Winter is coming! Days are getting shorter and therefore seem to rush by even faster. Cause it is Monday already and again! But hey, that also means Friday is only a few days away. Did you manage to catch the Doom Charts Freebie bonanza last Friday? Hope you managed to grab a code or two… Last week we had the honor of premiering the video for the Temptation’s Wings track AquaTusk and the full Stormforged EP was released a day later. Which you can read about here. We also jotted down some words about Appalooza, Birds of Nazca and Spin The Skull. Go check’m out! Check’m all out..
Ps. We are refraining from making a Spotify Playlist. Unless you reckon we should make one anyway?
Temptation’s Wings – StormForged Self released – 2025 Rock, Metal, Southern, Stoner, Doom, NWOBHM Rated: ***
We were honored to premiere the video for Aquatusk last Thursday and were riding the crest of the StormForged EP wave for a while. They are a trio now. And a change within a band makes a new release extra interesting to dive into! Even more so, in my humble and possibly weird opinion, when it’s called StormForged and hints of elemental themes and mythical fury of Leviathan beasts! Southern metal voyagers Temptation’s Wings plunge into dark, uncharted waters now, and deliver a four-track EP that crashes like monster waves that drag you with it into the depths. They blend classic metal with an undercurrent of sludge and that makes their sound churn with the force of a rising tide…
Opening track, Aquatusk, breaches the surface like some ancient sea creature, massive and unpredictable. Its riffs roll in like storm surges, each one pounding with the weight of the deep and with an elemental force. From there, the band navigates treacherous sonic currents, weaving in NWOBHM harmonies, thunderous grooves, and lyrics steeped in myth and saltwater lore.
Following tracks Brother of the Storm and The Calm/The Fury shift from crushing heaviness to eerie, melodic calm, and give you the sensation of having to navigate safely between deadly whirlpools and siren songs. Psychedelic undertones ripple beneath the surface, adding texture to the sound without ever breaking the heavy, ocean-floor foundation. And then there's the battleship closer Hell-Ene, which opens like a fabled superstorm and then opens up to leave room for the survivors to grab hold of the wreckage...
What sets StormForged apart is its raw, weather-worn authenticity. The stripped-back production doesn’t polish the barnacles, it offers them up for all to see, giving the record a rugged, sea-beaten edge. Sure, some deck swabbing might add a bit of extra spice and a grade of shine. And that same spice might give the vocalist an added edge and besides power more control. But still, every riff sounds like it was dredged from the ocean floor and every lyric feels like a tale sung by sailors who’ve seen too much.
With StormForged, Temptation’s Wings have crafted an EP that doesn’t just make waves, it shows that they might just become the storm. And once that happens, they will surely pull your under…
On the very edge of being released… The brand new four-track EP StormForged by Asheville, North Carolina, USA’s trio Temptation's Wings! The first single is called Aquatusk and they have now produced a video for that marvelous track. And we are damn well flattered to be able to premiere it for you all right now! Shot in their rehearsal space it gives insights into their dank mobility, their expert playing and cool collection of stickers and posters! Ho ho! We also get to see the ugly Aquatusk mug in all its glory!
Aquatusk, breaches the surface like some ancient sea creature, opens the EP and kicks things off with thick, swaggering riffs and a raw, proto-metal vibe. Doom toned and absolutely powerful, it locks into a confident groove early, channeling their Southern roots through high-octane rhythms and a fierce, no-frills approach. For its riffs roll in like storm surges, each one pounding with the weight of the deep. From there, the band navigates treacherous sonic currents, weaving in NWOBHM harmonies, thunderous grooves, and lyrics steeped in myth and saltwater lore…
You want to read more? Check back soon for the full EP review!
But right now, you’re about to do battle with the mythical Aquatusk!
PR Wire:
Formed in the mountains of North Carolina in 2007, Temptation's Wings has been striving for musical excellence since its inception of Micah Nix and Jason Gardner and the shared love for all things metal!
