Yeast Machine – Bad Milk

 

 

Yeast Machine – Bad Milk
Noisolution – 2026
Rock, Stoner, Grunge, Alternative 
Rated: *****

Love the vocals and the way they let them hang, love the Queens of The Stone Age vibes and how they ferment into something intoxicating and very much their own. Love the new album Bad Milk by Yeast Machine. I mean, there’s no need to beat around anything here, they’ve delivered an amazing album that marries a grunge edge to the stoner rock sound of the first Californian boom. And then spice it up with something pop sensible and groovy, or even extremely danceable like the middle track and paradoxically titled Dust On The Radio…

But that’s what it often feels like, Dust On The Radio, some late night transmission, shadowy and smudged with distortion, but pulsing with live. Across the record the band pull you through all these different scenes, sudden eruptions of noise that collapse into hushed, smokey reflection, then rise again into something bold and unshakably alive. Chaotic yet intimate. 

Opening in the desert, with immediate movement and restless, hook driven energy. And as the broadcast continues, the atmosphere deepens, darkens, and emotion seems to linger longer, and the edge feel more frayed and worn. And during the final stretch of the record you feel it tighten its grip until everything spill out in a raw and cathartic release. And as dawn rises, you feel like you’ve moved with them and through something lived-in and electric. Messy, entirely honest and impossible to forget. Like the taste of... 

(Written by JK)

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Zhaat – Other Prophets

 

Zhaat – Other Prophets
Noisolution – 2025
Rock, Stoner, Psych, Kraut
Rated: ***

From the shadowed alleyways of Leipzig’s underground rises Zhaat. A band that breaths their sound in a ritualistic summoning. You've just put on their debut album Other Prophets and you feel the atmosphere that their wild hybrid of stoner rock, doom, post hardcore and middle eastern psychedelia conjures, a sound that hums with danger, mysticism and explosive catharsis. 

It all starts with Ramses, a song that drifts like a desert wind, slow, shimmering and scented with ancient smoke. Soon the ground cracks, the tempo swells and the vocals tear through the calm, shifting from whispered incantations into blood and fire screaming. They claim their stake on tension immediately, and they don’t build with it, they wield it, like a scimitar… 

And that splicing, that whirling, turns into a showcase of their art of contrast. With tracks like The Seer and Tikal being even grander examples of that art, flowing between hypnotic grooves and explosive breakdowns. Feeling that eerie melodic drone underneath, something that will forever resemble those Sufi ceremonies that went rogue. The pulsing heartbeat is delivered by the rhythm section and those shimmering mirages are brought to you by the guitars distortion and delicacy. 

Even at its heaviest, there is still that, the trance like pull drawing you into the sound of Zhaat. The chaos of Kante, the ritual frenzy of Divine Command deliver that heaviness as well as those parching visions. Vocals, sparse and often textural, echoing those ancient voices that fell from the walls of caves and are still the ghosts among the ruins. Often, you will feel like you are listening to the sounds of an ancient and forgotten rite. Played from found sonic glyph carvings on cracked clay tablets. For all of you that crave the spiritual side of heaviness, the ritual by riffs, Zhaat is the prophet you should follow…

(Written by JK)

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Triptonus – Terra

 

 

Triptonus – Terra
StoneFree Records / Noisolution – 2025
Instrumental, Rock,
Rated: ****

Triptonus. Yeah and indeed… They don’t sound like anybody else. And Terra… Terra sounds like the Earth cracking open under your feet, slow, loud, alive. They’re from Vienna, but they don’t belong to a place. They belong to the universal heartbeat. They belong to the pulse. To the deep hum underneath. Their new album, Terra, is less a collection of songs and more of a living, breathing ritual. It doesn’t ask for your attention, it takes it.

The Triptonus six don’t need a singer. The instruments speak. They shout, they whisper, they ache. Percussion that moves like blood through veins, restless and relentless. Guitars that aren’t so much played as unleashed. Electronics that shimmer like heat across a desert road. It’s psychedelic, it’s heavy, it’s wide-open, gigantic and searching. Terra is the sound of falling in love with elemental chaos.

