Number 1

Number 1

THE GOLD MEDAL

The number one album according to 37 lists sent in by the Stoner HiVe peeps; the one that bested number two with a mere six points difference; the one that received the double amount of points that number three received, is a band that has been around since 1993 and released their seventh record this year. And after only a few tones you know that this record continues where the fantastic Witchcult Today left off. Occult and bloody tales of devil-worship and hallucinogenic fantasies full satyrs and other fun scum. With a pure underground seventies sound we are treated to eight ostracisions that are both haunting and hypnotic. Furious bass; droning riffs and a voice that wails as heavy as the guitars provide a wall of sound that feels like a mythical castle to some otherworld creature. It is once again a dark and twisted record that must have been invoked by Lucifer himself. A Mass so great that its addictive power sucks you in leaves you nothing but the humming Blackness of these electrified magicians! The gold medal goes to; the number one album of 2010 according to the Stone HiVe Freaks is:

(Drumroll)

Electric Wizard - Black Masses

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The Countdown so Far !

Since we are about to announce the numero uno, the number one, the gold medalist of The Ultimate Stoner Hi\/e Top 20 albums of 2010! The one that beat Been Obscene by a mere 6 points. I guess this must be the right time to run through the countdown so far... On the last day of the year we will know which album occupies the number one position!

1. ...

2. Been Obscene - The Magic Table Dance

3. Sasquatch – III

4. The SWORD - Warp Riders

5. Karma To Burn - Appalachian Incantation

6. The Machine – Drie

7. Brant Bjork - Gods & Goddesses

8. Monobrow - Monobrow

9. Black Bombain - Saturdays and Space Travels

10. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit

11. Egocentrics - Love Fear Choices And Astronauts

12. Solace - A.D.

13. The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream

14. Monster Magnet – Mastermind

15. Wheelfall - From The Blazing Sky At Dusk

16. Re-Stoned - Revealed Gravitation

17. Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart

18. White Hills - White Hills

19. The Black Keys – Brothers

20. Endless Boogie - Full House Head

Number 2

Number 2

As stated before; the numbers two and one received almost the double amount of points that Sasquatch at number three received. And number one only bested number two with a mere six points difference. So without a doubt; you guys out there think these are the best records out there this year. The silver medal goes to a band that has been hailed as the new incarnation of Kyuss and as the new benchmark for all new stonerbands out there. It’s tasty, smooth, racy, succulent and muddy guitars have not been this pivotal for years. And when it turns out that two guys from Austria are responsible for this; the doors are blown wide open once again. And of course the drummer and bassplayer complete this quartet that is responsible for this high Alp’s desert sound. Their debut album sounds like a high-water mark; an eerie trumpet-call over a lost battlefield. It sounds savagely psychedelic, freakishly fuzzy and always like a sandstorm that is about to happen…

Been Obscene - The Magic Table Dance

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Number 3

Number 3

The top three is actually made up of a top two. Cause the first two entries; the numbers one and two of the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 list of 2010 have received almost double the amount of votes than the number three got cast! Which is surprising for many reasons; but it does not make reaching the bronze medal any less of a feat. This mythical Los Angeles beast has every stoner element one can think off; the distortion and fuzz are there; the guitars are tuned low and all of this is poured into a traditional rock ’n roll funnel. It deduces for their third album an honest and true working man’s stonerrock record. Add to this the vocals that resemble those of Chris Cornell and it is easy to state that we have a gem on our hands. It’s hardy; bluesy rock with a production that is both slick and extremely raw. The trio’s third album since 2001 is filled with huge sound, monster riffs and bone crushing rhythms!

Sasquatch – III

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Number 4

Number 4

As we approach the top three of the 2010 list of albums we come to a highly anticipated one. One that might not have satisfied every one of those hopes; but enough to reach number four on the list. These Texans give their own honest spin to the hardrock of the seventies and eighties and their third (concept) album can be construed as an ode to the almighty and true heaviness of the riff. Riffs that can easily hold their own next to the ones of the Greats and get the adrenaline pumpin! Cause it is a supercharged rollercoaster ride of diabolical pounding rhythms, high-powered riffs and annihilating solos. Their ferocious mixture of stoner, doom, metal and hardrock is infections and awe-inspiring. So let’s fly high on their relentless riffage! And these were the great highs for the band; but there was also a low point this year. They had to cancel their European dates with Karma To Burn due to the drummer suddenly leaving the band. Let’s hope they find an equally impressive one!

