Rolling Stoner/Psych/Freak/Doom/Sludge/Retro/Drone/Space Thread 2014: These Start at 11

I have heard of this rock

Sorry Ned, I thought it was more appropriate to continue talking about 2013 releases in the other thread.

Looking forward to this being very active this year!

I'm still catching up on my listening from last year. My discovery this morning was the terrific, if unoriginally named, Stonehenge. German mostly instrumental stonerish psych-rock with a fantastic organ player, very Deep Purple. I like it.

There was just something about the Rose Windows that felt a little forced, like it was a band unsure of their footing but that might just come down to the kind of patchwork way the band came together.

I don't know much about the band history, but I think the songwriting is maybe a bit uneven - some filler on this. I like the singer's voice though - hope they go more in the heavy direction.

Yeah the vocals were my favorite thing about the record, for sure. I'll give it another go at some point.

y'all are talking about that Sun Dogs album on Sub Pop, right? I liked it, but it does seem like they are still trying to find their own sound.

yep, that's the one.

i'm still not totally clear on the difference between this thread and normal rolling metal 2014: where do folk metal albums go?

And also is there a rolling thread for ambient/avant releases? I like the stoner stuff too but am not always sure why "drone/space" gets lumped in here.

It's all very mutable for sure.

because you get drone metal and space metal too. So it went in here as the ordinary metal thread tends to go too fast and covers promos months before everything comes out so the discussion is gone by release date

the other drone thread covered the ambient/avant/freak folk etc

im guessing ned just wants to merge the two?

Locked already? Still have the 2013 Super Doom Chart to post when it comes out. It's not 2014 for me until I start buying 2014 albums, but I guess it's good to see interest in these threads.

I am still catching up on my 2013 listening as well, but I can do that with this new thread just as well as with the old. Still got a ton of bandcamp stoner rock to wade through.

Les Indiens - Crâne

http://lesindiens.bandcamp.com/album/cr-ne

French-Canadian stoner band; not really sure what's the deal with all of the Native American imagery, but I assume that since this band is (I think) Quebecois, that there's a decent chance the iconography is being used with respect...? Musically, the band traffics in good old stoner rock, with some neat psychedelic touches. I probably dig this almost as much as the Naam album. If I'd been on the ball, and had listened to this before they had closed nominations, this would totally have gone on my metal ballot. "Crève-coeur" starts out as a fairly trippy organ/surf-twang instrumental with the echo laid thick before turning into ace classic rock in the indelible tradition of Black Sabbath. "Désert de glace" builds on a similar tension between crunchy riffs and psychedelic interludes that indulge a love of pure sound (dig the wiggy middle section that is not so much solo as some crazy wah pedal workout with the sound of a tape fast-forwarding mixed in). And that is p much the name of the game here--distortion intermingling with spacier effects. Highly listenable.

