Robb & Pott – Once Upon The Wings

Robb & Pott – Once Upon The Wings

Nasoni Records – 2016

Rock, Prog, Space, Stoner, Jam, Psych

Rated: ****

Robb & Pott, a duo made up out of Robbi Rob from the American born jam outfit 3rd Ear Experience and Paul Pott from the German space rock masters The Space Invaders. That will definitely peak my interest and it should also give your blood a sweet rise in temperature. So when the package arrived containing their debut effort Once Upon The Wings we immediately immerged ourselves in their universe. A delicate escape from the world it is and the definite high rise above the clouds soaring five track space rock extravaganza. A fine jam it is. You drift off with heavy opener Flesh 'N Steel and fly even further when follow-up Grass begins. Which suddenly turns more progressive, eighties sounding and even more inspired when Amritakripa, Robb’s better half and keyboard player for 3rd Ear, starts reading a poem by South African poet Ingrid Jonker in a wavy voice. It’s a trip. And the journey continues on even deeper and intense with 16 minutes long Prophecy #1. The two tracks that follow keep it all at an amazing level, even though the heavy, earthly, spacey and worldly are exchanged for looney humor first before riveting back to what we want to fly on with. Robb & Pott and duo made for aeronautical adventures! Let them be your guide!

(Written by JK)

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Indica Blues – Ruins On The Shore

Indica Blues – Ruins On The Shore

Self released – 2016

Rock, Doom, Psych, Stoner, Desert, Metal

Rated: ****

Released in March, the new Ruins On The Shore EP by British quartet Indica Blues has suddenly picked up speed and garnered loads of attention in the past weeks. And justly so! Starting with a slower doomy approach on the first track, passionate guitar colors and powerful riffs, it turns even heavier and huge on the second song. And that build-up to bigger and better keeps on going. Full of intense riffage and masterful grooves the four tracks immediately captivate and hold you hostage. Drifting on that last bit of wreckage that survived the storm, you waft along looking for that distant shore. This is thirty minutes of brilliantly executed heavy doom without every become too doomy. Never going the evil or vintage route, for instead, they opt for massiveness and colossal. Never speeding up or slowing down, they make lumbering through the wasted landscapes their main goal and do this expertly. And with that Indica Blues turn into an example for all those bands out there who want to try their hand at one hypnotic speed as well… Because these guys are one of the few who know how to do it right!

(Written by JK)

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Doom Chart for August 2016

Doom Chart

“Let’s cut right to the chase this edition and hand it out to the fine folks behind the scenes listening their asses off in an attempt to either spread the gospel of the heavy underground, satisfy the craving of a real life addiction, bankrupting their households, or just coming together for a communion of a love for doom, stoner, sludge and heavy psychedelics. I think it’s a combination of all the above. Here we present the hot and heavy month of August! A scorching month of new releases and perhaps record month since the debut of the charts for NEW additions to the charts. All but about 6 repeat entries make their debut this month!” ~ Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)

Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, radio and podcasters and album reviewers from the doom-stoner underground around the globe. Each month, our critics submit their picks for the best new doom-sludge metal and stoner-psychedelic 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…

And then suddenly they’re there again. Even when the summer is in full swing and everything is taking a backseat to everything else, they continue, those unholy Doom Charts. And it’s a cracker once again. With a truckload of new heavy albums and ofcourse the ones that are still on heavy rotation with that grand selection of dingbats who continuously keep spreading the good word on all those majestic bands out there on their very own websites and blogs. For together they formed a band whose names and deeds were to be retold throughout the centuries, the knights of the Doom Chart!

Doom Chart for August 2016

Buffalo Crows – Bovonic Empire

Buffalo Crows – Bovonic Empire

Self released – 2016

Rock, Metal, Southern, Stoner, NWOBHM, Blues, Proto

Rated: ****

We loved the Primitive Grind record and that album made us revisit their first release Black Tooth Grin to see where the Aussie freaks of Buffalo Crows had come from. After which we knew we had to keep track of the progression these guys would make. Cause that much was obvious. They were going to grow like a magic beanstalk. So we were pleasantly surprised by their Ashes To Ashes tribute cover when Bowie passed away. And by the single Clusterfuk which came before that. One of which is featured as a secret bonus track on their new nine track album Bovonic Empire. And guess who else is featured?! It is Paul Mario Day, vocalist for such bands as More, Wildfire, Sweet and most famously Iron Maiden. He performs on The Tempest, Rivers Of Regret and Defenders. Three tracks that immediately move into that NWOBH direction and have this surging energy. (But also make them sound a bit like a latter day The Cult.) They have also had the honor of Dave Tice from Australian proto metal formation Buffalo and name giving inspiration for BC to make an appearance on the bluesy track Buffalo Rising and gypsy freak troubadour Otis Edgar to do some growling vocals on Monte Cristo. But don’t forget about the rest, cause they have no difficulty capturing your imagination. And perhaps even more so! Starting with the zany and delicious opening song Trog, inspired by Beefheart and the seventies movie with the same name. Damn well need to see that film now! And after that, the musical diamonds keep on coming, with Crawling Off The Edge Of The World topping it all perhaps. Excelling in pure proto metal bliss and honoring all those that came before but never actually got a chance. Awesome drumwork, outrageous vocals and a fanatical harmonica! Buffalo Crows, lords of the Bovonic Empire, we profess our undying loyalty and we will follow them into glory or death!