"StormForged" is an EP about the power of water and the effects the Tropical Storm Helene had on our area. We went for a raw stripped-down sound for this recording using minimal overdubs and tracking and keeping the vibe more than striving for perfection. The experience of a life changing storm wasn't pretty and neither is the sound of this ep. It's dedicated to all who lost something whether it was your car, a pet ,your house or even a loved one or neighbor. Everyone involved in this project had some experience in the storm and it was fun to bring in some outside influences into the overall project.
Appalooza – The Emperor of Loss Ripple Music – 2025 Rock, Grunge, Stoner Rated: *****
Is this thing on? Are you listening? No. Not to me and not like that. LISTEN. With your chest. With your bones. With the part of your brain that still remembers what it means to feel before everything got sterilized and shoved through algorithms. That’s the place Appalooza reaches with The Emperor of Loss, a place where the amps are redlining, the sky is bleeding grunge, and the Horses of Brittany ride again, screaming riffs into the void like warlords of groove.
I hit play on Grieve and for a moment I think I’ve been transported to my favorite time in the nineties. For a moment I feel the room shimmer and vibrate around me, it felt like the walls were breathing. The drums kicked in like a door being shattered in slow motion, and the riff—good God, the riff, wasn’t just heavy, it lumbered and moaned. It groaned under its own weight. This wasn’t some cheap studio polish. This was handcrafted darkness, direct from the muddy hooves of the long-gone stallions.
But don’t get me wrong. This isn’t nostalgia. This isn’t retro. This is grunge after exile, stoner rock fed on glass and diesel, shoved forward by a hobo carrying a shotgun under its coat to blast you with bullets of doom. The guitars don't strum, they snarl! The drums don’t keep time, they summon storms. The vocals? Imagine a prophet who saw the end of the world and decided to front a band instead of starting a religion. That’s Wild Horse. And if he’s the preacher, then Black Horse and Lone Horse are the engine of the apocalypse, low end and thunder wrapped in kerosine and fire.
And the title track? Emperor? It starts gentle, almost acoustic, almost beautiful, before it turns and bares its teeth like a wolf in the dark. The riff hits like a betrayal. The tones bite your neck. The whole song is a slow-motion fall from grace. You’ll want to hit the floor and stay there, just to make sense of it all. They get proggy. They get sludgy. Tarantula is a monster, a feedback-soaked wall of sound with bloodshot eyes. Stockholm is tight as hell, like a machine built by madmen. Iscariot sounds like Josh Homme fighting Jerry Cantrell in a dive bar, and both of them win.
And let’s talk about the production. It’s perfect because it isn’t. It’s raw, but huge. Polished, but never pretty. Like someone recorded this album inside a collapsing cathedral, surrounded by amplifiers the size of elephants. And then there’s Adios Maria, closing the record with flamenco flair like the ghost of some long-lost love waltzing through a war zone. Who ends a sludge-grunge-prog-doom album with a Latin guitar ballad? Appalooza do. Because they can. Because they feel with very fiber of their being they should.
Did you listen? Now go. There’s a mountain waiting for you. Where you can preach about Appalooza. Take The Emperor of Loss with you and play it loud enough to make your followers true believers, to scare the sins out of the infidels and turn that towering mountain into a trail of dust...
Birds of Nazca – Pangaea Self-released – 2025 Instrumental, Rock, Stoner, Desert, Doom, Metal Rated: *****
Long ago, before the oceans spread, a single land where all life tread... Pangaea! Long time supporter! And high on my list of bands I still desperately need to see live! For in a realm where thunderous riffs clash with swirling mystic energies, there are only a few sonic sorcerers that have mastered the elemental forces like Birds of Nazca. With their third tome, Pangaea, releasing October 3rd, this French instrumental duo carves their name into the stone of legend, conjuring a sound both ancient and cosmic, earthy and otherworldly. A mighty fusion of molten rock and shimmering psychedelia! Instrumental music, like spell craft, demands precision and power. Without a guiding voice, many wander aimlessly through the void, but not these two. From their earliest incantations, Birds of Nazca have wielded their instruments like enchanted relics, summoning storms of sound that transport listeners across unseen realms. Pangaea is their most potent spell yet: a sprawling journey through tectonic landscapes, and beautiful vista’s, dripping with symbolism and raw power. Where others might falter under such weight, Birds of Nazca ascend, high above the clouds of mediocrity, into celestial heights where only the most daring dare tread. Enter their world, and you’ll find yourself swept away in an odyssey of earth-shaking might and transcendent vision.
