Stoner HiVe’s
Top 10 Most Listened To Albums Last Month…
dinsdag 31 maart 2020
zaterdag 28 maart 2020
Delia Poparad – The Land of Mist
Delia Poparad – The Land of Mist
Self Released – 2020
Stoner, Psych, Doom
Rated: ****
Romanian Rock music has come a long way since the Soviet domination of the country ended, with a whole host of new and exciting talent emerging. Delia Poparad, a guitarist and songsmith from Bucharest exemplifies this resurgent talent with her excellent debut album, The Land of Mist. Engaging and well-crafted throughout, it delves deep into the vintage: solid chunks of Heavy Psych emanate from the title track, ably fuelled by strong vocals and swirling fuzz with a strong 70's vibe. "Wicked Queen" opens with heavy bass attack before the riffs kick in ponderous, slow and alluring. The guest vocalists throughout are top-notch and each provides the perfect vehicle to transport their respective songs. Poparad herself is no mean guitarist: a restrained, subtle approach to fuzz reveals an understanding and knowledge of how to use tone to great effect. "Magician Man" evokes late 70's-early 80's metal crossover where Sabbath met Diamond Head and drips with vintage feel. "The High Priestess" is catchy, doom-laced Psychedelia. Punchy riffs combat echoing percussion which bring a lysergic twist to the song. "Jack in the Box" slows down to ballad pace, once again chock-full of catchy hooks and strong vocal presence rolling into a sweetly-delivered, understated guitar solo. This motif continues with the following track, "Thee Moon", a darkly beckoning gesture from slow, crunching riffs and another precision-crafted solo, oddly reminiscent of Paul Kossof. Final track before the outro, "Reverie" again wanders the same doomed horseflesh roads to Sabbathia, blending the power and laid-back restraint to ample effect with strong fuzz overtones and soaring guitar licks. The Land of Mist is a sensational blend of Doom, Heavy Psych and vintage Metal that constantly delivers with precision and flair - brilliant!
(Written by Reek of STOOM)
donderdag 26 maart 2020
Hällas – Conundrum
Hällas – Conundrum
Napalm Records – 2020
Rock, Seventies, Prog, Hard, Psych
Rated: ****
There are those moments when you just want to swim around in that lovely pool of seventies prog. You just want to dive deep into those swirling sounds that seem to go on forever and almost make you drown. But of course much of that pool of old bands, old albums and old songs are fairly well known. Luckily there’s Hällas! On their new album Conundrum the Swedes go even more prog than before. Continuing their trip to extract the retro seventies elements out of that hardrock and psychedelic adventure they started somewhere around 2011. More room for keys and synths and less for straight riffs, more eighties elements and less heaviness. It’s actually more of a leisurely stroll or swim, since we were talking about pools here, through the natural progrock from the seventies, those folk inspired albums from bands like Rush. They sound completely comfortable with their route chosen and the intended goal. A multi-dimensional futuristic sounding retro album. And like a righteous paradox, all of that seems to work beautifully and not at all describe what you will go through when you listen to the album. But then again, sometimes it does. Quite the Conundrum…
(Written by JK)
dinsdag 24 maart 2020
The Ditch and The Delta - The Ditch and The Delta
The Ditch and The Delta - The Ditch and The Delta
Sludgelord Records - April 2020
Sludge, Noise, Progressive, Post-Metal, Doom
Rated: ****
Come April, Salt Lake City's sludge outfit The Ditch and The Delta will bring their self-titled and second full-length to bear, and it's a monster. The trio combine harsh, grinding sludge with a heady mix of post-metal, noise, and prog to create a filthy sound as crushing as it is complex. There's no hand holding here either, as opener "Maim" bursts out with throaty screams, grimy low end, and titanic drums, a highlight of the band's sound. Between the ground-shaking bass drum, head spinning rolls, and twisting rhythms, the drumming is the second coming of Dale Crover, and is a driving force behind The Ditch and The Delta's unrelenting attack. Winding, discordant guitar occasionally pierces the sludge in angular stabs, particularly in cut "Aesthetics of Failure", whose violently grinding riffs bring the title's downtrodden feel to life. The following track "Molt" is an album highlight, beginning with a screeching eastern melody before shifting into an all-out avalanche of lightning fast drum fills and divebomb guitar that would make Torche proud. "Bleed the Sun" brings even more suprises, with a brilliant use of off-kilter dual vocals that feel dangerously unpredictable, and a post-metal wash to slowly end the assault. The Ditch and The Delta's latest is a showcase for melding more than a few styles into an individual sound that's both varied and cohesive, and the resulting seven tracks create an intricate experience that's jarringly heavy.
