Sunday 31 March 2024

Doom/Stoner Metallers FLAMEBEARER Announce Debut Album BRAZEN And New Song SEED IS SOWN


Formed late 2021 Flamebearer are Doom-tinged all out heavy metal featuring members of 1968, Decomposed, Oak, Mourn, Blood Island Raiders, Brule and Mocho Diablo.Fronted by Andy Valiant formally of Oak and current 1968 frontman, Flamebearer are inspired by classic 70s rock, 80s metal, all the way from The Cult to Cathedral.

The hard rocking quartet release their debut album 'Brazen' on 24th April 2024 (independent). Pre-empting this Flamebearer are currently releasing singles from the LP, the latest being Seed Is Sown.

'The energy of songs on 'Brazen' has come very naturally to us as really we just wanted to get people moving in the crowd and wake people back up a bit after time apart during lockdown. It's fully organic, very honest and a lot of fun to play. Generally we write lyrics that are more about lifting people up and making a person feel 10 foot tall rather than beaten down and racked with worry and overthinking' - Andy Valiant


An interesting fact is that Valiant actually first saw Big Al, Flamebearer's lead guitarist back in 2002 when he was only 16 and Big Al was playing in Blood Island Raiders supporting Orange Goblin at the Peel in Kingston. Valiant was so young he could still get a child bus ticket. Little did he know that he would be in a band with him 20 years later.

The band are currently building a fanbase within the stoner rock arena but are looking to broaden their horizons with their high energy and extremely upbeat performances.


Flamebearer kicked off 2023 in style by releasing their raucous version on the infamous ‘Wild Child’ by WASP, further establishing their 80s metal influences but also brazen attitude to playing ‘dated’ songs with passion and vigour.

The band performed Wild Child to much excitement at the now firmly established Masters Of The Riff festival at Oslo East London in March. Wild Child is still performed to much delight at Flamebearer shows to this day.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/flamebearerband
https://www.instagram.com/flamebearerband/?hl=en
https://flamebearer.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4bRBQal2LOKIOvoZTUOjdq

Acid Mammoth - Supersonic Megafauna Collision (Album Review)

Release Date: April 05th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Supersonic Megafauna Collision- Tracklisting

1. Supersonic Megafauna Collision

2. Fuzzorgasm (Keep On Screaming)

3. Garden Of Bones

4. Atomic Shaman

5. One With The Void

6. Tusko's Last Trip


Members

 

Chris Babalis Jr  - Vocals/Guitar

Chris Babalis Sr - Guitar

Dimosthenis Varikos - Bass

Marios Louvaris - Drums


Review


Supersonic Megafauna Collision sees the return of one of the European scenes essential Stoner Metal bands with Acid Mammoth delivering a stirring blend of down-tuned and seedy FUZZ grooves that takes all the essential sounds the band are known for and gives it a more drugged out and psychedelic attitude. The movement can be quite sludgy and downtuned at times but this is still classic sounding Acid Mammoth through and through the album.


The opening tracks of Supersonic Megafauna Collision has that stripped back sound Acid Mammoth have become widely known for with that seedy Progressive flow appearing very early on. The song is quite slow paced at times but with Acid Mammoth allowing their music to breathe with that wicked Cosmic Doom drive heard within their last couple of albums. The vocals from Chris are once again rooted in 70’s Classic Doom with a twinge of classic 90’s Stoner Metal attitude. 


Supersonic Megafauna Collision starts off rather brightly and hopeful for a Doom/Stoner Metal record but slowly becomes darker, sinister and even quite heartbreaking when the last track of Tusko’s Last Trip appears. As that song tells “the heart-wrenching real story of Tusko, an elephant who was murdered as a result of cruel human experimentation."


Before we reach that vital part of the story, Acid Mammoth stroll through their treasure chest of FUZZED UP grooves and Doomed Out sounds for a record that always strives for excitement and excellence which Acid Mammoth paying homage to bands such as Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Cathedral, SLEEP, Electric Wizard, KYUSS and Truckfighters. However, one thing remains the same is how Acid Mammoth deliver their own original style of WEEDIAN sounds on tracks such as Fuzzorgasm (Keep On Screaming), Garden Of Bones and Atomic Shaman. As Acid Mammoth slowly transforms into SHAMANIC DOOM OVERLORDS with the help of some first rate storytelling within their lyrics and classic sounding vocals from Chris.


