Wall - Wall

 

 

Wall - Wall
APF Records - January 2021
Sludge, doom
Rated: ****

At this point, it's just a fact that the Cole twins are a prized possession of the UK heavy scene. First the long running standard-bearers Desert Storm, then the undeniable groove of 2019's The Grand Mal, and now yet another gift of heavy is granted in the form of Wall. A product of quarantine, the Coles' creative juices never stopped flowing, and they emerged as an instrumental duo laying down pummeling sludge and doom as only they can. The self-titled debut EP has all the best parts of the Cole sound, from the razor sharp, angular riffing to the sledgehammer drums, combined into a dark and relentless five tracks. Opener "Wrath of the Serpent" stomps forward with lumbering doom, each blast of distortion echoed by equally thunderous drums. The low and slow eventually takes a turn, shifting gears to a swirling, thrashy onslaught reminiscent of High on Fire, accompanied by lightning fast fills to dizzying effect. The trade-off between plod and adrenaline continues throughout the EP, and is showcased again in the seamless transitions between the somber noise and winding stoner guitars of "Sonic Mass". "Obsidian" brings the slogging doom in an unstoppable march of drums and grumbling bass, while "Legion" chugs forward before diving into an avalanche of tumbling riffs. To top it all off is the closing cover of Sabbath's "Electric Funeral", a devoted rendition with Dave-O, of The Grand Mal and Mother Corona, doing Ozzy justice with his top notch sneer. The heavy underground has been blessed with another creation from the Coles, and Wall's bludgeoning power will leave battered ears asking for more.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

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Murcielago – Casualties

 

 

Murcielago – Casualties
Self released – 2020
Rock, Hard, Stoner, Grunge, Desert
Rated: ****

Released at the end of October and jumping to the eleventh spot of the November Doom Charts, it's the four riders of Murcielago and they sound like they came straight out of the desert and rode their machines like devilish brutes. Yes, out of a filthy little hole in the ground where they secretly grew into a gigantic beast of a band. There is undoubtedly a big stonerrock edge to their hardrock and grunge sound. But there’s so much more and so much more cool. The nine tracks of their newest release Casualties have this magical kind of reverberation; it will make the walls of your house shudder, stir and shake a little. And you will feel it all and tremble along. It’s a like an earthquake on the move! I was sort of hoping Murcielago would remain the big and heavy secret of the underground; but when the sound is this amazing, there is no possible universe where that could ever happen!

 

(Written by JK)

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Ghost Frog – Astral Arcade

 

 

Ghost Frog – Astral Arcade
Self released – 2020
Rock, Stoner, Psych, Noise, Space, Punk
Rated: ****

For a moment there I thought there was something wrong with my computer and I was back in the early nineteen eighties again. So I called up the internet hotline for computer aid, through this ancient dial up modem lying around and they immediately replied: “have you tried turning it off and on again?” Which I did and I then realized it was just the music playing in the background that made my mind warp and my lust for old arcade games grow exponentially. You see, we’ve got this ten track (cyber) space opera about extraterrestrial life, the universe and video games called Astral Arcade playing. And where opening track Data Slave sets the mood softly, sweetly and gets you in the mood for something bigger. It’s tv-series IT-Crowd reminiscent (or Gary Numan) second track Kill Screen that turn you into a 8 bit character trying to escape a mansion or wanting to be a pirate within seconds. Noisy, psychedelic space punk that will turn your love for stoner into one gigantic sci-fi maelstrom; blasting you through the universe in Arkanoid fashion and bouncing you off fuzzy or atmospheric walls. Are we taking all these references a bit too far? Hell no, and neither is Portland four-piece Ghost Frog! On Astral Arcade they touch every key exactly right and found the cheat code for unlimited plays. No need for coins, just hit play! Look behind you a three-headed monkey!

