Stone Machine Electric – Darkness Dimensions Disillusion

Stone Machine Electric – Darkness Dimensions Disillusion

Sludgelord Records – 2019

Rock, Metal, Doom, Psych, Stoner, Jazz, Space

Rated: ****

It never stops to amaze me how freaking good a duo can sound. And the two of Stone Machine Electric and their very own style of Doom Jazz deliver the goods every time again. On their new release Darkness Dimensions Disillusion they bring forth their Doom Jazz in a highly funky way. It’s brings light and air to the spacious darkness and depth to their metallic rock sound. It also keeps you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails; scared that their weird approach to doom will turn into some freak out craziness that will only serve the experimenters themselves. But it never does, it just becomes this audio orgasm on the verge of blowing its load. But stamina and control brings out the effortless delay until that very final track. For it is in Purgatory that we find release; aided by extra guitar work of Wo Fat’s Kent Stump the track begins with slow control and a lovely keyboard ditty and then seems set on delivering the goods fast and easy; after which it turns into a majestic maelstrom of weirdness before really and actually going berserk and exploding… Leaving us once again with a highly atmospheric keyboard jangle as a soft smoking cigarette… Aaaah, satisfaction guaranteed…

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday 

 It’s another Friday! So, it’s time for another Quick Fire Friday round! But then, bears appear on the road, twisting your arm, getting you to join them in an all day drinking bout… Or it’s just a dubious way of stating that there was no time to actually do the Quick Fire work… Luckily, we’ve got the amazing Reek of STOOM writing for the HiVE! And he immediately jump at the opportunity to deliver a few bands and grace them with a few lines… And yes, we know, we know, the albums and bands deserve more. More attention and more of our time! But there is so much out there and we just simply cannot ever do it all justice. So here it is. The Stoner HiVe Quick Fire Friday. And its burns hot like molten lava! 

Greenstone – Triglaw

We start this Quick Fire Friday off with a proper bang! An instrumental stoner trio from Arnhem, Netherlands. Greenstone! Delivering three massively groovy stoner metal and heavy psychedelic truckers. This is just the way a weekend should start! Triglaw on repeat! Rock on!

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Wither Without You – Nameless

Holy hell! Hellish hole! Nameless is a new single by Wither Without You a doom quintet from Alabama. We feature Nameless cause this was sent to Reek Of STOOM a few weeks ago. But they have quite a few more singles up on Youtube.  (Besides an amazing array of crazy Merch!) It’s doom alright. Black metal doom. Down tempo doomcore mixed with some intense metal. And all that sounds rough and evil; but then there are those atmospheric and post-metal moments as well. Giving a bit of light to all their deathly music. Death grunts and growls are a given with this kind of music… Grrrr!

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Capiroto Records

Electric B.C. – Demo 2019

Finland's ELECTRIC B.C. offer up a 5 track demo of sledgehammer Sludge Doom that rocks like a trawler in a tsunami! Snarling vocals and de-tuned riffs... What's not to like? It's also NYP on Bandcamp!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Phet – Burial

Our first mention here of Indian solo artist PHET who has released two singles, "Ascension" and "Burial", both of which are scorching, fuzz-laden Stoner corkers with a healthy dollop of Doom for added textures! Also NYP on Bandcamp!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Stonerboner – Daydrinker

We started this Quick Fire Friday with a Dutch outfit and now Reek of STOOM finishes it with another one… Netherlands' two - man outfit STONERBONER have released a teaser track, "Daydrinker"; A crunching, munching riffed-up ripper that blows minds and socks off! NYP at Bandcamp!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Tumanduumband – Tumanduumband

