ELEPHANT TREE have premiered ‘Paranoid’ as the fourth track taken from the forthcoming MER Redux series installment “Best of Black Sabbath” (album out on October 30, please find more information below) via the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/NWUMqaUHOS8
ELEPHANT TREE comment: “Sabbath have obviously been on all of our radars throughout our lives”, writes drummer Sam Hart. “We don’t think it’s possible to not hear them these days, and it has become a bit cliche to say that they are an influence. Even so, they quite blatantly are an influence both directly and indirectly. Many bands are indebted to their style and influence on so many genres. That just goes to show how important they were as a band. More so for us it shows how you can really bring a group of people together with a range of musical backgrounds and create something new and exciting. Pete even goes as far as shaving all his facial hair off every once in a while to perform as Ozzy in a tribute band, though he hasn’t quite taken to walking a box on a lead yet. He’s more of a cat person. It was actually a while back that we came up with the cover, after being asked to play a tribute night in Brighton. We debated whether we could do justice to ‘Paranoid’, what with it arguably being the most recognisable Sabbath track, but after listening on repeat a few times (and with the help of more than a few beers) we started to form this idea of a really slowed down doomy version. Pete naturally took on vocal duties and after a few runs (and cutting some choruses) we arrived at the version on record. Recording it was done in typical fashion, with half a brewery’s worth of beer and a lot of sweat, at Buffalo Studios where JB really brought out some cool ideas for extra effects and recording techniques while keeping it true to the raw sound of the original.”
Emerging from England in 2015, ELEPHANT TREE were handpicked by MER from an early demo submission thanks to their warm, syrupy fuzz and soaring vocal harmonies. This infectious blend made their debut “Theia” and 2016 self-titled album two of the most popular records in the label’s catalog. With their third full-length, “Habits” (2020), the band that had previously been firmly located in a musical triangle between stoner, sludge, and doom maturely expanded their stylistic range to include post-metal groove and even acoustic folk among other elements, which resulted in what German Visions magazine praised as a “sophisticated album” with “unconventional songwriting”. ELEPHANT TREE have just announced “Day of Doom Live”, which has been recorded live at the Londoners’ crushing show in Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus Bar on November 2nd in 2019: https://mer.lnk.to/day-of-doom
Tracklist
1. EARTHLESS – Never Say Die
2. CAUSTIC CASANOVA – Wicked World
3. SUMMONER – A National Acrobat
4. BLACK ELECTRIC – Sweet Leaf
5. RWAKE – The Rwrit
6. GINSBURG/MARGERA/REEDER/ROTA – NIB
7. YEAR OF THE COBRA – Planet Caravan
8. HIPPIE DEATH CULT – Fairies Wear Boots
9. LEATHER LUNG – Hole In The Sky
10. MOONER – The Wizard
11. SOLACE – Electric Funeral
12. HOWLING GIANT – Lord of this World
13. ELEPHANT TREE – Paranoid
14. BRUME – Solitude
15. SAINT KARLOFF – Sleeping Village
In a tumultuous celebration of BLACK SABBATH’s 50th anniversary, Magnetic Eye presents “Best of Black Sabbath”, a double-album featuring 15 heart-stopping renditions of classic tunes from across the discography of the godfathers of metal by some of the riff-heaviest bands in today’s stoner doom scene.
A companion to Vol. 4 [Redux], “Best of Black Sabbath” features both faithful takes and almost unrecognizable re-creations, all in devotion and tribute to the beloved metal pioneers from Birmingham.
“Best of Black Sabbath” includes ripping tracks from EARTHLESS, RWAKE, CAUSTIC CASANOVA, HOWLING GIANT, ELEPHANT TREE among many more.
Magnetic Eye Records is a boutique label presenting beautifully-designed and curated records from artists across the spectrum of heavy music. Dedicated to presenting new talent and established names in doom, psychedelia, classic and stoner rock, we take pride in contributing to the legacy of the almighty riff. Reflecting this, our “Redux” series honors landmark albums from artists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Helmet and Pink Floyd, re-imagined for MER by the likes of Matt Pike, Mark Lanegan, Pallbearer, The Melvins and Zakk Wylde, and is as critical to our identity as our roster of ambitious up-and-coming acts like WhiteNails, Leather Lung and Caustic Casanova. Magnetic Eye Records is part of the independent media group SPKR.
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