues made it one of this year’s best records, and as the PR wire informs, they’re finally bringing the show Stateside for a tour. Can’t wait.

More dates to come, but here are the preliminaries:

After months of overseas arm wrestling plus a little bit of back-island voodoo shenanigans that we can’t even begin to comprehend, we’re proud to announce that the Graveyard guys are finally back. Here. As in “gonna play the States again.”

Graveyard drummer Axel Sjöberg checks in about the band’s eminent return:

“At last the circumstances of life and the music industry has allowed us to return to the land of infinite highways and corrupt bankers. Of mighty nature and excellent thrift stores. Of microbreweries and good Mexican food (which you can’t find in Gothenburg). Yes ladies and gentlemen, the boys in the ‘yard are returning to the U S of A in January, 2012. A good way to start the new year and an excuse to get fucked up and enjoy some good rocking music.

“With us on our travels across the nation are the very skillful musicians of Radio Moscow. With natural talent and relentless touring they are bound to leave jaws hanging and people wondering what just happened. Blues rock the way it’s meant to be played.”

The first 13 shows of the Graveyard & Radio Moscow trek through the US are:

01/12/12 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
01/13/12 Middle East Boston, MA
01/14/12 Northstar Bar Philadelphia, PA
01/16/12 DC9 Washington, D.C.
01/17/12 Strange Matter Richmond, VA
01/19/12 Asheville Music Hall Asheville, NC
01/20/12 Exit/In Nashville, TN
01/21/12 Masquerade (Hell Stage) Atlanta, GA
01/22/12 Hi-Tone Café Memphis, TN
01/24/12 Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX
01/25/12 Mohawk Austin, TX
01/31/12 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
02/01/12 The Tractor Seattle, WA

Graveyard‘s second album and Nuclear Blast debut, Hisingen Blues, has become my wake-up call. Not in some existential “take action” sense. Literally. On those days (and I should say “these days,” since today’s definitely one of them) where my eyes never seem to open all the way and I’m in a sleepy fog for, well, ever, I’ll throw on Hisingen Blues and suddenly not only am I locked into Graveyard‘s considerable groove, but sad as some of this material is, I actually feel good listening to it.

I missed the boat on their first album. Self-titled and released on Tee Pee in 2008, it let the band make a huge impression in the US at South by Southwest and David Fricke said their name or something, so they magically became the go-to Swedes for retro rock. Whatever. I must have been absent that day. All I know is that whatever hype is around them, the four-piece back it up with memorable songs and enough genuine emotion on record to offset any accusations of posturing that might arise.

And however you feel about retro-minded rock, there’s no question Graveyard have the patterns down. Their songs feel live and warm and sound tailor-made for the blue vinyl Nuclear Blast issued them on, and in terms of establishing an aesthetic, Hisingen Blues is easily among the most complete albums of 2011. To be any more cohesive, they’d pretty much have to be doing a concept record about giant robots or something like that. Let’s hope they don’t go that route next time.

For the constant listens it’s been getting since it came in, Graveyard‘s sophomore outing is a definite for the top five at the end of the year, and like the best of the stuff on these lists, including Hisingen Blues here is basically an excuse to rant some more about how much I dig hearing it. Which I do.

Because my natural inclination is toward idiocy, there are lessons in life that I’ve had to teach myself time and again, and one of those lessons — an important one, on occasion — is “never schedule early interviews.” The morning I was scheduled to interview Graveyard drummer Axel Sjöberg found me sloshing my way through a late-March snowstorm, only to arrive at the office roughly five-minutes before the call was supposed to come in. Hey, at least I made it.

Graveyard trace their lineage back to guitarist/vocalist Joakim Nilsson and bassist Rikard Edlund‘s time in Norrsken, the formative vintage doom act from whence Witchcraft‘s Magnus Pelander also hails. In June, when I compile my annual top five of the first half of the year, don’t be surprised when Graveyard‘s Nuclear Blast debut, Hisingen Blues, is near the top of the list. The Gothenburg four-piece’s second full-length following a 2008 self-titled that saw North American domestic release via Tee Pee, Hisingen Blues is unflinching in the quality of its songwriting, and the more I listen to it — and I do keep going back for more — the more I find it’s different songs stuck in my head later. One listen has the mental jukebox with a 24-hour repeat cycle of opener “Ain’t Fit to Live Here,” and after another, it’s the boogie-swagger of “RSS.”

In either case, I’m not about to complain. Aside from the heartfelt classic rock sound and the fluidity of interplay between Nilsson and fellow guitarist/vocalist Jonatan Ramm, who came on after the self-titled was released, the reason Hisingen Blues is one of thus-far-2011′s brightest releases is because it manages to keep hold of groove, aesthetic and songcraft all at once. I know I went on and on in my review, but if you didn’t take that recommendation to heart, here’s another.

