Stone Machine Electric

Well, Texas duo Stone Machine Electric didn’t call it Garage Tape because they broke the bank and spent half a million dollars recording it, but don’t be put off. While the title speaks to the DIY nature of its origins, Garage Tape actually sounds clear and warm enough to get its message across. Guitarist William “Dub” Irvin and drummer Mark Kitchens tracked the release — which is comprised of two extended improvisations — in the actual garage of the latter with Erik Carson of Tin Can Records, who also mixed and mastered the tape, on July 26, 2014. Their mission, as they put it, was to give listeners a raw look at their creative process, and as time goes on, they seem to be driving further toward making jamming central to that. The chemistry between Irvin and Kitchens is undeniable (their connection has resulted in a number of come-and-gone-again bassists) across each of Garage Tape‘s component halves, duly named on the translucent blue cassette as “Side A” (20:52) and “Side B” (21;39), and the languid, thick-toned rollout that ensues is only given stone-machine-electric-garage-tape-liner-horimore of a demo feel with the analog hiss of a tape beneath.

At one point relatively late into side A, Irvin seems to loop a rhythm track and proceeds to solo over it. That’s a progression that fades out as the first of the tape ends (there’s a bit of silence since “Side B’ is longer) and in again as the second half begins, so yeah, I have no trouble believing that Stone Machine Electric played out the material for Garage Tape live in one whole jam. In that way, breaking it up into two sides actually kind of interrupts the flow for a minute, but honestly, if after the 20 minutes of “Side A” are done, you’re not completely immersed in Irvin and Kitchens‘ hypnotic repetitions, it probably wasn’t going to happen at all. As they push closer to the core of their own creativity, their material becomes more fluid, extended and accomplished, but if you can’t get down with improv heavy jamming, Garage Tape isn’t the place to start, even with Irvin‘s effects experiments throughout, “Side B” seeming to bubble with Echoplex-style pulsations behind its airy soloing and rhythm track to which, to Kitchens‘ credit, the drums hold firm, shifting as the six-minute mark of “Side B” approaches to drive the jam into its next stage. This stone-machine-electric-garage-tape-liner-insideconversation between drummer and guitarist takes place in the several movements of “Side A” as well, and it’s clearly a language that’s developed between the two players over their time together.

On the other hand, if you’re someone who can hang with a 40-minute getdown, Stone Machine Electric‘s Garage Tape cycles through this-could-be-a-song-oh-wait-let’s-try-this riffy movements with an utter lack of pretense and a molten fluidity that a still-limited number of bands in the US seem keen on portraying at all, let alone developing or using as the basis for their approach. That makes Garage Tape a bolder release, though honestly it’s not like Stone Machine Electric have been stifling impulses to-date, whether it’s their 2013 self-titled full-length (review here) or subsequent live outing, 2013.02.07. One could easily see that live set as a manifestation of the same impulse driving Garage Tape – to put as little space as possible between the band’s processes and the listener’s experience — but Garage Tape gets more to the heart of where they’re coming from and what they have to offer those who’d take them on. It’s an admirable goal and an admirable jam, and with their experimental will reinforced via a download called “Side C” that collaborates with Arlington-based noisemaker the owl and the octopus to remix and retool a 20-minute version of the initial Kitchens and Irvin jam, Garage Tape still shows there’s more weirdness to come from the duo, who’ve always excelled in that regard. - The Obelisk

In the most redeeming sense of the term “typical,” Stone Machine Electric is truly atypical. The Arlington metal duo of drummer Mark Kitchens, an architect and the father of two young children, and guitarist/singer William “Dub” Irvin couldn’t care less about “typical” or what’s expected. From Kitchens and Irvins’ live-recorded 2010 debut, Awash in Feedback, to their 2013 studio-recorded self-titled album to 2013.02.07 (recorded live at The Grotto) to their new album, the forthcoming Garage Tape, there’s a distinctly jazzy, DIY vibe at play. All of the songs on Garage Tape are improvisations. Not out of character for a jazz band, but for a metal band that specializes in walls of churning, thunderous sound, it’s pretty groundbreaking.

“I’m always open to anything,” Kitchens said. “I like crossing genres … playing with things to make them different.”

Kitchens and Irvin have been fine-tuning SME’s particular brand of stoner-doom since forming about five years ago. The two have been playing together, in one capacity or another, for nearly 20 years. The guys met at a random jam at a house party one New Year’s Eve. Their first band, Rustic Dog, became their second band, Dead Rustic Dog, which became Stone Machine Electric.

