One of the bands that I’ve been listening to a lot lately is actually from Central Jersey, and the reason that I’ve been listening to them lately is because they just released their sixth full-length CD, Gravitron. It also helps that Bob Pantella from Monster Magnet and Cycle Of Pain is the drummer and the guitar player, Finn Ryan, is married to my bud and photographer, Sandi Murphy Ryan. I’m talking about The Atomic Bitchwax. Besides all of that, Gravitron actually has the forces to pull you in and make you want more. Fans of Foo Fighters will really like this stuff! It’s stoner rock at its finest! The songs that really caught my ear on this new record were “Sexecutioner,” which they have a new video for that was filmed by my bro Shottie Shotwell from the band Ashes Of Your Enemy, “Fuck Face” (how can you not love that title?), “Coming In Hot” and “Roseland.” These are just a few songs that I liked. The whole CD is killer!
The Atomic Bitchwax is a hard rock band that formed out of Long Branch back in 1993 by bassist and singer Chris Kosnik, who, according to the band’s bio, wrote music that combined ’60s psychedelic rock and ’70s riff rock with progressive rock influences from today. The original lineup was primarily a jam band playing local bars in NJ and NYC but shortly after forming, Chris joined the doom metal band Godspeed, who was signed to Atlantic Records. The original lineup would release two full-length records together in 1999 and 2000. In 2005, guitarist and singer Finn Ryan, who was Chris’ labelmate in the band Core, would join the group, and with Finn on board the band focused on writing and touring for about a year before heading into Trax East Studios in South River to record CD number three. In 2007, current Monster Magnet drummer Bob Pantella joined the band, which was kind of weird because Chris lost his original guitarist to Monster Magnet and now Monster Magnet’s drummer is in his band. By the way, in 2013, Chris also joined Monster Magnet. Anyway, since Bob joined The Atomic Bitchwax, the band has been pretty busy touring overseas, bringing the name The Atomic Bitchwax to the forefront of the Jersey music scene.
Chris and Bob toured with Monster Magnet from late 2013 through the summer of 2014 in support of Monster Magnet’s latest record, Last Patrol, but they still found time to team up with Finn to finish up Gravitron, which they released a couple of weeks ago. This is one band that you won’t be able to get out of your head for days. For more on The Atomic Bitchwax or to find out where they’re playing next, visit them at theatomicbitchwax.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The boys from Thanatotic Desire released a brand new song available for streaming on SoundCloud a couple of weeks ago to celebrate National Record Store Day. The name of the song is “Rise From The Embers,” and it’s heavy, fast and punch-you-in-the-teeth brilliant! Whomever it was that said ‘metal was dead in Jersey’ should get his ass kicked, first of all, and secondly, they’ve never heard of Thanatotic Desire. Check out their new song “Rise From The Embers” at soundcloud.com/thanatoticdesire or learn more about Thanatotic Desire at thanatoticdesire.com.
My bros from Voodoo Terror Tribe, or VTT as they’re calling themselves now, are back in the studio recording their upcoming new CD at Soundwars Studios in Hoboken with my bro Cristian Machodo from Ill Nino producing. At the time of this writing, singer Gil PZ was in the booth singing already, so if my calculations are correct, they’re mixing the new CD as we speak and there will be new VTT music for your earhole by the middle of the summer. If you want to see the latest progress on the VTT recordings, visit the band at facebook.com/vttrocks or vttrocks.com.
And finally, just more examples that metal is alive and well in Jersey, my bros from Ixion Lux have also released a brand new song by way of SoundCloud called “Buried Alive.” This song is not for the faint of heart. It is no-frills heavy metal with great vocals, sharp guitar tones and a thunderous rhythm section. Me likey! Check “Buried Alive” out now at soundcloud.com/naba1910 and for more on Ixion Lux, visit them at ixionlux.com.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
5/6—Devon Goods/Cephalopods And Their Allies/Gypsy Star/Nikki Briar and the Sweet Briar Band/Zen Thomas—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
5/7—Robots and Monsters/Brick By Brick—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
5/7—Steve Bello Band—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
5/8—Tarpit Boogie/Dead Blow Hammer/USELESS/WHITE VOID—The Clash Bar, Clifton, NJ
5/9—Scars of Envy/Apostrophes/Cheese Puff Death Krunch/Stagger/ Voodoo Terror Tribe/Dark Matter/Lower the Veil/Ashes of Your Enemy/Paralysis/COMMON WEALTH—Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
5/14—Eric Martin of Mr. Big/D.M.K./Jake and Dan—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
5/15—Law and Order/Wrench/White Tiger (A.J. Pero Benefit)—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/16—Hyngd/Still Well Angel/Jaded Past/One Day Waiting—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/16—DIVISION 1.1/Ixion Lux/Me With Creeps/Nuse/Causticaudio/BOUND ALIVE/Framework—Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
5/16—Atom Strange—EJ’s (Seaside Music Festival), Seaside Heights, NJ
5/16—End of an Era—Aztec Bar, Seaside Heights, NJ
5/20—Prophets of Addiction/The Erotics/Long Gone Day/Blackout Stereo—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/29—The Independents/Black Cat Attack/Darrow Chemical Co.—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/30—D.R.I./Robots and Monsters—Blackthorn51, Elmhurst, NY
5/30—THE MURDER JUNKIES/Negative Traction/Full Scale Riot/Pat Veil and the Beach Needles/Choke Artist/Damien the Cat—The Brighton Bar, Long Beach, NJ
5/31—The Algorithm/Angel Vivaldi/In Dying Arms/Silent To Slaughter/ The Polaris Breach/Blameless and Upright/Under The Red Hood—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