Though I was prepared for the conversation only in the sense of having listened to Hisingen Blues a ton of times, including as I sat in snowy traffic on my way to work that day, Sjöberg — who seemed to have no shortage of goings-on happening on his end of the line as well — was forthcoming about the making of Hisingen Blues, working with producer Don Ahlsterberg for the second time, touring and much more. As he explained throughout the conversation, the natural feeling in Graveyard‘s music comes from actually being spontaneous. Needless to say, I was floored.

After the jump, please find enclosed the complete Q&A of my interview with Sjöberg.

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I don’t know if it’s as awesome as their Zardoz-inclusive trailer for the album, but Swedish retro specialists Graveyard posted this video for the cut “Hisingen Blues” today. The song comes from their recently-reviewed album of the same name, which is due out March 25 in Europe and April 19 in North America. Here’s the video, complete with shadow-puppetry, followed by a little love off the PR wire:

The first official music video by Swedish classic rockers Graveyard for the song “Hisingen Blues” is now available for viewing. The band has previously stated: “It will be in black/white and the feel we’re going for is a little mix between Creedence [Clearwater Revival] and Jimi Hendrix meets Mastodon.”

Fans can enter a worldwide contest [link here] to win a copy of the Hisingen Blues CD, a t-shirt, an album poster, a Nuclear Blast patch, a 2 GB USB memory stick, and a Nuclear Blast sticker by watching and answering five questions about the video.

Following the release of their self-titled debut on Tee-Pee in 2008, the groundswell around Swedish retro rockers Graveyard has been remarkable. The Gothenburg four-piece, born from the same roots as Witchcraft in the band Norrsken, tapped a direct line to the soft spot in everyone’s heart for Led Zeppelin and managed to balance a weighted tonality with upbeat and driving rhythms in a way that a lot of stylized proto-metal or heavy rock simply couldn’t do. The dueling guitars and vocals of Joakim Nilsson and Jonathan Ramm make both their live and recorded output exciting and memorable, and that carries over to their much-anticipated 2011 second album, Hisingen Blues, delivered via Nuclear Blast. Soundwise, Hisingen Blues doesn’t range far from the Graveyard album, but it’s cleaner and you can tell in listening that Graveyard has spent significant time on the road. Their playing is tighter and Nilsson and Ramm have an increased sense of interplay between their voices that comes across especially well on a track like “Uncomfortably Numb.”

There are a slew of ‘70s and classic rock references throughout, from the title of the song just mentioned to the Lynyrd Skynyrd solo contained therein – finally, an answer to the proverbial yelling of “Freebird!” at every show ever – and the spooky organ that populates “Ungrateful are the Dead.” The album starts with the shuffle of “Ain’t Fit to Live Here,” drummer Axel Sjöberg making his presence immediately felt with excellent snare and kick work, a kind of looseness in his playing that’s never actually out of control. It’s perfect for Graveyard’s sound, in any case, and able to switch between the bluesy revival (Ramm and Nilsson testifying with the spirit well upon them, to be sure) of “Ain’t Fit to Live Here” and more swaying grayness of “No Good, Mr. Holden,” which follows. The choruses of both the opening duo cuts make them Hisingen Blues highlights, but there’s something about the material Graveyard that presents that doesn’t beat you over the head. There’s a subtlety to the songwriting that virtually begs for repeat listens, and I’ve found that the more I engage with the record, the more likely I am to have one of the songs in my head.

I wonder if perhaps that’s not my own process of getting past the style aspect to what Graveyard does and into the actual substance of their music, which is considerable. As Hisingen Blues moves into its chorus and I find I too want to raise my hand to be saved (by the devil, naturally), it’s readily apparent that although they’ve obviously got an eye on their visual presentation in terms of fashion and general aesthetic, it’s the songs that are paramount. “Hisingen Blues” shares a partial common melody – I won’t say influence, because it’s a vague connection and could just be something I’m hearing, but nonetheless was strong enough to make me listen for a comparison – to Danzig’s “Going Down to Die,” which is a nice touch either way and another example of the strong vocal work of Ramm and Nilsson. “Uncomfortably Numb,” an appropriate side A closer, is the longest track on Hisingen Blues, and with the aforementioned solo section, makes a great place for those listening on vinyl – which unquestionably the album was made for – to stop and process what they’ve just heard before moving onto the next half.

