DoctoR DooM – DoomO

DoctoR DooM – DoomO

STB – 2013

Hard Rock, Doom, Seventies, Retro

Rated: ***

If a lack of dirty riffs and analog recording techniques have you ailing, give DoctoR DooM a call. The French quartet are able to transport listeners back to the mid 70’s via the Electric Wizard highway. “DoomO” is a 3 track EP that will whet the beak of anyone clamoring for the retro doom of yore. “The Sun” starts things off with a bluesy roadhouse stomp that may or may not leave your speakers smelling like cheap whiskey. Vocalist JL Pasquet certainly fits the bill with his wailing vocals. Second track “Relax You’re Dead” throws down some nice lead guitar work accentuated by the always welcome organ. The track plods along with just enough oomph to keep things from descending into an outright dirge. Closing things out is the aptly titled “Stuck in the Past” which brings out more classic rock touch points. We’ve seen it all before but frankly, that’s exactly what we want in a good old’ fashioned rock album. File this one alongside your Witchcraft, Graveyard, Blood Ceremony and Valkyrie…

(Written by Matthew McGarity)

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Ocean Towers – Distractions

Ocean Towers – Distractions

Self released – 2013

Rock, Psych, Hard, Stoner, Blues, Prog

Rated: ****

Hailing from Canada’s Ocean Playground, Nova Scotia the four piece aptly chose Ocean Towers as the moniker under which to rock out. For their compositions tower above and hold fast as the waves of riffs and fuzz and tumbling drums crash upon its foundations. After releasing two highly diverse musical Chapters in 2011 and 2012 and two jams earlier this year named Archives Vol.1 they released their first full-sized album a month or two ago. The name is Distractions and moves like the different winds that plague their peninsula. And the album echoes something classic, grand and epic; it burns you just as easy with heavy pounding riffs as with soulful guitarlines as the rhythm section slowly slugs and chugs. Their are so many great tracks on this album which are highly diverse that it’s hard to choose a favorite; but the spacerock influences and the second vocals by drummer Brian Stoud on Lake Echo give it even more class. This is pure gold. Listen without distractions…

(Written by JK)

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Stonerfront Nijmegen – 3 Days Desert

Stonerfront Nijmegen – 3 Days Desert

Fuzzmatazz records – 2013

Rock, Stoner, Desert, Instrumental

Rated: ****

The Nijmegen trio Stonerfront Nijmegen comes out hot and heavy with the four tracks counting and throbbing 3 Days Desert EP. It is a pure rendition of what instrumental desert and stoner rock is all about. It goes off like a cherry bomb in a firepit, blasting fire and embers in all directions while the crazies stand around and screaming gibberish that echoes across the mirroring lake in the dead of night. This kind of music is born out of love and necessity. This is their religion and they want to preach their gospel of groove with feverous energy and an almost zealous approach to everything that’s wrong. For whatever’s worth doing; is worth doing right. And they power up their righteous testament with majestic machinated riffs and cruise away on psychedelic rolls and shimmering waves of impressive basslines and expert drums. But the guitar isn’t strangled by the machine; and soon moves into the jam-based flow and implores some jazz and funk to make it all as clean as an Immaculate Conception. And just listen to that siren; a definite warning that the Stonerfront is approaching. Be ready!

(Written by JK)

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Sinner Sinners – Reckless

Sinner Sinners – Reckless

Originally from France and the Netherlands, married couple Steve and Sam founded Sinner Sinners in 2009. The first album ‘Cardinal Sins’ was released in 2011 and featured appearances from many affiliated bands such as The Morlocks, Time Again or The Elderberries. The album artwork was designed by world renowned tattoo artist Dan Smith (Kat Von D's High Voltage Tattoo). The band relocated to Los Angeles the same year and have been touring on both sides of the Atlantic, sharing the stage with bands such as The Sonics, The Lords of Altamont, The Morlocks, The Creepshow and many more. They now release a new EP entitled ‘Excuse My French’ and an official music video for the track ‘Reckless’ featuring the amazing Jesse ‘The Devil’ Hughes from Eagles of Death Metal…

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Atlas - Demo

Atlas - Demo

Self released – 2013

Rock, Hard, Stoner, Doom

Rated: ****

Next up in the Scandinavian stoner pipeline? Atlas. A group whose impressive demo gives the listener strong whiffs of those early The Sword albums we loved so much.  While short, Atlas provide an introduction that will certainly bear keeping tabs on these lads. The demo is book-ended by two old-school, up-tempo stoner rock takes that are strengthened by a combo of propulsive drumming, turbo-charged Sabbath riffs and vocals that are pure, 21st century Ozzy. The middle track “Sleep” is an intriguing mix of sludge metal riffs, spoken word verses, psychedelic noodling, and searing guitar leads that if nothing else, prove Atlas are serious about their hard rock forte. Faint whiffs of early Sleep, and fellow countrymen Spiritual Beggars also permeate here. In All, Atlas are promising students in the Truckfighters University of Swedish rock and here’s to hoping they keep up their studies.

