LáGoon - Bury Me Where I Drop

 

 

LáGoon - Bury Me Where I Drop
Forbidden Place Records/Electric Valley Records - October 2022
Stoner, Garage, Punk, Doom, Proto, Psych
Rated: ****

Prolific Portland fuzz rockers LáGoon return with their seventh release "Bury Me Where I Drop", delivering their patented garage stoner with some tasty new flavors thrown into the mix. The scuzzy fuzz is as ripping as ever, riff after riff overlaid by vocals that drawl and sneer in equal parts to create an atmosphere that's stoned through and through. Opener "I See the Hate in You" is classic LáGoon, dragging itself out of the feedback to lay down rock solid proto-doom, with clattering drums and keening Soundgarden guitars making no bones about their sinister intent. Follow-up "Dead and Gone" proceeds adds some occult vibes to the noise, as winding riffage snakes into blown out chords and a singalong chorus. Things start to shake up on the third track, however, with "Bury Me" (feat. Marlo Kapsa) doling out some old school punk and even a bit of shoegaze, helped along into blissful oblivion by the dreamy, thoroughly stoned guest vocals. The good times don't roll for long, though, as highlight cut "Sharpen It" tears into the tranquility via gnarly surf rock riffs, shredding with abandon while the vocals do a one-eighty and screech with a decidedly punk edge. LáGoon's twists and turns between genres give each track extra oomph, and the final duo of "Face Down" and "Some Nerve" are no different. Contrasting with the hard-hitting "Sharpen It", "Face Down" is an instrumental ecstasy of soaring guitars and beautiful reverb, slowing down the pace with colorful psychedelia and deft, cymbal-happy drumming to add to the epic feel. Finally, the Portland crew go out with a bang in "Some Nerve", recalling the nastiness of "Sharpen It" in the bone-breaking guitar crunch and venom-filled shrieks, a pointed reminder that while LáGoon can deliver a myriad of moods and sounds, they never stop bringing the heavy. "Bury Me Where I Drop" is a confident, unquestionable release by a band who clearly know they deliver the goods and aren't afraid to stretch their wings and experiment while still maintaining their dependably top-notch rock 'n roll.

(Written by Kyle SB / Shastabeast)

Wanna read more about that crazy LáGoon and that quirky Anthony Gaglia?

Go ahead and read this way too long interview...

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Pharm – Vortex

 

 

Pharm – Vortex
Self released – 2022
Rock, Stoner, Prog
Rated: ****

Many moons ago, before the war in the western world started, we mentioned the first single Acolyte by Canadian three-piece Pharm. And now, only about a week ago, they released their full-sized debut Vortex. A wild maelstrom of heavy rock! Based on stoner and prog their constantly shifting brackets between which the three go crazy, let them implore every imaginable source of heavy rock. Often bewildering the amount of weird memories about other bands and albums that might pop up, if only for a second. Prog rock legends will come to mind, but so will Baroness, Umphrey’s McGee and Primus. Pharm is serious business, but within the cluster of ideas, the fusing element is always the energy conveyed. Offering the option to experience Vortex as a state of being. Where the two interludes offer a moment of ease, a peaceful moment in the eye of the storm. But those are short moments of respite between the stupefying amount of guitar work, masterful bass and insane drumming that all have this dizzying effect. And not just because there’s so much of it, but because it is this good. So much beauty shines through in all those highly dynamic, only seemingly chaotic tapestries of prog compositions, that you might avert your eyes at one point because it feels like you are starting directly at the heart of the sun. Opener Acolyte and following Conqueror are already freaky highlights, but Device, with its tolling bell, its punk energy sets you up properly for the Vortex ride. Crystal Ships goes absolutely bonkers with the shifts and breaks; and that middle part, yowzah! Orbiting The Vortex ends the album properly, with a nine-and-a-half-minute tour de force, showing you once again what Pharm can do before they close it all off with this weird two-minute-long ditty called Thanks. Pharm is serious business, but there’s enjoyment here as well, and I guess Thanks showcases this best. The end of a nutty, quirky, and dazzling carnival ride….

