Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

 

 

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday

Friday is always special! And we aim to make it even more special today! To give you another selection of beautiful singles, EP’s and album to check out over the weekend. That’s right, we’ve got another one of those Quick Fire Friday segments for ya! Fo there is so much great music out there, we cannot ever do it all justice. So we came up with a way for shoot out a quick blurb and hope it will entice you to listen to the single or entire discography! So here it is… Another Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday! And it burns hot like molten lava!

 

Torpedo Torpedo – False Gods And Lurid Skies

It’s only a week away! The release of the new wild and wonderful album Arrows Of Time by Austrian three Torpedo Torpedo! We loved their The Kuiper Belt Mantras album from 2022 and we think the new album is the cats pajamas! Just listen to second single False Gods And Lurid Skies and hear that doom toned stonerrock! Fring on all cylinders! Let’s get ready to rumble!

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Thus Live Humans - Art Déco I

Remember when the duo from Toulon, France released their This Light Of Ancient Times, Vol.2? Well, Thus Live Humans is back with Art Déco I. It moved from their bluesy hardrock towards a more experimental and art rock sound. Progressive moments, metal flashes and jazzy influences. It’s a different side of Thus Live Humans, but that was the idea all along. Art Déco I is full of ideas!

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Bleak Transcendence - Mortuanima

The title track for their debut album Mortuanima was released in December and soon the full record will follow. Bleak Transcendence hails from Brasil and blackened death metal, doom toned and with funeral moments. Thanks to the synth and violin the atmosphere turns gothic and melancholic. Mortuanima might just burrow into your soul like the malevolent entity Bleak Transcendence sounds like…

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Need Her Liver – Bonobo

We’re off to Italy in a few months. And the Bonobo album by Need Her Liver will definitely be playing in the van. Born in 1999 they’ve started more punk oriented and have since then drifted into more hardrock and psychedelic territories. It’s that seventies sound translated to the modern age. The eight tracks deserve way more attention, with still a bit of grunge and stoner, they manage to make it all highly pop sensible and powerful. This will surely make the roads traveled even better!

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Praetorian – Pylon Cult

Well, the tendency is to push it as far as you can. Been to Stevenage many times. But it’s hard for me to imagine hitting the town or the Squirrel with as much drugs as the Good Doctor could gather. Even so, when a band called Praetorian opens their intense new album Pylon Cult with a track called Fear And Loathing In Stevenage, you can bet your ass I’m interested. Blackened, bleak, death, sludge, hardcore and thrash working like a concrete mixer to churn out that filthy metal foundation over which the vocals screech like iron on a grinding wheel! Grinding!

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Kristian Montgomery and The Winterkill Band – Leaving Texas

Lead single for Prophets of the Apocalypse, the new five track EP, out next week, by Kristian Montgomery and The Winterkill Band. Filled with hardrock, grunge, country and southern styled rock. All of which highly pop sensible and longing to be sung along with.

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Earl of Hell – Calling Is The Crow

Out… Today! The new single and video for Calling Is The Crow, taken from the Earl of Hell self-titled debut album to be issued on April 25th through Copper Feast Records. Mixed and Mastered by Alain Johannes this is grungy stoner and alternative rock, top shelf stuff! Get ready for the full thing and watch the video below…

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Love For Loud - Gigs for March

 

 

Love For Loud - Gigs for March

Love For Loud is Els Bruinewoud and she manages to create a lovely space over in Amsterdamn for heaviness to flourish. A labor of Love, and a labor for Loud it definitely is! There are more great dates already set throughout the year, the awesome Vinnum Sabbathi for instance will be playing August 12th together with Witchrot. But below is the list of cool bands stopping over in March! And even though we only ever wrote about their Terra 42 album, we absolutely love L’Ira Del Baccano and we love it loud! 