Take Sultana. Seven minutes of motion. No lyrics. No mercy. The drums come first, rushing, urgent. Then the guitars rise up like a storm with no warning. It builds. It breaks. And in the center… a quiet desert bloom. A psychedelic drift. But not for long. It shifts again, gets sharp around the edges, like it’s smiling with a knife between its teeth.

And then there’s Terra itself. Thirteen minutes. It doesn’t play; it unfolds. Starts soft, gentle hands, strange colors, a feeling like the sky just inhaled. And then, snap, something inside it turns. Breaks. The light fades. The guitars snarl. Everything swells and buckles under the weight of something sacred and savage. It’s loud. It’s towering. It’s frightening in a very beautiful way. Then just… stillness. The silence afterward feels earned.

This album doesn’t want your approval. It wants your surrender. Triptonus have made a record that’s not afraid to wander, to transform, to feel. Terra is grounded in earth but always reaching for the beyond. It’s not perfect. It’s not polished. It’s real. So put on your headphones. Lay down in the dark. And let it pull you into the deep. Underneath Terra... 

(Written by JK)

Only one song available on Bandcamp at this moment...



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Red Mess – Hi-Tech Starvation

 

 

Red Mess – Hi-Tech Starvation
Noisolution – 2025
Rock, Grunge, Stoner 
Rated: ****

The first single for their new album Hi-Tech Starvation is called Huntress and was released May 23rd, and there are six more damn gritty grunge and stoner anthems on the new Red Mess record. The three Brazilians now based in Berlin, got this knack for infusing a bit of noise, a bit of punk, a bit of blues and even a bit of funk into their grunge and stoner. This makes their sound recognizable and extra infectious. Inexistent Color, with its high dynamics. Ransomware with its thunderous ending. Intravenous with a more metal based approach for the intro and then opening into a melody that reminds of nineties alternative greatness. Because raw and wild in that middle section and turning the song into the track which seems to encapsulate a lot of the different aspects of Red Mess and their new Hi-Tech Starvation. All the different elements have their time to play the field. And then going into that two minute long more stoner trucking track that is Xenon seems like the pay-off that wasn’t even necessary and therefor feels extra rewarding. Makes you want to howl, just like bassist/vocalist Lucas Klepa does in following Kind Villain… Hi-Tech Starvation has everything to fill your every need and give you all sorts of satisfaction. Red Mess is back, get served! 

(Written by JK)

You can listen to the first single Huntress of the upcoming album "Hi-Tech Starvation" now and be hungry for the rest to be released in August by Noisolution.

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24/7 Diva Heaven – Gift

 

 

24/7 Diva Heaven – Gift
Noisolution – 2024
Rock, Grunge, Riotgrrrl, Punk, Garage, Alternative
Rated: ***

Is there a resurgence of riot grrrl going on? If so, let’s applaud it! For we can all use some loud and proud feminists shaking things up! 24/7 Diva Heaven may be another one of those groups ready to take to streets, with their alternative rock, grunge and punk sound they have all the hallmarks of riot grrrl. And yet, most of the bands from this era that shirk up to that genre seem to bring more fun to the game. Less revolution by preaching and more by going berserk! And where the biggest eye catcher in most of those groups usually is the front woman, this time around we get the Gift of three! Yes, the Berlin trio of 24/7 Diva Heaven is made up of three riot girls! And those three treat us to energetic noise, often hysterical guitars and jumping around like crazy punk anthems. Charismatic by default, the songs that follow the grunge and punk signature are without a doubt the tracks that will lure you in and will be the cause of a lot of bruises during their live shows. Which we desperately hope to attend one day. But during the slower more indie and slacker inspired tracks you get to know the band more, like on Crown of Creation or Nothing Lasts. Opener Rat Race though immediately gives you an idea what most of the songs are about. Hardened power chords, driving bass lines, punching drums, screamy vocals and that always infectious energy! Something you can’t get enough of! We give you 24/7 Diva Heaven, and their Gift that keeps on giving…

