Tag: stoner rock

  • Wizard Eye – self-titled

    Wizard Eye – self-titled

    When I think Wizard Eye, the first thing I see are the dreads—their frontman’s got the longest ‘locks this side of Jamaica. But that’s not to say this Philly stoner/doom trio’s music isn’t memorable in its own right. Their self-titled sophomore effort starts out with “Eye of the Deep,” which gives us some wah-heavy stoner…

  • We Hunt Buffalo – Living Ghosts

    We Hunt Buffalo – Living Ghosts

    Man, what is it with B.C. bands and Bison americanus? Not only is the biggest East Van metal band not founded by Devin Townsend named after this majestic creature, but the next big buzz band happens to hunt ‘em when not playing heavy rock. OK, so their name might scream emo, but We Hunt Buffalo…

  • King Giant – Black Ocean Waves

    King Giant – Black Ocean Waves

    King Giant’s previous album, Dismal Hollow, was more of a grower than a shower for me, but by the time I saw ’em live in Milwaukee last summer, I was fully a fan. Though they hail from the D.C. area, you couldn’t call ’em a band of Pentagram worshippers. File under doom, perhaps, but if…

  • Denizen – Troubled Waters

    Denizen – Troubled Waters

    I was a big fan of this French outfit’s second album, Whispering Wild Stories, which came out over four years ago, back in 2011.  Their sound melds the stoner grooves of Fu Manchu with some harsh sludge vocals reminiscent of Eyehategod—and while it sounds like an odd combo at first, it actually works quite nicely. Those…

  • Connoisseur – Stoner Justice

    Connoisseur – Stoner Justice

    Pretty sure I reviewed this when it was just an EP—but I can’t seem to find that write-up anywhere on the site. Anyhoo, Connoisseur is a marijuana-themed crust-punk outfit from Oakland—or Smokeland, as they call it, and with song titles like “Circle of Heads,” “I Am the Weed” and “Full Blown Marijuana Addict,” you can…

  • Ghold – Of Ruin

    Ghold – Of Ruin

    So, I might be a little late on this self-proclaimed “Weight & Grunt” doom duo—which is just a nice way of saying they don’t have a guitarist. But hey, when it comes to this style of music, you’re better off with bass and no guitar than the other way around. From what I can ascertain,…

  • Royal Thunder – Crooked Doors

    Royal Thunder – Crooked Doors

    I actually wasn’t that big a fan of Royal Thunder’s debut, CVI, when I first heard it.  I gave it a cursory listen, and quickly determined that they were a buncha Led Zeppelin wannabes playing Reverend Bizzare-length snoozers who threw in a female singer for added media attention. But then I saw them play live, on…

  • The Atomic Bitchwax – Gravitron

    The Atomic Bitchwax – Gravitron

    Haven’t heard from the Atomic Bitchwax in a bit—their last record, one-track, 42-minute instrumental The Local Fuzz dropped in 2011. But they’re coming in hot and fast with this new effort, 10 songs spanning 33 minutes and change. Even though Ed Mundell’s long gone, they’re now more of a Monster Magnet side project than ever;…

  • King Hitter – self-titled

    King Hitter – self-titled

    Though it’s not unheard of for me to review a band that’s completely unheard of, this North Carolina outfit comes with a bit of history—namely, frontman Karl Agell sang on Corrosion of Conformity’s breakthrough Blind album.  (He was also in Leadfoot, a late 90s stoner-rock outfit, alongside King Hitter guitarist Scott Little.)  Do I expect…

  • Witchrider – Unmountable Stairs

    Witchrider – Unmountable Stairs

    Not gonna lie, when I see a self-professed stoner/occult rock outfit with the word Witch in its name, I kinda cringe a little (notable exception: Witch Mountain).  And if we’re judging an album by its cover, then I hope this trio doesn’t sound as tacky as their artwork looks.  But hey, what with the dearth…