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Thanks for stopping by! The Heavy Planet Stoner Rock Blog is the most complete Stoner Rock/Doom metal resource on the web. We provide the ability for you to hear new music, get current news and tour dates and obtain new release information on your favorite Stoner Rock, Heavy Rock, Desert Rock, Psychedelic, Doom and Sludge bands.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

New Releases For Tuesday 3/16/2010

Here are today's new releases.

Landmine Marathon-"Sovereign Descent" (Prosthetic)

"2010 album from Phoenix, Arizona's Landmine Marathon. Sovereign Descent is a sonic representation of their world: scorched, desolate, and angry as hell. The album was recorded at guitarist Ryan Butler's Arcane Digital Recording Studios, where he's recorded past efforts from the band, as well as Misery Index, Phobia, The Funeral Pyre and many others. The album was mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music (Converge, Hatebreed, Dillinger Escape Plan) and features cover art by acclaimed artist Dan Seagrove (entombed, Dismember, Morbid Angel, Suffocation)."

16-"Drop Out" (Relapse)

"The beastly, throbbing riffs and tortured screams of 16's now-legendary Drop Out album sent shockwaves through the international music scene upon its '96 release. It's obvious why over a decade later; the band made visceral anguish, angst, and disillusionment sound downright anthemic. 16 put an ugly, angry face on disenfranchised youth and Drop Out became a touchstone and soundtrack for the next generation of heavy rock trail blazers and trendsetters."

16-"Curves That Kick" (Relapse)

"Curves That Kick, the long out-of-print debut album from SoCal quartet 16, threw the doors open to a new, post-Helmet/AmRep sound of discordance and discontent. Originally released on Pushead's Bacteria Sour label in '93, the album exposed the nascent beginnings of the soon-to-be infamous quartet. As Curves That Kick proved then and underscores now in its remixed and remastered form, 16 is its own unique, belligerent human animal."

Fireball Ministry-"Self-Titled" (RED)

"From the beginning, Fireball Ministry have aggressively steered clear of all manner of trends and cliques, opting instead to follow the rock n roll heart that has been the core for over a decade. Their analog-soaked, bottom-heavy swirl of tunes that tips a hat toward the best of the past without sounding like a mere retread or novelty. Famously described as Sabbath partying with Priest and Grand Funk Railroad, there's no nonsense in the Fireball camp."

Triclops!-"Helpers On The Other Side" (Alternative Tentacle)

"2010 release from the Bay Area Prog Acid Punk rockers. Adding flourishes to the formula established on their debut Out of Africa, Triclops! continues its assault on all pretenders to the Punk/Psych/Prog throne. The sound on this album is varied, but one might say it's akin to Firehose crossing streams with Goblin in an acid vat. There's even an acoustic bridge in "With SARS, I'll Ride the Wind" that sounds like a fever-warbled Classic Rock jammer. Triclops! is an Acid-Punk version of avant-garde classical composition with cinematic textures--an absurdist soundscape replete with comedic relief that acknowledges its own pure ridiculousness"

Monday, March 15, 2010

Black Sabbath-Gods Of Doom

There is no secret that my favorite band of all-time is Black Sabbath. Recently, I took the time to pay tribute to the band by writing a lens about them on Squidoo. It details the history of the band from the Ozzy years to their current Heaven & Hell lineup. I will continue to add more to it as it is a work in progress. I hope you enjoy it.


Black Sabbath-The Most Influential Heavy Metal Band Of All-Time

Black Sabbath is my favorite band of all-time, and this lens is my personal tribute to them. On this lens I will provide a history of the band from the early days to their current lineup as well as news, videos, and other cool things Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath has influenced everyone from The Smashing Pumpkins to Pantera. They can also be credited for laying the groundwork for the Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal and Sludge Metal genres. Lamb of God's Chris Adler said: "If anybody who plays heavy metal says that they weren't influenced by Black Sabbath's music, then I think that they're lying to you. I think all heavy metal music was, in some way, influenced by what Black Sabbath did." Therefore, in my opinion, Black Sabbath is heavy metal, period. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. (Read more...)

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

New Band To Burn One To-Never Got Caught

Today's "New Band To Burn One To" Never Got Caught is an American rock band composed of vocalist and guitarist Bryan "Uzi" Hinkley and drummer Bill Hinkley of the Boston hardcore punk band TREE and bassist Paul Dallaire.




















