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

 

 

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

Besvärjelsen
Faerie Ring
Temple Fang
LowMad
Hollow Drifter
Stoned Jesus
Heathen Tongues
Witching Buzz – Occult Vibe Haven : Cathedral of Smoke: A Tribute to SLEEP
Child
Distressed

It’s Tuesday already… We know… But upon returning from the wonderful Down The Hill festival the less successful version of life immediately took over. You know. The rent paying side of things. And today and tomorrow will be no different. But we have good hopes to do some proper stuff on Thursday… 

Looking back at last week, which was filled with Down The Hill festival preparations and enjoyment, we still managed to put up a post or two. Most importantly perhaps, the Full Album Premiere for the new Faerie Ring! Which we reviewed the day before that. And it is true, the new Faerie Ring is magical! We also managed to write about Hollow Drifter and Heathen Tongues, both wild and wonderful releases! So, onwards and upwards… And listening to the new Valley Of The Sun and Graveyard albums are definitely the right kind of energy to get some stuff done… What are you listening to? 

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

 

 

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

Besvärjelsen
Rezn
Travo
Slift
Witching Buzz – Occult Vibe Haven : Cathedral of Smoke: A Tribute to SLEEP
Abrams
Hijjs
American Sharks
Beware of Gods
Gjenferd

Another week in the books! One filled with rent-paying-work, obligations, birthday parties and the Jazz In Catstown Festival. Hence, not that much time was left to get our HiVe fun done. This week, we’ve got some things planned before we head off to Down The Hill Festival in Belgium. One of them being a freakishly awesome Full Album Premiere! More on this very soon! But last week we did reposts of the Doom Charts blurbs we wrote. You know, Druglord, Heavy On The Ride and Rezn. Managed to let you all know that there’s a new video and a new single coming for An Evening With Knives and published a few words about the wild new Besvärjelsen album. Hope you all check those out! Worth every second of your time… And here’s hoping we can do more this week! 

Besvärjelsen - Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem

 

 

Besvärjelsen - Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem
Magnetic Eye Records – 2026
Rock, Stoner, Alternative, Prog
Rated: *****

I’ve only been so lucky as to experience Besvärjelsen live once. And on the HiVe we only wrote about a full album once, that amazing Atlas album from 2022. Even though they’ve been releasing damn fine albums since 2015. And sure, we know, the new album Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem is still some days away from being released. But sometimes you hear a record that immediately tells you where it's going to end up. The sort of record that refuses to leave your turntable, keeps revealing new details with every spin, and already feels destined for the very top of those inevitable Year End lists. If there is any justice in this heavy underground, Besvärjelsen will once again find themselves among the finest releases of the year…

And we know, we should not be surprised about this. Since they formed around 2014, through the combined forces of members from bands such as Dozer, Greenleaf, Afgrund, Lastkaj and V, the Swedish quintet has steadily carved out their own identity. The early  Villfarelser took away the curtain, and they truly stepped on stage with Vallmo, Frost and then the stunning Atlas. Which continued their story and pointed that greater things might still be lying in wait. And with Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem they do not simply build on that foundation. They grow, they mature, they refine and turn it into their most complete statement yet…

The band might jokingly describe their own sound as 'forest rock', but the description does seem to fit. Sure, there’s still plenty of sun baked groove and even some massive stoner riffs coursing through these songs. But they often feel like they’re wrapped up in something deeper, natural, fresh and unmistakably Scandinavian. The spirit of the Dalarna Forests, which they mention, seems to become this verdant umbrella for the compositions. Lending the album an earthy mysticism, combined with down to earth wisdom and giving room for heavy rock, psychedelia, progressive flourishes and haunting melodies to become seemingly inseparable. 

What truly elevates the record, is the chemistry between the band and vocalist Lea Amling Alazam. As with the rest of the band, she sounds more mature, perhaps calmer and at peace with herself. Even so, her voice remains one of the genre's greatest assets, effortlessly shifting between intimate vulnerability and commanding power. And even though she shows that power less or more controlled on this album, she still easily enchants. Never dominating the music, not is she swallowed by the riffs. Instead, the vocals expertly weave themselves into the dense layers of guitars until the sounds breathe as one beautiful living organism. 