(Written by Shastabeast)
maandag 23 maart 2020
Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…
Stoner HiVe’s
Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…
The struggle continues. And it looks like it will for quite some time. But we’re gonna just go on with the Stoner HiVe show as much as possible. Even though, while most have been able to take things slower and work from home, part of mine will take me to the streets and towards all people who need help. Delivering medicine to everyone’s doorstep. Which will probably mean, HiVe time shall be limited. As it will for Madman Tony Maim, the man is on the forefront of the disease as he works in the Hospital. Much love and respect goes out to all those who work in Hospitals across the globe and to our very own Madman in special. Thanks and keep doing that magic you do! And now, we continue on with the telegram style tam tam update of the past week. Stoner HiVe’s smoke signals of the most played Top 5 records. On heavy rotation has been the new Glooming Dawn record by Phe, which shall be released on April 11th. We saw the pretty sweet drawn video for The Lion & the Snake; but the record is much better! Languid fuzz and steamy stoner, straight from the desert. Get ready for Phe! And Jegulja we ofcourse mentioned last Wednesday, their instrumental Exit Sandman record continues on where Darkest Light left us, wanting for more. And this is more on every level! So much groove, so many layers, prog, psych and everything so intensely heavy! Stunning! And yes, I Saw The Deep and their Vimana release will not stop rotating here. A gigantic slab of doom, progressive and psychedelic, deep sci-fi rock, which features power rock drumming with metal riffing and grungy vocals. A cathedral of heaviness if ever there was one! Omens, by Elder, out through Armageddon Records and Stickman Records, continues their very own experimentation and exploration of all the psychedelic genres to an incredible degree. We’ve been loving every Elder release since the HiVe got started, and this will definitely be a new one to adore and treasure. Out next month, it will have you travel through time to distant futures and flow along the sands of time and the magnetic currents. Wild and wonderful once more! The Secret Of Our Time is brought to us by Siena Root. And flows perfectly along the Elder record, giving us another side of the society medal. Out on MIG, the seventh studio release of the Swedes, celebrates all the good stuff from the golden days of rock. One can call it retro or you can call it pure solid gold. Either way, this is one that will play extremely loud and will have you dance around the room, the yard or the attic! Whatever your preference! As long as it is in your house and alone! But since all who listen will be doing it, you will not really be alone. We are with you! Dancing that same weird dance! Check’m out! Check’m all out!
zondag 22 maart 2020
Thunderchief – No Sufferance For Thy Fools
Thunderchief – No Sufferance For Thy Fools
Self-released – March 2020
Sludge, Doom
Rated: *****
The great State of Virginia continues to threaten for dominance in the US Underground with bands such as The Astral Void, Inter Arma and Windhand currently hitting the heights. RVA's own Thunderchief, however, lay waste to them all with this crushing new release No Sufferance For Thy Fools, a spine-snapping cesspit of antipathy and bile. Opener "3579" sets the table with a sumptuous, blackened scourge of vilified vocals and plunging riffs. "Lone Wolf McQuaalude" then ignites into a full-on thrasher of brutal, Death-infused sludge which is brutal and unforgiving. The stupor-inducing Doom riffage of "Saipan Death March" reeks of black-eyed malice and drags you off into it's dark lair. More decrepit doom follows in it's wake with "Oracion de Muerte": squealing feedback shrieks and dripping entrails of dark chord progressions lure you to the call. Another bruiser ,"Love Roses and a Pyrex Dish" turns up the gas once again, venomous, deadly riffage brawls with a percussive assault and hate-filled utterances. Closer, "(Dream of the) Hornworm" slows the pace again into an elastic Doom bassline smothered with a chlorine cloth of vicious, foetid tones. Thunderchief have delivered a crushing, brutal and essential exercise in Modern Dark Metal, and suffer fools they do not....
(Written by Reek of STOOM)
woensdag 18 maart 2020
Jegulja – Exit Sandman
Jegulja – Exit Sandman
Self released – 2020
Rock, Stoner, Instrumental, Prog, Metal, Psych
Rated: *****
I will of course always miss that original incarnation of that awesome Slovenian band called Carnaval. But it’s demise did spawn another damn great outfit, namely: Jegulja! With their new album Exit Sandman they have produced another fine piece of instrumental heaviness. Seven amazing tracks that seem to go an bit deeper than those that featured on their debut Darkest Light. Seminal track might be that title-track, which indeed seems to be inspired by Metallica’s Enter Sandman. But only to the degree that the main riff comes across as spin-off into a different dimension. It shows that these cats can envision entirely different worlds to every rhythm and riff. Continuing on we get treated to miniscule worldly elements that give this album exactly that right amount of extra spice and layers. In fact, it often contains so much extra in the way of groove or stomp that you sit and simply listen in awe. It’s those elements together with the prog and psych influences that swing and sway through all that heavy rock and add so much extra to the mixture. Yes, we are going over board again with the praise, but we cannot stress enough that the three Jegulja cats have once again come up with something stunning! Exit Sandman, is otherworldly good! And it is an absolute must have, hear and hoard!