Transcendental, for where many duo’s linger in the shadows of the lower regions, rarely wandering beyond the eighth realm except for fleeting bursts of melody. Guillaume, remembers that the guitar’s voice can shimmer with bright, ringing tones. Meanwhile, Romuald paints with every corner of his drum kit, crafting rhythms that dance and intrigue, drawing listeners into the world they’ve created both rich and restless. Come the final track Pangaea and the golden hush of dawn, the forest stirring as delicate chirps dance through the air, mingling with the soft rattles of restless wings and the distant whistle of unseen songbirds weaving melodies into the morning light, you will have tasted the waters and the salt of your eyes. And feel blessed to have been a part of this adventure and can be once more. And more. For even though slowly, silently, the plates did glide, tearing apart what time couldn’t hide. But in the echoes of the earth’s deep roar, Pangaea lives forevermore….
(Written by JK)
Check out the first two singles right now and be ready for Pangaea to drop on October 3rd!
Spin The Skull – Spin The Skull Morbid And Miserable Records / Saturn Eye Records – 2025 Rock, Metal, Punk, Rated: ****
I was three beers deep and regretting the fourth when Spin the Skull punched through my speakers like a drunken fistfight in a biker bar. I didn’t see it coming. Morbid and Miserable Records, gotta love ’m, usually cater to the filthy, the smelly and leather-clad fringe: all grease, sleaze, and blackened garage creeps. Not always my scene. Sure, I’m an aficionado of everything heavy, of everything weird, but the stoner, psych and prog side usually suits me better. But like a moth to a flaming oil drum, I keep coming back for whatever Morbid and Miserable Records has to offer, ears wide open. Some sick part of me loves how filthy their records sound. They don’t give a damn what you think. And neither do I, after enough beer and whiskey. But this one, this Spin the Skull monstrosity from Portugal, was different. Definitely not cleaner. And not at all smarter. Not on the other side of everything heavy. But smack dab in the middle of all the beautiful mess. Just... more alive. Like someone crammed a punk band, a doom outfit, and a couple of stray wolves into a speeding muscle car and let the tape roll. It snarls. It sweats. It might have rabies.
The first track Celestial Hole doesn’t introduce itself. It attacks! Feral riffs, knuckle-dragging rhythm, vocals like someone screaming into a beer can from the back of a moving van. There’s swagger, too, not the ironic kind. The real, greasy, blood-under-the-fingernails, punk and destitute kind. This isn’t cosplay. It’s a lifestyle, baby. And then it mutates. Like some drug-resistant strain of rock ‘n’ roll, it won’t sit still. Lost Town hits like a Japanese psych jam being tortured through a broken speaker at double speed. Heat Curse starts like it wandered in from a rockabilly sock hop, then someone threw acid in its face and handed it a copy of Darkthrones’s Under a Funeral Moon. Croaked vocals, doomy interludes, and a full-throttle punk-metal mash-up that made my entire desk shake. I spilled whiskey on my notes and laughed like a hyena that guzzled a bag of bennies! By the end, it’s all gone beautifully off the rails. The closing track Ride In Vain is a stoner-punk hellride through a desert full of empty beer cans and bloody noses. If this album had a smell, it’d be a mix of motor oil, old denim, and sweat. And I’d bottle it. Spin the Skull doesn’t care if you’re into it. It’s not trying to please anyone. That’s what makes it work. It’s messy, loud, unpredictable, and, somehow, kind of brilliant. File this one under: albums that gave me tinnitus and a reason to live.
