Witching Buzz’s A Tribute To…

 

 

Witching Buzz’s A Tribute To… 

As Witching Buzz and Grand Sounds Promotion announce the third installment in their A Tribute To series, we realized we never mentioned the earlier two. And although we now look forward to hearing all those bands pay homage to Sleep on the soon to be released A Cathedral of Smoke: A Tribute to Sleep, we can still dive head first into the renditions of all those wild Ozzy Osbourne songs from the second A Tribute To and everything related to Kyuss from the very first one…

 

The journey of praise started with A Spaceship Landing: A Tribute To Kyuss. And let’s be honest, Stoner HiVe, you, me, would not be here if it had not been for that legendary band. And the cover album before you right now will in no way add anything to that legend. And if you are of the mind that all Kyuss songs are sacred relics and should not be messed with, you might want to keep on walking... 

For everyone else, are you ready for a fuzz-drenched playground where underground bands tear into these classics, keep their ear to the Kyuss beat or reshape them in their own dusty image? Sonic Wolves for instance rip through Thumb with swagger and sharp guitar flair. While Rhino stays close to the original Green Machine and on some level of course therefor does the most homage. Poste942, the main man from the band also responsible for the artwork of the series, give Demon Cleaner an eighties touched tumbling over and over kind of groove. Isaak’s Odyssey version hits every riff out of the park and so does Fuzz Evil and their version of Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop. Versions that could one day make the world famous Stoner HiVe posts named The Cover That Could. Grin! But yeah, you will probably have your own favorite after listen to all twenty Kyuss songs done right. And perhaps a new favorite band if the names that riff you wild, where unknown to you before this session… So, open a can, find a cactus and let the desert spin around you… 

Iron Man’s Anthem: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne followed last February. It’s only been a bit more than half a year since the Legend gave us his final bow. And on this tribute there are twenty-two bands paying homage to the great and only Oz. And where the Kyuss tribute featured bands I already knew, this one sports some lesser known ones. And that is perhaps another reason why these albums are fun, you might just discover a band and dive into their own work after hearing a fine rendition of a famous song. Even though it might be a different reason than expected, the Kazoo-laced and Elvis-infused madness in second track The Wizard for instance. But that’s of course what Heaven and Hellvis from Scotland is all about. Luckily this is followed by a faithful rendition of N.I.B. by Rainbow Bridge and puts you back on track to enjoy the album. A more stoner and sludge approach to Paranoid by Corruption out of Poland hits the spot right. Poste942 is still roaming around in a cloud of the eighties, but this time more metal and absolutely compelling with their No More Tears version. Will every of the twenty two renditions keep you from immediately turning to the original, absolutely not! But most of them are definitely full of passion and sound like they wanted to do right by the one true king. I guess there’s enough proof here for all that reckless devotion and their love for the way in which the man rattled your bones, made amps explode and bats take a detour whenever and wherever the ominous sounds of Black Sabbath were heard… 

 

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CCQueen – Another Brick In The Wall

 

CCQueen – Another Brick In The Wall

With everything going on around the world. Well. You get the idea. And since we occasionally did this little segment called The Cover That Could, where we mentioned stunning cover versions of certain rock songs. And also since we love those love them French five named CCQueen. Well, and for many more reasons, we have to link you up with their version of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall. A righteous rendition of that absolute classic!

It's also up on YOUTUBE

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CCQueen – Scavenger Review

CCQueen – Electric Kisses Mention

The Cover That Could

The Cover That Could – IV

The Cover That Could – IV

Black Diamond Brigade – Black Diamond

Black Diamond Brigade is a super group in the finest sense of the word. Or should we say was, cause unfortunately the band has only performed live once and have only recorded one song and one video. For it was a super group formed in honor of a Kiss Tribute album. The members were taken from Norwegian metal and punk bands. But also Billy Gould from Faith No More was present. The rest of those Norwegian freaks were vocalist Torgny Amdam from Amulet, Sigurd Wongraven from Satyricon on bass, keys and backup singer. On drums we hear Tarjei Strom from the Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band. But I guess we post this The Cover That Could post in honor of Knut Schreiner of the loved by everyone and praised by even more bands named Euroboys and ofcourse Turbonegro! On the maxi single that was released alongside that tribute album we find two almost identical version of Black Diamond and the video. With so many demigods, Kiss could just as well pack up and go sit in a dark corner somewhere. So all we need to do now is kneel and pray for the return of the Black Diamond Brigade!

