The Countdown so Far !

Since we are about to announce the numero uno, the number one, the gold medalist of The Ultimate Stoner Hi\/e Top 20 albums of 2010! The one that beat Been Obscene by a mere 6 points. I guess this must be the right time to run through the countdown so far... On the last day of the year we will know which album occupies the number one position!

1. ...

2. Been Obscene - The Magic Table Dance

3. Sasquatch – III

4. The SWORD - Warp Riders

5. Karma To Burn - Appalachian Incantation

6. The Machine – Drie

7. Brant Bjork - Gods & Goddesses

8. Monobrow - Monobrow

9. Black Bombain - Saturdays and Space Travels

10. Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit

11. Egocentrics - Love Fear Choices And Astronauts

12. Solace - A.D.

13. The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream

14. Monster Magnet – Mastermind

15. Wheelfall - From The Blazing Sky At Dusk

16. Re-Stoned - Revealed Gravitation

17. Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart

18. White Hills - White Hills

19. The Black Keys – Brothers

20. Endless Boogie - Full House Head

Number 2

Number 2

As stated before; the numbers two and one received almost the double amount of points that Sasquatch at number three received. And number one only bested number two with a mere six points difference. So without a doubt; you guys out there think these are the best records out there this year. The silver medal goes to a band that has been hailed as the new incarnation of Kyuss and as the new benchmark for all new stonerbands out there. It’s tasty, smooth, racy, succulent and muddy guitars have not been this pivotal for years. And when it turns out that two guys from Austria are responsible for this; the doors are blown wide open once again. And of course the drummer and bassplayer complete this quartet that is responsible for this high Alp’s desert sound. Their debut album sounds like a high-water mark; an eerie trumpet-call over a lost battlefield. It sounds savagely psychedelic, freakishly fuzzy and always like a sandstorm that is about to happen…

Been Obscene - The Magic Table Dance

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Number 3

Number 3

The top three is actually made up of a top two. Cause the first two entries; the numbers one and two of the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 list of 2010 have received almost double the amount of votes than the number three got cast! Which is surprising for many reasons; but it does not make reaching the bronze medal any less of a feat. This mythical Los Angeles beast has every stoner element one can think off; the distortion and fuzz are there; the guitars are tuned low and all of this is poured into a traditional rock ’n roll funnel. It deduces for their third album an honest and true working man’s stonerrock record. Add to this the vocals that resemble those of Chris Cornell and it is easy to state that we have a gem on our hands. It’s hardy; bluesy rock with a production that is both slick and extremely raw. The trio’s third album since 2001 is filled with huge sound, monster riffs and bone crushing rhythms!

Sasquatch – III

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Number 4

Number 4

As we approach the top three of the 2010 list of albums we come to a highly anticipated one. One that might not have satisfied every one of those hopes; but enough to reach number four on the list. These Texans give their own honest spin to the hardrock of the seventies and eighties and their third (concept) album can be construed as an ode to the almighty and true heaviness of the riff. Riffs that can easily hold their own next to the ones of the Greats and get the adrenaline pumpin! Cause it is a supercharged rollercoaster ride of diabolical pounding rhythms, high-powered riffs and annihilating solos. Their ferocious mixture of stoner, doom, metal and hardrock is infections and awe-inspiring. So let’s fly high on their relentless riffage! And these were the great highs for the band; but there was also a low point this year. They had to cancel their European dates with Karma To Burn due to the drummer suddenly leaving the band. Let’s hope they find an equally impressive one!

The Sword - Warp Riders

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Number 5

Number 5

They’re glorious return to the scene was heralded by the bass-player kicking the habit; forming a new band and apologizing to his former band members for leaving them high and dry. “We forgive you; let’s do some kind of reunion tour to celebrate your return to the waking world. And why not release some old material and what the hell… Let’s dive into the studio to record some new stuff as well.” The result would almost get you hooked on smack; just so you can get clean too and record this kind of pure brilliance. Fifteen instrumental stoner-pearls by the band that defined the instrumental stoner genre back in the days. Did I say fifteen? I meant thirteen; cause blood-brother and savior of the aforementioned bass-player Daniel Davies of Year Long Disaster sings a song and living legend (and one short time part of the band) John ‘Stop Calling Me A Living Legend’ Garcia also delivers on a tune. Co-produced by Scott Reeder we can justly claim this album to by a regular stoner tour de force! Driving rhythms, pounding drums and groovy guitar-work. And with Year Long Disaster and the Burners becoming a sort of single rocking outfit; they rock.. err… twice as hard! This holds a lot of promise for the new album in 2011 on which Garcia will also sing at least one song!

Karma To Burn - Appalachian Incantation

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Number 6

Number 6

At number six we find a band that also had an entry last year; which is quite a feat wouldn’t you say. And with a promise to release a fourth record in 2011 they might end up scoring a hattrick. And that will be a hard thing to beat. Last year they ended up at place number 14; this time around we find them at 6. And this Dutch threesome not only has the work ethic and mentality that goes back to the glorious years of rock; their music does so too. We can hear the Jimi and Zeppelin influences in the long weaving psychedelic songs; and the Blue Cheer and Colour Haze moments during the moments of groove. And with maybe a few more nods towards Kyuss this time around we can safely say that their psychedelic fuzz, whirling jams, tight stoner and acidic riffing makes them a favorite to most of us!