(Written by JK)

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Thammuz – Sons Of The Occult

 

 

Thammuz – Sons Of The Occult
Argonauta Records – 2022
Rock, Stoner, Metal, Hardrock, Psych
Rated: *****

Storming out of the gates with the thrilling, fuzz ridden, stoner trucking, opener Electric Sheep, we get ready for the wild ride that is the new album Sons Of The Occult by Dutch foursome Thammuz. We set our course for the desert, that landscape accustomed to the relentless golden rays. And with sublime touches of doom and a stoner metal much of the album will rock every heavy rock loving fiend to their very core; but perhaps it’s the standout tracks of Guayota and Self-Taught Man that sets this album apart from the rest. Far apart in fact… Guayota, starts off with guitars painting a sundried, windswept landscape, slowly building towards a more smoke ridden mountainous sound. You suspect a majestic eruption, an intense explosion, but the controlled ride turns out to be the master stroke that Thammuz pulls out of its bag. Which they do on more tracks along the way, always having the listener on the edge of their seat, kicking it in overdrive when you least expect it or pulling back as soon as you start hoping for that blow out satisfaction. Self-Taught Man, quirky in subject, starts with that languid bop and stroll rhythm that you expect a grand track about a night on the town to have; but this is a different kind of night on the town. The fuzzed out, muddy middle section serves as a set up for the fulfillment that comes once the body has been dispensed. Not a killer by default, it sounds like the vocalist went out of his way to learn how to murder. Can you hear his nonchalant and casual killer demeanor? Can you hear that slithering sleaze? Are you lusting for a nice Chianti as well now? Sons Of The Occult is more eclectic than debut effort Into The Great Unknown, building on all that stoner groove they already possessed and leisurely dancing into all these different colorful cul-de-sac’s to see what they can find there. And you know the thing about cul-de-sac’s, danger lurks, knives get pulled and you might end up with more money than you had with you in the first place. Thammuz have delivered an amazing follow-up to their debut! All hail their far out fuzzy growth! All hail Thammuz! Especially since we’re also able to share a few bandcamp codes with you all… Just scroll down and thank Thammuz!

(Written by JK)

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REDEEM HERE

Codes:

3mmq-vzjm
8n5a-hvzq
x5km-h9yy
nw5k-uh6g
g9n2-ky3q
33d5-kflz
898n-yzt3
9yg9-gful
3ukn-3mmj
e8k6-vg7f

Ruby The Hatchet – Fear Is A Cruel Master

 

Ruby The Hatchet – Fear Is A Cruel Master
Magnetic Eye Records – 2022
Rock, Psych, Doom, Stoner, Prog
Rated: *****

Back in 2015 they reached the Number 17 position of the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of that year with their Valley Of The Snake album thanks to all the votes that came in for that album. In 2017 the follow-up to that album reached Number 19 of the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown, and Planetary Space Child was indeed amazing. And now, five years later, Ruby The Hatchet is back, and comes out swinging with what can arguably be seen as an album to dwarf all they have done before this. It’s called Fear Is A Cruel Master and is sure to garner lot of votes from all you Stoner HiVe freaks out there that vote every year. At least, that is our considered opinion. Eight tracks that are laced with heavy psychedelic and proto doom atmospheres, provided of course by those soft and sweet smokey vocals, that wild organ and those incredibly guitar licks. This time however we see Ruby venture more and more towards a higher pop sensible sentiment and catchy sonic landscape, but without ever leaving that proto and seventies feeling behind. Of which, opener The Change, might immediately be the perfect example. Opening riffs sets the scene, the organ shimmers in the background, the drums slowly gearing up for that mid-tempo perfection. Adding the warmth of the Jillian Taylors vocals, that now seem to sit perfectly with everything Fear Is A Cruel Master brings. Soulful and vibrant, with a touch of something sultry the eight compositions sound like a signboard for Taylors kind of pitch and energy. More than often the chorus, or repeated lines just seem to keep on drifting through your head, even after final track Amor Gravis has come and gone. A hot stomping, high energy, stop and pounce kind of rocker. And then that revolving ending, all class and quality! Fear Is A Cruel Master sounds like the work of art of a band that found out exactly how their pieces needed to fit together to create a masterpiece. This feels more like Ruby The Hatchet than all those albums that came before. Something that is equal parts seductive, suggestive, and pure rock ‘n roll. Ancient and meant for a distant future, Ruby The Hatchet brings you all. And did we already mention we love the cover art?!