The Sword - Warp Riders

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Number 5

Number 5

They’re glorious return to the scene was heralded by the bass-player kicking the habit; forming a new band and apologizing to his former band members for leaving them high and dry. “We forgive you; let’s do some kind of reunion tour to celebrate your return to the waking world. And why not release some old material and what the hell… Let’s dive into the studio to record some new stuff as well.” The result would almost get you hooked on smack; just so you can get clean too and record this kind of pure brilliance. Fifteen instrumental stoner-pearls by the band that defined the instrumental stoner genre back in the days. Did I say fifteen? I meant thirteen; cause blood-brother and savior of the aforementioned bass-player Daniel Davies of Year Long Disaster sings a song and living legend (and one short time part of the band) John ‘Stop Calling Me A Living Legend’ Garcia also delivers on a tune. Co-produced by Scott Reeder we can justly claim this album to by a regular stoner tour de force! Driving rhythms, pounding drums and groovy guitar-work. And with Year Long Disaster and the Burners becoming a sort of single rocking outfit; they rock.. err… twice as hard! This holds a lot of promise for the new album in 2011 on which Garcia will also sing at least one song!

Karma To Burn - Appalachian Incantation

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Number 6

Number 6

At number six we find a band that also had an entry last year; which is quite a feat wouldn’t you say. And with a promise to release a fourth record in 2011 they might end up scoring a hattrick. And that will be a hard thing to beat. Last year they ended up at place number 14; this time around we find them at 6. And this Dutch threesome not only has the work ethic and mentality that goes back to the glorious years of rock; their music does so too. We can hear the Jimi and Zeppelin influences in the long weaving psychedelic songs; and the Blue Cheer and Colour Haze moments during the moments of groove. And with maybe a few more nods towards Kyuss this time around we can safely say that their psychedelic fuzz, whirling jams, tight stoner and acidic riffing makes them a favorite to most of us!

The Machine – Drie

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Number 7

Number 7

We have arrived at the third album on the deduced list that was actually on my own one as well and one of my many highlights during Roadburn 2010. Somewhere Some Woman still pours out of my speakers every day… And with his sun-dried tones and wise words he warms our souls every time. And it seems like his mythical persona is ever growing and that he’s becoming an even bigger guru. Its his voice; his warm and complete matter of fact uttering. With his laid-back tunes he guides us through his tried rock method. A dash of Jimi Hendrix, a truckload of soul and funk, wise words which could also be uttered by Bob Marley and an attitude straight from the skater and surf community. And even though it only reminds us vaguely of what Kyuss did in the past; it still is, or maybe even more; archetypal stonerrock. Now; here’s me hoping spring will come to the Netherlands soon; so that we too may enjoy these great tunes of master Brant outside in the sun… (And what will the new Kyuss Lives record sound like? Now there’s a question that nobody could have envisioned asking a year ago!)

Brant Bjork - Gods & Goddesses

Brant Bjork

Number 8

Number 8

As we roll heavy into the top 10 of this years Stoner HiVe Ultimate top 20 we are once again treated to one of them fine Canuck’s bands. This one has some serious facial hair issues and that might be the reason the three amigo’s started jamming together around 2009. A year later their first self-titled piece of instrumental brilliance is out for everyone to enjoy. This is heavy riffing, heavy trucking and has enough psychedelic nourishment to keep you satisfied. It is adventurous free rock that tests all the limits of every boundary set by each song every single time. It keeps that old freak out, chill out, let’s go berserk adagio alive with full momentum. Supreme guitar-work, twisted bass-sweat and massive drums. I guess it’s about time we all move to Canada and dodge some flyin hockeypucks to see these guys in action!

Monobrow - Monobrow

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Number 9

Number 9

The first entry with only one digit goes to one of the many ‘Black’ bands that released an album this year. These three guys hail from Portugal and are masters in acid guitar brilliance. Their totally beserked freak out jams last for twenty minutes and during their live shows, judging by some live photo’s, you never know how many people will be on stage. The album brings its hypnotic trance inducing sounds in two tracks and two tracks only. But during those freak outs they bring the best acid hard rock psychedelic blues boogie to the table that has been heard for many a year. Combining the best elements of Led Zeppelin, Cream, Canned Heat and Grand Funk; spicing that up with some deep southern grooves and small elements of stoner; including wicked riffs and masterful hooks. This is a full force trip without looking back for the casualties; and there will be no surrender on a Saturday or anywhere else in Space for that matter… Let’s ride those riffs to wherever they may take us!