(Written by Matthew McGarity)

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Astray – Low-Life

Astray – Low-Life

Self released – 2013

Rock, Hard, Stoner, Metal, Doom

Rated: ***

Astray was formed somewhere in Thessaloniki Greece in 2007 and the five buddies released their first EP this year. Low-Life as it is called features three tracks that wear their influences on their sleeve. We hear some Kyuss, Cathedral and Orange Goblin rumblings through the garage metallic drums that dominate the sound. There is also a more metal side that reminds of great break masters like Prong. Singer George is also in the forefront with an impressive growl and howl. And that’s just the two first tracks. The third one slows down, grooves up and goes for a sort of militaristic doom approach in the beginning and quickly switches color to stonermetal once the speed picks up. Damn fine debut!

(Written by JK)

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Shit The Cow – Salt of The Earth

Shit The Cow – Salt of The Earth

Self Released – 2013

Rock, Hard, Stoner, Alternative

Rated: ***

Sweden’s amusingly named Shit The Cow have been putting out their brand of hard rock, stoner rock, alternative and punk (or as they would have it “Scrapyard Rock”!!) since 2012’s Volume/Cow.  Despite a bevy of genre classifications you could try to pin to them, the end result is refreshingly direct and to the point. Only one track flows past the 3:00 mark. Vocalist/guitarist Peter Söderberg’s punk rock vocals ring very clearly through the mix whilst guitar riffs are fast and sharp. All tracks take on a sort of Fu-Manchu level of efficiency and those looking for more sprawl should look elsewhere.  After a few spins the scrapyard rock label starts to make sense; Salt of the Earth is a dirty EP that provides a surprising level of useful rock resources at the simplest levels.

(Written by Matthew McGarity)

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Moonbow – The End of Time

Moonbow – The End of Time

Self released/Platinum PR – 2013

Rock, Stoner, Hard

Rated: ****

Hailing from the dark and bloody grounds of Kentucky the Moonbow foursome could be labeled as a supergroup. For the band consists out of members from Hank3, Lethal, Afghan Whigs, Hermano and Valley of The Sun. All rounded up by singer Matt Bischoff who also recruited the help from John Garcia on the Take It For Granted song. Which is a damn good middle track but which is by no means the selling point for their amazing debut album The End Of Time. Which starts off with the memorable sounds of a bluegrass Appalachian barn dance before quickly deepening, darkening and going off the scale in the form of mountainous riffs and towering drums. The amigos go for that classic hardrock feel but make it all about everything we love from stonerrock. They excel in changing the mood with every tempo shift and are masters in alternating in different energies. They keep it dry and airy and let that hot Kentucky wind blow their sound all the way to West Virginia. Combining, intertwining and mixing the typical heavy sounds of both states. And then there’s Matt himself; quite a voice you got there hombre. Excellent for the shimmering heat exhumed by all that Moonbow represents. Time to guzzle some horrible moonshine or grade A PennyPacker bourbon. It’s all good as long as you got Moonbow playin…

(Written by JK)

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Moonbow - The End of Time

Moonbow - The End of Time

Jimmy Glitschy Der Einarmige Karussellbremser - Stoned uff'm Dancefloor!

Jimmy Glitschy Der Einarmige Karussellbremser - Stoned uff'm Dancefloor!

Nuff said...

Luna Sol – Demo

Luna Sol – Demo

Self released – 2013

Rock, Stoner, Desert, Southern, Psychedelic

Rated: ****

As some of you might know there’s a little place of worship deep inside my heart for everything the legendary Dave Angstrom comes up with. Not just because of Hermano, Supafuzz or Asylum On The Hill. But also because of his other projects, producer qualities and guest spots. They always add that chutzpa energy the man has hiddin in his guitar and his voice. And now he’s on the verge of returning to the forefront with yet another band called Luna Sol. It combines the sound we know from Supafuzz and Hermano and feels a lot like a continuation of Asylum On The Hill. The band is comprisde out of guitarist Pat Devlin, drummer Pat Gill (Dave Boylan Band, Love Rustlers, 76 PINTO, The FEDS) Taylor Iversen (Black Sleep of Kali / Black Acid Devil) and Shanda Kolberg (The Swanks / Period). The demo holds four tracks that are a definite promise of something hot and heavy! Let the moon sun rise fast!

