Reg's Top 10 Albums and Artwork Of 2014

Well, we have reached the end of another year and what better way to celebrate than with another list. To be honest, I haven't listened to as many albums this year as I have in the past and my list for that reason will not be as expansive. As usual, 2015 should be another exciting year for music and Heavy Planet will be there to help you discover some new and amazing bands. Now, on with the show.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2014

10. BONEHAWK-"ALBINO RHINO" (Release Date: 10/15/2014)

In 2012, we got a little taste of Bonehawk with their 2-song sleaze-driven 2-song EP. I never would have imagined that within 2 years that the same band would have put out such a tasty and well-executed album filled with mighty hooks, powerful riffs and sing-along anthems. Such a strong album throughout.

09. FOGHOUND-"QUICK, DIRTY AND HIGH" (Release Date: 01/24/2014)

The classic Stoner Rock sound, albeit with more clouds and dirt than sun and sand. Nothing more, nothing less. All killer, no filler! Foghound rules!

08. ATOMIC VULTURE-"INTO ORBIT" (Release Date: 10/7/2014)

Every year I have an all-instrumental entry on my list. This year is no exception. Atomic Vulture deliver spaced-out Stoner Rock with thunderous drumming and huge riffs that gravitate towards another dimension. I could sit and listen to this all day long.

07. FALL OF AN EMPIRE-"SONGS OF STEEL AND SORROW" (01/17/2014)

First off, thanks to The Nuclear Dog for suggesting this one. Meat and potatoes southern groove, bluesy riffs and my favorite vocalist of the year. Fall Of An Empire nailed it!

06. BRANT BJORK AND THE LOW DESERT PUNK BAND-"BLACK FLOWER POWER" (11/17/2014)

Brant Bjork returns with probably his heaviest effort to date and it absolutely slays. Full-on fuzzy desert rock with that signature laid back groove. Give me more!

05. WO FAT-"THE CONJURING" (06/17/2014)

What would my list be without an entry from Kent Stump and the gang. Over the course of the last eight years or so, we have seen a unique chemistry develop in this band to what is now a finely tuned machine. The songs have a more cohesive structure and flow as the band has hit their groove with no end in sight. For a further venture down the path that is Wo Fat, check out their latest live effort which will leave you gathering your jaw off the floor.

04. BASK-"AMERICAN HOLLOW" (07/29/2014)

I featured this band as a "New Band To Burn One To" back in August. The brilliant mixture of Americana, sheer heaviness and controlled soft and subtle passages grabbed hold and did not let go.

03. MONOBROW-"BIG SKY, BLACK HORSE" (06/12/2014)

Here is my second all-instrumental entry on this year's list. If you have not listened to this band, do yourself a favor. Almost like a stoner metal version of Rush. Well-structured songs with face-melting riffs, tight drumming and insane tempo changes. Utterly magnificent!

02. FU MANCHU-"GIGANTOID" (05/03/2014)

One of my favorite bands of all-time and they did not disappoint. With their last two efforts, the band seemed to be going in a bit heavier direction one which I rather enjoyed. On their latest album, the band has stripped things down a bit making their punk rock roots more prevalent. Even after a vast catalog of albums the band can still write many a catchy tune.

01. PALM DESERT-"PEARLS FROM THE MUDDY HOLLOW" (10/31/2014)

I found myself listening to this album more than any other album this year. It has everything you could want in a Stoner Rock record and then some. The songs are well-written and feature an awesome vocalist. The Kyuss influence is evidenced throughout, but that it definitely not a bad thing. I love this record and suggest you give it a listen. A real gem in an over-saturated Stoner Rock scene.

5 VERY HONORABLE MENTIONS:

CHILD-"CHILD"

SLOMATICS-"ESTRON"

ROYAL BLOOD-"ROYAL BLOOD"

THE SKULL-"FOR THOSE WHICH ARE ASLEEP"

OTEHI-"DEAD CHANTS AND FORBIDDEN MELODIES"

There were so many great album covers to choose from this year and artwork is such a vital part of music. These were the covers that caught my eye in 2014.

TOP 10 ALBUM COVERS OF 2014:

10. HUEY-"ACE"

09. HETERODOX - "ELIXER OF LETHE"

08. SEDATED ANGEL-"BEAUTYFALL"

07. GIZA-"I AM THE OCEAN, I AM THE SEA"

06. ssSHEENSss-"STRAPPING STALLIONS"

05. EARTH-"PRIMITIVE AND DEADLY"

04. SIGIRIYA-"DARKNESS DIED TODAY"

03. BUDOS BAND-"BURNT OFFERING"

02. MOTHERSHIP-"II"

01. SPACE GOD RITUAL-"FROM VOID TO OCEAN"

Thanks for looking! Have an awesome 2015!