The musical style of the band has been referred to as "Blues, jazz, metal, classic rock, punk, and a flair for the experimental all go into the blender to form the seductive, intoxicating, devastating cocktail that is Never Got Caught."

The band' newest release is called "Creepshow" and the band just finished up a few tour dates with Clutch/Doomriders/and Lionize (Read review). Clutch's Neil Fallon lends his vocals to the song "Slippin' Out". See video below:



You guys will totally dig this band. Check'em out!

MySpace
Official Website

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

New Releases For 3/9/2010

Here is the only new release that I saw this week.

Year Long Disaster-"Black Magic; All Mysteries Revealed" (Volcom)

"On its second full-length, this Cali trio makes a convincing claim to be a modern Soundgarden, consistently locating both deep pockets and trippy cloud-patterns for their blooze-howled sludge. Following a brief but doomful instrumental title intro, "Show Me Your Teeth" kicks things off celebrating the carrying of firearms in the city. Six-minute centerpiece "Sparrow Hill" locks into the set's most Sabbath-like swing; "Seven of Swords" and "Foggy Bottom" pastorally search for black holes in the winter sun. They save their fastest riffing for the aptly named "Cyclone," at album's end." (Chuck Eddy)

Listen

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

"New Band To Rock Your F'n Head Off To"-Broken Teeth

Today's band Broken Teeth is not what you would call Stoner Rock or really anything remotely close to it, but what this band does do is rock your freakin' head off. I have always been a fan of bands such as AC/DC (the first band I ever saw live), Rhinobucket, The Four Horsemen, etc. and Broken Teeth has done a tremendous job of paying tribute to those previously mentioned bands. Their new album "“Viva la Rock, Fantastico!” features 13 blistering specimens of pure kick ass, in-your-face all out rock n'roll.




















Broken Teeth formed in Austin, Texas, in 1999 when Jason McMaster (Watchtower and Dangerous Toys) recruited former members of Dangerous Toys, Dirty Looks and Pariah for a side project that allowed band members to have some fun indulging their dirty rock influences including AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Circus of Power and The Four Horsemen.

More than a decade later, Broken Teeth has firmly established its own tattered and frayed identity with a discography that includes the self-titled debut, “Guilty Pleasure,” “Blood on the Radio” and “Electric.”

Helping Broken Teeth fan the “Fantastico!” flames is blood-sweating Canadian rocker, Danko Jones. The rock-n-roll outlaw from the Great White North lends backup vocals to the album’s tequila-spiked title track as well as the shout-along stormer, “Big Spender.”

If you like your rock music, loud, fast and hard, then check out Broken Teeth. You will not be disappointed.



MySpace

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Stoner Rock: 50 Best Albums Of All-Time

I have just compiled what I believe to be the 50 best Stoner Rock-Doom-Psychedelic-Sludge albums of all-time. The list is highly debatable and really in no particular order other than positions 1 & 2. Kyuss and Fu Manchu respectively. So go check it out and let me know waht you think. Don't forget to add your favorites to the list. Doom on!!

Stoner Rock:50 Best Albums Of All-Time

Monday, March 1, 2010

New Band To Burn One To-Cease

Special Monday Edition: "New Band To Burn One To"

Hey guys! I have a great band for you to check out today. The band is called Cease and they hail from Perth, Australia. They are one of those bands that really have no classification. You get some Drone/Doom/Experimental/Noise, etc, etc. and they do it very well. Below is an awesome review of their latest album "Cicada".

Review:

Pierre Francois, Hellridemusic.com


"“How to decipher Cease’s music??” –That’s what I first thought. People always need to put words on everything so as to feel comfortable and be able to impress friends at parties by name-dropping trendy sub-genres they don’t understand but swear they’ve been following this very movement since day one. Screw that! Cease is a brain-fuck. Take it as pretty much indescribable with our human language and also, that they will mess around with your brains when they play live!. By the way, this 3 piece all-instrumental jam band (known for their long and drony/noisy improves) hails from Perth (Western Australia).


Cease are a one of a kind band yet to be rivaled by another of their class. Imagine Chris Hiakus starting a band with (a really angry) Massive Attack and someone from Buried at Sea on guitars. - this is obviously a stupid analogy that I maybe should have kept to myself-. Thing is, you cannot put words on this music. I just know it’s good. Local street press awkwardly associated them with the “shoegaze” movement. I disagree. We’re talking drone?doom?post-rock? I just have no clue.