(Written by JK)
dinsdag 17 maart 2020
beehoover - Low Performer
beehoover - Low Performer
Self released - February 2020
Sludge, stoner
Rated: *****
Album number six from Germany's sludge veterans beehoover, "Low Performer" is a powerful and affecting experience conjured up by the two-piece bass and drum masterminds. The bludgeoning strength of their attack is made immediately apparent on opener "Goreplay" with thick, frenetic riffs and deft cymbal work building a constant sense of tension. The Buzzo-style vocals alternate between almost stately cleans and manic screams, making good on the music's promise of danger, helped by harsh tones that verge on industrial. The full impact of "Low Performer", however, is felt when the tense atmosphere is combined with the lyrics of cuts like "Weisenheimer Blues" and "Fisherman". Anguish and loss are palpable in "Weisenheimer Blues" as the line "hell is waiting without hope" is declared over the thrumming, haunting bass, but angry defiance and hope is let loose in the following yell "in the heart of this hell is paradise". "Fisherman" offers another gut punch in its pained tale of spitting in the grim reaper's face, with high and cavernous bass creating an eerie buildup toward the heartfelt story's climax:
"my last breathsave it carefullyinto a plastic bagand push it backinto my rotten body"
The lines are repeated as if, in uttering them again and again, by force of will alone the narrator can speak their second chance at life into a reality. This is just one instance of beehoover's mastery of affectingly heavy songcraft, both sonic and lyrical, in an album filled with sludge epics that manage to deliver intensely felt suffering and hope alongside irresistible groove and pummel. "Low Performer" is a beast of an album that pulls no punches, and is all the more rewarding for it.
(Written by Shastabeast)
maandag 16 maart 2020
Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…
Stoner HiVe’s
Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…
Another telegram style tam tam update of the past week before we head out into the sickly world! Cause the world is sick. Has been for a while. On many levels. But it is now visible to all. The plague is upon us. We will all sneeze ourselves to death. It’s still hard to believe that a new strain of the flu can already disrupt human society and the world to such a degree. What if something even more deadly or contagious hits us? Ye gods! I think everyone should start thinking about heaving a vegetable garden instead of flowers. Might be the wise thing to do… But of course in a few months time this will all have passed and we all will think fondly back at the time when the entire world almost grinded to a halt… We’ll see… But let’s not go the route of all media and start blabbing the same things over and over about the disease. Let’s focus on the things that will get us through this period! Awesome freaking music!! DeWolff streamed a show they did for an empty venue because their tour got cancelled. In my hometown there will be the Isolation Sessions. Featuring bands from the region, like An Evening With Knives, who are now, like DeWolff unable to tour for their just released album. Those Isolation Sessions will be streamed and will become available for pay what you want purchase on Bandcamp. But that’s the future! The past week was filled with other stuff. We’ve have become totally addicted to I Saw The Deep. We mentioned their Vimana release last Friday on the Quick Fire Friday round and man, the release has rocked me to my core! It’s been on repeat the entire weekend. A gigantic slab of doom, progressive and psychedelic, deep sci-fi rock, which features power rock drumming with metal riffing and grungy vocals. A cathedral of heaviness if ever there was one! Lord Loud’s new album Timid Beast won’t be released till somewhere around September. But we have been blessed by King Volume Records and Kozmik Artifactz to get it earlier. Fuzzy, gritty garage that ticks all the right boxes, from proto to punk and from psych to power! One to look forward to! We had the pleasure to speak with Tim ‘Tipover’ Vanhamel when he released his Sciencing album in 2017. And now he’s already back with another Millionaire release Applz NOT Applz record. (Where’s the ‘not’ sign in ascii codes?) Out on Unday Records its filled with more earworms and catchy melodies than one can handle, especially since it always turns around on itself and become weird or even insane. And those earworms, those melodies that will stick with you throughout the day do that more and more with every new listening session. Wor Pigs from France released Beasts and it is righteous animal indeed. Heavy rock! Stoner and psychedelic in abundance, bluesy and enthralling. It drags you along on an adventure from those first few notes. There is no escape! And it will get rid of the pain of being a man. And when you’re looking for some tunes to cruise with? To rev up the engine and go out looking for trouble? Check out The Goners new release Good Mourning. The Five from Sweden have delivered a tasty garage and hardrock album that has no trouble showing us all some class. Yes, we are the squares now. And we shall have to pony up the dough, they immediately give you a whiff of something you might never even knew existed. They ride and raid like marauding cavalry, and sound like they’ve punched their way out of a hundred rumbles, stayed alive with only their boots and their fists. Ah, these righteous dudes, they love to screw it on and we love to get loose! So, you’d better go and check’m out! You know you have all the time in the world now! Check’m out! Check’m all out!