It's unfortunate that fewer people are voting, but it means your ballot will have more impact than usual. Stoner/doom/sludgsters represent!

~~~ ILM METAL POLL 2013 - ALBUMS & TRACKS VOTING & CAMPAIGN THREAD~~~ (VOTING ENDS FRIDAY JANUARY 10th 11.59pm UK time/6.59pm EST) )

Maximum of 50 album votes/Minimum of 5.
Maximum of 20 tracks votes/Minimum of 5

Please vote by filling in the
Voting Form, copying your selections directly from the nominations spreadsheets:

Album Nominations Spreadsheet
Tracks Nominations Spreadsheet

Upcoming Releases

Indian – From All Purity (Relapse) 21-Jan
Moon Coven – Amanita Kingdom (Transubstans) 20-Jan
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything (Constellation) 20-Jan
Alcest – Shelter (Prophecy Productions) 21-Jan
Culted – Oblique To All Paths (Relapse) 21-Jan
Warpaint – Warpaint (Rough Trade) 21-Jan
Demilich – 20th Adversary Of Emptiness (Svart) 24-Jan
Truckfighters – Universe (Fuzzorama) 24-Jan
Guardian Alien – Spiritual Emergency (Thrill Jockey) 28-Jan
Pontiak – Innocence (Thrill Jockey) 28-Jan
Moon Curse – Moon Curse (Bilocation) 3-Feb | Bandcamp
Grand Magus – Triumph And Power (Nuclear Blast) 4-Feb
Mantar – Death By Burning (Svart) 7-Feb
Sammal – No. 2 (Svart) 14-Feb
Cynic – Kindly Bent To Free Us (Season Of Mist) 18-Feb
Slough Feg – Digital Resistance (Metal Blade) 18-Feb
The Wounded Kings – Consolamentum (Candlelight) 25-Feb
Helms Alee – Sleepwalking Sailors (Sargent House) Feb
Conan – Blood Eagle (Napalm) 3-Mar
The Men – Tomorrow's Hits (Sacred Bones) 4-Mar
Dark Forest – The Awakening (Cruz Del Sur) 11-Mar
The Shrine – The Shrine (Tee Pee) 11-Mar
Dead Rider – Chills On Glass (Drag City) 18-Mar
The Socks – Some Kind of Sorcery (Small Stone) 18-Mar
The Graviators – Motherload (Napalm) 28-Mar
Mos Generator – Electric Mountain Majesty (Ripple Music) Mar
Snail – Feral (Snail) Mar
Entombed – Back To The Front (Century Media) 1-Apr
Mars Red Sky – Mars Red Sky (Mars Red Sky) Apr
Serpent Venom – Of Things Seen And Unseen (Church Within) Apr
Greenleaf – Trails & Passes (Small Stone) Spring
Mount Salem – Endless (Metal Blade) Spring

Last day to vote! Let's make sure our stoner/doom/sludge/psych etc. tastes are properly represented!

figured i'd talk about it here and not in the "proper" metal thread: i love the alcest album. it's gorgeous. i was really worried when i heard birgir jón birgisson was involved, but even though his influence is discernible, it works really well.

The Amanita Kingdom album/long EP that comes out next week is fun. You can check out "Ruler of Dust" here:

https://soundcloud.com/transubstans-records/moon-coven-ruler-of-dust

Thanks for the reminder! Here's also a review and their official video for "East"!

http://theparanoidmusicblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/moon-coven-amanita-kingdom-album-review.html
http://youtu.be/5FUOwUdQPKo

Here's another review from some yabo:

http://lastrit.es/reviews/7175/moon-coven-amanita-kingdom

Mansion is a new, very promising Finnish heavy occult psych band. Their EP is finally available for download, and a second vinyl pressing.

http://weshalllive.bandcamp.com/album/we-shall-live

So the metal poll is a wrap, and here's some of our babies:

5 SubRosa - More Constant Than The Gods, 741 Points, 19 Votes, 2 #1s
6 Windhand - Soma, 732 Points, 19 Votes, One #1
7 Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats - Mind Control, 707 Points, 20 Votes, 2 #1s
9 ASG - Blood Drive, 668 Points, 17 Votes
11 Kylesa - Ultraviolet, 637 Points, 18 Votes, One #1
17 Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork, 557 Points, 15 Votes, One #1
19 Ghost - Infestissumam, 502 Points, 15 Votes
27 Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark, 416 Points, 12 Votes
29 Moss - Horrible Night, 401 Points, 11 Votes
32 Föllakzoid - II, 383 Points, 10 Votes
33 Bardo Pond - Peace On Venus, 377 Points, 12 Votes
36 Earthless - From The Ages, 368 Points, 11 Votes, One #1
39 Church Of Misery - Thy Kingdom Scum, 335 Points, 11 Votes
45 Black Sabbath – 13, 294 Points, 10 Votes, One #1
48 Vista Chino – Peace, 276 Points, 9 votes
51 Cathedral - The Last Spire, 263 Points, 8 Votes
57 Kadavar - Abra Kadavar, 253 Points, 7 Votes, One #1
59 Argus - Beyond The Martyrs, 248 Points, 9 Votes
61 Orchid - The Mouths of Madness, 244 Points, 8 Votes
75 Magic Circle - Magic Circle, 214 Points, 5 Votes, One #1
79 Clutch - Earth Rocker, 205 Points, 5 Votes
81 Purson - The Circle and the Blue Door, 202 Points, 5 Votes
84 Obelyskkh - Hymn to Pan, 184 Points, 6 Votes
85 Sungod – Contakt, 178 Points, 6 Votes
93 Lumbar - The First and Last Days of Unwelcome, 164 Points, 7 Votes
96 Goatess - Goatess, 158 Points, 4 Votes, One #1
97 Sahg - Delusions of Grandeur, 155 Points, 5 Votes
101 Monster Magnet - Last Patrol, 146 Points, 6 Votes

Not bad! A few that didn't place:

105 naam - vow 142.0 4 0
106 age of taurus - desperate souls of tortured times 141.0 7 0
107 shooting guns - brotherhood of the ram 139.0 4 0
109 brimstone coven - ii 138.0 4 0
112 trouble - the distortion field 135.0 5 0
128 red fang - whales and leeches 105.0 3 0
130 corsair - corsair 99.0 3 0
136 wolf people - fain 91.0 2 0
137 bombus - the poet and the parrot 88.0 3 0
138 seremonia - ihminen 87.0 3 0
139 acid mothers temple and the melting paraiso ufo - in search of the lost divine arc 87.0 2 0
148 horisont - time warriors 81.0 4 0
157 jex thoth - blood moon rise 75.0 3 0
164 beastwars - blood becomes fire 71.0 4 0
166 black capricorn - born under the capricorn 70.0 2 0
171 twilight of the gods - fire on the mountain 66.0 2 0
175 noctum - final sacrifice 64.0 2 0
189 (victor griffins) in-graved - (victor griffins) in-graved 50.0 2 0
194 endless boogie - long island 49.0 1 0
195 iron man - south of the earth 48.0 2 0
195 magister templi - lucifer leviathan logos 48.0 2 0

Super Doom Chart - Best of 2013
http://theparanoidmusicblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/super-doom-chart-best-of-2013.html

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eR7NvviQkzw/UtiIi2_sv3I/AAAAAAAAB4Y/-rbmNER6w0Y/s1600/PH-Doom-Chart.jpg

