Early Mammal - Horror at Pleasure

Early Mammal - Horror at Pleasure

Devouter Records - 2013

Experimental, Rock, Space, Psyche

Rated: **

Okay, I don't know where to start with this one. This album from the three lads of Early Mammal from England is all over the place. You get rock, some stoner sprinkled in there, space rock, some psychedelica thrown in for good measure and there is a lot of experimentation on this album. The music is good to pretty good in some places but it is the vocals that wreck it for me. I am not saying that Rob Herian (guitars/vocals) is a bad singer but he isn't a great singer either. But nobody will be able to tell this because his vocals are drowned out by the music. Half the time I didn't even know he was singing because his voice is pushed all the way into the background making it damn near impossible to hear him at certain times. I hope the vocals take center stage on their next album like they’re supposed to. Cause the members have all played in different bands and are damn good; but due to the production it becomes inaudible.

(Written by Blair)

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Mexicoma – Supervoid

Mexicoma – Supervoid

Self released – 2012

Stoner, Rock

Rated: ****

From Umea, Sweden comes the triple guitar, six-piece stoner groove attack that takes the name of Mexicoma.  These guys have been around for years developing their sound by playing shows and writing tunes behind the Swedish scenes but have only emerged recently with this, their first official, worldwide release on bandcamp.  Be forewarned, Mexicoma will blow your hair back and knock you back into next week.  ‘Supervoid’ is a lean and mean 4-song, twenty-minute offering, showing the band as polished, professional and hooky as all hell.  Opening track “Mortified” is a high-octane, catchy as fish in a barrel smoker that’s been in this reviewer’s head for half a year now.  My warning was not meant in jest.  They also show respect and admiration for their rock and roll forefathers with their cover version of Son House’s (traditional hymn) “John The Revelator” with the band’s smoke-tinged vocalist, Magnus Olsson providing the perfect stoner answer to the blues master’s original.  Fuzz, hooks and tons of muscle await in the Supervoid.

(Written by Lucas)

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Lord Summerisle – Demo

Lord Summerisle – Demo

Self released – 2013

Prog, Space Rock, Stoner, Psychedelic, Math Rock

Rated:  ***

Barcelona trio Lord Summerisle seem to have taken their lessons from the progressive rock greats of the late 60s / early 70s.  Polyrhythms and odd-time signatures convulse in gasping stutters and explode in sun bursts of sound.  The band gets their prog on in a major way on instrumental opening number, “Pare Huarg”.  But Lord Summerisle have riffs as well and aren’t shy about using them.  Laidback quaffs of stonerisms have the listener nodding along amidst the falling debris, whirring blades and heavy machinery of complex structures.  They become the eye of the storm, cows fly by, houses blow apart, cars overturn and the listener can only nod along, eyes closed, smiling.  This is applied chaos, not that pussy theoretical stuff.  Having successfully fused the technical with the melodic and chest beating brutality with the otherworldly detachment of a sky guru these guys would make Hawkwind proud and impress in the court of the crimson king himself.

(Written by Lucas)

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Pothead – Jackpot

Pothead – Jackpot

Janitor – 2013

Rock, Stoner, Groove

Rated: ****

Besides releasing a steady stream of amazing albums for over twenty years; the guys from Pothead have also been holding their very own festival Potstock since the turn of the millenium. They seem to moving ever forward in every direction possible. Not really reinventing but rediscovering and improving themselves with every record. Their latest one is called Jackpot and is exactly that. A hole in one. An ace. And all that without any luck whatsoever involved. With still little hints of their old grunge and punk past the album seems to embrace the airy rock and the groove of giants. Reminding of Masters Of Reality on some moments but mostly sounding typically Pothead and all over the place in tiny and minute ways. They have carved out a nice little corner for themselves and with a new drummer on board the train seems bound for bigger destinations. Some weird synthesizer sequences here and there; a few shimmering solos, rolling riffs and driving drums. And all that in twelve concrete three-minute pop sensible rock songs. B I N G O!

