Hällas
Adventure rock pioneers Hällas have released a new album, Isle of Wisdom, following 2020's Conundrum, currently only available as a digital download. It's expected to be available on vinyl and CD on 8th April. They have two singles out already, Earl's Theme, and Stygian Depths, which you can find on Bandcamp, or The Tube Made of You. According to their FB page, they have a third single, Elusion's Gate, ready to drop on 2nd March. So far, their 2022 tour is limited to cities in Europe, but with a renewed mainstream interest in rock music here in the US, we expect it won't be long before they cross the ocean. You can bother them about it on their FaceBork page, or via aaron@heavytalent.com.
If you'd like to pre-order Isle of Wisdom, you can do so here. We have already ordered ours.
Footnote: I wrote this draft in 2019 before everything went completely to shit, and Conundrum was not yet released. I would include a photo of their new album cover, but I can't find one that's accessible for posting here.
Magna Carta Cartel
Dreamy and ethereal, the closest thing to live we've been able to see was their Full Moon Session 2019, which can really only ever be an appetizer. It's just over 21 minutes of magic, thrumming with a sound that 80s musicians only partially explored. There are elements of Peter Murphy's Cuts You Up, The Church's Under the Milky Way, and Chris Isaak's Wicked Game that seem to have been stirred together in a rich tea steeped with moody psychedelia and potent, secret herbs.
Church of the Cosmic Skull
Magna Carta Cartel
Dreamy and ethereal, the closest thing to live we've been able to see was their Full Moon Session 2019, which can really only ever be an appetizer. It's just over 21 minutes of magic, thrumming with a sound that 80s musicians only partially explored. There are elements of Peter Murphy's Cuts You Up, The Church's Under the Milky Way, and Chris Isaak's Wicked Game that seem to have been stirred together in a rich tea steeped with moody psychedelia and potent, secret herbs.
Church of the Cosmic Skull
With lyrics like, "Everybody's going to die, but we're feeling alright," you can't help but feel uplifted by their cheerful, gallows humor. It's a cult, in the best possible way. They sound like an updated version of ELO, born again for another round of psychedelia, fused with the fervor of sacrilegious fundamentalism.
Mr. Bungle
These (evil) clowns have long been rumored to play the occasional secret show, and just this year, they snuck in just three dates- two in California, and one in New York. There are some 3,000 miles or so in between that they completely neglected. Their fanbase has been quietly growing for over 20 years, begging for them to tour again. This leaves little doubt that their psychotic brand of progressive, circus jazz has a much bigger audience than can be satisfied with only three shows. They know this. Surely.
Bauhaus
One of the progenitors of the industrial and goth sounds that emerged late in the punk era needs no introduction from me. Suffice it to say that Peter Murphy has been to the area solo a few times, and he is still a charismatic frontman. There is no small fanbase in the area who have been waiting all of their adult lives to see Bauhaus in the whole flesh.
Faun
Not at all a rock band, medieval revivalist/pagan folk songcrafters Faun really haven't done the US justice with their tours so far. They play one festival each annually on opposite coasts, but have forsaken the heartland. How shall we convince them to grace the Great Lakes State? Should we lure them with our salt- and shark-free beaches, our many craft breweries, our diverse range of forests, or our renaissance festival, which remains one of the largest in the country?
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