(Written by JK)

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Battles of 1977 – To All Our Cohorts

Battles of 1977 – To All Our Cohorts

Lighttown Fidelity – 2013

Rock, Funk, Punk, Dance, Metal, Stoner

Rated: ****

Recognized all over the world as one of the best bands ever to originate out of the little speck on the map known as The Netherlands, Urban Dance Squad pioneered the crossover genre from 1986 to the turn of the millenium. After which the fella's disbanded and moved in separate directions with singer/rapper moving on to form Junkie XL with Tom Holkenborg, The League of XO Gentlemen and The Servants of The Servants. And now he returns once again on the Battles of 1977 project started by Silkstone founder and guitarist Frans van Essen. On their first five-track release To All Our Cohorts they combine melodic militancy and a provoking retro thought release on a massive abundance of hooks and addictive rhythms. Freedom of sound and conviction which produces something extraordinarily beautiful which still remains too strange or alternative for mass-consumption. I pledge allegiance!

(Written by JK)

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Four Headed Dog

Four Headed Dog

Do you hear that growling beast? Do you hear that loud bark around the corner? Indeed; fear for your life because the Four Headed Dog is coming! A new stoner-project by the three amigos from Peter Pan Speedrock together with illustrious fuzz master and analog effects wizard Dr.No. Expressing their love and fascination for all things ultra-heavy and ultra-loud. No strangers to each other musically, Peter and Dr.NO already worked together some years ago in the short-lived Repomen, and one could say Four Headed Dog seeks it's way in somewhat of the same musical direction. Guitars will be tuned down and the volume will be turned all the way up. And this Saturday will see their very first official performance at the free Kempenerpop festival in Waalre, Netherlands. Leave your earplugs at home. They will be of no use.

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Monomyth – Monomyth

Monomyth – Monomyth

Burning World – 2013

Rock, Stoner, Kraut, Doom, Psych, Space, Drone, Instrumental

Rated: *****

The five members from Dutch formation Monomyth have an impressive curriculum of former bands of which they were a part of before becoming this new mythical entity. We are ofcourse referring to 35007, Gomer Pyle, Lucid, Incense, Alkaloid, The Incredible Stacks and The Polar Exploration Ship. And now, on their self-titled debut album we are treated to long drawn out compositions that thanks to some brilliant layering and construction result in a spectacular hallucinatory journey. Repetition and tight slow rhythms make you float across the boundaries of the (musical) universe. Kozmic-kandy-kolored textures and kaleidoscopic dream sequences painted by leisurely use of every instrument available. Heavy and monstrous on occasion but mostly droning and vibrating on a pitch that resembles that final hammerstrike from the gods… Or as the boys simply state themselves: “Enter an arena where there is no more time or space, simply the vacuum in which communication is operated on a higher level. You can enter in two ways . . . simply by closing your eyes and letting the instrumental music transport you, or with eyes wide open as you descend into the mind staggering light show.” Amen…

(Written by JK)

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Blastronaut – Burning Mother

Blastronaut – Burning Mother
Self released – 2013
Rock, Stoner, Metal
Rated: ***

 

Formed at the tail-end of another dubious summer in Manchester, England, the five amigo’s that make up Blastronaut decided to start producing some heavy rock of their own as the drizzle turned into a fall shower. After a successful demo a year after their formation they have now pushed into full gear as they release their debut album Burning Mother. Which is another testament to the growing change in the music industry and another success story in the art of asking. Thanks to multiple financial pledges by fans we are now treated to ten damn loud stoner metal songs that move like a runaway freight train down an overtly aggressive track with vocalist Chris Whitehouse as a manic engineer howling and constantly ripping the steam trumpet. The drums give it that ever-moving cadence and produce mountains speeding by or tunnels that push the limits of your ears. And the edgy guitarwork and cavernous riffs paint the rest of the picture; which is beautiful but dangerous. What a ride!