 

Love For Loud

The Cave Amsterdam

De Tanker in Noord Amsterdam

De VerbroederIJ in Amsterdam

Love For Loud Go Fund Me

 L’Ira Del Baccano – Terra 42

Hempire - The Weight

 

 

Hempire - The Weight
Self-released - 2025
Stoner, Metal
Rated: ****

Here's to ya! The second release from North Carolina bar-brawling powerhouse Hempire has arrived! As their first was dubbed a demo by the band themselves, we can state with a certain amount of certainty that The Weight is their first official full length. And what a blast it is. Like a roaring bull that doesn't give a shit about the red rag but aims straight for the jackpot with the sole purpose of pinning the bullfighter's balls to his horns and roast them over a campfire like a seasoned pro to enjoy a nice reverse delicacy for dinner. No need to say he washes it down with a few cold beers, because this is relentless stoner rock - more down & dirty than the harem of cows that's eagerly waiting in the farmhouse brothel for the bull to bring them a visit.

But let's skip the metaphors. As the title suggests, this is a weighty affair with more than enough metal thrown in to give the party that extra punch in the gut. A combination of fury and melody that brings to mind bands like Borgo Pass and Beaten Back To Pure. A huge wall of guitars, a steady rhythm section and raunchy vocals are the name of the game. But don't think it sounds all the same, because it doesn't. 'Nugrunner' and 'The Grind' for example are fast-paced spark plugs to get you in a headbanging mood, while 'Without the Darkness' and 'Wasn't Born Yesterday' add a dynamic touch for some much-needed variation. 'Deathbringers, Inc.' on the other hand is Hempire's way of experimenting with changes in pace. It has a frantic, pulsating main rhythm that feel's totally off-beat, but isn't, and beholds some of the slower passages the album has to offer - with an almost semi-ballad-like feel at the end. It's composition-wise the most interesting song of the bunch. And then there are the nice, haunting instrumental 'Bongbroth' and the head-nodding, driving groove of 'Ain't Leavin' Here Alive' that rounds of this ten track gem.

Despite the title of the final song, both the band and me still seem to be very much alive after the last chord has faded away. Something that can't be said of the ignorant bullfighter that came to the party totally unprepared and tried to challenge/tame that raging animal called Hempire. So, if there's one lesson to be learned here, it's to go with the flow and embrace all the blows that get thrown at you as if it's a friendly pat on the back. Chances are you'll live happily ever after for a long, long time.

(Written by Ronny Dijksterhuis)

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Aftershock TV - Seismic Sounds - Interview's me...

 

 

Inside Doom Charts & How It Defines the Heavy Rock Music Scene w/ Joop Konraad

He’s one of the Doom Charts members and he’s been doing wild stuff over on his Seismic Sounds and Aftershock TV. Matt Hartnett is an all-round cool guy, knows his stuff and does good things for the Heavy Underground and more. Currently working on a feature film called Lifers; a story about all those crazies in the scene that are committed twenty four hours of the day and for their entire life. (Watch the trailer here) Legends by default! And guess what, that dude, decided to invite me on the show. To talk about Stoner HiVe, Doom Charts and well, me… Maybe all those Seismic Shocks rearranged his marbles, cause this is crazy right? Anyway… Thanks Matt for having me on, indulging me and hear me making an ass of myself…

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TTTDC / Sons of the Ionian Sea - TTTDSEA

 

 

TTTDC / Sons of the Ionian Sea - TTTDSEA
Tuff Cuff Records, 2025
Classic Rock, Stoner
Rated: ****3/4

Usually I'm not a big fan of split albums. There are a few reasons for that, which are often applicable at the same time, albeit in different gradations and different amounts of overlap. Reason 1: the quality is inconsistent due to one of the two artist being (way) better than the other. Reason 2: there's a lack of coherency in the music, which makes it more difficult to listen to in one go. Reason 3: the production most of the time differs too much - they don't have to be by the same producer and neither do they have to be recorded in the same studio, but a similar overall feel would be nice. Therefore I mostly prefer separate ep's instead of one split, even though I'm well aware of the fact that it can be financially more appealing to bands to sometimes join forces and split the costs needed to produce physical copies of their music.

Anyway, to cut a long story short: splits are often disappointing, but there are exceptions to the rule. Is 'TTTDSEA', featuring two Australian bands called TTTDC and Sons of the Ionian Sea one of those or does it (like many before) fall through the cracks? They've got one huge advantage to start: both bands derive from Peeping Tom - the best band ever to emerge from the Australian stoner rock scene. Their two albums ('Peeping Tom' and 'Music Swop Shop') are downright classics. In Sons of the Ionian Sea we find 3/4 of Peeping Tom: singer/guitarist Gerasimos Gramennos, bassist Josh Waddel and singer/drummer Cameron Cairnes, with Gerasimos' brother Nick added on vocals and guitar, while in TTTDC Cairnes is being replaced by Paddy Warner on vocals and drums.

