WITCH PISS - The Devil Doesn't Burn review

 

WITCH PISS - The Devil Doesn't Burn

Ardua Music

Well with a name like WITCH PISS how could I not check em out. Now in all of my years I've never tasted Witch Piss. But I've certanly had my face into some Witch cunt. Be that personal acknowlegdement out of the way here we have the second full length by Belguim's WITCH PISS. They are a five piece Stoner Rock / Doom act.

 

Musically it all comes across as popular bluesy sounding Metal. If Belguim has a Grammy thing then this band would win. I'm joking on that point seriously with a name like WITCH PISS? But musically this band comes across like mainstream rock and it's very US oriented in sound. If I could pick an influence I'd say they like CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. 

If that floats your boat then here ya go. Great album cover which would be cool on a t-shirt. 

https://www.arduamusic.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://witchpiss1.bandcamp.com/album/the-devil-doesnt-burn

KING ZOG - Second Dawn review

 

KING ZOG - Second Dawn

Hammerheart Records

Now before any cancel culture libtard wants to attack this band or me writing about em let's put out some truth. The band take their name from an actual Albanian king from a century ago. With that out of the way here we have KING ZOG's second full length since starting out in 2014. Second Dawn actually came out on the Austrailian label Rue Morgue Records in the summer of 2024. But the great people at Hammerheart Records decided to give it another chance in 2025. 

KING ZOG are a four piece Stoner Doom act. Now from what I've heard over the years by other Australian Doom acts these guys follow the same formula. Yes it's slow, heavy as fuck and with plenty of SABBATH-ian grooves. The soloing is OK but not in the Iomni class. And the vocals are that pass the bong I think I'm Ozzy mode.

Look I don't smoke pot because if I did then this album would probably be a winner. Then again that just shows a lot of insincerity towards good music. Hell the last Stoner Doom band I liked came from Poland. Be that as it may Stoner Doom has become as generic as Thrash in my not so humble opinion. I mean there's not much you can do with it other than sticking to the genre script.

Of the eight cuts on here there's a few which are very cool but as far as an album I wasn't overwhelmed listening to this and I went for it four times. I went through a six pack of IPAs and was hoping by the fourth beer I'd get into it via inebriation but no. But hey that's just me. I'm sure if you're a stoned out person (I'm gonna be nice on that description) then KING ZOG will be on your turntable soon because stoners don't buy CDs.    

https://www.hammerheart.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hammerheart.bandcamp.com/album/second-dawn

THE CIMMERIAN - An Age Undreamed Of review

THE CIMMERIAN - An Age Undreamed Of 

Self Released

This release falls into my category of give it a couple of listens and think ahead as well as the possibilities. This is the debut full length by THE CIMMERIAN a three piece act from Los Angeles, California. Sorry about the wild fires guys and I hope you're alright. 

Musically the genre tagline here is Sludge Metal / Stoner Rock which automatically I'd be bored with from the onset especially if it was your average stuff. But what makes THE CIMMERIAN a cool listen is that their bassist / vocalist Nicolas Rocha and guitarist Dave Gein where both in the Thrash / Crossover band SEPTIK ONSLAUGHT. So their sound has a lot of that going on within it. 

Let's add to that with the fact that on a couple of cuts this band reminds me in a way of some of my Midwest Doom favorites. We're talking epic fantasy stuff. So you've got thunderous bass lines and these gruff vocals. The guitar work is cool as fuck. "Silver and Gold" and "Darkwolf" are probably my favorite tracks on here. But hey with eight tracks altogether, seven of em long epic numbers with the opener an instrumental, it's all damm good. 

If I had a complaint it's that there are times when the drum work gets clicky if you know what I mean. Music like this needs to be totally organic sounding. With that said I won't be surprised if this release is re-pressed on a major Metal label later this year and THE CIMMERIAN are the next big thing. Don't laugh because I'm 50/50 on those types of predictions. Anyways good stuff here so check em out. Although I can't say anything nice about the album cover art. WTF?