Two tracks into the new Indian. Relentless. Quite similar to Guiltless as I remember it. This is a good thing. But my is this heavy stuff. Pretty suffocating.

More on upcoming releases. Be sure to read comments from Bill Goodman and others about Wo Fat, Doctor Smoke, Black Moth, Dozer, Lowrider, Electric Wizard and Goatsnake!

http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/01/13/40-albums-2014/

Anyone listend to the last Papir album?

http://sacvs.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/screen-shot-2014-01-17-at-1-47-48-pm.png%3Fw%3D640%26h%3D640

Papir from Copenhagen, Denmark have gradually developed their unique vision of instrumental psychedelic rock over the course of three albums. On IIII, their fourth, they have created their most condensed and realized work to date.

The amazing thing about Papir is how they transform heavy, psychedelic music into something new and relevant, something truly unique. Sure, Papir knows their kraut- and progrock history, but unlike the majority of bands in the present day psych-rock scene they venture far beyond mere pastiche. Guitarist Nicklas Sørensen and Bassist Christian Becher aren’t afraid to explore sounds and styles usually associated with post-rock, minimalism or even shoegaze, and drummer Christoffer Brøchmann plays with a skill, ferocity and richness of ideas that is so rare. By now the bands concerts have become awe-inducing experiences, earning them slots at major European festivals including Roskilde (2012), and Roadburn (2014).It’s stunning to witness how Papir pull numerous influences together with natural ease in these three lengthy excursions. It sounds inspired. Not only is it heavier than previous efforts, it seems more lush and atmospheric as well. IIII is the sound of a band fullfilling its potential.

ooh that sounds good
"instrumental" ahhhhhhh

I gotta say, after listening to the entire results of the Tracks poll the past couple days, listening to Papir is like a warm Epson salt bath after being bludgeoned by hard icy pellets for 5 miles. Yes that happened, why am I not in the Caribbean? Why did I try to appreciate Classixx, Rich Homie Quan, Disclosure, etc?

That Papir is some good stuff.

First one available for Name Your Price on band camp: http://papir.bandcamp.com/album/papir

Yeah I've been bugging band and label to put the others on Bandcamp too. The first one isn't nearly as good as the new stuff, but a good intro.

http://www.truckfighters.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TF-Universe-cover.jpeg

Forecasts for continued below zero temps for yet another entire week, and a shitload of more snow in this shittiest of shit winters had me slumping into lethargic despair. But then I got an email with my download to the new Truckfighters album! It's freakin' magnificent, and if I didn't have to work tomorrow I'd be listening to it all night, drinking bourbon and smashing things.

http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/01/03/truckfighters-universe-review/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XPY_8AYaJI&feature=youtu.be

So far this Papir album is fun, if pretty cheesy.

*wibbly-wibbly guitar*

is it okay to talk about old releases on these threads?

I def shouldve put that Wolf People album on my metal ballot

xp sure! why not?

well i just wanted to say that i am really enjoying this year-old egypt album, "become the sun"

http://f0.bcbits.com/img/a2756230320_10.jpg

Oh you liked that? I wasnt totally into it

Of course, this isn't limited to new releases. Despite Wolf People not originally making my Lucky 13 list, I did sneak it onto my Pazz & Jop ballot: http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/critics/2013/685986/

It got three votes, enough for 289. I just wish I could have done the same for Hidden Masters. I think I finally heard the album the day after the deadline. If I gave it 14 points, it would have gone from 633 to 326. I guess that's still low and it wouldn't have mattered. I think the real issue is, why aren't there more people here voting in it? You don't have to be published in corporate newspapers or magazines, blog writers are accepted too, you just have to ask. They want to keep participation up. pazzand✧✧✧@villagevo✧✧✧.c✧✧

Let's look at Avatarium, for example. It got 16 votes in the ILM Metal poll and placed 13th. The ballot being limited to 10 limits things, so let's say it got 12 votes in Pazz n Jop. It could have placed as high as 54th. So much unflexed muscle here! ;)

This is my belated review of Hidden Masters & Wolf People
http://fastnbulbous.com/hidden-masters-wolf-people/

Truckfighters - Universe
http://fastnbulbous.com/truckfighters-universe-fuzzomania-2014/

Here's a newish discovery for me. UK electro-Kosmische, Eat Light Become Lights
http://eatlightsbecomelights.bandcamp.com/

http://www.head-fi.org/content/type/61/id/1032738/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL

Dr. Fester's prescription for winter blues...

Let the darkness consume you
And turn your mind to jelly
Or drink the Darkness
'Til it's all in your belly

Truckfighters - Universe is officially out today via Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc.

"We strongly advise you to listen to this album in full length, from start to finish, without interruption or distraction. Only then you will embrace the true power of the fuzz."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3tbrhz2f98&feature=youtu.be

http://www.head-fi.org/content/type/61/id/1032745/width/350/height/700/flags/LL

Oh shit, nice shout out! I'm hoping to find that album waiting for me when I get home tonight.

a little more than halfway thru - it's great

Saw Roky Erickson and The Black Angels last night. Roky was plodding and listless, quite an endurance test. I couldn't get into The Black Angels either, kept thinking how they're not nearly as awesome as Truckfighters ;) Part of my problem is that I needed something stronger than root beer, but am fighting off a cold so could not indulge on a Wed. night.

Stoner heads, the Lizardia self-titled full-length is really great. My favorite stoner record of the year so far, NB - I'm still waiting for my Truckfighters disc to arrive.

