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If you are looking for new Stoner Rock, Doom, Heavy Psych or Sludge Metal bands, then you have come to the right place. Heavy Planet has been providing free promotion to independent and unsigned bands since 2008. Find your next favorite band at Heavy Planet. Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

New Band To Burn One To: Slugpie


French three piece Slugpie have just released a Demo of four of the nastiest sludge punishments that we’ve heard all year, and we mean sludge in its heaviest, choking sense. Like a lot of today’s sludge bands, Slugpie has roots embedded into Blues and the grooving tones underpin the fuzzy claustrophobic riffs, especially on a track like ‘Mojo Drown’. The vocals come out like Dopethrone with a sore throat, and they’re as scary as they are addictive.

Slugpie are everything we like about Sludge in 2016: thrashingly fast and doomily slow, suffocating and relentless riffing, and heavy and nasty as hell! I need a shower. 

Monday, November 28, 2016

Album Review: Megatherium - "Superbeast"


This shit is THICK.  So put in, turn it up, sit back, and hold on to your ass, cause you're in for a ride.  Just don't let "Prayer For the Ox" and all the creepy druids filing in around you fool you into thinking you are safe.  You, your speakers, and at least some of your windows are probably fucked!  In fact as I sit here in my car, my poor stock stereo system is shedding a single tear which is rolling down the dash as it tries hopelessly to cope with the massive fuzz and low tuned sounds emanating from every speaker.  If I close my eyes I can almost feel the impending doom of an insatiable mosh pit swelling up around me.  There is something familiar, something that makes me feel as if I'm there, in a sea of people, watching this foursome from Verona, Italy destroy it on stage.  There is just enough psychedelia in the vocals to make me flash back to a not so innocent time full of illicit substances, and late nights I'll never ever remember.

Megatherium describe their live show as unique and mesmerizing, with high volume, massive distortions, smoke, samples, neon lights, and video projections.  Just the fact that the recording made me feel as if I was at a live show is a testament to their efforts, and make me join my car with a single tear that I'm not closer to Italy.  The band formed in 2011 combining their experience from other Italian bands such as Aneurysm, Gen Marrone, Elicotrema, Mr. Wilson, and Tokio Conspiracy.  They spent the next few years perfecting their sound, their show, and writing new music, before finally releasing their monstrous debut album Superbeast.  Full of deep trance enducing riffs and hooks abound, this album will keep you interested from start to finish and leave you craving more.

Facebook || Bandcamp

Friday, November 25, 2016

Album Review: Ruff Majik - "The Fox"



Whew! Where are my asbestos gloves? This album is HOT!! Searing through the ionosphere from Pretoria, South Africa, screaming towards us cloaked in fuzz stuffed riffs, raucous runs, and joyous melody comes the latest release by one of Stoner Rock's new breed of jam masters, Ruff Majik. "The Fox" delivers six fibrous, rollicking delicacies of amplified fuzz close on the heels of their 2015 offering of "The Bear", itself bursting forth with six jagged metal edges of sharp and smoky stoner standards.

Ruff Majik are comprised of:

Johni Holliday - Guitars, vocals, and narratives
Benni Manchino - Drums and narratives
Jimi Glass - Bass guitar

As an EP of six, "The Fox" has little room and little time to waste in solidifying a sound that will attract the ear of discerning stonerheads. I can safely and securely report they have been quite successful in utilizing every bit, every note, every riff, every run, every song on this astounding release.

"King of the Badgers"  This opening track begins with what would appear to be a setup for a psychedelic riff trip, but before the initial minute has closed the band has unleashed fuzzy hell on our senses, and all out distortion through melodic amplification. Fittingly, Glass's bass begins the riffslaught, followed closely by Holiday's dextrous riff-fire and then Manchino's undertow of power. The tenor of the song is pure stoner bliss, with low tuned distortion and filtered fierceness throughout, before closing on a short, melancholy acoustic coda.

"Wax Wizard" begins with heads tilted simultaneously to the sky at the gargantuan sound and straight downward to the dark abyss of low tuned stoner perfection. This song is deliberate, dank, and darkly determined in its steady onslaught of hammer blows and husky sound detonations.

Third in line is "Canned Fruit Bats", which utilizes a very cool opening couple of minutes. The fidelity at the outset is low, simple, and melodically beautiful, almost as if being played through your portable hi-fi at the beach back in the day. But very cool soon gives way to awesome. Awesome in scope, delivery, and emotion. The band's now customary onslaught begins with, and sustains an up-tempo flow of fuzzy chords and dusty laser riffs wrapped in a vocal and lyrical masterstroke. This song is a treasure.

"Sodoom and Gomorah" is a dirge of dark delight, gloomy and certain in its trudging tempo through melodic muck before revving up its outboard amplifiers to cut a quick and deadly swath toward its riff laden conclusion.

Opening with a poetic reading that is a prelude to what's to come is "Coffin Dragger", another beautifully crafted up-tempo onslaught of fuzz and distortion in the same vein Ruff Majik have perfectly established to this point, but offering up something new and immensely compelling, burying your experience deep into exquisite riffs of bass, string, and skin.