(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…

Ruby The Hatchet
Thammuz
Black Space Riders
Lazer Beam
Sahg
Acid Witch
The Chop (Ghostbeef)
Abrams
All Souls
Band of Spice

After returning for my little holiday in England, work got the upper hand and limited time was there to do any work for Stoner HiVe or Doom Charts… But once the Doom Charts hits, you can bet your ass, nothing will stop me from running through all those majestic albums once again! And now, as a new week lies before us, we hope we have a tiny bit more time to HiVe, but it might be difficult this week. Next week looks glorious, like a hopeful light at the end of the tunnel…

The Doom Charts for October 2022

 

 

Doom Charts

“Yo, when is the November Charts? I can’t live like this!”

~ Sifir Rakam

“I can’t get into doomcharts here in the UK!? The most recent entry is for 3 Wheeler Band, that Halloween posting. Has something got stuck or …?”

~ Paul Hennelly

The amount of emails and messages we received from all of you in distress about what was keeping the new Doom Charts were heartwarming. Even though we reckoned we made it abundantly clear that the publishing date for the Doom Charts had moved from the 1st of every month to the 1st Friday of every month. This would enable more Contributors to do more work for the Doom Charts and might give more credit to albums released on the final days of the month… And there are so many albums released monthly, during the whole month and on those final days that it still often feels unbearable to not be able to pay attention to them all… Below are 38 all NEW heavy rock albums! Thirthy-eight, but any shift in votes might have resulted in a different version. Cause I don’t know if you’ve seen some of the lists the Contributors posted on their own sites? Many have only a handful or perhaps a few more than a handful of votes for the same albums. And yes, you can safely bet that those other records on their respectives lists are stunning as well… Sometimes it feels wrong to not do even more for those albums, but I guess the Doom Charts are purely here to state clearly that the ones listed here, those Forty albums, of the 268 that received votes this month, are the absolute cream of the crop. The cherries on the doom pie, the pick of the heavy litter, the albums filled with every stoner bell and psychedelic whistle you can wish for… And when they arrive with such a loud bang as this months Number One… You can bet your furry little ass that it’s something special! It’s the First Friday of the Month and it’s the October Doom Charts! 

The October Doom Charts just went live! 

The first time we publish on the First Friday of the month... Which we will do henceforth... The Doom Charts, featuring forty heavy rock albums all ready to rock your world! Personal votes that made the list went out to:

All Souls, Black Space Riders, Elder, Liquid Earth, King Buffalo, Sahg, Black Math Horseman, Red Mess, Lágoon, Faith In Jane, Thammuz, Near Dusk, Psychonaut, Half Gramme Of Soma, Ruby The Hatchet and The Otolith...

And we shall spin all Forty of them in a row again! Starting with awesome Vampiric Visions Vol. I: Living Blood album by Lady Luna And The Devil! Go find your new favorite one or share the ones you feel should have been on the Charts!?!

Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio, podcasters and reviewers from the heavy underground around the globe.  Each month, our critics submit their picks for the best new doom, sludge, metal, stoner, psychedelic and heavy rock albums.  The results are compiled and tabulated into the chart below.  This is a one-stop shop for the best new albums in the world…

 

The Doom Charts for October 2022 

Abrams – In The Dark

 

Abrams – In The Dark
Small Stone Recordings – 2022
Rock, Stoner, Grunge, Metal, Psych
Rated: *****

It’s been out since early September and of course rocked the Top 10 of the September Doom Charts and it has been rocking me to my very core for a while now, we’re talking about the fourth full-sized album In The Dark by Denver, Colorado foursome Abrams. Started off as a trio, it’s always been the core duo of bass/vocals Taylor Iversen and guitar/vocals Zachary Amster, but since their 2020 album Morning they found the perfect drumming fit: Ryan DeWitt. Joining on second guitar for the In The Dark record is Patrick Alberts, who you might know from metal, death, core outfit Call Of The Void and their damn fine 2019 album Buried In Light. And since the beginning of Abrams stems from that more core and sludge scene as well, you can safely bet that Patrick will be the perfect match. And, as opener Like Hell shows you, there shall immediately be no doubt whatsoever about that. In fact, the whole record sounds like the merging of four musical minds that together bring you heavy mojo of the brilliant kind! Like Hell, as we were beginning to state, is one of those perfect blast offs, those drums kicking it all off, that soaring guitar leading into the riff, waiting for those vocals riding the driving energy towards the logical conclusions, the way those vocals exchange the spotlight and propel you forward. Which is even more the case on the second track Death Tripper. Almost giving off the idea that Like Hell was meant to propel the cart up to the highest point of the rollercoaster, and that Death Tripper is you inside the cart, speeding through the coaster at full speed, hitting all the corners like a maniac. And third track Better Living is the end of the ride, you getting off, high on adrenaline, which serves as the idea that you might be off Better Living when not on chemistry, but high on life. Those first three tracks are so full of fire and are so memorable, it will take an absolute pounder to make you go forth. And guess what word you can easily throw that fourth track? Indeed, In the Clouds and its pounding, chugging opening has you running towards the edge of the cliff, standing there expecting to fly, and you will! After which the album opens up to implore even more melody and slow sloping tracks that take their time to build up to their powerful statements. And the way those massive walls of sound manage to sound so different with each approach, shot through with grunge, late punk and stoner influences. And yet also giving off some progressive and psychedelic atmospheres, making everything sound so magical, floating and also robust and layered, makes us hope that In The Dark is the Abrams that has found their sound, their way and the way forward. And you and I will surely be there along with them, getting high on whatever they throw at us…