http://lizardia.bandcamp.com/

i like this:
http://woodsmanman.bandcamp.com/album/woodsman

Re: P&J. I have never voted in one of those, was not at all aware of the open call, not sure you'd've dug my ballot even if I had, fnb. It wouldve been way more like the top 10 of my main ILX ballot than anythinf else. I know jvc voted one year as the sole representer for Cosmic Dead, (and one of maybe 3 I think along w you to vote for Uncle Acid)

I saw Wo Fat at a benefit show last night and they played the title track from their upcoming album, The Conjuring. Might be the best thing they've done; a nearly perfect blend of their Southern-fried Texas blues and proper heavy proto-metal. Maybe this will be the album that finally captures their live sound.

Didn't know Wo Fat had another one coming already, that's good to hear.

I think in May?

Cool, thanks for the heads up. I'll keep my eyes out for it.

I hate to say it, but I'm finding the Truckfighters a little underwhelming. I'm not sure if the anticipatio had my expectations unfairly elevated, but I find it just good instead of amazing. I keep wanting to go back to the Pontiak record instead. Speaking of Pontiak, which of their previous albums are worth hearing? I kinda can't believe I haven't heard of them before now.

er, strike that, "heard them" not "heard of them".

All of Pontiak's prior albums are worth a listen. One of the most consistent bands out there right now.

Guru Overload by Eternal Tapestry (Oaken Palace Records)

damn, I need to hear this

My Psych Spotify playlist: http://open.spotify.com/user/1212496385/playlist/1HjNMbEZGb0GTuARqRwVK0

Lola Colt – Away From The Water (Fuzz Club) | Bandcamp
The Oath – The Oath (Rise Above)
Kikagaku Moyo – Forest Of Lost Children (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond) | Bandcamp
Earth – Primitive And Deadly (Southern Lord) | Bandcamp
Goat – Commune (Sub Pop)
Les Big Byrd – They Worshipped Cats (Höga Nord/A Recordings)
Mansion – Uncreation EP (Nine) | Bandcamp
Purson – In The Meantime EP (Machine Elf)
Electric Citizen – Sateen (RidingEasy) | Bandcamp
Comet Control – Comet Control (Tee Pee)
Jeremy Irons & the Ratgang Malibus – Spirit Knife (Small Stone) | Bandcamp
Temples – Sun Structures (Heavenly/Fat Possum)
The Lay Llamas – Ostro (Rocket) | Bandcamp
Dahga Bloom – No Curtains (Captcha) | Bandcamp
Kikagaku Moyo – Mammatus Clouds (Captcha) | Bandcamp
Sungod – Vision Space (Sungod) | Bandcamp
Seven That Spells – The Death And Resurrection Of Krautrock: IO (Sulatron) | Bandcamp
Hookworms – The Hum (Weird World)
The Golden Grass – The Golden Grass (Svart) | Bandcamp
Morgan Delt – Morgan Delt (Trouble In Mind)
La Hell Gang – Thru Me Again (Mexican Summer) | Bandcamp
Jess & the Ancient Ones – Castaneda EP (Svart)
Has A Shadow – Sky Is Hell Black (Captcha) | Bandcamp
Ice Dragon – Seeds From A Dying Garden (Navalorama) | Bandcamp
Cult Of Dom Keller – The Second Bardo (Cardinal Fuzz)
Slow Motion Rider – Slow Motion Rider (Committee To Keep Music Evil) | Buy
Black Bombain – Far Out (Black Bombain) | Bandcamp
Montibus Communitas – The Pilgrim To The Absolute (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond) | Bandcamp
Eternal Tapestry – Guru Overload (Oaken Palace) | Bandcamp
White Manna – Come Down Safari (Captcha) | Bandcamp
Haikai No Ku – Ultra High Dimensionality (Box) | Bandcamp
The Wytches – Annabel Dream Reader (Heavenly)
Horseback – Piedmont Apocrypha (Three Lobed) | Bandcamp
Liquido Di Morte – Liquido Di Morte (Sstars) | Bandcamp
Wildest Dreams – Wildest Dreams (Smalltown Supersound)
Monomyth – Further (Suburban World) | Bandcamp
Villagers of Ioannina City – Riza (Mantra) | Bandcamp
1000mods – Vulture (The Lab) | Bandcamp
The Cosmic Dead – Easterfaust (Sound of Cobra) | Bandcamp
Joy – Under The Spell Of Joy (Tee Pee)
Three Seasons – Grow (Transubstans)
Three Dimensional Tanx – Three Dimensional Tanx (Sunstone) | Bandcamp
Pontiak – Innocence (Thrill Jockey)

10. Orange Goblin - Back From The Abyss
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-10.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4uDoQZYpPYs/VJhHhzG5Q7I/AAAAAAAAIGg/Znfcm_icn4E/s1600/WhiskyYamazaki-07122010-31.jpg

“A 10 year old single malt from the Yamazaki distillery, aged in bourbon barrels. A lovely fruity dram, quite floral. The nose is fruity and rich. Plenty of barley malt and caramel, cereal sweetness and winter spice. Vanilla cream and mixed peels with a hint of nuts. The palate is of medium-body with notes of rich peels and winter spice, aniseed and a herbal note. A bitter oak develops. The finish is dry and of good length with acacia honey.”

Number 11 was occupied by those damned Wizards. And when we enter the top ten we find a band that has made it all the way to the Fifth position back in 2012; which can also be seen as the record that brought then the bigger audience they damn well deserve. This year they have eight points more than Electric Wizard and have returned from an unholy chasm. Filled with a masterful groovy rhythm section and ten ton heavy riffs they show us what true motoring stoner and no nonsense rock is all about. And then there’s that growling voice, that voice that carries that sharp edge and which will never hesitate to cut your throat when it comes down to that…

Really enjoyed your Fester's Lucky 13 this year, great stuff. I did notice, however, that you have Syd Arthur's Sound Mirror at both #22 and #29 on your list.

I always wait w bated breath for your psych list, fnb

Hah, that's appropriate, as the Syd Arthur was a bit of a sleeper until I got into it much more recently. Fixed it.

9. Greenleaf - Trails And Passes
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-9.html

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uPTHFCdcxkM/VJmQIk7QTeI/AAAAAAAAIG8/DXvhQpTm3GM/s1600/Dec12-KnobCreek9-1.jpg