As always, Besvärjelsen understand  that heaviness is not just about delivering crushing riffs. Hooks abound, groove pulling you ever further and beneath every memorable chorus lies another subtle detail waiting to be uncovered. Like for instance The Mountain, which I cannot help but thinking must be a nod towards Lowrider. You know the song. One moment the band is driving with irresistible momentum, and then they drift into expansive psychedelic passages, progressive detours, without ever sacrificing the natural flow of the album. And even the more pop sensible moments and the warm glowing album ballad perfectly. Everything feels organic, effortless, despite the remarkable scope of all its songwriting. 

Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem feels like such a complete journey, a goal arrived at. And that feels like a massive success. It invites you into its world, surrounds you with towering riffs, hypnotic rhythms and melodies that linger long after the final notes have faded away. Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem rewards patience. It rewards repeated listens and complete immersion. It constantly reveals new paths through its enchanted forests every time you return… 

(Written by JK)

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Besvärjelsen – Atlas

Besvärjelsen – Number 13 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2022

Besvärjelsen - Didn't Come to Party

Magnetic Eye Records

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

Besvärjelsen
Green Lung
All Them Witches
Mr Bison
Horse Lords
Green Desert Water
Gutward
Gli Alberi
10,000 Years
Zerynthia

Mornin! Monday is here and I reckon we’re finally gonna get into the swing of things again. Rent paying work on a normal level and there might finally be some time this week to HiVe, and finish the stuff we’ve been working on. So stay tuned and let’s hope it stays that way! Check out the Top 10 Most Listened above; some albums are already out and some will soon be released. But I’m sure a single or two might already be on their respective bandcamp sites… Go wet your whistle there! And for those who managed to grab an Early Bird ticket for Stoned From The Underground Festival 2027, congratulations! It’s one hell of a festival! If you haven't checked out our experience almost two weeks ago, you can read it HERE!

Besvärjelsen - Didn't Come to Party

 

 

Besvärjelsen - Didn't Come to Party

I don’t know about you… But I've been hearing the music. For even though we all can see the iceberg closing in, the band keeps playing. And sometimes I've even felt like chucking it all in, sitting down, listening to the tunes and wait for the final collision. But those weeks away, getting in touch with nature helps... But some things are worth waiting around for... Like new Besvärjelsen music! Ever since they blew me away with their Atlas album, I've been eagerly awaiting this. And there is a new album on the horizon now… Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem will drop on August 28th through Magnetic Eye Records and the first single and video dropped a few weeks ago while I was losing and finding myself in the mountains… Didn't Come to Party kicks down the door in expert and fitting fashion!

As the first glimpse into Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem, Besvärjelsen's third full-length, it dances through a room already teetering on collapse. It turns the celebration into spectacle and any  comfort you might have felt into chaos. The band never actually points an accusing finger, but the world's fractures echo through every note, every unsettling grin, every moment of beautiful disorder. Darkly playful and quietly devastating, the Didn't Come to Party single peers into the abyss with a crooked smile. A leering smirk! If this is the threshold of oblivion, Besvärjelsen make it impossible to look away. In fact… 

BESVÄRJELSEN comment: "There's a scene in the Titanic movie that has always stayed with me, when the musicians keep playing as everything falls apart around them", vocalist Lea Amling Alazam muses. "This is one of my all-time favorite moments in cinema, because it captures something important about music: the devotion, the need to create, and to hold onto something beautiful, even in the face of disaster. Like, we're literally going under, but hey, let's play. Dance to the sirens. In this day and age, it's hard not to be affected by the chaos of the world. 'Didn't Come to Party' is not a political statement but rather a cry of frustration. We're living on this incredible planet, so why are we destroying it? Why war, why poverty, why harm the most vulnerable, when we have the resources to make life better for everyone? This quite reminds me of people who show up to parties just to ruin it for everyone else. Why is there such a drive to hurt, to dominate, to tear things apart in the pursuit of power? It's senseless." 

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Besvärjelsen – Atlas

Number 13 on the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2022

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

 

 

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

My Sleeping Karma
Seedy Jeezus
Besvärjelsen
Foo Fighters
Extreme
Mothman and The Thunderbirds
Phe
The Ocean
Vinnum Sabbathi
Alain Johannes

This list should have gone up on Monday ofcourse, but we were too busy getting the Pinkpop report written. And since we also forgot to publish this list the week before, the above ten artists are in fact the list we listened to the most the past two weeks. But we reckon, proper HiVe work and updates will be on the agenda again soon!

