zondag 28 juni 2020

LMI – Excess Subconscious


LMI – Excess Subconscious
Handstand Records / Maniyax Records – 2020
Rock, Punk, Core, Scream, Noise, Stoner
Rated: ***

LMI stands for Lazy Middle-class Intellectuals. If you did not know that, you do know. If you already knew, you know what LMI will do to you! Their new album Excess Subconscious just came out through Handstand Records and Maniyax Records and will blow all the dust, anger, paranoia and angst out of your brain in one fell swoop. The screamo, hardcore, punk noise that blasts through your head during eleven short and concise tracks gets just enough of the earlier stoner treatment to not only turn your mind inside out but also your body. The manic rhythm changes and the stomp and pounce of the drums is just pure insanity. Impossible to sit still with this one. No easy listening here. No wonderous trip through the universe. No, no, no, this is not for the feeble or the faint of heart. This is music for those of us who are on the end of their tether. The ones that dipped one to many times into the cup o’ crazy or attended a few to many of the gin tasting sessions down the road. The evil shrieks, snarls and screams translating all those wicked emotions and all those toxic vapors and dangerous recesses of the subconscious mind. LMI, three lunatics, three maniacs, three insane individuals that have delivered some damn powerful stuff with Excess Subconscious

(Written by JK)



zaterdag 27 juni 2020

Lowtone - LOF


Lowtone - LOF
Self released - June 2020
Doom, blues, stoner
Rated: ****

From the first notes of their debut two-tracker LOF, French trio Lowtone make it clear their name's as much a mission statement as it is a warning. The sheer weight of the riffs and seismic bass steamrolls unprepared listeners, dealing out Wo Fat levels of heaviness across two long cuts of bluesy doom. Lead track "LANDS OF FIELDS" sets the stage with a mammoth stomp, grumbling along with Sabbath swing in what could easily be an excellent instrumental, until the vocals introduce themselves as the surprise cherry on top. Like a gruffer Chris Cornell, the clean singing is both forceful and emotive, complementing the bouncing beats and delivering ear worm hooks. Lowtone show off an extensive arsenal throughout "LANDS OF FIELDS", including a highlight Iommi-worshipping break that sees the guitar and quaking bass trade off creeping licks. The second track "LUDIVINE" takes a slightly different direction, trading low and slow doom for an upbeat, bouncing blues riff that loses none of the previous weight, and somehow introduces an even grimier bass tone. The drums are driving and rock steady, offering perfectly placed fills left and right. A solo straight from a 70s guitar hero jam tops it off, and Lowtone stand triumphant at the end of their short but sweet first slab of heavy. Repeat listens are simply a necessity for this crushing one-two of bluesy doom, and more tunes from the trio can't come soon enough.

(Written by Shasta Beast)




donderdag 25 juni 2020

Kingnomad - Sagan Om Rymden


Kingnomad - Sagan Om Rymden
Ripple Music - July 2020
Progressive, space, psych
Rated: ****

Swedish progressive wizards Kingnomad return with their third album, Sagan Om Rymden, on Ripple Music, and hold nothing back as they dive even deeper into their otherworldly sound. Flush with sci fi 70s organ, bright guitars, and dreamy vocals, the band weaves their way through an unapologetically proggy space rock journey. Sagan Om Rymden hits the ground running with the undeniably fun retro synth riff of "Omniverse", throwing the listener into a world of B movie lasers and cosmic adventure. "Small Beginnings" brings a heavier crunch with its insistent chug, and the heft of tunes makes for a poignant contrast with the floating, dreamy feel of songs like the epic "Tillabakablick/The Usurper King" and the hypnotizing "The Creation Hymn". Underneath the sweeping strings and keys is rock solid drumming, firmly holding down the beat and driving the music forward with a satisfying punch. The excellent battery is especially apparent on highlight track "Multiverse", whose razor sharp guitar tones wind through the drumming in a tense Eastern rhythm. Kingnomad's musical curiosity only continues to build throughout the rest of the record, from the medieval acoustic guitar of "The Fermi Paradox" to the snaking, funky bass of closer "The Unanswered Question". Sagan Om Rymden is an ambitiously progressive record that pulls it off with ease, delivering a mystical, spacey sound that's joyously inventive and retro at the same time.

