From New York City

The PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT is the new shaped LADDIO BOLOCKO, that cult and visceral arty noise band.

Their first album, "Gamelan Into The Mink Supernatural" is an incredible dose of insanity and depravity made music. Harsh and vicious, uncomfortable and aggressive, disturbed and unhealthy. Somehow unnatural. I love this.

If you never got introduced to the sick music of this band, you really miss something.

The band is currently recording material for their sophomore release and I can't wait to listen to it.

Echoh Air ends side 1 and it will blow your speakers out. Turn it up, this is truly essential.

ENJOY!

PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT "Gamelan Into The Mink Supernatural" - 2005 - USA - No Quarter NOQ007LP

Why did people ignore this one?

DRIVE LIKE JEHU hails from San Diego, CA and designed the 'emo' scene back in 1991 with their first self titled album.
With '92 "Yank Crime", the band sharpens its tremendous guitar work and frenzied vocals, getting more intense and complex at the same time.

Noisy and arty hardcore that you have to hear to believe, as its sounded completetely fresh to my ears when I first came onto the band in 1997.

I picked Luau, my favorite song out of this album, and I hope you'll like it too.

ENJOY!

DRIVE LIKE JEHU "Yank Crime" - 1994 - USA - Cargo/Headhunter 037

Last Swedish band before we move on

The SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES is a very peculiar stuff Sweden gave us. I can tell these guys are real music lovers as "Behind The Music" is filled with different influences, obvious references and incredibly catchy clichés.
Whatever genre you think the band is, it's not, it's completely impossible to pigeonhole The SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES.

I can only advise anybody to give them a listen, as any of their releases utterly deserves one.

The second part of this album is acoustic mainly, so electric rock lovers should focus on the first record, but sides 3 & 4 are worth a listen I promise!

ENJOY!

The SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES "Behind The Music" - 2001 - Sweden - Stickman PSYCHOBABBLE 031

Another Swedish gem

I wanted to post this great album earlier this week, but my widget Box decided not to work. Sorry for the delay posting new music, but this time I think the bullet-proof player I found will last forever!

MAMMOTH VOLUME is a clever Stoner band, adding some kind of arty Prog roots in the making of this, their second album, "Noara Dance", Matador being the opening song. Thanks to a very demonstrative handful of demos, the band earned its signing on the New York-based label The Music Cartel (now defunct).

I'm sure you'll hear similarities with The QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE (who doesn't?) in riffs and song structures on this song, but MAMMOTH VOLUME has its own personality.

ENJOY!

MAMMOTH VOLUME "Noara Dance" - 2000 - Sweden - The Music Cartel TMC 35LP

One of the strongest Stoner tracks EVER

Who couldn't agree? Who could dare saying this one isn't HOT?

LOWRIDER raised from the ashes of the all-instrumental BEEF, and after a first split album with NEBULA (you gotta own this one too brothers, this smoking slab of plastic is awesome!), LOWRIDER finally released "Ode To Io", a true masterpiece if you're into groovy riffs, smashing riffs, endless riffs and catchy riffs.

This four-piece, in one album, managed to give the Stoner scene a new taste.
When I discovered LOWRIDER I just couldn't stop playing this album over and over again.

Caravan is the opening track, and it beats anything you're into. Caravan is an universal track that speaks to anybody. Kneel and worship!

Why do these guy ever called it quits???? Peder, if you ever come here, please answer my call : may LOWRIDER give us another round of tracks! Please! Aren't new tracks ready for use?

ENJOY!

LOWRIDER "Ode To Io" - 2000 - Sweden - People Like You PRISON 996-1

Swedes rock hard!

DOZER could easily be seen as the hardest working Stoner band in the Swedish business. Not only the band as a whole, but the members themselves...

Splits with DEMON CLEANER and UNIDA set the band as valuable newcomers, and DOZER released their two first albums on Man's Ruin Records, "In The Tail Of A Comet" (2000) and "Madre De Dios" (2001).