Tumanduumband – Tumanduumband

Self released – 2019

Doom, Sludge

Rated: ***

Debuts are notoriously difficult to navigate and chart - they represent a band's talent, the direction in which they wish to travel and provide a snapshot of where the band is at that time. Stourbridge Doomsters Tumanduumband have offered up a four-track slab of Crepuscular Drone Doom that both delivers and promises much for the Future. The music works… Heavy, pulverizing and unforgiving, especially the closer "Deathless"  but you're suddenly on track four wondering where the time went. Therein lies the issue... separating the fout tracks in terms of solid identity is tricky and having no real voice to create focal points will be a big challenge for them in future. But the UP side is that Tumanduumband are solid, professional and engaging with a super stage presence and a great sense of Theatre... Once they can tie all those elements together, they'll Fly! Black Country Doom - as we say round here, it's "Bostin' Fittle'!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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The Madman’s Monthly Ruckus Round-up

The Madman’s Monthly Ruckus Round-up

As we’ve been mentioning the past few months and we hope you crazies out there remembered, Madman Tony Maim has fired up his Black Insect Laughter blog again. Well, fired up might be a big word perhaps, but you will get fired up after checking out those post. Once a month the Madman will put forth his choices of Punk and Hardcore releases that made him go: ‘fuck yeah!’. And that’s the most important reason we want to hear about new releases! So, head on over to Black Insect Laughter and read up on all that insanity from the past months before April kicks you square in the nuts! Cause those are fine picks once again! Triple Deke for instance and their skatepunk extravaganza called Five Minute Major! Or Tongues Of Fire; Sublime reminiscent post and pop punk. Check out their Everyone Hates Us release. “Foxgrave play stupidly uplifting punk. Clean vocals sit on top of punk'roll songs to fantastic effect.” Indeed! Foxgrave! And their album is called Dichotomy! You see… The Madman laughs, because he knows!

Hey… And while you’re there! Check out the Madman’s very own project 3 Chord Propaganda! He just released his DEad Poet TapesVol.1 and it’s filled with punk poetry and gritty grunge! 

Redhead Match – Birthing Of The Fuzzman

Redhead Match – Birthing Of The Fuzzman

Self released – 2019

Rock, Stoner, Metal, Doom

Rated: ****

Costa Rica! I would love to go there one day. Great rum. And after hearing Redhead Match, we know there’s great music too! Their new release Birthing Of The Fuzzman gives us doom infused stoner metal full of crunchy riffs and fuzzy tones. Sometimes muddy and blistering hot and at other times like a tempest about to hit the coast. It’s got anger in it, but nature’s anger; which always feels right and justified. As are the notes, riffs and rhythms. They definitely look in different directions to compliment their music. Borrowing southern effects, sludge properties or almost machinal trucking. Damn wicked vocals across the album and wild guitar. Especially on Paranoid Man. After which comes an amazing duet Grifasaurus; a duet with another Costa Rican band! It's Age Of The Wolf. (Who just released their own record Ouroboric Trances.) Another amazing track! Memories of Red Fang arrive; accompanied with neck pain and a terrible lust for more rum! What an excellent record! Redhead Match to the rescue!

(Written by JK)

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3 Chord Propaganda – DEad Poet Tapes Vol.1

3 Chord Propaganda – DEad Poet Tapes Vol.1

Self released – 2019

Rock, Punk, Grunge, Hardcore, Stoner, Metal

Rated:

There is no such thing as objective journalism. We all know this. And when it comes to reviews and works of art, it is simply impossible. Otherwise you might perhaps get a staccato, grocery list of what instruments are used, what time signatures, what you hear, in words, without any color. And even that seems impossible. Since it is what YOU hear. And your neighbor might hear something different. But when you want to mention something one of your comrades has produced, one of the crazies that writes for the HiVE, how do you go about it then? Well, the same as we always do on the HiVE… We tell you what we hear, what we like and what it does to us. In this case, we combined the views of the three other active music fiends of the HiVe in one piece. Their views about Madman Tony Maim’s musical outlet 3 Chord Propaganda. He has released a seven-track effort called DEad Poet Tapes Vol.1; which he wrote and recorded by himself, for the most part. Well, not completely, cause the mysterious St.John programmed the drums, mixed and did the end production. Everything else was done by the Madman! “From the first moments on it felt gritty, grungy and it has this Jim Carroll vibe. As if the needle is lying in wait… On the other hand the production is so sleek that the dark edge also has a velvet touch.” “Urban rawness on top of some very modern and edgy sounding metal. Punk attitude for sure, but perhaps not as hardcore or sludgy as one might expect from the Madman. I love the cover btw!” “A stoner-punk vibe that due to the hoarse vocals becomes very grungy. Digging it! As if it comes straight from the gutter. The saxophone has been making sudden reappearance in stoner music everywhere, it seems. Not sure if it completely fits here. The cover-art is quite disturbing! And do you know why the E in DEad is in capital?” “A few of those horn moments are absolutely spot-on! Therapy? styled punk combined with grunge and a bitter vengeance. A hungry anger; words spilled out into music which sound like they are coming out of the barrel of a gun…” Deduced from this we might conclude that DEad Poet Tapes is for all appearances punk poetry on a grungy yet smoothed out delivery. Heavy, dark and gritty on most fronts, yet also soft to the touch… Well done you crazy Madman!