(Written by Shasta Beast)



woensdag 24 juni 2020

Harry Cloud – The Pig And The Machine


Harry Cloud – The Pig And The Machine
White Worm Records – 2020
Rock, Indie, Doom, Sludge, Shoe-Gaze, Art
Rated: ***

There are those instances when you immediately know you are dealing with someone who never wanted to color between the lines. And then there are those instances when you immediately know that this is a cat who never even noticed there were lines. Harry Cloud is without any doubt one of those last ones and has been releasing artful and insane music under his own name, Cops, Single Mothers and many other monikers for awhile now. We love the fact he approaches every album once again as a different cul de sac to trash or a empty canvas to burn. There are no lines, all the colors you can imagine and there are definitely no rules! Unpredictable and highly erratic, the new album The Pig And The Machine hop, skips and jumps all over the place, turning noisy and sludgy one moment and then all indie and artistic the next. As if you are staring at Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue four hours on end together with Harry Cloud and a bunch of dancing dwarfs threatening to throw shit at the painting if you dare look away. How can a piece of musical art instill so many different feelings, intense glee, paranoia, schizophrenia and release? The many many heads of The Pig And The Machine will bite and chew and rip and tear and leave you wondering where all those feelings went. Leaving you weary and at the end of your tether…

(Written by JK)




maandag 22 juni 2020

LáGoon - Father of Death


LáGoon - Father of Death
Interstellar Smoke Records, Forbidden Place Records, & Baxter Electric Guitars - 2020
Stoner, Heavy Psych, Doom
Rated ****

Whilst almost the entire planet has been derelict, Portland stoners LáGoon actually increased their output three-fold: between May and June they have proffered two albums and an EP!, the latest of which is Father of Death that hones their Desert vibes and incorporates Heavy Psych and Doom through five weighty wedges of power. Title track and opener 'Father of Death' rumbles with rancorous bass, low-slung and sordid, dragging a Sabbathian riff through Glam overtones and sleaze-fuelled vocals. 'Resuscitation' growls in from understated guitar picks, booming into proto-metal riffage ponderous and mighty, barbed with tuneful solos and time changes. A simple guitar refrain once again heralds the unleashing of slow, sick riffs and full-on solo assaults! Proto-metal bass grooves bleed over 'Broken Oath', an almost Witches Of God vibe bolted onto an organ-slapped Doom riff at once compelling and tremendous. As with all great albums, the epic is kept until last. 'Stab & Cut' melts in on sweet guitar melodies then plummets into the vastness of a Doom crusher, vibrant and potent. Similarities with Witches Of God are again apparent, but LáGoon's approach is less Goth, more Desert and heavier. This is an album that will satisfy the Heavy Underground Rocker: everything a growing cult could want!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)