Now back to the 'TTTDSEA' split. TTTDC is up first and bursts out the gates with the heavy, blues-tinged stoner track 'Daredevil'. It's obvious where this is heading; to a world where the Australian swamps - crocodiles lurking below the surface, eyes popping out just above the water, waiting for the perfect moment to snap your head off - are standing in front of the wedding altar with the outstretched desert that occupies about 75% of the country. The other three tracks follow suit, with the instrumental 'Spiderwebs' being especially menacing with its crushing groove and relentless energy, while closer 'Still Comin' Down' draws inspiration from heavy psych and classic rock of the late sixties and early seventies. It starts with a modest melody and build and builds, using great lead guitar work and lots of dynamics to lead the way on this unexpected sonic travelogue through the raw and unspoilt wilderness that is the heavy underground music they produce. Coming down you said? It's more like being raised on the hands of a giant, overlooking skyscrapers while drowning yourself in the beauty that surrounds you. And if that isn't enough, they also found the time to throw in a splendid cover of Pentagram's 'Forever My Queen' that surpasses the original not only by a country mile, but by the total length of the sand trail you get when you take every individual grain from the Australian desert and place them neatly in a row.

Sons of the Ionian Sea's contribution to this split is even more mind-blowing. They have only released one full length and that was way back in 2012, while TTTDC has been releasing new music regularly since then, with three albums to their name between 2012 and 2022. And that one album by Sons of the Ionian Sea wasn't exactly what you call a banger (far from it to be honest). So hearing these three new songs is a huge surprise. The tracks are longer than the ones from TTTDC and rhythmically much more complex. Unexpected twists and turns galore with drummer Cairnes taking things home with power and gusto, using his kit almost as a solo instrument - kinda like Keith Ackerman did on the first The Atomic Bitchwax album. With this

kind of frantic drum work, you need the bass to be steady and reliable; some kind of power glue that keeps everything in place and prevents this road truck from ending up in a ditch at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. And yes, the power glue is there in full adhesive glory, while the guitars soar in all directions and the versatile vocals are looking to add an extra layer of depth. The perfect example of how everything comes together is the nine and a half minute 'Livin' in the City'. It starts with some acoustic guitar that produces a sitar-like sound, but also incorporates some mouth harp and combines traditional, blues-tinged classic rock with progressive stoner while throwing in curveball after curveball without ever losing its natural feel and swagger. Before you know it ten minutes have past (because you're gasping for breath for a while after that final song is finished). But the other two songs are excellent too, brought with a quality and intensity that their debut album lacked. It makes you wonder if this was a one-off get together for Sons of the Ionian Sea or if they will deliver more new music down the line.

I hope the latter, because both bands differ enough to co-exist alongside one another. On the other hand there is enough common ground (call it the soul of Peeping Tom as you will) to place them on one not only interesting and coherent record, but the best split album I've ever heard.

(Written by Ronny Dijksterhuis)

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Komatsu – Savage

 

 

Komatsu – Savage

Eindhoven Rock City is in full swing! After the An Evening With Knives new video yesterday… We get more Eindhoven heaviness today! We had the pleasure of breaking bread with the Komatsu boys a few days ago. And after our second serving they hit us with the new video for Savage as desert! Inspired by the death of their tour buddy Tom Davies. Inspired by the meaning of life. And death. Both lyrically and visually on screen…

Two singles out: title track A Breakfast For Champions and Savage. One more single before the release day of the new Komatsu record A Breakfast For Champions through Heavy Psych Sounds on April 11th.

 

 

PR Wire:

Dutch stoner rockers KOMATSU release new video off upcoming album "A Breakfast For Champions", out April 11 on Heavy Psych Sounds.

Eindhoven-based stoner and sludge rockers KOMATSU present the second single off their new studio album "A Breakfast For Champions", to be issued on April 11th via Heavy Psych Sounds.

👊 Rock out to Komatsu's "Savage" video at this location 👊
 

About the song theme, the band explains: "The loss of friends that leave much too soon. Searching for purpose and meaning in life, leaving a ripple in the pond. Inspired by the death of our tour buddy Tom Davies (Nebula)."

