Blind Tendril - α

 

 

Blind Tendril - α
Self released - 2021
Stoner, Desert Roock
Rated: *****

Hailing from Thessaloniki in Greece, but now firmly rooted in the London & UK Stoner scene, Blind Tendril proffer up one of the best Debut releases of the year. "α" (meaning Alpha or First) simmers with a radiating, crunching in-your-face take on Progressive Stoner Rock, drawing on Kyuss and Fu Manchu influences, as well as fellow Greeks like Planet Of Zeus, Blind Tendril open the show with "Dead Tree": A high-octane, instantly-impacting Desert Rocker with proggy noodlings and Eastern pentatonics. "Idiosyncrasy" summons their inner Truckfighter, slamming a vicious groove with melodic dual vocals and wicked little hooks. These combinations of Stoned riffs, vocals and instrumentation saturate the entire album, soaked in a rich, top-notch production which beefs up the content and polishes out the rough edges, leaving nothing but pure gold behind. My personal favorite, "Hanging By A Thread" encapsulates the essence of Blind Tendril: A fast, powerful chugger with delicious hooks and a headbanging groove. I haven't been this excited about a Stoner band since THE WATCHERS, and this will sell by the ship-load! It'll also feature very highly on many end-of-year lists. You should already be ordering this... …stop reading and get over to Bandcamp.

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Maragda – Maragda

 

 

Maragda – Maragda
Spinda Records/Nafra Records/Necio Records – 2021
Rock, Psych
Rated: *****

We were honored to deliver the International Premiere for the self-titled debut release of the Spanish trio Maragda. Are we therefor biased? Probably so. But as you crazies that follow the HiVe know, we are always biased, subjective and prejudiced. We love what we love and we dig what we dig because it does something to us. And we honestly and really just want to share that experience with you all. Or better yet, hope that you experience something along the lines of what we experienced when listening to a certain album. Cause that is what it is all about for us! Well, Maragda did a whole fucking lot with us! They managed to capture a lightning bolt and turn it into music. They created the whole Sistine Chapel down their in the darkness of the underworld from which they came; from which they burrowed, from where we heard the clang and clamor of revolt. For… “While there is life there is hope. I beg to assert... that as long as a man's heart beats, as long as a man's flesh quivers, I do not allow that a being gifted with thought and will, can allow himself to despair.” Indeed, it’s like the three from Barcelona managed to capture the essence of the Jules Verne book. Which is of course and adventure and a tale of discovery, but also of mankind and of our spirit and soul. And they do this with so much passion and belief, one cannot help but falling in love with Maragda. For they effortlessly combine kraut rock elements with garage, fuzz with prog and give it all this sanctified aura. Complex, wild, yet groovy and always returning some form of hook. Sparkling and direct, the riffs compound and build, testing limits of second track The Calling, while opener The Core As A Whole explodes, and then seems to pull back and float along all that burst from the explosion. What a welcome… Well, the rest of the album is just as elegant, intricate, interesting and complete… And just listen to Crystal Passage, damn, another Verne quote applies: “I dream with my eyes open.”  

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Spinda Records

Nafra Records

Necio Records

High Desert Queen – Secrets Of The Black Moon

 

 

High Desert Queen – Secrets Of The Black Moon
Ripple Music – 2021
Rock, Stoner, Desert, Hard, Grunge, Metal, Doom
Rated: ****

Another debut album you say? And why the hell not! Cause we’ve been amazed by so many debuts this year and the past month in particular. Why not pile it on! Pile it on I say! And guess what, Secrets Of The Black Moon, the full-sized debut by Austin Texas foursome High Desert Queen will definitely convince the hell out of you as well. Or perhaps even more! It is an eight track ride through the desert landscape, but with some hardrock rumblings, some grunge grinding and a bit of doom heaviness. Presented as a riff-heavy deluge, almost all the rockers on this record do the heavy trucking thing, speeding and moving fast, giving you an almighty groove to nod to and the perfect amount of solo’s to pretend to play along with. The bass rattles along and drummer Phil Hooks briskly pounds every track to it’s natural high. Impressive!  On Secrets Of The Black Moon we hear a very confident and promising High Desert Queen delivering their take on that hard rocking primal force we all love so dearly. And they do it so freaking well!

(Written by JK)

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

Ripple Music