LISTEN TO & BUY IT HERE:

https://thecimmerian.bandcamp.com/album/an-age-undreamed-of-2

 

ORANGE GOBLIN - Science, Not Fiction review

 

ORANGE GOBLIN - Science, Not Fiction

Peaceville Records

England's ORANGE GOBLIN has come a long way from just being a "stoner rock" band. Now in all honesty my favorite album by em has always been their second full length Time Travelling Blues from 1998. I mean that's a stoner rock classic. But as time passed the band didn't play repeat with ever other album, like some of their peers, ahem? Instead ORANGE GOBLIN has been one of the few bands from that English Doom sub genre that actually showed progression as well as integrity with every new full length. That's why they can hold the sub genre close to their vest but then go crazy with it. 

Here we have the band's tenth full length since starting out back in 1997. Of course what makes things great is keeping a creative line-up together. And on here you still have original members Ben Ward on vocals, guitarist Joe Hoare and drummer Chris Turner. Their newest member is bassist Harry Armstrong who joined in 2021. With this line-up ORANGE GOBLIN has put out another damm good release. 

Musically this full length is a continuation of the band's sonic journey over the past decade. We;re not talking stoner generic doom. Instead yeah there's plenty of groove laden riffs but not in a peace love dope sense. It's more punch you in the face. Ben Ward still has that roaring baritone vocal. Joe Hoare still comes up with head banging & fist pumping riffs while also crawling into the psych landscape. To me the guy is one of the best guitarists in English doom.

Ya know when I first gave this latest album a listen I was like OK it's cool. Then I think it was a week later where I was playing some of their previous releases. I was getting hyped up on ORANGE GOBLIN's previous releases. So I listened to this one again a few times in a row. You could tell how the band took all of what they did previously and amp-ted it up a thousand fold. ORANGE GOBLIN ain't a stoner rock act. They're Hard Fuckin Rock and Metal. And they're one of the best out there.

https://peaceville.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/science-not-fiction

UFOMAMMUT - Hidden review

 

UFOMAMMUT - Hidden

Neurot Recordings

Nowadays there's only two stoner rock bands I like. One is from Poland who just fuckin rule and unless you're a regular reader of this blog you should know who they are. But if not then go look up DOPELORD. My second favorite over the past few of years is Italy's UFOMAMMUT. They just take the whole SABBATH-ian stoner trip style and go to other places. I'm not into drugs anymore, I don't need em to enjoy good music and still this is cool shit. 

I've not been a fan of everything UFOMAMMUT has done. In fact it wasn't till their 8 album from 2017 that I really became a real huge fan. I mean in the past I saw em as a HAWKWIND meets a NEUROSIS act. For me those early releases were hit and miss for me as a listener. But these days I think they're actually surpassing both of those acts of late. I mean Hidden is a total late night musical affair. We're looking at a few minutes short of a 45 time stream. Turn up the volume and let yourself be saturated by some hypnotic sludgy, stoner, psych type vibes which are thunderous as well as tranquil. 

I think Hidden is better than their past couple of releases simply because the band has found it's modern day sound which their past two releases were experimenting with. In other words they grew to this point and it's great. 

https://www.neurotrecordings.com/

LISTEN HERE: 

https://ufomammut.bandcamp.com/album/hidden

CRYPT MONARCH - The Necronaut review

 

CRYPT MONARCH - The Necronaut

Electric Valley Records

Well pass the bong I think I'm SLEEP (for the obvious) or maybe CONAN (for modern listeners). Yes what we have here is the debut album by this three piece stoner doom act from Costa Rica. Now depending on how much of a fan to this particular genre will be the basis for you liking this or not. 

For example if you're into the colors green, purple and black. If you collect SABBATH black lite posters or have every version of SLEEP's Dopesmoker on every format. Then this might be repetitive to you. On the other hand if you're not jaded about what stoner rock acts you check out then this one might interest you. 

I of course fall into that latter category only because I'm willing to give things at least one chance. That and I'm bored with all of my older releases. So this band started out in 2020 but are by no means new to the school. Two of their members were/are also in a band called AGE OF THE WOLF which are also in the whole sludgy, stoner side of doom. 

So The Necronaut consists of three long songs which come in at thirty six minutes. It's basic stoner sludge where the riff be it slow is king. Vocals are held back a bit, hello CONAN, and the drum work is high in the mix. The SABBATH-ian moments abound plus there's a few cool leads which follow the rhythms. Fire one up because it's 420 everywhere.

https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://cryptmonarch.bandcamp.com/releases

HIGH N' HEAVY - V review

 

HIGH N' HEAVY - V

Electric Valley Records

I've said it before but it bares repeating. The lame-stream mainstream can pile you in polished turds which they call great releases. And then have the audacity to question your attitude for not liking em. But me doing this little o'l blog has discovered some killer fuckin music over the years by unknown bands on small yet cool and dedicated to their craft type of labels.