The closer is an emotional ride told in two parts, each equally adept at portraying the darkness of emotion and loss. "Royal Forest" is a beautifully haunting tale, perfectly accentuated through low wailing riffs and woeful vocals.

bandcamp || facebook || documentary


Thursday, November 17, 2016

Green River Thrillers-Distorted Diva- LP/ Heavy Noise Rock

I asked Reg from Heavy Planet if I could review this album with him knowing its not Doom/Sludge/Stoner. Which it's not, it's a straight up heavy ass rock album with Punk, Metal and Noise Rock influence. I assured him that this album needs to be heard. He said. "no prob".

If you ever just need to put on an album that will kick you in the teeth and give you the feeling to kick the days ass and pound some golden throat charmers afterwards, then Distorted Diva is that album . Gary Hughes, Alan Alfano and Phil Smith have created an album where every song is good  and has made it onto my most played this last month.

GRT are no slackers and have recently finished a west coast tour and have been playing a shit ton of live shows for years now and have been heralded as one of the Emerald City's most consistently kick ass live bands.

GRT recorded this beauty at Earwig studios with the help of Don Farwell bringing a great attack and overall tonal assault to the production starting right off with "shithead complex" and keeping you coming back for more all the way to the finish line. In a world becoming over-saturated with bad Sleep knockoffs, Green River Thrillers bring a much needed kick in the sludgy nuts. Now I'm not knocking Stoner/Doom or Sludge, my band taps into all 3 of those genre's, but GRT is a breath of fresh air and I highly recommend this album.

So if you find yourself in Seattle go see them as they play regularly and will be playing Rachel the supreme overlord of Devil's Child Records b-day party tomorrow night (11-18) at the Valley in Tacoma Washington with a stellar lineup.

If you see me there lets have a beer and watch some killer rock and roll!

http://www.greenriverthrillers.com/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/distorted-diva/id1128923826




Album Review-Wolves Carry My Name: Black Earth Tongue



It's about 6:00 am.  Pitch shit black, and I've been up since 3:15, on the road since 4:00.  Drank enough coffee to kill a horse and only about 50% sure I'm on the right road.  I'm in no mood for the horrible atrocities and audible crimes perpetrated by this so-called "morning radio".  Bieber, Bieber, country, church service, talk show, church service....  I think my soul wants to vomit.  With miles of some of NY's most boring highway ahead, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to blast the new Wolves Carry My Name album, "Black Earth Tongue".  Released on Oct 14, 2016, I got my copy the day it came out, but this was my first opportunity to listen to it straight through, uninterrupted.  Their previous release "Among the Ashes and Ruins", instantly became one of my favorite albums and I have been not so patiently waiting for a follow up ever since.  I had high hopes and was not disappointed.  This was exactly the kind of kick in the teeth I needed to get through this dismal ride. 

Only seconds in and I'm feeling rejuvenated, rocking down the highway speed limits be damned.  I've heard listening to good music is a legal defense. Legitimate in any court for speeding.  But don't quote me on that.  At only about 29 minutes long this isn't an exceptionally long album.  But it doesn't need to be.  There is no fluff, no filler, no fucking around here.  They get in, get the job done and get out!  Like a precision bank robbery.  In and out before you know what hit you, leaving you holding your ass looking for you wallet and all the killer cat food coupons contained within. 

Their Bandcamp page describes their sound as "a bastard of 90's sludge metal and ruthless hardcore fused into sonic waves of blackness".  That description works for me as they fall under no conventional label.  A tempo faster than your typical sludge but with vocals just a vicious.  Guitar hooks and stoner rock moments with a more ambient doomy feel other times.  All the different elements are woven together seamlessly.  I am guilty of never paying much attention to listening to an album in order, but one thing that struck me about the first album was how it flowed,this album is no different.  Teeth Black as Coffin Nails serves as an introduction and Tamam Shud is a fitting conclusion.  The thought about every aspect is evident throughout.  From the arrangements to the track layout.  No wasted time.  Hard hitting and straight to the point.  Do yourself a favor and check out their Bandcamp and pick up a copy. 

Bandcamp || Facebook

Heavy Rock from Santa Cruz/ Doors to nowhere-The Haunting

Members: Marc Lewis, Sean Sanford, Peter Testorff bring you 8 songs of straight forward heavy rock from Santa Cruz California with a bluesy stoner vibe to boot. The vocals in the opening track "Devil's Backbone" remind me of the vocal stylings of early Kyuss which sets the tone for the following 8 tracks. I dig the short interlude of The Strange going into The Burn and there's plenty of solid riffs as the boys in Doors To No where are seasoned pro's. "The Haunting" is the follow up to "Lucky you" which they released in 2015. Catch them around the bay area as it seems they get out fairly often. You can pick this up on itunes, Bandcamp or Spotify

https://youtu.be/oCg_J646hxs

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Album Review: Slumber Dust - "Slumber Dust"



