Stoner HiVe’s
Top 10 Most Listened Albums Last Week…
Painted Doll
Black Stone Machine
Turtle Skull
Sound of Origin
The Kings of Frog Island
Hurriah
Places Around The Sun
Monegros Acid Resort
Mountain Tamer
Old Blood
(The US Old Blood band, not the Canadian although they released a pretty sweet album as well... or the Spain one…)
Places Around The Sun – Places Around The Sun
Self released / Dewar PR – 2020
Rock, Stoner,
Rated: ****
For a moment there… I thought my mind had snapped and that I actually believed I was listening to Queens of The Stone Age. I saw titles like Lullabies To Paralyze, Tangled Up In Plaid and The Blood Is Love and many more flashing bright neon red, floating right before my eyes and wondered if it was possible that this was an alternative reality in which different demos from that era made it unto the record. But then the room was quiet again and my mind wandered back into the here and now and I realized I had been listening to fourpiece Places Around The Sun from Lisbon, Portugal. A quartet that have managed to magnify and enlarge certain aspects of that Queens Of The Stone Age sound and ran with it. Shit, they ran the fucking marathon with it! But where that era of QOTSA retained a bit of a harsh, dangerous and gritty edge; Places Around The Sun have managed to make it all sound gentle, easy and warm without losing anything in energy and urgency. And don’t get me wrong here, that is exactly the kind of treatment we could use right about now. Not just because it might be what the world needs, but mostly because that this has not been done with the sound we all know and love so much to such a satisfying degree. Once this albums sinks its teeth in, you’re hooked and you will love every minute of it!
(Written by JK)
Lord Loud - Timid Beast
King Volume Records / Kozmik Artifactz - September 2020
Garage, hard rock, psych
Rated: ****
From Van Nuys, California burst forth garage rock bruisers Lord Loud with their third release, Timid Beast. The two piece dole out cut after cut of stripped down, explosive riffs and relentless, rocksteady drums, like a melodic White Stripes that time traveled to the 70s. Amp shredding distortion coats the bluesy licks while hazy, drifting vocals provide a contrast to the abrupt stomp of the guitar. A Zeppelin influence is put to good use on tracks such as opener "Dirty Seeds" and follow-up "Without You", adding a funky touch to the hard-hitting riffs. The warped, tripped out solo of the latter is of special note as well, and adds a layer of weird to the duo's minimalist style. "Lady Sunday" takes an especially upbeat approach with a driving Hives-style attack and backing claps, and some tasty Hammond even lurks in the mix. The vibe of Timid Beast flows smoothly between such raucous punk energy and a laid-back, bluesy style. After moving back and forth in mood across the tracks, the Californians sneak in "Turbulence", a surprise instrumental ballad of delicate strings that brings the party to a classy end. Not settling for just feel good garage rock, Lord Loud bring an explosive, melodic style to bear in Timid Beast, reminiscent of the White Stripes' debut years ago in its sheer in-your-face energy and independent spirit.
(Written by Shasta Beast)
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Kitchen Witch - Earth and Ether
Self released - August 2020
Doom, desert, stoner
Rated: *****
Yet another entry from the Australian breeding ground of heavy, Kitchen Witch return with their latest LP "Earth and Ether" and immediately make a play for album of the year. Led by Georgie Cosson's standout bluesy vocals, the four piece craft a maddeningly catchy mix of desert, stoner, and doom with crunch to spare. Every track's beat is pushed forward by thudding drums and a grimy low end, but the real magic happens when Cosson's own vocal rhythms and riffs play off her bandmates' grooves. Her punchy delivery in "Cave of Mischief" multiplies the impact of the tune's choppy attack, while her soaring, powerful pipes provide ominous shade over the creeping doom of "Sunrise". Kitchen Witch is far from a one weapon arsenal, however, churning out riff after riff in inventive takes on a range of heavy styles. Highlight "The Frontal Lobe" is an assault of high speed sludge, galloping along before laying down a brilliant break of abyssal low end and skittering noise, more in line with "extreme" metal. Closer "Many Moons" lives at the other end of the spectrum, trading an aggro approach for a laid-back jangle, though this too is eventually turned on its head for a winding riff from the book of Soundgarden. Kitchen Witch absorb into their distinctive groovy sound every style of heavy they set their sights on, and paired with Cosson's vocal prowess the result is an endlessly listenable record.
(Written by Shasta Beast)
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Back from Italy, back from lovely Vernazza and the Cinque Terre region… But also from the lake district over there. Spent quite some lovely days around Lago Ledro. Where we did very little for a change, just some hiking, eating some lovely Italian foor and drank a whole lot of Italian wines! And ofcourse listened to all the Italian bands suggested by Stefano Maffioletti and Giorgio Sordato! I reckon it’s about time for a new Doomed And Stoned in Italy compilation! Featuring: P-Stones of Death, Ultracombo, A Forest Mighty Black, El Rojo, Mother Island, Jackie Treehorn Ave, Jahbulong and V Ʌ I L I X I! All of them exceptionally good! And ofcourse Black Elephant and the mighty Black Rainbows! I just wish we would have remembered Kayleth is from Vernona; it would have been grand to meet up with them when we were there! Next time I guess! For there will definitely be a next time!
Anyway, we’re back, ready for action and slowly everything will return to normal. Just like the rest of the world, we hope! Just remember, there are over 600 emails to go through for the HiVe mail alone. And countless others on other accounts. So, it might take some time before it really turns back to normal! Great to be back, but missing Italy like crazy already!
Bella zio!
“We must become so alone, so utterly alone, that we withdraw into our innermost self. It is a way of bitter suffering. But then our solitude is overcome, we are no longer alone … And suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the world, yet undisturbed by its multiplicity, for our innermost soul we know ourselves to be one with all being.” ~ Hermann Hesse
