Stoner HiVe: april 2020

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And guess what these crazy cats gave us to spread around!

A few Bandcamp codes! Grab’m while they’re there!

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BANDCAMP

woensdag 22 april 2020

Banshee – Livin' In The Jungle

Feeding Tube/Cardinal Fuzz Records – 2020

Stoner, Garage, Heavy Psych

Rated: ****

Bostonian outfit Banshee summon up the spirits of Detroit with their intriguing and beguiling album Livin' In The Jungle, 11 tracks of no-nonsense Heavy Garage Psych that immediately brings the glory days of Alice, Iggy and MC5 to your eardrums. Following the birdsong chorus of opener 'Genesis', 'The Law' kicks in with a fervent abandon of booming bass and wild guitar thrusts over a thudding, heavy percussive rhythm. The vocals instantly recall AC, a snarling and sleazing conductor for the sounds. 'Dawn of Man' slows the pace to a hook-jammed Glam vibe drizzled with an Eastern-styled guitar motif, a groovy, head-nodding stomper. Title track 'Livin' In The Jungle' is pure Stooges: Low, slow and deadly riffage pulsating with vintage sweat and swagger. The Stooges/Alice vibe continues with 'Savage Man', a fist-pumping, frothing slowburn of shuddering bass and aerial guitar swirls. The weird, trip-out xylophone/Sitar interlude of 'Credo' bleeds into 'Snake Charmer': more heavy bass propelling a strident riff, spiced with oriental flavoured organ shrills and more greasy, lascivious vocals. "The Inner Circle' begins with vocal chants and acoustic strums which flows and ebbs through a sea of high-pitched guitar wails and strange synthesized noise, gradually increasing in pace to a frenzied guitar wig-out at the finale. Another interlude, 'Summoning' is awash with odd echoes and ambient arrhythmia before ushering in 'The Atomic Flu'...once again hitting that AC/Blue Cheer/MC5 groove and running with groovy rhythm and the recurring Sitar-style overlays. Closer 'Caged Birds' is a pungent, fuzz-infused Heavy Blues crusher, the vocals again reminiscent of the Ribbed One- dirty, raw and half-crazed. Banshee weave solid threads of the Detroit Heavy sound with Eastern spices and an inimitable style all their own. One for the acid freaks!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

Lacertilia – Calling The Quarters

Proper Tidy Records – 2020

Rock, Stoner, Doom, Psych

Rated: ****

And ofcourse this Welsh band featured prominently on the Doomed & Stoned in Wales compilation curated by the wicked Reek of STOOM for Billy Goate’s Doomed & Stoned site. And ofcourse we loved their Crashing Into The Future release of 2015 and full-sized We're Already Inside Your Mind from 2016. But we have to admit, we never got around to mentioning them back then! And we are very very sorry! Now we try to remedy that horrible failure by mentioning the new Calling The Quarters by the awesome Lacertilia! The album arrived about a week ago and has been spinning ever since. Eight tracks of majestic stoner metal grooves and psychedelic doom explorations. It has this underlying rumbling atmosphere; a punk attitude and primal aggression which they let loose upon you with grandiose guitarwork and expansive gestures. It’s a gigantic sound and a truly feral experience that won’t let up till that intro part of the Further, the third track. On which they show that these five Crazy Welshmen have more cards up their sleeve. Going from big to huge, bringing in the Shamanistic elements and to something thick, dense and even more powerful. Hats off to Lacertilia for this amazing new release!