Case in point, here we have the four piece act HIGH N' HEAVY from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Now for any of you would be musicians out there let me say this. If anyone ever tells ya that "smoking pot and listening to that Ozzy guy will get you nowhere". You tell em that's bullshit. This band here has five fuckin albums. I'm sure their whole career has been based on 70's SABBATH and copious bong hits.

But anyways this is the fifth full length album by these SAB-4 loving mass-holes. Unfortunately this is my first time hearing em But I gotta say I love every second of it. Aside from the obvious stoner rock homage in the groove parts. You've got some actual original sections whether it's a speedy fuckin rocker like "Death in the Unknown" or the breaks from the formula as on "Gather Flame".

Of course for me what is really cool about this band, and nothing against the other three guys, is the vocals. Kris Fortin's singing style is best described as caustic bluesy. He puts in the emotion when needed that accents the riffs excellently. And speaking of which the guitar work and rhythm section here are flawless in their delivery. They know their heavy and their singer delivers the highs.

Let me honest with ya. I'd say over the past five or so years I've been bored with stoner rock. Then again who hasn't? There's so much repetitive copycat bullshit out there. On an average year doing this blog I'll hear twenty to twenty-five releases from bands in this sub genre. And in recent years I've only considered maybe one or two to be actually good. This album here is a good one. It's one of the best you'll hear in 2021.

https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://highnheavy.bandcamp.com/album/v

BOOK OF WYRMS - Occult New Age review

 

BOOK OF WYRMS - Occult New Age

Desert Records

Well I'm shocked, shocked I say, to have not heard about this band until now. No I'm not some hiptard prick loser who spends his days on the internet stealing. I live in North Carolina and we tend to learn about cool bands from Virginia whether it's from word of mouth or a club show. 

This band has two albums prior to this new one. Their last one, Remythologizer, came out in 2019 which means they could've played a show here in downtown. And if it was on a work night I missed it. They're a four piece stoner psych act from Richmond, VA. Hell with all of the doom acts that seem to come out of Richmond you'd think the place was a dystopian nightmare. 

Be that as it may I like this release a lot. You've got female vocals by Sarah Moore Lindsey which are ethereal in style. She also adds in some keyboard flair on this release. Musically this band is a text book example on how to mix stoner doom and psych as well as some sludgey moments in a pour-age which tastes so fuckin good. First off I like how this band's sound does not pigeonhole em into corners. 

What we have here is an album with some really cool song structures that contain stoner groove, that have a few pounding sludgey riffs when needed and plenty of room to toss in an acoustic melody like on the instrumental "Albrionlilly" which breaks the ice. I'd also say there's some cool psych jazz influence going on with the over eight minute cut "Hollergoblin". 

Their PR info suggests HAWKWIND as an influence. Yeah sure but whenever they throw down it's a great 70's hard fuckin rock act meets a bunch of post hippies leaving a SABBATH concert in 1971 driving a Volkswagen mini bus with a bong. Yeah there's some cool jams like on "Weatherworker". In the end I'd like to see this band perform this whole album live, with a fog machine at a local club. Then again they're probably do it all at Roadburn in Holland. 

https://desertrecords.bigcartel.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://bookofwyrms.bandcamp.com/

DOPELORD - Reality Dagger EP review

 

DOPELORD - Reality Dagger EP

Green Plague Records

OK I'll say the quiet part out loud. Years ago I got bored with the whole genre of stoner rock and you did to. I'm not going to name drop anyone but let's just say the heavy hitters were washed up. Worse yet is when SLEEP starts doing nostalgia tours for hipsters then you know it's over. Even worse is when the new bands all sound the same. Then years ago I heard DOPELORD and life was so much better.

That all came about in 2017 when I heard this Polish band's third full length, Children of the Haze, and I hailed that album as the greatest thing since SABBATH's Master of Reality. OK that's a bit of hyperbole on me but seriously DOPELORD fuckin rules. That album was in my end of year favorites. And so was their Sign of the Devil full length from last year. 