"A Breakfast For Champion" is the follow-up to 2021's "Rose of Jericho" and their first outing as a three-piece. As expected with the Eindhoven trio, skulls will be crushed at full force by this sonic sledgehammer... however, the 8-tracker also showcases a more melodic and stripped-down facet from these bearded gentlemen. To cut it short: becoming a trio hasn't taken anything away from their pulverizing grit and even adds some extra chemistry and breathing space that takes their sound to higher levels!

So strap in and brace yourself for another assault of monstrous grooves, a hefty meal served with lots of bravado to start a new day —  the day when Komatsu confirmed their reputation as one of the heaviest and coolest bands in the stoner/sludge crossover scene. And once you've caught every blow, straightened every twist and managed to hit every turn, you realize you've just been served a breakfast for champions. Don't miss the debut single and title track "A Breakfast For Champion"!

 
KOMATSU "A Breakfast For Champions"
Out April 11th on Heavy Psych Sounds (LP/CD/digital)

In 2010, the sky ripped open above Eindhoven Rock City. Four musicians came thundering down, surrounded by ferocious-looking thunderbolts and the roar of a thousand gods. Their mission? Scorch the earth with a brutal mix of sludge, stoner and metal. Komatsu was born with the surefire determination to never look back.

Over the years, Komatsu have released an EP and four albums, refining and perfecting their earthquake-inducing low-end rumble and grinding, ear-shattering signature sound. It hasn't been left unnoticed. Quite the contrary. Their unique approach unabashedly destroyed the stoner community by way of bulldozing both fans and press to smithereens, resulting in opening slots for bands like Truckfighters, Karma to Burn, Clutch, Nashville Pussy, High on Fire, Corrosion of Conformity, Brant Bjork and Baroness, while also infusing the after party of Queens of the Stone Age's show at the Effenaar in Eindhoven with a highly addictive cocktail of sweat and gasoline. High-profile European tours with Duel, The Freeks, John Garcia and Mondo Generator followed, the latter of which completed a personal challenge set out by the band and fulfilled a big dream: sharing the stage with all original Kyuss members.

2025 sees Komatsu present their fifth album to the world, once again released via premium European stoner and doom label Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

KOMATSU is:

Mo Truijens - guitar, vocals
Martijn Mansvelders - bass, backing vocals
Jos Roosen - drums 

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Review for Rose Of Jericho

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Recipe For Murder One, Number 19 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 of 2016

Review for So How's About Billy

Review for Manu Armata

Review for Komatsu 

 

An Evening With Knives – Pride of Lions

 

 

An Evening With Knives – Pride of Lions

 

Their new album is about to be released! We're talking about End Of Time by An Evening With Knives, aggressive, fierce and whirling. And as a second single, track and video they've just released Pride of Lions! It's the opening track for the album and it's a righteous battering ram! 

PR WIRE:

An Evening With Knives Releases New Single 'Pride of Lions'

Eindhoven (NL) based post-metal powerhouse An Evening With Knives has unleashed their new single ‘Pride of Lions’. This track serves as the final preview of their upcoming album, End of Time, which will be released on March 14. The CD and digital versions will be available via Argonauta Records, while the vinyl will be released through Electric Spark. Accompanied by a gripping music video starring the band members, Pride of Lions captures the raw intensity and immersive energy that defines the band’s sound.

Band Statement on ‘Pride of Lions’
"Pride of Lions is about reclaiming control. It embodies the moment when the oppressed rise up, break their chains, and overthrow their rulers. Like a lion full of rage, it is a battle cry for defiance, power, and liberation."
 
With Pride of Lions, An Evening With Knives delivers yet another fierce chapter, setting the stage for the release of their highly anticipated album End of Time.
 
Known for their dark, atmospheric post-metal infused with crushing sludge and hypnotic doom, An Evening With Knives crafts a sound that is both brooding and explosive—balancing ethereal melodies with relentless heaviness. Hailing from Eindhoven, the band's sonic landscapes resonate with both melancholy and fury, drawing listeners into a dynamic world of sonic devastation and introspection.
 