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe’s Top 10 Most Listened Albums Last Week

 

 

Stoner HiVe’s 

Top 10 Most Listened Albums Last Week

Komatsu
Heavy Feather
Ghost Frog
Here Lies Man
King Weed
Briton Rites
Myrkur
Undergruennen
King Mountain
Reiki Tapes

First off we congratulate Doktor420 with his birthday today! Have a great one maestro! And well, we’ve closed off the list publishing process of 2020 yesterday with the Most Scrobbled Top 30 of 2020. We start to look forward; but not completely. Cause there have been so many albums released in November and December. Some of which we still desperately want to mention. So the next few weeks will still see posts about 2020 albums mixed through all those new 2021 releases we need to get word out about; before we truly get on with the regular show. But there will be nothing regular about the next weeks. Cause hottdamn! Rose Of Jericho by Komatsu is one hell of a cracker! And so if Heavy Feather’s Mountain of Sugar! Or what about that new Here Lies Man album Ritual Divination! And Shasta Beast is about to get you all riled up about Wall! Indeed; there is already much to enjoy in these first weeks of 2021! So let’s check’m out! Let’s check’m all out!

Top 30 Most Scrobbled Albums of 2020

 

 

Top 30 Most Scrobbled Albums of 2020

Yes, we scrobble, we scrobble the shit out of a lot of stuff. And this list of scrobbles, is a list of scrobbles that does not include Youtube, Spotify or Bandcamp. Both of which we also use. Spotify very very little. And Bandcamp quite a lot. But this is a list of most scrobbled albums as scrobbled by a media player. This isn’t the amount of vinyl listened or cd’s played. Nor is it the amount of listening sessions while on the road to nowhere in particular or something very particular. Nope; this is a list of albums scrobbled while sitting fully clothed or stark naked behind a computer screen typing away and reaching auditory climax by all that heavy goodness scrobbled… The 30 Most Scrobbled Albums of the total number of 1,069 albums scrobbled this way in that foul year we call 2020… 

1.    Phe – Glooming Dawn

2.    I Saw The Deep – Vimana

 
3.    Black Rainbows – Cosmic Ritual Supertrip

4.    An Evening With Knives – Sense Of Gravity

5.    Elden – Nostromo

6.    Doomed and Stoned in Hellas

7.    Causa Sui – Szabodelico

8.    Ritual Earth – MMXX 

9.    All Them Witches – Nothing As The Ideal

10.    Psychlona – Venus Skytrip

11.    Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin – Misty Woman

12.    Huntsmen – Mandala of Fear

13.    Wolfhand – The Devil Arrives

14.    Lord Loud – Timid Beast

15.    Sound of Origin – The All Seeing Eye

16.    Vessel – Vagabond Blues

17.    Kadavar – Isolation Tapes

18.    10Code – Ride

19.    Alain Johannes – Hum

20.    Honeybone – Spheres

21.    Millionaire – APPLZ ≠ APPLZ

22.    The Gones – Good Mourning

23.    Tung – Bleak

24.    1000Mods – Youth of Dissent

25.    Dool – Summerland 

26.    King Buffalo – Dead Star

27.    Bonehawk – Iron Mountain

28.    Puta Volcano – AMMA 

29.    Ruff Majik – The Devil’s Cattle

30.    Stargo – Parasight 

Doktor420’s – Personal Top 20

 

 

Doktor420’s – Personal Top 20

Last, but not least, the Guru himself. We feature Doktor420’s list of favorite albums of 2020 today. As you know, the Stoner HiVe Team Members are all involved with the Doom Charts as well. So most of the personal lists already appeared there. But we’re reposting them here once again. Just because we like to keep things nice and tidy and up with the tradition…  But not in the case of the good Doktor, his list has not yet appeared on the Doom Charts. So, here it is! An alphabetical summation of his favorite fifty albums of 2020; where a few are highlighted in Orange, simply because they meant a tiny amount more to him!

Doktor420’s – Personal Top 20 (Err, Top 50!)