So here we have a new three song EP by this four piece act. There's just three tracks which according to the promo info are some song ideas that the band have been playing around with over the years. Basically it's DOPELORD's patented sound and style. You've got some heavy handed groove laden stoner rock with clean vocals. If anything these songs fall on the more melodic side. 

"Your Blood" kinda comes off as a pop number. The title cut is a ten plus minute opus a diabolical psych doom. But the winner of the small bunch is opener "Dark Coils". If all of this is throwaway tracks then let me just say what DOPELORD tosses out is way better than what copycat bands save. Sure I'm biased but hey I'm right. DOPELORD Rules

https://www.facebook.com/GreenPlagueRecords/

LISTEN HERE:

Oops Sorry there's no way, at the moment, for you to check out this EP unless I include a download link. And that ain't happening. So instead here's a DOPELORD Live Stream from 2020. Enjoy because you will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQLYjXIQOm4

But hey here's DOPELORD's bandcamp site. Buy it all!

https://dopelord.bandcamp.com/music

DAYGLO MOURNING - Dead Star review

 

DAYGLO MOURNING - Dead Star

Black Doomba Records

Just to be honest here (hey I'm as honest as the day is long) when I saw this release was by a stoner rock band I had my misgivings. Personally I'm fairly stoned out when it comes to this sub-genre of doom. I've been thinking that for a dozen years now aka: since the last time it had a revival that lasted a bit. Since then I'll hear at least twenty stoner rock band releases a year for review purposes. Usually one will standout from the generic crowd and really be fuckin cool. This one here is a standout.

DAYGLO MOURNING is a three piece act from Atlanta, Georgia. They've been around for just a couple of years, 2017 to be exact. So far they have one self titled full length album plus a split EP they did with another Atlanta doom band, BLUDY GYRES. Both of those releases came out in 2018. Now as far as this one goes let me just say yeah this band has a grasp of the stoner rock basics. In other words yes they know the fundamentals of SABBATH's Master of Reality heavy groove. 

What stands out is how they inject some amazing early 70's hard rock/blues guitar soloing. To me that's so fuckin cool to hear since I grew up with that stuff. And if you hit the wah wah pedal you win me the fuck over. Something else interesting is that the riffs used here sound familiar but in a good way. It's like yeah I heard that one before but I really like how you do it as well. The vocals are not your standard fair as well. At times there's this evil low toned singing as well as some deep baritone. 

While I was listening to this I kept thinking this is not a band trying to expand the boundaries of a worn thin genre. Instead they incorporate ideas which are part of the genre's not so SABBATH influences which is basic 70's hard rock. Very cool album here and hopefully, if things in the touring world get back to normal this year, maybe they'll come up my way for a show.

https://www.blackdoombarecords.co/

LISTEN HERE:

https://dayglomourning2.bandcamp.com/album/dead-star-2

TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH - Red Tide review

 

TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH - Red Tide

Interstellar Smoke Records

A while back a good friend and huge doom metal fanatic explained to me his thoughts on modern day stoner rock acts. His first point was that 99.9% of the new bands are going to sound like some past classic band of the genre. The second point he gave was that if the new band can put out a flawless performance than you can overlook the first point. In the case of this band from Detroit, Michigan my friend's point hold's true.

This is the second full length by TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH who've been around since 2017. After giving this a few listens I can tell you that yeah this is "pass the bong I think I'm Tony Iomni" style stoner rock. While the release's opener "Baphomet" did not make me enthusiastic it was what followed that won me over. Red Tide is a seven song forty five plus minute high. Obviously some moments are more buzz worthy then others. But yeah it's a must have if not just worthy of your stoner doom fandom and interest. 

For example the second cut on here "Cherenkov Light" is blistering with SABBATH-ian indulgence courtesy of some heavy familiar riffage, clean yet eerie styled vocals and an oh so familiar song structure. Once you hear it you'll be like "crank this fucker up and turn on the strobe light". Too bad it wasn't the opener. and from that point onward this release flows along almost as if it was a concept album. There's plenty of head banging grooves, atmospheric breaks (for the wannabe hippies) and some interesting percussion choices which would make Bill Ward smile. 

TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH is far from being the second (or is it the fourth) coming of excitement within this genre. They've got a handle on the whole 70's aesthetic of SABBATH without relying on stoner rock riffage 101. Look we all know the originators are gone. Their children are pretty much in the grave. The grandchildren are decent but turned the genre very generic. This is the grandchildren of SABBATH reminding us all how it use to be which is cool as fuck. Keep this band on your radar after you get this release.

https://interstellarsmokerecords.bigcartel.com

LISTEN HERE:

https://templeofthefuzzwitch.bandcamp.com/album/red-tide

DOPELORD - Sign Of The Devil review

DOPELORD - Sign Of The Devil

Green Plague Records




Some years ago I was getting inundated with so many stoner rock releases sent in for review that I swore I'd shoot someone when I saw another. Then this band's third album, Children of the Haze, came in. Well on the bright side it was a damm good release and as far as the person I shot well he recovered while in jail. 


But anyways it was 2017 when this Polish band's third full length came my way. I liked it a lot for a couple of reasons. They stayed on the stoner rock template, were super heavy/fuzzy and performed it well without being pretentious or progressive. If I'm gonna listen to some music within this genre then I wanna hear some raw and dedicated shit. No phonies who just walked in the door. 


Now as far as this fourth album goes, I'll say the band has added some might to their sound. There's a sped up anthem in "Hail Satan". Honestly that speaks volumes for a band who before were slow enough to watch grass grow to. Now you wanna blast this outdoors with a bonfire going. Even better is that their slow groove tunes, like "Heathen", are far heavier than previous material. Plus the psych-out guitar leads are now like charged bolts running through your body.


Sign Of The Devil is six cuts with a running time of a few seconds over thirty six minutes. Yeah for a stoner doom act release that's fast. Frankly that's the way I like it. There's way too many bands in this genre who play the same riff over and over for a few minutes just to turn a six minute song into a nine minute dirge to fill up space. DOPELORD cuts to the heart of the matter and rules. I thought their last album was incredible, this one is as well.


https://dopelord.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Dopelord666

GOBLINSMOKER - A Throne in Haze A World Ablaze review

GOBLINSMOKER - A Throne in Haze A World Ablaze

Sludgelord Records


Here we have the second part of the Toad King trilogy by England's blackened stoner/sludge act GOBLINSMOKER. Back in 2018 I reviewed this band's debut EP, Toad King. While that three song outing was a fuzzy and ugly piece of work which crawled along at a pace that would've tired out a turtle. For this new one they've just doubled down on the concept.


A Throne in Haze A World Ablaze continues to tell the story of the Toad King. Think of it as Tolkien being dragged through a hellish Lovecraftian nightmare of black mire and slime. The Toad King is the discontented ruler of the goblins. Their forest realm is the place where goblin subjects willingly sacrifice themselves to be smoked by their King. As much as the stoner doom aspect is being projected. I doubt the burning of putrid goblin carcasses smells like sweet Hashish.


Musically GOBLINSMOKER, now a three piece act, still stand in that traditional English style of stoner doom and sludge. No need to name drop any of their peers since you probably get the idea. Although the blackened rasp vocals do give it a filthy edge over these, once again, three tracks.


https://thesludgelord.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Goblinsmoker

WITCHFINDER - Hazy Rites review

WITCHFINDER - Hazy Rites

Black Bow Records




Are you someone who is pining for some ELECTRIC WIZARD / WINDHAND worshiping stoner rock? Yes I've given away the surprise here by giving you the facts up front. Here we have a French trio who are not subtle at all about a sound which they love as well who they sound like. Influenced you say, ha! Lets review, fuzzed out riffs, check as well as being extremely similar. Airy ghostly styled vocals, oh yeah but thankfully there's a few moments when some harsh angry screaming kicks in.


I'll give em a break on their cover artwork choice. Is that supposed to be a witch or Captain Marvel after dawning Green Lantern's power ring? I'll give these guys their due. At a time when ELECTRIC WIZARD has been recording the same album over and over since 2007 this emerald beauty comes across as decent. This is WITCHFINDER's second full length since starting out in 2016. They sound cool as far as standard stoner rock goes. But, and this is important, they are a small fish swimming in a big genre ocean. At least they're not so cliche as to have a female vocalist. For the doom head who just needs another release that sounds exactly like every other one in his collection.


http://www.blackbowrecords.com/

https://witchfinder.bandcamp.com/album/hazy-rites

https://www.facebook.com/witchfinderdoom/

AGE OF THE WOLF - Ouroboric Trances review

AGE OF THE WOLF - Ouroboric Trances 

Aural Music




If you are an aficionado on stoner rock, sludge metal and doom then you know that there's a band right now either performing it or recording in every part of the world. It's metal and it has no borders as far as appreciating a certain genre. Case in point, here we have a four piece act from Costa Rica who take things out of the traditional box in order to explore the boundaries a bit. 


