Weedsconsin – Tracklisting
Sundae Driver
Free The Weed
Space Rock
The Weedeater
Earth Bong / Smoked / Mags Bags
Gummies
Members
Muleboy (bass, vocals)
Spanky (guitar)
Magma (drums)
Review
Legendary WEEDIAN Doom/Stoner Metal Icons BONGZILLA return with their first new album in 16 years and it’s a glorious and welcome return. Weedsconsin is what you expect from an album that’s powered by the mighty WEED and then some. BONGZILLA have found time to venture into new areas of Psychedelic Heavy based weirdness on this album with the album having an adventurous Spaced Out feel though still remaining a true BONGZILLA record.
The album contains 6 slabs of mighty fine Stoner based Reefer Madness with some songs being firm favourites already for myself such as Sundae Driver, Free The Weed, Space Rock and the epic 15 minute plus track of Earth Bong / Smoked / Mags Bags though maybe I’m getting too far ahead.
Opening song – Sundae Driver – is a distorted bass heavy ride with that feels like BONGZILLA have never been away with their “classic” style of music leading the way. The music is brutally heavy and addictive with Muleboy’s vocals being the trippy storyteller the album wonderfully needs. There is a lot of DEMONIC FUZZ on this record and the album is more powerful for the LOUD VOLUMES the band use on the album.
Second song – Free The Weed – is a slow pounding song with BONGZILLA playing a cautious style of music before unleashing another heavy round of DEMONIC WEEDIAN based madness. The song is down-tuned yet again with an ugly underbelly of Doom/Sludge Metal causing the atmosphere to be quite volatile but the Psychedelic moments sees the band play some highly memorable instrumental sounds that leave you wanting more.
Third song – Space Rock – is superbly named with BONGZILLA drifting further into the realms of Psychedelic Rock and Spaced Out Stoner Doom. The song is one of the finest songs they’ve written in their lengthy careers. Psychedelic Rock/Metal is the key foundation of this song and it uses the 10 minute plus running time superbly well and shows style of music we haven’t heard from the band before. The vocals are harsh but easy to understand.
Fourth song – The Weedeater – is 35 second blast of WEEDIAN style ideas. It’s mostly there to fill in the time but there is some very cool Distorted Drone sounds before the song ends.
The final two songs of Earth Bong / Smoked / Mags Bags and Gummies offer almost 22 minutes of the best moments of the album with the band feeling more comfortable with their new musical surroundings. BONGZILLA play a more Progressive style of music especially on the 15 minute epic multi-chapter journey of Earth Bong / Smoked / Mags Bags.
This is perhaps one of the best Stoner Metal comeback albums since SLEEP released The Sciences back in 2018. Weedsconsin is the album that BONGZILLA needed to return with and they’ve delivered one of the finest Stoner Metal albums we’ll likely to hear in 2021.
It’s seriously a MUST HAVE ALBUM....
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo. Weedsconsin will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds Records from April 20th 2021.
Links:
Facebook | BandCamp