(Written by JK)

Proper Tidy Records

dinsdag 21 april 2020

Desert Storm - Omens

APF Records / Purple Sage PR - April 2020

Sludge, stoner, progressive, doom

Rated: ****

Since 2008's self-titled LP, Desert Storm have been a national treasure of the UK heavy scene with their thunderous mix of sludge, stoner, and southern rock, and their sixth effort Omens sees them firing on all creative cylinders. Following 2018's crushing "Sentinels", Omens adds even more layers of atmosphere and progressive technicality, and succeeds in the impressive task of balancing raw, touching emotion with unrelenting heaviness. The titular spoken word intro sets the scene with eerie rhymes and occult vibes, and then the gates are blown open with the massive, roiling riffs and venomous bellows of "Black Bile". The low end divebombs in Torche fashion between the twin guitar attack's jarring grooves, all grounded by pulverizing drumwork. It's no small feat to compete with this wall of sound, but the agile vocals prove more than up to the task, taking charge with a wide range of growls, melodic cleans, and sludgy roars that add an emotional weight and element of storytelling to take the music's impact to another level. This is most apparent on following track "Vengeful Gods", a tale of struggle against an ancient evil told over pummeling riffage and atmospheric keys that make the threat feel all too real. The expertly crafted songwriting is maintained throughout the rest of Omens, with passages of slower, haunting melancholy peppered in to offset the band's earth-shaking assault. Desert Storm are at the top of their game on Omens, a powerfully affecting record that sees them continuing to evolve and experiment even after twelve years, to devastating results.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

High Priestess – Casting The Circle

Ripple Music – 2020

Rock, Doom, Occult, Psych

Rated: ****

Mike O’Sullivan went all poetic again on his bandcamp blurb for the High Priestess release Casting The Circle. “A pentagrammic ritual, encircled and cast. Five psychedelic pedestals of purple and ash. Each one the upholder of a doom-totem², squared. As three stars smoulder and bloom omens there.” And we love it! The blurb and the album! Cause the three High Priestess ladies from LA bring us some easy going, ear pleasing, highly atmospheric occult doom. The seventies approach of the three give us five languid tracks to go all shamanist and crazy on. The polyphonic vocals add hugely to the spiritual tapestry that comes across as in league with the natural world and not the evil spirits. They give their instruments and compositions so much room and air it feels like you are standing on top of Sagarmatha or Erebus volcano watching all of creation speed buy while the it slows down inside of you. It’s heavy, but always in a transcending way and not in an aggressive way. It will spin you out of time and make you forget all about that world that is speeding by outside of you. And yes, it might turn you into a poet!

(Written by JK)

Ripple Music

maandag 20 april 2020

Stoner HiVe’s Top 10 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…

Stoner HiVe’s

Top 10 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…

Phe

Scream Of The Butterfly

Pantanum

We’ll keep posting the Top 10 of last week. Because once again we listened to a lot of different albums, but had limited time to really dive into them. We also listened to some more podcasts than usual. Like the Doomed & Stoned, Hour Of The Riff & Deathrattle Podcast. And thanks to Reek of STOOM we even had our own Hums Of The HiVe. Check out his recent ones HERE! But anyway, the 10 bands listed above released something good and it will definitely continue to get a lot of spins! So check’m out! Check’m all out!

zaterdag 18 april 2020

Brass Owl – State of Mind

Honk-E-Fonk / Self released / Dewar PR – 2020

Rock, Hard, Stoner, Southern, Blues

Rated: ****

The album sounds like it has a definite purpose. Invigorating that old bluesy, southern hard rock sound! Twisting it up with bits of stoner and something that sounds wickedly funky and even some gospel swing or psychedelic meandering. It’s a statement this new State Of Mind album by Brass Owl. Of purpose and intent indeed, bold, brave and bourbon soaked. You would assume Nashville roots or Texan ancestry, but the boys are from Cincinnati Ohio and bring forth a rusty and worn sound that reveal a definite love for the old blues legends and the roots rock of yore. Hoka Hey chimes in there reminiscent of some Appalachian folk music and gives the album even more character. The guitar crackles, pierces, purses and squeezes and almost everywhere the vocals shine through with authority. And it works brilliantly, cause even if the range is limited, you believe every intense and fiercely fought confession or universal truth that is uttered. Brass Owl, my admiration for this simple, sleek hard rocking blues record keeps growing with every listening session. And there will be many to come!

