The Clamps - Megamouth

Well this is a really fun one. The Clamps are a fuzzy speed rock and roll band who are clearly just as in love with punk rock as they are high volumes and good times. Their new album Megamouth is a wonderfully fun offering from the Italians and it speaks to their high energy talents. It's hard not to be enamored with the sonic world that The Clamps present and the magic that Megamouth delivers for all of us who just want to slam beers to killer riffs and sing along to massive choruses with our friends. It's an ass shaking good time if there ever was one! 

Megamouth is the sound of rock and roll distilled to its purest and most fun form. The Clamps are very much a product of their influences, bands like Fu Manchu and The Hellacopters. The end result is rock and roll that you don't need to think too hard about but which is guaranteed to get you stoked! One thing that stands out in particular though is the drum performance. The energetic execution on tracks like "Roll Back The Years" with myriad rolls and fills decorating the sound underneath far too fun guitar solos makes for a record that you can't help but to come back too. This is rock and roll designed for tail gates and good times after all. 

This is a powerful record, a record that is going to make you want to dance and scream, a record that perfectly understands what makes their influences so great and then executes on it at a million miles an hour. Megamouth is a blast, there's no two ways about it and The Clamps understand exactly what makes for a fun riff or a fist pumping chorus without ever losing sight of their core sound. Stoner riffs about, but done with an energy that makes them addictive. Megamouth has captured my heart and I'll be revisiting it regularly.

Pre-order the album!

https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-clamps-megamouth

Wizzerd - Space?: Issue No.001

 

Every once in a while you hear a band take things to the next level in a way you weren't fully sure was possible for them. Such is the case with Wizzerd and their thrilling new record Space?: Issue No.001. This record sees them building on everything that they've hinted at in their discography before into one potent cohesive whole that can't help but to impress with its clarity of vision, inherent musicality and quality of execution. This is a stoner rock record for the ages, one that says "We are Wizzerd and we are here to shred your fucking face off." 

Space?: Issue No.001 is a thriller any way you slice it. This is a record that seems built aroudn the jam with endless fun guitar licks, shredding solos, massive choruses and an overarching sense that the band are still building towards something greater. As they build towards the final climax on "Final Departure Part I: the Intergalactic Keep of the Illustrious Cosmic Woman" (Song name brevity is not Wizzerd's strong suit) you get the impression that there is still so much further this thing could go. Wizzerd have evolved past so many of the errors of their early days as a band to craft something that is stunning. It's a long promised record that I am thrilled to see matches the expectation and hints at so much more that this band could one day be. 

Wizzerd have gone and done it. It makes me so happy to hear a record from a band this young executed with this level of maturity, but years of hard touring, constant recording and spinning apparently infinite records has put them in a place that is wholly their own, that speaks to a vision that I think is going to only get better with time, even if now, it's pretty goddamn good. With a dense web of influences and a gorgeous sounding record, Wizzerd are daring once more into the breach and I think many of us would do well to pay attention!

Pre-order the album!

https://fuzzoramarecords1.bandcamp.com/album/space-issue-no-001

Psychlona - Palo Verde

There are few better feelings than hearing a band who you have been a fan of and supported for a really long time put it all together. Such is the case with the power of Psychlona and their stunning new album Palo Verde. The band has been able to put something together here that is simply on another level, a crushing slab of desert rock that captures the imagination and speaks to the indubitable, ongoing power of a group who understand what it means to be burdened by the power of the riff. Hearing them execute all over this record is a delight. 

This is just such a massive record, and I feel for the first time the live magic of this band is really captured. You see - Psychlona more than most any other band I know have a truly powerful sense of tone. Their execution on that alone is stunning. This new record though is a step up, it's by far their most dynamic record to date benefiting from gorgeous psychedelic passages and counterbalancing them with fuzz laden magic. This is a band whose sound is in love with the American highway, who understand the ongoing power of stoner rock and why heavy music is going to fascinate a certain group of us now and forever. 

Palo Verde is a one of a kind force, a testament to a growing bands rising powers and a thriller that is going to keep fans of the underground coming back in awe. I can't help but to be impressed with how much further Psychlona has come in the past few years and their unique ability to keep growing their sound, even within the relatively narrow desert rock framework is thrilling. This is a band like few others, one who have the open highway at their feet and stunning riffs that command you to come out and bend the knee. 