Albums Of The Year 2014: Pete's choices

I started off with the intention of simply doing a Top Ten, but when I sat down and looked at what came out over the past 12 months, the list soon grew and grew. There are so many great new bands coming out all the time that it's hard to keep up, but we at Heavy Planet are striving to make sure the best of the new underground crop are brought to your ears. Also what's great about this list is that it's truly international with bands from Mexico, Germany, USA, Wales, Greece, and French-Canadian all rocking to the same beat, whether it's Sludge, Stoner, or Doom, it's a sound that unites us all. 

Anyway, here's my favourites from this year, plus look out at the end for my favourite artwork of the year.

20. Grifter - The Return Of The Bearded Brethren 

The ever brilliant Grifter returned with their grooviest most solid record to date. There weren't many better records which made me dance my ass off this year!

19. Black Khox - AKAB

Tremendously aggressive assault to the senses from Quebec City's latest aggressors started the year off on a high note and has stayed in my senses ever since.

18. Sigiriya - Darkness Died Today

 Superb husky vocals coarsing through thick heavy riffs was exactly what we needed to hear, and Sigiriya delivered with ease. Only great things to come from these guys.

17. Planet Of Zeus - Vigilante

Opening track 'The Great Dandolos' has made its way into every playlist i've created throughout the year; just simple, great, thick, rock. Nice!

16. Mothership - Mothership II

It may have only been released at the very tail end of the year, but with these riffs and songs about suprise transexuals, there was no way it wasn't going to make it onto this list. It'll probably kick in just how good this album is once 2015 is fully under way.

15. Horsehunter - Caged In Flesh

There isn't a great deal of Doom on this list, but the debut record from these Australians is too stunning to disregard. Search for a dark place in your soul to bury it.

14. MuckRaker - Karmageddon

 Politically charged Helmet-inspired riffs have had me thumping my way around my work and home-life for the second half of the year with great pleasure. RISE UP ALL YOU LOGGERHEADS!

13. Monolord - Empress Rising

Long relentless driving riffs; what more can you ask for?

12. Leather Lung - Reap What You Sow

Thrown my way courtesy of Seth's Sunday Sludge, these Bostonians tick all of the right boxes, so long as those boxes are marked dirty, angry, and full of weed.

11. Gurt - Horrendosaurus

Gurt have the knack of making you feel extremely violated with their demonic vocals and down right dirty guitars. Horrendosaurus was a record i needed to play with the curtains closed.

10. Sumer - The Animal You Are

This record stands out on my list as it's essentially post-rock (just a bit heavier), a genre which no other record this year in the genre has stood out from. Sumer are the new leading light in the British scene, and The Animal You Are is a spellbinding listen.

9. Face On Mars - Face On Mars

Another recent release which has had such an impact on me, knocking many other stoner psych rock records out of the park, and with just being their debut, it makes their effort all the more praise-worthy.

8. The Picturebooks - Imaginary Horse

This visceral blues record from the German duo is a soul clenching record which focuses heavily on vocals and stripped-down laid back sounds that becomes a mesmerising listen. It encompasses your body with every listen. Essential is an accurate description.

7. Cardiel - Local Solo

When this South American duo's debut full-length kicked its way into my ear drums, it was impossible to shift, blending ferocious elements of punk, stoner, psycho-dub, it became an eternal ear-bleeder which brought you back for more and more and more.

6. Rhin - Bastard

Full of sledgehammer riffs and venemous vocals, Rhin's Bastard is a record so full of potential and experimentation that it's suprising it can be contained. Echoing the early excitement of a young Melvins, Rhin are sure to be covering patches on everyone's leather/denim jackets the rebel world over. Awesome record!

5. Bar De Monjas - In Fuzz We Trust

The best Fuzz record to come out this year, by far. Packed full of frenetic head-banging party riffs, Bar De Monjas saw their potential flowing through their demo and grabbed it with both hands (well four of them, they are a duo afterall). Often showing as many pop elements as rock, In Fuzz We Trust was the party record of the year.

4. Mother Corona - Reburn

The Oxforshire bands' second record has been a huge grower on me, having initially made a solid impact with their heavy 70's stoner riffs, repeated listens have revealed greater levels to their musicianship with great songwriting and layered instrumentation that makes Reburn the complete stoner rock album this year.

3. Whalerider - Thanatos

Thanatos is a record dipping its toe into stoner and grunge circles, while carrying psychedelic tendencies, and basically it's brilliant. A proper album that you need to fully divuge yourself into. The German group's debut full-length has raised the bar for every band, for them to basically put up or shut up: Thanatos is that good!

2. Hark - Crystalline

Always to be linked back to the missed genius of underappreciated Welsh rockers Taint thanks to frontman Jimbob Isaac, Hark arrived at the beginning of the year like a breath of fresh air to the rock scene, full of intelligent riffs, mind-bending time changes, and songs that can beat you to a pulp. Their sound is youthful, interesting, and hypnotizing. Crystalline is a game changer.

