New Band to Burn One To: PUSSYCAT AND THE DIRTY JOHNSONS

Directly from the sandy beaches and hot sun of...London, England...comes a raunchy, bawdy, in your face trio of rockers who deliver a high energy brand of rockabilly retro skate surf punk fuzz. The wailing, confrontational, all out vocals of frontwoman Puss Johnson (She's going to have to marry a Hampton, I think) are reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney's incredible Corinne Tucker. The dual guitars of Johnson and lead riff-meister Dirty Jake are a colossal sonic concoction of blistering be-bop and monstrous, memorable melodies. Filfy Antz drives it all forward in breakneck crescendo and perilous climax. This trio isn't climbing into any typical box of the usual fuzz labels, but the retro punk vibe is loud, raucous, and diabolically fun.

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Quick Hit: THE ELECTRIC SHAKES - "ELECTROHYPNOSIS"

Europe gives us a TON of great underground rock bands that run the gamut of styles we lump into stoner/doom/psychedelic/desert/retro/blues rock (even the genre lump is sizeable), and the UK is no exception. The trio The Electric Shakes, out of Bournemouth, are another of an impressive group of UK fuzz monsters.

Most trios are set up as one member doing double duty as the vocalist in addition to playing an instrument, but one impressive aspect of The Electric Shakes, in addition to their awesome fucking moniker, is that each brandisher of a musical apparatus performs vocal duties as well. The more vocals the better, whether it's a sharing of song leads, furnishing backup service, or in harmony, and these guys sweep all obligations.

The music they make is infectious, rawking, and fun. It's heavy on the riff and quick on the tempo. The drums are virulent and catchy, engaging head and hips in a dance of infectious rhythm. Monstrous basswork bolsters the heaviness of tracks that otherwise rocket and zoom in gravity defying exhilaration. The guitar brings all the highlights expected of excellence and quality, with a colossal fuzz enclosure punctuated by searing, soaring solos. The songs themselves are melodic masterpieces of amalgamated rock standards with traits of punk, stoner, garage, blues, and 70s era rock. The Electric Shakes' approach to music is a brilliant combination of those great rock sounds of past and present without any direct reflection of one legend over another, which allows them to forge something exciting and new and wholly their own.

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Quick Hit: SIMPLE JACK - "BRAND NEW EYE"

Stoner Punk? That's the label I'd give Simple Jack's music, perhaps. As with all labels, though, it never tells the complete, or even correct story. Simple Jack's music isn't punk necessarily. It is brash and bold and unpredictable in its familiarity. Or maybe it's familiar in its unpredictability. The music is massive, with colossal guitars that riff and burn in grand stoner metal style on songs that carry incredibly clever melodies that are never sweet but always clean. Vocals are athletic and perfectly strained, adding a rapturous element to the whole. Subterranean rumble, like quarry explosions, emanate from the muscular bass riffage while the drums are immense, nimble, and deeply engaging of their own accord while still providing complementary assistance to each track

The cinematic image that comes to my mind is grainy black and white with a single Samurai slashing and dancing his way through a horde of challengers. The instrument is sharp and shiny and supremely deadly in the hands of its brash yet masterful wielder who eschews the traditional killing methods for his own lethal style.

Simple Jack are something new, something unique, something out of the standard mold yet still delivering the appropriate weighty sound as well as the important rush of primal triggers. They're raw yet precise, ragged but clever, and a whole lot of fun.

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New Band To Burn One To: MASTEROID - "HOLLOWED BEINGS"

MegaStonerRetroPunkFuzz has been quite brilliantly captured on this raw, garage rock of an album from a threesome of young and imaginative musicians out of Phoenix. It's a simple sound, yet for all the novice hallmarks of this album it manages to bestow an elegance in that simplicity as well as near genius in its melodic composition. The magnitude of the riffs is towering, brutal, and primordial while the dexterity displayed in the hooks and simple interludes is addicting. The drummers display a magnificent proficiency of timing, power, and heart. The bass is savage, ruthless, and unyielding in its driving rhythms.

These young musicians seem to be ramping up for a career in the low, dark arts of stoner/doom style music. Their inaugural oblations indicate more brilliance to come if they can manage enough notoriety. Here's to hoping that is indeed their fate, and ours.

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QUICK HIT: OHHMS - "The Fool"

OHHMS are back pushing the envelope of normalcy with their incredibly unique brand of sludge covered punk doom that pays no direct homage to the progenitors of metal while delivering an unbridled deluge of amplified riffs and angst-riddled vocal dispatch, presenting a hard, dark milieu of bulging discovery.