(Written by JK)

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De Staat – I_Con

De Staat – I_Con

Cool Green – Mascot

Rock, Alternative, Pop, Dance, Stoner

Rated: ****

In four years time the original Dutch one man project has carved out a very nice spot for its own and turned into a five man monster. I am talking about De Staat; often scoured and cursed upon by stoner freaks and doom lovers; but I reckon they are missing the point. Even though if Wait For Evolution from 2009 was heavily inspired by Queens of The Stone Age (and Grampall Jookabox) the follow-up moved away from that path and into a very own direction. They never claimed to venture into the realm of the desert and only professed their love for its spirit and attitude. The second album Machinery turned out highly eclectic and as a window-licking window-smasher to most musical conventions it contained an abundance of groove and rhythm. And now on their third release I_Con they step back and look at what they’ve down in the past years. A few straightforward and easy tracks work perfectly to keep you focused on those that do your head in. Like the catchy grooves from All Is Dull and Get It Together. Or the highly danceable mad stomper Witch Doctor, the crazy mash of era’s and styles in Wonderer or the ominous closer The Inevitable End. Amazing…

(Written by JK)

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De Staat - Devil's Blood

De Staat – Devil's Blood

The official second single Devil's Blood by Dutch formation De Staat.

EyeHateGod auction in memory of the great Joe LaCaze

EyeHateGod auction in memory of the great Joe LaCaze

Visit Sludgelord. Do it. In the name of everything you hold dear and in honor of EyeHateGod and the legendary Joe LaCaze…

EyeHateGod Auction

Carousel – Jeweler's Daughter

Carousel – Jeweler's Daughter

Tee Pee Records – 2013

Rock, Hard, Classic, Metal, Stoner

Rated: *****

The menace is loose again. Running fast and loud on the early morning freeway, low in the saddle, nobody smiles, jamming crazy through traffic and ninety miles an hour down the center stripe, missing by inches. Like Genghis Khan on an iron horse; and the horde passes like a burst of dirty thunder… Jeweler’s Daughter is the debut album of the four horsemen from Pittsburgh that formed their band under the name Carousel in the year of our lord 2010 and it starts with a Hell’s Angels roar from the past. Tense for the action, long hair in the wind, beards and bandanas flapping. Drums like the marauding cavalry. Riffs that shine like all that filthy chrome and a vocalist that runs flat out through the eye of a beer can and up your daughter’s leg with no quarter asked and none given. Indeed, Carousel is here to show the squares some class and give’m a whiff of those kicks they’ll never know…

(Written by JK)

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Eldorado – Antigravity Sound Machine

Eldorado – Antigravity Sound Machine

Bad Reputation Records – 2012

Rock, Hard, Classic, Metal, Seventies

Rated: ****

Eldorado won the award for best hard rock and metal album with it’s Antigravity Sound Machine at this years Spanish Independent Music Awards. And it’s their third album and it definitely deserves to be awarded and recognized. It bursts with seventies inspired rock a kin to that of Zeppelin, Free, Bad Company and a bit of Sabbath; and all that is filled to the very rim of the cup with little snippets of Black Crowes, Soundgarden and a bit of Queens of The Stone Age. And the drips that runneth over stimulate all that blues that the vocalist professes. For one of the greatest assets to this band is singer Jesus Trujillo and his screaming and high pitched voice. He roars like a sad lion looking for his cups… But don’t worry; the amazing riffs are there; the rhythms got you going crazy and there are solo’s and licks that even the legends will give their nod of approval to. And just listen to that Hammond purr…

(Written by JK)

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Desert Storm – Horizontal Life

Desert Storm – Horizontal Life

Self released – 2013

Rock, Southern, Blues, Metal, Stoner, Sludge

Rated: ****

Moving ever forward and ever further down south the Oxford, England five-some Desert Storm delivered yet another piece of gripping metal a few months ago with their third release Horizontal Life. It reeks of alcohol soaked nights and highly violent gutter fights. They retained their badass biker blues groove and added even more swamp, mire and bayou rocking. And as we proceed down the tracks they get louder, bigger and nastier. To the point where the six-minute strong Enslaved In The Icy Tundra has you stomping along on a massive Jurassic rhythm. What a midpoint to a record! After which Lunar Domes serves as a sort of intense pointy breaker to make sure you let the absolute smashing and warped eleven-minute Titan wash over you and engulf you with it’s psychedelic heaviness and groove metal extravaganza. Desert Storm produced a stoner record for the wasted ghettos of a skyscraper city on the verge of collapse. See those wrecking balls a swinging!