Clearly, those years of playing and feeding off each other make Garage Tape work as well as it does. Split into two 20-minute tracks, the whole thing is an improvised live set at Kitchens’ Arlington home. With stacked and broken cymbals, a semi-hollow Schecter guitar, an army of pedals, a bit of riff-looping, and a theremin, Stone Machine Electric is able to make this garage sound like the pit of a well-oiled doom-psych orchestra that’s commemorating the apocalypse. It combines long bouts of slowly churning sludge –– like some sinister force making its way through an unsuspecting suburban neighborhood –– with moments when that force stops to light a house or two on fire. At that point the loop pedal is switched off, Irvin’s guitar freaks the fuck out, and Kitchens begins hitting his drums as if he’s beating out flames. It’s a dramatic session that alternately grooves and wails, and it feels comfortable and confident in every direction.

The “studio” is also SME’s practice space. For the recording session, Kitchens and Irvin set up microphones everywhere to “try to capture everything,” Kitchens said. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Erik Carson, who runs Tin Can Records, a Fort Worth studio, and who also produced SME’s 2010 single, “Walking Among the Blind,” Garage Tape is as raw as anything Yells at Eels or even Paul Bley with Jaco have ever done. “We played for 10 minutes to get set up,” Kitchens said, “and then [Carson] hit record.”

The guys haven’t thrown songwriting completely out the door.

“Here in the past four or five months, we’ll pick two or three songs we’re going to play, then we’ll start the show off and improvise it, and then we’ll go into a song, and then back into improvising,” Kitchens said. “That’s sort of how the sets go. … There’s no downtime.”

The album, which is available only digitally and via cassette, includes a 20-minute remix by Fort Worth composer Terry Horn of The Owl and The Octopus and Hentai Improvising Orchestra. It’s a stark contrast to the raw nature of the source material, but it still feels like a natural progression. Think: Brian Eno possessed by Stephen King.

After opening for major metalists Jucifer on Thursday at Lola’s Saloon, Stone Machine Electric will celebrate the official release of Garage Tape at The Grotto on Friday, Jan. 16, where producer/musician Kent Stump, who produced SME’s 2013 album and who fronts Dallas stoner-rockers Wo Fat, will join Kitchens and Irvin onstage.

“We call it the Whoa! Fat Machine,” Kitchens said. “It’s going to be us and Wo Fat playing, sort of a jam session at the end of the night, reminiscent of what we did on Garage Tape.” - Fort Worth Weekly

Garage Tape is WYSIWYG—What you see is what you get. The creative duo from Texas known as Stone Machine Electric performed and recorded the release in a garage and you can feel the reflective overtones oozing from the analog tape. Although the nostalgic cassette release revival probably won’t rival the vinyl one, don’t miss the point. Mark Kitchens and William (Dub) Irvin lay down righteous, hypnotic riffs without the need for vocals or overly polished production. There’s even a bit of Texas boogie-woogie seeping out beneath the expansive soundscape.

Garage Tape does not have songs, only an “A” side and a “B” side. Both contain long, sultry jams with enough flow to keep you listening, but not so much to wear thin.

Stone Machine Electric has a minimal online presence. They probably don’t need one. If you know about the band and like what they’re doing, you’ll find what you need. I only wish I lived closer to the Lone Star State.

I enjoy what Stone Machine Electric is doing because it’s based on solid, tasty riffs. I’ll be curious to see where they go next. - Heavy Planet

Stone Machine Electric have been hanging around the outskirts of the underground stoner doom scene for a couple years now, refining, polishing and honing their skills. The time has finally come for the duo of Dub (guitars, vocals) and Kitchens (drums) to unleash their helping of Texas psychedelic blues upon the world at large (the sheer physical presence of the band has grown by as much as 33% since the recording of this album to include Mark Cook [bass] in early December!). It should be noted early that the album was recorded and mixed by Kent Stump of Wo Fat as his fingerprints seem to be all over this album.

Guitar wanders in and out of the general mix, free to roam like a hippie child. Ideas and sketchy moments abound creating a full and busy atmosphere. Structures are fluid and complex rarely settling in to anything one would recognize as habitable. Opening track "Mushroom Cloud" sets the table with a song structure that could only have resulted from the decimation of such a blast as the song's subject. Empty, eerie and expansive wastelands of wah bass dominate the landscape from horizon to horizon, the largely instrumental song bookended by verses. Stone Machine Electric like to jam and explore, leading one to believe that they must write their music in the same way Stump & co. do in Wo Fat, by endless jamming, adding pieces here and there until the results are satisfying. But that's pure speculation. As the line from "Hypocrite Christ" goes: "I have suspicions of what you call truth / Without proof you're selling lies".