Black Diamond Brigade

The Cover That Could – III

The Cover That Could – III

Cato Salsa Experience – Planet Heart

And finally 2005 was deemed fit to release a tribute album in honor of the mighty Guitar Wolf. This notorious Japanese garage, rock and punk trio has so many great albums to their name that it was high time to celebrate all their qualities. And not just because they still have the Guinness Book of Records record for loudest recorded album ever, their record Jet Generation released in 1999. Ain’t that a kick!? But on the tribute album named I Love Guitar Wolf… Very Much, we find thirteen songs performed by bands such as Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Porch Ghouls and Jim O’Rourke. And then there is that highly noteworthy version done by the Cato Salsa Experience. The band founded and named by magician Cato Salsa Thomassen, who produced numerous albums and played righteous parts on even more. He later also went on tour with Madrugada and joined Sivert Hoyem’s band. These Norwegians do a righteous cover of the song Planet Heart from the album Planet Of The Wolves and give it that bit of air and breathing room that the original version from 1997 kind of missed. And therefore perhaps make it even better than the original?!

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The Cover That Could – II

The Cover That Could – II

China Drum – Wuthering Heights

In lee of their triumphant return to the stage as of 2013 and the release of a new seven inch next week it feels only right to pay homage to this great cover done by China Drum. Founded around 1989 the band released three albums and a handful of EP’s and singles. But unfortunately the band never garnered the attention they deserved and they disbanded in 2000. Their punk spirit and aggressive energy trades places with their melodic and alternative rock side within almost every song. It sported the singing drummer Adam Lee who went on to become frontman and new drummers came. One of them was ofcourse the Dutch drummer Jan Willem Alkema who came from Compulsion after the Goosefair recordings and who went on to bang with Driven To Collision. Their debut full-sized album from 1996 is called Goosefair and is perhaps their best one. Although Self Made Maniac from 1998 brought forth the truly amazing 60 Seconds track. (It’s still on almost every playlist I manufacture.) But for the listeners who were there when Goosefair came out the wait wasn’t over. Cause at the end of the disc you had to wait twelve minutes before the secret track to commence. Overdriven distorted feedback starts their version of the Kate Bush song Wuthering Heights. It is perhaps the most famous song of this criminally underappreciated band. But Great Magnet willing, the new incarnation will match what the band was all about, and manage to help everyone (re) discover China Drum…

Ps. Did you know it made the 15th position of the BBC top 50 covers of all time selection?

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The Cover That Could – I

The Cover That Could – I

Karma To Burn – Twenty Four Hours

There is not much left of that old Karma To Burn spirit. Sure, the new incarnation sounds damn good. But it is not the same without Oswald and Mullins. And just think back to 1997 to that very first album by this legendary instrumental stonerrock-formation, it surprised friend and foe. Not just because of the amazing quality of the songs. But more because we were suddenly also treated to a singer. And ever since that moment the fans have been divided in two camps. Those who love that first album to death and believe it to be the best they ever released and those who dismiss that first one and think it should never have seen the light of day. Whatever side you are on, there is a cover version on the record, which might as well be judged as better than the original. Which is in part thanks to the last minutes added vocalist (ordered by the record company) Jason ‘J.J.’ Jarosz. The original song describes the endless and hopeless darkness that is beyond any form of depression. So many things to fight for; yet without any real meaning. Cause everything slips away anyway. Perfect bass lines that provide the melody and thus become the fantastic toy for the mighty Rich Mullins… Karma To Burn’s version of the Joy Division song Twenty Four Hours is better than the original!

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The Cover That Could

The Cover That Could

I am a sucker for cover versions. Covers done right add something to the original and on some occasions even make it better. Most often it just makes it sound different or interesting. Sometimes it’s just entertaining. And there are those versions that completely destroy the song. But still, for some reason I am always drawn to them. To hear what an artist comes up with when it is their interpretation. Well. On Stoner HiVe we will occasionally pay a little tribute to one of those versions. Once every so often it will enthrall, amaze or make you fall in love with the song all over again. And sometimes, it will make you laugh or puke…