Number 11

Number 11

And once again we only jump one measly point from Pallbearer and their Heartless album on Number 12 to reach Number 11. We almost enter the Top 10 of the Top 20 countdown. And I am sure we all agree that every album we passed so far could just as easily have ended up a bit higher and that we are already missing certain albums. Thinking, they must surely have ended up in the Top 10 in that case. Well, this album missed entering the Top 10 by almost twenty points. But nobody missed out on enjoying the hell out of it this year! Released early 2017 it ticks all the right boxes in the absolute right way. It is fuzzy, it is groovy, it is psychy and it is spacey! Riff heavy rock that bounces and pounces as it rides the cosmic highway with such an amazing flow it not just aims for the awesome; but skips many steps to reach legendary proportions. And the only reason they probably did not end up higher, is because their righteous strangeness lasts half an hour... Only half an hour and then the awesome ride is over... And we all could use more and more! Shit, we all want more and more! More! More!

Mothership – High Strangeness

Number 12

Number 12

Exactly one point above Spaceslug's Time Travel Dilemma album that occupied the Number 13 spot we find a massive quartet carrying a casket filled with intense progressive doom metal. They reached Number 4 of the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown with their 2014 album. And this year we find them on Number 12. The four freaks are still doom, definitely doom, but have let their love for prog and hardrock shine through ever more. With more space and even better vocals the album masks itself as an instant pleaser. But in truth, it takes a while to grasp every composition completely. It is a grower; and it will probably even age better than many of the albums released this year. It's got all the heaviness you need and so many layers to be discovered it might take another year to really let it all sink in. But we are not inconsiderate or heartless and can therefor truly understand its current spot on the Countdown... Check out the casket full of riffs!

Pallbearer – Heartless      

Number 13

Number 13

We jump another ten points from The Obsessed on Number 14 to get to the dangerous Number 13. Which features a space rock adventure extraordinair! Madman Tony Maim already wrote about them earlier this year. “They launch their rocket from Poland and bravely explore the outer limits of known space and beyond with fuzz boxes on full power. Jamming riffs collide with psych rock and explode with stoner/doom songs that get the head nodding while taking you on trip into your mind.” And ofcourse, these crazies also found their way unto the Doom Charts. Back in February they made it to the Number One spot. And Steve Howe from the awesome Outlaws Of The Sun said it right there: “It is a magnificent album. What more can be said, apart from, you need this album.” And that's it, so travel back to the beginning of this year and buy this album when it comes out. You already know what will happen later on! (They release another damn fine five-track called Mountains & Reminiscence the same year!)

Spaceslug – Time Travel Dilemma

Number 14

Number 14

We jump almost twenty-five points from Electric Wizard on Number 15 to reach the Number 14 spot of the 2017 Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown. An album that made it to the Number One spot of the Doom Charts back in March. But the band never made it unto the Countdown before, due to the fact that it is their first album in over twenty years time. “The mythos returns with this fantastic new milestone. The album is an extensive musical journey that spans time through all eras of this iconic band as the past, present, and future meld into one massive, cohesive musical statement. The first truly valid contender for Best Album Of 2017 has arrived!” Master Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Taste Nation) wrote as a blurb. And righteously so!  Moving much more into the old-school metal and punk approach their doom always contained, it has so much groove, so many memorable riffs and so much personality it is a sacred record in every sense of the word. And it is this kind of personality we all need be obsessed with!

The Obsessed – Sacred

Number 15

Number 15

After spending time with the tasty tones from the very last album (they're calling it quits) of The Flying Eyes on Number 16 we have arrived at the final album that only had few points more than the three we found occupying Number 20. It’s an album that has gotten as much flak as it has gotten love. Flak because the band will always be remembered for that legendary album they released many years ago and love because that legendary album has also gotten them fans for life. Our Madman Tony Maim wrote a fine piece about the album and the legendary stuff just mentioned. But it will forever be your choice on which side of the fence you are on. But of course, these cats found their way onto the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown before. Their 2014 album reached Number 11 back then and in 2010 they reached the Number One spot. Their signature attitude towards doom ever prevalent; they move into different territories with every album without ever losing that 'garage' and 'ugly' feel to their beautiful doom. Many of which drag you down in a whirling electric cesspool full of blood, sex and death!