The four tracks of this first full length could well be one big 40 minute song, as they naturally flow into one another. Tribal at times, drony and relentless at others -the guitars are merely used to distract you from the mesmerizing cycles of that bass/drums engine – with heavy use of fuzz and space-out effects. This an “Are You Experienced?” kind of voyage you are about to embark on, just in 2009 , on acid and a whole lot heavier.

Beware though…This is not an album for massive-riff-oriented people (hope you like repetitiveness as much as I do). Cease certainly does not rush things. They take their sweet time. And you might as well enjoy it, because if you ever see them live, every gig is a rebirth for Cease. And that is one aspect I like about these guys. They managed to evolve from a pretty noisy/improv’/psych genre (circa 2007) into something new, without losing their identity, that is playing and recording without knowing what you’re gonna end up with. They even got heavier with time!

The artwork of “Cicada” is also really professional and just beautiful. If it’s marketable as a concept album, maybe an animal documentary show should get in touch with them, as listening to this album feels like going through the life-cycle of a Cicada: from larva to ashes…"
 
MySpace
Buy CD @ badmintonbandit.com/

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

New Band To Burn One To-Wiht

The "New Band To Burn One To" comes to you today from Leeds, United Kingdom. Wiht concoct their own fine blend of killer Experimental/Soner/Doom metal. Citing influences from bands such as Goatsnake, Electric Wizard , Boris, Sleep, Saint Vitus, etc. how can you go wrong. Check out a few reviews of their debut EP.





















Reviews:

Doomed To Be Stoned In A Sludge Swamp

""Wiht is a young band from Leeds, UK. The line-up includes Chris Wayper on guitar, Joe Hall on bass and Rick Contini on drums.

Chris gave some bio news about his band:


“Wiht started jamming towards the end of October 2009, by the end of November wiht had recorded their first offering in the form of Into Ruin, …And the thunder rolls and Vasta. A true and simple love for honest heavy music culminates in Wiht’s first recordings, hat nods towards the greats are clearly evident with the ultimate aim to offer something in its own pedigree. We recorded the cd in 3 days at Ghosttown Recordings in Leeds, England and are now looking to book some gigs and distribute the cd.”


On wiki I read that the word “wiht” is and old-Saxon root for “witch”. Adequate band’s name …


The band tags itself as a stoner/doom outfit, but the definition is misleading, or better incomplete.


When I started listening to the album, made up of three long instrumental suites, I was expecting typical stoner/doom (or else what I mentally associate with such tag)...(Read more)

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Doom Metal Alliance

"Wiht is a young band from Leeds in the ....UK.... and in case you are wondering Wiht translated means witch. Members of the band are Chris Wayper on guitar, Joe Hall on bass and Rick Contini on drums. The amazing thing about this new band is they only started jamming together in October 2009 and yet in such a short time have recorded a remarkable 3 track EP. There is two 16 minute tracks with a 9 minute track sandwiched in the middle so you get good value for your doom dollar here. From the sounds on the EP you can hear all the influences but they are wide and varied within the doom spectrum from Sleep, Weedeater, Electric Wizard to Boris, Sunn 0))) to Ufomammut. The first track "Into Ruin" starts off with a very Sleepish holy mountain era riff that serves as the backbone for the entire track but rather than just being repetitive, the track has a natural progression that keeps envovling keeping it interesting. It moves from plodding doom to spacey psychedelic sounds that produce an atmospheric vibe, there is what they call these days "shoegazeing parts". I would love to know where that term came from but it sounds right. The song builds up tension from the 10 minute mark onwards and there is no vocals but bands like these don't really need them. "Into The Ruins" comes to a quiet conclusion rather than doing a big crescendo ending, this band isn't predictable in that sense at all. "Vasta" has a chaotic beginning with crashing drums and a powerful riff before taking a stoner groove direction. There is more other worldly sounds that vibrate and generate a sometimes haunting sound but it is all interwoven by a strong stoner doom rhythm. A quieter almost Pink Floyd sounding section is follow by a mid-tempo thumping riff and its all held together by a great warm and rich bass sound. When the band slows right now they avoid the usual down tuned doom riffing and go for a more space rock ambient sound which sets them apart from most other bands. The track between these two is "And The Thunder Rolls" and is my favorite of the EP but only just because all three tracks are real good. The track gets off to a headbanging start before taking you on a almost jammy cosmic adventure. I say almost because the band is real tight but there is also a live feeling about this and "And The Thunder Rolls" is a perfect vehicle for this kind of music. The great element within this EP is the variety, the light and shade and the dynamic sound the band has. This band will get the "doom tag" from most people but they are really more of a space rock meets 70's hard rock/psyche rock band and that is not a bad thing at all. There is a couple of stand-out points about this debut EP, first one is the mind-blowing production and the second is the incredible talent of the players. In both cases its a winning formula that should get them not only great reviews but should generate some interest from promoters. This band would go down real well at Roadburn, i can see them now jamming out a 2 hour set backed up by a trippy light-show. The lack of a vocalist might throw some people but personally i think they are a band that can live without one. If they do decide to get a vocalist in the future, i hope they choose wisely because they wouldn't want to mess with the natural chemistry they already have. You can download this EP for free so what are waiting for, check their page for details. 9/10" (Doom Metal Alliance)