Pre-order the new album!

https://psychlona.bandcamp.com/album/palo-verde

Coma Hole - S/T

Coma Hole have finally released their long await debut, also titled Coma Hole. This is a potent little slab of stoner doom magic, and while the duo are still finding their sea legs, it's certainly an offering that speaks to the potential the band has. I'll be honest, I first dug into this record because I was so deeply enamored with frontwoman Eryka Fir's solo debut. Coma Hole sees the brilliant songstress in a band format, and while the record is certainly very very good, I won't lie, it does feel like her prodigious talents are bit limited here. 

This all being said, Coma Hole is a helluva record. It's an album that even with just a bass and drum manages to be more emotionally expressive and sonically interesting than the vast majority of the stoner rock underground. A lot of this is due to the athletic bass performance from Eryka Fir. However, drummer Steve Anderson does an excellent job with some truly colorful playing. He fills in a lot of the space and together this unit makes for a surprisingly full and engaging sound. Normally bass-drum duos in the stoner world tend to try to crush you with heaviness. Coma Hole seem more focused on acting like a traditional rock oriented band and cracking skulls throughout. 

Coma Hole is a potent offering and one that I think fans of the underground are going to be enamored with. Eryka Fir's vocals are truly extraordinary and there is clearly a lot of talent there to still be pushed to new heights. Meanwhile the tight knit bass and drums makes for some top tier listening. While the songwriting can still be tightened and this release doesn't approach the art doom heights of Eryka's solo stuff, this is an impressive offering and one that fans of the genre are going to find themselves constantly revisiting. 

Grab it off Bandcamp!

https://comahole.bandcamp.com/album/coma-hole

Duel - In Carne Persona

Duel has been one of my favorite heavy Texas bands for a while now, and I was excited to see the promo for their newest album, In Carne Persona hit my inbox. That being said - I'm not sure I was ready for the musical leaps and bounds the band has made. Don't get me wrong - it's awesome, but the band has leaned into their 70s prog influences more than ever on this record. While those elements certainly had always been there to some extent, they seem amplified now in new and exciting ways that speak to just how talented the band is. 

Long favorites within the Texas underground, I've always been curious about how this band was really going to take things to the next level. This record is very much what they needed to move the needle. It's triumphant and exciting, exactly the sort of heavy magic that keeps listeners excited and eternally returning to some of the darkest elements of the band. They have crafted something here that is creative, unexpected and a whole lot of fun. It's a thrilling next step for a band who seem to master everything that they do. In Carne Persona is a really fun listen and the bands willingness to broaden their influences and sound while staying true to the classic Duel formula makes for compelling listening. 

In Carne Persona is a triumph for the band, and honestly stoner rock as a whole. The band has really found an ability to expand upon the genre in exciting and creative ways. Their unique takes and expansion upon the sound is guaranteed to keep you delving ever deeper. This is what heavy rock was meant to be about, crushing grooves but also more than a little experimentation and personal growth. Letting yourself fall in love with these myriad layers is a blast and something that will keep listeners enchanted as they delve into this latest chapter from the band. 

Pre-order the record!

https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/duel-in-carne-persona

Grieving - Songs For The Weary

Crushingly heavy, gloriously fuzzy and more than a little evil, Grieving's latest offering, Songs For The Weary is a stunner, the sort of record that pushes the imagination and reminds us exactly why we all love it slow and heavy. These Polish masters have found a way to prove that there is far more left in old tropes than one might expect, and it's a delight to immerse yourself in the crushing hatred that really shapes their sound in all its occult glory. This is a record to immerse yourself in, if only because the distortion is so massive. 

Grieving balance a few core elements in order to ensure Songs For The Weary remains masterful. At the core of everything is the riff, Sabbathian in its glory. The production sounds nice and wide open, the washed out vocals add a sort of classic horror elements to the music too and help fuel the fire. There are psychedelic vibes that really help to top the whole thing off and keep it just a tad weird. Songs For The Weary has a certain bleak humanity too it. Tracks like 'Foreboding Of A Great Ruin' may come off as a tad rough here and there, but that's part of the fun. The extended jams and phased out guitars come together to make a potent soundscape you wander through. 

