EP Track Stack: KING BOLETE - CANIBALES - GOATSCHLAGER - MAD CHICKEN

There are lots of quality EPs out there, both from known and established bands as well as from artists just trying to get something out there that might garner interest in what they've newly created. This is a classic case of intentionally avoiding the use of labels or identifiers and instead judging something based on its own merits. If an album has only two tracks, but those 2 tracks are pretty damn tasty, then I'm glad they've released it so I can enjoy. So, in the spirit of enjoying what's been made available, here are 4 EPs that provide only 10 tracks between them, but they're ten tracks worth your time because chances are there will be pleasure gained, satisfaction achieved, and perhaps a newfound interest in something of which you weren't aware yet was out there.

King Bolete hail from the Warrior Isles of England...and beyond that not much is known about this newly formed band. Their music is a straight up psychedelic stoner blues rock fuzzorama. What they've given us here is too short and extremely sweet. Hopefully more is to follow soon.

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Canibales is a three man band from Guadalajara, Mexico. They are veterans of stoner blues rock having formed back in 2005 and having released several albums in the interim. The music is primal and addictive. Luckily they have a sizable library on which to feed that addiction starting with the two ass-romping tracks on this new EP.

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Goatschlager, a four piece from Northern Ireland, have featured on Heavy Planet before as a New Band To Burn One To in 2016 with an initial 4 track EP, "Space Apache - Vol. I". Earlier this year they released another 4 track EP, "Dirt Mammal - Vol. II", and now this 2 track beauty "Welcome to Hog Valley" which they say was borne of the creative process for their impending "Vol. III". The music is heavy, hard, deep, and destructive, grinding out stoner vibes and subterranean riffs in memorable melody.

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Mad Chicken, are last but not least. This is a 4 track blitzkrieg of heavy metal from a 5 man Brazilian power troupe, expertly delivering an amalgam of every type of hard rock you may have listened to over the past 4 decades. Incomparable vocals lead the way for twin guitars of explosive fury and a rhythm section of shock and awe.

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Band Submission: Black Overdrive-Stoner Metal From Mexico City, Mexico

Band Name: Black Overdrive
Genre: Stoner Metal
Location: Mexico City
Brief Bio/Description: The band members of Black Overdrive were playing in different bands from Mexico's Stoner and Metal scene. Those bands for one or other reason, decided to stop playing. So, restless men, the four Black Overdrive musicians intended to form a cover band to play at friends parties and the like, just for fun. On the very first rehearsal session, the ended up writing a whole original song, given that they could play that better than any cover song we attempted to. And so Black Overdrive became a full time band, and their former bands were folded.

Four years on now, they have released a demo EP (S/T, 2012), recorded at a studio rehearsal and a full length album, Discord (Oz Music, 2015) was launched (first digitally, months later on CD). Up until now they have played some of Mexico's major festivals, sharing bill and as support of major acts such as Motorhead, Anthrax, Spiritual Beggars, Corrosion of Conformity, Black Tusk as well as many other very talented mexican bands.

Black Overdrive tries to keep the door open musically speaking, but keep it heavy. You can hear Doom, Stoner, Hardcore and Thrash running up and down the tracks. It's a declaration of war against weak music, which is widely spreaded all over Mexico. With Black Overdrive, it's gotta be Loud & Proud!
Band Members:
Rene Villanueva - Guitar
Angel Castillo - Bass
JC Pintor - Drums
Ivan Nieblas - Guitar/Vocals
Links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bandcamp

Split LP Review: Fuzzonaut by Vinnum Sabbathi & Bar de Monjas

Two fuzz heavy bands have just released a split LP that will soundtrack your summer! Mexican bands Vinnum Sabbathi and Bar de Monjas have created the perfect type of split record, with two very different styles, influences, and musicianship, and merged them together in perfect harmony.