vrijdag 13 maart 2020
Phe - The Lion & The Snake
Phe - The Lion & The Snake
In preparation of the full-sized album release for their new album Glooming Dawn on April 11, in the Muziekcafe, in Helmond, the three amigo's from Phe have released a first single. The Lion & The Snake! And guess what, the crazies have also managed to draw a freaking video for it... Check it out! And have yourself an A-Ha moment!
Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday Friday!
Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday
It's Friday!
And the plague is upon us! Could make all kinds of statements here about global population, the pseudo philosophical fallacy that we call economy, the state of the planet, the state of global pollution and we could go on and on and on. We could offer fun remarks about the moment the disease will mutate and cause the human race to turn into zombies or drooling idiots. Fuck I hate zombies. But we can also just state the obvious: it’s Friday! There is a whole lot of awesome music out there! And we should just all stay indoors and listen to as much of it as we can! And we know, we know, the albums and bands deserve more than the few words we will jot down here. 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!
Heavy Heavy – Dead Weight and Broken Dreams
Formed early 2019 in a piss-ridden alley way somewhere in a dubious part of Berlin, Heavy Heavy consists of three members that came from all over the globe. We’ve got a Finnish cat, a Ukrainian fella and an American dawg. Inspired by bands like Royal Blood, All Them Witches, Highly Suspect, Death From Above, they set out to rediscover rock music, armed with gritty riffs and thunderous rhythms. Dead Weight and Broken Dreams is the first of many tracks soon to spawn. Mid-tempo and echoing indeed that Royal Blood love, that QOTSA infatuation and that Death From Above craze. These cats will definitely make you move. Shake those curls!
Landing Planes – Departure
Another trio. This time originating from lovely Belgium. And yes, lovely, Liège. Don’t just drive through it, or fly over it, go into the city and visit a lovely town. And if possible catch a show by Landing Planes. Cause their four track debut EP Departures is chuck full of grit! Chuck full of riffs! Of stoner trucking and nineties grunge. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these four tracks and yes, there is a whole lot right! Self produced, self released and available for the amount you think it’s worth! Go give’m yer paycheck!
Lynchwood – Breathe
Lynchwood, a five-piece from Colchester, England. Breathe, their debut four-track EP released on One Eyed Toad Records. Four metal tracks that venture in to hardcore, metalcore and more. Founded early 2017 the band delivers in feverous energy and aggressive punches. Raw and emotional vocals change into mob choruses as they produce ruckus that seems to swing with sledgehammers. There’s attention to detail here; and then there is that Psycho track. Damn! Somewhere in Lynchwood.. The kids are on high street…
I Saw The Deep – Vimana
Inspired by mythology, the paranormal and classic sci-fi, I Saw The Deep crafts a wayward trademark heaviness by morphing cryptic, cinematic story lines into monolithic pillars of sound. Yeah, they do! Vimana, is a gigantic slab of doom, progressive and psychdelic and with a massive amount of heaviness. A rougher version of Orange Sunshine came to mind because of the awesome drums in that opening (title) Track. But no, this is much harder and exceptionally different. Heavy and deep sci-fi rock, which features power rock drumming with metal riffing and grungy vocals, all combined through experimental escapades. A cathedral of sound! Full of prog, space, stoner and doom. Executed to such an amazing degree with such a freakin awesome amount of heaviness. Seriously! This is stunning! One of my absolute favorite releases of 2020 so far! A new obsession has been born!
donderdag 12 maart 2020
Lunar Swamp - UnderMudBlues
Lunar Swamp - UnderMudBlues
Self released - March 2020
Doom, blues, southern, stoner
Rated: ****
Beginning with swampy soundbytes of bog critters chirping and croaking, Italian trio Lunar Swamp quickly set the tone with a creepy, occultish atmosphere that brings to life the excellent art on their debut album "UnderMudBlues". Opener "Shamanic Owl" cuts through the swamp sounds to dive into a stomping doomy riff laden with fuzz, channeling classic Sabbath complete with guitar hammering a la Iommi. The vocals are deep and almost operatic in their devilish crooning, deepening the murky atmosphere with an added layer of menacing mystery. The icing on top of the cake, however, is the dash of southern blues thrown in with the occasional sliding lick and keening harmonica cutting through, touches that pull together perfectly the heavy doom and melancholy blues making up the album's five cuts. Another album highlight is penultimate track "Green Swamp", which lures the listener in with slides and strums both crunchy and echoing in a sonic equivalent of the title, before lurching into a low and slow stomp with evil intent. Final cut "Creeping Snakes" lives up to its name as well as the three piece fade back into the mire with clean, morose strumming over the sounds of the bog and distant cracks of thunder. "UnderMudBlues" is a powerful debut and a lesson in atmosphere and style, melding Sabbathian riffs with a southern blues flair in total commitment to Lunar Swamp's unique and vivid vision of doom.