Freak Valley Festival

 

Freak Valley Festival

There and back again…

Between a few hills somewhere in a rural part of Germany, there lives a festival. Not a nasty, dirty, wet festival, where too many people are crammed on a piece of asphalt and the waiting lines for food and drink are so immense it deters you from going to the bar, nor an empty field where crickets can be heard between the songs of whatever local band is playing on stage: it was Freak Valley Festival, and that means good people, all of them weird friends and great impressive music…

It had red kites circling the camping area looking for an easy prey among the tents and campervans, a passed-out Freak perhaps still buzzing from last night’s set, but also too tired and too hot to move out of the sun and the birds’ crosshairs. Those spread wings did offer a moment of respite from the blistering sun, that miniscule momentary shadow giving you just another bit of energy to spend during whatever day you found yourself wondering the festival grounds. It had smiling security guards as you passed the entry gates and all sorts of food courts on those first meters towards the stage. A better setup than most festivals and with vendors who looked pleased to help you, meet you and remembered your name the following day. One stage where all the bands played in succession, never go pass their time limit, except the one of course. You know the amazing and wild The Great Machine has to do that. It’s in their DNA. Especially if the crowd is demanding they play there 1 minute thirty seconds long song BITCH. Which always turns into a freak’s paradise. And every set of every day started with the honorable Volker Fröhmer welcoming all his friends in front of the stage. Should we mention all the highlights? Which means we should probably just do a roll call of all the bands. But I was there first and foremost for Besvärjelsen, and they were indeed better than I could have hoped. An amazing set, with a fill-in bass player, that had the crowd going wild, and will live on in my memory forever. And will surely never pass up an opportunity to see them again. Thanks for the show! Same goes for King Buffalo, saw them many times now, but they always get me, almost have me teared up, always has me about to lift off during that end rise of Mammoth. And to have that one followed by Earthless, was indeed out of this earth and heavenly! The few freaks that we not on a different plane of existence after those two sets were surely still having fun on the campsite. And they will have to live with that fact forever… But I sincerely do hope they got their kicks somewhere else. For there were many more bands delivering their excellence.   

Thanks to all the Freaks that came out and the organization who manages to put this wild and beautiful shindig on every year. Thanks to Linda from Scorched Oak for finding us in the crowd again, to Joe Hannes for pushing Tier back into my peripheral vision and to all the quick meets with everyone else. Especially the much too cool Roman and Alberto from Vinnum Sabbathi again, monsieur Damien Regnauld and Xavier Bataillon, the always shining JJ Koczan and to Paloma Heat for running the weirdest and probably the best PR campaign a band can do… And now, we’re back home, trying to make our way again through the less successful version of life. But luckily there will be another Freak Valley Festival next year. ‘Thank goodness!” I exclaim with a smile and a giddy heart full of freak love…

Freak Valley Festival

 

 

Freak Valley Festival

And we’re off! Off to Freak Valley Festival in Germany! Never been there, but the Festival has always been high on my list to experience. And this time, the sun, moon and stars, hell, everything in the universe aligned so we could go! Hell, and with a line-up that sports King Buffalo, Besvärjelsen, Kamchatka, Slift, Gaupa, Seedy Jeezus, Astroqueen, Steak, Earth Ship, Earthless, Clutch, The Obsessed and many more!! There is no way we could say no to the universe… We had to go… Seeya’ll on the flipside!

O’ we might upload a pic or two on the Instagram page…

Go here for that… INSTAGRAM

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Joop Konraad’s – Personal Top 20

 

 

Joop Konraad’s – Personal Top 20

It’s my Personal Top 20. It keeps amazing me the amount of great music released every year. Ever since Stoner HiVe started in 2009 the amount of great releases in our little Heavy Underground niche is stunning. For even though you can peruse my Personal Top 20 here… There are many more albums that I thoroughly loved! Soon, a lot of Personal Top 20 lists of all the Contributors will appear on the Doom Charts Page. And will share mine there as well. Here, it’s just the list. And on the Doom Charts I will add some blurbs for all those amazing albums… Let's hope we are treated to as much good and heavy stuff in 2023 as well!