Vinnum Sabbathi take their turn first with three songs of doom heavy droning fuzz, shattering the speakers, with spoken NASA samples scattered over the top in place of singing, and it works to a devastating effect, creating an apocalyptic fuzz that at times can be bleak, but ultimately powers through with messages of strength and anger. The bass fuzz pedals are firmly to the floor throughout ‘Hex I: The Mastery’ and ‘Hex II: Foundation’ as the elongated heavy riffs pound away one brutal hit at a time.

Last years In Fuzz We Trust was a personal highlight of mine, so a little expectation accompanied the listening of Bar de Monjas’ side of the Fuzzonaut split, and there’s not an ounce of disappointment to be found as the Mexican duo set their fuzz game off with aplomb as ‘Hot Rail’ stands as a statement of intent as the instrumental track changes pace from pounding stoner to break neck heavy rock, all the while bathed in the band’s love of the fuzz pedal. Whereas Vinnum Sabbathi draw out their songs to become fuzz droning epics, Bar de Monjas are straight to the point; they’ve come to party. ‘The Ripper’ is a balls to the wall assault of fuzzy garage riffs that works as well in a mosh pit as it does with the casual foot tap, while 'Fuzzonaut' shows the layers of the band, slowing down the energetic pace to concentrating on droning heavy licks that show a band playing with their audience.

Fuzzonaut shows the best of both bands, both of whom are ready to explode out of the South American scene and onto a much bigger stage. The world deserves Vinnum Sabbathi and Bar de Monjas, and you deserve Fuzzonaut!

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LP Review: In Fuzz We Trust by Bar de Monjas

It’s not until you’re a few tracks into Mexico’s Bar de Monjas’ debut record that you realise that THIS is the stoner/fuzz record you’ve been waiting all year for! Heavy duty fast travelling riffs, softly sung vocals, piled on with more riffs than two people should physically be capable of pulling off, In Fuzz We Trust is a balls-to-the-wall ferocious stoner record which never lets up and demands every inch of your attention. From the fast heavy fuzzy riffs of opening track ‘Under’, through the fast heavy fuzzy riffs of ‘Hell Of a...’ and ending with the fast heavy fuzzy riffs of ‘Término Medio’, well, you can see where we’re going with this, it’s simply all the F’s: Fast Fucking Fuzzy Ferocious riFFs!

  We don’t mean to brag, but we did feature these guys in our ‘New Band To Burn One To' section at the beginning of 2013, and their potential has developed perfectly. There are just two people making this noise!! Unbelievable! Bar de Monjas are your new favourite fuzz duo, and if you don’t agree, there’s something you’re not doing right! (My apologies, it’s probably just the fuzz talking). (((FUZZZZZ))) My head hurts... maybe just one more spin.

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New Band To Burn One To: SPACEGOAT

HEAVY PLANET presents... SPACEGOAT!

BAND BIO:

Formed in Monterrey, Mexico by siblings Miguel & Gina Ríos. Spacegoat play a blend of classic rock with influences spanning from early Sabbath to Janis Joplin. 

Current line up:-

Gina Ríos - Vocals & Guitar

Miguel Ríos - Lead Guitar

Rey Fraga - Drums

Rigo Vigil - Bass

THOUGHTS:
"Brimming with sweet yet ballsy vocals, Spacegoat from Monterrey, Mexico soars into the galaxy with a galloping groove and unbridled classic rock fury. Led by siblings Gina and Miguel Rios, the band slays it on their latest self-titled EP with five catchy and rollicking tunes full of great harmonies, sizzling solos and mid-tempo rhythms. I must say that I am really loving this girls' voice. It has a subtle rasp and full sound, sometimes bluesy and always passionate. This is music that just feels damn good. Download for "name your price" on their Bandcamp page now."
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New Band To Burn One To: BAR DE MONJAS

HEAVY PLANET presents... BAR DE MONJAS!