Absurd - The Sun Still Rises

All Them Witches – Nothing As The Ideal

Alligator Wine - Demons Of The Mind

Arbouretum - Let It All In

Arcadian Child - Protopsycho

Black Elephant - Seven Swords

Black Rainbows - Cosmic Ritual Supertrip

Cult Of Dom Keller - Ascend!

Dope Smoker - Zeroin

Elden - Nostromo

Elder - Omens

Elephant Tree - Habits

Falcon Haptics - Run to the Sky

Forming The Void - Reverie

Frayle - 1692

Geezer - Groovy

Giöbia - Plasmatic Idol

Hey Colossus - Dances / Curses

Honeybone - Spheres

 

IAH - III

Kadavar - The Isolation Tapes

Karkara - Nowhere Land

Kayleth - 2020 Back to Earth

Kind – Mental Nudge

King Buffalo - Dead Star

Kings Of Frog Island - VI

Kryptograf - Kryptograf

LáGoon - Maa Kali Trip

Lowrider - Refractions

Major Kong - Off the Scale

 

 

Motorpsycho - The All Is One

Mountain Tamer - Psychosis Ritual

Orange Goblin - Rough & Ready, Live & Loud

Orc - Orc

Power Plant - Cargo

Psychlona - Venus Skytrip

Puta Volcano - AMMA

Qilin - Petrichor

Re-Stoned - Thunders of the Deep

REZN - Chaotic Divine

Slift - Ummon

Sons Of Otis - Isolation

Stargo - Parasight

Stoned Karma - Blinded By The Sun

Sun Crow - Quest for Oblivion

Tia Carrera - Tried and True

Turtle Skull - Monoliths

Uffe Lorenzen - Magisk Realisme

Warlocks - The Chain

Yuri Gagarin - The Outskirts Of Reality

Tony Maim’s – Personal Top 20

 

 

Tony Maim’s – Personal Top 20

The Stoner HiVe Team Members are all involved with the Doom Charts as well. So most of the personal lists already appeared there. But we’re reposting them here once again. Just because we like to keep things nice and tidy and up with the tradition… And here, on the HiVe we have a different one than Tony Madman Maim shared with the Doom Charts; cause the HiVe: "has more latitude with the genres..." And we thank all the freaks in the HiVe for that! And we’re proud to have a list by the Madman, cause he has been active on his own Black Insect Laughter blog, been even more active with all his musical outlets like Guitars On Drugs and has been fighting the battle against Covid on the forefront, the actual battleground… And doing all that and juggling a couple of shiny balls will make most everyone lose their minds…. But not the Madman! No, not the Madman!

Guitars On Drugs

Tony Maim’s – Personal Top 20

"These are in alphabetical order – each time I play one of these albums I am struck by how good it is – a number cannot represent how music has helped me get through this year. You may or may not know I work in a hospital which has been overrun by Covid since March. Taking a break and blasting sounds into my ears and just losing myself for a brief time in these sounds has been a lifeline."

Acid Mammoth  - Under Acid Hoof
(Doomy stoner rock)

All Them Witches  - Nothing As The Ideal
(Heavy psychedelic stoner blues)

Asbestos Worker – Dead End Town
(Punky noise rock)

Black Rainbows – Cosmic Ritual Supertrip
(Heavy psychedelic stoner rock) 

Bleach birth – Control
(Hardcore post-punk)

Darkest birds – Hope
(Drone doom jazz)

Fall Of Troy – Mukiltearth
(Math rock post-punk)

Forming The Void – Reverie
(Heavy psychedelic stoner rock)

Idles – Ultra Mono
(Post-punk noise rock)

Kaskadeur – Uncanny Valley
(Post-rock math prog!)