(Written by JK)

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Tommy and the Teleboys - Gods, Used, in Great Condition

 

 

Tommy and the Teleboys - Gods, Used, in Great Condition
Noisolution - 2024
Stoner, Alternative Rock, Heavy Psych, Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock, Sweaty Electronics (and more)
Rated: *****

WOW, WOW, fucking WOW!!! This could be the entire review for Tommy and the Teleboys' first full length album with the great tongue in cheek title 'Gods, Used, in Great Condition'. And it would probably convince you to surf straight to their Bandcamp page, check it out, surf to the Noisolution website and buy the album. Job done. But I guess the Stoner HiVe boss won't be happy if I left it at that, so here's an attempt to write some more profound words.

And that isn't as easy as it seems, because this five-piece from Germany has absolutely no limits. The word pigeonhole has been crossed out in their dictionary and they sure as hell don't want it to appear in the one some lousy reviewer is using.

One moment you'll hear heavy blues-based stoner with a pop sensibility, not unlike Queens of the Stone Age and their main influence Masters of Reality, at other times a rush of heavy psych or menacing synths that are bursting at the seams with intensity. And when they really lift-off into outer space, the lead guitar work and additional percussion propel you straight to Japan with some kind of exotic Kikagaku Moyo vibe. But whatever they do or whichever style they incorporate in their sound (and there are a lot of those, often in the same song and at the same time), it's thriving on energy with a thunderous rhythm section leading the way, making room for the guitars and synths to do whatever they like, whenever they like. And then I haven't even mentioned the male (main lead) and female (more than additional) vocals that are truly stunning and complement each other like nothing I've ever heard before. So, to strip this review back to the essence and probably annoy the Stoner HiVe boss in the process: WOW, WOW, fucking WOW!!! This is perfection folks.

(Written by Ronny Dijksterhuis)

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Samavayo – Payan

 

 

Samavayo – Payan
Noisolution – 2022
Rock, Stoner, Prog, Punk, Metal, Desert
Rated: *****

They played a home game last week at DesertFest Berlin and it has been spinning at my home since February. But we never got around to mentioning that awesome new Payan album by German trio Samavayo. Payan reached the second spot of the March Doom Charts with only a few points less than the Number One. But in my book it was already listed as one of the year-end-favorites. Not because of the brilliant guest spots by Igor Sydorenko (Stoned Jesus), Tommi Holappa (Greenleaf, Dozer), Nick DiSalvo (Elder) and Willi Paschen (Coogans Bluff). But simply because the songs, the riffs and the hooks just keep dragging you further and further along into an sultry ocean of sand. Most of the stoner influences go the way of aggression, the punk roots and seminal Shot Shot Shot Shot track, seems to pay homage to the Palm Desert and the Songs For The Deaf album by Queens Of The Stone Age in particular. After which a more Middle Eastern vibe starts to influence the compositions; Iranian singer Googoosh is responsible for the Talagh song and the lyrics for Payan have been written by Hossein Alavi. It all gives their stoner and desert rock even more depth, warmth and significance. Twenty years on, Samavayo has become one of the most versatile and hottest bands in heavy rock!

(Written by JK)

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Kaskadeur - Uncanny Valley - Top 20 Push

 

  

Top 20 of 2020 album push post!

As we approach that jump off date for the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2020; we notice that certain highly loved albums aren’t getting the number of votes we hoped they would. So we enlisted the help of the Stoner HiVe Team to try and do one last push to get them higher on the end list…

Up next is the pusher promotion post by Shasta Beast!