Is it Monday already? Yikes! Well, we managed to do a review or two and were absolutely honored to premiere two smashing singles! Did you check out that stonerrock anthem by Black Charger? Or the wicked and wild new Malkasian track? If not, you can still do so and be ready for those full albums to drop! And we might just have another premiere coming later this week! We also mentioned the Afghan Haze scorcher and all that sexy swagger delivered by Supernaughty. We hope to do a bit more this week… And we are uncertain if we should continue with the Spotify playlist? We know, its not a very decent company and the people behind it are doing worse things with their investments on a daily basis. We just always used it solely to promote those albums we love and listened to. But hey, maybe we should switch to another possibility? Any suggestions?!
Afghan Haze – Sermons of Filth and Disgust Self-released – 2025 Metal, Doom, Sludge Rated: ****
“Can you hear me? Let me get one thing straight… This is just the beginning…" Aaaargh!!! Stepping into Sermons of Filth and Disgust is like opening a doorway into a crumbling world, one painted in ash, soaked in gasoline, and lit by the flickering flame of a dying joint. Afghan Haze don’t so much invite you in as they drag you, kicking and hallucinating, through their most volatile creation yet. From the opening seconds of Copperheads, the air thickens with distortion. It’s slow, deliberate, and crawling with menace. The riffs lurch like a predator out of the swamp, filthy and bloated, while the vocals spit out visions of everlasting doom, and all the evil and paranoia that comes with them. There's an unshakable "weedian" haze surrounding the track, a spiritual continuation of the band’s earlier work, now infected with something darker, like someone dropped a tab of nihilism into their bong water.
You’re Marked kicks down the door next, trading in the sludgy crawl for a more vicious pace. There’s a psychedelic shimmer here, brief flashes of cosmic wonder buried beneath layers of grime, but it doesn’t last. Soon, the band veers into thrash-tinged territory, slicing through the haze with razor-sharp precision. You can feel the sneer in every riff, the contempt dripping from each line. It’s like being on a bad trip in a collapsing city, where the buildings breathe and the shadows scream. Then comes The Butcher, and with it, a turning point. This is where the album begins to spiral inward and downwards. The riffs feel ceremonial, like funeral processions marching through swampland, and the vocals take on a detached, almost feral tone. Like rusted metal, Afghan Haze twists it all into something uniquely their own: part blackened doom, part cosmic dread, part back-alley sludge.
As the second half of the album unfolds, the world Afghan Haze have created becomes more unhinged. With every track that follows you seem to descent deeper into Dante’s hell. And yet, buried within all this chaos are moments of unexpected clarity. A riff that hits just right. A solo that screams louder than any words. A brief, crushing silence before another wall of fuzz obliterates the space. There’s a track-by-track rage that builds here, not the performative kind, but the kind that feels lived-in. Afghan Haze sound truly pissed off. Not at anything specific, but at everything. And rather than scream into the void, they’ve built a cathedral of filth and disgust to echo their fury. By the time the final notes ring out, you’re left dazed. The record doesn’t end; it releases you. You’re spit out on the other side, ears ringing, brain humming, soul just a little more corroded. Sermons of Filth and Disgust isn’t just another heavy album, it’s an experience, a bad dream you willingly re-enter. For anyone chasing that raw, nerve-ripping sound born from the underbelly of Doom, Sludge, and Stoner Metal, Afghan Haze are not just torchbearers. They’re arsonists…
Supernaughty – Apocalypso Ripple Music – 2025 Rock, Stoner, Metal, Grunge Rated: ****
They came in on the second spot of the August Doom Charts. And you could state without any qualms they’ve returned with a vengeance after their damn fine Temple album from 2020 not even charting for some weird and possibly insane reason! It’s Livorno, Italy’s very own Supernaughty and the old school rockers have called their new album Apocalypso! It’s their third release and first under the grand banner of Ripple Music. Known for channeling the spirit of classic stoner rock through a distinctly gritty, Mediterranean lens, Apocalypso is here to grunge that all up and propel you ever forward. Almost forty minutes of forward motion in fact, where they’ve refined their seemingly haphazard rock into a high-octane, fuzz-drenched ride that balances brawn with surprisingly compelling storytelling.