MySpace
Download EP

You guys will love this band, I absolutely guarantee it!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

New Releases For Tuesday February 23, 2010

Here are a few new releases for February 23, 2010.

High On Fire-"Snakes For The Divine" (Koch)





















High On Fire return with one of the most highly anticipated release of 2010. Called 'one of 50 records you must hear in 2010' by Kerrang! Magazine, Snakes For The Divine is High On Fire's finest release to date and the one that will catapult them to the next level of their career. Pre-release touring with Dethklock has lit the fuse for the band who are poised to be one of the biggest stories in Hard music in 2010.

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All Time High-"Friends in High Places" (Small Stone Records)




















If you were to take one thing away from their debut album, Seattle's All Time High would want it to be this: Seattle rock is not dead! Formed in 2005, the men of All Time High are veterans of considerable pedigree. Having spent the last decade cutting their teeth playing in bands (VALIS, Kitty Kitty, Gardener) alongside some of the biggest and most recognizable names in the Northwest's music scene--and having released albums on labels as notable as Sub Pop, Man's Ruin, and Small Stone--All Time High aren't content to rest on their laurels. Since their inception All Time High have been steadfast in the trenches, playing shows with the likes of Helios Creed/Chrome, Sound of Urchin, The Spores, Mos Generator, and The Valley. Their debut long-player, the aptly titled 12-song Friends in High Places, was recorded in an unadulterated 5-day session with legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino and features more than a few surprise guests.

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Church Of Misery-"Live At Roadburn" (Import)

2010 live release from Japan's premier Stoner/Sludge rockers. The night was recorded in multi track and was mixed and mastered by Marcel van de Vondervoort of Torture Garden Studio fame. After releases by Wolves In the Throne Room (2008) and Year Of No Light (2008), Church Of Misery Live at Roadburn 2009 is the third installment in our live series. Eight tracks. Roadburn.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Album Of The Week-"Bangers"-Barn Burner (2010)

I have not been able to stop listening to the new album "Bangers" by Barn Burner since it came out last Tuesday. Therefore, I am making it the "Album Of The Week".


























Reviews:

"While they bring the '70s to mind like Astra, Barn Burner does it in a very different way. Rather than bringing smooth progressive rock to mind with its atmospheric excess, Barn Burner brings us straight-up rock and roll with a southern twist. The music sounds as if it has been soaked in a bottle of Tennessee whiskey that was then smashed across a vintage Marshall stack with a mid-1960s Gibson SG or Les Paul connected through a fuzz box. The sort of music that will play well at a smoke-filled bar where the beer and the Jack flow freely. This is groove-based rock with memorable riffs, moderately paced turns that you can sit back and rock your head to without spilling your drink. Touches of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, a little bit of Black Sabbath, a liberal sprinkle of Thin Lizzy, a side dish of Iron Maiden, perhaps a smidgen of punk, and a dash of Corrosion of Conformity for a more recent frame of reference and you get an idea of what Barn Burner is like." (Chris Beaumont, StonerRock.com)

"Montreal, Canada-based 4-headed riff machine Barn Burner don’t believe in beating around the bush. Album opener ‘Holy Smokes’ comes roaring out of the gate with a direct aggressiveness that lays out the band’s stall in no uncertain terms – no atmospheric intro, no acoustic lead-in, hell, there’s not even a hi-hat four count – from the second you press play, you’re blasted by guitars, bass and drums in full hell-for-burnished-leather mode. Self-described as “the 3 headed love child of Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and Fu Manchu“...(Read more)



MySpace

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Classic Band To Burn One To-Pentagram


The "Classic Band To Burn One To" today is Pentagram.

