Turkey Week Roundup

Back from a nice Thanksgiving in the mountains, there were some packages waiting for me.

From Crucial Blast were a pair of reissues, that of Grey Daturas' 2004 album 'Dead In The Woods' and a remaster of Skullflower's IIIrd Gatekeeper.

Public Guilt have released the debut full length album from French occult psych rock band Aluk Todolo so I picked that up along with one of the latest albums from Finland's Circle. They also threw in the sampler disc featuring bands on Public Guilt and Implied Sound.

An order from the fantastic label/distro Eclipse Records came a couple of new CDs from Drag City - Sir Richard Bishop's second release of the year 'Polytheistic Fragments' and another new album from Six Organs Of Admittance titled 'Shelter From The Ash' (an appropriate title for where I'm at after 1/3 of the county burned down in October). On vinyl came the latest from Bardo Pond side project Alasehir, a new 45 from Wooden Shjips, and a split 7" from Jack Rose and Silvester Afang.

New Archive CDs, An Order From Aquarius and A Couple Discs Lost In The Shuffle

Slipping through the cracks was a pair of releases by Half Makeshift that arrived earlier in the month. A one-man project, Half Makeshift uses piano and organ as lead instruments to create atmospheric and at times heavy music (such is the case on the 20 Buck Spin release). The other release on the new CD-R label Small Doses maintains the more atmospheric and ambient drone side of Half Makeshift and makes for some excellent background music.

Continuing to try different ways of packaging a CD, Archive has released two new albums that come in vellum overlays with graphics by Chase Middaugh. A three song, single live track from Japan's Suishou No Fune has the group in duo form drenched in echo performing an excellent set that I like much better than their last release. Heavy Winged's second release of the year is more psych-noise jams that go over 10 minutes each. I also picked up the new James Plotkin CD (part of Utech's Arc series) through the distro.

Finally arriving from Aquarius Records is the debut full length CD from San Francisco's Wooden Shjips. The limited edition includes all of their vinyl releases on a second disc which is a great to have a pressed CD of all that material. Their new material is a bit different from the vinyl but I think I'll like it just the same. After enjoying a track with a split with Hush Arbors, I ordered the new album from Voice Of The Seven Woods. Certainly a heavy Six Organs Of Admittance influence apparent on the full length album.