As opening track Poseidon commences you immediately hear the quartet tap into the DNA of desert and stoner rock, infusing it with a metal drive and a grunge attitude. The promo text name drops a few acts and you can indeed easily think of a mix that uses the sunburnt grooves of Kyuss, the whiskey-fueled swagger of Orange Goblin, and the melancholic edge of Alice in Chains. And then really mixes them all to produce one mighty Supernaughty sound. Familiar, yet fresh: a bit sludgy, fuzz-soaked riffs dripping with attitude, anchored by a rhythm section that pulses like a V8 engine in overdrive. And then there are the lyrics, which makes it all purr and typically Supernaughty. Veering off into wild territory, in the best way possible. Vocalist Angelo Fagni delivers tales that feel pulled from warped sci-fi comics, low-budget horror flicks, and introspective fever dreams, all wrapped in his unmistakably gritty, expressive delivery. There’s humor, paranoia, and you can even feel some raw emotion buried beneath the fuzz, as he visualizes whatever he sings about, and it works. Listening to third track Amsterdamned, realizing that someone outside of my native country might actually have seen that movie, and how they expertly translate the submerged menace, giving Jaws a run for its money, feels like a victory all on its own.
Production-wise, the record is tight without losing the raw edge that makes Supernaughty’s sound so visceral. Recorded and mixed in Italy by Nicola Giorgetti and Matteo Barsacchi (Mr. Bison), then mastered in Sweden by Karl Daniel Lidén (Dozer, Greenleaf), Apocalypso sounds massive, the kind of album that demands to be played extra loud, preferably while driving way too fast down a desert highway or the winding Italian coastal roads, dodging vespas and honking at everything and everyone. Supernaughty are on route to become a force in the European stoner scene, and with Apocalypso, they’re not just part of the scene, they’re leading the charge. This album ready for the road, this album is a fuzz-drenched triumph, soaked in swagger, sweat, and sci-fi weirdness. Supernaughty, a sexy ride from start to finish!
They’ve got style! It’s dark, it’s noir and there’s a lot of blues! We mentioned their earlier album called The Macabre and said stuff like: “It is the blues, but all twisted and deranged… Alternative blues, stonerrock noir. Diesel Americana. Fuzz Country.” This is MALKASIAN! And they are about to release a new album called Heavy Blues! And we are truly honored to premiere their newest single called Hedonic! It’s stomps on the terra like a majestic beast, it rumbles and it drips wet with feverish energy. You can feel that fatalistic buzz through your veins and the sweat running across your back. And do you hear that dirty harmonica?! Holy fuck! This calls for an entirely different set of rules… You’re in deep now! And you might get stuck!
Go check out Hedonic! And get ready for Malkasian’s Heavy Blues, dropping October 22nd!
A huge thank you to the band and Desert Bloom PR for the opportunity to drop this beast!
PR Wire:
The band about the track:
“Hedonic - The Duality of man, order vs chaos. Will satisfying the most primal urges now mean regret at the end of life? For some yes, some no. How will it be for you when your time to die comes?”
“Coming out of the release of “The Macabre” in 2023 there was an urge to have a “band record.” It’s more about the playing and improvisation than song craft this time around. It captures what happens at the live show. Recruiting drummer and collaborator Jordan Bettner, his cousin, Sam Rucker on bass and good friend Dave Rosenberg on harmonica; they started rehearsing songs from “The Macabre.” Some of these jams on old songs spawned new ones in the spirit of “contrafact.” How many times did the bebop standard ‘I Got Rhythm’ get a refresh in the 1940’s? Between the synergy of a new ensemble and show opportunities in Denver we arrive at “Heavy Blues.” A record made by players and for players, at least in contrast to “The Macabre” which is much more produced and carefully constructed. “Heavy Blues” was made because it had to be. It’s meant to convey the exercise and act of working through ones thoughts, reservations, and need to evolve through music.”
We’re honored to premiere for you today the newest single and video Walk With Me for the upcoming Black Charger album Small Town. The album will be out on October 31st through Clostridium Records and Broken Music and will ruin every needle of every vinyl player of every stonerrock afficionado around the world! For this is… Stonerrock!
