Stereoshval' - Split (2024)

   Previously it was mentioned, that stoner rock isn't the most difficult genre to work with, however, there are plenty of situations (especially in the modern scene), when this rule gets broken. Like when styles getting mixed up. This happened exactly at the debut of Stereoshval' - a young Russian band from Moscow area. 

   In reverse situation the rules turning upside down as well, and the difficulty will lie in creating something extraordinary, that's able to catch the attention (mainly) of the mainstream audiences. Stereoshval' definitely have the potential for that for 2 main reasons. First: their style mix of stoner, alternative and hard rock turned out pretty unified. The songs are well composed, and even though they are complex and showing a wide range of diversity and productiveness, they're kind of easy to go into. That's one of the essential features of great songwriting abilities. The results are enough unified to not even suspect at first the complexity that lies behind. And second: it's a great quality production. Similar sound and performance quality used to be expected to come from the US, and even after several listening, nobody would expect, that this music was recorded in Eastern Europe or in Russia. However, if someone paying attention on the current tendencies in the main scene, will not expect anything similar from the US, and nowadays the possibility turned reverse too. It makes a funny contrast how shortly the band expressing themselves in title giving, but the same time flooding the listener with the greatest pile of musical diversity and wealthiness. Even in similar style the material that was used to made this album, would be enough to create 2 different albums. Or would be divided into 2 releases, even if the total length wouldn't  make it necessary. Also complexity might be the only aspect how this record could be harder to go into for some (especially for ordinary storer rock fans), but for the fans of hard rock and progressive rock, it's definitely a potential long term favorite. 

Further information abut Stereoshval':

https://stereoshval.bandcamp.com/album/split

https://band.link/StereoSplit

Bloated Pig - Made for Hell (2012)

   Bloated Pig was formed in 2006 as a southern/stoner rock band, and by their wild intensity and quite party compatible music they've kind of exceeded even the original scene of the genre. With time their themes turned heavier, their sound dirtier, and they drifted closer to sludge.

   "Made for Hell", their third full-lenght album was their first and quite determined step into this heavier direction. Those specific kinds of old school hard rock and heavy metal elements embedded into groovy themes, that are essentially coming from stoner and southern rock, did remain as their music's main feature, but this was something different. Something that broke through the ordinary borders by intensity and heaviness. It includes the very familiar feeling that comes from most related styled music, but in this form all that sounds more aggressive, more energic, and more rebellious than how it was used to be in the '90s. The main concept is also one step further into an exaggerated direction, that doesn't seem to care much about written or unwritten rules if it comes to this style. The album has a wilder, groovy sludge sounding aspect, such as a more traditional southern rock/stoner side, and it also reaches doom influenced depths. This made the album also more diverse than usual, but without taking any consolidatingly and boringly badass southern bad boys switch that seems difficult to avoid for most, and always gets committed to serve mainstream tendencies. The badass effect they've reached by sounding dirtier, heavier and wilder than usual, and that could totally wipe the floor with the current tendencies and the currently popular bands of the genre. 

Burden - Hole in the Shell (2010)

   As it was mentioned before, stoner rock is a genre that requires "talents" to be able to make it wrong, since it's old school roots and '90s basics are easy to adapt into modern sound. And it's audience friendly fixed formula is also kind of evergreen. 
   However, Burden emerged from the long line of similar bands, partly because they didn't have too evident references to the classics, and they've mixed various closely related styles with ease. "Hole in the Shell" definitely didn't sound like a debut of beginners, but like an album made by well tried musicians. They knew exactly how far they can go with diversity and how to combine the various pieces for the most advantageous effect. Slowly bouncing groovy themes giving the basic tone with rusty sound, that's somewhere half way between heaviness and psychedelic approach. Not too wild, but also not too soft. It's exactly like how southern rock used to end up when it's mixed with groove metal. But the main impression is way more chilled, and instead of becoming too repetitive or one sided, catchy, but heavy leading melodies taking the advantage. At the vocal the singer's remarkable voice range fills similar role, from clear singing to wild screaming shows the same wide perspectives. Even though Burden didn't become a long living project, there was quite big potential in the band, therefore it's unfortunate that they didn't continue their activity. 

