German singer/songwriter has dropped a new single and video for the song “Hickhack.” The selection is the new preview of the artist’s impending German-sung Wahn Und Sinn LP and poetry book, nearing release through Exile On Mainstream on October 13th, 2023.
As much as Wino deserves his doom godfather status for fronting groups like The Obsessed and Saint Vitus, there’s something to be said for his more recent singer/songwriter excursions. Whether going it alone or with such collaborators as Conny Ochs, the acoustic style suits him surprisingly well and the volume contrast brings a fuller perspective to his haggard lifer persona. This is especially true for his third album, Forever Gone (Ripple Music), which may be his most low-key effort to date.Continue reading
We’ve spent a lot of words here at Ghost Cult discussing “Doom Folk” as one of the strongest sub-genres in music right now. Naturally, like all forward-thinking and risky music, we now see the fans catching up to the visionary artists, not the other way around, One such visionary is singer/songwriter Conny Ochs, who has a legion of admirers and collaborators that reads like an underground music all-star team. We have followed his career closely, and Ochs may be about to reach another creative summit with his new album, the appropriately named Doom Folk, out next week 15th of February from Exile On Mainstream. Ochs will be touring extensively in 2019, celebrating 20 years of Exile on Mainstream, including a highly anticipated return to Roadburn Festival this April. We are honored to share his latest single ‘King Of The Dead’ with our readers! Continue reading
If ever an album title was created with the subconscious aim of getting my attention it’s Doom Folk (Exile On Mainstream Records), the fourth solo album from multi-faceted German troubadour Conny Ochs. More famed in Metal circles for his collaborations with Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich, Ochs’ own output is equally as relevant – perhaps more so.Continue reading
Robert Scott “Wino” Weinrich is the front man for the Doom Metal bands The Obsessed and Saint Vitus, Conny Ochs is a Dark Folk musician, and together they make minimalist bluesy folk. In 2012 they released Heavy Kingdom, and now they came together once again to produce Freedom Conspiracy (both Exile On Mainstream).
While Heavy Kingdom was really raw and unpolished, which had its charms but also lacked in places, Freedom Conspiracy is much more polished. This does not mean they have lost their feeling though. The songs are still simple and effective despite being more complex musically. Many songs on this album combine electric guitar with an acoustic, and the electric sound is sometimes really sludgy. In the title track ‘Freedom Conspiracy’ the electric guitar plays almost the same lines as the acoustic, which creates a very deep sound. Interestingly, the guitar in the verse sounds a lot like ‘The Mirror Song’ by Live.
The vocals also have a layer of distortion over them at times, which lends some power to the melancholic lyrics and melodies. I really enjoy the bluesy aspects of this album, such as the slide guitar in ‘Shards’. A real highlight is ‘Foundation Chaos’, which is a blues in 7/8ths in the verses and 4/4ths in the chorus, and as such it has such an unusual groove. ‘Invisible Bullets’ is also a very interesting song, the chords and melodies go in places that you don’t expect, and the chords and solo on electric coupled with primarily high vocals really sets this song apart from the rest from the album. It sounds a little bit messy in places, like they had not played it through a lot before recording it, but it is definitely one of my favourites. The album ends with another melancholic yet sweet song, ‘The Great Destroyer’. It is a great closer for this album about love, loss, and dealing with being human, and leaves you with a kind of quiet happiness, as if you grew just a little as a person by listening.
7.5/10
LORRAINE LYSEN
Photo Credit: Albert Mojica
Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Conny Ochs’ second collaborative release Freedom Conspiracy is streamed in full here. The album is out March 31, 2015 via Exile On Mainstream and Earsplit Distro on vinyl. Wino will be supporting Black Label Society on an upcoming US Tour run in April, while Ochs has a string of European dates booked.
Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Conny Ochs are streaming “Drain,” off their collaborative album, out March 31, 2015 via Exile On Mainstream and Earsplit Distro on vinyl here.
Weinrich will be supporting Black Label Society on a run of tour dates, while Ochs has booked upcoming European tour dates of his own.
WINO w/ Black Label Society:
Apr 03: The Paramout – Huntington, NY
Apr 04: Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – Hampton Beach, NJ
Apr 06: Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
Apr 08: Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD
Apr 10: Piere’s Entertainment Center – Fort Wayne, IN
Apr 11: Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI
Apr 12: The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
Apr 14: The Cotillion – Wichita, KS
Apr 16: Mesa Theater & Club – Grand Junction, CO
Apr 17: The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
Apr 18: Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA
Apr 19: City National Grove Of Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
CONNY OCHS Tour Dates:
Mar 27: Distrò – La Spezia (IT)
Mar 28: Socio – Massa Carrara (IT)
Apr 03: Bardamu / Calderara di Reno – Bologna (IT)
Apr 04: La Girada – Udine (IT)
Apr 06: Maximum Festival – Zerobranco (IT)
May 16: Maximum Circus Festival – Berlin (DE)
May 29: Eulenbruch Festival – Rostock (DE)
Scott Weinrich on Facebook
Conny Ochs on Facebook
Scott “Wino” Weinrich is streaming “Timeless Spirit” off the Freedom Conspiracy album with Conny Ochs,
out March 31, 2015 via Exile On Mainstream Records and Earsplit Distro for the vinyl edition, here.
Stream “Stards” here.
Throughout the sprawling forty-five minutes of Freedom Conspiracy, the duo continues to experiment with their musical collaborations, exploring new ways of expressing their personal struggles with daily life through their incredibly soulful delivery, and “Timeless Spirit” is one prime example of this persistent theme. Here, both artists are heard fully embracing the vocal duties throughout the track together — Wino’s unmistakable, gritty, personal style paired with Conny Ochs’ dynamic, emotionally charged delivery — while acoustic and electric guitars are seamlessly aligned, a lone kick drum provides a pulse-like rhythm and the big-rock thunder of piano chords soar from amidst the powerful anthem.
In related news, Wino will be supporting Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society on select US shows.
Wino w/ Black Label Society:
Apr 03: The Paramout – Huntington, NY
Apr 04: Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – Hampton Beach, NJ
Apr 06: Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
Apr 08: Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD
Apr 10: Piere’s Entertainment Center – Fort Wayne, IN
Apr 11: Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI
Apr 12: The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
Apr 14: The Cotillion – Wichita, KS
Apr 16: Mesa Theater & Club – Grand Junction, CO
Apr 17: The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
Apr 18: Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA
Apr 19: City National Grove Of Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
Conny Ochs Tour Dates:
Mar 27: Distrò – La Spezia (IT)
Mar 28: Socio – Massa Carrara (IT)
Apr 03: Bardamu / Calderara di Reno – Bologna (IT)
Apr 04: La Girada – Udine (IT)
Apr 06: Maximum Festival – Zerobranco (IT)
May 16: Maximum Circus Festival – Berlin (DE)
May 29: Eulenbruch Festival – Rostock (DE)
Scott Weinrich on Facebook
Conny Ochs on Facebook
Photo Credit: Albert Mojica
Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Conny Ochs will be collaborating to do an album together titled Heavy Kingdom, out on March 31, 2015 via Exile On Mainstream and vinyl via Earsplit Distro.
Freedom Conspiracy Track Listing:
1. Drain
2. Sound Of Blue
3. Foundation Chaos
4. Crystal Madonna
5. Shards
6. Time Out Blackout
7. Timeless Spirit
8. Freedom Conspiracy
9. Dirt Floor
10. Heavy Heart
11. Forever Gone
12. Invisible Bullets
13. The Great Destroyer
Scott Weinrich on Facebook
Conny Ochs on Facebook