(Written by JK)

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Weedpecker – Weedpecker

Weedpecker – Weedpecker

Self released – 2013

Rock, Stoner, Psych, Grunge

Rated: ****

After releasing the Berenja Pipe / Mindbreath single earlier this year as a teaser for the upcoming album the Polish Weedpecker convinces even more on their full-sized self-titled release. As honorable Matt already explained on said review, the band excels in thick riffs, psychedelic leads and gruff grunge tinted vocals that are among the tastiest in its color scheme available at the moment. But the band amazes even more on their instrumental efforts Don’t Trust Your Elephant and Kraken. They infuse some space and post rock into their heavy stoner metal on those tracks and turn water into wine. After which the heady Sativa Landscapes makes you dream out that alcohol cursing through your veins and leave you hypnotized and even the weird Cheesy Dude and his trek through the Weedfields seems unable to wake you from your intense hallucinations… In fact, he makes your delerium even grander!

(Written by JK)

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Udarnik – Mommy Shoots A Reindeer

Udarnik – Mommy Shoots A Reindeer

Udarny Phonographik Kollektiv – 2013

Rock, Noise, Punk, Garage, Stoner

Rated: ****

It’s time to rise up. Gather round all you lovely freaks out there. The revolution is a calling. And it sounds like Udarnik! Hailing from the backstreets of Nijmegen, Netherlands the collective has produced a debut record that cries out for justice and pounds its revolutionary message into your brain with militaristic rhythms and screeching guitars. It’s like sailing across the oceans on rusty battleship with a Jolly Roger in one hand and a bottle of horrible rum in the other, anxious to kick it to the establishment. It’s harsh and crude but also intelligent without getting high brow. It seems to be leaking catastrophe and disaster everywhere and fills your very core with thunder and lightning and a zealous desire to man the barricades. Let the Udarnik three march with us and fight the good fight. And far all those freaks out there who fear the band might be too political or too noisy; just give it a whirl and get fired up like the rest of us... For this is damn freakin awesome!

(Written by JK)

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Cops – Cry Now, Cry Later

Cops – Cry Now, Cry Later

Self released – 2013

Doom, Shoegaze, Sludge, Avant-garde

Rated: ***

The honorable sir Harry Cloud has been responsible for quite a few releases that warp your brain and boil your blood. On his latest effort Cops he fuses Doom, Sludge and Shoegaze into something equally disturbing as his Single Mothers effort. This time Cops is a trio comprised of Chlöe Mandel, Harry Cloud and Paul Roessler who was a prominent member of the LA Punk scene in the seventies and eighties. And there is a bit of throwback sound on it that seems to revisit that late-eighties LA sound. But for the most part we get a poetic piece of doomgaze that washes over you in great waves of neuronic displeasure and an angelic voice cruisin the surf. With sudden breaks on the gigantic rocks beneath the surface. So do not try and get your head around this one; just float along and let yourself drown…

(Written by JK)

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Plöw – No Highness Below the Crown

Plöw – No Highness Below the Crown

Mighty Music / Self released – 2013

Rock, Metal, Post, Sludge, Stoner

Rated: ***

The Danish foursome Plöw has been making waves in their home country for a few years now and the rest of the world was pleased to hear their first self-titled release in 2010 and the sophomore effort Bicentennial Picnic in 2011. On their new album No Highness Below The Crown they continue forward on the road chosen but improving with every turn taken. With a production that suffers from a bit too much air they remain safely in the middle of everything sludge. And on those rare occasions they venture outside of the well-known realm the production can only just hold it together. It lacks a bit of earnest rawness and something that might reek of a few nights in the gutter. But still; the boys do leave us with one half of metal with a sludge twist and one half that moves more towards stoner related twitches and something more diverse or even doomy. And especially that second half seems to avoid those oncoming headlights with great jerks, lurches and yanks at the steering wheel. Great effort and something with a definite promise for the future!

(Written by JK)

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Queens Of The Stone Age - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High

Well, it's only logical the boys are going to cover each other's songs. It might not be the best version yet. But I'm sure soon they will be playing it damn freakin beautifully...