The warm and thick tones of Dub's guitar and the full pounding and resonant crashes of Kitchens' kit give this release that swampy funk feeling, reminiscent of Mr. Stump's aforementioned trio. Texas feelings abound, but it's a different musical state altogether. A post-apocalyptic vision of crumbling towers and kipple-littered streets and survivors locked in a deadly battle for resources and philosophical / spiritual higher ground.

From jump street, as they (used to) say, it's obvious that Stone Machine Electric want to try new things, do things just a little differently, while still respecting their chosen genre(s). I doubt very much that a lot of bands would have the courage to open their album with a song like "Mushroom Cloud" because it's very much a "this is what we're about, if you don't like what we're doing here, you might as well just tune out now" kind of song to open with with it's desolate landscape of extended jams and cyclopean rampart-like structure. But all the bumps and curves are in the right places, the instruments are pure and true, thick, heavy and pulsing with real life, the effects are not used gratuitously but are like a gateway to other sonic dimensions.

'Stone Machine Electric' is one of those albums that only get better and more rewarding with each successive listen. As layers are pulled away, deeper ones are revealed. There's no shortage of highlight material here as regards individual songs, but the album is more properly ingested as a full on feast rather than taking the songs on as hearty snacks.

Highlights include: "Hypocrite Christ" and "No/w/here"

Rating: 4.5/5
- Paranoid Hitsophrenic

Today on Sludgelord I am interviewing the brilliant Sludge/Stoner Rockers – Stone Machine Electric who are about to release their stunning S/T debut album which I recently raved about.


Well the guys have kindly agreed an interview with myself. So lets get started with these crazy rockers.

Q1 – Hi Guys, Thanks for doing this. How are things with you guys Today.

Dub: It's a pleasure, thanks for having us. Things are looking good.

Q2 – For people not in the know can you give them a brief history of the band and how it came about.

Dub: I was looking to get something started in this vein, but everyone around at the time only wanted to do cover bands. I don't have a problem with playing a cover song occasionally, but to do nothing but covers is extremely boring and unsatisfying. For me being in a band is about having a creative outlet to let the monster inside loose. It's not about playing someone else's crappy worn out songs just so I can get paid. Kitchens and I have been friends for years and have played together in bands before.


When I mentioned to him what I was wanting to do I found that he was interested in the same thing, so we began putting the sonic pieces together. However, during the first few rehearsals we weren't sure at the time whether the band would come into complete existence. He had recently tried out for Orthodox Fuzz, another great local DFW band, and was still waiting to find out whether he got the gig or not. Luckily for us they chose someone else, so we were able to keep it going.




Q3 – How would you describe your sound.

Dub: I would compare it to the birth of the universe. A great explosion that creates a heavy mass trodding through space and time surrounded by and filled with chaos and electricity.

Q4 – Which bands and artists influence you directly as musicians.

Dub: I don't know if I can distinguish between directly and indirectly anymore. There have been a lot of years and a lot of players. I would have to at least name The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, Phish, Led Zeppelin, and Frank Zappa. As bands and the individual players in the bands. I find myself doing little Eddie Van Halen and Billy Gibbons type things from time to time, so I should add them to the list. And Electric Wizard and Black Sabbath were an influence on the band itself.

Kitchens: Zappa, firehose, The Doors, Om, and Fugazi are a few personal influences for me. Drum-wise it has to be Ansley Dunbar, Tim Alexander, George Hurley, and Jon Fishman.

Q5 – Are you all full time musicians or do you have regular jobs to pay the bills.

Kitchens: Pfff, I wish.




Q6 – What is the song-writing process in the band. Is it a group collective or is just down to one individual.

Dub: We both write for the band, but we do it separately. The songs are mostly finished when they are brought in, but we are open to input from each other, so they never take complete shape until we work on them together.

Kitchens: Yeah, when I bring a song in, Dub will add his way of playing to it. That's expected, and it always turns out great. Or he might suggest something be played slightly different.

Dub: We have this ability of hearing the riffs completely different from each other, so when he adds his drum parts a certain magic happens that opens up new dimensions to the tunes.

Q7 – Your about to release your brilliant new album. And what an album it is. Was it an easy album to write and record for.

Dub: We already had material written, so it was just a matter of choosing which songs to record. We were both on the same page and happened to each choose the same songs, so that took maybe a minute. Easy. Leading up to recording is where things got a little less than easy. The bass player we had quit to focus on other endeavours around this time. We tried to find someone to fill in, at least for the recording. Tim from Wo Fat offered to fill in, but found out that he would be out of state during the time we had the studio booked, so that fell through.


