Jim Price - (WBXQ Radio)

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Satanic Bat takes classic heavy blues-rooted rock on a psychedelic, doom, acid and space rock joyride on their latest CD, Tales from the Southland…Tales from the Sea. Over the album's nine tracks, lead singer and drummer Steve Sobeck, guitarists Dave Warren and J.D. Howell, and bassist Jon Milliren explore musical territory first mapped out in the late 60's and early 70's by Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Grand Funk Railroad and Hawkwind; carrying forth the torch from more recent stoner-rock adventurers like Clutch and Monster Magnet. Satanic Bat's sound is deep and heavy; a sludge of thick bass lines, battering-ram drum rhythms and gnashing, swarming guitar chords often filtered through various distortion and effects, and topped with Sobeck's hearty vocal howl. But the presentation is vibrant, as the aggressive arrangements and agitated performances prevent Satanic Bat's update of dinosaur rock from getting bogged down in quicksand. The songs range from the tough-rocking opener "Dead Dixie Driver," the rumbling "Human Genome Worry Doll" and escalating thunderstorm "White Gypsy/Dirty Talkin' Flower" to the Hendrix-flavored "Norse Sagas," to blues-informed exercises like "Great Things from Sand and Clay" and "Southern Rock Plantation." The album is punctuated with two instrumentals; the spacey guitar interlude "The Kraken Returns with Saturn," and the driving "Skull Bong Rock." Capping the adventure is the wild, 13-minute-plus "A Generation of Digital Drones vs. Jazzbot 6000," which devolves from its initial song plot into a seven-minute cacophony of improvisational guitar and bass pedal effect distortion sure to send fragile psyches teetering off the deep end. Recorded by Dennis Warner at Ground Control Studio and produced by the band with Mike Clement, Tales from the Southland… captures the dynamic of early 70's-era psychedelic heavy metal, sounding full but staying out of the mud and retaining a clear, sharp edge. Satanic Bat unleashes a head trip of an album with Tales from the Southland…Tales from the Sea, breathing new life into this brand of classic-flavored heavy rock while offering their own experimental and often fascinating slant to it. (The CD can be purchased through the group's website, www.satanicbat.org.)



Manny Theiner - (Pittsburgh City Paper)

In theory, stoner rock should have nearly matched the popularity of grunge. After all, grunge was a revival of '70s hard rock with an injection of punk spirit, and stoner rock is the continuation of its slower elements, as preached by such early '90s prophets as Kyuss and Monster Magnet. But the reality is that it was pulverized prematurely by nu-metal's ascent, and overall it's still an underground thing.

And that's just fine with Satanic Bat, the latest Pittsburgh band to seriously approach the stoner throne. Its new album, Tales From the Southland, Tales From the Sea, probably derives some inspiration from the stoner/doom giants below the Mason-Dixon: Buzzoven, Weedeater, Dixie Witch, Eyehategod. You'll like the Bat if you like those.

"Skull Bong Rock" (yes, you'll have song titles like that in this genre) has a sinewy twin-guitar line that hearkens back to the days of Skin Yard, and the epic "White Gypsy/Dirty Talkin' Flower" takes you on a long-distance journey whether you're smoking the "Sweet Leaf" or not. And "Digital Drones vs. Jazzbot 6000" makes it clear how much influence Hawkwind's space-rock still has on this generation's sonic experiments.

The aspect most clearly setting this band apart is that drummer Steve Sobeck (ex-Forced Under) is also the lead vocalist. When he emits a heavily reverbed rebel yell -- courtesy of production by Dennis Warner of Ground Control Studio -- Sobeck sounds like he means it, no mean feat while also anchoring a rhythm section that flows like molasses.

Naturally, if you're into the core icons of the stoner underground -- Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, Spirit Caravan -- you'll want to add Satanic Bat to your pantheon. But random Pittsburgh hard-rock and metal fans should take note, too -- here's a local quartet that offers the same devil-sign-raising feeling in a local club that you'd otherwise only get once a year at Ozzfest.

Scott Mervis - (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

Band: drummer-singer Sven Sobeck (ex-Incommunicado, Forced Under); guitarist J.D. Howell; guitarist Dave Warren (ex Negative Theory, Mergedown, Gasoline Dion); bassist Jon Milliren (ex Blasting Caps, Mother McCree's Garden).