1. Rodha - Welter Through The Ashes

Again back to Seth's Sunday Sludge for putting Rodha on my radar when they released their demo Raw back in 2012, so i've been waiting for this record for two years, and it is everything I had hoped for: aggression, emotion, driving-rhythms, destructive riffs, heartfelt vocals, raw power. It's not just the sludge record of the year, it's my complete album of the year as it encapsulates everything I love, not just about Heavy Planet, but everything I love about music. Own this record!

Top 5 Album Artwork of The Year
Here's a short appreciation of some of my favourite artwork this year.

5. Okkultokrati - Night Jerks

4. Moss -Carmilla (Marcilla)

3. Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestite

2. Monster Magnet - Milking The Stars: A Re-imagining of Last Patrol

1. Grifter - The Return Of The Bearded Brethren

Just look as this sexy bastard. Enough said!

 

DAMA/LIBRA "Claw"

Where does the listener go when musical genres feel exhausted with nothing new to explore? Few bands are tempting new territory in Metal, Rock or anything these days. Every year, there’s at least one surprise gem that comes out. An unexpected sound. Something new.

DAMA/LIBRA is the newest work from Joel RL Phelps (Downer Trio, Silkworm) and G. Stuart Dahlquist (Asva, Sunn O))), Goatsnake, and Burning Witch)

"Claw" offers an open-minded sound, closer to classical compositions than modern metal/rock. It’s stylistically far from Phelps or Dahlquist’s previous recordings and more involved in the avant-garde. This whole project is phenomenal. A sort of, demented supergroup for the North West stoner rockers. For half of the album, Phelps sounds like a psychotic minister going through some form of ‘scream’ therapy. But other times, his voice is quite beautiful and remarkably affectionate. "Remember me, remember me..." he chants. It's interesting to wonder if his lyrics are autobiographical and to what he's referring to sometimes. The motifs can be so abstract and feel spontaneously inspired vocally.

Their music flips from nightmarish to dreamscape the way Stravinsky would sound mixed into Mozart’s Symphony No. 29. It all feels like a controlled sonic dream, a soundtrack to the cloudy atmosphere of today. I love the parts that are very 'Twin Peaks', with soothing tremolo bells and airy synthesizer drones. The instrumental segments are the heaviest parts, certain tracks feel industrial, others feel dark ambient and doom-ish. But it all flows as one long piece with a hundred dynamic changes.

I think this is a great collaboration record, a unique collection of personalities working together. And I can’t tell if this was long-term written music, or in-the-studio impromptu performances, but I will say, this DAMA/LIBRA experiment works.

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New Band To Burn One To: RoadKillSoda

"RoadKillSoda are a stoner rock quartet from Bucharest, Romania. They've been playing as a band for some time, but recently released the debut album- “Oven Sun” and it’s a killer collection of bad ass guitar riffs, pounding drums and trippy vocal melodies. It also features one of the coolest album covers of the year (artwork by Costin Chioreanu). As heavy as the band plays, the lead vocals float over the music in a lush way, mostly double tracked like those early Pink Floyd albums. They have a unique vision and it's a thorough LP from start to finish. There are no filler songs or boring moments. All of the tracks hold memorable lyrics and choruses worthy of anything Soundgarden or Alice in Chains ever put out. Not only is the music thick sludge metal, there’s a 1970’s rock and roll influence, like T. Rex and Deep Purple. Throughout “Oven Sun” are ripping solos, angular detuned guitar licks, deep wah wah effects and everything you want from a totally awesome record."

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FESTIVAL CALL FOR BANDS

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7th ANNUAL NORMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL - NORMAN, OKLAHOMA

This coming April in downtown Norman, Oklahoma, just 20 miles south of Oklahoma City, will be held the 7th Annual Norman Music Festival. Over the course of the past 6 years in which the festival has been held it has grown in stature by leaps and bounds until now it hosts over 300 bands, 50,000 spectators, and generates millions of dollars in revenue. It rivals, but perhaps doesn't yet match, SXSW in Austin. It is on a steady growth track, however, and no festival is safe! It is a weekend filled with fun and music and is a great time for all involved. I, though, would offer up the prospect that the fuzzier contingent of rock music has yet to be sufficiently represented at this fine event. I would dearly love to change that eventuality, so I am posting the open call information published by the festival promoters in hopes that many of the fine bands and types of bands covered by Heavy Planet will apply to attend this coming April of 2014 and show the Wild West what loud, low, furious, and fuzzy rock is all about.

Please click on this link - NMF 7, APRIL 2014 - to apply to attend and give the people of the Southwest an experience they won't soon forget.

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