"One of the most enduring and influential underground bands in heavy metal history, Pentagram's career was almost 15 years old by the time they finally managed to record their first album. Though invariably led by mysterious frontman Bobby Liebling, the band's volatile membership made it difficult to maintain any kind of momentum and kept them confined to metal's outer fringes. But interest in Pentagram's convoluted history continues to grow and their crucial contributions to the development of heavy metal seem at last to be receiving some of their late, lamented due.

Pentagram first came into existence in 1971 in Woodbridge, VA, when singer Bobby Liebling met guitarist/drummer Geof O'Keefe. In the coming months, the duo played with a variety of local musicians, including guitarist John Jennings, bassist Vincent McAllister, and drummer Steve Martin, but by early 1972, McAllister had switched to guitar, O'Keefe took over on drums, and Greg Mayne joined on bass guitar. This lineup of Liebling, McAllister, Mayne, and O'Keefe would remain intact for the next six years, and though they occasionally performed under different names, including Virgin Death, Stone Bunny, and Macabre (the last of which graced their first single, "Be Forewarned," in 1972), they always inevitably returned to Pentagram. Another element of stability was their musical direction, which never strayed too far from the distorted psychedelic hard rock of heavy metal pioneers like Blue Cheer and the Groundhogs. A set of independent 7" recordings, "Human Hurricane" and "When the Screams Come" (this last was never released) preceded their first live performance on December 15, 1973, by which time a visible Black Sabbath influence had begun to take hold. Second guitarist Randy Palmer joined their ranks mid-1974 and his addition coincided with Pentagram's most prolific period of the decade, including close calls with record deals from both Columbia and Casablanca Records. But by 1976, Palmer was out (briefly replaced by Marty Iverson) and all of the band's professional prospects had dried up, leaving Pentagram to grind to a halt at the end of the year.

After years of silence, Liebling was finally encouraged to resume his career in mid-1978, when he met a musical soul mate in local drummer Joey Hasselvander, but it wasn't until Halloween 1981 that Pentagram was truly brought back from the dead. By then, Hasselvander had joined a new group called Death Row, which featured a young, Black Sabbath-obsessed guitarist named Victor Griffin. When Liebling stopped by for a jam, creative sparks flew almost immediately and with the addition of bassist Martin Swaney, the group officially assumed the Pentagram name once again. More years of hard work playing in clubs and composing new material followed, but in 1985, Pentagram finally recorded a full-length, self-titled debut (minus Hasselvander, who was replaced at the last minute by drummer Stuart Rose). Later retitled Relentless, the record may have been dedicated to Blue Cheer, but its contents owed an almost singular stylistic debt to Black Sabbath and along with its even more accomplished 1987 successor Day of Reckoning, it helped set the stage for the looming doom metal movement. Not fast enough for Pentagram to capitalize, however, and following another lengthy hiatus, a new contract from Peaceville Records finally led to another comeback via 1994's Be Forewarned LP (featuring a reinstated Hasselvander). But the musical climate of the time was very unfriendly to heavy metal of any kind, and the doom scene had never managed to coalesce as expected, leading Pentagram to another, seemingly final breakup.

Then in 1998, a clandestine, unauthorized collection of early Pentagram demos and live bootlegs, entitled Human Hurricane, was unexpectedly released, prompting Liebling and Hasselvander to take action. Both 1999's Review Your Choices and 2001's Sub-Basement combined new compositions with updated versions of the band's ancient classics and featured Hasselvander playing every instrument. The controversy also sparked greater interest in Pentagram's music and its substantial impact on the heavy metal genre, culminating in the priceless (and this time fully authorized) collection of long-lost '70s recordings entitled First Daze Here (The Vintage Collection). Another compilation, Turn to Stone, arrived later in 2002, compiling material from their Peaceville albums that had gone out of print in the late 90's."( Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide)

PENTAGRAM 2009: Gary, Russ, Bobby, Mark





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Recommended listening:

"Relentless
"First Daze Here: The Vintage Collection"
"First Daze Here Too: The Vintage Collection"


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Listen on Rhapsody