Band Submission: Sulfur Giant-Psychedelic Stoner Blues From Portugal

Band Name: Sulfur Giant
Genre: Psychedelic Stoner Blues
Location: Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Brief Bio/Description: Sulfur Giant (previously known as Búfalo) is a psychedelic stoner blues band from Portugal consisting on Marco Lima, Marco Mourão, José Roda and Ricardo Pereira.

The band was founded in April 2014 and their first EP "Towards the Light" recorded on HertzControl Studio was released in August. That same year they played several shows including the Sonic Blast Moledo and Vilar de Mouros Festivals.

2015 was spent playing at some local rock festivals: Rock D'ouro, Souto Rock, Contracorrente among others and preparing their debut album "Beyond the Hollow Mountain". "Beyond the Hollow Mountain" was released on April 17th.
Band Members:
Marco Lima - Guitar
Marco Mourão - Guitar
Ricardo Pereira - Drums
Zeca Roda - Bass
Links: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter

Song of the Day-Earth Drive-"Standing Stone"

"Standing Stone" is taken off of the latest 5-song EP "Planet Mantra" out now on Raging Planet. As you prepare for lift off, a warm guitar tone and infectious riff immediately set the stage. The tension mounts as a hypnotic, hard-driving stoner rock groove, high soaring female vocal and intense melody blast you into a cosmic dimension. For more information regarding the band and this release, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Song of the Day-The Black Wizards-"Lake of Fire"

"Lake of Fire" is taken of the latest full-length release of the same name. Starting off with a furious drum beat, this song is a raging psychedelic freak out of scorching guitar wizardry, classic heavy rock thunder, fuzzy riffing and an impassioned bluesy female vocal. Some pretty killer shit right here. For more information, please check out the following links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Album Review: Miss Lava - "Red Supergiant"

MISS LAVA - "RED SUPERGIANT"

After a scorching 2012 in which Small Stone Records had released well over a dozen new albums from their superstar stable of rockers, 2013 has started off a bit more slowly, until now that is. New signing Miss Lava is on the verge of releasing their second full length album, and first on the Small Stone label, "Red Supergiant". This album should become an instant classic in the stoner rock world, filled to the gills with eleven finely crafted throwdowns that epitomize quality metal music.

Miss Lava hails from Portugal, a country not necessarily known for its stoner rock breeding grounds but one that might surprise you with the community of low tuned metalheads rocking to the rumble and roar of real rock, with Miss Lava undoubtedly leading the way. In fact, the sound this quartet of talented torchmongers have crafted for "Red Supergiant" is top shelf incredible, blending the best of low tuned mega riffs, scorching solos, booming bass undercurrents, and memorable hook laden melodies. These gatos maniaco know how to both forge music of the finest craftsmanship, as well as to execute their handiwork in a display of impeccable showmanship. To top it off, out of eleven songs on the album, these rockers have managed to craft more than a few, or even a handful, of high caliber numbers, creating a full contingent of mouth watering exploits to be regularly and thoroughly enjoyed.

Band members:

Johnny Lee - Vocals
K. Raffah - Guitars
S. Rebelo - Bass
J. Garcia - Drums

While Miss Lava do not, in any way, sound like some sort of Kyuss cover band, the sound they have crafted is of a similar type, one that blends perfectly the heavy rumble and roar of classic stoner sounds with clever musicianship exemplified by striking melodies and memorable hooks. To top it all off they have managed to bat a perfect .1000 on "Red Supergiant" by including eleven songs in which each stands on its own as a beacon of rock quality.

The album opens with "Desert Mind", immediately demonstrating their penchant for both the rumble and roar of mega riffs from guitar and bass while vocalist Johnny Lee leads the way on melody and memories. "Lay Down"  and "Feel My Grace" keep the tempo at a brisk pace, putting those growling guitar riffs through their paces. The overarching tone on "Ride" is more somber than its predecessors as the stoner sound comes through in a huge way. "Crawl", too, creates a dire atmosphere of smoke and darkness permeated by distant thunder. One of the most poignant, well crafted, and memorable songs comes in the form of "Hole to China". The tempo picks back up in a big way with "Catch the Fire" a romp of monstrous proportions. "Murder of Crows" and "Motel Neon" blast and bomb away with a force of joyous fury, while "Yesterday's Gone" deals another haunting jaunt through bog and mire. The closer is the title track "Red Supergiant", which wastes no time in proving worthy of the gargantuan moniker by dealing out mammoth licks that grow in intensity as it builds to the inevitable climax to song and album.

Small Stone Records has a knack for finding quality bands and sharing their tunes with those of us that enjoy the lower, richer end of the metal sound, but also enjoy quality melodies and memorable stretches of music. Miss Lava are a welcome addition just as "Red Supergiant" is a welcome rendition.





facebook || bandcamp || last.fm || website || smallstone

Double Review: Dapunksportif & The Quartet of Woah!