Songs For The Weary is a thriller any way you slice it. It's a record that nicely ties into a diverse range of wonderful elements in the stoner and doom scene and proves that these Polish lords deserve a seat at the table. Grieving is an inherently exciting band, and the fact that they are signed to Interstellar Smoke Records only further attests to their quality as a label. Grieving consistently prove on this record that there monolithic riffs and death defying performances are the sounds of a band gone mad. Letting yourself get lost in it is part of the delight. 

Pre-order the record!

https://interstellarsmokerecords.bigcartel.com/product/grieving-songs-for-the-weary-isr-vinyl-edition

Kal-El - Dark Majesty

Kal-El have long been cult stoner rock favorites. Their doomed sounds and crushing guitar tone has always set them apart from the pack. Hell - they even got a message of approval from Tony Iommi himself! Their latest record, Dark Majesty, due out in a few weeks on the upstart, Majestic Mountain label, is a masterful next step for the band full of massive vocals, huge riffs and an overarching sense that this band is going to remain one of a kind as long as they wish to keep on cranking out new tunes left and right. 

Dark Majesty excites with the bombast of the music and the larger than life imagery that colors the sonic universe of this band. Tracks like 'Hyperion' are grandiose in scope, but more importantly, feel grandiose in scope. You really get a sense for just how huge this band is and all that they really manage to accomplish with the overarching vision of this music and how they carve out new sounds. Dark Majesty is a record that invites you into the broad facing visions of a dark world and leaves you in awe. The power of the execution and the vision behind these songs is exciting. It's exactly the sort of thing stoner fans long for. 

This all being said - Dark Majesty is a loooong record. Well over an hour I almost wish this was two separate albums. It would make it quite a bit easier to digest and really revel in. As is though, this is an exciting proposition and one that definitely will keep devout fans of the genre coming back. Even stoner rock newbies will find something to love, especially with some of the shorter more rocking tracks like 'Spiral.' This is a powerful offering - losing yourself in the heaviness is a delight. Press play and dive in. 

Pre-order the album!

https://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com/product/kal-el-dark-majesty

Lo-Pan - Subtle

Man it feels good to really hear a band put it together. Such is the case for Lo-Pan. On their new record, Subtle the group goes above and beyond in crafting deeply powerful and emotional stoner rock full of crunchy grooves and exciting riffage. The trademark stomp has been tempered into something angular and powerful. The band revel in their heaviness and have crafted some of their most compelling songs to date. It makes for some truly fascinating listening that will leave you headbanging and begging for more. Lo-Pan get it. That simple. 

There is a potent poetry behind these songs. Tracks like 'Khan' feature some of the bands most intricate songwriting to date, and it's a real blast to immerse yourself in the gorgeous production and top tier execution of what they have put together here. It's a record that shines like the sun and sees the band embracing much brighter tones, in some ways more reminiscent of groups like ASG and Red Fang than they have ever been before. It really showcases just how talented these cats are and the level at which they can really perform. Subtle brings it at a high level, consistently showing that Lo-Pan are the best and brightest they have ever been. 

Losing yourself in this record is a delight, and it's one that has multiple moments of wizardry that will make listeners ooh and ah in admiration.  Subtle is a mesmerizing record and one that can't help but to excite. Despite the fact that this is still ostensibly a stoner rock record it is a shockingly subtle offering and one that you will keep coming back too excited for more and curious to see where it takes you next. Lo-Pan prove on this one that they get it, on some fundamental level. Embracing that level of heavy is a delight. 

Pre-order the album!

https://lo-pan-rock.bandcamp.com/album/subtle

Here Lies Man - Ritual Divination

Four albums in and Here Lies Man's unique sound - a self described mix of Afrobeat and Black Sabbath remains vibrant and exciting. This latest offering, Ritual Divination places much more of an emphasis on the Black Sabbath side of the bands unique sound and leaves listeners in awe as Here Lies Man uncover new and distinct layers of heavy rock magic. This is a distinct record that really acts as a fruitful next step for the band and shows that even through the misery of 2021 great music was created to leave listeners utterly in awe. 

