UFOMAMMUT, Usnea

"Ecate" is the seventh and latest album from Italian power trio, Ufomammut. Ecate is the ancient Greek goddess of the three worlds; The World of Humans, The World of the Gods and The World of the Dead. Throughout the centuries, her powerful figure has transformed in shape and meaning. As were many pagan deities, she came to be viewed as a negative entity associated with witchcraft and black magic by the Christian church.

Ufomammut's "Ecate" is composed of six separate tracks, each one is a representation of one of her many manifestations. This album is surely an evolution in terms of composition and song structure. "Ecate" takes the epic nature of their last Neurot release, "ORO", and distils it further into something more concise, aggressive, and yet as complex as the goddess, Ecate herself. Here the band continues to climb and further expand upon their previous works by infusing them into "Ecate", giving the past a new form. Just as the goddess presents herself in three different forms, so too the music moves between multiple levels of existence.

Ufomammut was formed in 1999 in Italy by Poia, Urlo and Vita. They are recognized worldwide as the creators of a unique brand of psychedelic sludge. With epic torrents of sound, droning vocals and a trance inducing miasma of textures, the band combines a monumental riffing attitude with the psychedelia of the more visionary Pink Floyd.

Usnea formed in late 2011. After solidifying a line-up, they fine-tuned material for a debut record. The S/T debut was recorded at Haywire Studios with Fester (who also recorded records by Stoneburner, Nux Vomica, Atriarch, Burials, Knelt Rote, Rabbits, Spectral Tombs, etc). Adam Gonsalvez mastered the mammoth hour long four song session and Orca Wolf released the LP in February of 2013. The S/T LP features the first 2 songs clocking in at just over 30 minutes, an 11x22" poster/lyric insert and a download code for the record tracks plus two extra songs (totaling almost an hour of music). Eternal Warfare released a cassette version of the S/T album containing all four songs in late 2013. Usnea embarked on a West Coast tour in May 2013 followed by a short tour to Dead Fest in Oakland later that August with Portland buddies Stoneburner and Bastard Feast. In January of 2014, Usnea hit the studio with Fester again for a split 7" EP with Ruins co-released stateside by Halo of Flies Records and in Europe by Germany's Twisted Chords Records in June 2014. After inking a deal with Relapse records, Usnea went back to Haywire and close friend Fester to record the 2nd full length LP, Usnea's Relapse Records debut. In August 2014, Usnea toured the West Coast, half with Fórn from Boston, and half with Augurs from Oakland. A full US tour to support the 2nd LP will be in the works after the new record drops with tentative plans to tour Europe on the horizon.

Previous projects members of Usnea have been in: The Makai, Amarok, Banishing, Dopesmoker, Absence of Light, Lasers for Eyes, Bodhisattva, Effrays, Electric Desert, and Descent From The Cross.