(Written by JK)

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Pale Grey Lore – Pale Grey Lore

Pale Grey Lore – Pale Grey Lore

Self released – 2016

Rock, Doom, Psych, Stoner, Sixties

Rated: ****

A power trio from Columbus, Ohio honoring little old us with the second track of their debut self-titled record. Yes, they have this awesome song called Life In The HiVe that runs after the opener! Thanks you crazy freaks from Pale Grey Lord! But that’s not the only reason we now love these cats to bits. No, for the other eight tracks on the album are just as amazing. Ranging from heavy sixties psych to stoner truckers and more doomy seventies inspired rock songs. So yes, the album has it all. Groovy like a motherfucker and raw, raucous and fuzzed out like the best of the best. The best part though, is perhaps, something that’s not easily done, especially not on a first release. For even though you can definitely pick out some of their influences here and there,  they sound like something you would already and immediately want to classify as typically Pale Grey Lore. The sophistication and refinement hides in the secret factor that makes sure you never once have the feeling you are listening to an imitation of any of those influences. Plus, the compositions and thematical preoccupations of Pale Grey Lore are in some way very particular. Just listen to She Radiates or Ruins to hear what we mean. There is something very own about the undisturbed course Pale Grey Lore seems to be plotting. And that course is simply amazing and we can’t wait to see where they will take us next!

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

Well. It’s been rough and will stay rough for a while. It will surely keep impairing our actions for quite some time yet. But when we do have time and energy, we will continue to keep all you lovely freaks out there entertained. And hopefully well informed. And what better way to do just that, then to hit you all with another Quick Fire Friday segment?! Once again we bring forth a selection of amazing bands that deserve attention and way more than the small amount of words chosen here. But hey, it’s the Stoner HiVe Quick Fire Friday. And its burns hot like molten lava!

Baron Crâne – Baron Crâne

Hailing from the dirty streets of Paris, Baron Crâne has been offering their filthy noisy jazzy stoner up for free for almost a year now. Their instrumental debut effort is one hell of a tasty adventure that induces intelligent dreams and longing to produce something artistic. This is not background music for beasting around but for all night discussions, featuring fine cheese and bottle of great wine with the Baron. And we all know you can never have enough good wine! Santé!

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Mindkult – Witch’s Oath

Released through Caligari Records the Witch’s Oath EP by the mysterious Mindkult is stirring up quite some racket. Not just because of the mystery surrounding this new one man (apparently) outfit but mostly because of the lo-fi grimy yet absolute pristine quality. Once again we are treated to something hallucinatory and mesmerizing. Like that first release of Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats. Making you dream once again of all those sinful properties of man. And yes, the vintage spilling of blood…

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Caligari Records

Shit The Cow – IGGY

Swedish scrapyard rockers Shit The Cow will release a new EP in the beginning of September. It will be called The One With The Devil. And for a taste of what´s to come they have released the first single IGGY upon us. Head on over and hear where the boys that gave us amazing records like Rissna, Salt Of The Earth and Volume/Cow take us this time around!

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Disorders – Teenage Loner’s Cult

It's not for pleasure. For the lack of love. Darkness descended. Send in the... Longing for some good lo-fi psychedelic post punk droning garage? Then Disorders new release Teenage Loner’s Cult is definitely the drug that the good doctor prescribes. The four piece give us five amazing tracks that are just that and more. Druggy, dark and disorientating. We are addicted to Disorders…

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Aziza – High Hopes Are At An All Time Low

Let’s head off into the endless dark with something evil, massive and malicious. Sludgy thunderpunk from the outskirts of Minneapolis. Aziza and their new release High Hopes Are At An All Time Low bricks you over the head with massive force and chugging rhythms. After these six fast paced grating tracks there is in fact, no hope left at all…

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Montenegro – Vivo

Montenegro – Vivo

Self released – 2016

Psych, Metal, Garage, Live, Instrumental

Rated: *****

Next arrival in to the HiVe, please welcome Montenegro out of Argentina. Their latest album Vivo was recorded live in Buenos Aires. I liked Vivo from the word go. (Just like JK liked their earlier record Confusos Recuerdos Después Del Coma.) Oh wait, there are no words. Montenegro is a strict instrumental outfit whose influences must be vast. They are like old school metal meets psych, meets garage rock. A perfect example of this is track two, Misterios Del Líbano. The track opens with what I can only describe as a Frankenstein style riff into a very old surf or garage style rock. It's brilliant. Then the cut Sofistiebrio made me feel as though I was taking flight high above the earth. Vivo is one of the best live underground recordings I have heard to date. The creativity and musicianship is superb. It's dynamic with nuances one can actually feel. If I could pick a band to play an instrument in it would have to be Montenegro. I really like a group who can spread their wings and not follow the crowd. I wonder who the lucky crowd was to see the show. You are a part of underground history... Take your bows…

(Written by Charlie Tooth)

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