(Written by JK)

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Speedmobile – Supersonic Beat Commando

 

 

Speedmobile – Supersonic Beat Commando
V2/Butler – 2022
Rock, Speedrock, Punk, Garage, Billy, Rock ‘n Roll
Rated: ****

Hailing from Eindhoven, I of course have an enormous soft spot for Peter Pan Speedrock and all the bands that have one or more members from that formation in it. They were without any doubt the band that put the Rock, into Eindhoven Rockcity. And when Peter Pan Speedrock threw in the towel back in 2016, we knew the members of the three headed rock monster could not sit still for very long. Many outfits were born. TankZilla and Fire Horse, who recently delivered their damn fine Out Of The Ashes album featured Peter van Elderen. And when vocalist, guitarist Jeroen Haamers from Batmobile and the two Barts from Peter Pan Speedrock met up in 2018 to do something for the Lemmy tribute they immediately realized the three were a perfect fit, and Speedmobile was born. The debut release Supersonic Beat Commando features fifteen blood pumping, rollercoaster rides that leave you breathless and spitting fire. There’s no doubt we can hear Speedrock everywhere, there’s Motörhead love abundant, Fun Control for instance sounds like a homage to Ace Of Spades and with a track like JD (My Friend) you know what you are drinking and who is watching, with that legendary grin. The more psychobilly influences from Jeroen’s Batmobile are definitely audible as well, just check out Mmm Babalaba or Bang Bang Bang Bang. Repo Men is not the Iggy Pop song although it does definitely feel inspired by it. There is one cover though, the final song and rockabilly classic Train Kept A-Rollin, done in fine filthy form! As is the rest of the album, fast paced, high energy, and it all exhumes smoke, sweat and dubious whisky. And even though Peter Pan Speedrock might be playing one-off-gigs here and there; it will be Speedmobile you will see cruising down the highway, top down, smoking and drinking and grinning like Kilmister kings…

(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…

Elder
Speedmobile
Near Dusk
Thammuz
Red Mess
LáGoon
Psychonaut
The Grand Mal
16
The Otolith

Fomies - Sudden Lag

 

 

Fomies - Sudden Lag
Self released: Oct 21st 2022
Psychedelic, Stoner Rock
Rated: *****

This excellent Psychedelic Rock troupe from Vevey, Switzerland are obviously farming the same fertile grounds as KING GIZZARD and THEE OH SEES and unearth a hefty treasure trove of mind-bending melodies on their latest release "Sudden Lag". Bursting in on a slim guitar melody, "Noiseless Noise '' is anything but: - he track morphs suddenly into a funk-laden groove of rhythm and organ, crunchy guitars piercing through intermittently and building the tension and suspense with fuzz and tremolo. Title Track "Sudden Lag" is a loose, elastic band of Tripped-out vocals and searing lead breaks very reminiscent of KG&TLW's fuel-injected Garage Psych - a real Tour-de-Force! "Lifted" starts languidly on tremolo guitar and soft drums, echoing vocals adding atmosphere before the jangling riff kicks in, odd time-signatures and restrained attacks are the essence of it, vehicled by a rumbling bassline into another impressive workout. A gentle synth melody induces "Foggy Disposition" to live, joined by a strident drum cadence, then the sound slowly builds until the Space Guitar kicks in, transforming into a swirling, snarling beast of pure fuzz and brute force! "Ego Trip" starts with a simple two-chord intro before the vocals and guitar drop in, creating an early 70's fuzz-propelled excursion.More jangly guitars a la Oh Sees open "A9" with more funky bass underpinning the groove, breaking out into a Space Rock throbber complete with all manner of echoes and general weirdness, drawing from aforementioned influences but adding Krautrock shifting landscapes of synth to flavour the brisk motorik beat. "The Elevator" kicks in with an immediate drop-kick a fuzz guitar and frantic beat - pure Garage Rock! Effects-drenched guitars give that suitable amount of crunch whilst remaining tight to the groove. The closer, "The Journey of Ganzor" opens in a manner that recollects the earlier sound of NEKTAR or AMBROSIA...wistful and nostalgic, it's lazy hazy hologram of hypnotic meditation which quickens in pace propelled once more by those omnipresent jangly guitars and motorik drumming before smashing the crescendo in a raucous melee of fuzz and noise! FOMIES draw on an incredible range of influences and it is testament to their Musicianship that they can produce Psychedelic Music that is both mind-expanding and Mind-Bending - Five fat stars!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Back… And almost ready for action…

