10 Years of Heavy Planet

As per usual 2017 had it’s fair share of amazing releases. These are the ones that I listened to the most. This is also, unfortunately a very bittersweet list as this will be the last post you will ever see on Heavy Planet. Yes, after ten awesome years, we have decided to hang it up. The site will still be here for your reference and we will not be going away forever. We will still continue to post new bands/news on our Facebook and Twitter pages as well as provide new playlists and some other cool surprises and projects along the way. Thanks to the number of you that have been with us from the early days. Don’t think of this as the end, think of this as a new beginning. Stay heavy and doom on! ~Reg

10. Hypergiant-Father Sky

I had this band in my queue for the longest time to check out and man am I glad I did. This Australian band manages to seemlessly blend anything from progressive sludge metal to vintage classic rock with ease. Vocals, production and musicianship are top notch.



09. Spaceslug- Time Travel Dilemma

Intergalactic Cosmic Stoner Doom at it's very best. This heavy trio from Poland pushes the outer limits with thoughtful song structures, meditative rhythms and clever guitar riffing. The album also features guest vocals from Sander Haagmans of Sungrazer. Proof that Stoner Rock is not a one-trick pony. Expand your mind and take a trip with Spaceslug today.



08. Greenbeard-Lödarödböl

Very cool album from this 3-piece from Austin, TX. The album is a whirlwind of huge fuzzy Stoner riffs, smooth soloing, trippy psychedelics, proto-metal goodness and an underlying organ that puts you in a chilled out mood. "Lanesplitter" is fucking epic!



07. Bernelius-Space Drifter

I got to be quite honest with you, I listened to this album at least three times without realizing it is only one guy. I am usually turned off by one-man "bands" because of the self-indulgence factor but damn does he pull it off. Amazing production and stellar musicianship throughout.



06. Mutoid Man-War Moans

There are not enough adjectives to describe just how ridiculous this album is. This little slice of hypermetal heaven is filled with ferocious vocal hooks, crazed guitar effects , thunderous drumming and a huge nod to the 80's metal scene.



05. John Garcia- The Coyote Who Spoke in Tongues

Stripped down acoustic versions of some Kyuss favorites as well as a few newbies. The songs have such a cool vibe and softness but still absolutely attack your psyche with their heaviness and beauty. John's vocal is so powerful and soulful. Take a listen to "Green Machine" with it's mysterious and dark somberness. Damn!



04. Deadly Vipers-Fueltronaut

I am not quite sure why this album didn't garner more attention last year. The album is chock full of just about everything a Stoner Rock fan would drool over, plus the album was mastered by Kent Stump (Wo Fat). Think Kyuss meets Truckfighters, hell yes.



03. The Age of Truth-Threshold

Talk about a punch it the face, these Philly lads came out swinging with their hard-hitting and melodic debut. Awesome vocals, a tight rhythm section and great song-writing had me hooked since it's release.



02. Elder-Reflections of a Floating World

This band continues to progress with each album and has made numerous year -end top 10 lists for the mere fact that it is just plain amazing. The album is brilliantly heavy and has a great flow to it. No hit singles on this baby, just album making at it's finest.



01. Telekinetic Yeti-Abominable

Wow, talk about an amazing debut. This 2-piece band took the world by storm with great riffs and kick ass drumming. These guys feed off each other remarkably well and the fuzz just oozes out of the speakers. Can't wait to see them in DC with 1000mods.

Writers' Top Ten records 2015: Pete

We’ve pretty much made it to the end of 2015, a year which has pushed me to the farthest realms of what it means to be a human, from heart-break and loss, to unquestionable happiness and excitement, back to misery again, bit of mundanity, confusion, questioning, joy, acceptance, and change: basically everything that makes each of us human, and in the end, that is what living is, otherwise, without those things, what’s the point? Anyway, what I’m really getting to here, is for me, which will be just like you, there’s a lot of shit going on in your life, but you keep going, and one of the things that helps us all through it, is what we choose to soundtrack our lives. Music will always get you through!

So what has got me through this year? Here is a list of my Top Ten records of 2015, you might not agree, you might not have heard of one or two, but they’re the records I’ve returned to over the year, and so mean just that little bit more to me. Here we go…

10. Rosy Finch – ‘Witchboro’

A record split into two parts, one hard rocking, the other hauntingly doom. It's beauty lies in it's ghost-like movements, always keeping you on the edge as it glides between stoner, grunge, and doom with a menacing ease.

9. Mutoid Man – ‘Bleeder’

Stephen Brodsky's best musical project to date! The record shreds with layers upon layers of face shredding riffs and scorched vocals that make you scream "FUCK YEAH!". The record's over before you know it, but it's a hell of a ride.

8. Stoned Jesus – ‘The Harvest’

Stoned Jesus are a band who are constantly improving as artists, and The Harvest is the pinnacle of their career so far: tighter musicianship, heavier guitars, and more precise well written songs. It's short, but it's heavy in all the right places. Here come the robots!

7. 1886 – ‘Before The Fog Covers The Mount’

To quote specifically from the review, this record is all about dreamy riffs, acid-dropping stoner tempos, and laid-back vocals, its a record to obsess over! It was released 11 months ago, but it still burns brightly amongst the masses of records that have followed.

6. Clutch – ‘Psychic Warfare’

It's a new Clutch record! I don't need to say anything else. You probably own it anyway!

5. Elder – ‘Lore’

The opening track from Lore, 'Compendium' is the most played song on my MP3 this year. Elder have created a stunning heavy psyche record which has left anyone else in their genre in awe. Talk about a game changer!

4. MAKE – ‘The Golden Veil’

The Golden Veil stands out in this list as it's heavily focused on post-metal/rock vibes, but it is a record which draws so much emotion out of you, leaving your body a traumatised mess on completion, that it cannot be ignored. It is a record of utter beauty.

3. Void Cruiser – ‘Overstaying My Welcome’

The record came from nowhere, I didn't have high expectations, but when it played it simply blew me away. 8 songs of sheer stoner rock heaven. You will love this record.

2. The Heavy Eyes – ‘He Dreams Of Lions’

The Heavy Eyes keep on improving with each release with their heavy blues sound, and on their third record, they've turned things up once again, creating, faster, heavier, stoner/blues songs that are exhilarating from start to finish. What these guys will create next is teaming with anticipation.

1.Boar – ‘Veneficae’

From the first full spin of this record, I knew this was going to be the best record I had heard this year. Combining elements of doom and metal, alongside the overwhelming dominance of stoner and psychedelic tendencies, Veneficae is a heavy heavy record that at times leaves you stunned with it's power, crushing, and breathing life back into you once more. This record gives you everything, you just have to be ready to take it.

A special mention has to go to ‘Purple’ by Baroness, only got to hear it after I had compiled this list, but it’s sounding immense, and ‘The Gospel According To Shawn James & The Shapeshifters’ by Shawn James &The Shapeshifters. It’s not stoner, sludge, or doom, but bloody hell is it fantastic!

Music will always be with you, whatever life throws your way, so look at 2016 head on, grab it by the balls, turn the record up to 11, and show them just what you’re made of.

Happy Holidays Everyone.

Pete.