(Written by Shasta Beast)
dinsdag 10 maart 2020
Silent Agreement – From The Amusement Park
Silent Agreement – From The Amusement Park
Self released – 2020
Rock, Hard, Stoner, Grunge
Rated: ****
It has been a while since there was a hard rock act, a stoner outfit, a grunge team that struck me the absolute right way with something so incredibly catchy and pop sensible as the German quartet Silent Agreement. A three track EP called From The Amusement Park that has a The Cult vibe and on which every track immediately drags you along on a wicked ride. It’s easy to listen to, it’s easy to like and it’s damn easy to love! Well, as you noticed we used the word easy a few times in the past sentence; but that’s only meant as a compliment, cause it is freakishly hard to come up with something so comfortable to the ear. Delivering a three-track EP of this quality promises something for the future. We can’t wait to hear a full-sized album by Silent Agreement! But for now we just keep buying new tickets From The Amusement Park!
(Written by JK)
DeWolff – Tascam Tapes
DeWolff – Tascam Tapes
Mascot – 2020
Rock, Soul
Rated: ****
I remember a Blue Cheer gig in my home town back around 2008. I remember me and my buddies watching this band of really young kids playing the warm up set for the few people already there. The band was called INFA and wasn’t really that interesting, except for the young guitar player. We all looked at each other and said: that kid is going places! That kid was Pablo van de Poel and has been touring the world with his two DeWolff brothers for a while now. Their thirteenth release is called Tascam Tapes and was recorded in every dirty little hole they visited the past year. Often recorded in the dressing rooms, toilets or one of the rented chambers in some rundown little shithole people dared call a hotel. Without amplifiers, without a drumkit, no Hammond organ but just some weird looking eighties synthesizers and rhythm tracks lifted of old soul songs. For a three piece band that is known for their massive sound on stage and wild sound on earlier records it is a damn different approach. And one that famously cost the band only fifty bucks to record. Well, it still has a massive amount of soul and can still sound angry, mean or filthy. But it is more laidback and seems to float through so many layers of soul it seems insane. It is a different kind of evolution and one that is definitely welcomed by a DeWolff lover from day one, cause the past records have been a steady line into the past, the sound of yore and the roots on all the greats that came before. This explores soulful dimensions that groove, that swing, that grate, that stutter and makes you long for more. Cause we know all about their hard rocking hard rock, their seventies approach and their psychedelic trucking. This is different and we love it!
(Written by JK)
maandag 9 maart 2020
Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…
Stoner HiVe’s
Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…
Sometimes we have a few minutes left before heading out the door to do a sort of telegram style, tam tam, smoke signals view of that Top 5 Most Listened To Albums list of the Last Week. And today is such a day! A good start of the week after a great weekend; that started with the Sense Of Gravity album release by An Evening With Knives in de Effenaar. The trio rocked the house and showed once again the amazing amount of progress the three have gone through. Good to begin with back when they started back around 2014; but now damn freaking great! A must see band; should they come around to your neighborhood! But before that start of the weekend Mandala Of Fear by Huntsmen got the most spins by far. Out on Prosthetic Records the record boasts 13 metal tracks that all maneuver expertly between stoner, doom and sludge. But what’s sets these guy apart is their use of Americana influences, intense atmospheric elements and all the maximum diversity you can need! One king hell of a record! The new self-titled Brant Bjork album is much needed return to form! To his old form even! Cause we loved the reissue of Jalamanta, but couldn’t do much with Jacoozzi. Out on Heavy Psych Sounds this is the sound we love from Brant! And with all the re-releases of earlier albums to come; it’s gonna be one kick ass Brant year! We’ve been seeing new Oliveri releases the past few months. Fuck It! Pretty decent. Shooters Bible, new versions of Hell Comes To Your Heart songs, not really necessary? And then there’s N.O. Hits At All Vol.666; a new compilation of tracks the man participated with. All out on Heavy Psych Sounds, and all needed for the collection if you love that bald freak as much as we do! And how about that Ummon album by Slift? Out on Stolen Body Records it seems to possess the perfect combination of heavy psychedelic rock with kraut and space elements. And then it just continues to conquer more cosmic territory, crossing into all sorts of genres just to get a foothold in. Amazing album from start to finish! And we’ve listened to an amazing albums more but the one holding the lantern at Number 5 is Galactic Tyrannosaur and their Voyager album. Doom metal from Kentucky that shines a light on a different side of the cosmic side, the cosmic noise! Instrumental, atmospheric, sludgy, doomy and one hell of an adventure! We’ll keep spinning all these a lot! This, week, next week and the for the rest of time!
