Ripple Music has done it once again, the “it” in question being the fact that they have released another gem of stoner rock. This summer, the label released the new album by MR. PLOW into the world and with it further ensured their legacy within the genre. The band, based in Houston, wrote eight very cool songs for the ‘Maintain Radio Silence’(2018) LP, but I can tell you that no radio will be silent with this fantastic record nearby! There are riffs aplenty, some of which are a bit trippy (“Samizdat”) and some that are just plain huge (“Matchstick”) – all of them are very powerful. Add to that the fact that both guitarists, Jeremy Stone and Justin Waggoner, contribute vocals, backed by an extremely talented bassist and drummer (Greg Green and Cory Cousins), and you have the makings of one incredible band!

“Sigil” opens this album with some heavy riffing, before trimming back for the verses. This section has a heavy psychedelic vibe, due to the way the vocals and music lay back, creating a wicked sound indeed! The chorus comes back in with some of the intro’s heaviness, and that dynamic change lends itself to sounding ever larger than before. The guitar solo is so sweet, as is the riff underneath it. The bass sounds massive right here, and has a great tone going as well.

My favorite track, “Samizdat,” is up next. I love the psychedelic sounds of the verses – those guitars just swirl into your ears so nicely. This track is arranged in a similar fashion as “Sigil” and it works so well for both of these songs. I really dig the power in both choruses, they are just immense and crushing in tone.

“Shaolin Cowboy” reminds me of Helmet’s famous song, “In the Meantime.“ The tone of the guitars, the way the riff moves, everything is very Helmet influenced from the sound of it, except the vocals – the vocals make Page Hamilton sound bad! The melody and execution is flawless, in my opinion. This is my second favorite track on Maintain Radio Silence.

"Hammer Smashed Face” is one of the last few tunes here and threw me off when I saw the title. Cannibal Corpse has a song by the same name and my first thought was that this was a cover, but that didn’t feel right either. Upon listening, I found a song that has a heavy, eighth-note chug, and more kick ass vocals.

Mr. Plow may remind you all of Homer Simpson, but this is nothing like Homer’s vision. This is a really killer offering from this band of Texans, one full if great songwriting and expert execution. I highly urge you to grab this album as soon as possible. It is well worth your money and listening time.

This week, Doomed & Stoned is giving you a taste of the highly anticipated return LP, ‘Maintain Radio Silence’ (2018), by MR. PLOW. You may have run into Mr. Plow on our recent compilation, 'Doomed & Stoned in Texas’ (2017), an ongoing fundraiser for the Houston Food Bank in aid of Hurricane Harvey victims. The new album is the band’s first in more than a decade, following the widely heralded 'Asteroid 25399’ (2006).

Maintain Radio Silence is a thrilling collection of riffs and choruses that reinforces all the things that makes the band so beloved among its fan base. Take “Johnny Gentle,” for instance, the song we debut today. Fair warning: like the other tracks you’ll encounter on the new record, it’s an addictive one – whether we’re talking about the opening rumble of the bass, the lure of the siren riff, or that catchy chorus I’ve been singing under my breath all day (“Come on, Gentle Johnny save us”). This is why we’ve missed you, Mr. Plow, and why we’re so excited that you’re back.

Mr. Plow is:

• Justin Waggoner (guitar, vocals)
• Jeremy Stone (guitar, vocals)
• Greg Green (bass)
• Cory Cousins (drums)

The Houston outfit got together more than 20 years ago in the sunny year of '97, their bio tells us, “when Kyuss and Fu Manchu were blowing out speakers in car systems across the land.” It was an era of evolution in heavy music, when more and more bands were returning to the worship of the riff and “the term stoner rock was joining the lexicon for music writers who needed a category” to describe a genre “that was tuned down and turned up.”

The band were “influenced heavily by the times,” their bio tells us, “but sought a different direction lyrically” opting for “pop-culture references and hooky riffs” over “skulls and satanic imagery.” It’s “way more about good times” they tell us. In this way, Mr. Plow aims “to be that would be the soundtrack for summer trips to the beach or skate park.” That I can definitely get behind!

If their last album Asteroid 25399 was inspired by American author Kurt Vonnegut (or, to be more precise, an asteroid named after him), it will come as no surprise that Maintain Radio Silence is full of literary and cultural callbacks. For instance, “Johnny Gentle” hints at David Foster Wallace’s '96 novel, Infinite Jest. Under the direction of fictional President Johnny Gentle, a movement is under foot to tidy up the mess of hazardous waste that was once the Northeastern United States. In the book, the U.S. joins with Canada and Mexico to form a superstate called the Organization of North American Nations. “Lock the door, shut the whole world out,” the band sings with more than a smidgen of irony. If you love stuff like that, you’ll find Maintain Radio Silence stimulating to mind and body alike.

There’s an excellent interview our friend Steve Howe did over at Outlaws of the Sun that I’d recommend to you if you’d like to catch up with what the band’s been up to between the two albums.

Maintain Radio Silence was mastered by Ty Tabor of Kings X, with album art by Kyler Sharp. It releases January 26th and can be pre-ordered here. We can’t wait for you to hear it all!