A friend of ours, Daryl Bell, did the bass work for us on Hypocrite Christ, but I wound up playing bass on the rest of the tunes. I wouldn't say that it was hard, but it was interesting playing two roles at times. I'm really happy that Daryl was able to play on that tune. We were both in the same band that the song was written in, actually so was Kitchens, so even though we have changed it slightly he knew the song. If anybody else had done it they would have been playing Daryl's lines anyway. He did a phenomenal job. I would have ruined it if I had tried it. haha Recording was both fun and easy. Most everything was first take. We just went in and were ourselves, which was no problem with Kent behind the board. It was more like friends just hanging out. We had known each other and wanted to work together for a while, so it all felt right. One happy family.




Q8 – How did you guy - The Sludgelord

Today on Sludgelord I am interviewing the brilliant Sludge/Stoner Rockers – Stone Machine Electric who are about to release their stunning S/T debut album which I recently raved about.


Well the guys have kindly agreed an interview with myself. So lets get started with these crazy rockers.

Q1 – Hi Guys, Thanks for doing this. How are things with you guys Today.

Dub: It's a pleasure, thanks for having us. Things are looking good.

Q2 – For people not in the know can you give them a brief history of the band and how it came about.

Dub: I was looking to get something started in this vein, but everyone around at the time only wanted to do cover bands. I don't have a problem with playing a cover song occasionally, but to do nothing but covers is extremely boring and unsatisfying. For me being in a band is about having a creative outlet to let the monster inside loose. It's not about playing someone else's crappy worn out songs just so I can get paid. Kitchens and I have been friends for years and have played together in bands before.


When I mentioned to him what I was wanting to do I found that he was interested in the same thing, so we began putting the sonic pieces together. However, during the first few rehearsals we weren't sure at the time whether the band would come into complete existence. He had recently tried out for Orthodox Fuzz, another great local DFW band, and was still waiting to find out whether he got the gig or not. Luckily for us they chose someone else, so we were able to keep it going.




Q3 – How would you describe your sound.

Dub: I would compare it to the birth of the universe. A great explosion that creates a heavy mass trodding through space and time surrounded by and filled with chaos and electricity.

Q4 – Which bands and artists influence you directly as musicians.

Dub: I don't know if I can distinguish between directly and indirectly anymore. There have been a lot of years and a lot of players. I would have to at least name The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, Phish, Led Zeppelin, and Frank Zappa. As bands and the individual players in the bands. I find myself doing little Eddie Van Halen and Billy Gibbons type things from time to time, so I should add them to the list. And Electric Wizard and Black Sabbath were an influence on the band itself.

Kitchens: Zappa, firehose, The Doors, Om, and Fugazi are a few personal influences for me. Drum-wise it has to be Ansley Dunbar, Tim Alexander, George Hurley, and Jon Fishman.

Q5 – Are you all full time musicians or do you have regular jobs to pay the bills.

Kitchens: Pfff, I wish.




Q6 – What is the song-writing process in the band. Is it a group collective or is just down to one individual.

Dub: We both write for the band, but we do it separately. The songs are mostly finished when they are brought in, but we are open to input from each other, so they never take complete shape until we work on them together.

Kitchens: Yeah, when I bring a song in, Dub will add his way of playing to it. That's expected, and it always turns out great. Or he might suggest something be played slightly different.

Dub: We have this ability of hearing the riffs completely different from each other, so when he adds his drum parts a certain magic happens that opens up new dimensions to the tunes.

Q7 – Your about to release your brilliant new album. And what an album it is. Was it an easy album to write and record for.

Dub: We already had material written, so it was just a matter of choosing which songs to record. We were both on the same page and happened to each choose the same songs, so that took maybe a minute. Easy. Leading up to recording is where things got a little less than easy. The bass player we had quit to focus on other endeavours around this time. We tried to find someone to fill in, at least for the recording. Tim from Wo Fat offered to fill in, but found out that he would be out of state during the time we had the studio booked, so that fell through.


A friend of ours, Daryl Bell, did the bass work for us on Hypocrite Christ, but I wound up playing bass on the rest of the tunes. I wouldn't say that it was hard, but it was interesting playing two roles at times. I'm really happy that Daryl was able to play on that tune. We were both in the same band that the song was written in, actually so was Kitchens, so even though we have changed it slightly he knew the song. If anybody else had done it they would have been playing Daryl's lines anyway. He did a phenomenal job. I would have ruined it if I had tried it. haha Recording was both fun and easy. Most everything was first take. We just went in and were ourselves, which was no problem with Kent behind the board. It was more like friends just hanging out. We had known each other and wanted to work together for a while, so it all felt right. One happy family.