 

 

Back… And almost ready for action…

We’re back from the British Isle… Ran around Yorkshire, seen a bit of the Moor, a lot of the coast and tasted, what might be one of the best Blond Ales one can drink in Britain. Abbey Blond by Whitby Brewery... Had a grand time in Stevenage and have Everest Queen on repeat before getting the boat back to Europe. Which almost got caught in that tornado that wrecked a lot of the Calais area of France… And upon returning home, we were immediately swamped with all sorts of other work crap, leaving little time to do some Stoner HiVe work or for the Doom Charts… But soon, we shall really be ready for action!

Upon our return we immediately got hooked by the new Elder album; but what else should we start listening as soon as possible? What has been rocking your world?!

Off to an old smuggles den…

 

 

Off to an old smugglers den…

Out of bounce, of the grid for a couple of days… Travelling around North Yorkshire, trying to become a pirate. Before going down to spend a few days with our lovely little goddaughter and celebrating her third birthday… Since that party will be in Stevenage; we will surely be listening to the new Everest Queen album… Any other suggestions for the one-week trip are welcome!?

Seeya in a week!
 
#stonerrock #daretoask #rock #heavyunderground #heavy #doom #metal #vinyl #music #musicsuggestions #suggestions #psych #prog #stevenage #britain

Faith In Jane – Axe to Oak

 

 

Faith In Jane – Axe to Oak
Grimoire Records - 2022
Rock, Hard, Stoner, Doom, Southern, Blues
Rated: *****

Second track She Moved Through The Fair, immediately throws you a curveball and has you listening to an old Keltic tale, a traditional Irish folk song, performed by many greats before the Thurmont, Maryland three decide to record their version. Daring perhaps, to put this track so early on the album, cause the swing and groove of the opener, that had you envisioning trekking along, moving forward through the forest peaks of Catoctin Mountain Park, is substituted by those views of an old carnival and foggy Irish moors. I always dug whatever Faith In Jane decided to put out into the world, but only ever mentioned their 2020 Mother To Earth release. Opening their new album Axe To Oak with an amazing, very strong Whisky Mountain Breakdown, you immediately get the idea where the band is coming from and where they will be heading, and perhaps they wanted to quell your expectations with that second track. Either way, ballsy. Love the vocals by Dan Mize, although he might make more careful or sparse use of his tonal endings of certain words, it’s cool, it’s works, but use it too often and it will turn it into a pastiche or gimmick. Enter Her Light, the third track, with its incredibly soulful guitarwork, that dragging drum almost reluctantly pushing you forward together with that mighty bass work showing you how  Faith In Jane can take flight on the magic wings of chemistry. How the three seem to perfectly understand each other is underlined once again with the fourth more bluesy rocker Heavy Drinker. That rough edge, that southern touch; easily convincing the listener of how gifted all three musicians are. Two and half minute long instrumental interlude How Many Ships Sail in the Forest? has you bobbing along a warm bath of reverb; enchanting and mysterious, the track seems to serve as a comfortable middle point to move to title track Axe To Oak. A more metallic take on what came before, more nineties alternative and grunge, but still highly soulful and so silky how all that raw and roughness is executed with fine brush strokes. Final track The Seeker continues in this vein, and cements their lauded craftmanship, their knack for restrained power. Axe To Oak is classy, soulful and we should roll out the red carpet for  Faith In Jane everywhere…

(Written by JK)

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