Check’m out! Check’m all out!
donderdag 5 maart 2020
Lordship - Lordship
Lordship - Lordship
Self released - February 2020
Sludge, doom
Rated: ****
Unearthed from the dark corners of Cincinnati, Ohio, sludge trio Lordship emerge with their self-titled debut to flatten all before them. Right off the bat, the guitar tone of opener "Lizard Queen" sets the mood with a disgustingly thick, crackling mass of fuzz that drags itself forward into Electric Wizard-style riffing. After layering on crashing drums and guttural vocals, the bass somehow tops the preceding heaviness with cavernous bottom end that's no doubt a physical experience live. This lethal combination continues throughout the five tracks, lurching from the desert groove of "Leviathan" to the unrelenting Conan-level pummel of "Age of Fire". There's a strong current of doom within the ear-splitting sludge as well, essential in the realization of Lordship's suffocating and morose sound. The guitar slices into the lumber of "Tunnel Dweller" to fill the cut's second half with a wailing, classic solo, and builds off the head-nodding momentum of closer "Light Bringer" with a lesson in epic doom shredding before crumbling into a bass-and-drum wall of sound.Lordship's debut is one of the heaviest releases of the year so far, combining ungodly tone with an expertly crafted, engulfing atmosphere to deliver five gripping slabs of doomed sludge.
(Written by Shastabeast)
Gomer Pyle – Before I Die I…
Gomer Pyle – Before I Die I…
Suburban – 2020
Rock, Stoner, Grunge, Space, Psych
Rated: *****
The February Doom Charts are once again chuck full of amazing albums. But the following was one of my top choices, it’s heavy and it moves you to the core, and we were honored to write the small blub about their new album. The Dutch outfit Gomer Pyle has been around for more than 20 years and has always been known for perfecting the mixture of stoner and grunge. But their second album Idiots Savant from 2009 already added more to that concoction. Psych, Space, you name it, they did it. Musically diverse the tracks became genres upon their own. Slow forward to the summer of 2017. On a festival in Germany, long time friend of the band, label owner, member of Astrosoniq and their booker Bidi, passes away. The news hits like lightning on a bright and clear summer day. This album pays homage to their friend, (hence the name: Before I Die I...) but also to vocalist Mark Brouwer’s father and all the others they lost. It also pays homage to friendship, to love and so much more. In short: it pays homage to this thing called Life. And they do that on nine amazing tracks that all feel like a different kind of canvas; all filled with their brilliant splatters of heavy rock. It’s colorful and all the somber moments are offsets by shimmering and dazzling moments of beauty.
(Written by JK)
woensdag 4 maart 2020
Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man
Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man
Sony – 2020
Rock, Hard, Metal
Rated:
As that small selection of heavy music fiends that indeed read some of the words we publish know, we do not do lengthy reviews, in depth, technical sifting or negative ones. The reason for that is simple, there is so much good stuff out there, there is no need to dwell on the bad ones. Plus, the crazies that created that horrible piece of music, put their heart and soul into it; and for some personal reason it just does not seem to sit well with the HiVe listener for some reason. But perhaps there are others who might dig it. The other reason is that we are more for enticing the listener to check things out for themselves. So, we always state what something did to our bones, to our blood and to our heart in the hopes it might do something along those lines to the fellow heavy music fiends in the HiVe as well. But once every so often a record comes along that just needs a bit more. I mean, we’re not going to destroy a record recorded by four buddies on a tape recorder in someone’s garage, even if it’s horrible. But when a legend comes up with something disturbingly awful, I guess we are entitled to say so… So, when a legend gives us a new record, fifty years after he shook the world, by unleashing heavy metal upon us all, I guess we should pay some more time and give a few more words to that record… Good or bad?
Doktor420: “Did Ozzy turn into the Dark Pink Prince? It feels a lot like he is guesting on this album. It’s a Post Malone song featuring Ozzy, it’s an Elton John song featuring Ozzy. But also, the other tracks feel like he is just along for the ride…”
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath has given us everything we love. Beautiful and wild, loud and noisy, dark and ominous, twisted and excellent. Friday the 13th, 1970, Black Sabbath gave us the child that is heavy metal and all that came after. We could dive into everything they did afterwards, all the highs and lows, but that’s not why we are here right now. We’re here because Ozzy Osbourne has given us a new record called Ordinary Man. He has been saying goodbye for ages without ever leaving the stage. Or simply coming back after the curtains had barely closed. But now that the man has confessed to suffering from Parkinson’s and he has once again cancelled shows, we might conclude, once again, that this will be a farewell album…
Shastabeast: “The Prince of Darkness's latest effort, "Ordinary Man", starts off strong with opener "Straight to Hell" dealing out a nasty riff and signature Ozzy screams, but that's where the album peaks.”