Q8 – How did you guy - The Sludgelord

Stone Machine Electric are a band blending hard-hitting Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs with a great attitude to match. Their excellent S/T debut album will be released upon the world in Jan 2013. Stone Machine Electric are ready to be unleashed upon the world. The question is – Is the world for Stone Machine Electric.

As their debut album has the power to thrill and entertain while also unsettling some peoples view of the world. These hard-hitting rockers have a snarling attitude that should hopefully gain them a loyal audience for many years to come. As Stone Machine Electric are here to stir things up a bit.

After releasing a well-received demo earlier this year, the guys have grouped together with Wo Fat member Kent Stump who has recorded and mixed their excellent debut album.

If you’re into Eagle Twin then you’re going to love these guys. They might not have the drone manic energy of that great band but they do have a similar tone and energy with their action packed riffs.

Opening track – Mushroom Cloud – wastes no time in getting you acquainted with these slightly unhinged rockers. It’s a great blast of lo-fi mid-tempo loud angry Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs. The song features some superb lyrics to match the title of this great song. This track is the calm before the storm, as things only get heavier and even philosophical in places.

2nd track – Hypocrite Christ – is probably the best track on the album. A 10-minute thought provoking epic that will either have you agreeing with it or turning off in disagreement. I loved it as it has some earth-shattering riffs with a convincing argument to match. A track that makes you think as well as entertaining the heck out of you.

The album has it fair share of Blues Rock music running throw its veins, which gives the album an earthly hollow to it. The vocals are another highlight as well a they have a great NOLA vibe to it, which gives the album another cool layer of Sludge Metal class.

If you like, the first two tracks then you’re going to dig the rest of the album as it stays pretty much the same course for the remaining 3 tracks. 3rd track – Carve is another storming epic, which runs for a pulsating 9 mins or so. It showcases more great ideas and riffs from this superb band.

Now I am not going to spoil the remaining two tracks, as you now know what to expect. Sublime head-banging riffs with superb thought-provoking ideas to match. It’s great to see a band like Stone Machine Electric not afraid to express their views even if it may upset some people. But that’s what excellent creative music is all about. Challenging people’s views of the world and the environment around them.

Now you know with Kent Stump from brilliant Stoner Rockers - Wo Fat involved you know this album sounds epic and it does. Each note is played loud and clear. The production showcases Stone Machine Electric hard hitting vision to perfection.

This is an excellent album full of great ideas and superb riffs. Stone Machine Electric could be onto something special here. This is a band I think we will be seeing a lot more of over the next few years.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

The album will be available to buy from all good stockists everywhere from Jan 2013. - The Sludgelord

Now a trio with bassist Mark Cook on board, Arlington-based heavy fuzz rockers Stone Machine Electric nonetheless recorded their self-titled, self-released debut as the core duo of Mark Kitchens and William “Dub” Irvin. The album (review here) was recorded by Kent Stump of Dallas heavyweights Wo Fat, and shares some of that band’s tonal thickness as a result, but Dub and Kitchens take tracks like “Carve” and “Mushroom Cloud” in a direction more their own, jamming out organic fuzz with psychedelic flourish, sounding raw live and studio lush all at once.

Stone Machine Electric, who are aligned to the fertile Dallas scene that also includes Orthodox Fuzz, Kin of Ettins and the rip-rocking Mothership as well as the aforementioned Wo Fat, made their debut in 2010 with the live demo Awash in Feedback (review here), on which the audio was rough but still gave some idea of where they were coming from. Emphasis on “some” only because the self-titled feels so much more fleshed out and shows them as having a clear idea of what they want Stone Machine Electric to be as a band and where they want to go with their music. It’s a big jump from one to the other, and as they’ve since undergone the pivotal change of bringing Cook in on bass, there’s potential for another such leap next time around.

Given that, it seemed time to hit up Dub and Kitchens for Six Dumb Questions about the self-titled, recording with Stump, having Darryl Bell from Dub’s prior band play bass on the track “Hypocrite Christ,” their striking album art, and so on. They were much quicker in obliging than I actually was in sending out the questions, and you’ll find the results below. Please enjoy:

1. Tell me about the time between the live demo and recording the full-length. Was there anything specific you learned from the demo that you tried to being to the studio?

Dub: The demo was just a live recording that we were ok with releasing. Something for people to hear until we could get in the studio. We did try to bring that “liveness” of the demo to the studio by playing together as much as possible.

2. How long were you in the studio with Kent from Wo Fat? What was the atmosphere like and how did the recording process go? Did Dub record bass parts first or after the guitar?