The album’s arrival will be celebrated with a special release show on March 15 at Altstadt Eindhoven, where the band will bring their intense, immersive live experience to the stage.

 
Pride of Lions is out now, check the video HERE



An Evening With Knives is:

Peter van Grunsven - Bass guitar
Jarno van Osch - Drums & samples
Marco Gelissen - Guitar & vocals

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

 

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

Masters of Reality
Komatsu
Sloper
Acid Magus
High Tide
Tommy Emmanuel
Sounds of New Soma
Greenleaf
The Death Wheelers
Black Widows

Morning. They are hectic weeks over here. But most of the assignments are music related this time, so I’m not complaining. It did mean we had little time to HiVe. And will also have little time this week. We did manage to mention two drone release. Droner and Ethel Cain, a proto metal single by Midnight Whiskey Massacre and were just in time to get you all even more revved up for the Scatterling Empire album by Acid Magus that dropped last Friday on Mongrel Records. Heard it yet? If not, better get on it! And you know the deal, you’d better check’m all out! It might just be your new favorite record.

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Stoner HiVe's Weekly Top 10 Most Listened

Week 9

Acid Magus – Scatterling Empire

 

 

Acid Magus – Scatterling Empire
Mongrel Records – 2025
Metal, Sludge, Post, Prog
Rated: *****

We were fairly obvious with our adoration of their Hope Is Heavy album. Well, the South African cool cats Acid Magus are back with a follow up to that amazing album. It’s called Scatterling Empire, comes out this Friday, 21st of February on Mongrel Records, and it is one gigantic leap forward once again. So huge in scope and composition, so grandiose in its opening and so lavish in its overture ending, one could expect them to have camped out at a certain crossroad for a few weeks, just so they could sell their soul. They’ve deepened their progressive elements and have come away with songs of other worldly beauty. And if you are one of the few that read those weird words we wrote on their Hope Is Heavy album, you know I was truly in love with the drums. But on Scatterling Empire they are bewildering good! They have enlisted a new drummer, Jethro Vlag, and Roelof van Tonder, the drummer for Hope Is Heavy switched to bass duties. And the combination of those two facts turns every little thing about Scatterling Empire into an alchemic explosion.

As mentioned, the albums starts out grandiose and full of seizing rapture. The track is called War, an alarm going off all around you, a thunderous opening hitting you from all angles, darkening your sky, oppressive in its eruption, it leads you towards a momentary flash of light, sudden in its arrival, with beautiful vocals starting the tale anew. After which the assault continues, like a gatling gun scattering riffs galore. And those drums and those roars and and… It’s a righteous charge into battle! There is no denying you are immediately right smack dab in the middle of it all. Following track Incantations progresses to make the War you’ve been cast into, start to feel holy and unholy all at once. The fighting noises underneath War move seamlessly into the opening prayers, backwards, turning it all more atmospheric, even reflective during certain segments. Expanding their sound and reach into different territories. And you are with them, defiantly running with them across the plains and mountains. And this is just the second track. Heavier in emotion, darker in tones it all reflects the story of humanity, its history and the state of the world today. To accentuate that condition following track Wytch, howls and screeches at you, hooks in you, blast beats emphasizing its violent nature. And the interplay between the bass and drums is once again mind-blowing. And that’s besides the fact that your mind was already tearing itself apart coming to grips with those amazing vocals. The esoteric psychedelic interlude Ascendancy takes you to the single and highly melodic Emperor. Easiest to grip vocally, to scream along with, as the progressive nature of the track keeps taking you higher. The next track Citadel opens highly atmospheric, tranquil and slow moving, before imploring all sorts of percussion to set the scene and paint this picture of many colors of multiple cultures of winds coming in from all around the world to whirl and wind and whisp, turning smoke rings around your head into electric flashing and charged entities. The guitar work, so open and yet so enveloping. Never a note too much or out of place. And so much to explore…

Absolution is the interlude set-up that ending overture Haven needed. Beautiful string work to frame the ending scene, the forever goodbye. Especially once the choir enters the Haven track, the setting sail that begins early on in the track really takes off. But before you get to that part, more gripping guitar work, drums, a punching blast beat and ever more flowing progressive brilliance. Such an uplifting ending, freeing, full of release and that final smile...  And no… The journey doesn’t end there. For the curtain has been pulled back on the greatness of this collective. We can only hope they will continue on for many more albums, cause the deal they made back there, at the crossroads, promises more musical brilliance from these cool cats. Acid Magus have created their own Empire. A hammer strike against the gods. One that will ring on forever. And into legend…