Fuzz, beautiful fuzz. It's what rock music these days in the mainstream is missing more than anything, it seems to me. The seeming reckless unleashing of the guitar in wonderful variation makes for beautiful metal musical constructs, vehicles of dank, dusk, and gloom that exhilarate and soar, deftly gliding through gritty, grimy filters of string and skin . We call it stoner, desert, doom, and sludge. It began in earnest as a genre in the 90s and exploded in that first fertile decade of the new century. And so now it forcefully powers through its third decade, hurtling fiercely toward a fourth, as strong as ever, witnessed by the massive number of artists and albums releasing new music almost daily on a worldwide scale. A hallmark of this ever awesome underground reverie is the subject of today's review, Slumber Dust, hailing just a stone throw from Buffalo, across the border in Saint Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Slumber Dust are a three piece faction of foot stomping, ass grinding metal rockers who bring an essential musical, metal deference to their brand of stoner rock and their initial self titled EP release.

At the time of recording, Slumber Dust were comprised of 3 members:

Geoff Graham - Vocals, and Guitar
Mike Manseau - Bass
Chance Watt - Drums

But the early history of the band was that of Geoff writing and playing songs with Kevin King, who can be heard on the underground recording of "Saturn's Basement" that is comprised of two of their songs, and seen in the accompanying video below. Well before Slumber Dust were able to properly record the album in a studio, Kevin passed away. Undaunted, Geoff formed the three piece named above and engineered the EP's recording and release on BandCamp.

Since the release of "Slumber Dust", Chance has been replaced with Eric James, and the new three piece arrangement are hard at work on 8 new monstrous tracks for their second release.

The EP opens with "The Last Starfighter", which quickly establishes the wealth of gifts these three Canadian lads have on offer. Guitar, bass, and drums are all immediately established with a clamor and commotion of fuzz galore. Following not long after are Geoff's vocals, a perfect complement to the underlying undulations. The song is heady, steady, and huge, with a persistent one two punch of rhythm that soon gives way to a mind bending instrumental stretch.

The tempo is tightened on "Angels", crunching and crackling with a blue spark of elecrtricity. "Pryamids" follows with a stoner huzzah, brandishing an engorged feast of melodic fuzz. This song will be on my 2016 mix, and beyond, as one of special quality.

"Samadhi" continues the established trend with huge and hungry guitar leading the way through a fun and original melody, this one with an exquisite haunting quality that flashes into your consciousness immediately, staying long after. "Ksitigarbha" is a sloshing, slogging doomcast of dark and dangerous undertones, leading perfectly into the finale, "Bad Karma", which again establishes Slumber Dust's keenness for melody wrapped in heavy, syrupy blankets of muddy fuzz.

I've been quick to note the guitar work and outstanding vocals of frontman Geoff Graham, but equally gifted and energetic on this album are both Mike Manseau's bass and Chance Watt's drums. Mike makes the bass soar under the reedy landscape of melody with his own expert riffs of low bliss. Chance's drums are simply fun incarnate, never taking a backseat to the renown of riff or lead of vocal, while complementing both.

Slumber Dust are a young band, just getting started on their long, musical assault of stoner riches. We look forward to what they have in store for us in the future.



bandcamp || facebook || soundcloud

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Album Review: Why Desperados - "WD Crew"



Like most of you I listen to lots of new music, new in the sense that I've not yet heard it whether it was released today or last decade. Each new album begins with anticipation, wondering whether this
one will be a gem, the Arkenstone languishing among a sea of rudimentary treasures. Of course, one person's Arkenstone is another person's Hope diamond, I suppose. Today I present to you a rare gem of rock, with Why Desperados' "WD Crew". Self proclaimed as part of the stoner rock genre this band certainly has a heavy, delicious guitar presence combined with melodies and beats that vigorously vibrate down those primal music cords of our rock n' roll soul, but I would claim they have carved out their own sound that, of course, borrows from many great rock bands of past and present, but exudes a uniqueness that is fun, fantastic, and outright fabulous in presentation. Spinning through the tracks goes much too quickly, leaving you wanting....MORE....please! If this is your first encounter with Why Desperados, and you find, as I have, that after listening to this new release you want more, there is an earlier release, "Sand Flood", as well as a single, "Careless" available on their Bandcamp and SoundCloud sites (links below).

Why Desperados, hailing from Dormolletto, Italy, include band members:

Matias Peruch - guitar
Gianluca Barbaglia - guitar
Nicolò Cagnan - drums
Giuseppe Muscatelli - bass
Andrea Archita - vocals

The driving forces of Cagnan's drumwork and Muscatelli's bass in exquisitely delivered time provide the rock solid platform for both Peruch and Barbaglia to grind, experiment, and soar with their blissful twin guitars. Topping it all off are Archita's truly beautiful vocals, raw and poignant, strong and yearning, pleasantly in sync with the finely crafted melodies this Italian fivesome have bestowed upon the rock loving world to enjoy.



bandcamp || soundcloud || facebook || twitter || instagram
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