Balero - After the End (2010)

   Stoner rock is basically a quite simple and repetitive style, and it's biggest advantage is that it easily could define the term "generic rock music". That's mostly because of it's essential '70s roots that are inevitable to refer to for any stoner band, but the typical '90s sound and style in which the old school was embedded, also counts kind of retro nowadays.

   Balero debuted in 2006 with a short but great EP as an instrumental stoner/groove metal band. Their musical approach seemed to focus more on the essentials of the style and it's slow, nearly barely sensable development since it was formed by bands like Kyuss and Sleep. Even though stoner rock seems to stay idle, and it's '70s influences and still strongly notable '90s origins making it evergreen, it's changing too by getting mixed with other styles. Balero's music also sounds refreshing because they tried to keep up with the changes of the main scene by involving groovy influences. Most other experimenting bands used to select a different path by getting closer to doom or sludge metal to focus on heavier or more psychedelic sound. These are the most common combinations, and these usually keeping the bands underground. To involve a more mainstream style like groove metal makes the main view audience friendlier and modern by pointing on a possibly successful style renewal. The music didn't lose it's psychedelic touch, but it's importance decreased, and the intense, groovy themes and the heavier sound are in focus. This change could be only compared to the method how stoner rock was formed about 2 decades earlier from the mix of hard rock and the actual trends and sound of the '90s to gather both old school and young fans. However, Balero didn't become the herald of a revolutional style renewal unfortunately, because instrumental music was somehow never able to gain wide audience, but their music introduced a way that certainly could work.

Robot Lords of Tokyo - Whiskey, Blood & Napalm (2008)

   Robot Lords of Tokyo was formed as fan-made project that played mostly cover songs of well known heavy metal bands.
   Even though they've debuted with own songs, it's impossible to not find references to the big names. But since they're just kept playing for fun, and that could be intensively sensed in their music, there's no need to except anything revolutionary new. It's a laid back music that can be imagined as a backbround noise of motorcycle meet ups, or common chilling weekend live entertainment in rock pubs. On the side of the influences of their favorites an intense stoner/southern rock influence is also there in their music. That's easy to relate with the oldies of heavy metal, so we can say that it's a style where it's hard to fail. Simple, groovy themes combined with the catchiest generic heavy metal riffings and solos are always effective because it's easy to go into something nostalgic that reminds to the '80s and '70s, especially if the sound is also updated. Plus it's high party compatibility also can make it as an audience favorite at the right places. Recommended for the fans of stoner and southern rock bands.

Serpent Throne - Ride Satan Ride (2007)

   There were plenty of experiments from in the late '00s to bring back the style of the '70s. Bands formed who played hard rock/heavy metal in the same style like 30 years before. Even though similar bands that time had the largest audience ever, the modern restoration affected much less people than it was expected, and only a few bands gained wide attention, so this direction stayed as some niche music.
   This ambition reminded to the concept of stoner rock in the '90s, and some bands like Serpent Throne were into both, and that wasn't hard to manage since the two styles are strongly related. But the main thing is that the band probably didn't have sleepless nights while they've tried to put together the preferred style features. Their musical concept was very simple, and by simplicity it's also possible to refer to various influences. Their music was strongly Black Sabbath influenced, but it's not surprising since Black Sabbath is inevitable if it's about to play the most old school style of metal. Even the sound of the '70s they've imitated so well, that anyone who never heard about the band, could believe that it's some long forgotten gem from the past. The only thing that may sound weird for the unsuspicious listener is the complete lack of vocals, since Serpent Throne have found instrumental music enough effective to transmit their message. "Ride Satan Ride" is filled with lots of catchy heavy themes that are able to simulate to time travel back 30 years in the past. The album offers excellent nostalgia for the fans of the most ancient style of heavy/doom metal, and could be enjoyable for stoner rock fans and well.