Dapunksportif – Fast Changing World

2012 was a great year for music in Portugal with new bands coming into scene and others confirming their position. Dapunksportif are one of those bands. They are a rock due hailing from Peniche, a small city in the center of Portugal near the Atlantic Ocean.

“Fast Changing World” is now their third album, following up to their successful releases “Ready! Set! Go!” and “Electric Tube Riot”. In the past they were constantly compared to bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss but now they have matured and blended those influences into their own style. They have definitely gained their own identity with this new release.

What we can notice in these 42 minutes is a great combination of strong rhythms, heavy bass lines and great guitar work (the riffs!). Basically it is just good ‘ol Rock ‘n Roll! Special guest drummers Marco Jung, Ze Carlos, Pedro Cação (Pigs in Mud), Johnny Dynamite (Murdering Tripping Blues), David Canhoto (ex Mister Lizard) and Samuel Palitos (A Naifa / Censurados / Ladrхes do Tempo) give different dynamics to each song with their special touch. Some songs are more bouncy (“Lazy Human Being”, “Illusionary Individuality”, others more groovy and danceable (“Hunting on the Dancefloor”), others fast paced resulting in a very well balanced album.

This is a very fun album to listen to, especially if you are a fan of good ‘ol Rock ‘n Roll without the clichés and that kind of stuff. It’s honest and in your face. Try listening to it loud while enjoying a nice car ride to the middle of nowhere. I recommend it.

http://www.myspace.com/dapunksportif

http://www.reverbnation.com/dapunksportif

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The Quartet of Woah! – Ultrabomb

The Quartet of Woah! is one of the newcomers of 2012 and also one of the biggest surprises. Born in 2010, The Quartet of Woah! is a band formed by members of other Portuguese bands such as LunaSeaSane, Melange, Nicorette, Blasted Mechanism, Zorg and Philharmonic Weed. They took their musical influences to build a unique genre of rock with heavy influence from the 70’s and 80’s.

“Ultrabomb” is a concept album inspired by “La Ultrabomba”, a children’s book written by the Spanish authors Mário Lodi and I.Sedazzari in 1974. It is about political and social criticism held in a fictional universe. This book ended up being banned in most European countries as well as Argentina.

The record tells us the story of Master Lever, a man who was driven by his thirst of power and greed.

This is a true musical journey. Diversity is the word here. It is such as sweet mix of stoner rock riffs, psychedelic jams, keyboards, a little pinch of Queen here and there, progressive and jazzy segments… There is a hell of a lot going on but in fact each song flows perfectly into the next one.

It is not really fair to point out or highlight any of the thirteen songs that are part of this album. It only makes sense when you listen to it as a whole and I do recommend you to do so. Over and over again. It is addicting.

As I said before, “Ultrabomb” is one of the biggest surprises of 2012 and one of the bands to keep an eye on in the future. It is a pleasure to listen to records like this one.

www.facebook.com/thequartetofwoah

www.myspace.com/thequartetofwoah

soundcloud.com/thequartetofwoah

Miss Lava - Red Supergiant

The Portuguese Supergiants

Ladies and gentleman: Miss Lava are back with a vengeance!

The Portuguese Stoner Rockers from the sunny city of Lisbon have delivered the goods with their most recent follow up to "Blues For The Dangerous Miles", the debut album.

Having played safely and not changing much from the core sound of the band, Miss Lava present us a straight up groovy and ballsy rock album with a much cleaner and polished production this time (thanks to Samuel Rebelo as well as the mixing and mastering by Matt Hyde). The songs are pretty much straight to the point, and do not go over the 4:30 mark.

These eleven songs are packed with energy, groove and heavy guitar riffs, pounding drums, pumbling bass lines and catchy choruses (examples of this are Hole to China, Ride and Motel Neon). The band does not hide its influences, which is a good thing. You can hear the subtle nuances of Kyuss, especially in Johnny Lee's vocals. The Clutch-y riffs can also be heard throughout the album.

This is a perfect summer drinking album. It is fun to listen to, it has all the right elements and Miss Lava have everything to succeed. They will kick off their Portuguese tour on the 27th of this month with Truckfighters. Let's hope they have the oportunity to spread their word overseas. They deserve it!

Highly recommended!

((Official Website - Facebook))

New Band To Burn One To: MAIZE

Heavy Planet presents today's "New Band To Burn One To"...MAIZE!

Band Bio:

Maize is a stoner/psych rock band from Viseu, Portugal. A power
trio that has established itself as a band capable of moving mountains
with its powerful riffs and confuse wise men with its experimentalism.
Originated in 2009, they have always followed the law of the jam,
because of their lack of technique but also to search for musical
freedom. Creating aggressive and heavy atmospheres in concerts, using
improvisation as much as possible, their live performances are,
consequently, unpredictable and addictive to the followers of the
genre. Their first EP, released in May 2012, containing 4 tracks of
pure psychedelia and contagious riffs, is a proof that Maize is a band
worth of listening.