(Written by JK)

vrijdag 17 april 2020

Slap Guru - Umashi's Odyssey

Sixteentimes Music - June 2020

Psych, blues, stoner, prog

Rated: ****

Madrid-based four piece Slap Guru release their third full-length Umashi's Odyssey this June, and it's more than worth the wait. Mixing 70's hard rock, stoner crunch, and proggy eastern melodies, the band's latest is a far-reaching concept album based on the novel of the same name and covers a wide array of sounds. The diversity of influences at play is made immediately apparent in the first two tracks, as the strings and pastoral vibes of opener "Meeting the Mermaids" are followed up by the retro stop-start shuffle of "Acid One". A piercing lick serves as the track's cornerstone, and each of its quick bursts leaves you eagerly waiting for the next. The rest of the LP continues the pattern of alternating speed and style, such as the excellent contrast between the mid-tempo southern swagger of "The Night With Its Spells" and the high energy rush of "Erkil", whose psyched out solo is an album highlight. The best is saved for last, however, with closer "The Plastic Island". Warm bass pulses along with sunny, bouncing guitar before the track launches into a show-stopping riff, hammering out a warbling eastern melody in a sharp attack that demands repeat listens. Umashi's Odyssey is an epic effort by Slap Guru, loaded with memorable hooks, talent to spare, and a style that traverses influences with ease, making for an adventure not to be missed.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

The Hums of The HiVe – Episode 1

woensdag 15 april 2020

The Hums of the HiVe – Episode 1

The Hums of the HiVe – Episode 1

March. Remember March? We do and we remember all those amazing albums we listened to. But to make things easier for all of us out there, our very own Reek of STOOM decided to podcast One track of all the amazing albums we mentioned throughout March into one big Hum. Yes, The Hums of The HiVe – Episode 1 is here. Two hours of amazing albums we mentioned in March on the HiVe! All thanks to the amazing Reek of STOOM! Go check it out!

(00.00.00) 01 THE GONERS [SE] - Are You Gone Yet?

(00.03.57) 02 SILENT AGREEMENT [DE] - Solid

(00.07.45) 03 HUNTSMAN [US] - Colossus

(00.14.07) 04 SLIFT [FR] - Ummon

(00.19.48) 05 ELDER [DE] - In Procession

(00.29.15) 06 SIENA ROOT [SE] - Final Stand

(00.35.10) 07 GALACTIC TYRANNOSAUR [US] - Voyager

(00.40.40) 08 BEEHOVER [DE] - Weisenheimer Blues

(00.47.31) 08 GOMER PYLE [NL] - Scum Trade

(00.52.23) 10 JEGULJA [DL] - Exit Sandman

(00.58.24) 11 LORD LOUD [US] - Timid Beast

(01.01.44) 12 MILLIONAIRE [BE] - Strange Days

(01.06.06) 13 MONDO GENERATOR [US] - We Are Mondo Generator

(01.09.15) 14 THUNDERCHIEF [US] - Saipan Death March

(01.16.46) 15 DELIA POPARAD [RO] - Thee Moon (feat. Shole)

(01.20.23) 16 I SAW THE DEEP [NL] - Vimana

(01.25/44) 17 PHE [HL] - We Are Gods

(01.30.33) 18 BRANT BJORK [US] - Jungle In The Sound

(01.34.33) 19 HALLAS [SE] - Beyond Night and Day

(01.40.00) 20 DEWOLFF [NL] - North Pole Blues

(01.42.01) 21 LUNAR SWAMP [IT] - Green Swamp

(01.47.28) 22 THE DITCH & THE DELTA [US] - Molt

(01.53.30) 23 LORDSHIP [US] - Age of Fire

(02.01.53) 24 WOR PIGS [FR] - From The Waves

(02.11.38) 25 OZZY OSBOURNE [UK] - Ordinary Man

The Hums of The HiVe – Episode 1

maandag 13 april 2020

Top 10 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…

Stoner HiVe's

Top 10 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…

Phe

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs

Lucifungus

Something different… We decided to post the Top 10 of last week. Because we listened to a lot of different albums, but had limited time to really dive into them. But the 10 listed here will definitely continue to get a lot of spins! So check’m out! Check’m all out!