(Written by JK)

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Harvester – The Blind Summit Recordings

Harvester – The Blind Summit Recordings

Self released – 2012

Stoner, Metal, Hard Rock, Punk

Rated: ***

Blazing through six tracks of blistering stoner metal, Galway, Ireland based quartet Harvester combine the sweltering shredding leads of their homeland heroes Thin Lizzy with the sweaty caveman aggression and pounding rhythms of High on Fire.  When the twain meet, The Blind Summit Recordings unleashes enough devastating energy to melt planets and topple intergalactic tyrants.  Flashing lights and thunder cracks abound on these sweat-stained tunes.  Opening track, The Cosmonautical Mile is an incendiary projectile that blasts at breakneck speed flashing skill and daring, it’s an excellent opening showcase that sets the tone for the rest of the EP.  The band was formed in 2011 from bits and pieces of other local bands Rites, Gummidge and Them Martyrs making them something of a Galway supergroup.  The supergroup tag fits as they have super powers to pick up speed for nail-biting stoner leads and shift down for devastating and dark doses of doom.  But as the band name implies, it’s not man’s doom, but the organic doom that a crop feels with the changing seasons and the unflinching progress of the combine.

(Written by Lucas)

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Lowburn - Soaring High

Lowburn - Soaring High

Self released - 2013

Rock, Stoner

Rated: ***

Four old Finnish geezers who want to rock, that seems about right with this band who bring back the riffs and the stoner rock I used to know and love (not a lot of bands can do that these days). On this, Lowburn's first EP, you can hear the sounds of the Palm Desert in the background as the guitars get fuzzier with each song, the drums beat louder with each beat, the bass pounds inside your head like a jackhammer, and the vocals crush your insides with each howl. This is how stoner rock was meant to be. These four lads have all been in rock bands before so they aren't spring chickens by any means and know exactly what the hell they are doing. If you close your eyes real tight you can imagine an outdoor concert in the middle of the valley with cheap beers, cigarettes, chicks in bikinis, and some great weed. You might just have found heaven. This band has a lot of potential with all the skilled crafts in their ranks. Just think if Kyuss/Sleep/Unida/Black Sabbath all had relatives that could play musical instruments, Lowburn would be the result!

(Written by Blair)

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Help found!

Help found!

After posting a Help Wanted notice exactly two weeks ago. A few replies came. And we can now safely and with utter pride say that two of them made the grade. Hell, they not only made the grade they are putting me to shame! And weirdly enough; they’re both from lovely Canada! Soon a descent ‘Team’ box will be up; but here’s a quick introduction to the two new guys who will be providing the righteous and much better reviews from now on!

Here's BLAIR!

Blair Gibson currently lives in Regina, Canada where it is currently -44 degrees and his balls are frozen to a pole as this is typed. He has released two books, a joke book titled “Laff Your Ass Off” in 2001 and released another book about heavy metal band names and how the groups came up with them: From The Minds of Madness: The Origins of Heavy Metal Band Names. He currently lives with his wife Chantelle and they have been together for the past 13 years and have no whiny bratty children as of yet! He loves stoner rock, porn, pizza, Chinese food, and oh yeah, his wife! Blair's motto is “Death always wins in the end!”

Here's LUCAS!

Lucas Klaukien is an unemployed writer living in New Westminster, BC with his opposite sex live-in life partner.  Sadly, to make ends meet he has been forced into outside employment where it is said he makes a very decent living providing non-essential services.  His acrobatic lunges and through the leg returns have earned him the title of Grand Wizard of the West Annacis Island table tennis set.  He also cares about music and the humans who create them.  O’ and comic books. And runs his own excellent blog as well: Paranoid Hitsophrenic!

We welcome them both wholeheartedly and hope they’ll enjoy the hell out of themselves. Check in tomorrow to read their very first reviews for Stoner HiVe... Hooka Hey!

Hell Comes Home

Hell Comes Home

Hell Comes Home is a one-man label effort from Galway, Ireland. Which started out as a subscription club with the subscriber receiving two new splits every month. Which leads to conclude that they released no less than 12 split 7" singles last year all in the vicinity of sludge, doom, hardcore, stoner and metal. Excellent efforts by Thou, Suma, Pyramido, Burning Love, Dopefight and many many many more. And now they have gone the extra mile and made a handcrafted boxset of the entire year. The idea might be very simple, get a bunch of cool bands together, to release a cool and good looking massive collection of splits 7". But to do it well and properly is an art in itself; one that is definitely mastered by the honorable Joel. Hell Comes Home; it not only spins elegantly on your recordplayer and sounds amazing; it looks hella good as well!