“The primordial kind. The one that was born when the Kyuss punks decided to start doing their own thing. And there isn’t any doubt in my mind that you, reading these words, love Kyuss and that the boys from Black Charger love Kyuss and that you can hear everything you love and they love about Kyuss in the sound of these new punks that started jamming under the name Black Charger. Yes! This is the sandblasted, scorched, stonerrock straight out of the desert variety.”
That’s how the review started which we wrote back in August (review here) and ever since then we’ve fallen even deeper in love with Small Town, cause as you know, we love stonerrock! The primordial kind!
Go check out Walk With Me! All the other singles on Bandcamp and get ready for Small Town!
Here’s Black Charger with… Walk With Me…
PR Wire:
Black Charger stand for uncompromising stoner rock with clear roots in the 1990s - influenced by genre greats such as Kyuss, Fu Manchu and Brant Bjork. The trio from Osnabrück - consisting of Christian (guitar, vocals), Stephan (bass) and Uli (drums) - combines powerful guitar riffs with distinctive grooves and a high dynamic. Their sound is immediate, earthy and energetic, driven by a deep understanding of the genre and a clear focus on authenticity. Known for their intense live presence, the band plays up to 20 shows a year and has shared the stage with international acts such as 1000mods, Wucan and Motorowl. Four digitally released singles mark the band's catalog to date, which is now being consistently continued with their debut album.
With “Small Town”, Black Charger present their first complete studio album. It brings together ten songs that reflect the band's range both musically and thematically: from personal recollections of growing up in the small town of Bramsche to reflections on power structures, existential pressure and the myth of the origins of stoner rock in the Californian desert. The album was produced together with Role at Tonmeisterei Oldenburg, whose reputation for authentic, analog sound aesthetics fits perfectly with the raw and direct sound of Black Charger. “Small Town” will be released as a limited vinyl edition (300 copies): 200 copies on safari brown/orange marbled vinyl, 100 copies on classic black vinyl.
Tourdates:
9.10.25 Kulturwerk with WUCAN, Herford 11.10.25 Saal Brandhove with ROVAR, Telgte 18.10.25 Gaststätte zum Güterbahnhof with ROVAR, Lippstadt 1.11.25 Black Charger Vinyl-Release-Party at the Back Yard Club with Fat Karma, Recklinghausen 8.11.25 CD Release-Party Fat Rhino special guest: Black Charger Bocksmauer, Osnabrück 22.11.25 A Night of Stoner with Mudfinger and Organic Destruction at the Jam Club, Koblenz 09.1. 2026 Griether Hanselädchen with Submarine on Mars, Kalkar 10.1.2026 Stollen, Weiler zum Stein 13.1. 2026 C.Keller, Weimar 16.1.2026 B52, Eernegem Belgium 17.1.2026 Werk-Stadt, Witten 7.2.2026 Fango, Cottbus
Monday can be a good day! Not often, but sometimes it is… Like today! An interview with the Metal Queen in a few hours and we’re honored to premiere a new single for the amazing Black Charger! The Small Town album (review here) will be released through Clostridium Records / Broken Music on October 31st. But you can hear the new Walk With Me single on Stoner HiVe later today! But before that goes live, you can check out all those albums above, cause they did not make the Top 10 Most Listened Last Week for nothing. Or check out that Quick Fire Fridaysegment our very own Ronny Dijksterhuis delivered. He also came out swinging last week with two amazing reviews, for The Dukes Of Hades and Cozmic George! And let’s not forget the Festival announcements for Helldorado and the Lay Bare Fest or the write-ups for Rise Of The Wood and Black Tongue Reverend! Seems like it was a decent week in the HiVe! Let’s hope for another fire cracker this week!
This is a very special day! A very special Friday... And a very special Quick Fire Friday! For it dilligently delivered by our very own heavy rock poet: Ronny Dijksterhuis. That's right! Below you will find eight of his tips, hits and addictions. A handful of words to entice you to listen to that single, EP or Album! So here it is… Ronny's Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday! And it burns hot like molten lava!