(Written by JK, Reek of STOOM & Doktor420)

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Madman Tony Maim

Black Insect Laughter

 

Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 artists listened to last week…

Stoner HiVe’s

Top 5 artists listened to last week…

3 Chord Propaganda

Per Wiberg

Them Bulls

Bombay Groovy

Seven Hundredth Unicorn

Ola amigo’s! Como estas? The sun is shining over here and the weather is looking good! As we are about to head out and get some rent-paying-jobs done, we quickly run down the most listened to albums of the past week. For instance, 3 Chord Propaganda! Madman Tony Maim’s very own musical outlet! He screams his weird poetic laughter at you across punky stoner and grungy hardcore! Check out his DEad Poet Tapes Vol.1! Which we also mention in the post above this one! Per Wiberg has given us his first solo record! The man from bands like Opeth, Kamchatka and many more is on fire on his very own Head Without Eyes album. Out on Despotz Records, it moves through a realm very akin to those two bands yet also more progressive here, spacey there or cinematic heavy! It’s simply freaking amazing! Them Bulls! Them Bulls release their All That Glitter record on their own this time around. Sending out Queens Of The Stone Age and Palm Desert scene vibes across the globe. The record has also been mastered by Mathias Schneeberger and brings us back to the days when QOTSA first started taking over the world. Damn fine catchy robot, desert and stoner! Bombay Groovy! When Reek of STOOM starts raving about a certain band, we sit up, pay attention and start listening. And then we keep on listening and listening! “The level of musicianship on display here is simply mind-boggling and the True fusion of East meets West is both evident and executed with a vigor and depth these old ears haven't heard in too - long a time.” Right on Reek! Right on! Seven Hundredth Unicorn and their Culture of Fear record will blow your ears off! A doom, sludge, black, death, noise, grind, punk, metal duo, yes duo, that will destroy all your sensibilities and will brutally slay every little last bit of hope you might retain. This will either relieve all your angst and anxieties or it will double it! No middle ground! Damn, outright heavy violence! Check it out! Check’m all out!

Bombay Groovy – Odyssey

Bombay Groovy – Odyssey

Cosmic Eye Records – 2019 (June 14th)

Genre: Psych, Prog, Fusion, World

Rated: *****

Brazil is not the first place that springs to mind when you think of the Sitar, that long-necked droning wonder advocated so well by Ravi Shankar back in the 60s. The first five seconds of Odyssey however, dispel any notion of India's sole claim to the instrument. São Paulo's Bombay Groovy have unleashed an absolute beast of a Fusion album, resplendent in form, texture, musical brilliance and a well-honed miasma of sound. Opener 'Le Bateau d'Orpheau' chimes in with that unique drone and suddenly it's 1968 and The Chocolate Watch Band emanates from your speakers. 'Paul's Funky Cab' rips you straight into tight, propellant Fusion - growling Hammond organ and snaking basslines aplenty! 'Devi' conjures Delhi street markets and aromatic spices to your ears whilst 'Chakal' nods to Atomic Rooster with its heavy organ grind and stop-start rhythm. The level of musicianship on display here is simply mind-boggling and the True fusion of East meets West is both evident and executed with a vigor and depth these old ears haven't heard in too - long a time. Classic is an understatement: Bombay Groovy have lit the incense and, indeed, the Temple of Prog Fusion alight!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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The Doom Chart For April 2019