“Knob Creek is a small batch bourbon produced by Jim Beam, distilled in a more traditional style and aged 9 nine years. It is named for the area in Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln grew up, it is said that the creek nearly claimed his life when he was swimming. The nose is quite spicy and sweet. There are notes of melted salty butter on granary toast, there are notes of toasty oak and a touch of rye with caramel sweetness. The palate is quite peppy and full. There are notes of candy floss and nut oil, a touch of spice and dark chocolate, a little spice and charred oak. The finish is long with a touch of dryness, there are notes of nut oils and vanilla spice.”

One point above Orange Goblin we find yet another band that has been featured in the Stoner HiVe top 20 countdown before. It was that doomed year of 2012 when we were approaching the end of the world and the album was called: Nest Of Vipers. And made it to the 14th position. This is their fifth record and yes, the guys hail from Sweden. Their version of stoner cracks and crackles and sounds age old and vintage; and with enough blues, psych and seventies to level the playing field it is once again a true rite of passage. With new members they have produced a new stamp with which to put their mark on this sweet ass heavy music as they trail blaze across the globe….

8. Truckfighters – Universe
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-8.html

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h51od9WVhR4/VJqD-41_BUI/AAAAAAAAIHM/x5xH23ismwg/s1600/the-hive-8-year-old-wemyss-malts-whisky.jpg

“Yes. We got our own whisky! An 8 year old blended malt whisky from independent bottler Wemyss, built around Speyside whisky matured in both fresh and refill sherry casks for a rich, sweet and spicy dram with the emphasis on honey, as you might have guessed from the name... And yes, it tastes just as sweet as we from the HiVe do!”

Still a few more albums to go before we reach the point where the jumps become bigger. For yes, this record also has just one point more than the Greenleaf record we found on Number 9. And whaddayaknow. Sweden again. And this time we are talking about the definite frontrunners of fuzz, the future of everything fuzzalicious and those who know their way and how to hang around sizzling hooks and riffs. On their new album they explore and deepen their sound once again without changing much of the recipe and they added up the ante on the production values. It has resulted in a mean album, catchy and exactly what the fans want. And that’s not just because they’ve ended up on Number 8 this year!

7. Fu Manchu - Gigantoid
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-7.html

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-inRb1y5t81Y/VJvWs-mtV1I/AAAAAAAAIHk/FMLIJq42k1w/s1600/Seagrams_7_Crown.jpg

“The return of a very old brand of blended whisky from one of Canada's former biggest multi-nationals. Nose: Juicy, spicy rye grains, dried apricot, lemon curd, oak and gristy sweetness. Palate: Spicy and creamy, medium-bodied with honey, caramel and coffee. A touch of orange marmalade and panna cotta. Finish: Medium length, spicy and sweet.”

On Number 7 we find the final album that stays in close proximity to the ones that came before. Beating Truckfighters with one simple point these cats have been surfing the desert and stoner waves for a damn long time now and the release this year is their eleventh album. No Swedes this time, but Californian stoners that go big the way of the fuzz and crackling and crunchy when it comes to the punchy riffs. And then there are those punky elements and dreamy moments that make it all come together like a perfect ride. Southern coolness amongst hot and heavy breezes…

Colour Haze - To The Highest Gods We Know became available on Spotify yesterday: https://play.spotify.com/album/4nwC7Jpc9FscTkjBXjjuHE

6. Electric Citizen - Sateen
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-6.html

<img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZE3niWXPL_0/VJ6K9TCs9MI/AAAAAAAAIH8/FbPlSjwdoMY/s1600/SW-EnglishWhiskyC6-20cl-a.jpg";>

“Chapter6, 3 year old Single Malt Whisky. Unpeated whisky, made by Iain Henderson. Matured solely in Bourbon casks. A great reflection on the wonderful work done at the distillery and a real hint of things to come. Unchillfiltered - Natural Colour.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me in this year’s Stoner HiVe countdown. As we jump 26 points from Fu Manchu to reach the next band; with a female vocalist. A band and album that for some weird reason completely passed me by before all the votes came pouring in. I had no idea. So we immediately needed to get that fixed. And what a fix it was! Ancient and bronze, vintage and doom. We’re back in the sixties and there is a bright and kaleidoscopic psychedelic edge to everything you hear. Instrumentation that holds its own against so many of those originals and organ sounds that make you lick your fingers. And there’s the vocalist. She has range and dynamic and knows how to pull you close or set you free. Simply wonderful. This kind of copper color music is always welcome, because it is like velvet for your ears…

This is kinda funny because I saw Electric Citizen open for Fu Manchu this year. I agree the EC record is better, but live they have a way to go to equal the Fu.

Yeah they're defnitely just getting started, hard to compare live with a band that had been gigging two decades nonstop! I missed their show opening for The Budos Band this summer.

No doubt. And as they freely admitted, they're learning tons by touring with acts like Fu Manchu. They're already a good live band - probably better than on album - and can only get better. I have high hopes for them in the years to come.

I'm glad to see Blues Pills doing well in these polls, but am bummed that Spiders is getting ignored. While Blues Pills have better musicians and singer, I really love the songs on Shake Electric. Both Swedish bands should rock the lists into the sunset, arms locked and perhaps conquering North America on a joint tour.

5. Blues Pills - Blues Pills
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-5.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RnxGbURSMG4/VJ7VzjiKUII/AAAAAAAAIIY/dEfpMENoTCA/s1600/foto-73.JPG