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Swedish retro fetishists Graveyard are set to release their new album, Hisingen Blues on April 19 on Nuclear Blast. It was kind of a surprise when Nuclear Blast signed them, but rumor has it Hisingen Blues has no less than three Dimmu Borgir covers, so I guess it makes some sense.

No, that’s not true, but the PR wire has some info that is, and that promised album art from the headline above:

Psychedelic doom rock band Graveyard from Gothenburg, Sweden, have unveiled the artwork for their second full-length studio release, Hisingen Blues. The album was produced, recorded, and mixed in 100 percent analog by Don Alsterberg (José Gonzales, Junip, Soundtrack of Our Lives, The International Noise Conspiracy) at Don Pierre Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. It will be out in Europe on March 25 and in North America on April 19.

The band shares details about the album artist, Ulf Lundén:

“We wanted a cover that wasn’t your average rock/metal cover, and our friend Ulf Lundén was just the right guy to do it. We had seen his work for his own band, Bombus, and we knew he had a wild imagination. So we just let him loose. He put us up against the green screen, took his photos and that was that. A couple of weeks later, he showed us what he had done. We were astonished by his work, a perfectionist indeed. We got what we asked for, a cover that isn’t average. Rich with details, swamp/jungle feeling, weirdness and a lurking evil feel to it.”

A limited edition 7” picture disc of the title track “Hisingen Blues” backed with the exclusive vinyl track “Granny and Davis” and featuring different artwork will be available through Nuclear Blast Germany’s mail-order on Feb. 25 and Nuclear Blast USA’s webstore on March 15. This release is limited to 500 copies worldwide, so keep an eye on when it goes on sale in your territory because they’ll go fast!

Yes, that Graveyard and yes, that Nuclear Blast. The long-running and venerable metal label will issue the Swedish retro rockers’ new album, Hisingen Blues, this Spring. It’s a surprise, but a cool move on the part of the label, and if it gets the band to some ears that might not otherwise hear them, it’s probably a win. Congratulations to both parties.

Here’s the story from the PR wire:

Nuclear Blast Records proudly announces the signing of ‘70s-style psychedelic rock band and disciples of analog sound, Graveyard from Gothenburg, Sweden. Their new label debut, Hisingen Blues, is slated for a release in early Spring.

Graveyard have issued the following statement about the their new recording contract:
“It feels great to work with such experienced and dedicated people as the Nuclear Blast crew. Awesome!! It’s a label that’s founded by old school tape traders that obviously are good at what they do, since NB is one of the few big independent labels that manages not only to survive, but to expand in today’s difficult music climate. Peace, love & chemical warfare!”

Andy Siry, head of A&R at Nuclear Blast HQ in Germany states: “We are honored to be working with Graveyard! These guys are the most unique and amazing band the so-called retro rock scene has to offer, although Graveyard are much more than this. Keep your ears peeled – Graveyard is upon us and 2011 will be the year of the ‘YARD!”

Sometimes this album is so beautiful it hurts. The melodic breaks, the interplay between Herbrand Larsen‘s and Grutle Kjellson‘s vocals, the keyboard flourishes, the pounding heaviness of it. I know there are a couple really amazing progressive black metal bands out there — Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord come to mind — but for me, nothing tops Enslaved, and Axioma Ethica Odini might be the bravest album they’ve made in their 20-year career.

You could sit for a week and parse every second and still not manage to capture it. I remember the first time I listened, I was just so happy it didn’t follow a similar production course to that of 2008′s Vertebrae, but it wasn’t until I really dug into Axioma Ethica Odini that the scope of the thing became clear. The first half of the record is your pretty typical Enslaved material — still better than, oh, everything else in its genre — but Side B’s prog overload really pushed Axioma Ethica Odini into the upper echelon of 2010 releases for me. It’s another one of those albums I just can’t seem to leave home.

Even listening to it now to write this, I’m distracted by the fucking brilliance of the album (among other things). The chorus of “Lightening” gives me a chill up my spine every time, and even a song like “Singular,” which I didn’t fully appreciate when I reviewed the record, has grown on me to the point where I’ll put Axioma Ethica Odini away for a day or so, then stop and say to myself, “Why the hell am I not listening to Enslaved?” And you know what the answer is? The answer is I put on Enslaved. Constantly.

I was the last in line for phoners during Enslaved guitarist Ivar Bjørnson‘s recent weekend press day to discuss his band’s latest album, Axioma Ethica Odini (review here), and as such, I expected that by the time he got around to me, he’d probably want little more than to go get a sandwich, go to the bathroom, or at very least, talk about anything other than Enslaved, the record, touring or any of it. It was a thrill to find out how mistaken I was.