Of course with a name like AGE OF THE WOLF how could I pass up this one. Secondly you rarely ever get some music which hails from Central America so this was cool. The band started out back in 2015, released a self named EP a year later and now finally put out a full length. Musically the band combines the whole stoner sludge package which at certain times on this release sounds familiar. It's the rare moments when they jump out of the norm which makes this interesting.


The rare moments start with the opening track "Herald of Abyssos" which starts out with a SABBATH-ian groove. Then the psychotic screamed vocals kick in and then some stoner dude drops his bong in their lap. Fact is there's multiple vocals going on via chaotic screams, gruff vocals and slightly clean ones. As the release moves onward you get the feeling these guys have a way with atmosphere in the creation of these compositions. Instead of grooving you to the hilt or pummeling you to death. They invite you into some chaos.


Music-wise I'll admit these guys have heard their share of early era MASTODON. There's no doubt to that in their overall sound and style. Still they find ways to branch off on their own whether it's a harmonic opening bridged with a duel guitar harmony. Or even a violin invitation to begin on the instrumental cut "Witches' Gallows" which gives things a folk metal approach. All in all this seems like 2000 all over again and maybe we need that.


http://www.auralmusic.com/

https://ageofthewolf.bandcamp.com/album/ouroboric-trances

https://www.facebook.com/ageofthewolf/ 

TEL - Lowlife review

TEL - Lowlife

Aural Music




Wow stoner sludge music from Richmond, Virginia, go figure? Oh yeah and it's produced by the guitarist of WINDHAND. Well let me slit my wrists. OK all joking aside after giving this a listen I still wanted the jokes in but also give this a thumbs up. TEL do have a hippy dippy love affair with jazz, the 70's and some stoner rock aesthetics. It's when they let the devil in where I give em props.


TEL is a four piece act which started out a few years ago. Prior to this the band released a demo and a self released single. Listening to these five cuts I get this impression of "Welcome to Spencer Gifts. The lava lamps are in the back where you'll also find the Anton Lavey black light posters." Be that as it may the band has some heavy touches paired with proggy moments lost in the fog. Give it up to their singer who is about as versatile as a pair of channel locks.


Overall I think it comes down to their final cut on here "Stangers". It's probably the best representation of SABBATH's Volume Four worship I've heard in ahh a year. Be that as it may I'm guessing this band is way better live. An old oxymoron that it is but the truth here stands with a claustrophobic production style which holds this band back especially when the riffs go seismic, the vocals go vicious but the production holds it all in a cloudy atmosphere which is part of their atmosphere within cuts but still it's a yoke around their neck. 


http://www.auralmusic.com/

https://telrva.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/TelRVA/

VULCANODON PHAZER - Cretaceous Skull review

VULCANODON PHAZER - Cretaceous Skull

Bud Metal Records




With so much stoner rock out there which follows the same syrupy SAB-4 recipe. It is a fun welcome to hear a band like VULCANODON PHAZER take the genre in another direction. This Canadian two piece act is not reinventing here. Instead they're taking us back a few decades when spacing out was all part of the genre exploration. The seven cuts on this their debut full length take you on a serene and contemplative journey. 


Now with the heaviness of doom the duo invokes plenty of psych damage and effects into the instrumentation. There's definitely a late 60s/early 70's influence when the synths and theremin are applied. On one of their instrumental cuts, "THC Speedwagon", the band is channeling psych era PINK FLOYD from the interstellar void. The song which follows, "Valkyrian Love", comes off like HAWKWIND driven through some distorted sludgey much. Most of their other cuts combine everything above mentioned with a bevy of 90's era Southern California stoner rock. Welcome to some heavy duty jamming and no tie dye shirts allowed. 


https://budmetalrecords.bandcamp.com/album/vulcanodon-phazer-cretaceous-skull

DRUGLORD - New Day Dying review

DRUGLORD - New Day Dying 

Sludgelord Records




Hey it's stoner doom from Richmond, Virginia go figure right? Yeah sure we're talking about a city where on any given day in a practice space the words "Dude hold the joint I feel like Iomni" are uttered. What, do you note a hint of sarcasm here? Well I don't even smoke the stuff but I get confused at times. At first I thought wait a minute, didn't this band just put out a release? Ah no, that would be DOPELORD or was it DOPETHRONE? Oh well who cares. Just smoke pot eat twat and smile a lot right?