Kassad – London Orbital
(Post-black metal)

Locean – Top Ten Zen Meditations
(Garage psychedelic punk)

Love Your Witch – Fucking Relentless
(Stoner thrash metal)

Lowrider – Refractions
(Desert stoner)

Mammock – Itch
(Post-hardcore noise rock)

Orgone – Mos/Fet
(Experimental psychedelic rock)

Rosy Finch – Scarlet
(Sludge stoner metal)

Sun Crow – Quest For Oblivion
(Proto-metal doom blues)

The Mighty Ur – Take It On The Chin
(Spoken word anarcho punk)

Woorms – Twitching, as Prey
(Noise rock sludge metal)

Reek of STOOM’s - Personal Top 20

 

 

Reek of STOOM’s - Personal Top 20

Today Reek of STOOM! Tomorrow the world; or… The Howls from The Hollow! Cause Reek has not only been doing magic for Doomed And Stoned and the Doom Charts, he also has his very own podcast called The Howls from The Hollow! As you know, the Stoner HiVe Team Members are all involved with the Doom Charts. So most of the personal lists already appeared there. But we’re reposting them here once again. Just because we like to keep things nice and tidy and up with the tradition… And crazy Reek did something different this year! He put out his favorite album per month for the Doom Charts... But for Stoner HiVe, he did something extra special and dived back into those months and here’s his Dirty Dozen, the twelve albums that follow that list that he selected for the Doom Charts. Yes, you could claim they’re the second best albums of those months or as Reek states: “Every month brings something new: These were the albums that intrigued and excited me in 2020 but were just overshadowed by another release that month. Here's my alternative ‘Dirty Dozen’.”

Reek of STOOM’s - Personal Top 20 (errr, top 12)

 

January: ACID MAMMOTH - Under Acid Hoof

February: SLIFT - Ummon

March: THUNDERCHIEF - No Sufferance For Thy Fools

April: ORANSSI PAZUZU - Mestarin Kinsi

Mei: BLACK RAINBOWS - Cosmic Ritual Supertrip

Juni: NEPTUNIAN MAXIMALISM - Éons

Juli: BATTALIONS - Pure Humber Sludge

Augustus: TURTLE SKULL - Monoliths

September: GHOST SHIP RITUAL - Tenth Region of the Night

October: KADAVAR - The Isolation Tapes

November: WINDHAND - Levitation Sessions

December: OLDE CROW - Masquerade

 

 

Howls From The Hollow

Shasta Beast’s - Personal Top 20

 

 

Shasta Beast’s - Personal Top 20

It’s his birthday today! So we congratulate Shasta Beast! Best of wishes for the upcoming year and may it be a brilliant one. And we also congratulate him with his personal Top 20 today. Ofcourse, the Stoner HiVe Team Members are all involved with the Doom Charts as well. So most of the personal lists already appeared there. But we’re reposting them here once again. Just because we like to keep things nice and tidy; and up with the tradition…

Shasta Beast’s - Personal Top 20 (errr, Top 25)

1.    KASKADEUR – KASKADEUR

I’ll shout it from the mountaintops, the artists previously known as Stonehenge are in a class of their own. Jazz, psych, stoner, and an alien X factor combine for a completely unique and out-there sound from top musicians.

2.    PALE MARE – PALE MARE (EP II)

Ever since their first EP, I’ve been in anticipation of more barn-burning sludge from Pale Mare, and boy did they deliver. Filthy riffs that trample everything in their way, and some experimentation with atmospherics that’s a cherry on top.

3.    RITO VERDUGO – POST-PRIMATUS

A short release I’ve had on repeat, spacey psychedelic stoner with tight, earworm grooves. These Peruvians bring the talent and have big things ahead.

4.    FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS – MONSTERS EATING PEOPLE EATING MONSTERS

Endless energy from these psych rock weirdos, MEPEM never lets up with snappy riffs and a driving beat that’s one long party, start to finish.

5.    BAILJACK – SPRING

I was turned on to these guys by dumb luck in my last live show pre-covid, and just in time. 70s psychedelic blues with a bit of doom, and two unique, equally powerful guitarist-vocalists joined by a killer rhythm section. Top quality all-around.