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe on Hope Is Heavy

Stoner HiVe on A Planet, A Deathstar

Stoner HiVe on Caligulator

Stoner HiVe on Demon Behemoth

Droner – Salt

 

 

Droner – Salt
Self-released – 2025
Rock, Grunge, Noise, Doom, Sludge, Metal, Drone
Rated: ***

They’re called Droner, hail from Bath, UK and are about to release their debut full-sized album Salt. And Salt is chock full, no less than fourteen tacks, and more than one hour of droning sludge grunge. Extremely biting and grating, and it will lead to you running razorblades across your tongue. Droner delivers a bloody mess, drilling into your brain with their continues acidic noise, and that in itself becomes the drone. Minimal in composition, the band seem experts in destroying beautiful momentary lulls with grunge noise that explode through every part of your being. There is no shame in coming clean about the fact that you struggle with Salt. It’s alright. And even though it might be the last place to look for it, but with a decent amount of time, you will hear there is peace to find within the stomping sludge noise. I don’t care if that statement gives you more glimpses inside my head than necessary, but Droner becomes something to latch on to whenever the rock is to prevalent or saturating you. It might be nothing for you, but it might as well be that lighthouse that signals you into the right port. Where ten ton heavy granulated mineral is waiting to bury you whole…

(Written by JK)

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Ethel Cain – Perverts

 

Ethel Cain – Perverts
Daughters of Cain – 2025
Drone, Atmospheric
Rated: ***

Ethel Cain is the alter ego for Hayden Silas Anhedönia. And those that heard her 2022 debut album Preachers Daughter know her story. Those who haven’t heard it, best get on that then, for it is a great album, we can give you the cliff notes, even though such a thing can never do her justice. But she grew up in America’s South. In a close community as a daughter to a southern Baptist deacon. As you can imagine, her family and community did not appreciate it fully that she first came out as gay and then as a transperson. Those scars and the fact the church made her come in contact with singing and piano sears every part of that first album. And to some extent, the new Perverts as well. She claims Perverts to be an EP, even though it lasts for almost one and a half hour. And that is no easy listening, for as the title already suggests, the record deals with perversion in many shapes and forms, noises and sounds. Drone by default and constant ambient atmospherics. Like a dripping transfusion, the overall compositions wreak havoc on your stability, shivers running up your spine and as the background noises become the gothic static in your blood, the album becomes ever more bewildering and chilling. A sensory overload, this is white noise that will soothe a handful and bring other minds towards the end of their tether. It’s a lot and a lot to endure when you are not a pervert yourself. But on those tracks she uses her voice more, you get to glimpse the brilliance that resides there. Like Punish or Vacillator, and those make all of it worth it… Even though you will have to lie down beside Ethel Cain to even try to come to grips with Perverts. And it will surely take you some time to recover, before you can get up again…

(Written by JK)

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Midnight Whiskey Massacre – Rocking Chair

 

 

Midnight Whiskey Massacre – Rocking Chair

A new single by Midnight Whiskey Massacre! Rocking Chair is something to behold, for it continues in the vein of its Overwatch and Control debut EP. Proto, doom and metal, the Sabbath meets MC5 thing, and still that Orange Goblin twist as well. And as the man recites the lyrics, you can feel the poetic beauty slowly manifest itself like a throne…

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

 

 

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

Del-Toros
Sounds of New Soma
Acid Magus
Black Widows
Gluecifer
The Hellacopters
Greenleaf
Luke Elliot
Six Months Of Sun
Sivert Hoyem

Good morning! Hope y’all had a great weekend? It’s Monday again. And we’ve got two weeks of many interviews ahead of us. Lots of cool stuff! Some of it for Stoner HiVe as well. But this little post is a glance back at what we did last week. Did you read that weird screed about the new amazing Del-Toros album? Or the honorable Jon McGough’s write-up about that wonderful Kryptograf album?  Hope so, cause we only posted those write-ups, and both albums are worth every minute of your time. And since we love festivals, we posted the line-up news for both the magical Bear Stone Festival and the great Into The Void Festival. You going to one of them? Not sure if we can do a lot this week, but we always hope so! Have a great one! And check out the ten albums on the list above! They are good!