Axioma Ethica Odini, rich in its sound, complex in its execution and boasting moments of unparalleled progressive extremity, is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of this very diverse year. It is Enslaved‘s 11th and follows 2008′s Vertebrae, which I felt was held back by its production, and in particular by the mixing job of Joe Barresi (Tool‘s 10,000 Days, Queens of the Stone Age, Clutch, etc.). Though he was quick to correct my impression, Bjørnson noted as well the less than ideal sound of that album, and as Axioma Ethica Odini was recorded by the band themselves in the home and professional studios owned by the five members of Enslaved — Bjørnson, fellow founder bassist/vocalist Grutle Kjellson, lead guitarist Arve “Ice Dale” Isdal, keyboardist/vocalist Herbrand Larsen and drummer Cato Bekkevold — and mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street in Sweden, one can imagine some change in approach was intended.

Whatever they did, it worked. On the cusp of their 20th year, Enslaved triumph with Axioma Ethica Odini in a way I don’t know if they ever have before. Sure, their oldest material is heralded as being centrally influential among the Viking and black metal sets, but from where I’m sitting (not there, basically), their even more important work began with the incorporation of prog elements on 2001′s Monumension and was built on for subsequent offerings, Below the Lights (2003), Isa (2004), Ruun (2006) and even the aforementioned Vertebrae, which given different production might have even surpassed its landmark predecessors.

Not that I’d do any better — or get past “hello” — in his native language, but there were some parts of the interview I couldn’t quite make out in the transcribing process, and a crappy phone line didn’t help, but I did the best I could to put together the most complete Enslaved interview possible. In the Q&A that follows the jump, Bjørnson discusses the Axioma Ethica Odini recording process, writing during the summer, Enslaved‘s four-show stint at Roadburn this year, and much more.

Hail Norway.

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Bordering on two decades together, Norwegian black metal pioneers Enslaved push their progressive tendencies even more to the fore on their 11th studio album, Axioma Ethica Odini (Nuclear Blast). Their legacy having grown increasingly over the course of the last 10 years with excellent albums like 2003’s Below the Lights, 2004’s Isa, 2006’s Ruun, and most recently, 2008’s Vertebrae — which I’d gladly argue was held back by production issues despite songwriting as accomplished as ever — distributed more widely in the US and with more and more acts taking a prog approach to extreme metal, Axioma Ethica Odini finds Enslaved taking on the role of seasoned veterans. Their heyday is by no means behind them, either creatively or in terms of fanbase, but they’re an experienced band, they know what they want from their sound. That they’re still growing as players is something of a bonus.

That growth, most obvious in the clean vocals of keyboardist Herbrand Larsen, who joined the band full-time after Below the Lights, is readily on display throughout Axioma Ethica Odini. In many ways, it’s a tale of two albums, with two sets of four tracks, divided by a centerpiece interlude, each showcasing a different side of the band. Both are heavy, to be sure, but the wide variety of personalities shown throughout, and the bent toward experimentalism on the back half of Axioma Ethica Odini, makes the difference clear. One constant throughout is Enslaved’s unmistakable quality of vocal arrangements. Bassist/founding member Grutle Kjellson’s signature rasping screams, left too dry and too forward on Vertebrae, are as throat-searing as ever and punctuated by deathly backing growls and echoes. Opener “Ethica Odini” establishes a full production sound and shows Enslaved haven’t lost the edge or the drive toward extremity that made their early work in the ‘90s so powerful.

They get into a pattern between “Ethica Odini” and follow-up “Raidho” of breaking through the thrashing madness — and here I’ll note the killer tones captured in the guitars of Arve “Ice Dale” Isdal and band co-founder Ivar Bjørnson — for keyboard led prog breaks, during which Larsen takes the lead over Kjellson vocally, but it doesn’t last long. “Waruun” almost reverses it, keeping the music behind Larsen’s parts heavy in proportion to the other pieces of the song to establish more of a flow. This way, a strong opening of what fans would expect from modern-day Enslaved is given, but the band moves quickly to show they have more than formulaic songwriting on offer. “Waruun” boasts another excellent vocal arrangement, and if heavy music has ever raised the hairs on your arm or sent a shiver down your spine, it’s bound to do it here as well. The shortest of the “regular” (non-interlude) tracks at 5:38, “The Beacon” might also be the most extreme. Opening with blastbeats from drummer Cato Bekkevold, the song moves from an abrasive verse to a melodic chorus in a way not so much different from much of latter-day metal, but the production, vocals, guitar leads and angular break distinguish it. As it transfers back to the verse and again through the chorus one last time, it feels like a closer, which only heightens the transition into the interlude “Axioma” and further distinguishes the two pieces of the record.

