El Straffo – Mespotine Sessions

El Straffo – Mespotine Sessions

Self released – 2012

Rock, Stoner, Doom

Rated: ***

Somewhere around September of this year the EP Hecho En Mexico found it’s way to the inbox. A tasty but rickety sounding doom groove ridden EP from a band called El Straffo. The band turned out to be two guys going crazy on their instruments, wilding out and exploding in slow-motion. One of them turned out to be the guy behind Vintage Cucumber. On their new also live-recorded Mespotine Sessions the still lo-fi sound has improved considerably and so has their groove. The duo is expert in creating mystique and entanglement. They weave you into their magical hazy tapestry and wrap you tightly with memories of things that might not even really have happened. For on their first EP they seem to cook up their structures and melodies like the great chefs walking the earth now; referring to your old sentiments and emotions but actually serving something completely different. The second one is more straightforward but whirls you into their universe and you just hold on tot the groove and ride out the storm…

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Rites – Rites

Rites – Rites

Self released – 2012

Rock, Sludge, Doom, Stoner, Metal

Rated: ****

The Irish four-piece Rites from the windy little city of Galway hits like a ten stone brick house filled with layers of lead and iron on an early Sunday morning. Founded somewhere in the ugly year of 2009 the guys quickly got to work on their project and carving a name for themselves by slaying on every stage they played. After originally releasing their self-titled EP in the midsection of 2011 it is now gathering new momentum and garnering the attention it deserves. For it is filled with colossal riffs and rhythms and is propelled by a very choppy drummer that hits like bleak lightning one second and bombards like hellhound thunder the next. And all these structures are painted black by intense grunts and guttural howling. The rolling groove that is spread out all over the record is hugely thanks to the expert basswork that slides into a homerun every time the riffs hit their peak. This definitely calls for some unholy celebration of our earthly vessels… Preferably naked and with copious amounts of red wine!

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Junkyard Birds – Freewheeling Freewill

Junkyard Birds – Freewheeling Freewill

Dead Bees Records / Dominomedia – 2012

Rock, Garage, Stoner, Punk

Rated: ****

The four French freaks of Junkyard Birds have released a new album and it’s called Freewheeling Freewill and sports some freaky fine tunes. After having been around since 1996 one might expect depleted inspiration or slow setting inertia. But apart from experience and ability these guys bring high-energy rock ‘n roll with a definite reckless, wild and crazed streak. Switching between sounding like lost recordings of Iggy Pop and MC5 or reviving greatness from Mountain, Blue Cheer and sometimes even Sabbath their eclectic tunes bring deep gratification and joy. And just when you get used to those very different moments they take you on speedrock mission or a stoner groove reminiscent of all those Californian greats. Varied and versatile are understating all these Birds bring to the table; songs that seem to hit from every angle and are an experience in their own right every freaking time again and again…

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Prehistoric Pigs – Wormhole Generator

Prehistoric Pigs – Wormhole Generator

Moonlight records / Self released – 2012

Rock, Stoner, Instrumental

Rated: ****

And there you are like some crazed Charlton Heston screaming at an almost completely buried Statue of Liberty or in this case Leaning Tower of Pisa. While behind the oink’s and grunts of the beasts in charge get louder and more ferocious. They will boar down you and devour you whole; cause these are the Prehistoric Pigs back to exact vengeance upon man. And there might only be three of them; but they produce a sound so huge and so crashing that you will assume it is a gigantic pack of wild boars hurling themselves towards you. And that’s when you hear the music in their righteous stamped called Wormhole Generator. This is seminal stoner with hints of sludge and atmospheric desert rock. With that edgy droning distortion that breaks necks and fuzzes out all need for salvation. For the rescue lies within the psychedelic and hypnotic abilities of these masterful riffs and expert compositions. And then to think that these guys started in March of this year!!! They’re maniacs! And they really did it!!!