Kitchens: We were in the studio with Kent for about two and a half days. The first day and a half was spent recording, and the rest was just getting the mixes done. We’re friends with Kent, so that made it feel like we were just hanging out, but recording at the same time. We recorded the drum and guitar tracks together (other than the additional guitar tracks) to get a more live and rawer sound. “Hypocrite Christ” was the only exception. Daryl played the bass with us on that track.

Dub: Yeah, since Kent is a brother it was real laid back. He already knew what we sounded like, so it was all gravy. Like Kitchens said, all the basic guitar and drum tracks (and bass on “Hypocrite Christ”) were recorded with us in the same room together. After that I laid down the remaining bass tracks. Followed by vocals, then guitar overdubs last.

3. How did you wind up including “Hypocrite Christ” from Dub’s Dead Rustic Dog days, and how was it having Daryl Bell in the studio on bass for that?

Dub: Man, having Daryl in there was great. We don’t get to hang out or jam together much at all anymore, so I’m really glad he was able to do it. Not to mention that no one can play that tune quite like him.

That tune just seems to fit into what we do. It’s almost like it was written for SME before there was SME. Actually, Kitchens was also in the band at the time this song was written, so it seemed almost natural to bring it into SME. We played this tune early on and then dropped it for a while. We’ve been wanting to resurrect it again, and what better way than to put it on the album.

4. How has bringing in Mark Cook on bass changed the band’s sound? Have you started to write new material yet? If so, how much of a role does he play?

Kitchens: Mark is helping fill out our sound. We’ve had people tell us we sound great as a two- piece live, and that we pull it off well. You just can’t beat having that low end though. We are working on new material now, so I’m looking forward to what he’ll bring.

Dub: Cook not only helps fill out our sound but also opens it up. He brings in a whole other dimension. We are just now beginning work on new material, and hearing what Cook has brought to the existing tunes I’m excited to see how the new stuff will turn out.

5. Where did the idea for the collage cover art come from? Is there a message being conveyed there, and if so, what is it?

Kitchens: Terry Horn, who was our bassist for a while, did the artwork. I had given him some ideas that I had, but he came back with the collage. I’d never thought of that, and I loved it. We ended up not have any logo or text on the cover because it didn’t look right, and I like that idea as well. T - The Obelisk

Their prior 2010 live demo, Awash in Feedback, served notice of their arrival, and with a thickly-fuzzed 39-minute full-length, Arlington, Texas, duo Stone Machine Electric make their self-titled debut. Immediately notable is the production job of Wo Fat guitarist/vocalist Kent Stump, who brings to these songs a similar sense of warmth captured on his band’s 2011 outing, The Black Code, though Stone Machine Electric are somewhat rawer in their approach, and much like Awash in Feedback (review here) was very much a demo, Stone Machine Electric is very much a first album. In fact, opener “Mushroom Cloud” and closer “Nameless” appeared as highlights on the demo, so there’s even more of a link between the releases – as if being put out by the same band wasn’t enough, I guess? – but the leap in development is not to be understated. That was a live demo. This is an album. Its five component tracks all top six minutes – the longest, second cut “Hypocrite Christ” jams its way past 10 – and there’s a firm sense that both William “Dub” Irvin, guitar/vocals and all bass save for the aforementioned longest track, and Kitchens, drums/vocals, have a grip on what they want Stone Machine Electric to sound like. They are of their genre and of their region, and while Texas has one of the most densely populated scenes in the union – as much as anything can be densely populated in such wide open spaces – Stone Machine Electric shows enough potential in the band to begin to stand them out in a manner no less striking that the CD’s manic, Terry Gilliam-esque cover. It is the beginning, but one listen to the thickness with which Dub’s guitar and Kitchens’ toms are presented in the rolling grooves of “Mushroom Cloud,” and especially hearing how big a role the bass plays for a band that, at the time of the recording, didn’t have a bassist (Mark Cook has reportedly since come aboard in that slot), and there’s a palpable potential in what they do. Also helps that, when he needs to, Dub can tear ass through a psychedelic solo, as he does on “Mushroom Cloud,” and though the vocals are understated pretty much front to back, that works well in the mix to play up the thickness of the guitars, bass and drums.