6.    KITCHEN WITCH – EARTH & ETHER

 
Amazing vocals and downright groovy, heavy vibes, Kitchen Witch bring the doom and bluesy bounce. Spooky, witchy energy abounds.

7.    DRYLAND – DANCES WITH WAVES

Dryland’s debut has been a staple spin this year, an adrenaline pumping swords-and-sorcery stoner epic with some of the raddest riffs around. The vocals are a standout, and the new music video for The Sound A Sword Adores is a work of art.

8.    MOUNTAIN TAMER – PSYCHOSIS RITUAL

These cats know how to multitask, both bludgeoning and delivering psych freakouts with this monster of an album. Every track will bulldoze right over you, and standout Scorched Earth lives up to its name.

9.    SORGE – SORGE

One of the best debuts of the year, the doom is plenty epic and tripped out, but it’s the authentic atmosphere of dark, Eldritch mystery that gives me the shivers.

10.    MIDNIGHT GALLOWS – ATTACK WARNING RED

Breakneck sludge attack with some high voltage stoner, this debut holds nothing back. The ungodly vocals are an unexpectedly perfect fit, upping the considerable heaviness another notch or five.

11.    UUBBUURRUU – UUBBUURRUU

Endlessly boogie-able and high energy, the feel-good retro vibes were much needed and well spun this year. Just try to get Ice Head out of your ears.

12.    DEAD – RAVING DROOLING

Gravelly, molasses thick sludge with explosive drums, DEAD’s latest in a long catalogue is a unique triumph. Catchy one moment and abrasive the next, the two piece behind the WeEmptyRooms label is relentlessly creative.

13.    BIG OAF – BIG OAF

Even with ten months of 2020 to contend with, Big Oaf immediately rocketed to the top of the heap. Savage sludge that hits like a ton of bricks with filthy levels of distortion, and the ability to slog and sprint in equally devastating measure.

14.    EARTHDIVER – LORD OF THE COSMOS

From the never disappointing Forbidden Place Records stormed this rip-roaring stoner epic, mixing sludgy doom with ferocious bursts of speed. Adrenaline pumping from beginning to end, and what an end it is with the epic “Crusader”.

15.    WOORMS – TWITCHING, AS PREY

WOORMS deal in weird, caustic, lumbering sludge, and their follow up to last year’s “slake” twists the knife even further. This is freaky good with some curve balls up its sleeve.

16.    DESERT STORM – OMENS

The UK sludge stalwarts returned with yet another solid gold record, experimenting with new vibes and elevating their crushing sound with a modern edge and dark atmospherics. The low end still quakes, the riffs still pummel, but the ever-evolving Desert Storm are never intent to rest on their laurels.

17.    BEEHOOVER – LOW PERFORMER

I raved about this when it first came out and I still get chills with every spin. Totally unique sludge, Low Performer is brutal and touching at the same time. Powerfully affecting stuff.

18.    PSYCHLONA – VENUS SKYTRIP

This one’s been all the rage in stoner rock and the hype is real. Bombastic riffage deals out full-toned groove after groove, with spacey atmosphere added in for good measure.

19.    SKYPIG – HELL IS INSIDE YOU

Their debut EP hooked me and this year’s full length more than lived up to the early promise. Filthy sludge with massively weighted tone, Sky Pig brood and swirl with dark psychedelia.

20.    DUNGEON WEED – MIND PALACE OF THE MUSHROOM GOD

A wild ride of crazed doom and sludge that dials the weird way up. Grimy in all the right ways with wild solos that cut through the murk, only to leave you stumbling right back in their laurels.

21.    SERPENT WORSHIP – BLOOD & VENOM

A one-man machine of doom and gloom, each track is a dense epic of swampy tone and creepy psych. Come for some spooky western vibes and stay for the organ freakout.