Doom Chart

    “When you hit a groove, it’s not you; it’s the spirit world. The spirits whisper the ideas in your brain and prod you along. They’re the ones that are really happy.” ~ Tommy Chong

Another month down, and no sign of slowing down. April brought us the infamous 4/20 and although we didn’t have as big of an enigma as the surprise SLEEP release last year that took the #1 slot, many new heavy stoner/doom albums came out on or around that mark with no shortfall on quality and many of them landed in the top 25 of April totaling over 325 unique albums entering the chart running. With 16 new appearances this month and a couple who were involved with the Psycho Smokeout festival in Southern CA this year for its first annual makes it unavoidable to reference each and every April whether you smoke or not. Check out the top 25 for April. It was easily the tightest race of the year battling back and forth positions in the top 5 and close scores all the way through. What a month!!

Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio, podcasters and album reviewers from the heavy underground around the globe.  Each month, our critics submit their picks for the best new doom, sludge metal, stoner-psychedelic and heavy rock albums.  The results are compiled and tabulated into the chart below.  This is a one-stop shop for the best new albums in the world…

The Doom Chart for April 2019

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

May 3rd 2019. It’s a Friday. The weekend is upon us. For me, this will entail travelling to Nijmegen to get my groove on, on the well organized festival Sonic Whip at Doornroosje! What a line-up this year… We’ll try to post something about how it all went down after it all happened… For now, we need to focus on this thing we do quick, fast and full of fire!  And yes, we know, we know, the albums and bands deserve more. More attention and more of our time! But there is so much out there and we just simply cannot ever do it all justice. So here it is. The Stoner HiVe Quick Fire Friday. And its burns hot like molten lava!

Stonus – Lunar Eclipse

This Cyprus five-piece released Lunar Eclipse back in October of last year and we kept coming back to Stonus every so often. Cause it is groovy, smokey and sweltering. We just never got around to mentioning them. But luckily the band took it upon themselves to prod us into action. And we like a bit of prodding now and again. So, get your ass over to the Stonus website and check out the heavy riffs, fuzzy distortion and all the psychedelic goodness one might need to get the temperature rising and the entire room dancing!

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Dead Daughters – Dead Daughters

“Oh man, this was an instant buy from the first song. Downright brash tones and groove heavy licks. Dig!” Says Bucky on their bandcamp site about the new self-titled release by Dead Daughters. The trio from Michigan bring us some gritty lo-fi doom metal and sludgy punk. Downright dirty and greasy, some of the tracks seem to wallow in muddy blood while others screech through the air like a banshee on the prowl. Dang!

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Kavod – Wheel Of Time

There is a meditative, droning quality to Wheel Of Time by Kavod. Well, there could be, if it weren’t for the growl, howls, screams and screeches. I’m sure it could still work as meditation music for some people, some beasts, some demons. But if we put aside the meditative nature and just drift along on the rhythmic waves and crazy musical wind, we float, we drift, we fly. Just listen to Absolution by these three from Italy, it will make you calm, serene and ready to take on all comers!

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Estoner – Sammud

Estonia's righteous space sludge orchestra Estoner has put out their first single Sammud op the upcoming album Tahm. “Tahm is another step on the path of Estoner's cosmic transcendence, overlaying a thunderous mix of doom, sludge and black metal over progressive structures, evoking new and unknown levels of aural destruction on unsuspecting souls!” And judging from the first single it truly is! Holy hell!

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Omen Stones – Omen Stones

Are you up for some fast paced crusty doom? Doomy punk core? Muddy stoner sludge? The three heroes of Omen Stones bring forth some of that and some more. Mastered by Garrett Morriss of Windhand it quickly muddles the genres into one gigantic pool of bloody metallic waste. Fierce, dark and kicking up clouds of ash! Not sure if me digging this so much is something of a bad omen for my future… Fuck it! Omen Stones on repeat!

