REVIEW: KADABRA ‘UMBRA’
Along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, lies the city of Spokane, Washington. Surrounded by stunning mountains and turbulent rivers, it is the perfect place to inspire a fuzz-drenched, tempestuous, 1970s-influenced proto-doom album that feels like it’s throwing you down the rapids whilst on a trip to another realm.
Out of the mist and thundering down the mountains comes Umbra, the sophomore album for KADABRA. Formed in 2020, the band have quickly gained a reputation for being a captivating and explosive live act. Following on from their distinctly vintage sounding debut album Ultra, KADABRA have come back bigger and bolder than ever before. Building on the solid foundations that they laid down on Ultra, the American trio have created a mesmeric album of swirling organs, groove-laden riffs and captivating vocal melodies...
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-umbra-kadabra/)
REVIEW: KADABRA ‘UMBRA’
Spokane, Washington’s Kadabra made quite an impact with their 2021 debut Ultra. Released on Heavy Psych Sounds, much praise was heaped on the band from the global stoner and doom scene by fans, and media alike, including myself, as I had Ultra, one of my first handful of reviews for The Sleeping Shaman, in my Top Ten of 2021.
Kababra, featuring Garrett Zanol on guitar and vocals, Ian Nelson on bass, and Chase Howard on drums, formed in the dark days of the pandemic in 2020, present a straightforward, yet distinctive take on stoner rock, leaning heavily into early ‘70s proto-metal, and whilst not anything we haven’t heard before necessarily, their sound is a well-executed display of tone, delivery, and style. So, it’s with this background that they’re poised to release their much-anticipated sophomore LP, Umbra, once again through Heavy Psych Sounds.
It’s evident immediately that they have solidified their sound, and expanded on the promise of Ultra, as the dreamy, yet heavy, instrumental opener...
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/kadabra-umbra)
‘THE SERPENT' BY KADABRA | NEW ALBUM "UMBRA"
The band formed during the dark days of 2020 and were quickly signed by Heavy Psych Sounds, who released ‘Ultra’ in the Fall of 2021 and established the band’s penchant for delivering crushing doom riffs and haunting vocals accentuated by bursts of psychedelic flair and swampy Americana swagger. And while the chemistry of long-time friends Garrett Zanol (guitar/vocals), Ian Nelson (bass) and Chase Howard (drums) was apparent upon listening to their debut, their bond was further strengthened by relentlessly touring the western United States and completing a month-long tour of Europe.
The trio almost immediately began looking forward, road-testing and crystalizing the songs that would comprise their follow-up, which found the band reuniting with ‘Ultra’ producer Dawson Scholz. The result is ‘Umbra’: a singular statement that is more focused and cohesive than its predecessor, while managing to capture the immersive, free-flowing experience of their live show.
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2023/09/the-serpent-by-kadabra-new-album-umbra.html)
REVIEW: KADABRA ‘ULTRA’
Heavy Psych Sounds, the Italian label specializing in all thing’s stoner, doom and everything in between, run by Black Rainbows Gabriele Fiori, have made quite the name for themselves over the last decade or so. The label has released many stellar albums by up-and-coming bands that have left a mark on the underground scene. In the last year alone, records by Geezer, and Hippie Death Cult universally had tons of praise heaped upon them. As well, the label has made quite the impact signing legendary artists like Brant Bjork, Nebula and Dozer, in addition to re-issuing classic LPs by these artists...
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/k/kadabra-ultra/)
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HEAVY BLOG IS HEAVY: EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: IT’S TIME TO THINK ABOUT THOSE BEANS WITH KADABRA’S “BEAN KING”
Yes, that’s the title, you can’t stop me! No one can stop me! Anyway, let’s talk about Kadabra. They’re one of those bands that’s based described as “thick”, “redolent”, “psychedelic”, and “smokey”. What more do you need to know? Plenty I guess, so here we go: these guys operate from out of Spokane, Washington in the US of A and they’re furiously dedicated to making groovy, fuzzy, and fun music. That’s right, fun! Remember when we talked about the spaces between psychedelics, humour, and music when we covered Suncraft? This is much very in that same vein...
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2021/09/01/exclusive-premiere-its-time-to-think-about-those-beans-with-kadabras-bean-king/)
Newcomer trio Kadabra make their debut on Sept. 17 with Ultra, on Heavy Psych Sounds. The Spokane, Washington — not actively burning at the moment but maybe blanketed in not-the-good-kind smoke? — unit of course bear some moniker resemblance to Kadavar, and hey, that’s fine, but if we’re talking early ’10s heavy as comparison points Ultra vibes way more like first-record-era Mars Red Sky and Asteroid jamming in a massive temple carved out of an underground cavern, and if you can’t get down with that, you need to move on with your life. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Garrett Zanol (Blackwater Prophet, Indian Goat), bassist Ian Nelson (Bad Motivator) and drummer Chase Howard (Vanna Oh), the crux of Kadabra lies in the blend of tonal weight, melodic float and hazy atmosphere, but that doesn’t mean Ultra centerpiece/highlight hook “Bean King” doesn’t move or that closer “Settle Me” (video premiering below) can’t reinvent “The Zoo” by Scorpions into a languid flow while the band stands around and maybe has a smoke in the clip. Have vibe, will travel hopefully...
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2021/07/22/kadabra-ultra-settle-me-vid-premiere/)
MORE FUZZ: KADABRA – GRAVEYARD SINGLE PREMIERE
The rockers of the newly formed Kadabra (from Spokane, Washington, USA), just signed on Heavy Psych Sounds, to release their debut album in the Fall.
We partnered up to present you today the premiere of their first single, the smooth occult rocker ‘Graveyard‘, check it out!
Garrett Zanol has been previously rocking in Blackwater Prophet, a cool psych-rock trio that released a few LPs between 2013 and 2017, a bit more on the bluesy lo-fi end of this subgenre, with some pronounced Black Angels inspirations.
The ill-fated year 2020 saw Garrett join forces with his long-time friend Ian Nelson, to create a band pulling influences from some of their favorite bands...
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://morefuzz.net/what-the-fuzz/kadabra-graveyard-single-premiere/)
DOOMED NATION: PSYCHEDELIC FUZZ ROCK TRIO KADABRA SIGN WITH HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS TO RELEASE THE BAND’S DEBUT ALBUM THIS FALL
US psychedelic fuzz rock trio Kadabra sign with Heavy Psych Sounds to release the band’s debut album this Fall.
Album pre-sale + first track premiere start on June 15th, 2021.
Says the band: “We are excited and honored to be a part of the HPS records family alongside so many reputable and timeless artists. Kadabra looks forward to our future with the HPS Records team, and we’re eager to start this wild ride!”
In 2020, a year wrecked with cultural dissent and a global pandemic, fellow musicians and long-time friends Garrett Zanol and Ian Nelson decided to create a band that would pull...
- F U L L A R T I C L E (https://doomed-nation.com/psychedelic-fuzz-rock-trio-kadabra-sign-with-heavy-psych-sounds-to-release-the-bands-debut-album-this-fall/)