22.    KILLA BABES – WE ARE THE KILLA BABES

Straight up fun, these NWOBHM and glam-infused rock n rollers from Canada bring the good time vibes. Bring out the leather pants and fingerless gloves for this one.

23.    GHOST FROG – ASTRAL ARCADE

Astral Arcade almost flew in under the radar too late, but thank Iommi it didn’t. A wacky psych rock masterpiece with everything from doom to poppy fuzz hooks with a splash of King Gizz vibes.

24.    KING BUFFALO – DEAD STAR

No surprise these psych rock masters’ new album was another killer. Eerie, spacey, and one of their heaviest yet. Epic!

25.    IZZY AND THE BLACK TREES – TRUST NO ONE

A diverse mix of styles from post-punk to fuzzy stoner, Izzy herself brings powerhouse vocals to an uplifting and emotional album.

JK’s – Personal Top 20

 

 

JK’s – Personal Top 20

The Stoner HiVe Team Members are all involved with the Doom Charts as well. So most of the personal lists already appeared there. But we’re reposting them here once again. Just because we like to keep things nice and tidy; and up with the tradition…

Every year again since we started Stoner HiVe back in 2009 we are stumped, amazed and awed by the amount of majestic releases. Sure, we all curl up in our own little niche most of the time and go absolutely apeshit listening to all that heavy stuff. And that part of the music world alone is already incredible. And then think about the other genres out there and the amount that’s released in that part of the music world. I personally just hope that all you crazy music fiends out there keep on trying out the other stuff as well. Cause we can all get swamped in our own little niche of danceable stoner pop, blackened doom or grimy garage sludge. But there are so many amazing album being released on a monthly basis. It is stupendous, insane and absolutely stunning. Below follows a list of thirty albums that did a lot for me on many levels. But I can just as easily name twenty or fifty more that also did a lot for me. And that’s just the heavy stuff. Looking at the thirty I sent in; I’m thinking: ‘what the hell?!’ How can you leave off The Goners, with their Good Mourning album and that amazing opening track Are You Gone Yet? Or the new 1000Mods album? How about the amazing 10Code? ZOE? Big Scenic Nowhere? And we can list many albums more this way… Well, below our personal Top 20, err Top 30; we list another 30 or so albums that we enjoyed like crazy! And crazy we are! About all that heavy magic! And thanks to the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown I’ve dived deeper into all those albums as well; and all of them should be on my list as well! Man, we love’m all so much! Keep’m comin! Keep’m comin!

JK’s – Personal Top 20 (errr, Top 30)

1.    Psychlona – Venus Skytrip
2.    Honeybone – Spheres
3.    I Saw The Deep – Vimana
4.    Black Rainbows – Cosmic Ritual Supertrip
5.    Kayleth – 2020 Back To Earth
6.    Geezer – Groovy
7.    Lowrider – Refractions
8.    Elden – Nostromo
9.    Slift – Ummon
10.    Forming The Void – Reverie

11.    Ritual Earth – MMXX
12.    All Them Witches – Nothing As The Ideal
13.    Motorpsycho – The All Is One
14.    Elephant Tree – Habits
15.    King Buffalo – Dead Planet
16.    Alain Johannes – Hum
17.    Wolfhand – The Devil Arrives
18.    Vessel – Vagabond Blues
19.    Molasses – Through The Hollow
20.    Phe – Glooming Dawn

21.    An Evening With Knives – Sense of Gravity
22.    Desert Storm – Omens
23.    Jegulja – Exit Sandman
24.    Desert Colossus – Eyes And Tongues
25.    Murcielago – Casualties
26.    All Souls – Songs For The End Of The World
27.    Sky Valley Mistress – Faithless Rituals
28.    Black Elephant – Seven Swords
29.    Wailin Storms – Rattle
30.    Arcadian Child – Protopsycho