zondag 12 april 2020

Doomed & Stoned in Wales

From the Land of Song emerges yet another impressive Doomed & Stoned compilation, curated by the Reek of Stoom in his far-reaching efforts to hear all that is heavy. Doomed & Stoned in Wales presents a diverse range of music as rich as the land's storied history, traveling from hard-hitting stoner and psych to full throttle punk and sludge, only to be slowly crushed in the end by low and slow doom. Ironbird takes a proggy spin on stoner and Lacertilia brings a bassy desert groove, before the unpredictable psych of one-man band Caravan Obscura and oddballs Moon Goose turn everything on its head. Two acts especially enjoyable and unexpected are another one-man outfit, Fuzzasaurus, whose Breeders-like bass is catchy beyond reason, and Dead Shed Jokers with their Western bluesy stylings. Wales brings the wild, however, with Tides of Sulfur's punishing high-speed sludge assault, and shows off its doom credentials with the bottomless low end of Kitten Spider and LUNG's nodding Sleep worship. Billy Goat's Doomed & Stoned has gifted us yet another goodie bag of heavy to dive into, showing Wales to be a well of underground music bursting with talent and style.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

Doomed & Stoned in Wales

vrijdag 10 april 2020

Flynotes – The Goddess of Sunrise

Haeverk Industrier – 2020 (March 7th)

Doom, Sludge. Space

Rated: **********

Russian Psychedelic Doom trio Flynotes demand utter dominion over the ears with their incredible and panoramic gravitas on The Goddess of Sunrise. "When The Alcohol Ran Out" opens with mournful, lamenting vocal over a reverb-soaked, 'surf's - up' guitar snarl, haunted with wistful recollections of what could never be again. Blunt cudgels of heavy drum open "The Shadows in the Garden" and the immense power of their sound unleashes with sheer force and grisly rhythm overlaid with sensorial sweeps and ambient noise. "Aurora" quietly rolls in on calm waves of lush synth and evocative guitar refrains before the huge, expansive riffage arrives complete with soaring solo and rampant tempo. "Kaleidoscope" blossoms in an Eastern awakening of pentatonic sax and atmospherics until once again planet-sized riffs and bass throbs ramp up the pace and launch under their own velocity. The dark hypnotics and shrill, acid slide guitar breaks of "No Love No Glory" carry textures and presence over a hard percussive landscape spiked with anthemic aural spires. The bombastic might of "When August Crashes Against Autumn" immediately evokes comparisons with King Crimson before an echo-fed guitar refrain unfolds in gentle ebbs like Ash Ra Tempel. "Great Time Irreversibility" is a strident fizzling acid of sludge .Cheese-wire sharp guitars descend into Stygian glooms of Psychedelic horror and grim foreboding, the slow pulse rhythm seemingly dragging out the impending inevitable. Closer "About J." is a reposed ambient tapestry of soft Jazzy guitar and horn, a safe and gentle return from the pit. The sound, musicianship, concept and execution of this album is truly staggering. The production is highway-wide and Flynotes capture an essence of true progressivity and vision. A plausible AOTY contender.