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Inflatable Best Friend – DMT Bike Ride

Inflatable Best Friend – DMT Bike Ride

Obvious Records / Self released – 2012

Rock, Punk, Psychedelica

Rated: ***

Inflatable Best Friend is made up out of three guys that have been playing together since their teens. Moving from one houseparty to the next filthy piss ridden hole to play in. Crashing punk parties and freaking out the respectable neighbors of some suburb townhouse. And after so many years they are now about to releases their first aptly named album DMT Bike Ride. For it is a cannon shot of lo-fi grimy, gray, gravelly and concrete psychedelic punk that seems intent on screwing with yer head. Excellent music for an early morning concert in some worn down factory filled with acid freaks and tekno hippies after having to endure an entire night of electric beats and crusty conversations. Will all know what we’re talking about. And on some days we all want to go back there. So here’s yer chance, you just have to blow it up: Inflatable Best Friend.

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Crobot – The Legend of The Spaceborne Killer

Crobot – The Legend of The Spaceborne Killer

Self released – 2012

Rock, Hard, Classic, Stoner, Seventies, Psychedelica

Rated: *****

Thanks to lucAs who had been on the lookout for Crobot’s debut album; we can now claim to be a fan for life of these four freaks. Cause on their first record The Legend Of The Spaceborn Killer they sport an unwavering love for all the good rock stemming from the seventies. With a huge booming sound and a majestic groove they swagger through the psychedelic era and transport all that good stuff through some nineties heaviness and into a classic future. For the future is definitely bright for these guys; they will surely start a new movement and things will surely start happening. They can boast about their classic riffs, excellent vocals, tasty melodies, otherworldly catchiness and a powerful undercurrent of absolute fabulousness. But that doesn’t matter; for these guys are the real deal and some of their songs already rival the ones provided by the masters of yore. Yes; they shine like a retro copper medallion; but the artistry is brand new and the details flicker like diamonds and radiate pure gold. This will definitely end high on my own top 2012 list!

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Voltron – Kaventsmann

Voltron – Kaventsmann

Self released – 2012

Rock, Metal, Sludge, Doom, Core

Rated: ****

Straight from Berlin gutter comes a five piece doom sludge core metal band that tries to blast yer head clean off with a charcoal ray gun. Voltron debuted in 2007 and since then went through many line-up changes. But with their sophomore album Kaventsmann the five are back and ready for the assault. Leaving a bit of room for air and melody Voltron excels in crunching aggressiveness and powerful terra stomping heaviness. They have this classic sludge feel to them and drag the listener along on this marching tempo towards an unholy temple for the worship of some foreign deity. At times it sounds even to large and unholy to be captured and listened to at home. It feels wrong and brings waves of paranoia and irrational fears. So beware; for danger and evil seems to be lurking; but together with Voltron power you will surely be victorious. And if you are unsure after these somewhat wavering and weird words; check it out and be transported to a completely different universe. Build out of seeming absolute but shimmering walls of sound, depraved riffs and guttural vocals. Embark!

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Black Science – An Echo Through The Eyes Of Forever

Black Science – An Echo Through The Eyes Of Forever

Self released – 2012

Rock, Space, Stoner, Psychedelica

Rated: ***

Space rock comes in many shapes, forms and dimensions but so blatantly sciency, esoteric and errrm spacy a band as Black Sience is, are rare to come by. On their third album An Echo Through The Eyes Of Forever they take us on another intergalactic hyper rock journey towards distant worlds and psychic plains. We’ve got warp drive noise explosions and electronic sounds cursing through the very fabric of these compositions without ever losing their rock foundations. But even then the music seems to be based more on a viscose fluid made of pure resonance. It’s a very own and very august universe of music and stylings that Black Science created. Twisted and distorted only by the overwhelming story lines and teachings that hide amongst the ruins of those slow dying song aftertastes. And a lasting aftertaste it has to be; for Black Science apparently has thrown in the towel for now… But a resurrection must surely be looming somewhere in this galaxy...

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Mamont – Passing Through The Mastery Door

Mamont – Passing Through The Mastery Door

Ozium Records – 2012

Rock, Stoner, Psychedelica

Rated: *****

Swedish born Mamont released their debut album a month ago but when listening to the sound and ability that’s blatantly potent on Passing Through The Mastery Door one would think that these guys are old dogs that have been playing together since the seventies. From the first moments on Mammuten the gentlemen go for grand, heavy, gigantic and majestic. It takes a while before the psychedelic side becomes apparent just like their sublime sense of dynamics. But once the bass takes the lead and drags his companions a long you get a sense of how good these guys already are together and that the album is a true piece of art. One the listener is obliged to experience from head to tail; from the first bird noises to the whistling in the instrumental break Woods and the final chirps in closing track Satans Fasoner. Passing Through The Mastery Door is a true musical journey!