The Spotify Playlist for...

Stoner HiVe's Weekly Top 10 Most Listened

Week 8

Del-Toros – Stainless

 

Del-Toros – Stainless
Down at the Nightclub Records – 2025
Rock, Stoner, Space, Surf, Psych, Kraut, Noir, Instrumental
Rated: ****

Hold on. This might get weird. It’s one of those albums that makes me feel and imagine a whole lot of things. Del-Toros started as a three-piece right before the little old Stoner HiVe blog was founded. It was the year of our lord 2008 and the Del-Toros three decided to move and groove as a righteous surf rock outfit. A three track demo followed and two years later they released their self-titled album with Undertow-Recordings. The Hottest Places In Hell Are Reserved For Those Who In Times Of Great Moral Crisis Maintain Their Neutrality, followed three years later on the same label. What an album title! Perhaps they should be playing that one in full, touring the world, in these troubled times, right? Anyway, Survival of The Rockest followed two years after that on the cool Lighttown Fidelity. And their last feat of arms was Ten Stories High in 2018 under the Down at the Nightclub Records label. The sound morphed over the years, imploring more psych, kraut, stoner and space influences and now, for the new album Stainless they’ve turned into a fourpiece with Dylan Does on keys. And still the cool Guido Bruin on Guitar, Sicco Roukema on Bass and Ton Gaarthuis working the Drums. As stated the new album is called Stainless and the entire album has ricochet into a much darker and rock noir territory. Every track hold so much ambience and atmospheric elements it would make David Lynch go crazy with envy.

We already mentioned the Groin Swab single. The perfect soundtrack for the awesome video they made for it, riveting ruckus, with a bit of surf, highly atmospheric and a lot of ominous noir noise. More surf can be heard in the later Mezcal Spider track, the most  obvious link to where Del-Toros came from. But it opens the ball with this oriental sounding space movement, soon a mechanical marching beat enters and a ragged guitar pulls the veil over your eyes. Is there a mysterious and misty carnival happening somewhere in there? Is that where Into Diola is leading us? The ending riddled with a sense of impending doom and of everything crashing down, it is quite the opener of what will soon turn out to be an amazing instrumental opus.

Lowriders & Highrollers keeps the suspense going after the opening track, before taking it down a notch, turning the sunshine up and the reggae laziness into a surf that squeaks and swells. A swell that becomes a tsunami towards the end. Crashing hard! Groin Swab comes first before it fades into East Jesus. Which brings you an incredibly wide vista, open to all sorts of elements, windswept and barren, the landscape only blooming occasionally. As deep as it is wide, the track offers all sorts of interpretations, but with such tasteful execution, it is hard not to fall in love with whatever emotions you might feel. Even if it might be despair or a feeling of being utterly lost. Either way, we’re not in Kansas anymore. And Brainmelt (Or Brianmelt as it says on bandcamp) only temporarily feels like a much needed fresh dip in the rolling tides of the ocean, for soon the heat is turned up, and it becomes stuffy, sweltering and feverish. Mezcal Spider, a surf, pierced by breakdowns and deconstruction, gets a brain melting outro when they seemingly wreck a wild piano. Did it refuse being tamed we wonder?  The album ends with the Two Birds One Stone track, once again heavily painted in David Lynch colors, also offering the option of the ouroboros, for the fade out can seamlessly start the first Into Diola track again. But where the opener prepares you for the great and secret show to come, ending Two Birds One Stone gets under your skin, and with its dark tone, it will wrestle its way into your heart and mind, showing you the other side of the veil and the danger that lurks there. Del-Toros’s Stainless is surreal, at times grotesque or weird, but always otherworldly and captivating…

(Written by JK)

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Words on the Fatso Jetson & Del Toros - Split, from 2016 out on Shattered Platter

Kryptograf – Kryptonomicon

 

 

Kryptograf – Kryptonomicon
Apollon Records – 2025
Rock, Hardrock, Prog, Proto, Seventies, Stoner, Doom
Rated:

If you know me, you can imagine my excitement when I learned of the new album ‘Kryptonomicon’. I was completely gob smacked by their self-titled debut way back in 2020 and it still frequently finds its way onto my turntable. I remember there being a certain enigma surrounding the band when I first heard of them. Who are these guys? What do they look like? What does Kryptograf mean? Of course, all these questions have been answered but what remains is their craft and that sound. That sweet proto-metal, 70’s, stoner-doom concoction, that is Kryptograf. That undeniable Kryptograf sound!