Thoughts:

"Filled with pure turbulent energy, Maize takes you on a wild ride with enough twists and turns to make your head dizzy. This 3-piece from Viseu, Portugal encompasses heavy stoner riffs, kaleidoscopic psychedelia and an unparalleled sense for jamming the shit out of their instruments. At times the guitar tone is warm and fuzzy and at other times can be swirling and penetrating. For the most part the band is instrumental, such is the epic 12-plus minute track "L.", which gets downright trippy with it's marching tempo and stargazing sound effects. Around the 10-minute mark the track prepares you for launch into the 14-plus minute closing track "P." with a steady groove and slowed down bass-driven tempo. The songs are abundant with mind-scorching soloing and enough crunch to keep it interesting. Rich and colorful, the music is warm and fulfilling, and highly infectious. Really great stuff that deserves a listen."

Band Members:

Daniel Figueiredo - Guitar
Ricardo Silva - Bass, Vocals
Pedro Tavares - Drums



((facebook|myspace|youtube|bandcamp))

Gesso-New Band To Burn One To

HEAVY PLANET presents...today's "New Band To Burn One To" GESSO!

Bio:

We are Gesso, a psychedelic stoner rock band from Portugal. We are recording our first EP and searching for a record label. We are Ruben Sequeira on drums, Flávio SA on bass and Joel Fausto on guitar. Our sound is strong and transcendental ones with a gross rock.





Thoughts:

"With their fuzzed-out vibe, trippy guitar effects and pulsating repetitious grooves, Portugal 3-piece Gesso thrust the listener head first into a glowing interstellar cloud of space dust. Clumping together pieces of doom, stoner and psychedelic space warble, the band leaves behind a magnificent trail of cosmic debris."

((((Facebook|MySpace))))

New Band To Burn One To: BLACK BOMBAIM

BLACK BOMBAIM are today's "NEW BAND TO BURN ONE TO".

Bio:

Can a power trio change a city in 2010? Can a band in these times of doubt and uncertainty drag others from the comfort of their couches (and TV Parties of this world) into the chaos of stages run by infernal riffs? The answer is, probably yes. Black Bombaim have done more for Barcelos in the last years than its local symbol, the Rooster has done in decades of history, and now, with “Saturdays and Space Travels” they write their name with golden letters in an imaginary wall, the same wall that has the name of all that make Rock an unpredictable and more exciting universe. Everyone knew that on stage, Black Bombaim were an explosive cocktail of demonic riffs and powerful hooks; what they didn’t knew was, even though after a promising debut EP, these guys from Barcelos would be able to confine in vinyl such a stoner and psychedelic discharge. From side A to side B there’s no time to breathe. There’s only time to pick up the shrapnel of unforeseeable explorations; where Ron Asheton and the Stooges take to the limit the chaos from the final disorder of “T.V. Eye”, where the Rock frees itself from decades and decades of rules and conventions. Can that way a power trio change a city in 2010? We don’t know, but we’re thrilled to get there, ridden by forbidden riffs and eternal feedback.

"As the echoes of feedback spiral around your head, a sonic psychedelic freak-out is masterminded by three dudes from Portugal known as Black Bombaim. Red-hot effects-laden guitar leads are complimented by a steady exotic rhythm and a driving bass line. The band keeps the listener's interest by injecting dynamic tempo changes, rabid grooves, and oh did I mention the fucking amazing guitar prowess of a man simply known as Ricardo. These guys will give Tia Carrera a run for their money anyday. Check these guys out now!"

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New Band To Burn One To-Marbles

The "New Band To Burn One To" today comes to you from Portugal.



"The MARBLES were born August 1995, in the city of Montijo, suburbs of Lisbon. At first, this project was thought to be a sequence of a before project called Mushroom Revolution. In 1996 the first demo was recorded and entitled "Sleepy Time". This demo expressed the pop side of the band. Still in 1996 a compilation of garage bands entitled "Teenagers From Outer Space", was put out and included a track from Marbles called "Quite The Same". 1997 was the time to go into the studio again to record a new demo entitled "Plenty". In 1999 the track "Face You With a Smile" was included in another compilation (Scanning) by 7Eleven, label from Azores. In 2000 the "Apollo 9" demo was recorded, and in 2004 Marbles recorded the demo entitled "Slow Desert Punk". In 2007 two of the old members left, and now the band has only 3 elements. They have recorded a pre-demo (untitled) as a CD/EP preparation to be released this year. In the last 12 years, Marbles have truly evolved, as it could be clearly noticed by the demos. Marbles sounds like a psychedelic stoner rock power tunes."

The current line-up of this awesome Stoner Rock power trio consists of Hugo (Drums/Lead Vocal) Flavio (Guitar/Vocal) & Ricardo (Bass/Vocal). Enjoy!

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