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

woensdag 8 april 2020

Pale Mare - EP II

Seeing Red Records - April 2020

Sludge, thrash, doom

Rated: *****

Following up their barnburner of a debut EP in 2017, Toronto trio Pale Mare bring the aggression and up the ante with EP II. The Canadians meld sludge, thrash, and doom to build a caustic and furious sound that's akin to a more varied High on Fire, and is both carefully crafted and utterly relentless. Opener "House of War" hits the ground running with an avalanche of riffs and grimy, chunky low end, somehow catchy while throwing in neck-snapping breaks. About halfway through, the tune shifts to an instrumental section of eerie atmospherics and soaring guitar, and this is where Pale Mare show they haven't been sitting on their laurels since EP I. Longer, somewhat subdued (by their standards) passages of doom and tension building instrumentation are peppered throughout the album, working to build loads of tension and mood while still maintaining the trio's blood-pumping sense of heavy. With this powerful addition to their arsenal, the sludgers proceed on a scorched earth assault through the rest of the release. "Zealot" feels ready to explode at any second with manic riffs and battering drums giving no respite, while "Voidgazer" is out for blood with a hammering wall of sound. Closer "Remains" deals in massive doom and Sleep-like bounce, bringing the tracks to a fittingly crushing end. Pale Mare have outdone themselves on their second effort, taking their signature uncompromising sound and expanding on it with layers of well-constructed atmosphere. The result is four raging epics that will demand and consume your attention.

(Written by Shasta Beest)

Dictator Ship – Your Favorites

The Sign Records / Dewar PR – 2020

Rock, Roll, Hard, Garage, Punk, Blues

Rated: ****

We love that atavistic style of rock ‘n roll, that early sixties garage, that seventies punk, that groove and punch, that grab and smash, those wild and wicked kick out the jams! And for whatever weird reason the Scandinavians have been doing that particularly well the past years... In come the four Swedes from Dictator Ship and their debut album Your Favorites. Seven high energy rockers that sounds like they live and direct. There’s a lot of soul and a lot of boogie going on, on Your Favorites, the pedal is pushed to a righteous degree. Which gives it an intense party vibe and a funky edge of southern goodness. The four Swedes deliver a debut album, filled with indestructible material which will already be tough to beat on their next. This pirate ship has their boat filled with rum and rock and welcome each and everyone!

(Written by JK)

zondag 5 april 2020

Phe - Glooming Dawn

Self released - April 2020

Stoner, grunge, doom, desert

Rated: *****

The Netherlands' Phe were brought to my attention by HiVe overlord Joop himself, and oh did he deliver. Phe are a three piece playing heavy, atmospheric stoner rock with layers of harsh distortion and touches of doom. Following up on their 2017 self-titled debut, their first full-length "Glooming Dawn" will be released April 11 and is a resounding statement of purpose. The trio are in total control of their unique sound, dealing out wave after wave of riffs in gritty, weighted tones over a thrumming bass and hammering skins, with a minor sonic boom for a bass drum. Over all this noise lie the captivating vocals, a combination of raw shouts and passages that border on spoken word in their delivery, operatic and haunting like a dirtier take on Nick Cave. These elements all tie together to create an easy, smooth flow from the album's beginning to end, starting with the leaden-toned crush and nod of doom opener "Vortex". Offering respite from the pummel is "The Lion & the Snake", a dangerous mix of morose and catchy Nirvana-esque grunge that never ceases to be heavy. There's no weak track in the bunch, and "We are Gods" stands tall as one of the highlights of the album. The intro is steeped in decidedly evil doom, with satanic, echoing guitar over a writhing bass that builds in intensity with the vocals, eventually exploding into an anthemic uproar of yells and grinding, nodding riffs. Track after track, "Glooming Dawn" shows Phe to be a band in full mastery of their sonic identity, bringing a distinct and varied take on heavy that's deeply affecting and undeniably groovy.

(Written by Shasta Beest)

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Stone Machine Electric – Stone Machine Electric

Self released / Dewar PR – 2020

Rock, Doom, Sludge, Stoner, Jazz

Rated: ****

Are you still spinning the shit out of Darkness Dimensions Disillusion that came out on Sludgelord Records last year? Well, to commemorate their first ever live gig which happened on March 26 2010 opening up for Wo Fat the Stone Machine Electric duo will now release a seven inch featuring two early recordings. Walking Among The Blind and Mushroom Cloud bring forth their very own style of heaviness to a very sludgy degree. Both tracks are powerful and pack a mighty punch, but opening track Mushroom Cloud does seem to blossom more into its own in regards to that second track. It’s dirty and explosive, it’s machinal and harsh! And it’s exactly what we like about Stone Machine Electric. Now let’s hope they get to perform live again soon and let’s hope we can celebrate more decades of Stone Machine Electric!