“A pure pot still rye whisky from the innovative Dutch distillers Zuidam, that's made in small batches and aged five years before bottling. A dark golden whisky, with a nose of a sweetness and fruit with hints of grain, honey, wood and vanilla.A taste of notes of wood, spices, honey and citrus. With a dry aftertaste of sweet fruit, honey, vanilla, wood and coconut in the background with something smoky.”

Nine points we jump. A small jump. Before we make the big or even gigantic leaps. So, Electric Citizen was my biggest surprise. And a highly welcomed one. What an album. So what do we find on position Number 5? More female vocals and more psychedelic rock; but this time around we aim more for the seventies and more for the blues. We knew when the album came out that it would be featured on many end year lists. And we are thankful that everyone out there dug it in the same way we did; for the soulful vocals, the classic hard rock, the acid infused coloring and the blissful guitar work are simply stunning. So take the pill and take the ride!

BTW I think our group represented pretty well on the 2014 POLL RESULTS COUNTDOWN - ILM Metal Albums of the Year

102 The Cosmic Dead - Easterfaust 143 Points, 4 votes
98 Seven that Spells - The Death and Resurrection of Krautrock: IO 146 Votes, 3 voters , One #1
97 Death Penalty - Death Penalty 146 Points, 5 votes
94 Monarch - Sabbracadaver 148 Points, 6 votes
93 Truckfighters - Universe 152 Points, 5 votes, One #1
89 Conan - Blood Eagle 157 Points, 5 votes
87 Wo Fat - The Conjuring 158 Points, 5 votes
86 Karma To Burn - Arch Stanton 160 Points, 4 votes
85 Monster Magnet - Milking the Stars: A Re-Imagining of Last Patrol 160 Points, 5 votes
82 Hands Of Orlac - Figli Del Crepuscolo 162 Points, 5 votes
79 Bongripper - Miserable 163 Points, 6 votes
78 The Flight of Sleipnir - V. 168 Points, 4 votes
77 Skull Fist - Chasing the Dream 171 Points, 5 votes
75 Opeth - Pale Communion 177 Points, 7 votes
69 Comet Control - s/t 194 Points, 5 votes , One #1
67 Shooting Guns - Street Rock 205.0 6 votes
65 Wizard Rifle - Here In The Deadlights 210 Points, 6 votes
62 Atlas Moth - The Old Believer 234 Points, 8 votes
60 The Wounded Kings - Consolamentum 251 Points, 7 votes
58 Wovenhand - Refractory Obdurate 262 Points, 7 votes
53 The Oath - The Oath 274 Points, 9 votes
51 Midnight - No Mercy for Mayhem 290 Points, 8 votes
49 Goat - Commune 301 Points, 9 votes
47 Horseback - Piedmont Apocrypha 329 Points, 9 votes
40 Boris - Noise 353 Points, 11 votes
39 Dawnbringer - Night of the Hammer 356 Points, 11 votes
33 Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels 378 Points, 15 votes
29 Apostle Of Solitude - Of Woe And Wounds 422 Points, 11 votes
27 Floor - Oblation 434 Points, 14 votes
23 The Skull - For Those Which Are Asleep 489 Points, 13 votes
20 Blues Pills - Blues Pills 557 Points, 13 votes
13 Slough Feg - Digital Resistance 662 Points, 19 votes, One #1
9 Earth - Primitive and Deadly 738 Points, 21 votes , ONE #1
4 Electric Wizard - Time to Die 1130 Points, 27 votes THREE #1's
3 Agalloch - The Serpent & the Sphere 1165 Points, 31 votes, Three #1s
2 Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden 1233 Points, 33 votes, One #1
1 YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend 1240 Points, 32 votes , THREE #1s

A couple late psych prog finds:

Atavismo – Desintegración (Odio Sonoro) - Spanish Floydian acolytes, early UFO, Groundhogs influences.
https://odiosonoro.bandcamp.com/album/atavismo-desintegraci-n

Amplifier – Mystoria (Superball) - UK band has been around for years, but their fifth album caught my attention with a bit more interesting guitar work.
http://www.amplifierband.com/#!mystoria/cxj2

Psych Prog playlist: http://open.spotify.com/user/1212496385/playlist/1nV7e8YeM6pZqLz84X3kFj

Ulaan Markhor album at #99 really belonged itt as well tbh

4. Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-4.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WAgk6rd_o8U/VJ_gCJis1VI/AAAAAAAAIIw/tAdEmgGmNk4/s1600/braunstein_e-4.jpg

“This is a very peaty whisky at 60 ppm phenols. It is a single cask, matured exclusively in an ex-bourbon barrel from Maker’s Mark. The E:4 was bottled on 2012-11-02, and the outturn was 300 bottles. Nose: Mild smoke, surprising really – I was expecting a more distinct smokiness from the 60 ppm, but there you go. Well-rounded and mature sweetness. Vanilla, milk chocolate, and butterscotch and caramel. It is also very fruity, bundles of apples and pears. Braunstein has a very fruity and rich new make, and the distillery character shows through here. Taste: OK, here comes the smoke. And it is massive! This whisky certainly packs a punch! I also find milk chocolate, and licorice caramel to slightly temper the punchy peat. Finish: Long finish; rich, fruity, smoky and sweet. ’nuff said!”

The first bigger jump begins now and with an album I had not, to be honest, expected to end up this high on the list. We add 43 points to Blues Pills on Number 5 to reach the next level. Which, even though the sound is incredibly heavy and the themes definitely dark; lead to a record that in its whole does feel warm and begs to be heard over and over again. This is without a doubt masterful doom and metal and shows that the guys want to aim both higher and lower without changing their sound all at the same time. The biggest change in comparison to their amazing debut album from 2012 is perhaps the fact that the vocal melodies have become more important and that the band are changing rhythms and riffs quicker without losing that hypnotizing edge we all love so dearly…

20. Salem's Pot - …Lurar ut dig på prärien
19. Serpent Venom - Of Things Seen & Unseen
18. Kamchatka – The Search Goes On
17. Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels
16. Lo-Pan – Colossus
15. Blue Snaggletooth - Beyond Thule
15. Jeremy Irons & The Ratgang Malibus - Spirit Knife
14. Monolord - Empress Rising
13. John Garcia – John Garcia
12. Mos Generator – Electric Mountain Majesty
11. Electric Wizard - Time To Die
10. Orange Goblin - Back From The Abyss
9. Greenleaf - Trails And Passes
8. Truckfighters – Universe
7. Fu Manchu - Gigantoid
6. Electric Citizen - Sateen
5. Blues Pills - Blues Pills
4. Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden

So we got YOB, Wo Fat and The Skull left? Or will there be an upset from Apostle Of Solitude, The Well, Conan or Mars Red Sky? Prob not. Would Colour Haze have made it if they released their album earlier? Feel free to bug them to get on Bandcamp! http://colourhaze.de/guests

One last poll anyone can participate in: http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/12/01/top-20-of-2014-readers-poll/

Whoa, I didn't know people were feelin this one so much more than the John Garcia! So The Skull must not have made it, weird!

3. Brant Bjork and The Low Desert Punk Band – Black Flower Power
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-3.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9CChFNFfHvQ/VKGBAdcdfAI/AAAAAAAAIJE/570CEXmWktE/s1600/Black_Crow_Whiskey_by_seznur.jpg

“Black Crow Original Old American Whiskey, American blended whiskey in Canadian-style low-blend. Faintly vanilla. Strong in alcohol.”

We leave Pallbearer on the 4th position with a jump of 42 points. This year’s Bronze medal goes to another one of the stoner and desert rock legends. A guru in his own right. The man reached the Number 7 position with his former album and this one is a step bigger in every way conceivable. So we are happy to see it rise further up the ladder then the former one did. The guitars and drums are more raw and edgy, and the songs are righteous sheriffs! But is his sandy voice that takes charge and commands. His warm and completely logical utterings proclaim the truth and makes one and all an admirer. He is without a doubt the mythical guru of the laidback stoner and total fuzz!

Here is some Syd era Floyd influenced stuff from Finland:

Octopus Syng – Reverberating Garden No. 7 (Mega Dodo)
https://megadodo.bandcamp.com/album/reverberating-garden-no-7

2. YOB - Clearing The Path to Ascend
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-2.html

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ynhdwjl58SQ/VKJ2d4a-nyI/AAAAAAAAIJc/dn-AyUMjO8Q/s1600/adnams-triple-grain-no-2-whisky.jpg

“Part of the first pair of whisky releases from Adnams Distillery in Southwold, Suffolk. Just 10 barrels were used for the original release, which uses three types of grain - wheat, barley and oats - aged for over 3 years in new American oak casks. Nose: This one lures you in with approachable toasty oak, white peach blossom, some spicy grain, the bubblegum in the background this time and cocoa dark chocolate. A little lychee and sugar that’s just catching. A touch of lime. Palate: White pepper and spices, orange and a hint of powdered chocolate. Finish: Quite comforting and almost beer like with a little rich honey and chocolate now.”

The next band leaves maestro Brant Bjork trailing in its dust as we climb fifty points to reach the Number 2 spot of the 2014 Stoner HiVe top 20 countdown. The Silver Medal goes to a band that made it to the Number Eight position with the album that came before. Back in 2011. This year’s release saw it topping many lists all across the globe and we already reckoned it would have a prominent place on the HiVe as well. There is no escaping the fact that the new record is nothing but an instant doom rock classic. They take their time and carefully craft the compelling and stirring arc’s that holds you captive for fifteen minutes per track. Ten ton heavy guitar sounds whirl and twist around you lifting you up with nothing more than a couple of chords but with so much dynamic and variation that you mistake the tornado for a desert storm and the other way around. Throbbing bass work and thundering drums together with the feedback ridden dark and haunting growls or high pitched and eerie screams make this a record that is meant for the ages…

1. Wo Fat - The Conjuring
http://stonerhive.blogspot.com/2014/12/number-1.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qi03ASdu6Mg/VKP3vfNz8YI/AAAAAAAAIKQ/oupF1YzkdEA/s1600/The-ONE-1.jpg

“The first whisky from Lakes Distillery, a British distillery in Cumbria that are as proud of their picturesque part of England as they are their excellently blended whisky. Both The One whisky and Cumbria are equally beautiful, but only one of them has sweet, spicy notes and a whiff of smoke, so we know which one we'll put in our glasses (it's the whisky, in case you were wondering). Sublime, mellow whisky, a gorgeous blend with the slightest hint of peat, pepper and wood. Don’t mess with The One…”

We jump 90 points from YOB’s majestic album Clearing The Path to Ascend to reach the gold medal of this year’s Stoner HiVe top 20 countdown. Produced by a band that has made the countdown with almost every release the past years. Reaching Number 8 in 2009 and Number 13 in 2012. A band that inspired honorable madman Tony to write a love letter this year and inspired so many more to vote for this band as the number one release or among the top of their favorites in 2014. And the groove is indeed strong in this band. They know how to stoner and they know how to metal. With a distinct swagger and luscious riffs that call for a spittoon looking container in the manner of stomping drums; they manage to control and evoke that late night blues feeling that flows underneath all that heavy rock. It will be that trusty companion that you will turn to whenever you need something summoned or awoken. Something swinging, with distorted fuzz, molasses sludge and hypnotic bass work. It is the voodoo they do so well! And we all know these three cats will deliver and keep delivering… Don’t mess with Texas…

I'm not sure if my concept of "psych" and "drone" (I like stuff like Loop) is the same as everyone else's but I LOVED this:

http://youtu.be/W2kB5dSc_BM

Oh man that album is awesome! Dead Skeletons were mentioned early in the '12 space metal thread. Or the psych drone thread, perhaps, if there were one of those that year

Obelisk Reader Poll. Not too different from the StonerHive.
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2015/01/02/the-top-20-of-2014-readers-poll-results/

1. YOB, Clearing the Path to Ascend (560 points)
2. Wo Fat, The Conjuring (404)
3. Electric Wizard, Time to Die (367)
4. Pallbearer, Foundations of Burden (334)
5. Conan, Blood Eagle (275)