And yes, I do mean thick drums. Kitchens’ toms are high in parts, as on “Hypocrite Christ,” but on most stereos, it shouldn’t be an issue, and the fullness in their sound is fitting complement to Dub’s wall of fuzz. “Hypocrite Christ” has a laid back, jammy haze, and a rougher, more forward vocal, but the riffing is choice and the feel is that much more relatable to a live sense of the band with guest bassist Daryl Bell, who’s given no small task in providing a foundational rhythm to the jam in the song’s second half, topped by Kitchen’s toms and a sliding, echoing solo from Dub. The lyrics are a touch juvenile, but the hook of “Bleed for me/I won’t bleed for you” is drawn out and strong enough to stand on its own despite any over-familiarity of theme, and in any case, it’s an older song, written in 2005 by Dub’s prior band, Dead Rustic Dog, in which Bell also played bass. Centerpiece “Carve” nestles itself into a niche close to the rhythmic bounce of the first two Suplecs records, and follows a vocal cadence accordingly, beginning with a heavy-footed lumber in the opening jam before Dub’s guitar chug leads into the verse while Kitchens adds flourish with quick punctuating fills between each line. A more hectic chorus emerges, but the hook is less prevalent than that of “Hypocrite Christ,” and the most memorable aspect of the song winds up being its classically stoner central riff, which wouldn’t have been out of place on the first Sasquatch album, or indeed on either of Wo Fat’s last two records. Such is the sonic company that Stone Machine Electric seem most intent on keeping, but though some of the self-titled’s most effective moments come when engrossed in fuzzy lurch, the near-shuffle that consumes the middle-third jam on “Carve” winds up being what most justifies it as the album’s centerpiece, Dub and Kitchens working a trio dynamic into a two-piece, sounding their most assured of anywhere on the recording. The groove is plotted and the transition back to the verse easy, and they cap the 9:19 track with a bass interlude leading to a big rock finish of leads and crash.

Dub’s bass work throughout Stone Machine Electric turns out to be a defining element of the album’s overall sound. Unlike some (that’s not to say “most”) guitar players who wind up recording low-end tracks, Dub doesn’t lose sight of a bassist’s dynamic. He plays off the guitar instead of just with it, and the resulting difference is that between Stone Machine Electric sounding like a duo with bass added and more like the genuine trio they apparently have intended all along to be. Similarly, lead and rhythm guitar are well layered on the penultimate “No/w/here,” an array of flange and delay leads cropping up amid the jammy vibe and still-structured verses. Dub - The Obelisk

Critic’s choice: Lola’s Saloon, June 21, with FTW, Southern Train Gypsy, Stone Machine Electric, and Black on High

There were tons of great shows this year, especially Fungi Girls at Doc’s Records & Vintage, Stella Rose’s tribute to Nirvana at Lola’s, Burning Hotels at Friday on the Green, and, of course, our 48-local-band 10th Annual Fort Worth Weekly Music Awards Festival. But in terms of sheer chutzpah –– and volume –– nothing topped this Music Awards Heavy Metal Showcase: The crowd was thick and active, the beer was cold, and the bands were clean-sounding, spot-on, and loud. - Fort Worth Weekly

Influenced by the likes of Electric Wizard and Sleep, the Arlington duo’s live demo is a crushing mix of stoner and heavy-psych.

By taking the option to record Awash in Feedback entirely live, there is a rawness that powers through each track, while sticking to the fundamentals of stoner.

Tracks such as: ‘Mushroom Cloud’ and ‘Walking Among the Blind’ are so good, that it feels unfair to judge this release purely as a demo, as it more like a work in progress, or a promising live EP.

The talented duo are also looking to add a bassist to their bludgeoning sound, so any Texans who would like to be a part of Stone Machine Electric, should throw their hats into the ring sooner, rather than later. - Chybucca Sounds

Heavy Metal

Metal might be known for its speed, but the current crop of Cowtown heshers has dialed back the velocity in favor of pure heavy riffage. In other words, doom rules. Black on High’s take is rooted in ’70s hard rock, but that doesn’t mean it’s just a Sabbath retread — thrashy leads cut the power chords. … No one really knows what FTW’s initials stand for, but the band’s doomy desert rock says all you need to know: Follow the weed smoke and fuzzed-out guitar for a massive trip. … Krash Rover updates Southern rock with Maidenesque guitarmonies and soaring, melodic vocals that have taken the band from local stages all the way to the Gexa Energy Pavilion. … Southern Train Gypsy’s sludge is ominous but is also melodic and wouldn’t seem out of place on The Edge. … Stone Machine Electric is thick with psychedelic stoner doom, keeping you locked into your headphones, nodding along to riff after heavy riff. … Probably the least underground nominee is Triple SP. Melodic vocals? Check. Driving guitar? Check. Hip-hop beats? Indeed. TSP has ’em all, making heavy music that’s as accessible as it is rockin’. — S.S. - Fort Worth Weekly

They’re about as rudimentary as you get, and much of what you need to know about Arlington, Texas, doom duo (I keep trying to coin the term “doomuo,” but it doesn’t seem to be catching on, fun as it is to say out loud) Stone Machine Electric you can see on the package of their debut self-release, Awash in Feedback. It’s right there on the back of the cardboard sleeve, in big capital letters: “THIS IS A DEMO.”