Are they Satanists?: No.

Sounds like: Can't beat the description on the band's myspace page: "Their sound crushes up horsepills of Southern rock, '70s psychedelia, blues, doom, and even boogie jazz in a heavy metal mortar & pestle and passes it around the party."

OK, that's not what you expect from the name: "It was a joke that kind of stuck and now were stuck with the name," says Howell. "People make assumptions because of that name. People assume we're black metal along the lines of King Diamond. We get inquiries from black metal bands -- guys that dress up in corpse paint -- asking to play gigs. I don't know if they don't turn the sound up on our myspace page, or what."

Bat beginnings: Central Pennsylvania natives Howell and Sobeck ("he's obsessed with Vikings and anything Nordic," Howell says) formed the band as a two-piece with the idea of being like "Melvins meets Death From Above 1979, that kind of stuff." They jammed for a year and then added Warren and Milliren. Influences also included Sabbath, Hawkwind, Motorhead, Cream.

Where does the Southern rock come from?: "I was personally never a fan of that music," Howell says. "It just kind of came from playing together and we followed that direction. Initially, our stuff was more disjointed metal. The songs that stuck around were the ones that we jammed on and had that Southern feel."

They make noise, too: Along with Southern metal thing, Satanic Bat just might venture into seven minutes of experimental noise, as on "A Generation of Digital Grooves vs. Jazzbot 6000." "That comes from having a bass player and guitar player who like to experiment with pedals and synths," Howell says. "When you listen to the record, the last track goes out into a long noisy improvised thing we did. It was a one-take-in-the-studio kind of song. We never planned on using it, but decided that would work at the end."

What is this release he's talking about?: The band's debut, "Tales From the Southland," is the first project from the Pittsburgh-based Oppressive Sound System Releases and includes such crushing tracks as "Skull Bong Rock" and "Dead Dixie Driver" -- heavy stoner rock that might even keep the black metal kids in the room.

What room? The release show is 10 p.m. Saturday at the Smiling Moose, South Side, with Lo Pan and Rebreather. For details, go to www.myspace.com/satanicbat.

Jay Snyder - (Hellride)

You like to rock? You like to boogie? Well then Satanic Bat are about to kick your ass with their debut full-length “Tales from the Southland, Tales from the Sea,” a hefty slab of heavy duty southern-friend stoner/doom hymns that knows how to swing and shake with the best of them. I could reference a hundred bands but picture Clutch, with riffs that have the volume and groove of Cathedral served with a side of Maryland doom for sheer weight and a little Sabbath salt n’ Skynyrd pepper to make your meal taste just right. There’s a little sludge and psychedelic rock in there too so you get a nice array of flavors to sooth your palette. Twin guitars trade-off licks like nobody’s business while a thick bass presence will rock the foundation of any home that you kindly crank the disc in. Vocalist Sven is a talented man to say the least because he is one of those precious few that manages to not only belt out some soulful, possessed preacher style vocals but bash the skins with authority as well.

“Dead Dixie Driver” gets this ruckus started off proper with huge southern licks that really show off what this band is all about; down home groove that is sure to shake up the dance floor of any club that they play (I’ve seen ‘em live several times, so I can attest to that statement). The riffs are rock solid and they nail a big hooked-laden chorus that should certainly stick to the ribs if you are really listening.

“Norse Sagas” follows next with a more mid-paced groove that sees the band ripping out some killer, southern guitar harmonies. I feel a little bit of Thin Lizzy here and just when you think the song will explode into a full-on rocker they mellow out and get psychedelic. A wandering bass line weaves around expanding guitar noise with Sven belting out equally far-out lyrics that make me think of Clutch’s “Spacegrass” just a little bit. I’m saying think of, not copying…you dig? While Satanic Bat surely remind me of a number of bands they’ve got their own thing going for damn certain. For example this track descends into a sad, groovy guitar harmony further down the line that really shows that Satanic Bat are more than capable of incorporating a good deal of moods into what a lesser band would just handle as a basic rock track; cut and dry with no additional flavor. They further expand on their psychedelic tendencies with “Human Genome Worry Doll” that rumbles with a mean and dirty groove akin to Earthride but with a more melodic vocal component. Things get downright weird midway through the song with all sorts of meandering space noise and astral vibes sending you to the cosmos. The vocals are even laden with a bit of effects and there is a riff that is so damn low and full of effects that I can’t tell if it is a guitar or bass playing it. Then out of nowhere Satanic Bat explode into a sludge pummel with screaming vocals that ride a punishing riff straight into the dirt; killer track for sure.