 

Kaskadeur - Uncanny Valley

As list upon list is tallied this month, it's become clear that the number of fantastic albums in 2020, of all years, is overwhelming. To get my two cents in and add another album to your pile, submitted for your consideration is "Uncanny Valley" by Kaskadeur! At the top of my personal 2020 list, I've raved about these psych/jazz/prog wizards before, and gladly do so again. Not content to fit neatly in just one or two genres of heavy, the German rockers formerly known as Stonehenge display dazzling skill they wind through hit after diverse hit of groovy twists and turns. One minute they' throw u down whiplash-inducing riffs, and in the next breath deliver spaced out organ, and it all works seamlessly. Kaskadeur's experimentation and evolution from their stoner roots paid off in spades, resulting in one of the most dynamic and unique albums of the year.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

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Kaskadeur - Uncanny Valley

 

Kaskadeur - Uncanny Valley
Noisolution - September 2020
Prog, psych, jazz, stoner
Rated: *****

The artists formerly known as Stonehenge, newly minted quartet Kaskadeur from Germany delivers some of the year's most dynamic and bonkers prog on new album Uncanny Valley. Reflected in their name change, the foursome are moving away from their stoner rock past into weirder, jazzier territory, hints of which could be heard in their older material. After a brief instrumental intro, the fireworks begin with the title track's frantic onslaught of lightning fast guitar work. Merely calling the licks angular would do them a disservice. The riffs are bright, spastic, and ever-changing, turning on a dime with another groovy surprise around every bend. Somehow never disjointed in flow, the guitar and thrumming bass are held down by nimble, madman drumwork with a seemingly endless bag of tricksy fills. The cherry on top of all this top tier musicianship is none other than the Avatar of atmospherics, keyboardist Johannes. From classic Hammond blasts to spooky UFO blips and warbles, the keys add an extra dimension of psych and retro class that completes Kaskadeur's eclectic sound. After the initial eruption of the title track, "Flashback Fatkids" delivers lines of intricate, choppy guitar between swells of organ freakouts before a doomy, bass heavy crawl towards the finish line. (Slightly) less hectic but just as addictive is "The Death of Basic Trust",  building off a bright, punchy backbone that's almost tropical before soaring into epic bursts of keys and spidery guitar theatrics. The rest of the album should be enjoyed spoiler-free, but it has to be said the cymbal-splashing break towards the end of "The Death of Basic Trust" is just impossible not to move to. Helping to keep such a dynamic sound flowing are brief, jazzy instrumentals between the six main tracks, easing the transition from one epic to the next. Much of the album is instrumental, and Kaskadeur pull off the impressive feat of knowing when to use vocals and when to let the instruments speak for themselves, always in service to the music. Uncanny Valley is a beast of an album, fusing heavy prog, psych, and jazz in a combination of technique and groove that sounds like nothing else out there.

(Written by Shasta Beast)

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Black Lung – Ancients

Black Lung – Ancients

Ripple Music / Noisolution – 2019 (March 8th / 22nd)

Doom/Heavy Rock

Rated: *****

I was having a couple of drinks before heading home when The Snake walked in –fuck it. Why is he here now? Ever since kicking the habit, The Snake was the last person I wanted to see. He always had good shit but I was trying to escape that world now. He wandered over to me.

“Alright mate, got some good stuff for you today.”

“Fuck off Snake, I’m clean now and don’t need the stuff you are trying to sell me.”

“But mate, this is top quality Doom. Heavy riffs, top notch solos , the works.”

“Snake, you know I have given up Doom for good. I was sick of female vocals suddenly making a band ‘Occult’ or just slowing some 2nd hand Sabbath riffs down and playing some blues over the top.”

“Tony, this is different. This is really great. Tell you what. Listen to the first track for free. If you don’t like it, walk away, no charge”

It did sound tempting and to be honest could a little bit of Doom hurt? I slipped some headphones on and Snake put the 1st track on. DOOOOM!!! Thick heavy doom with thunderous riffs that had a feral urgency to them. Impassioned vocals over solos that went straight to my brain. And so quickly and easily I was hooked again. Black Lung had become my drug of choice and their album Ancients a contender for my end of year list.

(Written by Tony Maim)

Thanks to Richard S Jones & Sheltered Life PR for the promo.

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