BAND BIO:

"Bar de Monjas is a Fuzz rock Duo, that seeks to transmit enough energy to the audience, so they can enjoy the sound that comes out from their instruments. The lyrics stays backround while we want to spread to those who are listening that 'music comes first'. The band was formed at late 2010, at Mexico city, with some impulse for making pretty fat sound with only one guitar and drums, also making fuzzy music, which is very hard to find here in this country. Fausto Rivera (guitar and vocals) met Gerardo 'Rufuzz' before making the band, Rufuzz played already in another band project, while Fausto was creating Bar de Monjas, Rufuzz was invited to Bar de Monjas, replacing his first drummer, so this is were all began, forming a serious band project. Music is influenced by many fuzzy sounds, some stoner, desert, prychedelic, garage, space rock bands, etc. Fuzzy guitars with explosive and dirty drums! The band recorded a live session at metro tacubaya in october 2011, which was useful to start the band promotion. At early 2012 they were reviewed by Sabotage Magazine (national), which preciously produced the live session video from the material promoted. After this the band began to record their first selftitled EP, which was realeased in august (2012). At the same time the band didn't stopped playing in some important gigs, still they working on it, spreading their first studio material. This 2 years this non-cautious musicians have been playing without any limits, time enough for creating good satisfaction, and, why not? waking curiosity on some ears..."

THOUGHTS:
"Reg...Reg...Reg, my wife yells at the top of her lungs. What!!!? I yell back. Sorry, I couldn't hear you my head is ringing with fuzz. If you told me that Mexican-duo Bar de Monjas is a fuzz rock band, I would firmly say that is a vast understatement. No, ladies and gentlemen, this band is ALL about the fuzz. First and foremost all these two dudes want to do is rock, and that they do. Combining stoner, punk, and garage with a Latin flare, Bar de Monjas will have you jumping in your shoes. The music is energetic and explosive and most of all (((FUZZ))), I mean fun! Take a listen today!"

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New Band To Burn One To: EL STRAFFO

HEAVY PLANET presents... EL STRAFFO!

BAND BIO:

In the summer of 2009, Sergio Fernandez de Pallazaz met Elean Gonzalez Esteban in the Mexican desert of Tijuana, Mexico. Wondering aimlessly through the hot sand, totally zonked out Pallazaz thought Gonzalez was a bar of chocolate and bit him in the anus. That fateful meeting led to a deep friendship between the two. Elean and Sergio were two musicians without success, so they decided to form a band and smoke more cannabis. They named their band after the Mexican God of Marijuana he had met in his travels together...THE STRAFFO. The seeds of the plant was sown El Straffo was born. Thereafter, he set one goal for the band: to make very cool music and to smoke as much cannabis as humanly possible!

THOUGHTS:
"Mexicannabistonerdoom has a nice ring to it. It also describes this band to a tee. Smoke a shit ton of weed, grab a few instruments and play the living shit out of them. Mexican two-piece El Straffo bring the doom with their snail-paced rhythms, totally fuzzed-out bass lines and ode to nineties grunge goodness. The band has released a full-length titled "Hecho en México" and a live recording called "Live @ Mespotine Sessions" which captures their unique heaviness, musical sincerity and minimalistic approach. Roll it up and smoke it!"
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New Band To Burn One To-Desert Stone (Stoner Rock From Mexico)

Here is another new band for you guys to check out. They are called Desert Stone and hail from Mexico City and will rock your ears off with their brand of fuzzed-out Stoner Rock.



"Formed in late 2006 in the biggest, craziest city in the world, Mexico City.

Desert Stone rises from the remains of other projects to concentrate on a single band, within the jurisdiction of Rock & Roll.

Attitude and will are synonyms of this band who resides in Mexico City. Influenced by decades of Rock & Roll history. From Radiohead’s subtlety and finesse to Cathedral’s ambiguity, abstraction and power. These are sounds that members of Desert Stone have had running through their veins their entire lives.

With their music, conceived as the amps are turned on (set in loud tones) and the drums get punished, this group of musicians tends to set their vision on the passion, power and groove delivered by a guitar riff. Desert Stone plays with energy and grace while staying true to the grail of Rock music."

Go to their MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and for further information about the band.