Doktor420: “He should not have used that quiet part that starts around 2:20 in Straight To Hell. Perhaps it was only put in so he could use his ‘Alright Now’ as he has before.”
Tony Maim: “With the great man’s health in question and the rumors flying around that this may be his last album, it feels a betrayal to his legacy bring up any negative reviews of the new album.”
And not just because of the news surrounding his health, on the record we can also find songs that seem to reflect on his demise or his farewell from the stage. A song like Goodbye is nothing but a testament to that fact. But don’t think there is only doom and gloom here. Of course not, because Ozzy is a humorous man and his lyrics reflect that. But I guess those have always been the key to his way of dealing with life. Stage antics, life antics all seem to reflect that as well. But the seminal track on the album, the one that speaks volume about everything the man has done and continues to do is probably the title track. Ordinary Man, a ballad, a duet with another legend that is saying farewell, Elton John, borders on sentimental travesty, yet seems to drag you into his state of mind, and you cannot help but believe everything they sing. And you continue to realize throughout this track that another legend is leaving the stage… Two of them in fact…
Doktor420: “Ordinary Man with Elton John sounds so calculated; I can see the audience and their lighters.”
Musically, the entire record, is filled with perfect production, (which is only logical), which of course makes you want to state: too perfect. We don’t want Ozzy’s musical footman to sound this perfect; but they are, and they do. Drum work courtesy of Red Hot Chili Peppers very own Chad Smith, on bass Guns ‘N Roses Duff McKagan and guitar by Andrew Watt from California Breed. Guest spots by Tom Morello, Slash, daughter Kelly and a few more. Straight To Hell, a rich hardrocker. All My Life with that sweet riff. Under The Graveyard a fine return to his more doom roots; well, sort of… Which could have been a grandiose return if it has been slowed down more and some of the production value would have been turned off. Eat Me, Scary Little Green Men, fun Ozzy in all his glory! It all leads to a tight knit album that seems to cruise to a perfect salute… Cruising, a bit perhaps too much. The man does, on some moments, seem to just be going through the motions one last time. But that might also be due to the fact that the entire record feels like a glance, a peek at all the different things he has done throughout his career… Indeed… A synopsis of his career with 2020 technology…
Tony Maim: “After the great return to form with Sabbath on “13” I kinda hoped that the next Ozzy album would be recorded with a small band and stripped down but the opposite has happened. Over polished and with a sterile production robs the very moving autobiographical lyrics of any feeling, to me, half the tracks on the album feel like cut and paste versions from previous albums and there seems to be no theme to the track listing which makes for a mish mash of styles.”
Shastabeast: “The following tracks are a mix of ready-for-radio ballads and familiar sounding "epic" metal scores. A few glimmers of the Ozz we love come through in the brutal honesty of the title track and maniacal theatrics of "Little Green Men" and "It's a Raid", but overall, the album falls flat in terms of energy and originality. There's no sense in comparing to his early years but considering what Ozzy's capable of delivering the album feels wanting, particularly coming off the forced, cookie cutter R&B exercises on final track "Take What You Want".”
Doktor420: “It’s A Raid, starts out… errr… Weird. Not necessarily in a good way. I do not understand the noisy violence in this song. Is it a children party flipping out to the heaviest music they heard so far?”
Ten damn good songs that are all looking back and showing us once again what Ozzy is all about. But as a longtime fan of Ozzy and Sabbath there is nothing on this album you will actually need. And much that might make you cringe or shiver. Even if there isn’t anything wrong with them, they add so very little to everything we love from Ozz. But if this is a first meeting with the legend everything you hear on the album could lead to a four or even five stars rating… Really? No, really?
Doktor420: “I am a bit frightened about the feat. Post Malone songs coming up. And we can diss Malone about his autotune stuff, but Ozzy is using it as well. Constantly. Have you seen Ozzy performing live recently? I mean confirmed live singing? I suspect that this is an Ozzybot. A cyborg or fully mechanical robot with a little AI, autotune and spotify database. I mean if you are THE music industry and want to build one artificial musician who can please many listeners of all ages, who would you chose? He has it all: he’s a vampire and eating bats, he's a zombie, he's nearly dead and without any resistance...”