(Written by JK)

Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…

Stoner HiVe’s

Top 5 Most Listened To Albums Last Week…

Phe

We know, it's Sunday. We normally post the Most Listened Top 5 on a Monday. But due to work we do not have time tomorrow. Or tuesday... So we do it today! Ledfoot and his magical White Crow album has been spinning relentlessly. And we sincerely hope you crazies out there, check it out, cause it is insanely good. Gothic blues, atavistic blues, the blues of yore done right! Phe! The Glooming Dawn comes out next week. Which would have been a release gig party, but due to the crisis had to be cancelled. But it will still go live next week! Keep an eye on their bandcamp site! Häxan stormed the Doom Charts and stormed around the warroom. What a record! Love Like Machines by The Heavy Eyes, once again The Heavy Eyes guys deliver the golden goods! Heavy psychedelic blues that just immediately captures your heart and soul. And the Woorms trio deliver something equally stunning but totally different with their album Twitching, As Prey. A must listen album if you ever loved anything about sludge metal. Must listen! But then again, they all are! So check'm out! Check'm all out!

zaterdag 4 april 2020

Her Name Was Fire – Decadent Movement

Raging Planet / Dewar PR – 2020

Rock, Grunge, Stoner, Alternative, Pop

Rated: ****

The Portuguese duo Her Name Was Fire brings us some sleazy stoner, grunge and alternative rock with this high pop sensible catchiness and fanciness. Very soon after Decadent Movement we start dancing and we shall not stop! It’s a Queens of The Stone Age soul with Bud Spencer Blues Explosion believes and a fire burning hot! High energy is an understatement and talent seems to be running wild within these cats. Delicious songs about the darker sides of human existence done with so much air and light you cannot do anything else but celebrate it all. It’s a damn fine rocker! A rocker that has everything you need to bring air to these twisted days we’re all experiencing. It’s sexy, it’s intense and simply irresistible Fun. With a capital F! Her Name Was Fire !

(Written by JK)

Ledfoot – White Crow

Ledfoot – White Crow
TBC – 2020
Rock, Blues
Rated: *****

We knew about this cat before that album. But thanks to the Damned album from 2010, which featured Madrugada’s Sivert Hoyem on the track Wicked State Of Mind, we really got to know Tim Scott McConnell. His stagename, Ledfoot. His craft, blues. On his newest release White Crow the man hypnotizes and mesmerizes with his twelve string plunking. His dark bariton is smokey and weathered. Wasted and worn memories of Wovenhand, Mark Lanegan, Blind Lemon Jefferson and John Fahey pass through your mind like shifting sands, cause the entire album seems to transcend everything and all. And that’s because his roots music continues to fascinate and enthrall, even if the fundamental keynote never changes. In fact, his open approach whips around the same chords, which just seems to add to heartbreaking beauty that is White Crow. One foot on the stompbox, one foot in the grave, Ledfoot brings you his own version of Gothic Blues, and it is the only blues that will save…

(Written by JK)

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Häxan – Aradia

Fuzzed & Buzzed Records / DHU Records – 2020

Rock, Proto, Doom, Blues, Occult

Rated: ****

As we struggle to whittle down the amount of albums we choose as the best ones released during March, we are completely awed again by the amount of great music. So much, so many. And then we come across the new Häxan album Aradia… And we get the shivers… And right after that we get to write the blurb for the March Doom Charts for Aradia… As we wonder through those sounds of yore, the blues of yesteryear, that aged doom and the proto-metal that started it all you realize that there weren’t that many bands that did it as good as Häxan does today. On their new album Aradia we hear that occult touch done with a golden shimmer! With a wicked glint in their eyes the foursome give a record filled concise rockers that all seem to mesmerize. Pulling you ever nearer to the bubbling cauldron… Aradia, a brilliant album that touches you right there… Where all the shivers start…

(Written by JK)