Ritual Divination is a thriller because of the swing alone. It's a delight to let yourself fall into the grooves of a track like 'Night Comes' with its distinct grooves and rhythm patterns. The songs are written with the riff as the central focus, in the grand tradition of Iommi himself, but they become transcendent thanks to the unique drumming. There are layers upon layers that fuel Ritual Divination and the weird magic within. The transcendent poetry of these tracks is mythical and Here Lies Man do a wonderful job of spreading the focus across the different distinct aspects of their sound. The end result is a record that fascinates and points towards bold new futures for the group. 

One can get endlessly lost in this record. The core concepts are fairly straightforward and familiar but the execution is consistently great. While the band may have really burst onto the scene with their 2016 debut, each subsequent album is an amazing step forward for the band hinting at unique new soundscapes. Ritual Divination is a truly engaging listen, make no mistake. Here Lies Man have managed to go thoroughly above and beyond, proving that they are a one of a kind force in the world heavy rock and encouraging listeners to delve ever deeper into their roots. 

Pre-order the album!

https://hereliesman.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-divination

20 Watt Tombstone - Year Of The Jackalope

Are you ready for an ass shaking good time? I certainly am. In fact I think we all could do with some fun in a year marked by mass trauma. Such is the magic of 20 Watt Tombstones thrilling new covers EP, Year Of The Jackalope. (Seriously what is it with stoner rock and jackalopes?) Featuring reprises of ZZ Top and Chris Stapleton, this two track EP is a stopgap before the band releases their hotly anticipated brand new album. It's a delight to sink your teeth into the rip roaring fun of this offering, Year Of The Jackalope is guaranteed to get your heart thumping!

Kicking things off with a ZZ Top cover feels incredibly natural for 20 Watt Tombstone. The band very nicely lean into the trademark swagger of the Texas rockers. The addition of slide guitar is a nice change of pace for 20 Watt Tombstone, but it's the line in the studio magic that helps to keep the band so special and exciting. It's hard not to be charmed by their execution. For those not deeply familiar with the band, a Chris Stapleton cover might seem unorthodox for the Wisconsin rockers. However, for those of us in the know it makes a lot of sense. The way they bring the heavy to a classic like 'Midnight Train To Memphis' is a ton of fun. 

It's hard not to be charmed by the inherent magic of this band and all that they bring to the table. 20 Watt Tombstone are firing on all cylinders hear and its a nice reminder that this band is a one of a kind force in the world of heavy music. I'm thrilled for them to swing through my town, but in the interim, I'm just going to remain charmed and delighted in the heavy rock magic that this covers EP conjures up. Year Of The Jackalope may be a mere pit stop for the band, but it's also an amazing appetizer of what is hopefully to come. 

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/20watttombstone/

Fumarole - Valley Of Ten Thousand Smokes

 

The Australian stoner rock scene is blooming. There are so many great bands emerging from the land down under. It's no wonder that it makes women glow and men plunder. One of the latest (And greatest) bands to emerge from this morass is Fumarole. Their debut full length Valley Of Ten Thousand Smokes is a rock and roll blast. Not only is it a wonderfully fun listen but it's a record that showcases diverse influences making for a dynamic offering that stands a head and shoulders above its peers. This is what stoner rock was meant to be about people! 

Now yes - Valley Of Ten Thousand Smokes does lean into genre tropes. (What is it with stoner rock and valleys anyway?) That being said - tropes are kind of the point! The music is wonderfully executed, burly riffs define tracks like 'Mothership' and the cacophony of drums that kicks off 'Depth Dweller' really speaks to the bands ability to pace a record. One thing that really stands out to me here is the sense of space the band is willing to embrace. As a mere three piece they don't go for the wall of sound crush of their peers but instead allow the music a lot more space to breathe. This makes for a far more compelling listen that leaves listeners entranced. 

This is a masterful offering that I know for a fact has been years in the making. It's another victory for the always excellent Interstellar Smoke Records and points at a bright future for the band. They continually prove that their ideas are not played out but in fact only at the beginning of what can be done with them. There's a lot to love about this debut album and it's going to find a way to make you shake, rattle and roll whether you like it or not. Valley Of Ten Thousand Smokes is a stunner, Fumarole have crafted a heavy trip for the ages. 