No. There is no way in hell that we can give five stars to the album. And that’s because of the bonus track. Autotune rube Post Malone is already present on the tenth track It’s A Raid; which seems to be a pretty good thrash metal send off, a finale to say ‘damn yeah’ too. But unfortunately, there is an eleventh track. The obligatory bonus song. This time called Take What You Want, featuring Post Malone and Travis Scott. Written by Malone and already featured on this Hollywood’s Bleeding album from 2019, it is what every metal fan dreads. The first thirty seconds, before the fake clap starts, there is hope that it will turn into an awful commercial ballad. But then the clap comes in, a computer beat starts and something that will turn your heart to stone is in the making. No no no, you start to yell, putting your hands over your ears. No no no, don’t do it Ozzy… Sure, we can hear throughout the album, Ozzy’s own voice is aided by some digital help as well. But not in the way that all that there is, is the digital annoyance we know from Post Malone and Travis Scott. No no no… Why end an otherwise pretty good album, diverse in every way, like this? Why end an album, with strong compositions that do not necessarily add something extra to the catalogue, but definitely serve as a glance at what Ozzy was and is all about, with something this awful… Fans will never be able to comprehend it and we doubt there will be some Post Malone fan out there that will be turned on to Sabbath by this one track. But… Apparently, when the single was released it did manage to reach the Number 8th position of the US Billboard Hot 100. So, perhaps we are wrong, and we should celebrate that track. Yes, perhaps we should?! Cause it will turn all the fans of all those autotune dingbats out there into Sabbath fans!
Doktor420: “I make fun of him, but I am not dissing him. He is still one of my old heroes and after ‘Dreamer’ I tried not to see or hear anything new from him to not destroy my ancient picture of him and Sabbath. I unfortunately also saw a few short snippets of his tv series, which I tried to steer clear from. You don’t need to get new fans when you deliver your swansong, your final album. It’s A Raid has one minute of Ozzy but then he's giving his scepter/baton to Malone (the upcoming star for a lot of people). The last song has no Ozzy at all, really. He vanished. I still hope for a final scene with Ozzy. Imagine the roof scene of Bladerunner. Ozzy, dying in the rain, releasing a bat out of his hands when his last breath goes…”
Reek of STOOM: “Farewell Mr. Osbourne - a sober end to a life story few could surpass.”
Tony Maim: "But – his vocals are as good as ever; some songs really kick ass and anything from Ozzy is always welcome. "I come to praise Caesar, not bury him.""
(Written by JK with Doktor420, Tony Maim, Reek of STOOM & Shastabeast)
dinsdag 3 maart 2020
The Doom Chart for February 2020
Doom Charts
“There’s no shoulder to cry on when you have no shame
There’s no finger to point when you are to blame
Open book, in my eyes shows you rain, then storming
I can’t look, when covered by the nothing and the suffering” ~ Down
What a month in the heavy underground. Not only were we blessed with hundreds of albums across the world making their presence known via word of mouth, social media, streaming platforms, live shows, opening slots, festivals, label endorsements, and well, YouTube.
Wait, YouTube? You may have witnessed some of the drama associated with a major YouTube channel Stoned Meadow of Doom (SMOD), causing a ruckus online this past month. The viral support within the heavy scene was an insane and amazing outburst of comradery. At the Doom Charts, its always been strictly about the music. Politics, religion, personal beliefs aside, we try to treat everyone with equal respect no matter their personal situation, unless it crosses THE LINE. We do not support or condone discriminatory acts of any sort. While I generally believe in second chances and that behavior is often a result of upbringing, cultural impacts and surroundings, I also believe in discipline, and consequences for such actions. In this case, the poor actions of SMOD were enough to garner a revolutionary action within the scene leading to what seems like closure to an online abuse of power, despite the exposure he was bringing to select bands on the channel. We’ve all witnessed instances of shady business practices, elitist attitude, and discriminatory actions throughout our lives and are all entitled to our own opinions on how to treat such behavior. In the end I hope we all can learn and grow stronger as humans from the what happened in February, including the perpetrator.
Enough drama, check out the February Charts right here, right now!!
Enough drama indeed. Bucky could not have said it better. Let’s all remember how bad SMOD was and the guy behind it is for the scene. There is no need for such a creep to be around; and I hope all of you crazy music fiends out there will not let it slide. Cause there is no need for him and his channel. There are so many other channels around that do it better for everyone involved. So forget about the bad one and let’s celebrate all those good ones and let’s celebrate the bands and the albums that are on it. Cause, man, there are a lot! Almost 250 albums got voted for by the contributors and only 30 are published. And this goes on every month. Amazing… Simply amazing! And Lowrider’s Refractions album climbed from position 4 in January to the Number 1 spot. Well deserved! And most of those 250 albums could also rank much higher come next 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…
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