Sasquatch - Sasquatch (2004)

   Sasquatch was formed as a very authentic stoner band at the most ideal location for this genre. By their heavy riffings they gave a good example how stoner rock in high quality should sound like.
   The usual '70s influences are waving back in their music on the side of the old stoner rock classics. The heavy sound they've operated with is mainly referring to early Kyuss. The psychedelic flotation had less role in their music, they focused more on to sound badass and to pile up many catchy themes to increase the chance of musical catharsis. In general Sasquatch's music is free from any kind of melancholic or negative effects, and not necessarily expects high level of self-destruction either. There are no weak points to find, the album is enjoyable in full-lenght. The only mentionable difference compared to the oldies of the genre is the better sound quality. It's rare to find bands who showed with such a stunning debut, and by an already well developed sound. They didn't change much during the decades, Sasquatch keeps playing in the same excellent quality since today. Highly recommended material for stoner fans!

Cuda - Hellfire (2001)

   Somehow the really intense productions were always missing amongst stone bands, or if some bands tried that way, soon they slowed down and preferred to stay in psychedelic trance for a long time. Or they just disappeared fast after like Cuda did unfortunately.
   Anyway the band was interesting because of the intense swing of their music that stepped through the borders of ordinary stoner rock. By that and their heavy sound they were closer to metal, but still on the old school path of '70s hard rock influences instead of doom or sludge, as it would be more common in this style. Even though "Hellfire" is only and EP, the way how they spiced up it's extended song lenghts with groovy party compatible themes, could create the illusion of a full-lenght album. There are some occasional slow downs of course, but these just seem like to serve as prologue or epilogue parts of the heavy rockin' on. Cuda sounded like if they strained off the most intense momenst of old stoner rock classics to mix them into a whole in their own music. But the main feeling of "Hellfire" reminds to "Wretch" by Kyuss.  By the way Cuda was a short lived side project of some members of the infamous Bongzilla.

Lowrider - Ode to Io (2000)

   The number of stoner rock bands dramatically increased as more people catched it's nostalgic and catchy feeling that made themselves to feel old school already after first listening.
  They also realized that it's not even hard to create something good in this style. Only have to take a groovy theme and to work from the various influences of the '70s or from the early direct influencers, like Lowrider did. But to make something really good, that is able to rise abowe of what the countless other old school, heavily inked and stoned bands do who are about to share their life experiences, is definitely not that easy like to play something catchy. And to play something genuine is impossible since the earliest influencers like Orange Goblin or Kyuss, because the genre simply doesm't offer many opportunities. It's more like about to catch the feeling and to perfom it authentically. Lowrider did it so good in Sweden, that even the original desert rock bands should feel ashamed. The features of late Kyuss are waving back all the time during listening "Ode ot Io". The concept is the same too and they were able to create an album that is the same way intense, psychedelic and sounds badass like a stoner rock masterpiece should sound like. The band wasn't skimpy to operate with the themes in various ways, they tried all possibilities between the borders of sounding cool and badass, so "Ode to Io" is everything but boring and repetitive. It's one of the most enjoyable albums of the late stoner rock era, so the chance of disappontment for the fans of the genre is around zero.

Sixty Watt Shaman - Seed of Decades (2000)

   Sixty Watt Shaman debuted with "Ultra Electric", a slowly rolling, chilling stoner/southern rock album, that accurately defined the band's sound and motivations.
   By "Seed of Decades" the same feeling returns in a more extended and more unified form. Therefore the feeling is even catchier than before and this album is easier to go into (not if there was any difficulty with the whole thing in the case of the debut). The productiveness of the band was spectacular by returning with an hour long material after the debut. And they took their time for real by trying every possibility in stoner/southern rock and the album just sounds like they enjoyed every second of it. The heavier songs and moments arriving from the second half of the record, but there's no sharp switch and no reason shows up to be hurry about anything, so these heavier appearances mixing up well among the softer melodies and having occasional impression, even if they're aren't so rare. In total, whether if it's about stoner rock or southern rock, Sixty Watt Shaman's music could be sorted to the most chilling and relaxing ones. Slowly flowing, chilling music ideal background noise for relaxing (and stoned) activities. Might be quite enjoyable for the fans of the genre. 