Black Bombain - Saturdays and Space Travels

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Number 10

Number 10

The first entry of the top 10 goes to a band that can easily be labeled as one of the hardest working bands in the scene. These Norwegians are almost always on tour; the guys never look at a watch during those shows and where they find the time to actually record an album beats the hell out of me. And the album they released this year is their third in two years. And we can be positively sure that there is still more and much more to come. The new record does not intentionally innovate anything they have done before; but their combination of progressive, psychedelic, heavy and raw sounds remain forever inevitably fascinating. Like Starhammer; an epic piece of almost thirteen minutes. The song begins reasonably structured after which a long jam rides you away on a dusty trail that remains exciting throughout the journey. Solo’s like their life depended on it; and in the way the guys play of each other you know that they’re part of one of the best musical teams in the world. A threesome with their own unique idiom, set of rules and styles. And only a few groups can follow that lead…

Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit

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Number 11

Number 11

One country that might not be overly represented in the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums list of 2010 is the beautiful Eastern Europe country of Rumania. From the lovely village of Timisoara in Transylvania hails a psychedelic jamband that infuses desertrock and spacerock to a perfectly knit sweater. It would be extremely just and accurate to place them somewhere between Colour Haze and Earthless; due to their lengthy spaced out freaky jams, lazy vibe and open sound. Add to this their only slightly present progressive and symphonic little ditties and we come to the conclusion that this is some bad ass instrumental rock. And with the promise of a second album in 2011 we have something definite to look out for! Which means there is absolutely nothing egocentrical about these freaks!

Egocentrics - Love Fear Choices And Astronauts

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Number 12

Number 12

Just above The Black Angels at magical number 12 we find a band that has been around for almost fifteen years. During which the line-up changed more often than a woman changes her mind. But with the return of their original drummer; which has been replaced seven times now, they are planning to finally forge forward in the world of heavy rock. Maybe that is the reason behind the album title? A new righteous start? Sludge, doom, stoner, metal; these guys got it all down to a knack. They filled the new record with smooth and racy slow and mid-tempo riffs; interspersed with chaos and madness. Combinations of Black Sabbath riffs and atmosphere; laced with the haunting agitation of Jane’s Addiction. Of magnificent solo’s and boggy swamp-riffs. We are also treated to a bit of trash; mighty doom and mixtures of mystery and atmosphere. So the eclectic nature of this beautiful piece of music gives it a deserved spot on the list…

Solace - A.D.

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Number 13

Number 13

The unlucky number sees a bit of a surprise return to the psychedelic sixties once again. This time around we delve into the history that Jefferson Airplane and the likes have left behind. Producer Dave Sardy known from his work with Barkmarket, Band of Horses, Black Mountain, Oasis and Wolfmother took on the job of giving these a bit more air in their production; but still leave a small wall of sound in place. A picket fence of sound you might say. Behind this picket fence we find that sixties sound filled with psychedelic exploration in many directions; not just the Airplane side of things which they adventured through their first two records. No, on this third one we can also hear some Kinks and Cream and this is a welcome relief. Perfect for these dark times and the number 13; cause the music is black, obscure and ominous…

The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream

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Number 14

Number 14

A singer gaining forty pounds but losing a pill-addiction; a guitar-player leaving the band after the new album had been finished and the tour begun. All in all; much to deal with for these American freaks. But the Monster has a life of its own. There is no stopping it! And after a couple of decent to doable albums the gang returns with what may easily be called their best effort since Powertrip. On their eight studio-album we can hear their tried by trial method. Muscle rock filled with testosterone that without restraint blows the doors of yer head. Slow and dragging one moment and pounding and punctual the next. It has more Stooges and Hawkwind to it than recent records and at all times delivers a maximum amount of psychedelic dosage. The heavy guys are back and have given us a Magnetic album that once again is exquisitely theatrical, grand and bombastic. Pure black magic that can easily compete with the best of their records. As if Mr. Wyndorf has taken a timemachine to steal comicbooks and the best ingredients of their earlier albums…

Monster Magnet – Mastermind

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Number 15

Number 15

At last we see a representation from good ol’ Europe. These French freaks start their album off with some chirping and crickets to get it annihilated first by some car-stereo blasting heavy basses before going back to those wonderful nature sounds once again. And while Blazing a doobie outside the car at Dusk the extraterrestrials decide to visit. After which the music takes form and we are taken away on a deep, raw stoner rock adventure. Driven along by Fu Machu, Slo Burn and Kyuss references you end up in a desert full of aliens and other space scum. These young guns rock their asses of in a pure naive understanding that righteous rock will always prevail over alien scum… “So it’s time to kick ass and chew bubblegum; and we’re all out of gum…”

