Titanosaur – Absence of Universe

 

 

Titanosaur – Absence of Universe
Swamp Records – 2022
Metal, Punk, Sludge, Doom, Stoner, Space
Rated: ****

Absence of Universe is the new album by the one-man band from Hudson, New York called Titanosaur. There are indeed a few spacey elements on the album and one or two moments of respite; just listen to middle track Miles To Go, which serves as a definite breather between all that massive and relentless chugging. But everything else just pounds and bangs and hits and grinds! Indeed, Geoff Saavedra known his fast-paced stoner metal, knows how to punk up his sludge and knows how to hit a homerun when it comes to fire and fury. For that you need to listen to the first four and final four tracks; they all stomp on the terra like a titanic dinosaur. Which might be logical when the project name is Titanosaur; but for a one-man project to excel at delivering both riffs and drums in this fashion, you need to be one hell of a legend. Personal favorite might be the chugging yet also dynamic: Shut Off The Voices. But we can name about eight other tracks we dig the shit out of!

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Weekend

 

 

Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Weekend

We did it before! And now we’re doing it again! A Quick Fire Weekend! We just got so much back catalogue of singles, ep’s, news and weird stuff that we just want to mention. Need to mention! It keeps us awake at night. And it gives us sweaty palms when we’re working on other articles. So, here it is, the second ever Quick Fire Weekend! And we know, we know, the albums and bands deserve more than the few words we will jot down here. More attention and more of our time! But there is so much out there and we just simply cannot ever do it all justice. So here it is. The second ever Stoner HiVe Quick Fire Weekend! And it burns even hotter... Hot like molten lava!

 

 

Slugg – Yonder

A doom metal trio from Rome, Italy called Slugg released their official first single Yonder a few weeks ago. Element of stoner, prog and proto seep through during the ten minutes of Yonder and makes you wonder what these cats can do once their full-sized album is released. Cause there is much to discover here and those slower more atmospheric moments are executed as well as the fast paced thundering!

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Tigers On Opium – The Perfect Cocktail

We did this little chat with LáGoon’s Anthony Gaglia somewhere in April and when he listed all those awesome bands from Portland the list went on and on. Tigers On Opium were of course one of the first mentioned and rightfully so; just listen to their new hard rocking garage stoner track The Perfect Cocktail. The perfect propellant for a wild night out! Put this on and it will turn into one of those nights you will never remember. Punk, pulp, stoner and sleaze! The Tigers have it all!

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King Black Acid and The Rainbow Lodge – One Of My Favorite Things

Mazinga Records and Cavity Search Records released quite a few singles by King Black Acid and the Rainbow Lodge during 2021. One would imagine all of them together would make quite a hefty spacey, stoner pop and acid freak out grunge album. Latest single One Of My Favorite Things combines all that with some indie rock and neo psych; and even some tiny americana tones. It’s good, it’s fun and it’s One Of My Favorite Things…

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The Universe Is An Ocean – The Universe Is An Ocean

The self-titled debut album by The Universe Is An Ocean came out on the Addicted Label and The Swamp Records somewhere around Christmas 2021. The forty-two minutes long one-track album is indeed a ‘soundtrack for psychonauts’ as the press release states. The Universe Is An Ocean is a one-man operation by Balázs Söptei from Budapest, Hungary. You might know him from Vanta or Kajgun. This project delivers psychedelic drone metal and ambient rock destined for the outer reaches of the universe or the inner reaches of the human mind. Whichever route you prefer; but it will make you dream, that much is sure! And yes, the forty-minutes length is intentional…

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Da Beumb Project – Fairly Consistent

Bass and drum duo Da Beumb Project hails from Montréal, Québec, Canada and gives us eleven fast paced punk, grunge, metal and sludge tracks on their fairly consistent new Fairly Consistent album. Started in 2011 they manage to have every track on this album stand out due to the fact that there is something different about it. As if they suddenly had a little snippet of an idea and immediately modelled a track around it. And that makes it all Fairly Consistent…

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Oddplay – Heritage

Bulgarian duo (or trio) Oddplay delivered the amazing Bluff record early 2021 and at the very end they then came out with yet another smasher called Heritage. Eleven instrumental tracks that pay homage to all that stoner once brought to the table; and then they mix that up with some heavy prog elements, some psychedelic touches and a whole lot of style!

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Speck – Unkraut

 

 

Speck – Unkraut
Self released / The Swamp Records – 2021
Rock, Stoner
Rated: *****

Speck hails from Vienna, Austria and delivers Unkraut in a tasty portion of almost forty minutes. If consumed accidentally it might make your head nod, your hip swing and your feet tap for at least those 37 minutes. Handle with care! This Austrian kraut is highly addictive! During the summer the power trio released The Metz Sessions and earned some well-deserved attention. Now their debut album came out right in time to enter your best-of-2021-lists – in mine it’s top3. Speck Speck Speck ! Kraut- Spacerock on its best.

(Written by Doktor420)

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Thunder Volt – Entering The Cave / Wanted Man

 

Thunder Volt – Entering The Cave / Wanted Man
The Swamp Records – 2021 / 2020
Rock, Doom, Metal, Stoner, Sludge, Grunge
Rated: *** / ***

Thunder Volt is a three piece doom rock, doom metal outfit from Moscow, Russia. Their first release back in January 2020 was called I and featured four tracks. It was followed up by ten track album Wanted Man in December 2020 and they released one-track 35 minute long darkened doom adventure into an arcane and subterranean murky grotto called Entering The Cave back in August 2021. There’s a weird kind of grinding undertone to the heaviness heard on Entering The Cave, dark, twisted and intense, the 35-minute long trip will take you down into the mysterious gloom, where it will be warm and cold at the very same time. Distortion only slowly lifting and tweaky drums gently turning into a hi-hat symphony; dripping light and space into what was once suffocating and clammy. And now for something completely, ten-track Wanted Man, which incorporates as much from Grunge and Sludge as from Doom and Stoner. Skillful string performance and genius drum work take center stage, but the vocals will give you this idea of some long lost eighties or nineties alternative rock gem. The three from Thunder Volt deliver some high quality and highly diverse stuff!

(Written by JK)

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Froglord – Save The Frogs

 

 

Froglord – Save The Frogs
The Swamp Records – 2021
Metal, Doom, Sludge, Stoner
Rated: ****

The Froglord is ancient amphibian as old as time itself. Sent to watch over planet Earth and maintain the balance of nature, Froglord sleeps dormant, reborn every 10,000 years. Bestowed with the power to fire a deathray from its third eye, secrete ectoplasmic slime, and control the minds of its victims, Froglord uses whatever means to restore the natural harmony of Earth.  Well… One man stoner sludge project Froglord has been pretty prolific during the lockdown. Cause Save The Frogs is already the fourth EP and all of them are adding awareness to a public charity that works to conserve global amphibian populations through campaigning and education. What a wonderful effort and what a lovely four track EP! And for Save The Frogs they’ve decided to set a goal and try and raise a certain amount of save those amphibious lovelies… So, Save The Frogs indeed!  But musically this charity concept endeavor isn’t just for laughs, the doom metal, sludge and stoner is of a damn high level and the Froglord knows how to go low and muddy and filthy. It’s good, it’s damn good and it has a everything a stoner toad could need! So, head on over to the bandcamp site and save some frogs!  

(Written by JK)

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Save The Frogs