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Buried Feather – Lightning Hands

We’ll end this Friday with something spacey! Another trio. This time from Melbourne, Australia. Buried Feather! Giving us some whirling, spacey, krautish rock that is fuzzy and psychedelic. Above all this first single Lightning Hands of upcoming album Cloudberry Dreamshake (out on Kozmik Artifactz (EU) and Cobra Snake Necktie records (AUS) soon) has a majestic groove that will have you boogie’ing your ass off in now time!

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Psychic Lemon – Live at The Smokehouse

Psychic Lemon – Live at The Smokehouse

Tonzonen Records – 2019

Rock, Instrumental, Psych, Kraut, Space

Rated: ****

I’ve had a powerful lust for psychedelic rock of late. Especially those that move towards the kraut and space environments. In comes, right on time, the new live album by London trio Psychic Lemon. The name alone should already evoke strange memories of twisted acid nights that might not have even happened. Recorded at The Smokehouse, Ipswich on the 10th of August 2018 the album is comprised out of two sides that feature instrumental tracks from the band’s most recent album Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay on one side and two unreleased tracks on the other side. One of them being a tribute to their number one fan Johnny Marvel who sadly passed away. “A good friend of the band, Jonny was the MC at the band’s first gig, DJ’d at a number of subsequent gigs, and housed the Psychic Studio in his garden. He is woven into the fabric of the Psychic Lemon story.” Righteous folk, these Psychic Lemon freaks. You can tell by the words they choose and the honor they give their late friend. And it’s a great and wild track as well. As if they are truly providing the soundtrack for Mr. Marvel’s trek through the universe, multiverse and whatever plain he is currently traversing. A fuzz heavy, distortion rich tunnel of pure ecstasy which then slowly dissipates and turns into White Light, the end track on the album. A perfect transition and what a way to end the former song and album. Masterfully executed and timed to exquisite excellence!

(Written by JK)

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The Naked Sweat Drips – Pain In Healing

The Naked Sweat Drips – Pain In Healing

Butler Records – 2019

Rock, Alternative

Rated: ****

Another band we never got around to mentioning the first time around. Which we should have, cause Psycho Sister was a damn fine release and that first line-up of The Naked Sweat Drips should have gotten that credit. I specifically mention the fact that there is a line-up change, cause it is what this album is about. Last year guitar player Kristian Strik got the news that his brain tumor had become inoperable and that there was nothing left to do. In the time of three months his health deteriorated and he was unable to play guitar, he did manage to continue to do some synth work. And during those months, this record, before us now, was written. And now, almost one year ago, the man passed away. It gives the album of course and righteously so a lot of extra weight. And that carries through in the voice of the vocalist, who has an intense lofty and eminent quality in its performance. A lot of the tracks come with grand middle parts and even grander explosions. But the softer, subdued parts intimidate just as much. The tightrope dance between those two bookends seem to give Pain In Healing that extra bit of energy to push this album into the realm of classic works. And that’s not even counting the deep emotions and raw hurt that go with it…

(Written by JK)

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Pristine – Road Back To Ruin

Pristine – Road Back To Ruin

Nuclear Blast – 2019

Rock, Blues, Hard, Seventies

Rated: ****

We’ve been digging everything Pristine has given us these past years. And we have been laboring under the misapprehension that we mentioned 2017’s Ninja and Reboot from 2016. I even thought No Regret from 2013 got it’s fair mention and that we only overlooked their debut Detoxing from 2011. But we were sadly mistaken… But I guess now we can repair some of that neglect by raving about the new Road Back To Ruin album. Cause the new record features once again a fine selection of wild hard rock anthems colored by a seventies approach and a dusty veil of blues. We are still completely and utterly taken by the voice of Heidi Solheim and we are immediately and utterly in love with the album because of her vocals and the way they open Road Back To Ruin. Sinnerman’s the name of said opener and the track effortlessly roars its way into your heart with classic riffs and a howling Hammond. And the rest of the record is filled with more righteous music; and even the mildly obligatory ballad Aurora Skies seems to warm the heart.  Yes, even that one. This has soul! Pristine and perfect!

(Written by JK)

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