10Code – Ride
1000Mods – Youth of Dissent
Atlanta – Nugrybauti
Big Scenic Nowhere – Lavender Blues
Black Helium – The Wholly Other
Cobra Thief – Animal Oxygen
Dool – Summerland
Elder – Omens
Electric Hydra – Electric Hydra
Enigma Experience – Question Mark
Fuzzcrafter – C D
Fuzziebär – Grober Unfug
Gomer Pyle – Before I Die I
Hammada – Atmos
Honeybadger – Pleasure Delayer
Horizon – The White Planet Patrol
Huanastone – Huanastone
Humulus – The Deep
Huntsmen – Mandala of Fear
Karkara – Nowhere Land
Kitchen Witch – Earth and Ether
Laser Dracul – Hagridden
Major Kong – Off The Scale
Mammut – Ride The Fire
Mindcrawler – Lost Orbiter
Qilin – Petrichor
Red Desert – Horizon
Ruff Majik – The Devil’s Cattle
Sorcia - Sorcia
Stonus – Aphasia
Thammuz – Into The Great Unknown
The Goners – Good Mourning
Volcanova – Radical Waves
ZOE – Back Into The Light

The Bottom Dwellers 10 of 2020!

 

 

The Bottom Dwellers 10 of 2020!

We used to be able to do a Red Lantern post about the albums from the year that passed. It entailed the album or albums that got voted for once; and only once and only on the 20th position of a sent in list. But that hasn’t been possible every year. Due to the fact that not every lists has 20 albums on it. Some have less some have more. And for some reason, every one of those lists sent in, with exactly 20 albums on it, had an album on that 20th position, which got voted for more times. So, since we wish to mention a few of those albums that had a very limited amount of votes, we invented the Bottom Dwellers post. Albums that ended up at the very bottom of the list. Which means they were still damn freaking good! Cause they got voted for! But perhaps a bit off center to the normal HiVe heaviness. Perhaps a bit more metal? Or pop? Or punk? But it still means they are featured on a small list of only 670 albums. And to think that among the HiVe Team Members alone have already listened to at least 3000 heavy albums! And we all know there are even more out there! More great records to be discovered! Which we shall continue to do! Damn, how we love this heavy stuff! Go check out the Bottom Dwellers 10 from 2020! Who knows, it might just feature your new favorite one!

Nothing Is Real – Desert Of Illusions
 

My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall II

Satánico Pandemonium – Culto Suicida

Sun Of Man – IV

Howard – Obstacle

Love Your Witch – Fucking Relentless

Ohhms – Close

Zombi – 2020 

Marmalade Knives – Amnesia

Bambara – Stray

Onwards and Upwards in 2021 !

 

Onwards and Upwards in 2021 !

As usual every year we give you the numbers 21 to 100 as voted by you guys and girls that found the time and energy to send in their list of favorite albums of 2020. No lists came in to late this year and the total list of albums featured no less than 670 albums. Below we feature the Number 21 to 100. With Fear by Valkyrie missing 14 points to make it into the Top 20 and Yawning Man’s Live At Giant Rock album missing 516 points to do the same thing. To be fair, below are the albums listed at Number 21 to 100 but a lot of those album gathered the same amount of votes. If we would really move to the 100th position down the list according to points we would end up with an extra list of  20 albums. Which would make Shaman Elephant and their amazing Wide Awake But Still Asleep album the 100th spot of the list. But we’re sticking with the list below. And marvel at the amount of amazing freaking heavy music release this year! Hell yeah!