Electric Wizard – Wizard Bloody Wizard

Number 16

Number 16

We pass out under the celestial sky on Number 17 while everything turned purple thanks to the majestic tones of Celestial Cemetery by Purple Hill Witch. And on Number 16 we find one of those albums that came flying in very late thanks to the many votes cast the final day. Which seems fitting for it also caught our ears pretty late. Unfortunately late yes, because it’s one hell of a kicker! Out on Ripple Music the eight tracks are filled with wild riffs and seem to marry loads of different aspects of everything heavy we all love. This is one hell of a special album! A bluesy desert groove and a massive load of psychedelic fuzz fly around your eyes and ears making your spine shiver and your heart burn! Yes, let’s go overboard again with the accolades and call this the album of the season. For it will make December turn hot and sweaty and melt every inch of snow with its fiery tones and flammable compositions! 

The Flying Eyes – Burning Of The Season

Number 17

Number 17

I probably came in late to this graveyard party! But even then, the party was still in full swing, getting louder and wilder by the minute. Motherslug delivered a different kind of party on Number 18; a dangerous one. It would all be very feasible on a Motherslug party to wake up naked, bloody and bashed the next morning. Not sure what actually happened, but remembering something about being chain-whipped and stomped on by a bunch of outlaws; and now, hurting all over, you’re looking for revenge. You won’t find it here. Not on this party. This one turns psychedelic and kandy-kolored quick. Cause these three Norwegians will give you respite and a place to catch your breath and space out on doomy hard rock. It’s a heavy masterpiece that once again mixes all those genres we all love so dearly. Seventies influences, stoner ditties and psychedelics ride high on those doom and hard rock foundations. With a strange current running through it, it will turn your hair white and your skin itch with electricity. Yes, drop some acid, forget about yesterday and turn everything purple!

Purple Hill Witch – Celestial Cemetry

Number 18

Number 18

We’ve passed the three majestic bands on Number 20 and Ruby The Hatchet on Number 19 and we’re on to Number 18. And up till Number 15 in a few days, all of them just differ one or a few points. The first small leap occurs when we hit Number 14. But back to the album at hand. For on Number 18 we find one hell of an Australian motherfucker of a band! The quartet delivered such a titanous psychedelic doom and stoner metal album, it electrified everyone out there! Glacial motion on some moments and thundering down the highway like the marauding cavalry on rampage the next. There is no stopping these cats; they seem to be able to do it all. They sound like outlaws, like the last real gunfighters, like one-percenters on a mission to conquer the universe. Or at least a distant planet! And from here on in, you will either have to be with them or get the hell out of the way! Cause this is one bad ass slug that’s not stopping for anything or anyone!

Motherslug – The Electric Dunes Of Titan

Number 19

Number 19

There was some mighty shuffling in these lower regions of the Top 20 Countdown. That’s just because there are so many great and amazing albums released every year. This one was riding high when the first lists came in and then suddenly stopped receiving votes and fell of the list. Weird and insane! But, on the last night enough cats voted it in again. Rightfully so! The Top 20 Countdown would have missed this one big time! And guess what, this five-piece made the list before as well. Back in 2015 they reached the 17th position. With their new album they’ve been on the Doom Charts for four months straight! In fact, they’re still on it! Slowly making an exit. Let’s see if they return there as well? It’s a luscious record filled with majestic riffs and brilliant vocals; and it is impossible to do a hatchet job on it. Heavy psychedelics mixed with seventies inspired doom, interspersed with classic rock, prog affinity and with every track sounding like it wants to head to outer space! It is not possible to do a hatchet job on this record, in fact the only thing possible is to sing almighty high praise of this record. There is no other like it! It flows like golden mercury and this quintet has tapped into the main vein of everything awesome in the universe! 