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/fumaroleband/

Sail - Mannequin

Honestly - more stoner rock bands need to listen to pop and acknowledge those influences. It's worked wonders for Sail. This is a band who came out of the stoner scene but have not shied from bringing in electronic elements. They've always been on the more Torche inspired side of things, but this new record is something else entirely. It's a majestic beast of a remix EP that is going to floor listeners and leave them in awe of the grandiose unrealities that they have painted with this stunning little offering.

See, Mannequin is just a single and a remix and an extended cut, but they are done in such a way that it's hard not to be charmed. The main track itself is of course excellent, more of the Torche or Baroness inspired stoner goodness that made the band a name in the first place. However its the synthwave remix that really caught my ear. The band uses this to dramatically broaden their horizons and open up exotic new sound worlds. Mannequin fascinates because of its ability to keep driving towards new futures and reminding us that stoner rock doesn't need to work itself in a corner. Especially not when you are as talented as the dudes in Sail.

This is a thrilling offering, a record that leaves you impressed with what Sail have done and eager to hear more from these visionaries. Few groups in the heavy underground have the same level of sonic ambition and hearing them pull it all together on Mannequin has really been a delight. Few bands grasp the same level of technical ecstasy, and fewer still really push their boundaries in this way. While this was not an unexpected move from Sail, it certainly was a great one. It leaves me very curious as to where these cats will go next.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/thebandsail

Gramma Vedetta - A.C.I.D Compliant

This is a fun one. Gramma Vedetta have continually impressed me as one of the more devout bands in the rich London underround. their approach is exciting and I can't help but to be fascinated with how they execute time and time again. This is a band who are not only one of a kind but who truly understand their unique mix of grunge and stoner rock. With every record their ambition is more realized and this new offering, A.C.I.D Compliant, with its sci fi flourishes and off kilter approach is no different.

Across three tracks as well as the fun bonus, 'Everything Is Terrible and te House Is On Fire' the band lay out a distinct sound. It's got the stoner and psych elements. It pays tribute to heavy grunge. Hell there are even some prog rock frills here and there. All in all it's an offering that will thrill any fan of the heavy stuff. their ideas are clear and wonderfully executed. They may not be boundary breaking but they are a blast to listen too and they do nicely reflect the power of the underground. this is their first release with a new drummer and they integrate him perfectly. He's a fitting addition to what Gramma Vedetta have been crafting for years now.

This is a great next step for Gramma Vedetta. Even the more spaced out moments, track like 'Porthole' really serve to show what the band has evolved into. They have a clear understanding of the tropes at play here and it's been a pleasure to watch them grow within the framework. This is what stoner/psych was always meant to be about in the first place and taking the journey with Gramma Vedetta is far too much fun. Though this is a short EP it remains very replayable, a sort of punch to the gut of stoner psych magic.


Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/grammavedetta/

Ten Foot Wizard - Get Out Of Your Mind

Any record that starts out with a song called 'Namaste Dickhead' has to be pretty good in my estimation. Ten Foot Wizard live up to the expectation on this thrilling new record. Building off a triumphant Glastonbury Festival 2019 performance, the band has come out and crafted a jaw dropping record. It's got stoner grooves, psychedelic ideas, and all sorts of unique voyages to the other side. This is a triumphant, all encompassing record that can't help but to capture the imagination.

What really gets me about Get Out Of Your Mind is the power of the production. The delicious little bass frills that underscore the riff of a song like 'Broken Man' are stunning. Meanwhile, the bands ability to fuse disparate genres is truly thrilling. Few groups have this same sense of pulling in elements of everything from funk to sludge by way of classic rock. It gives Ten Foot Wizard a sort of infectious energy that just keeps giving. Get Out Of Your Mind can't help but to impress time and time again with its rich understanding of musical ebbs and flows. The album becomes immaculate, not song by song, but in its full glorious conception.

