Viberider – The Big Show

Viberider – The Big Show
PsychoSchq / Rough Trade – 2010
Rock/Stonerpop
Waardering: ***

Viberider hails from Holland and treated many a stonerlover in 2006 to an extraordinary album called Evolve The Long Lead. That those same heads will enjoy the new album The Big Show to the same extent remains to be seen. The four years of silence have transformed the band into a stonerpopformation with most of the emphasis on pop. The diversity of the music has risen and improved; but the raw, wild and rough edge has been smoothed down to a very large extent. We are now left with a Viberider that approaches grunge with caution, often sounds like a powerpop band gone astray and at all times seem to insist on not being labeled as stonerrock. Then again; the tendency to produce strong melodies and mix them with sweet sugared choruses has always been present in Viberider. But in this case a bit more black coffee would make the album stronger and more importantly tastier…

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The Von Durden Party Project – Death Discotheque

The Von Durden Party Project – Death Discotheque
Bang – 2008
Rock/Stonerpop
Waardering: ***

Hailing from the ‘still’ Belgian French side of things; The Von Durden Party Project started out in 2007 with five heads but has now been reduced to a core of three. The name has also been shortened to just Von Durden and a second album called Dandy Animals is in the works and will soon see the light of day. Which pointed me to the fact that their first one: Death Discotheque has received extreme little attention. Even though the album contains a dozen damn fine songs that fit perfectly in the stream of stonerpop bands that have seen the light of day in recent years. They hold their own in the middle of Arctic Monkeys, De Staat and the Eagles of Death Metal; and all of that interspersed with a nice dose of disco! Energetic rockmusic that either stirs or moves your bones; but usually leaves you jumping like a madman. Or if you will; polished stonerpop with an extremely moveable rhythm that still on occasion lets that sexy raw sound shine through… Allez; donnez-moi quelques nouveaux battements!

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Mastodon – Jonah Hex

Mastodon – Jonah Hex
Relapse / Reprise – 2010
Metal/Stoner
Waardering: **

Director Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears a Who, Finding Nemo) was approached for the film-adaptation of the bounty-hunting comic book hero Jonah Hexis. He in turn asked composer John Powell (Bourne series, Hancock) to give the movie its musical face. Unfortunately Powell had to leave the film prematurely, which had to be re-shot over and over again; causing the band contracted to fill in the music to have to start over and over too. And Mastodon was not happy. The guys thought they were busy making the best music they had made in their entire career. Composer Marco Beltrami (Terminator 3, Repo Men) was asked to finish the score and after that Mastodon was again asked to please show that mighty sound you do! The result are four songs and two alternate versions that have little taste and show even less of the glory that is Mastodon. On occasion we hear a little of their magic; but that has disappeared again before you know it. I for one am very curious for the material that did not make this EP…

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Collector Base Emitter – Transis

Collector Base Emitter – Transis
Self Released – 2010
Rock/Ambient/Stoner/Doom/Drone
Waardering: ***

Austrian born Collector Base Emitter started jamming among the three of them around 2008 and later that year turned a demo loose on the world. In 2010 the gentlemen release their first full-force album labeled thingy. The self released Transis albums has three songs on it of which everyone of them lasts for at least ten minutes and the sound-story in total lasts forty minutes. Quiet compositions are exchanged for guitar-explosions and ear-numbing doom. The first two songs are sweet symbioses of tension, intensity and monotony. Of course there are little vocals on the album; which is a pity… Cause our little Austrian friend can definitely hold a tune. Third and last song Minimal Animal puts a tiny little bit more peddle to the metal and most of all combines the best stuff from the first two songs. Let’s hope the band can find a new bass-player quickly; cause I for one am curious where this adventure can lead us…

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Ape Machine – This House Has Been Condemned

Ape Machine – This House Has Been Condemned
Self released – 2010
Rock/Blues/Stoner/Psychedelic/Seventies
Waardering: ****

The American Ape Machine consists of a quintet of members hailing from other bands like Evening Episode, Minmae and Fenix TX. On their first album in this form named This House Has Been Condemned we are treated to a lovely mix of Rock, Blues, Stoner and Psychedelics. It results in an honorary salute to bands like Led Zeppelin and Blue Cheer. Intense melodies and hard driving riffs, combined with the hunting, screaming, wailing and moaning voice of singer Caled Heinze gives the listener an ‘it’s all happening’ feeling. Transported to the seventies and into an outfit comprised of wide corduroy pants and a ditto colorful blouse we drift along the groovy set of eight songs. The rolling riffs build towards great tasting solos and incredible sound explosions. This is warm blues and soulful music like the classics used to make. Give those monkeys another banana!

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