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I have it on authority from Walter himself that these are the last of the Roadburn 2010 audio streams, so get ‘em while they’re hot. I’ve kept up the best I can with what’s been posted from this year’s festival, but if you think there’s anything you might have missed, the whole collection of streams is available here. If you’re bored at work or have 55 or more hours to kill, they’re a great way to go.

The last two streams are Enslaved and Dream of an Opium Eater, which features Enslaved guitarist Ivar Bjørnson, whose pretty mug accompanies this post.

Listen in good health:

Enslaved live at Roadburn 2010

Dream of an Opium Eater live at Roadburn 2010

Whether you actually sit for an hour and watch the following pro-shot footage of Cathedral‘s performance at Roadburn 2009 in its entirety, or maybe if you minimize the window, keep the sound on and check in periodically, it’s still a great way to get rid of an hour of your Monday. Filmed by Lee Sakura, this set includes the song “Open Mind Surgery,” which was intended for inclusion on Cathedral‘s latest album, The Guessing Game. If you’d like to know why it didn’t make the cut in the end, you can find out in my interview with Lee Dorrian.

The clip comes courtesy of Roadburn‘s blog. Enjoy:

Cathedral vocalist Lee Dorrian belongs on a short list of key influential doom metal luminaries. Alongside the likes of Tony Iommi, Wino, Bobby Liebling and Candlemass‘ Leif Edling, he has been a principle figure in making doom metal what it is today. With guitarist Gary “Gaz” Jennings, he has continually helped reshape doom in Cathedral‘s image, inspiring a generation of heads to plug in and freak out.

The Guessing Game is Cathedral‘s first album in five years. It is their second offering through Nuclear Blast, second record in a row produced by Warren Riker (Down), and with it, the band celebrates their 20-year anniversary. Joining Jennings and Dorrian are longtime bassist Leo Smee (also formerly of Bill Steer‘s Firebird) and drummer Brian Dixon, and the album is a 2CD foray into ’70s prog, psych and folk the likes of which they’ve never before attempted. Having written a record more in line with their earliest works, the band summarily threw it out and started over, making — as Dorrian puts it — the album they always wanted to make.

I won’t delay, both because I’ve already reviewed the album and because the interview’s long and comprehensive enough, but I would like to say thank you to Lee Dorrian for taking the time for the following Q&A session, and to Nuclear Blast for facilitating. And of course, thank you for reading. The more you do, the more these things become possible.

Q&A is after the jump. Please enjoy.

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If you think 7:57 is a long runtime for an album trailer, consider the massiveness of Cathedral‘s recently reviewed The Guessing Game, the fact that it’s the band’s 20th anniversary, and that they kick ass. The Guessing Game is out this week in Europe, but the US has to wait until April 20, which for us non-stoner stoner rockers is kind of a bummer. Nonetheless, here’s this:

A double album is always a curious read, and Cathedral’s ninth full-length, The Guessing Game, with which the legendary UK doom outfit celebrates their 20th anniversary, is no exception. All the more so considering The Guessing Game is so close to the 80-minute limit of what would fit on a regular compact disc that, if the band had nixed the two two-and-a-half-minute intros, the record would have fit easily. So it’s not like they’ve come up with such an abundance of material as a follow-up to 2005’s The Garden of Unearthly Delights, but the jeans are just a little too tight to hold what they’ve got. I think we’ve all been there at one time or another.

Please don’t take that as calling The Guessing Game bloated. As one of the bands who set the course for the genre of traditional doom with classic albums like 1993’s The Ethereal Mirror and 1995’s The Carnival Bizarre, they know what it takes to make a good record, and although I generally fall on the side of cut what you need to to make it work — to the point of agreeing with George Martin that The White Album should have been a single disc (would the world really miss “Rocky Raccoon” or “Revolution No. 9?”) — if after two decades of existence, Cathedral want to make a 2CD, I’m not about to fault them for doing so. After five years, I’m just happy to have a new record. Any issue of how to interpret whether to take it as one whole work or two separate albums is secondary to that. Maybe that’s The Guessing Game.

In any case, the remaining original and principal members of the band, vocalist Lee Dorrian (whose back story by now shouldn’t need retelling) and guitarist Garry “Gaz” Jennings, both give remarkable performances throughout The Guessing Game. From “Funeral of Dreams” and down the line of the first disc’s material, Dorrian’s voice is a constant high point. Even as “Funeral of Dreams” pays bizarre homage to ritualistic ‘70s prog — think bands like Black Widow and Coven — Dorrian stays in character and on point vocally. And it’s a hearty “holy shit” moment nearly every time Jennings kicks into a solo, perhaps most especially on “Painting in the Dark.”

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