This is the sort of stoner rock record that you can get lost in. They bring so much to the table and have so many interesting ideas that they are able to structure within a more conventional stoner rock framework. Ten Foot Wizard have lived up to the hype and the promise of their early material. This record drives them far ahead of their peers, it's unique, tastefully executed and imaginative. What more could you want out of a band? They have built something massive by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/tenfootwizard/

Black Rainbows - Cosmic Ritual Supertrip

It's crazy to think that Black Rainbows are gearing up to put out their eight album. However it speaks to what these guys have done over the last 13 years. They have become an institution in the genre. These Italians putting out this record even as their country is reeling from national tragedy speaks to their resilience. Their willingness to use rock and roll to help the struggling masses. Black Rainbows is one of a kind and their latest record, Cosmic Ritual Supertrip is the sort of fuzzed out bliss that keeps us all entranced.

What mesmerizes me about this record is the overarching layer of fuzz. Even their acoustic songs, like the bonus track 'Searching For Satellites Pts I+II' retains this same level of sonic bliss. It's a mesmerizing record to spend time with and it seems to continually push the band to weird new places. The crushing riffage that dominates this record speaks to their ability to conjure up Sabbathian magic without a care in the world. There is a sense of swagger that comes eight albums into being among the best in your field. Black Rainbows perfectly capture it on this record and keep me utterly obsessed.

Cosmic Ritual Supertrip is a fun album. It's a step forward for the band but also remains rooted in the fuzzed out magic that has always defined them. With a clear respect for the genres tropes counterbalanced by the soaring power of their songwriting, Black Rainbows have continually improved, impressed and empowered. They are undisputed kings of Italian stoner rock. Now as I dig into this offering I see that the band is not slowing down anytime soon and in fact the best may be yet to come.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/BLACKRAINBOWSROCK/

Hyborian - Volume II

There's a reason I have lovingly nicknamed Hyborian 'Hype-borian' - they are that fucking good. Their sophomore record, while perhaps not the stunner their first record was, remains a top notch stoner rock release. Volume II is thrilling throughout, jumping from peak to peak and reminding us that these stoner rock tropes exist for a reason - because they are fucking awesome and to ignore them would be grossly remiss. This record is a blast and a nice reminder that stoner rock remains a blast.

As you wade through the veritable riff-city that makes up Volume II the record seems to excitedly jump from peak to peak. This album is over the top and powerful, a thrilling offering that takes advantage of top notch production in order to ensure a bold future for the band. The sublime poetry of this release will take you breath away in how the band elegantly brings in guitar licks on top of tight hard rock riffs. While at times Hyborian does fall a little too far into some of the genres cornier trope,s they frequently pick themselves right back up again with their skull cracking sense of good times.

So take a dive, and start 'racing through the void'. This record is a nice continuation on what the bands first offering entailed. It's energetic and multi layered. It represents a sort of platonic ideal of what stoner rock is and furthermore what it can be. It's a lot of fun to get lost in what Hyborian have put together here, and they wear their influences on their collective sleeves. As far as entrants into the stoner rock rat race are concerned, Season of Mist have done pretty good by picking up these riff and rollers!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/HyborianRock/

Ritual King - S/T

This is a monster record. I think the thing with stoner rock is just that if the tone isn't good the album isn't good. Yet when the tone is good, assuming you don't fuck up your songwriting - then you're in for a treat. Regular readers know that I frequently run out of patience with some of the more jam oriented stuff in the genre. But here's the thing. While Ritual King certainly place a focus on that, their extended jams actually are a whole hell of a lot of fun to listen too. It's hard not to feel energized and ready to roar down the highway with Ritual King blasting!

Ritual King understand that songwriting doesn't need to be conventional to work well. Tracks like "602" while they certainly take their time also make sense within the context of the record. There is a distinct sense of groove and the sort of perpetual forward motion here is something that you can get lost in. This record feels like a massive achievement for the band simply because they so elegantly intertwine layers and eagerly point towards bold new futures that routinely allow the band to stand a head and shoulders above their peers. When the execution is this tight - what more could you even want?