Released in 2003, "Call It Conspiracy" is their strongest release (imho), with powerful songs and an awesome groove.

Feelgood Formula is by far my favorite cut, rock solid and grooving as hell! Play it now and tell me what you think.

ENJOY!

DOZER "Call It Conspiracy" - 2003 - Sweden - Molten Universe MOLTEN 019

Stoner Metal from Sweden

BOOGIEMAN is one of those bands that overdosed on 80's Heavy Metal and found its way with KYUSS.

The Swedish Rock'n'Roll and Stoner scenes brought us some very important bands (I just realized I didn't post LOWRIDER so far..., what the fuck?).
BOOGIEMAN has a strong 'Hair Metal' approach
and will please 80's Metal rockers, with catchy refrains, singalongs, and solid song structures.
The band never released any other LP nor 10", and I really don't know if they're still active.

Satisfaction ain't no STONES' cover, and may give you a great idea of what is to expect with this record.

ENJOY!

BOOGIEMAN "Triple Six Blues" - 2003 - Sweden - People Like You PRISON 061-1

Heading for more of the Bristol monster

The HEADS is a Bristol-based monster that fed on late 60's Psychedelic Rock and Acid garage, chew it with some heavily distorted riffage, to spit a mix of efficient modern Acid Rock, that you can call Stoner if you like.

This band deserves much more success than it gets. Mastermind Simon Price is a very talented guy (so is his music), that you can feel in those powerful and somehow visionary tracks.

"Under Sided" is a tasteful slice of Psychedelia that is not to miss if you're into epic, progressive and noisy Stoner songs, drenched in vintage Rock'n'Roll.

ENJOY!

The HEADS "Under Sided" - 2002 - UK - Sweet Nothing SNLP011

Demons at play

Here comes a 3-way split today called "In, Demons In", a tribute to the 70's UK scene.

It starts with The HEADS and their HAWKWIND cover (the track I picked for the player), a 13+minute slice of fuzzed out Acid Psych (this is 107kbs to make sure you have the full song). A gem that will blow your speakers out, and blow your mind away.

Then we have PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND doing a EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND cover, Why Can't Somebody Love Me. Once again, this is some stoned psychedelia, designed to be played loud.

LILLYDAMWHITE and their PINK FAIRIES cover, Uncle Harry's Last Freakout, is the quietest part of the trip, less effects, same rocking affair.

ENJOY!

The HEADS / LILLYDAMWHITE / PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND "In, Demons In" - 2005 - UK - Rocket Launch022

Southern Comfort

RAGING SLAB's sixth studio album, "The Dealer", sounds to me like their most Southern Boogie dedicated album, clearly influenced by the likes of BLACK OAK ARKANSAS (they cover When Electricity Came to Arkansas), LYNYRD SKYNYRD or ZZ TOP.

Alike many other RAGING SLAB LPs, expect some strong slide-guitar, solid musicianship, great tunes and a emphasized Southern feel.

Flap Your Boogie Flap is one of my favorite tracks out of this album that is worth checking!

ENJOY!

RAGING SLAB "The Dealer" - 2001 -USA - Cargo CAR 029

On celebrating more than 10,000 visits!

Gee! Who would have thought this blog would have attracted so much visitors!?
Thank you all so much!

To celebrate this little success, I thought you'd love to hear some BARONESS (one of the greatest things that happened to the heavy scene those last 3 years).

I really love this band, their powerful blend of heaviness, their great musicianship, their obvious
sense of melody and the sharp "Prog" feel they manage to throw in the mix.

This, their second ep (and its righteous title : "Second") shapes the sound to come with the "Red Album" (soon to be released on vinyl, come back soon...!).

I like this one better than their first ep ("First") and I give you Vision, the last of the 3 tracks. Did I tell you the B side was etched? Rush on this one!

ENJOY!

BARONESS "Second" - 2005 - USA - Hyperrealist HR010