 

Solar Corona – Innerspace

Solar Corona – Innerspace

Self released – 2013

Rock, Space, Psych, Instrumental

Rated: ****

There’s something in the air around Barcelos, Portugal. The little village has spawned bands like Black Bombain and Cosmic Vishnu. And now there’s a new power trio on the horizon called Solar Corona. And on their first four-track EP Innerspace they produce some tasty psychedelic and instrumental heaviness that soars through the vacuum and swims in space age currents. Four diverse songs that show their very own kaleidoscopic exploration of the cosmos. With transcendental grooves and chiefly meditative drums the album sooths the soul of every freak and beast. And with a brightly colored guitar the tracks seem to erupt out of the background with full illumination. There is still much space available for these amigos and luckily they’ve found a vessel to continue on with their ever-widening search through the ever-expanding universe…

(Written by JK)

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Strauss – Strauss

Strauss – Strauss

Self released – 2013

Rock, Stoner, Sludge, Metal

Rated: ****

Released, reviewed and lost a few months back. So now we revisit it and are once again thoroughly surprised and amazed at the antediluvian stoner rock produced by five-some Strauss. On their first six tracks strong self-titled release they manage to profess their love for everything sludgy and stoner that belonged to that first classic wave or new born heaviness. And they do that with such proficiency and compulsion it sounds like it’s being discovered for the very first time. Fuzzy riffs and stormy grooves tornado around your head as vocalist Stef propels you ever forward through every song. It’s dirty, it’s raw and it’s highly addictive. Which is also due to the fact that they use all that antique goodness and add some new metal influences gradually; aiming it for a superior future. Just hear those drums man; something is coming. Better watch out…

(Written by JK)

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Tyranny Is Tyranny – Let It Come From Whom It May

Tyranny Is Tyranny – Let It Come From Whom It May

Phratry Records – 2013

Rock, Post, Noise, Core, Metal, Sludge

Rated: ****

For a record that is heavy on all fronts Let It Come From Whom It May remains highly infectious and even deceptively catchy; like it is filled with bucket loads of worms that hook in your brain and refuse to let go. The Madison, Wisconsin foursome Tyranny Is Tyranny have managed to combine postrock, postmetal, postcore, punk, scream and even that muddiness we love from sludge into something stalwart and dynamic. It’s a highly emotive record that preaches and sermonizes without becoming oppressive. It blends wisdom from Howard Zinn, universal knowledge and their very own truth into a musical pamphlet that convinces and turns a light on evildoers and the wrong that is always and ever present. And that’s just the lyrical content that is smeared across incredibly melodic guitarlines and expressive riffs. Massive pounding drums steer it all to the inevitable cliff. Are we ready to fly?

(Written by JK)

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Bison, Bison - Waiting For Saturn

Bison, Bison - Waiting For Saturn

We thank Lucas for showing us this great video accompanying a great song by Portland's own stoner colossus Bison, Bison. The video is the last in their "Tribute Trilogy". This time showing their appreciation of John Carpenter's 1988 sci-fi masterwork 'They Live'. Check out Bison Bison at http://bisonbison.bandcamp.com/!

Mowstone – I

Mowstone – I

Self released – 2010

Rock, Hard, Stoner, Alternative, Space

Rated: ****

One cannot find very much information about the Vienna, Austria foursome Mowstone. They released their first album I around the end of 2010 and were soon discovered by Ozium Records in Sweden. Their sound maneuvers through the alternative nineties and atavistic stoner. And they mix that up with something spacey, something a bit doomy, something freakishly funky and an open mind about music. They seem to want to try everything and experiment a lot with their vocal possibilities. Add to this the impressive basswork and down right awesome guitarsounds and we have stumbled upon a lost gem. So we thank Psymin for putting our nose to the ground and share with us the possibility to cruise through the vortex and have Mowstone as a righteous soundtrack! And now let us all hope and pray that something more by Mowstone is lying in wait just around that next sonic planetary curve…

(Written by JK)

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Automatic Sam – Sonic Whip

Automatic Sam – Sonic Whip

Quadrofoon – 2013

Rock, Garage, Psychedelic, Alternative, Stoner

Rated: *****

Our hearts were burning with fear and despair when we heard that the rhythm section of Dutch formation Automatic Sam had left the band after the amazing Texino record in 2011. Their first official release Hot Foot Oil in 2009 had been a righteous firestarter and the follow-up Texino had conquered our garage rocking souls completely. But we can now rest easy and rock hard for the new foursome has delivered one crackling muddy powerhouse of a successor named Sonic Whip. With drummer Tim van Delft (De Staat) and bassist Erik Harbers (Woost) the grade a riffs explode even louder through the speakers. We hear something heavier, more grinding and compelling. They even managed to condense their bluesy rock sound from earlier albums into something wickedly wayward and headstrong giving more air to every composition. Ambitious and dynamic and with a highly infectious sultry atmosphere. The constant sweaty tension makes this one of the best albums to come from the Netherlands this year…

(Written by JK)

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