American instrumental Stoner/Doom Metal duo Pleasant Valley has just re-released their self-titled EP with two newly recorded tracks. “Pleasant Valley” EP originally dropped in June 2015.
Pleasant Valley re-recorded some of the original bass and drum tracks with guitar to have a closer representation of the live sound in October. Chris Lantrip at Headless Dinosaur engineered and co-produced these and a couple more tracks to come later (tracks from “It Gets Lonely On Mars” EP).
Produced by Cope Till and Pleasant Valley at Strident Trax in Montgomery, Alabama.
2024 tracks recorded by Chris Lantrip at Headless Dinosaur in Montgomery, Alabama.
Alabama’s Pleasant Valley began in 2009 as Bonejackal with father and son Jamie and Kyle Hamilton and bassist Jamey McLennan. Concentrating on instrumental Doom/Stoner Rock influenced by Sabbath, Kiss, Rush and newer acts such as The Sword, Nebula and Karma To Burn. They soon stared playing shows in Alabama with local and regional acts and opening spots with Royal Thunder, Volume IV, Toke and Howling Giant.
Jamie grew up on classic seventies Hard Rock and proto-Punk and Kyle took a keen interest in his father’s record collection. Jamey McLennan was also on board with ears finely tuned to Rush and more Progressive fare. McLennan moved further east in Alabama and the Hamilton’s moved further west. Rehearsals and shows became difficult so he moved on to further his education and new bass recruits came aboard. (Tim Waters and Brad Whetstone) both were short lived due to the Hamilton’s retreat to a very rural part of the state. They began rehearsing as a duo and adopted the new moniker of Pleasant Valley experimenting with baritone guitar then bass. Two EPs were recorded before Jamie moved back to six strings and just dropped the tuning.
Hamilton’s profession as an elementary school teacher affords the duo summers to travel a bit but they still concentrate on Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee rather than longer tours. Being entirely independent they try and concentrate on areas that they can return to and develops as artists. Several digital releases are available through Bandcamp and both “Hypothermia” and “Fuzz War” are available on vinyl. Their most recent project has been revisiting the two EPs as bass and drums and re-recording with guitar to better reflect the current group. If you have the opportunity check out Pleasant Valley’s live shows, following in the tradition of Mantar, Black Cobra, Tuskar and Beast In The Field they prove to sonically far heavier than one would expect from two pieces.
Purchase the album on Bandcamp: https://pleasantvalley.bandcamp.com/album/pleasant-valley
Tracklist:
01. Transmission (2024)
02. Man (2024)
03. Transmission
04. Man
05. Jmmanuel
06. Communion
Lineup:
Kyle Hamilton / Drums and Synthesizer
Jamie Hamilton / Bass and Guitar