6. Orange Goblin, Back from the Abyss (254)
7. Greenleaf, Trails and Passes (240)
8. Truckfighters, Universe (237)
9. Brant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk Band, Black Power Flower (235)
10. Earth, Primitive and Deadly (230)
11. Fu Manchu, Gigantoid (225)
12. Blues Pills, Blues Pills (211)
13. Lo-Pan, Colossus (202)
14. Eyehategod, Eyehategod (198)
15. Monolord, Empress Rising (190)
16. Mastodon, Once More ‘Round the Sun (188)
17. Mars Red Sky, Stranded in Arcadia (161)
18. John Garcia, John Garcia (156)
19. Bongripper, Miserable (141)
20. Radio Moscow, Magical Dirt (127)

Honorable mention to:
Goat, Commune (126)
Swans, To be Kind (117)
Monster Magnet, Milking the Stars (116)
Blood Farmers, Headless Eyes (105)
Floor, Oblation (104)
Mothership, II (104)

The 2014 psych journey simply never ends!

Thelightshines – Now The Sandman Sings (thelightshines)
Quilt – Held In Splendour (Mexican Summer)
Doug Tuttle – Doug Tuttle (Trouble In Mind)
Blank Realm – Grassed In (Fire)
Cool Ghouls – A Swirling Fire Burning Through the Rye (Empty Cellar) | Bandcamp
The Paperhead – Africa Avenue (Trouble In Mind)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – I’m In Your Mind Fuzz (Flightless)
CreaturoS - Popsicle | Bandcamp
Bozmo - Leather Umbrella | Bandcamp

Also keep discovering more 2013 albums, several at the end of this playlist: http://open.spotify.com/user/1212496385/playlist/2jwma4l2gY4ZlcU6MUIv2L

I think that King Gizzard record is a lot of fun, surprised not to see more love for that among the stoner rock fans out there.

2015 thread time?

that Doug Tuttle album is absolutely stellar. top 20 (maybe 15) of 2014 for me; my favorite pure psych record of the year, I think.

the whole thing is streaming here: http://www.spin.com/articles/doug-tuttle-self-titled-debut-album-stream/

and yes to a 2015 thread.

Yeah it grew on me quickly. I was catching up the two albums from his previous band Mmoss, and they're alright, but not nearly as good as his solo disc. I'm holding off on starting a new thread in case someone else has a new clever title for it.

One album I haven't heard beyond one very enticing krautrocky tune on Soundcloud is Herbcraft - Push Thru the Veil. Tuttle listed it here:
http://bostonhassle.com/2014/12/top-7-2014-doug-tuttle/

I'm thinking maybe it's just a single though. They have five other albums from 2010-13.

Thinking of ordering the new Sapat; anyone heard it yet?

https://soundcloud.com/sophomorelounge/sapat-rock-face

Rolling Ridiculous Naked-Lady Cover Art As Far As The Eye Can See Thread 2015

:/

Rolling Yoni Power?

More!

Heaven’s Gateway Drugs – Apropos (HGD)
https://heavensgatewaydrugs.bandcamp.com/album/apropos

Violet Woods – Violet Woods (Violet Wodos)
https://violetwoods.bandcamp.com/album/violet-woods

The Love Dimension – Create And Consume (Warrior Monk)
https://thelovedimension.bandcamp.com/album/create-and-consume

These are ones further down my list that I didn't mention above but have been enjoying on my playlists over these holidaze:

Woods – With Light And With Love (Woodsist)
White Fence – For the Recently Found Innocent
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Revelation (A Records)
Thee Oh Sees – Drop (Castle Face)
Allah-Las – Worship The Sun (Innovative Leisure)
The Soundcarriers – Entropicalia (Ghost Box)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Oddments (Flightless) | Bandcamp
The Movements – Elephants 2 (Crusher)
Black Lips – Underneath The Rainbow (Vice)
Guardian Alien – Spiritual Emergency (Thrill Jockey)
The Black Angels – Clear Lake Forest (Blue Horizen)
Donovan Blanc – Donovan Blanc (Captured Tracks)
Secret Colours – Positive Distractions
Elephant Stone – The Three Poisons (Hidden Pony)
The Soft Walls – No Time (Trouble In Mind)
Pink Mountaintops – Get Back (Jagjaguwar)
Bardo Pond – Looking For Another Place (Fire)

2011 Rolling Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Drone/Psych/Space Metal Thread
Rolling Stoner/Psych/Doom/Sludge/Retro/Drone/Space Thread 2012
Rolling Stoner/Psych/Doom/Sludge/Retro/Drone/Space Thread 2013: The Next Day
Rolling Stoner/Psych/Freak/Doom/Sludge/Retro/Drone/Space Thread 2014: These Start at 11

Rolling Stoner/Psych/Freak/Doom/Sludge/Retro/Drone/Space Thread 2015: Red With Purple Flashes

Probably reflecting my current obsession with lots of 60s psych inspired albums. Any other suggestions?

no suggestions, but to me doom/sludge is more the purview of rolling metal

stoner/psych/freak/retro/space makes sense together, in my mind

drone seems like its own thing, but then the whole discussion is kinda silly anyway, right?

All valid points. I think maybe some preferred to track stoner/doom/sludge metal subgenre stuff in this smaller discussion. However, it's all still discussed in Rolling Metal anyway. I don't track much drone myself, and someone said they'd like it separate. So...

Rolling Stoner/Psych/Freak/Retro/Space Thread then?

Rolling Fringe Metal

I don't even know what Freak represents TBH, Ned added that.

Fringe Metal, I like that, but again, that's all included in Rolling Metal.

Freak as in freak folk & freak outs

Sorry, I cut it from title but feel free to include it in discussions.

Rolling Stoner/Psych/Retro/Space Thread 2015: Red With Purple Flashes

my only suggestion is that you include Folk in the title but now i see it's too late oh well

That Heaven's Gateway Drugs album is turning into something I listen to constantly. The name makes it sound like it's going to be all heavy. It reminds me a bit of Billy Nicholls actually.

http://gurugurubrain.bandcamp.com/album/guruguru-brain-wash

comp of japanese psych from the guruguru brain label

― j., Monday, July 14, 2014 11:03 PM (2 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

good lazy autumn sunday music, at times i'm put in mind of comets on fire

― j., Sunday, October 12, 2014 3:09 PM (8 months ago)

still nice, just a coupla hours of unpretentious freakouts

only just got exposed to sonic jesus' https://sonicjesusband.bandcamp.com/album/neither-virtue-nor-anger-2, i'm enjoying it. the vintage gothiness of Reich etc was something that sort of surprised me.