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


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

woensdag 17 juni 2020

Rito Verdugo - Post-Primatus


Rito Verdugo - Post-Primatus
Self released - June 2020
Psych, stoner
Rated: ****

Composed amid quarantine, the new EP Post-Primatus from Lima, Peru's Rito Verdugo is an exhilarating escapist ride of heavy psych. Mixing firm, swinging groove with trippy psychedelia and blown out vocals, the group delivers four solid tracks as unpredictable as they are irresistible. Brief opener "Misterio" sets a hazy scene with a lethargic beat and spacey effects before launching into the rush of "Monte Gorila". The warm and insistent bass holds down a rapid-fire riff beneath crunching guitars, while layered vocals attack in a distorted assault in the style of Ecstatic Vision. Sweeping effects keep the ears reeling throughout, but never to the point of overwhelming and always in service to the groove. "Lo subnormal" ups the ante even more with a hard-hitting, driving riff that's all fuzz and low end. Rito Verdugo channel both Fu Manchu and Led Zeppelin, alternating between no frills desert punk and bluesy bounce. The drums are a particular highlight of the track, dishing out Bonham inspired fills and setting a foundation for the pounding backbone of a rhythm section. Last but not least, epic instrumental closer "Inhumación" is a tour de force of heavy, swinging through a doomy Sabbath groove one minute and smoothly shifting to a Maiden-esque chug the next. One sinister earworm hook in particular is a standout lick, not for lack of competition, and the track's wild onrush eventually comes to a close amid an avalanche of riffs. Post-Primatus is a wild ride of stoner psychedelia that keeps you guessing and never lets up off the gas, making for one of the most exciting short releases of the year.

(Written by Shasta Beast)





maandag 15 juni 2020

The Fizz Fuzz – Palmyra


The Fizz Fuzz – Palmyra
Taxi Driver Records/Slush Fund Records – 2020
Rock, Desert, Stoner, Atmospheric
Rated: ****

Featuring hero Dave Angstrom (Hermano/Luna Sol), Steve Earle (Afghan Whigs), Mike Callahan (Hermano/Earshot), Alice Albertazzi and Gianfranco Romanelli (Alice Tambourine Lover) and Mark Engel (Orquesta del Desierto) will ofcourse immediately turn me on and I trust you as well! But The Fizz Fuzz is actually the new musical vehicle of maestro Dandy Brown and his wife Dawn, and that fact is even more important. Cause as driving force behind the amazing Orquesta Del Desierto and Alice Tambourine Lover, the man has always held a sweet spot deep inside my heart. Solo record Scattered Days was already a damn fine release but The Fizz Fuzz’s debut album Palmyra shines even more. Recorded in many different studios around the globe the album retains this high desert feeling. An atmosphere that encapsulates that moment of blossoming cacti after an early morning rain shower perfectly as well as those dusty windswept sand roads longing for a drop or two. Two pieces that go perfectly together, just like the voices of the couple, sparkling and clean. It’s the Fizz that was added to the Fuzz. Sizzling shiny rock combined with airy compositions and every possible drop of ambience. One hell of an album once again and one that will play out many summer evenings when you are staying at home… It could not have arrived at a better time!

(Written by JK)




Voltage – It’s About Time


Voltage – It’s About Time
Self released – 2020
Rock, Southern, Country, Blues
Rated: ****

When that soft breeze feels particularly warm, the coals are slowing losing their heat and you are feeling particularly dusty, you don’t always need to grab back to Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker or those dastardly Allman Brothers. In fact, you don’t even have to look to the Southern Rockers of the USA for a righteous dose of a blues and country. Over here, in the lowlands, we’ve got our own Voltage slowly building a fire pit of southern tinged rock. It’s About Time in their third album and it is once again a damn fine record. Why did we stop mentioning them after that debut Travellin’ Men? Well, we’ve got this big distaste for anything surrounding those tv-shows searching for a new popstar. And well, they participated. But when you return to the right path and with an album filled with musical vindication you’ve got my vote for sure. This is an album that can easily be mentioned in the same breath with the masters of yore. Eleven tasteful songs that exhume quality and have almost perfect arrangements, compositions and musical muscle. That bronzed voice with its distinct breaking sound  and that wonderful slide just seem made for each other. Recorded mostly live in Uncle Gabe’s Sound Studio they show that county, blues and southern rock mixed up with a knee weakening amount of melody and story telling can just as easily come from The Netherlands. The sun is setting, but the evenin is warm, put on Voltage, cause It’s About Time for a thunderstorm…

(Written by JK)




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



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

zaterdag 13 juni 2020

Kissed By An Animal – Kissed By An Animal



Kissed By An Animal – Kissed By An Animal
Handstand Records – 2019
Rock, Indie, Pop, College, Punk
Rated: ***