And indeed it is. A live demo, to boot, and one that will appeal to anyone who recalls tape-trading days of practice room recordings capturing the rawest elements of a band’s sound. Stone Machine Electric offer a half-hour set comprised of five songs, feeling their way through well-trod creative territory and offering bright spots of individuality throughout. Those familiar with the boom in Texas doom – bands like Orthodox Fuzz, Wo Fat and Kin of Ettins being good company to keep – won’t be surprised by much of what guitarist/vocalist Dub and drummer/vocalist Kitchens have to offer on cuts like “Mushroom Cloud” and “Nameless,” grooves inspired by the likes of C.O.C. and Earthride/Spirit Caravan being put to appropriate use, but Stone Machine Electric delve into territory more their own on the extended instrumental centerpiece “Echoes of Garnath,” doing well to add a jammed feel to the heavy-footed riffing.

It might have sounded too rough or thrown off the mix on Awash in Feedback, but I do miss the low end to these songs that a bassist might provide. That said, as the chemistry between Dub and Kitchens on “Echoes of Garnath” demonstrates, it’s not going to be just any player who can fit into that position, and it’s not something I’m going to hold against Stone Machine Electric at this point. The purpose of Awash in Feedback is clearly to get their name and their songs out there – maybe even to people who might join the band as additional members – and to figure out where they want to be sonically. The start-stop riff of “Walking Among the Blind” comes across well enough to give a general idea of Dub’s approach and the general kinds of structures Stone Machine Electric are interested in working with for future releases (barring any radical change in tactic), and for right now, that’s asking plenty of Awash in Feedback.

As the set progresses – you’ll forgive me if I don’t know the Fort Worth venue where it was recorded – Kitchens and Dub get more locked in, so that when their vocals line up two-plus minutes into the fourth track, “Nameless,” it feels like a welcome arrival at Stone Machine Electric’s present apex. Perhaps the best compliment to be paid Awash in Feedback, at this hopefully early juncture in the band’s tenure, is that the material sounds worthy of further exploration and development, and I would say that’s definitely true. I try to imagine what dynamics between the guitars and drums might come out of a studio version of the jagged psychedelia of closer “Echo,” and it seems the potential is there to craft something both at home in its genre and unique in its scene. Stone Machine Electric may just be getting going, but from what Awash in Feedback has to say about their progress so far, they’re pointed in the right direction. - The Obelisk

Somewhere between the hair-metaldom emanating from joints such as The Rail and Tomcats West and the proto-punk and hardcore from 1919 Hemphill there’s doom. As unhurried but heavy as stoner rock (EPIC RUINS, Jefferson Colby, Blood of the Sun) and as loud and obsidian as death-metal (Turbid North, Earthrot, Dead Rising), doom music has roots in legendary bands such as Black Sabbath, Sleep/OM, and High on Fire and is represented locally by two or three really good outfits.

The best might be Stone Machine Electric, a powerful twosome a la OM but with a guitarist/vocalist and drummer instead of a bassist/vocalist and drummer. (But, yes, Stone Machine is looking for a bass player.) Stone Machine Electric guitarist/vocalist Dub and drummer Kitchens blend bone-crushing rhythms with semi-Eastern melodies and tribal beats just as often as the duo stomps forward, honking out monstrous, sludgy riffage. A bassist would seem superfluous. The band recorded its debut album, the demo Awash in Feedback, totally live and released it last December. Consisting of just five songs but lasting about 30 minutes, the demo is a transportative listen, full of interesting textures (amazing for just a guitar and drums), walls of sound, and sweeping, ominous passages. You can practically see Conan praying to Crom right before a battle. The sonic architecture of the extended instrumental “Echoes of Garnath” is one in which variations of a theme appear, disappear, and reappear, keeping the progressions fresh and interesting. “Nameless” is one of the demo’s stronger tracks, a dirge whose math-rock-y bridge comes out of nowhere but still somehow fits. Judge for yourself on Friday, when the band plays at Hot Licks Barbecue Saloon (formerly Rock Dogs Sports Bar, 7120 S. Fwy., FW, 214-276-2085 — yes, “214”). The bill also includes three other 817 outfits –– the thrashy (trashy?) China Kills Girls, the Southern-fried Rome I$ Burnin’, and the bluesy Gruesome Twosome –– and Dallas’ Ravencroft. - Fort Worth Weekly, by Hearsay