Wheelfall - From The Blazing Sky At Dusk

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Number 16

Number 16

We have come to our first entry in the Stoner HiVe Ultimate top 20 list of 2010 that does not hail from the American continent. The first four were either from the United States or Canada. But this one belongs to the tribe of the Vodka drinking freaks! Yes; the next band hails from Russia and delivered their second album this year. The first album being a self released cd-r one in 2009. On their new album they teach us the natural laws via eleven hardrocking instrumental stoner tracks in the vein of Karma To Burn. Raw and heavy riffing; mixed with ramshackle bluesy drums and psychedelic melodies. And hour long near perfect trip that takes you places that Laika never even dreamed off. It’s a perfect example of re-hashing certain ideas without loosing your originality!

Re-Stoned - Revealed Gravitation

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Number 17

Number 17

At 17 we come across another group who keeps the sixties well alive. The members of this Canadian band live in a sort of commune. And during their daily life they help the less fortunate; junkies and homeless people. “To not loose touch with reality.” We can justly claim them to be sympathetic types; who by a very fortunate coincidence also produce incredibly great music! We can of course refer to the many musical influences of days long gone. The growling sound seems teleported from San Francisco and Detroit at the end of the sixties. It’s sordid rock that gets spliced here and there with a beam of folk. Thousands of bands have been plundering through the musical past; but only seldom is it done with so much taste and quality. The songs are varied to the extreme and the sound is honest. Add to that the voices of Stephen McBean and Amber Webber that are both like a velvet touch to the ear and we can justly claim that their third record Wilderness Heart is very deserving of a place in the top 20…

Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart

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Number 18

Number 18

As we continue down the list to number 18 we come to another small ‘surprise’. Where The Black Keys were a bit of a different find on the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 list; the next one is a more logical one. I just had not expected the amount of votes it got. The again; when you have a genre defined by a label like space rock; you can only be on the look out for bands that do justice to the term. And this New York based rock outfit loosely based on two core members is one gigantic spaced out trip. Their heavy psychedelica shakes you to the core with their moments of rage and lulls you back into a false sense of security and ease the next… This is free rock at its peak! Intoxicating!

White Hills – White Hills

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Number 19

Number 19

And as this massive hangover dissipates to a very low level; we continue on with the number 19 of the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 list. An American duo that released their sixth album this year. It is raw, it is rock and it is their raunchy version of the blues we have come to love them for. Infused with some psychedelica and proto-hardrock they give us their soulful glowing music filled with seemingly sloppy guitars and rattling drums. Brothers; we are on to something damn good here. So let’s never stop enjoying:

The Black Keys – Brothers

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Number 20

Number 20

At the bottom of the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2010; comprised of no less than 37 lists! Doubling the amount we had last year… So many thanks to all the freaks who sent theirs in! And now without further a do we give you the number 20 of this year… Music in its purest form; earthy rhythms, raw vocals and a truckload of guitar in seemingly Endless tunes; these guys know how to Boogie… And they do it in such a fashion that everyone expects 1974 to be just around the corner… There is nothing retro about these freaks; they sift through the entirety of the rock catalogue and take out the best blues they could find. We have royally banged out heads to:

Endless Boogie – Full House Head

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The Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2010

The Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2010

Only two nights of sleep left before we start publishing the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2010. So far we have received 26 lists. And there is still one more day left to send in yours. On sunday the 12th of december we start with the number 20 of the list. And work or way up to number one on the 31st of december. If you want to send in your list; here's the email you can send it to... Thanks so far already for everyone sending theirs... Cause only with enough lists made up by the HiVe'rs does it make any sense to do this thing...

In honour of all the freaks...

The Damned Things – Ironiclast

The Damned Things – Ironiclast
Universal/Island – 2010
Rock/Metal
Waardering: **

The amount of super-groups keeps rising steadily; or maybe we should conclude that they keep popping up like mad mushrooms everywhere. The newest addition to the craze is The Damned Things; in which we find two gentlemen of Anthrax, two emo-muppets from Fall Out Boy and Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die. So the expectations for their first record Ironiclast are of course pretty high. But those are never to only a very small portion fulfilled. It is clear that the guys wanted to make an album solely aimed at the American market. Hook-laden overly polished rock and metal-light stuffed with choruses that demand a sing-a-long. Guitars that sound excessively blank and expressionless; and never raw or fierce. Shame of the line-up though; from Anthrax folk I would have expected more. Only light at the end of the tunnel: closer Blues Having The Blues. Here we hear a small dash of stoner and pure hardrock mixed with old school metal…