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Because we like to stay busy here at Stoner HiVe and want to give you as much directions as possible to the unholiest of the unholy from the deepest pits of hell, we've cooked you up another edition of Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday. Packed to the brim with goodies that you might not have heard yet or aren't highlighted enough according to our weird and twisted brains that have been dipped in drums, bass and guitars for much, much longer than even we can remember. So, without further ado, let's fire on all cylinders and prolong our quest of adding stuff to an ever expanding ritual of trying to landscape those things that don't want to be defined in this godforsaken world.
Bunga Rampai - Aaaakhhh Mamfuzz!
There must be something lurking in the Indonesian sewers as the heavy underground over there seems to be growing as fast as a pack of rats on the hunt for freshly rotten food. Bunga Rampai is one of those new bands and their latest single 'Aaaakhhh Mamfuzz!' is a rampant, fuzzed-out tune of rawk and rage, drenched in some of the sleaziest fuzz around.
Thriving on a mix of doom, sludge metal and postrock this Houston band comes with a collection of sledgehammers, chainsaws and guttural stench wafting from their instruments to lure you into their world of mind-bending and skull-crushing darkness. Their self-titled debut album is a trip so heavy you'll risk stumbling over the air you're trying to breathe. The injuries sustained are welcome additions to your battle scars and will be worn with pride.
Titel track 'Trashtronaut' is a first appetiser for Railhazer's third album that'll be released on October 31st. Its sludgy presence, undeniable stoner/doom groove, haunting atmosphere and raw attitude are bound to lure you in, suck you dry, spit you out and leave you lying on the ground thirsty for more.
British stoner and alternative rock stalwarts The Lunar Effect are shaping up to release yet another album. 'Fortune's Always Hiding' is scheduled to hit the streets on October 24th through Svart Records. First single 'Feed the Hand' mixes heavy stoner grooves with grunge elements that'll shoot the stars from the sky to make all your dreams come true. A true belter that would've fitted perfectly on Audioslave's first album.
This appears to be the second single by Russian band Lenivetz. As the fantastic cover art already suggests, this is traditional doom of mythical proportions with a touch of Eastern mysticism to boot. We here at Stoner HiVe hope that this and the equally gripping first single Белая мразь (that incorporates some heavy stoner) are an indication of a full album in the making. It could well be an instant classic. Truly stunning.
If you're familiar with the ep Conifer Beard released back in February, you'll know the song 'С Зарей'. Now the band has released an acoustic rendition that arguably has even more swagger than the original and won't have the neighbours banging on the door telling you to turn the volume down. A win/win situation if you ask me. On the digital single you'll also find an instrumental version of the acoustic track, as well as a full power, amped-up live recording.
With pounding drums, grooves rising straight from the swamps and a dual vocal attack with dirty growls and raunchy singing, Bugnog makes an immediate impact on the stoner rock and metal scene with their debut ep 'American Dreamed'. Soaring and filthy with lots of punch. Exactly how we like it over here at the HiVe.
Ҡарға's new EP 'Панк-рок для красного солнца' begins a bit weird. Something that shapes up to be a song getting cut short to function as an intro and the next track starting out as a turbocharged punk hymn before switching to mid-paced doom. But from there on they settle for a nice stoner/doom vibe that's worth checking out, especially album closer 'Звук ума'. That's 10 and a half minutes of pure instrumental space jam delight, pushed forward by a simple, but effective doom-style bass line.
And we'll finish with something a bit off the beaten track. Three Australian high school kids called Electric Stardust with their first single is a song about a Kangaroo called Roger. Fiery punk with a rock & roll edge, kinda like their fellow countrymen The Chats. Very catchy and pretty good. The youth obviously has the future in the palm of their hand.
Just about 63 days to go before we are off to that yearly shindig in the South of the Netherlands… That wild festival where anything goes and everything happens! Indeed… Only 63 days to go until that legendary Helldorado!
And they’ve just completed their line-up by adding the mighty SACRED REICH (USA), SILLY GOOSE (USA), MY DILIGENCE (BE), MODDER (BE) and SAVAGE BEAT (NL)!
