Closet Disco Queen, Maudits & SaaR

For a relaxed weekend, I have three quick music tips for you today – Klonosphere Records dropped me a line and send them over. They come from Closet Disco Queen, Maudits and SaaR. All three bands have recently released new records.

SaaR – "Gods"

SaaR formed in Paris in 2010. The post-metal collective sees its influences in bands like Bossk, Russian Circle, Cult of Luna and Isis. The band's music is a mixture of post-rock and heavy post-metal with beautiful ethereal moments here and there.

Their style is both: intense and varied. The new LP now follows their first two albums and an EP and split LP series. "God" is a concept album based on the epic poems of Homer. The band takes up mythological themes from the epic story of Ulysses, which Homer describes in his Odyssey.

The record comprises seven instrumental compositions plus one piece ("Truth"), which features Julien Sournac from Wolve as a guest vocalist. SaaR created it to be listened to and experienced in one cohesive pass. They invite us to join them on their progressive journey into the bowels of existence in a godless world.

"God" was recorded, mixed and mastered by Francis Caste at Sainte-Marthe Studios. The record is out today, November 19th, on Klonosphere Records.

SaaR are: Alexandre Le Mouroux (guitars), Boris Patchinsky (bass), Julien Taubregeas (drums) and Yann Desti (guitars).

SaaR - "Gods"

Maudits – "Angel Mort"

The second record I recommend to you today comes from Maudits. The also Paris based sound collective released "Angel Mort" directly after their critically acclaimed debut album "Maudis" on November 5th.

COVID-19 and three defeats the band had to accept bought Maudits some time to work on new pieces. So the artists managed to distract themselves as best they could in times of social distancing – and this distraction sounds good! "Angel Mort" is definitely a worthy successor to "Maudits".

The record consists of two new compositions and three reworked, restructured and re-recorded songs you can also find on the first album. When Maudits started recording it in cooperation with Henosis Studios, who had also been on board for the first album, their vision about what they wanted to do was crystal-clear. The reinterpretation has succeeded so well that the pieces could almost be called completely new songs.

They enriched their recordings with atmospheric and ethereal soundscapes. Raphaël Verguin's cello adds a ghostly mood to the overall sound of Maudits.

The new confined album underlines the band members' quest for freedom and their insatiable need to keep exploring the realms of their musical world.

Maudits - "Résilience 2021" live at Incivil Tragedia Workshop (Solo Version)

Closet Disco Queen - "Stadium Rock For Punk Bums"

The vinyl press hasn't completely cooled down from "Omelette du Fromage" yet, and there comes a new record from Closet Disco Queen.

The band's founders Luc Hess and Jona Nido are anything but blank slates in the Swiss music scene. They get around quite a bit through their band Coilguns and as backing musicians for singer/songwriter Loui Jucker. Jona Nido is also the founder of the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based record label Hummus Records, home to Emilie Zoé, Rorcal, Ester Poly, Coilguns, Stéphane Blok, Rorcal and Dirty Sound Magnet, among others. Closet Disco Queen also released their complete discography there.

The project was born initially out of a joke in 2014 when Coilguns had just taken a break. Since then, the duo released a studio album, two EPs and a live album. They also toured the globe for over three years. In 2016, Baroness invited Closet Disco Queen to be their direct support for an EU tour. In 2017 the duo hit the road with Red Fang.

Closet Disco Queen played at the London and Berlin editions of Desert Fest and have been guests at several Swiss festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Festi'Neuch and the Palp Festival. Palp Festival offered the band the opportunity to create an exclusive set which they first performed there on August 8th 2021. At this point, the two-piece became a band with two additional members, calling themselves "The Flying Raclettes". They released the first album they recorded together ("Omelette du Fromage") on September 3rd on Hummus Records. The rest is history.

The title of the new EP, "Stadium Rock For Punk Bums", is a nod to 2017's "Sexy Audio Deviance for Punk Bums" and part of a new unique collection of 12-inch vinyl singles. The "Hummus 12'' Maxi Collection" is pressed exclusively on clear or transparent coloured vinyl. The record comes in a picture disc-like sleeve with a minimalist graphic design. Side A of the vinyl contains the music, while side B features an original drawing by guitarist Jona Nido, screen-printed by Out of Gas in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

And the music? The music is outstanding! It is exciting, extremely creative, experimental and exceptional! Listen to the record; you won't regret it. The mix of stoner, punk and metal will be in the stores on December 3rd. But you can already check it out here.

Closet Disco Queen - "Stadium Rock For Punk Bums"