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Motörhead – The Wörld is Yours

Motörhead – The Wörld is Yours
EMI/Motörhead Music – 2010
Hardrock/Metal
Waardering: ****

Unless Lemmy topples over one of these days for some reason or another; one thing will always remain and absolute surety; a new Motörhead album will always be released and will sound like all the others. But in honor of founding their own label; the thirty-five year existence of the band and their twentieth studio-album the holy fire seems to be burning as bright as ever; or even brighter! The Wörld is Yours sounds inspired and the quality of the songs is much higher then on many or the albums preceding this one. Among those Rock ’N Roll Music, Brotherhood of Man and Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye are the absolute winners. Full throttle attack is the battle cry and the weapons are grimy riffs and savage thundering drums. Splendid album by the Motörmen! And let’s wish a day full of loose women and a truckload of liquor for reaching the retirement age! Hear, hear honorable Kilmister!

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The Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2010

The Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2010

Just like we did last year; we will start counting down the top 20 Stoner related albums of this year starting on the 12th of december. Ending with the numero uno of 2010 on the last day of the year. Last year we ended up with 18 lists of which the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 list of 2009 was deduced. So far 12 lists have entered my mailbox. If any of you freaks out there wish to participate send your top 10 or 20 list to this emailadres...

Let there be great freakin music for all the freaks in the HiVe!

Fruit of The Original Sin – Beneath The Surface

Fruit of The Original Sin – Beneath The Surface
Self Released – 2010
Rock/Industrial/Grunge/Alternative/Progressive
Waardering: ****

“Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) And the fruit of this ancestral sin is now audible. But to be honest the name of the band does not refer to this Biblical story; but it was taken from a poster that is featured in the David Lynch movie The Elephant Man. If the singer, guitarplayer and founder of the Fruit of The Original Sin, Freek Philippi, sees himself as a weirdo or thinks the music belongs to the collection of curiosities will always remain a riddle. Fact is that the second album Beneath The Surface by the Dutch founded band (2006) is high quality, multi layered and completely fuzzed out! Influenced by bands like My Bloody Valentine, Millionaire, Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails we can mostly hear those last two bands. Add a splash of Therapy? and a dash of Porcupine Tree and a terrific mixture of styles are fused. An energetic hybrid of raw speed and intense layering. The only slight deficit in this wonderful production is the quality of the vocals; it hesitates in moments; does not come across as sure and sometimes sounds flat. Even though there are parts where it shines and shows pure ability. Beneath The Surface: a pleasant interpretation of frustration and the loss of control. It’s good to be a sinner…

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The Rudolfs – Streets of Glass

The Rudolfs – Streets of Glass
Cool Buzz / Sonic Rendezvous – 2010
Rock/Alternative/Grunge
Waardering: ***

The Dutch, from the city of Katwijk hailing, The Rudolfs have been rocking together since 2003 when they were pushed into the music-classroom due to detention; so we read in their biography. Besides that fact we can also see that bands like The Beatles, Doors, Sonic Youth and Nirvana have influenced their sound. But we can mostly hear this last one in the racket that is their first debut-album called Streets of Glass. Hugely due to the voice of singer Leo van Duyn who sounds a spooky lot like Cobain in some songs. Luckily they never try to become a Nirvana clone and give enough attention to garage, sixties pop and blues. Still, most of the songs just rock away with leisure and are never filled with the angst-laden weight that the big grunge adepts gave their music. Which of course does not need to be a disadvantage; cause how often do you really want to listen to desperate aggrieved dreamers who were never really good in packaging their dejected melancholy in a song? The Rudolfs; pleasant real songs on the edge of the grunge genre…

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7 Weeks – All Channels Off

7 Weeks – All Channels Off
Buzzville Records – 2010
Rock/Stoner/Grunge/Metal
Waardering: ****

French born 7 Weeks started rockin with the three of them in the year of our lord 2006 and their fine little piece of music called the B(L)ack Days EP saw the light of the the following year. This little ditty did extremely well in their homecountry and it took three years to compose their first fullsize album called All Channels Off. Nowadays they are completed by a fourth member and the sound has matured and they sound like a beast that needs to be unleashed upon the world. With a sort of postgrunge sauce the guys blast through the stonerlandscape and pick up a few metal influence along the way. Think Queens of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Soundgarden and some little stints of Metallica. Maybe they are not opting for the award for originality but that is quickly forgotten en forgiven when the quality and love for the music is this apparent. Just straight up, straight down, full gass rock ’n roll that entertains to the max! ça peut arriver!

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