The bass heavy “Great Things from Sand and Clay” is a bluesy rocker that manages to kick up one hell of a dust storm while staying melodic and bent on a mean groove that paves the way for a quick intro in the form of “The Kraken Returns with Saturn” which is a brief, instrumental interlude that features guitar noise almost making the sound of whales. The mighty “Southern Rock Plantation” is next in line to give you a whipping and it lives up to its title with a lurching determination. This is big time southern boogie in all of its glory. The riffs are powerful and boogie in the fine tradition of Earthride but with less filth and a larger emphasis on soulful twin guitar work. There a few spaced-out textures in this one but the main point here is to repetitively hammer home a series of excellent grooves until they are the equivalent of cement in your mind.

The instrumental “Skull Bong Rock” is a quick blast of speedier riffs and white-knuckle rhythms. I feel a touch of punk and metal influence in this quick burst and a little less flat-out blues. Once again, it acts as a nice little break-up to bring us into the home stretch. “White Gypsy/Dirty Talkin' Flower” is one of my favorite Bat tunes. It lives up to its name as thick, resin-caked grooves fill your ears with that southern goodness that I dare you to try and get out of your mind. The song builds nicely managing to get pretty damn crushing in the middle as they lock onto a sludge-y groove that they’ll eventually steer back into the song’s main riff to lock you in one more time. They finish you off with another speedy run too that shows some full-throttle sludge/rock that’ll knock you flat on your ass. It is an epic 7+ minute track that traverses a very diverse set of waters all of which equate into solid gold setting them up to strap in and take you on a ride one last time with epic closer “A Generation of Digital Drones vs. Jazzbot 6,000” that is one part stoner swing, one part weighty doom and a whole hell of a lot of droning, 70’s noise/fuzz as it comes to a spiraling finale.

This is a great record through and through and one that I think all fans of syrupy, stoner/doom can get into. There’s not a bad song in the bunch! I must also recommend that you check these guys out live. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing and sharing the stage with them and they are tight players who suck you in with their special brand of groove and damn nice guys to boot! This is great stuff and it isn’t by the numbers stoner rock by any means! Satanic Bat is heavy, experimental and lay down a mean riff. So no more waiting and reading, check these guys out; good stuff! Oppressive Sound is selling the goods directly, so you know what to do!



Arzgarth - Stonerrock.com

With a name like Satanic Bat, it's easy to assume you're going to get either God awful jokey metal or piss-poor lunkhead rock. Fortunately, the Pittsburgh-based band offers considerably more with their debut, Tales from the Southland, Tales from the Sea. It's more like filthy back alley boogie rock, soaked in stale booze and baptized in a dirty rain that coats you with a grimy film.

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean Tales for the Southland... is a complete winner. Musically, there's much to like, but the sticking point with the album is with the vocals. On too many of the songs it seems like Steve Sobeck is singing against the music (odd, seeing how he's also the drummer – you'd expect him to be more in line with the rhythm). Given that Satanic Bat is focused on riffs and grooves, that sort of push-pull dynamic gets to be a distraction. Although songs like ”Human Genome Worry Doll” and “The Kraken Returns with Saturn” eventually end on high notes, they both start off so disjointed you might not want to bother.

On the other hand, “Dead Dixie Driver,” “Great Things from Sand and Clay,” “Southern Rock Plantation,” and “White Gypsy – Dirty Talkin' Flower” show the band's more than capable of pulling it all together. These songs have more than just good riffs and great playing – there's a strong sense of atmosphere to 'em. That last song is the best on Tales from the Southland..., with its psychedelic sludge rock grooves – think of it as stoner rock as interpreted by Eyehategod. It's a shame the song is followed by the too long “A Generation of Digital Drones Vs. Jazzbot 6000,” which ends the album with a flurry of tedious noise.

Ultimately, Satanic Bat is worth checking out - just stop after “White Gypsy.” And keep in mind that if you're like me, you'll find that they have a handful of really good, memorable tales and a couple of ones that aren't really worth repeating.