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Pile – Dripping

Pile – Dripping

Self released – 2012

Rock, Post, Core, Noise, Punk

Rated: ***

A tip from the very venerable GuestDuder; and a damn fine one it is. The Boston based foursome Pile released their third album Dripping a few months ago. It’s filled with some postrock, post-hardcore noise and slow punk based on an indie rock foundation. There we’ve said it; and there is little more to tell. Apart from that it has a sauce that makes it all very easy listenable and wholesomely digestible. Thanks to some pop and melodic story telling going on in the compositions. With a high level of dynamics in almost every aspect, the record takes on a very own personality and keeps growing with every spin. It very sneakily seems to manipulate your mind into loving every track even though not all of them might deserve it. Nothing weird here but lots of lovely cleanliness!

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Danko Jones – Rock and Roll is Black and Blue

Danko Jones – Rock and Roll is Black and Blue

Bad Taste / Suburban – 2012

Rock, Hard

Rated: ****

Rock and Roll is Black and Blue. Nah. Rock And Roll is Danko Jones! For you can always trust the man to deliver the good times. Sure you can let yourself wallow in all the tragic love songs, depressing times, difficult childhood’s and world issues. But we’d rather follow Danko down to the bar where he tries to score with every little lady in sight. Singing songs about every little part of her body and not care about etiquette or political correctness. Mean, sordid and heavy hardrock straight to the core and freakishly big boned. And on this record he’s definitely meaner and sincerer then on the two albums that came before. So if you wanna see the oil in your car start to boil or the blood in your veins start to scream: ‘party time!’  Then take heed and go no further; for it’s time to get your head bashed and turn all black and blue!

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Deftones – Koi No Yokan

Deftones – Koi No Yokan

Warner/Universal – 2012

Rock, Metal

Rated: ***

We can always count on Deftones to deliver records of a certain quality. Even the lesser ones still contain some fine metal pieces. And ever since Around The Fur (1997) there has always been a melodic undertone which is even more overt on albums such as Deftones and Saturday Night Wrist. Team Sleep the other band of vocalist Moreno had even more richly colored soundscapes. This airy and light side would be even more present on the new album so they promised. But this is only partially so for the main theme on the album are still the iron hard riffs. Songs like Leathers and Rosemary feature somewhat experimental intros but apart from a few of those moments the album mostly just continues on where Diamond Eyes (2010 left off. This might seem like a disappointment; but it is one that fades after listening to Koi No Yokan a few times for the end result is impressive once again. Catchy melodies, tight drum and basswork, exulted guitars and a Moreno that on occasion still sounds like a beast in a slaughtering house; all the ingredients of Deftones we all hold so dear…

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The Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2012

The Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums of 2012

Ye gods, the end of the world is almost upon us! And if those old crazy Maya, Hopi, Indus Cultures and a handful of other freaks are right we shall never know who produced the best stoner affiliated album of 2012. Since the world will rumble and crumble on December the 21st. But like the Inca’s, who knew their empire would be destroyed, we will still forge ahead and try to make this 2012 edition even grander then the three that came before. Here’s the first post to get all of your attention. For on Wednesday the 12th of December we start with publishing the number 20 of the list. And work our way up to number ONE on the 31st of December. Like we did last year; when we received 48 lists. And the year before when 37 lists graced out inbox. And we ofcourse started this thing in 2009 and that’s when the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 list was made up out of 18 beautiful lists. We hope that the rise in lists will continue and that the Top 20 will become more valid with every passing year. It would be awesome if we can pass the 50-list mark. Or even more; that would indeed be amazing! So here’s what you do. Compile your favorite albums of this year; if you can only find five great ones or if you have a list of over seventy send them to us. It doesn’t matter how many great ones you heard this year; just let us know which they were. We will enter them all in a gigantic matrix and compute the best 20 of 2012… Even if it’s the last freakin thing we do!!!

In honour of all the freaks...