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DOUBLE TOKE: The Darts - Self-Titled LP / Mad Monkees - Self-Titled LP

I have 2 artists' works to share with you today, so this'll be two Quick Hits in one, which surely can be classified as a double toke, right? The theme today is a punky, garage-y, grungey assault with stoner rock fuzz bombs.



When I listen to The Darts I envision uber-slick rockers from somewhere in Britain, but these nimble rock warriors hail instead from Phoenix and Los Angeles. They display the full battery of stoner assault weaponry with a relentless bass, massive drums, and gargantuan guitar, blasting missiles of massive fuzz, but what sets them apart are the blitzkrieg of vocals from each of the four band members and the razor sharp melodies upon which the assault is laid. It's a formidable vehicle upon which is built an array of quality pieces, all of it erupting with heart and sweat and not a little bit of innate ability, making for music that is thoroughly pleasurable, deeply satisfying, and massively fun.

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Hailing from Fortaleza, Brazil this band of four very special primates delivers a whopping load of fuzz and fun on their self-titled LP, released a year and a half after their self-titled EP. If you're coming across these high octane rockers for the first time then together the EP and LP offer up 14 roaring tracks of imaginative assonance, designed to be played in the loudest mode you can muster.

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♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂☻◙•☼◘○♀♫♪☺♂

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.

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Exclusive Premiere Song Stream: HORNSS-"Atrophic"

Today, we are honored to present an exclusive stream of the song "Atrophic" from the upcoming release from HORNSS. Prepare your ears for a short and powerful stab of fuzz-drenched doom with a raw punk attitude. This song absolutely slays, so crank it up and throw them "HORNSS" in the air!

San Francisco heavy rock trio HORNSS have recorded their highly-anticipated second album. Titled Telepath, the band take things to a more psychedelic place, while building on their heavy, fuzzed out punk and doom influenced desert rock sound.

HORNSS have gained a worldwide reputation among the stoner rock and doom scene, taking the stage with fellow heavy hitters such as Ufomammut, YOB, Windhand, Bang, Black Cobra, Fatso Jetson, Lord Dying, Naam and Elder. They also co-headlined a successful 2014 European tour with Vancouver’s Black Wizard.

Formed in 2010, the band includes Mike Moracha and Nick Nava, who originally got their start in the early Palm Desert music scene that spawned the desert rock movement, as part of the band Solarfeast (with Chris Cockrell, formerly of Kyuss) and Jack Saints, along with drummer Bil Bowman (formerly of Zodiac Killers, pioneering Bay Area black metal band blackQueen and Florida sludge heavyweights Scrog).

Telepath is the follow-up to the band’s acclaimed debut album, No Blood, No Sympathy, released in 2013 on Riding Easy Records. Recorded by Tim Green (Saviours, Melvins, KARP, Comets on Fire, Hot Lunch), the guys recorded this one directly to analog tape at Green’s Louder Studios in Grass Valley, CA. The new album will be released on limited vinyl by STB Records and compact disc and digital worldwide by Ripple Music.



Ripple Music | STB | Pre-Order

LP Review: King of Worms by Never Before

A lot is going to be made about this bands origins, and it’s a fair point to focus on, because there aren’t a lot, or indeed any, stoner metal bands hailing from Beijing, China. But that is not enough alone to make us want to tell you about Never Before, we’re talking about this band because, my word, King of Worms is one kick ass record!

Despite being Chinese, the band don’t sing in their native tongue, instead using English to appeal to a wider audience, and as soon as the music rains down upon you during opener ‘Born To Lose’, location and origin mean nothing, and the power of the riff takes over. The opening track is one of the more doom-esque tracks on King of Worms, with hints of classic rock/thrash poking their heads out at every opportunity. It’s a nine-minute track showcasing all of the band’s talents. The band begin to have some fun with second track ‘Killer or Survivor’ as the groovy stoner metal elements kick into full swing. This is a band who like to have fun while rocking with their balls out! ‘Drink, Fuck, Puke’ is one of our particular favourites here, using elements of the power of old school punk before the heavy swathes of grooving stoner riffs kick in, creating a glorious few minutes of head-thrashing.

As the record develops, the riffs get rawer and louder: ‘Wild Dog’ sounds like it was recorded inside the exhaust of a Harley going 100 through the desert plains, ‘Cold Blood Mike’ is an earthquake of stoner metal riffs to delight everyone reading this blog! ’10,000 Years of Sleep’ may as well be a tribute to said band (Sleep that is) with its heavy drawn out riffs creating a glorious cacophony, while the full-on metal assault of ‘Fall’ quickly awakens the senses once more.

From start to finish, King of Worms is an enthralling listen. There are elements of doom, stoner, metal, punk, all played with incredible energy and skill, with riffs to make your face melt and savagely band the remains to a pulp! China has over 1.3 billion people living there, and these five guys are standing on top of the stoner metal food chain! Let’s see what else you guys have got!