It was already released almost a year ago, but as we state on the contact page, physical releases sent our way will always be mentioned. In this case we’ve got some poppy punk and indie rock on our hands. The one that gives you that college rock feeling. That drop-out, wide-eyed, acid-gobbling, beat-poet attitude of feigned disinterest. We’re talking about Brooklyn based Dima Drjuchin fronted four piece outfit Kissed By An Animal. Dima Drjuchin is perhaps mostly known for the cover art he has produced. But he’s been churning out music with a high variety of projects for many years. And self-titled debut album Kissed By An Animal is his latest and perhaps finest piece of work to date. Eleven tracks that turn you on with fascinating guitar mantra’s and tune you in to his brainwaves. Quirky sure, but that little nook, nailed off by the building inspector long ago, deserves to have the wino’s kicked out of and discovered all anew. Playful charm indeed, but also sophisticated and imploring exactly the amount of dream-pop moments to have their raw and casual side turn into something exciting and new. It feels intimate and that’s absolutely logical when you are Kissed By An Animal

(Written by JK)

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Body Count - No Lives Matter



Body Count - No Lives Matter 

I've had the honor to interview this maestro once. We already talked about this track back then and everything this man says is absolutely right. The capitalist system has been designed to keep the masses down. Give them just enough bread and games to stop them revolting. But since the system nurtures greed, the masses that do not receive enough bread and games are slowly growing in numbers. And the awareness about this all is growning and the inherent dishonesty about the inequality and the fact that much of capitalist carrot in front of our faces is nothing but a lie and a mirage is spreading. Unfortunately, this is only true for the western societies at the moment... Elsewhere there is a different form of ruling elite keeping the good people down... Will humanity ever find a way?  

Dead Cross - Rise Above (Black Flag cover)


Dead Cross - Rise Above (Black Flag cover)

Dead Cross - Rise Above (Black Flag cover) created in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and staunchly opposing police brutality and systemic racism. As such, the track opens with a recording of a Los Angeles resident voicing his displeasure with the LAPD during a public comment period from a regularly scheduled LA police commission meeting.  

Dead Cross, the hardcore supergroup that unites Faith No More frontman Mike Patton and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo with Retox’s Justin Pearson and Mike Crain, have shared a cover of Black Flag’s “Rise Above.” In a statement, Dead Cross write that their rendition was “created in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and staunchly opposing police brutality and systemic racism.”

donderdag 4 juni 2020

Them Moose Rush - Dancing Maze



Them Moose Rush - Dancing Maze
Dostava Zvuka - June 2020
Progressive, jazz, psych, math
Rated: ****

Croatian experimental weirdos Them Moose Rush unleash their special brand of madness on new full-length Dancing Maze, fusing rock, prog, jazz, and everything but the kitchen sink into an infectious rush across the album's eleven tracks. The trio swing between influences and genres with ease, one minute jamming out laidback psychedelia, and the next ripping into angular, buzzsaw riffs underneath screeching vocals. Regardless of the twists and turns a song may take, however, there's an underlying, quirky energy that brings the wild collection of sounds together. Opener "Ray's Dancing Maze", named after Mr. Charles himself, starts the album with a spastic, explosive guitar attack that's undeniably danceable in its frenzy. The insistent drums are firmly in the pocket and hold down the off-kilter rhythm with style, joined by the bouncing bass groove and high-pitched vocals in the style of The Mars Volta. Building off the record's jolting start, the following tracks run the gamut of rock, from the urgently rising, proggy riff of "Annie's Mole", to the shimmering psych of highlight earworm track "Jude's Got Another", and even the freaky Primus vibes of "Dolly's Wedding Song". Them Moose Rush are no stranger to heavier fare either, delivering a winding, sludgy riff on "Sonny's Hidden Money" that contrasts perfectly with the surrounding snappy math rock. Dancing Maze is an inventive, manic trip through the wildly talented three-piece's musical world, chock full of surprises and never ceasing to entertain in its onrush of diverse, toe-tapping prog.