Valkyrie – Fear
Turtle Skull – Monoliths
Hail The Void – Hail The Void
Causa Sui – Szabodelico
Familiars – All In Good Time
Lord Buffalo – Tohu Wa Bohu
IAH – III
Stargo – Parasight
Black Elephant – Seven Swords
Sleepwulf – Sleepwulf
Curse The Son – Excruciation
Vitskär Süden – Vitskär Süden
Kitchen Witch – Earth & Ether
Sun Of Grey – Outerworld
1000 Mods – Youth Of Dissent
Thammuz – Into The Great Unknown
Baardvader – Baardvader
Kadavar – The Isolation Tapes
Karkara – Nowhere Land
The Kings Of Frog Island – VI
Vinnum Sabbathi – Of Dimensions & Theories
Molassess – Through The Hollow
Bill Fisher – Mass Hypnosis And The Dark Triad
Hammada – Atmos
Laser Dracul – Hagridden
Temple Of The Fuzz Witch – Red Tide
Desert Colossus – Eyes And Tongues
Big Scenic Nowhere – Vision Beyond Horizon
Pale Divine – Consequence Of Timed
Scorched Oak – Withering Earth
Dixie Goat – There's No Light Without Darkness
Rosy Finch – Scarlet
Acid Mess – Sangre De Otros Mundos
The Spacelords – Spaceflowers
Cobra Thief – Animal Oxygen
Ritual Earth – Ritual Earth
Buffalo Fuzz – Volume II
Twin Wizard – Glacial Gods
The Sonic Dawn – Enter The Mirage
Geezer – Groovy
Kayleth – 2020 Back To Earth
Mountain Witch – Extinct Cults
Lykantropi – Tales To Be Told
Orgöne – Mos/Fet
Humulus – The Deep
Frozen Planet 1969 – Cold Hand Of A Gambling Man
Dead Lord – Surrender
Blues Pills – Holy Moly!
Cortez – Sell The Future
Slomosa – Slomosa
Hällas – Conundrum
Slow Phase – Slow Phase
Bone Church – Acid Communion
Gomer Pyle – Before I Die I
The Absurd – Sun Still Rises
Troll Teeth – Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing
Dungeon Weed – Mind Palace Of The Mushroom God
Horizon – The White Planet Patrol
Earthdiver – Lord Of The Cosmos
Mindcrawler – Lost Orbiter
High Priestess – Casting The Circle
Elden – Nostromo
Ruff Majik – The Devil's Cattle
Ethereal Sea – Forgotten Memories Of Tomorrow
Colour Haze – We Are
Starmonger – Revelations
Stonebirds – Collapse And Fail
Oranssi Pazuzu – Mestarin Kynsi
Phe – Glooming Dawn
The Hypnagogics – Endless Nights
Stonus – Aphasia
The Heavy Eyes - Love Like Machines
Desert Storm – Omens
Brimstone Coven – The Woes Of A Mortal Earth
Electric Hydra – Electric Hydra
Howling Giant/Sergeant Thunderhoof – Turned To Stone Chapter 2
Wolftooth – Valhalla
Rider Negro – The Echo Of The Desert
Lágoon – Father Of Death
Yawning Man – Live At Giant Rock

Number 1

 

 

Number 1

 

There can be only one… We climb almost two hundred points from the amazing Venus Skytrip album by Psychlona on the Number 2 position of the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2020 to reach the Gold Medal. The Number 1 of 2020! According to all the lists sent our way, all the votes cast, this is the best album of 2020. So we thank all of you once again for voting, for helping the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown become more valid with every passing year and we thank all the bands for delivering all those amazing albums! Twenty years ago this Swedish quartet delivered a landmark album and now the boys are back with a follow-up and yet another masterpiece! Atavistic stoner rock with a majestic groove; an ode to all that pure heavy rock goodness and that spacey delivery. It is not the work of a band trying  to recapture the magic of that first album but just a band of brothers that are finally taking the next step of their journey. We can go on and on about all the albums that we heard during this insane year; we can profess our love for many of them; but this one delivered all of that condensed and turned their sound into quicksilver and made it move through all manner of energy and particles that simply became unbreakable adoration for all that we worship about this thing called stoner rock. It is a dream come true, an ode once again and even bigger that before! We bow before the four and beg them to keep taking a next step in their majestic journey; we give you the Number One album of 2020… The Gold Medal goes to:

Lowrider – Refractions

 

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