E.T. Explore Me – Drug Me

 

 

E.T. Explore Me – Drug Me
Voodoo Rhythm Records – 2024
Rock, Punk, Garage, Psych, Thrash
Rated: ****

We mentioned their Shine album from 2019 and were immediately incredibly happy, dancing weirdly and smiling that dubious clenched grin listening to their new Drug Me album. Yes, we felt intoxicated quick by the new E.T. Explore Me. A lot of work went into the collection of this variation of psychedelic eccentricity. Still anxious, nervous energy coming at you from all angles there are now more tension arcs, more experimentation and more weirdness. Drifting toward minimal electro punk on some songs, the Ace-Tone driven warbling still takes center stage on most tracks. Used to lure you into their midst with its addictive and infectious sounds, you will soon feel that junkie sweat break and that burning sensation in your blood. The rhythmic drive, the melodies exploding like a speedball through the nose, the fantastic lyrics reminding you of nights that might never even have happened and all the different voices drifting in and out of your head… Like those memories and those blinking lights and that feeling you might pass out at any given moment. If you weren’t an E.T. Explore Me junkie after Shine, Drug Me will surely do the trick…

(Written by JK)

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Bogos – Empty Bottles

 

Bogos – Empty Bottles
Voodoo Rhythm Records – 2022
Rock, Punk, Psychobilly, Alternative Country
Rated: ***

The Bogos! From Bern Switzerland the old-school No-Hit Hobo Psycho-Western-Punkabilly Sensation: Bogos! Formed around 2009 as Baseball Bat Boogie Bastards, they went on to deliver fifties rockabilly, mixed with trash can punk from the sixties and seventies and all of that in that swamp ass country style. almost ten later, when Adri Bogo, with his banjo from hell entered the scene, they renamed themselves Bogos. They call it Blue Grass Country or Hobo Folk, but on their album Empty Bottles we still hear lots of that psychobilly, punk and thrash can kicking energy from earlier times. Alternative country punk, recorded in the Zeno Tornado living room during the pandemic, that will surely have made an incredible mess. Fifteen tracks, bass happy slapping, and banjo heavy, milling around your living room, crazy country punk rockers. We mentioned all the scenes they are indebted to a couple of times now, simply because it is easiest the easiest way to tell you what the Bogos are about. And yes, they add some western atmosphere with opening track and obviously titled Farewell to E Morricone. Battleship, no less than 3 minutes and fifty-two seconds long, fourteenth track Run Boys, might be their best fit. High energy, easy to scream along with anthemic chorus when comfortably drunk, and ready for whatever kind of fun mosh pit might be available. Empty Bottles everywhere…

(Written by JK)

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The Monsters – You’re Class, I’m Trash

 

 

The Monsters – You’re Class, I’m Trash
Voodoo Rhythm Records / Shattered Platter PR
Punk, Rockabilly, Noise, Garage, Thrash – 2021
Rated: ****

During this year’s Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown; we did a weekend break last weekend and we do it again today… Two posts of normal Stoner HiVe Mentions… Punkformation The Monsters was founded somewhere around 1986 in the dark outskirts of Bern, Switzerland. And under the guidance of Reverend Beat-Man the band released a steady stream of hard punk records and toured around the globe ever more steadily. Until last year of course. That’s probably the reason why we are treated to a new album even faster than usual. You’re Class, I’m Trash contains fourteen tracks and a live version that might not be saying much in lyrical content or message. Hell, the entire record only features a 120 words. Although, during the pandemic a song such as Gimme Germs might be construed as social and political criticism, but hey, all that is actually a sideshow to what we came for. We need to hear those shrill guitars, that typical thrash-punk sound of The Monsters. Well, in almost forty minutes you get everything you might wish for from this speed-boogie-garage-thrash-rockabilly-punk outfit. And more! Cause there are even some exotic influences and a genuine mini opera featuring Bosnic/Swiss composer Mario Batkovic and his harpsichord piano on final track Dead (Mortem Batkovic). Which also features a crazy sick video! Deliciously rancid and perfectly shrill!  

(Written by JK)

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E.T. Explore Me – Shine

E.T. Explore Me – Shine

Voodoo Rhythm Records – 2019

Rock, Garage, Punk, Surf, Thrash, Psych

Rated: ****

They’ve been releasing a steady stream of seven inches for the past years and now finally the time felt right to do a full-sized album. Say hello to Shine by Dutch trio E.T. Explore Me! And now that you’ve said hello, shaken hands and shared some drinks, get ready to get freaked out! Cause this is extremely gritty thrash-surf-garage that will have you gnashing your teeth and make you go delirious through psychedelic mantra’s and sweaty sweltering punk explosions. Rowdy energy straight from the gutter spills its drink over your zoot suit and knocks you out with Ace-Tone driven warbling and feverous opiate ritualistic dancing. Aah yes, this is the good stuff! No, this is the great stuff! The amazing stuff! The stuff that will make a junkie out of you. If it’s too loud, you’re too old and you should not have dared enter the universe of E.T. Explore Me!

(Written by JK)

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Reverend Beat-Man and Izobel Garcia – Baile Bruja Muerto

Reverend Beat-Man and Izobel Garcia – Baile Bruja Muerto

Voodoo Rhythm Records – 2019 (January 18th)

Blues, Garage, Billy, Punk, Trash

Rated: ****

Opener Pero Te Amo (But I Love You) has so much soul, passion and spirit that you would love to hear it go on for hours and hours. But it unfortunately has to end after three minutes. But what an introduction to the debut collaboration effort by Reverend Beat-Man and Izobel Garcia. It’s called Baile Bruja Muerto and features as much cover versions as originals and all of them are as wild and rousing as you could possibly imagine. How about a cover version of Black Metal by Venom? Done in a stripped down, ramshackle garage way, the track soon turns into a completely different animal. We know it used to be a Venom song; but not anymore, no this is something completely different. This is Reverend Beat-Man and Izobel Garcia at it’s finest! Stripping down to the bare essentials and then giving everything a dose of rough, gritty, electrifying energy and so much soul you can feel the sound dance around in your blood! Once heard, you can never unhear this. You will not simply be dancing, you will be dancing and swaying in tune with death…

(Written by JK)

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Bad Mojos – I Hope You OD

Bad Mojos – I Hope You OD

Voodoo Rhythm Records – 2018

Punk

Rated: ****

So often when you are in need of some atavistic punk you take out some Ramones. You can never go wrong with the Ramones. Or perhaps some Black Flag? Or Bad Brains? Dead Kennedys can also be the right way to go or The Misfits. And yes, we can list some other amazing punk bands from a decade or more ago. But how many can you list that actually do something to your head and heart from this era? Well, here are the Bad Mojos from Switzerland to remedy that! I Hope You OD was inspired by GG Allin and Mahatma Ghandi they claim. With true punk spirit the ten, one and a half minute tracks, speed, kick and punch by like a psychotic hobo on speed and acid. Raw, trashy and incredibly grimy. Shit, fuck and kick ass! There was no pure and unadulterated punk release in 2018 that can beat the Bad Mojos and their I Hope You OD release!

(Written by JK)

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