“DRINK, FUCK, PUKE!!”

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Band Submission: Weed Bug-Stoner Hardcore Punk From Spain

Band Name: Weed Bug
Genre: Stoner Hardcore Punk
Location: Vigo (SPAIN)
Brief Bio/Description: Weed Bug starts in summer of 2013, few months after public his first job "No other way" in Desamparados studios, 7 songs of stoner hcpunk, looking for a wall mass sound.
Semilla Ep appear in January of 2016, 5 songs recorded in Cabral studios. Members come from underground scene of Vigo like, Carcomedhi, Atlantic Valley, Viridiana and Kids Pantera(Barcelona) and Mostros (Mallorca).
Band Members:
Macky- Vocals
Manurro- Drums
Javi-Bass
Victor- Guitar/Vocals
Goiko- Guitar/Vocals
Aku- Guitar
Links: Facebook | Bandcamp

Band Submission: Kavrila-Metal/Punk/Doom/Post-Hardcore From Hamburg, Grmany

Band Name: Kavrila
Genre: Metal/Punk/Doom/Post-Hardcore
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Brief Bio/Description: German four piece founded in the beginning of 2016. Natural and visceral darkness meets dangerous landscapes of human and musical abysses. A collage of the heavy and the dark places of sonic language.
Band Members:
4 men in anger and despair
Links: Bandcamp | Facebook

Band Submission: The SfenTones-Garage, Punk, Stoner Rock From Thessaloniki, Greece

Band Name: The SfenTones
Genre: Garage, Punk, Stoner
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Brief Bio/Description: The Sfentones were formed at Theessaloniki in 2012. After some changes in the line up the group's current members play together from 2014. In March 2016 we released digitally our debut album entitled Moonshine Fumes. It contains 9 original songs plus a cover of The Stooges' TV Eye. Currently we are writing new material for our second album.
Band Members:
Themis Vocals; Rhythm Guitar
Kosmas: Lead Guitar
Bill: Bass Guitar
Stef: Drums, Percussion
Links: Soundcloud | YouTube | Facebook | ReverbNation | Bandcamp

Band Submission: Polanski-Grunge/Stoner Rock/Punk From Helsinki, Finland

Band Name: Polanski
Genre: Grunge stoner rock punk
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Brief Bio/Description: Polanski is a 4-piece rockstonergrunge -band from the drunken neighbourhoods of Helsinki. Founded in 2011, slowly but unreliably expanding the exposure to fellow citizens of earth. Newest release Medicine EP (2016) available now. Usually muddled up but always sincere.
Band Members: 
Anttoni Pikkarainen - Vocals & Guitar
Kalle Loimula - Guitar
Miika Kyyrö - Bass
Tyko Haapala - Drums
Links: Medicine EP/Bandcamp/Soundcloud/Facebook

Album Review: Mountain Tamer – Self-titled

Turn up the stereo, turn down the lights and twist up a hog leg.  These three dudes from Santa Cruz, CA are putting out the prescription and you don’t even need a medicinal card.  This is a band you have to hear.

Where to begin with this amazing debut?  Remember watching skateboard videos backintheday and hearing a song you liked so much that you would pause the credits to find out who it was?  Mountain Tamer reminds me of that.  The perfect balance of heavy psych with a punk attitude and a perfect tone that brings it all together into a sound that is truly unique to them.  They are not easily comparable to anyone, it is all their own and for a first album they have already done something many more established bands are still trying to figure out.

But don’t think this is all just juicy riffs and jutted jaws, there is really solid musicianship throughout.  Dave Teget’s bass work ranges from the classic driving thump of the opening track Mind Burner and the third song Dunes of the Mind to the mellow, undulating hypnotism of Satans Waitin.  The drum work by Casey Garcia shows serious chops.  He goes from working expertly in the pocket in Wolf and Mind Burner to forcefully turning the drums into the lead in Vixen and Sum Peeps.  As for Andru Hall on guitar, he gives you a taste of everything from the desert inspired glory of Mind Burner to the utter space mayhem of Dunes of the Mind  and Pharosite to the classic blues styling in Wolf.  He does all this while working the microphone with the style of a man who just walked out of his last day at the job he hates giving the boss the elusive double handed, one finger salute. 

The overall production is rock solid making this an excellent choice for your headphone listening pleasure or blasting on the stereo.  Anyone looking for tracks for a new snowboard or skate video, look no further, you found what you are looking for right here.  For the rest of us, we just found ourselves a great new band that is putting down some seriously kickass rock and roll.           

   

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- WM