[Photo by Holly Pittman] “It may have taken SEVEN PLANETS eight years to put a record out, but whatever might’ve been behind that delay, listening to the languid, semi-bluesy nod of the title track, it’s easy to believe they’ve been jamming all the while.” — The Obelisk The Obelisk is currently streaming Explorer, the forthcoming new full-length from West Virginia-based heavy rock instrumentalists SEVEN PLANETS, set for release this Friday via Small Stone Records. Written and recorded over a period of personal difficulties and individual strife for the four band members, Explorer captures a sense of escapist freedom in its deep grooves, burly riffs, and expansive atmosphere, which further illustrates what Heavy Planet stated in its review of the band’s self-titled 2012 LP, “SEVEN PLANETS take you on an amazing journey into another cosmic dimension.” Explorer features artwork by renowned German illustrator Alexander von Wieding (Monster Magnet, Brant Bjork, Karma To Burn, etc.), giving further representation to the idea of escape with a spacebound retro-style rocket headed to the unknown. Exploration in the truest sense. Writes The Obelisk of the record in part, “It may have taken SEVEN PLANETS eight years to put a record out, but whatever might’ve been behind that delay, listening to the languid, semi-bluesy nod of the title track, it’s easy to believe they’ve been jamming all the while. Beginning with ‘Vanguard,’ they bring together elements out of heavy rock riffing and heavy psychedelic immersion, something that, for the first record, I compared to Clutch offshoot The Bakerton Group. The same applies to Explorer at least in the use of Tim Sult-style wah on lead guitar lines, but perhaps to a lesser degree than on the preceding release, since, as Explorer hints in its title, the band seem to be working here to find their own space and sound in a progressive step forward from where they were those years ago. The drift of ‘Plain Truth In A Homespun Dress’ shows a patience in unfolding its bluesy undercurrent and builds up over its first ninety seconds or so toward a momentary wash before receding again, cycling through with a solo overtop and shifting in its second half to a surprise bit of boogie before, in the last minute, the jam seems to take an improvised turn led by the guitar before coming apart…” Read more and stream SEVEN PLANETS’ Explorer via The Obelisk at THIS LOCATION. Explorer will be released on CD, digital, and limited edition vinyl formats (available in two color variants: 200 green marble and 300 purple) on February 7th. For preorders, visit the Small Stone Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION. Fans of Clutch, Brant Bjork, and Monster Magnet pay heed. Drawing on classic metal, heavy boogie, and blues rock, SEVEN PLANETS formed in 2007 and consists of guitarists Leonard Hanks and Jim Way, bassist Mike Williams, and drummer Ben Pitt, all of whom have played in bands together in different configurations for over twenty-five years. “… dreamy, crunchy instrumental stoner rock. … SEVEN PLANETS finds their strength in the lilting, melodic iterations … and the beautiful way in which dual guitar tracks, a thick bass line, and great drums interact.” — Heavy Blog Is Heavy “SEVEN PLANETS peels in layers of descending potency as a listening experience, and what I mean is that you get the desert rockin’ psych buzz and blues-broken heavy soul of their conjoined purpose up front on those first few listens; From there guitarists Leonard Hanks and Jim Way provide the directorial thread of the album, expressing as the emotional driver for the experience and the spectacle of performance that instrumental music needs to not simply shrink into the background.” — Grizzly Butts |
