Kyuss

Yer Metal is Olde: DOWN – NOLA

By Carcharodon on October 25, 2020 in Yer Metal Is Olde, Heavy Metal, Sludge, Stoner Rock, 41 comments

“Supergroups. That exciting moment when you learn that members of two or more bands you love are coming together to create … well, if we’re honest with ourselves, usually disappointment. It’s rare that supergroups come close to fulfilling that promise and that’s probably because they can’t. That’s not their fault – expectations are always sky high as a new group coalesces but different fans want different aspects of their favorites to be front and center in the new entity. A rare example, however, of a supergroup not just living up to the hype but downright crushing – at least for this fan – is DOWN.” OLDEA

Volcanova – Radical Waves Review

By Steel Druhm on August 22, 2020 in Reviews, 14 comments

“When you see the word “Iceland” floating on the oily surface of the promo sump, your thoughts turn immediately to black metal. That’s been Iceland’s chief metal export for some time now and the scene is well regarded and expanding. You certainly wouldn’t think of that exotic locale as the home of desert stoner rock, but Volcanova is out to change that with their fuzzed out debut Radical Waves.” Smoke on the ice.

Sound of Origin – The All Seeing Eye Review

By Doom_et_Al on August 22, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 19 comments

“The All Seeing Eye is a dense, heavy slab of bluesy, stoner doom, mixed with some sludge, which pays clear homage to its influences (Black Sabbath, Kyuss), without being an obvious rip-off. Where it differs from its EP predecessor is the delightfully nasty edge that Bulsara’s vocals provide.” Angry stoners.

Guardian of Lightning – Cosmos Tree Review

By Steel Druhm on July 15, 2020 in Reviews, Stoner Metal, 12 comments

“Heavy metal. Rock n’ roll. Attitude. Swagger. These are all good things, and if you can blend them together just right, they can create a great thing. Brazilian upstarts, Guardian of Lightning call their style of music “thunder metal” and they employ a lead bass in lieu of the traditional lead guitar as a kind of secret weapon. On their Cosmos Tree debut, this beefy threesome openly threatens you with a good time, taking a stoner metal style with plenty of attitude and making it as weighty and burly as possible.” Good wood.

Curse the Son – Excruciation Review

By Doom_et_Al on June 17, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 8 comments

“Character, they say, is forged in adversity. Or at least that’s what management tells me every time I see myself rostered for yet another shift in the AMG Skull Pit™. Curse the Son know all about adversity, having had a constantly rotating line-up since the band formed in 2008. In addition, bassist Brendan O’Keefe suffered extensive injuries after a motorcycle accident in November 2018, necessitating a long road back to recovery. Basically, a lot of shit has happened to the band since the release of 2017’s Isolator, and Curse the Son is ready to tell you all about it.” Tough truckin’.

Beggar – Compelled to Repeat Review

By GardensTale on April 6, 2020 in 2020, APF Records, British Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Stoner Metal, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 12 comments

“In these uncertain times, you might want something calming and soothing, suave and assuring. Tough luck. Beggar play sludge encrusted with filth, blood and thunder. Yes, that Mastodon reference was on purpose, as the riffs betray clear influence from the US sludge giants.” Sludge Row.

The Heavy Eyes – Love Like Machines Review

By Huck N Roll on March 24, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Blues, Kozmik Artifactz, Psychedelic Rock, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Blues, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock, 15 comments

“The blues might be simple in theory – I mean, one of the first things we all learn is the 12-bar blues progression – but in practice it is a genre drenched in nuance, feel, and emotion. The technical part of the music is easy, but making it writhe with passion is anything but. It takes a different kind of skill to move people. Memphis’s The Heavy Eyes claim to infuse their version of delta blues with psychedelic fuzz and late 60s heavy rock in an attempt to bring us blissfully back to a disease-free era.” Love machines for all.

Rosy Finch – Scarlet Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 9, 2020 in 2020, Discos Macarras, LaRubia Producciones, Lay Bare Recordings, Reviews, Sludge, Spanish Metal, Spinda Records, Stoner Metal, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 37 comments

“The hallway that led to my office in grad school was red. Both walls. I shit you not. To make matters worse the hellish tunnel narrowed as you approached its end—where, to no one’s surprise, you could find my office. Trust me when I tell you that five years of red walls can fuck with a person. Like grad schools, animals also use the color red to ward off people. Red can represent everything from lovers to the most gruesome of deaths. And Spain’s grrrl sludge group, Rosy Finch, is every bit as varying in its topics and delivery. With artwork that looks as though poor Carrie got it again, this is Scarlet.” Red is a slow color.

Stonus – Aphasia Review

By Doom_et_Al on March 8, 2020 in 2020, Daredevil Records, Doom Metal, Electric Valley Records, Greek Metal, Hard Rock, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 26 comments

“While I can appreciate that certain substances can enhance a listening experience, I’ve always been a bit wary of music that seems designed to appeal to folks under the influence. Maybe I was burned by the rubbish techno of my youth — so repetitive that unless hopped up on MDMA, it’s damn near unlistenable. For that reason, I’ve steered clear of a lot of stoner doom/rock. If I don’t do any drugs, why would I bother with music for which getting high is a sine qua non?” In the weeds.

Mondo Generator – Fuck It Review

By Carcharodon on February 21, 2020 in 2020, American Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Psych Sounds Records, Punk, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Hard Rock, Punk, 23 comments

“It’s hard to say why I grabbed Mondo Generator’s subtly titled Fuck It from the promo bin but, if you’re putting me on the spot, I think excitement probably got the better of me. Not, I should be clear, excitement because I love Mondo Generator – I do not – but simply the excitement of seeing a band I had actually heard of, which had not already been snapped up by one of the nimbler reviewers. The brainchild of Nick Oliveri – and sometimes also known as Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator – of Kyuss, Dwarves and Queens of the Stone Age fame (among others), Mondo Generator has been around for quite a while.” Bad attitude.