The Machine – Drie

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Number 7

Number 7

We have arrived at the third album on the deduced list that was actually on my own one as well and one of my many highlights during Roadburn 2010. Somewhere Some Woman still pours out of my speakers every day… And with his sun-dried tones and wise words he warms our souls every time. And it seems like his mythical persona is ever growing and that he’s becoming an even bigger guru. Its his voice; his warm and complete matter of fact uttering. With his laid-back tunes he guides us through his tried rock method. A dash of Jimi Hendrix, a truckload of soul and funk, wise words which could also be uttered by Bob Marley and an attitude straight from the skater and surf community. And even though it only reminds us vaguely of what Kyuss did in the past; it still is, or maybe even more; archetypal stonerrock. Now; here’s me hoping spring will come to the Netherlands soon; so that we too may enjoy these great tunes of master Brant outside in the sun… (And what will the new Kyuss Lives record sound like? Now there’s a question that nobody could have envisioned asking a year ago!)

Brant Bjork - Gods & Goddesses

Brant Bjork

Number 8

Number 8

As we roll heavy into the top 10 of this years Stoner HiVe Ultimate top 20 we are once again treated to one of them fine Canuck’s bands. This one has some serious facial hair issues and that might be the reason the three amigo’s started jamming together around 2009. A year later their first self-titled piece of instrumental brilliance is out for everyone to enjoy. This is heavy riffing, heavy trucking and has enough psychedelic nourishment to keep you satisfied. It is adventurous free rock that tests all the limits of every boundary set by each song every single time. It keeps that old freak out, chill out, let’s go berserk adagio alive with full momentum. Supreme guitar-work, twisted bass-sweat and massive drums. I guess it’s about time we all move to Canada and dodge some flyin hockeypucks to see these guys in action!

Monobrow - Monobrow

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Number 9

Number 9

The first entry with only one digit goes to one of the many ‘Black’ bands that released an album this year. These three guys hail from Portugal and are masters in acid guitar brilliance. Their totally beserked freak out jams last for twenty minutes and during their live shows, judging by some live photo’s, you never know how many people will be on stage. The album brings its hypnotic trance inducing sounds in two tracks and two tracks only. But during those freak outs they bring the best acid hard rock psychedelic blues boogie to the table that has been heard for many a year. Combining the best elements of Led Zeppelin, Cream, Canned Heat and Grand Funk; spicing that up with some deep southern grooves and small elements of stoner; including wicked riffs and masterful hooks. This is a full force trip without looking back for the casualties; and there will be no surrender on a Saturday or anywhere else in Space for that matter… Let’s ride those riffs to wherever they may take us!

Black Bombain - Saturdays and Space Travels

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Number 10

Number 10

The first entry of the top 10 goes to a band that can easily be labeled as one of the hardest working bands in the scene. These Norwegians are almost always on tour; the guys never look at a watch during those shows and where they find the time to actually record an album beats the hell out of me. And the album they released this year is their third in two years. And we can be positively sure that there is still more and much more to come. The new record does not intentionally innovate anything they have done before; but their combination of progressive, psychedelic, heavy and raw sounds remain forever inevitably fascinating. Like Starhammer; an epic piece of almost thirteen minutes. The song begins reasonably structured after which a long jam rides you away on a dusty trail that remains exciting throughout the journey. Solo’s like their life depended on it; and in the way the guys play of each other you know that they’re part of one of the best musical teams in the world. A threesome with their own unique idiom, set of rules and styles. And only a few groups can follow that lead…

Motorpsycho - Heavy Metal Fruit

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Number 11

Number 11

One country that might not be overly represented in the Ultimate Stoner HiVe top 20 albums list of 2010 is the beautiful Eastern Europe country of Rumania. From the lovely village of Timisoara in Transylvania hails a psychedelic jamband that infuses desertrock and spacerock to a perfectly knit sweater. It would be extremely just and accurate to place them somewhere between Colour Haze and Earthless; due to their lengthy spaced out freaky jams, lazy vibe and open sound. Add to this their only slightly present progressive and symphonic little ditties and we come to the conclusion that this is some bad ass instrumental rock. And with the promise of a second album in 2011 we have something definite to look out for! Which means there is absolutely nothing egocentrical about these freaks!

Egocentrics - Love Fear Choices And Astronauts

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Number 12

Number 12

Just above The Black Angels at magical number 12 we find a band that has been around for almost fifteen years. During which the line-up changed more often than a woman changes her mind. But with the return of their original drummer; which has been replaced seven times now, they are planning to finally forge forward in the world of heavy rock. Maybe that is the reason behind the album title? A new righteous start? Sludge, doom, stoner, metal; these guys got it all down to a knack. They filled the new record with smooth and racy slow and mid-tempo riffs; interspersed with chaos and madness. Combinations of Black Sabbath riffs and atmosphere; laced with the haunting agitation of Jane’s Addiction. Of magnificent solo’s and boggy swamp-riffs. We are also treated to a bit of trash; mighty doom and mixtures of mystery and atmosphere. So the eclectic nature of this beautiful piece of music gives it a deserved spot on the list…

Solace - A.D.

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Number 13

Number 13

The unlucky number sees a bit of a surprise return to the psychedelic sixties once again. This time around we delve into the history that Jefferson Airplane and the likes have left behind. Producer Dave Sardy known from his work with Barkmarket, Band of Horses, Black Mountain, Oasis and Wolfmother took on the job of giving these a bit more air in their production; but still leave a small wall of sound in place. A picket fence of sound you might say. Behind this picket fence we find that sixties sound filled with psychedelic exploration in many directions; not just the Airplane side of things which they adventured through their first two records. No, on this third one we can also hear some Kinks and Cream and this is a welcome relief. Perfect for these dark times and the number 13; cause the music is black, obscure and ominous…

The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream

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