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Burrows – Faces In The Hillside

Burrows – Faces In The Hillside

Self released – 2011

Rock, Metal, Sludge, Ambient

Rated: ***

The three sludge fiends of Connecticut born Burrows delivered their first EP two years ago but have once again turned to actively promoting it again. Maybe the reason is the fact that there’s something new on the horizon? Who knows? Their sludge metal levels entire cities filled with giant concrete skyscrapers and their post metal ambient intermissions survey their doing with glee. And one must conclude that the seemingly chaotic loudness stemming from their instruments could easily make a Crowbar, Neurosis, Isis or Entombed fan go crazy. The guttural vocals however are a bit on sour side and weakens the overall aggressive and scary enjoyment one might get from the otherwise damn fine Face In The Hillside.

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Barbara and Los Rotos Del Rock – EP

Barbara and Los Rotos Del Rock – EP

Self released – 2012

Rock, Stoner, Garage, Punk

Rated: ****

Bárbara González is the name of the lovely, dangerous and a bit scary front woman of Chilean garage rock formation Barbara and Los Rotos Del Rock. On their first seven track counting EP they bring forth their South American stonerrock with a feverous punk energy. Gritty and gravelly their fuzzy tunes sound vaguely erotic and scream out for perilous nights filled with truckloads of cheap beer, horrible rum, excellent Pisco and strange cravings for Borgona’s in the middle of the night. It recalls the spirit of age-old rock ‘n roll and testifies to that love with the Spanish cover version of Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. The follow-up track La Petite Mort shows an awesome ability to provide complete soundtracks for twisted adventures and the closer is one that will either get the blood pumping even faster or have you looking for some herb and paper to finish the night properly.  No bullshit, straight up stoner garage and roll. Perfect for bizarre or sensual escapades in countries where you blood feels to think and the sweat is always dripping…

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Barbara and Los Rotos Del Rock - Masticaré Tu Corazón

Barbara and Los Rotos Del Rock - Masticaré Tu Corazón

Very sweet, sugary and lovely second video by Chilean garage stoner formation Barbara and Los Rotos Del Rock. Inspired by the crazy Zombie rage of late? Check out their first one as well. It accompanies the first track Tú No Sabes Quién Soy of their first EP...

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Stonebringer – Ocean Of The Brave

Stonebringer – Ocean Of The Brave

Self released – 2012

Rock, Metal, Stoner, Progressive

Rated: ****

The four Greeks of Stonebringer impressed in 2011 with their first release entitled Born To Jam On The Streets. And now they’re back to bring their version of stoner metal with an even better five track EP called Ocean Of The Brave. Of which the four first tracks are telling a legendary story of yore. One the ancient Greeks have mastered throughout the ages; and Stonebringer seem to be just as fluent translating it to progressive stoner metal heaviness. Climbing mighty Olympus to cut out their granite ships with which they aim to cross the ocean in search of hope and promise and ultimately meeting Poseidon. Marble riffs and adamantine drums accompany this journey. And the guys impress most with their smooth fluid interludes and their approaching symphonic tempest. It rocks the boat and it shatters the oars. The progressive nod is ever present and on some moments you might wish they stuck with a certain riff a bit longer. But that and the fact that the Steppenwolf cover feels a tad out of place are the only minor points of an otherwise awesome and mythical adventure…

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Mind Vice – Mind Vice

Mind Vice – Mind Vice

Self released – 2013

Rock, Grunge, Stoner, Funk, Sludge

Rated: ****

Hailing from the grunge battleground of Seattle the four guys from Mind Vice have been heralded as the next Soundgarden or a funked out slowed down Nirvana; rest assured there’s a heavy buzz surrounding these guys. And rightfully so. On their full-sized self-titled album they provide heavy blues fuel for the alternative rock minded fiends. Combining rock funk from Primus and Peppers to the wailing sounds of Cornell and some old school rock from the seventies. Smearing it all out over on sludge bordering stoner or open sounding grunge. And then for the most part; not the plastered version of the nineties but one that leans heavily on the example set by older giants and a jamband attitude. Leaving the listener experiencing heavy Jazz Hell on one occasion; slow and Weary Blues the next and above all something highly soulful and equally exciting. It tickles the heart, set the blood on fire and gives hope once more for something magical on the horizon…

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