There are layers within layers that make Ritual King a delight to listen too. While pentatonic ideas run free it is also clear that Ritual King are turned onto a lot more in terms of music theory than many of their peers. The elegant runs that define a track like 'Dead Roads' speaks to the level of knowledge that the band is bringing in to back up the music. This is a potent record and one that constantly demands more attention from the listener. The band have outdone themselves here and I'm curious to see where it goes next!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/ritualking/

Ryte - S/T

Now regular readers know that I generally think instrumental (Or in this case largely instrumental) stoner rock is a bunch of boring hippy bullshit. However - Ryte do it right. This is a band with a unique vision and a clear approach and so much of what they do just straight up rocks. It makes for some very fun listening and repeatedly reminds us of just how good the band is and how much they bring to the table with every passing track. Ryte is a tour de force of a debut album and hints at so much more to come.

The breadth in sound portrayed by the band here on tracks like 'Invaders' speaks to just how good the band really are. Ryte is frequently a thrilling listen, a record that jumps from peak to peak and reminds us why this music was found to be so compelling in the first place. Yes the song structures are generally jam oriented but they are done in a way as to appear fascinating and entrancing more than anything else. The guitar tone is especially delicious, rumbling through all sorts of fun twists and turns, reflecting on the power of this sound and routinely pushing the band over the top of stoner rock brilliance.

In brief, Ryte is a potent debut. While there are moments that do drag here and there, as a general rule Ryte know what it takes to enchant the listener. Ryte is a masterful group who have locked in together on a simply cosmic level. The way that they build on each others parts on Shaking Pyramid for instance speaks to just how special these guys are. There aren't a lot of bands who share this same deep understanding of heavy music, but Ryte have crafted something that, at its best borders on spiritual.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/rytejams/

Vessel - Vagabond Blues

I've been waiting a long time for this new record, Vagabond Blues from Vessel. I've been a long time follower of the band and have come to know them quite well over the years. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from this latest full length other than that it was a step up for the band. Little did I realize just how big a step up that Vagabond Blues was going to end up being! This is a masterful record that comes out of the gate full of energy, trafficking in classic stoner tropes but often turning in to so much more.

This is far and away one of the most exciting records that I have heard being prepped for 2020. Coming out on Majestic Mountain Records, these Aussie stalwarts have crafted something that caromes out of your speakers and rarely lets up. The only real letdown is the album closer which, despite impressive female guest vocals doesn't really ever get going the way that tracks like Twenty Twenty do. All that being said, the bands generally high energy take is an addictive one, and it means that these seven tracks that make up this record pass all too fast - giving the whole thing stunning replayability.

There is something to be said for punchy riffs and pointed vocals. There is a sonic assault here that is clearheaded and ambitious. There is nothing world breaking happening on Vagabond Blues but it's a blast to listen too. This is one of those records that seems to eagerly leap from peak to peak and is excited to remind you just how good Vessel have become since their last record dropped. If you're looking for the next stoner rock bopper then this is most certainly an album designed for you. Watch out in 2020!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/thevesselproject/

Bask - III

Ever stumble across a record that is such a monster you don't even know what to do with it? This becomes even more crazy when it's a band who slept on your floor just a few years ago. Such is the case with Bask, a masterful band emerging from the mountains of North Carolina and going right for the throat unapologetically. This is a band who fuse stoner rock with heavy Americana making for a truly unique sound and approach. This is a transcendent offering, a record that continually impresses and sees the band taking on a whole new level.

It's fascinating when you find a band who don't so much smash two sounds together but instead figure out a way to properly weave them. It's what makes Bask compelling, they are more than just a stoner rock band trying to differentiate themselves. The tasty licks on a track like Noble Daughters II, The Bow speak to that. We see the band perfectly balancing their heaviest and darkest elements with something a little more traditional. It's a stoner rock band who could legitimately break out because they were able to make a sound that is wholly their own and completely fascinating the more you dig into them.

In some ways the coming of age that has happened on the record for the band is similar to acts like Mastodon or Baroness. The band has evolved beyond their sludgy roots to show that they have the know how and wherewithal to deliver something unique and fascinating. This is a band who build upon old tropes to deliver something transcendent. It's hard not to get lost in the beauty of III. The more time I spend with it the more fascinated I become. This is another step forward for the Carolina boys and another great release for Season of Mist.

Find them on Facebook!
https://facebook.com/basknc/