Be that as it may here is an actual full length release by this Virginia three piece. I use the word "actual" because their previous releases were two EPs and a full length which was more like an EP. I have their first EP and heard the other two. A few years back they played a show here. That was back when Greta Brinkman was still on bass. Greta and drummer Bobby Hufnell were both in a cool 80's hardcore band I saw back in the day called UNSEEN FORCE. Of course after their set that night a friend and I talked with em about UNSEEN FORCE instead of DRUGLORD. Ironically enough they admitted to getting asked about their former band a lot.



But I digress, New Day Dying is definitely a step up from their previous material. Not much of a step but in general terms it's still a step. The seven songs on here are a sludge du jour. You get a fuzzed out wall of noise that's concise as far as song structures go. There's no dragging forever riffage which other similar acts torture you with. There's some actual leads which cut through the haze and give the songs more bite. It also gives things a 70's hard rock edge as well as a touch of nostalgia. Along with his guitar playing Tommy Hamilton also has a decent harsh devious snarl to his vocals. With all of that I think DRUGLORD has finally stepped out of the crowded stoner sludge genre field with this one.



https://thesludgelord.bandcamp.com/

https://druglord.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DruglordVA/

SKRAECKOEDLAN - Appeltradet (reissue) review

SKRAECKOEDLAN - Appeltradet (reissue)

The Sign Records




Pardon the pun but I've heard this all before, at least the style in sound. As far as this band goes no I never heard them or of them before. And unless you're from Sweden neither have you. So here's some info for ya. This is a reissue of the 2011 debut full length by the Swedish band SKRAECKOEDLAN. This four piece stoner doom act started out in 2009. This album was originally released on the Transubstans label years ago. Obviously it didn't go anywhere.


So now the good people at The Sign Records have unearthed this gem for all you stoner rock enthusiasts. As far as hearing this all before well yeah I have. Think stoner sludge with a little  psychedelia and prog thrown in plus some 70’s era SABBATH swagger for good measure. Sound familiar? Yeah it should as in something like MASTODON meets QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE playing a show for all of their copycats. 


Now I'm not dissing SKRAECKOEDLAN at all. Remember this came out at a time when this style of music was sorta fresh. Of course my head was banging a few times to the grooves. I'm guessing if this originally got out into the public hears back in 2011 then it would be widely accepted as a classic album. So hey with this one reissued then fans should not make the same mistake twice by ignoring it. Nuff Said.


http://thesignrecords.com/

https://skraeckoedlan.bandcamp.com/album/ppeltr-det-2

https://www.facebook.com/SKRAECKOEDLAN?ref=ts&fref=ts

FUZZ LORD - Self Titled review

FUZZ LORD - Self Titled

Fuzzdoom Records




Some bands have a name which needs no introduction or explanation to who they are. Case in point, according to their promo info FUZZ LORD are the heaviest band out of Chillicothe, Ohio. Far be it for me to doubt that. In fact if you're ever driving through Ohio sometime look for that on the city's entrance sign next to the words "designated Tree City USA" or "Ohio's First and Third Capital". Other than that this band's signature is not covered in a haze of smoke.


Basically you have two guys involved with a blog-site and podcast (Core of Destruction Radio). Them being Steve 'The Fuzz Lord' on guitar, Lawrence 'Lord Buzz' on drums & vocals plus last edition 'Stoner Dan Riley' on bass & vocals. With the introductions set the idea behind the band was inspired from what they played a lot of on their podcast.


With that said and my lack of knowledge to what they play on their podcast I'd give this a notification of a late 60's early 70's vibe as opposed to modern day metal or SABBATH-ian stoner rock. I'd also toss in some Punk Rock attitude or Garage Punk but hey that's been done as far as revival status for twenty years. Yeah this sounds like something cool from the garage punk days from the 90s with some metal touches tossed in.


http://coreofdestructionradio.com/

https://fuzzdoomrecords.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/fuzzlordslays/