(Written by Shastabeast)







The Doom Chart for May 2020


Doom Chart

    “You see, there’s nothing to do anymore. Everything decent has been done.  All the great themes have been used up, turned into theme parks. So I don’t really find it exactly cheerful to be living in the middle of a totally exhausted decade where there’s nothing to look forward to and no one to look up to….

    ….I like the idea that a voice could just go somewhere uninvited like a dirty thought in a nice clean mind.
    ~ Mark Hunter (Pump up the Volume, 1990)

As the mysterious Mark Hunter preached in the cult classic Pump up the Volume, released back in 1990, the feeling of despair is as relevant today as it ever was. The difference now being we have dedicates blogs and websites along with thousands of new and eager bands everywhere to challenge and pay homage to the great themes of yesteryear. We are amidst some revolutionary times in both music and humanity. We’ll stick to what we’re good at here being the hard, and heavy underground music. At the Doom Charts we like to think we’re doing our part to divert the chaos from the real world into the peaceful anarchy of our stereos. This pandemic can’t compete with the heavy underground for much longer. We’re at our breaking point and so are our speakers. Let’s put the doom and gloom that dominates the news outlets and world politics on mute and pump up the volume with the top 30 albums currently on rotation decided by the Doom Charts voting booth for the month of May.

I could not have said it better… And even though that’s not all that matters; there are more important things in the world. But this thing we’ve got right here, the heavy stuff, that will definitely keep us sane… Now let’s hope we all get through the pandemic safe and we come out of it on the other end better, on every level. We feel for every human being on this globe and we cannot fathom our luck to have been born where we have been born. WE get to enjoy this world. This society and all this freaking good heavy music. There are many out there that can’t and have not been born so lucky… But before I go rambling in that direction… Let’s get the word out that the Doom Charts for May are here! And we we’re so lucky, to write a short blurb about Horisont… And we were so lucky to see many of our choices end up on the Chart. Wolftooth and Black Rainbows ofcourse! But also Faith In Jane and Kayleth, man, those have been on heavy rotation as well! Geezer! How Groovy can you get?! Vitskär Süden, a different kind of heavy; and so addictive. And Wailin’ Storms on Number 26! Ye gods, what a storm it is! And guess what, of the 308 albums that made the final total list, I could not find one I dislike! How lucky are we! Here’s the May 2020 Doom Charts! And here’s me continuing to hope humanity will finally find a way…

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…



maandag 1 juni 2020

Black Rainbows – Cosmic Ritual Supertrip


Black Rainbows – Cosmic Ritual Supertrip
Heavy Psych Sounds – 2020
Rock, Psych, Proto, Stoner, Seventies
Rated: *****

Just as with Geezer’s Groovy album, this one comes through Heavy Psych Sounds, and this one also starts with an absolute banger of an opener. At Midnight You Cry is stunning and it results in you knowing that the Italian Fuzz rockers that is Black Rainbows have done it again! Cosmic Ritual Supertrip turns out to be an amazing album and probably their best to date. And that is saying something of the band that released records such as Hawkdope and Stellar Prophecy. There’s a different kind of groove here, more electric and more grating, more punch and more smash ‘n grab. Fast paced and invigorating. Everything feels thick, dense and swirling. Like a cosmic maelstrom that turns solid fast and then drops out of the sky with a heavy pounce. And there is twelve tracks of this. And seriously, all of them have an amazing edge to them. High energy and a weight sound, man, this is gonna be on repeat for much of the summer. Sure, that opener is already freakishly good. But how about that more spacey and doomy approach on second track Universal Phase or absolute stoner car banger Radio 666. The sun is out, the window is open, the city is growing smaller in the rearview mirror, and we’re going straight to the devil!

And how about that Madman Tony Maim! He fired up his Black Insect Laughter and righteously wrote about his love for this album as well! A potential masterpiece Tony? It is a masterpiece!

(Written by JK)






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


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