IT'S World Elephant Day as these very words are being typed, so what better occasion to bring you a reminder about the forthcoming debut LP from Belfast heavy fuzzers, Tusks.
Featuring Mr Benny 'Penny Dreadfuls' Dreadful on vocals, Michael 'THVS' Smyth on drums and former Howlin' Widowers Gary (guitar fuzz) and Dave (bass fuzz), Tusks offer sludgy yet capably propulsive doom rock thrills guaranteed to give you a serious case of the slow nods.
Their debut LP, Embers, is coming out next week on seriously delicious looking heavyweight emerald green or golden 'beer' coloured vinyl, limited to 250 copies total (with a further 10 test pressings on black 'wax') and is available to pre-order right now.
Yes indeed, point your computing device at Tuskstheband.bandcamp.com and make a purchase before the official release date on August 21 and you might be lucky enough to be allocated one of the super rare test presses.
Of course, you'll want to give them a listen first – lucky for you, the band are streaming the first two tracks, The Trial and View From My Tomb, as a suck 'em and see style proposition.
I'm particularly partial to the hypnotic riffage of the latter number, which offers close to five minutes of mesmeric, drunken, heavy blues laced with moments of contemplative calm, but desperation-fuelled album opener The Trial's dirgy, early Sabbath-cribbing opener is also good value, with the band shifting through several different gears during its lengthy, lumbering lament.
Should that float your boat, £12 secures you the full six song LP on vinyl plus a download code for your digital devices. They also have some cool T-shirts on offer for £8, although there were only 60 printed – so if you like the look of that psychedelic wolf graphic, you'd best move fast.
Onwards we plough to Nasa Assassin: in last week's review of the Belfast space rockers appearance at Sunflowerfest, I promised you an update on the band's next live activity as soon as possible.
Happily, they have announced that the countdown to their next mission has already begun: it's yet another Lisburn-friendly gig, so set your controls for the Hilden Brewery's annual Hilden Beer and Music Festival on Friday August 28.
Additionally, for those of you who like to get your gig-going ducks in a row good and early, the Assassin boys will be backing up Trucker Diablo at for special pre-Christmas gig at the Diamond Rock Club in Ahoghill on December 12.
Unfortunately, it happens to clash with Therapy?'s recently announced Infernal Love show at The Limelight in Belfast – although that's an early show, so rockers with access to a fast car/bike/time machine will still have a good chance of making it up the M2 into darkest Co Antrim for the chance to hear the Truckers busting out their seasonal favourite We're Gonna Rock This Christmas (maybe).
Consider it an early present from Santa/Satan.
THIS WEEK'S ANNOYING NOISES
Speed of Light – Iron Maiden
Misery – Therapy?
Dying on The Line – THVS
Parasitic – Astralnaut
Cheapskate Tricks For Worn Down People – Jetplane Landing
Not Givin' Up Livin' To Live – Nasa Assassin
No Sympathy From The Devil – Public Enemy
If You Must – Nirvana
Happening – Desperate Journalist
Meteor – Broken Hands