Ruby The Hatchet – Planetary Space Child

Number 20

Number 20

Well, we start the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2017 off with a multi-layered bang! No less than three albums made the Number 20 spot! It could not be helped. You all voted massively for every one of the albums on the list and these three got the same amount of points. Two of which made the Top 20 Countdown before. In 2011 and 2012. “Holding high the torch that was lit by Hendrix, Clapton and West, Parker Griggs burns brightly with the white-hot heat that an amp turned up full can produce. Wah-wah, chugging, riffs, solos, distortion all make this heavy psych offering a masterpiece of freak out and head nodding. This is the good stuff.” Madman Tony Maim said that about one of these albums in a mention earlier this year. And yours truly claimed the following about the other one: “They make their ambitions known and look to a future, which is undoubtedly filled with fast paced stoner concrete as well as slow heartfelt little miracles. And it’s during those moments when the true beauty of this band shows itself best. A female vocalist that not just howls like the best, powerful, raw and voluminous. But also clean as a whistle and deeply evocative.  And whether they opt to go mysterious and psychedelic or fill your head with vertiginous riffs and wild colors, the guitar player shows itself master of every facet and shows himself to be one of the great ones.” And that same dingbat had the honor to write a blurb for the third album on the March Doom Charts! “Can you believe their first album was released in 2015? Ye gods, it feels like yesterday. Man, how I love that debut record. So, expectations were high. Pretty damn high. Well, each and every one of those expectations are met. This is blues with a capital B and a whole helluva lot of heaviness. Powerful, soulful and intense. These five cats from Oslo have outdone themselves, go check it out and be amazed by their almighty blues!” So, I guess there’s some almighty devilish royal thunder blues on Moscow radio tonight!

Royal Thunder – Wick

Radio Moscow – New Beginnings

The Devil And The Almighty Blues – II

And so it begins… The Stoner HiVe top 20 countdown of 2017 !

The Stoner HiVe top 20 countdown of 2017

And so it begins…

We have long since passed the 20:00 CET deadline on December the 12th of this musically stupendous year of 2017. But since the lists kept rolling in; we decided to keep entering them before we stopped on this very early morning, a few hours ago. Cause we have to call it day at some point. Otherwise we cannot do the one album a day countdown. Or well, one album a day? Let’s just state the obvious; there will be a few positions with numerous albums on it. Yeah!  But back to the deadline. It passed and we received a grand total of 91 lists! It is a new record for the HiVe! So, my thanks goes out to all those amazing bands and artists who provided us with so much new incredible music that we all love so dearly. Albums that made all of you cast your votes! Facts and figures will follow after the countdown has been done. And ofcourse my thanks goes out to all of you lovely freaks out there, the ones who sent in their favorite albums, detailing a top 20, top 10 or a top 5. Cause without you gals and guys this would not be possible! And yes, this year there were, once again, a few of those crazy cats that went as far at putting way to many albums in order. Crazy… But that’s how it goes… The votes have been cast, the lists are in… Let’s start the countdown!

So… without further ado… We give you Number TWENTY.

The Stoner HiVe top 20 Countdown of 2017

The Stoner HiVe top 20 Countdown of 2017

Almost there… The FINAL hours to send in yours lists for the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2017! Tonight, we start the countdown with Number 20! The list is shaping up nicely and it’s all thanks to all of you out there who already sent their lists. We are so close to beating our record. So, here’s me prodding the rest of you lovely freaks into action! Send your lists! To our email HERE! or type them into a private message on our Facebook page! Go on. You know you want to! You know you want it! Yeah baby…

Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 Artists listened to last week…

Stoner HiVe’s 

Top 5 Artists listened to last week… 

Uffe Lorenzen

Red Scalp

Magda-Vega

Mountains of Madness

Clouds Taste Satanic

Nothing more but a quick list of our most listened to records last week. The ones we kept spinning, while all you wonderful people sent their lists of favorite records of 2017 to us. We had a lot of work entering them all in for the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2017 which will start in 2 days! So, two days left boys & girls, get your lists in now! Send them HERE ! But what did we spin you ask? A lot of Uffe Lorenzen’s new solo record Galmandsværk out on Bad Afro Records and whole a lot of Red Scalp’s record Lost Ghosts. The Destroyer album by Magda-Vega suddenly popped up on my radar. It’s weird, it’s dangerous and that’s just how we like it! Another one that entered out vision was Mountains of Madness and their Kick In The Guts release. Heavy, fuzzy stoner groove with a punch! And of course, the master composers of Clouds Taste Satanic. We cannot stop spinning the new The Glitter Of Infinite Hell album. Their best rock symphony yet! 

Don't forget... TWO days left to send us your list of favorite albums!