‘The Eldorado Spell’, the band’s second outing dropped in 2022. That album was perhaps more experimental, but it escaped the ‘sophomore slump’ and confirmed that they weren’t just a one-off. It has aged well, containing some of my favorite tunes from the band. Three years later and here we are, and here is Kryptograf.

The album starts with the multi-faceted ‘Beyond The Horizon’, which rightfully is one of the singles of the album. As such it harnesses what any great single should, catchy guitar riffs, remarkable vocal melodies, and the collective wonders of the entire group. But of course, done with that Kryptograf elegance! ‘The Blade’ continues us on our musical journey with the proto-metal meets proto-doom sound that Kryptograf has been exploiting (to our delight) since day one. At the two and a half mark the guitars go into a mesmerizing harmonization sequence while the bass walks around the neck with fervency. This is all in preparation to come crashing back into the striking chorus.

The title track ‘Kryptonomicon’ has some great bluesy licks on it and highlights one of the band’s true strengths, which (to me at least) is the vocal melody and the structures of them. There is knowledge and skill in such efforts to create memorable sing-along songs. ‘You And I’, the single that was released way back in the first quarter of 2024 has a strong Graveyard vibe on it. I found the small yet mighty harmonica appearance to be exciting and unexpected. The energetic track is catchy with potent vocal deliveries and displays some amazing drumming, some of the best on the album.

As the promo stated, the B-side of the album is a ‘heavier’ or ‘moodier’ Kryptograf, I would add ‘doomier’ to that assessment. Though not a drastic change, there is a mood shift into darker territory compared to that of the first half of ‘Kryptonomicon’ with more of a doom focus musically and desolate themes lyrically. Fans of the band will recognize this as the opposite side of the same coin. It is after all, Kryptograf! ‘From Below’ directs us downward into the abyss. There’s a tense feeling in the air, a sense of uneasiness, the urgency to escape. If not from the depths, from life itself. Stoner doom riffs and minor keys fill the winding path as ghoulish vocals assist in haunting the track. The song ‘Lost At Sea’ is filled with vocal harmonies that seize the listeners’ attention, one of the most engaging aspects of Kryptograf. I’ve always felt like they have somewhat of a nautical, across open seas, journey into the unknown sound to some of their material, even if not subject wise. Perhaps it’s just the way that Kryptograf can tell a story and convey it to the listener. ‘The Gales’ is both dreamy and nightmarish, with the bass directing the relaxed verses before a sinister middle section filled with crashing and pounding drums decimates the sleeper. Though Kryptograf are great storytellers, this uneasy portion is told through the instrumentation. Then just as all seems lost, in true Kryptograf fashion, you’re hit with a powerful vocal melody and commanding guitar solo. All is right once more.

‘Kryptonomicon’ sees the band building upon their previous two albums, taking the best sounds and approaches from them while charting new waters and continuing upon the fresh course ahead. One thing is for sure, they retain their classic sound that is undeniably Kryptograf!

(Written by Jon McGough)

Listen to the first two singles now and get psyched for the full album, releasing on March 7th through Apollon Records!



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Kryptograf - Kryptograf ended up on Number 5 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2020

Kryptograf - The Eldorado Spell ended up on Number 17 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2022

Into The Void Festival

 

 

Into The Void Festival

We’ve been to a few of the Into The Void Festivals! All of them when hosted in Eindhoven and a couple in Leeuwarden. Last years edition was pure magnificence! Will be difficult to equal that edition we think. But with the line-up just announced, they might just accomplish that!


DOOL
The Vintage Caravan
Psychonaut
Lowen
Temple Fang
Haunted
Hippotraktor
Gott
An Evening With Knives
GGU:Ll
Sons of Arrakis
Earth Ship
Mr. Bison
Motorowl



Psychlona Live at Into The Void 2024, captured by Rob Hammer



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