1.    King Buffalo – Regenerator

2.    Elder – Innate Passage

3.    Sergeant Thunderhoof – This Sceptered Veil

4.    The Same River – Weight of The World

5.    Samán – II. Montaña Roja

6.    Besvärjelsen – Atlas

7.    Psychlona – Palo Verde

8.    Ealdor Bealu – Psychic Forms

9.    Helms Alee – Keep This Be the Way

10.    High Noon Kahuna – Killing Spree

11.    Greenbeard – Variant

12.    Steak – Acute Mania

13.    Mecanicos – Nomade

14.    Vitskär Süden – The Faceless King

15.    Red Sun Atacama - Darwin

16.    The Otolith - Folium Limina

17.    Samavayo – Payan

18.    Valley Of The Sun - The Chariot

19.    AAWKS – Heavy On The Cosmic

20.    Indian Handcrafts – Empress In Decline

And here is a list of another 75 amazing albums in alphabetical order that we had trouble with kicking out of our personal Top 20… And just so you know, below this list, we could mention another 100 that we also dig.  And I’m sure we’re also forgetting to mention a few and we will probably discover another dozen amazing 2022 albums soon enough…

3 Wheeler Band – In The Name Of The Holy Riff
Abrams – In The Dark
Acid Row – Afterglow
All Souls – Ghosts Among Us
Black Lung – Dark Waves
Black Space Riders – We Have Been Here Before
Carson – The Wilful Pursuit Of Ignorance
Cave In – Heavy Pendulum
CB3 – Exploration
Clutch – Sunrise on Slaughter Beach
Conan – Evidence Of Immortality
Cowboys & Aliens – Burn!
Dapunksportif – Old, New, Fast’n’Slow
Demonauta – Low Melodies About Chaos
Desert Wave – Deafening Silence
Deville – Heavy Lies The Crown
Doctor Explosion – Superioridad Moral
Druids - Shadow Work
Early Moods – Early Moods
Ecstatic Vision – Elusive Mojo
Faith In Jane – Axe to Oak
Fire Horse – Out Of The Ashes
Foot – You Are Weightless
Freedom Hawk – Take All You Can
Gaupa – Myriad

Geezer – Stoned Blues Machine
Great Rift – Utopia
Half Gramme of Soma - Slip Through the Cracks
Indus Valley Kings – Origin
JIRM - The Tunnel, The Well, Holy Bedlam
Kryptograf – The Eldorado Spell
LáGoon – Bury Me Where I Drop
Mammoth Volume - The Cursed Who Perform The Larvagod Rites
Messa – Close
Mexicoma – Kalpa
Mezzoa – Dunes of Mars
Miscellen – Black Mandala I
Museum of Light – Horizon
My Sleeping Karma – Atma
Obiat – Indian Ocean
Odonata - Gravitational Perturbation
Orango – Mohican
Oreyeon – Equations For The Useless
Paralyzed – Heavy Road
Pariahlord – Vultures
Phiasco – Kessel
Psychonaut – Violate Consensus Reality
Quiet Confusion – Magella
Ruby The Hatchet – Fear Is A Cruel Master

Rumours - The Lower We Sink, The Less We Care
Sasquatch – Fever Fantasy
Sleepwulf – Sunbeams Curl
Somali Yacht Club – The Space
Sons Of Arrakis - Volume I
Supasonic Fuzz – Cobracadabra
Surfsquatch – Planet Neptune
Sweet Cobra – Threes
Telekinetic Yeti – Primordial
Temple Fang – Jerusalem/The Bridge
Tenebra – Moongazer
Thammuz - Sons Of The Occult
The Anomalys – Glitch
The Black Legacy – Stones
The Gray Goo - 1943
The Swell Fellas – Novaturia
The Tazers – Outer Space 
Torpedo Torpedo - The Kuiper Belt Mantras
Torrents – Dual Fates
Ultracombo – Season II
Volcanova – Cosmic Bullshit
Warlung – Vulture’s Paradise
Weddings - Book of Spells
Wo Fat – The Singularity

 

Number 13

 

 

Number 13

Unlucky Number 13, has always been a special number for me. Friday the Thirteenth a special day. And by sheer luck we find an album on this spot which is very special to me and naturally high on my personal list. And album that dropped in and dropped out of the Top 20 Countdown on multiple occasions, but was propelled to the Number 13 spot by all those final day lists that got sent in. We find it, nineteen points above Mammoth Volume on Number 14. We were late mentioning this album on the HiVe, even though we had been in love with it since it was released in May. Imploring ever more influences from every nook and cranny of music you can think of; the ten tracks take you on a journey, that feels like you’re just rocking out to some awesome heaviness one minute and then to some earthshattering prog influenced album the next. For there’s an arc here and a setting, but many of the songs can also be listened to individually. Opting for grandiose and gravitas, the songs all have this highly organic feel and natural psych touch. Whirl winding, maelstrom inducing, are all words that fit the bill when you talk about this album... On Number 13 we find!

Besvärjelsen – Atlas

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Out on Magnetic Eye Records

On to Number 12!