Sixty Watt Shaman - Ultra Electric (1998)

   Sixty Watt Shaman debuted with a quite stunning and intense debut influenced by the earliest wave of stoner rock.
   Their music became more chilling lately and reached similar intensiveness only for a few songs, but "Ultra Electric" sounded far more frustrated compared to their late works. As most stoner bands used to have plenty of '70s references, it's not surprising, that Sixty Watt Shaman was also catched by the renaissanse of old school influences, but they also liked to involve southern rock to turn their music a bit more groovy. Heavy sound and a wilder impression was in main focus, the psychedelic influences are almost completely missing from "Ultra Electric", so it was probably one of the grooviest stoner rock albums of the '90s. And their best album too. While many bands seem like to turn tired during a record, Sixty Watt Shaman did the oppoiste this time and the listener may wonder where are their boders, how far they will go. That's the freshness of a debuting band who wanted to show what they are made from, and tested themselves the same time. Party compatibility on maximum!

Spiritual Beggars - Another Way to Shine (1996)

   The name of Mike Amott have to sound familiar to everyone who ever was into metal music, except maybe for those who spent the past few decades in some isolated cave. He played in Carnage, Carcass and currently in Arch Enemy. After he was quit from Carcass, he started something completely new and unexpected, and founded Spiritual Beggars.
   The band's second album was an excellent proof to show that desert isn't even requiered to play desert rock, because "Another Way to Shine" had such high quality that was usual only by the best American stoner rock bands. Spiritual Beggars is probably not Mr. Amott's most popular project, but he reached the highest limits musically in this band and by this album. It wasn't just a trying to jump into an actually upcoming new genre or style, it was another way to play stoner rock by keeping the same concept. The '70s influences were not shranked only to the basics of doom metal and psychedelic rock, it's a far wider ground from which Spiritual Beggars started to build up their music. They catched the feeling very well, and successfully embedded it into the '90s. Warning, the album is also strongly party compatible!

Sleep - Sleep's Holy Mountain (1992)

When first introduced to this album, I probably ignored it for 2 or 3 months until it popped up on shuffle in my player. After that, I probably asked 1239235 people if they had heard this album before because I thought I had discovered some piece of fuzzy timeless stoner metal gold. The album is reminiscent of some of the worlds most classic Black Sabbath era heavy metal, with added doom that brings the album obviously straight out of the early 90's. I have a feeling if I were on drugs when this album came out, it would have drastically spun my young adult life into some drug fueled hippy stoner metal themed dragon ride. Just listen to the first song and you know you're in for a sweet ride. So since I can't achieve that as a functioning adult, I'll settle for switching a black light on and turning the Holy Mountain on. This album has an interesting appeal to the senses, if you're one of those listeners, man, in the sense that this album holds a sort of depth between the musical and vocal aspects; sometimes even sounding like the songs were recorded underwater as heard in "Aquarian". The fantasy projected in this album gives the listener an exercise of the mind. The songs flow well, and despite the "heaviness", the album is an easy, yet memorable listen. 

Kyuss - Wretch (1991)

   Kyuss was maybe the most influental pioneer band of the stoner rock genre, which is often called as desert rock. And also famous about intense cannabis abuse as a source of inspiration for the bands and as a common way of entartainment between the circle of fans.
   Their first full-lenght album, "Wretch" could define the features of this genre very well. The direct influences of the heaviest bands from the '70s (of course their self-destructive feeling included) placed into the '90s, like a modern sound of the old school hard rock music. That may not sound surprising in isolated-desolated areas where time seem to be stuck. The "Wretch" album has all features which may be common in this style and lately were picked up by others who chosed to follow this path with their music. The lately most usual mid-speed and psychedelic sound, low toned, heavy riffs, but also faster and groovy themes, and references to the '70s of course. The love songs and ballads were not taken from the past times, Kyuss more liked to be rude, badass, to ruin the possible romantic opportunities and found more importance in earthly pleasures and cool vehicles only.