And they already had Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats and Stoned Jesus coming to blow us all away. And lets not forget about Turbonegro, Hatebreed, Life of Agony and of course Peter Pan Speedrock! And that’s just to name a few… Check out the full line-up below and get them tickets…
Turbonegro - Peter Pan Speedrock - Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats Hatebreed (perseverance / the rise of brutality + hits) - Life of Agony (30 YEARS OF UGLY) Sacred Reich - Asphyx - Mantar - Ramones Alive - Stoned Jesus The Turbo A.C.’s - Dikke Dennis & de Rockers - DJ Fleddy Melculy Tarmac - Silly Goose - My Diligence - Modder Reach - Bug - Bildtstar - Savage Beat
Rise Of The Wood – Discharge Self-released / Hard Life Promotion – 2025 Metal, Stoner, Groove Rated: ****
Almost ten years ago we mentioned the self-titled album by Dutch five piece Rise Of The Wood. Two years later they followed it with the excellent First Seed and then it wasn’t till 2023 before the Sleep EP was released. That turned out to be the prelude for the new twelve track album Discharge. It features the three songs from the Sleep EP and another nine concise modern metal tracks. Sleep was of course the first recordings with the new vocalist and Discharge features a new bass player as well. A doom toned Intro starts, segways into more of a metal approach, imploring nineties guitar and immediately offering insights into what is to come. Although Eyes Wide Shut immediately, ups the ante, ups the speed and even sounds like melodic groove thrash, especially, once the vocals enter the track. Opening the album with an anthem for pit kings is definitely a statement. And one they continue to live up to as the album envelops you. Skin continues that declaration with even more power, shoving you left and right, as the vocals cut straight through the middle. And that drum work! There’s a beast at work here. Dead Man Walking brings out the swagger, the grunge influences and turns the vocals and shouting Rise Of The Wood choir into a moment of sheer brilliance. If you weren’t addicted by those first two tracks, this one will have you hook, line and sinker. They’re nearing perfection on this one. Blasting out of the gates next is Underground, steamrolling like an eighteen wheeler, slaying metal riffs and pounding drums, will have you breaking your neck, and the sudden return to a catchy pop sensible chorus, and a melodic climb will surely warp your mind for a moment. But that’s what Rise Of The Wood seems to do quite often. Not going for the obvious option but keeping the listener on its toes. Imagine the voice of that dude that mixes Johnny Cash and Metallica singing Sleep and you have a song that would be better than most of that band's later work. Sleep, singular in execution, really picks up with its addictive personality once the vocals have gone round twice, the chorus has come and gone and the riff train that never stops, heads off into the distance. It's the longest track on the album, with a wonderful break and offering insights into what aces the Rise Of The Wood crazies have up their sleeves. And with seven more of those conquering metal tracks on Discharge, you can safely state this is chockfull of dominating metal, always groovy and with loads of melodic and catchy takes that deserve every bit of your attention. Shit, these Rise Of The Wood really delivered something awesome here! Not sure when or how this rag tag team known as Rise Of The Wood became this highly professional and accomplished sounding metal outfit. But it happened and Discharge is the proof!
Cozmic George - Cozmic George Self-released - 2025 Stoner, Psychedelic Rock Rated: ****
We might be a bit late for the party, but on the other hand we might also be a tad early as this release seems to have slipped under the radar of many. And that's a big shame, as the s/t debut ep by Austrian instrumental groove duo Cozmic George is a damn fine one.
Big riffs and a night-driving-without-headlights-while-speeding-down-the-highway type of groove are the name of the game on opener 'Gang Fight' that brings to mind names like Karma to Burn and 7 Zuma 7. After it's finished they stumble on with the chugging 'S-Bahn'. And it indeed feels like you're on a streetcar moving to the cadence of the wheels rolling down the tracks before shooting off into outer space while holding on for dear life. Third track 'Iron George' sounds like Kyuss in a shamanic attempt to dry out the desert with an added psychedelic touch and album closer 'Cosmic George' explores the borders of the cosmos in a way that wouldn't feel out of place on a Colour Haze of My Sleeping Karma album. Maybe too diverse for some, but 'Cozmic George' is a very good release that deserves way more attention than it's getting so far. So, consider our job done for the moment. Now head over to their Bandcamp page and check it out. You won't be disappointed.
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