Supersonic Megafauna Collision becomes more daring and emotionally driven within the final two tracks of One With The Void and Tusko’s Last Trip and that’s one thing that showcases how Acid Mammoth have matured as songwriters and storytellers with two superb songs that pull on the heartstrings. There’s still an abundance of heavy Doom/Stoner Metal instrumental passages which remain seedy and essential as ever.


Acid Mammoth are continuing their epic journey with Heavy Psych Sounds who have been with the band ever since their acclaimed 2020 release Under Acid Hoof and it’s great to see that relationship continuing with this brilliantly produced release. 


Acid Mammoth are perhaps my favourite band from the Greek Doom/Stoner Metal scene and Supersonic Megafauna Collision is another must have album and definite Album Of The Year Contender from the band. This is a record that’s full of vivid sounds and exciting instrumental passages that should see the band vastly becoming one of the most important Doom/Stoner Metal bands within the underground scene we have right now.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.


Supersonic Megafauna Collision is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday April 05th 2024.


Links


Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram


Saturday 30 March 2024

Slow Green Thing - Wetterwarte / Waltherstrasse (Album Review)

Release Date: March 29th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Wetterwarte / Waltherstrasse - Tracklisting

1.I Thought I Would Not

2.The Sunshine In Me

3.Tombstones In My Eyes

4.Thousand Deaths

5.Whispering Voices

6.I Am Universe


Members

 

Jörg - Drums

Sven - Guitars/Vocals

Martin - Bass

David - Guitars


Review


German Doomsters Slow Green Thing return with their new album Wetterwarte / Waltherstrasse which features six tracks each lasting between seven to eight minutes in length with the band on fine heavy form. There’s a cool style of classic sounding Proto Doom elements within the music that charges against the Stoner Metal backdrop of distorted FUZZ Rock within the more heavier parts of the record.


This is quite a different sound compared to their 2020 album Amygdala and sees Slow Green Thing return to their heavier roots first heard on their debut album but still allowing themselves the opportunity to change their music for the better. The sound can be quite Progressive which is played very early on the sublime opening track I Thought I Would Not which it’s dark take on the classic Sabbathian STONER sound with that extra layer of gloomy heaviness coming from Sven’s stripped back vocals. 


Slow Green Thing excels the most playing of extended instrumental jams with a seedy Doom Rock tone which captures the aesthetics of the surrounding Seventies DOOM METAL groove in a positive light with some deep choice cuts of down-tuned Sludgy moments which continues to explored on tracks such as The Sunshine In Me, Tombstones In My Eyes and Thousand Deaths. These tracks also see Slow Green experiment with more Psychedelic textures for an overall sound that feels quite contemporary and modern at the same time. The atmosphere can be quite slow but allows Slow Green Thing to build up a dominant rhythm with a Post-Doom quality that’s quite aggressive at the same time.


Wetterwarte / Waltherstrasse becomes even more soulful and organic on the second half of the album with Slow Green Thing expanding their overall sound to one of pure heavy and hazy Psychedelic exploration where the guitars can be quite jagged and distorted at the same time with the final two songs Whispering Voices and I Am Universe containing some of my favourite moments of the whole album. The Post-Doom and Post-Stoner dynamics of the album is where Slow Green Thing truly shine and start delivering their own great blend of haunting Doom/Stoner Metal with real emotional depth.


Slow Green Thing have delivered one of their strongest and most outstanding creative efforts with Wetterwarte / Waltherstrasse which allows them to not only further enhance their reputation of being one of the best Doom/Stoner Metal bands from the German scene but also the Global underground scene as well.


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Slow Green Thing for the promo.


Wetterwarte / Waltherstrasse is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.


Links


Official | Facebook | BandCamp


Buffalo Bud Buster Interview: The Electric Highway Festival Interview Special - An Interview With Rog Reuz From Stoner Metallers BUFFALO BUD BUSTER


Hard Rock/Stoner Metallers Buffalo Bud Buster are performing at this year's The Electric Highway Festival on Friday April 04th 2024 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They recently released their new excellent new album El Diablo Locomotor and it's jam-packed with Classic Hard Rock grooves twinned with epic Stoner Metal jams.

I caught up with Rog Reuz (vocals) from the band to discuss what folks will have in store from Buffalo Bud Buster ahead of their festival performance.

How are things with you today?

Well, like most Calgarians we were thoroughly enjoying that brief taste of spring, and now we are knee-deep back into winter's cold embrace. It’s depressing but it builds character! Hey, on the topic of seasons, why is winter the only season that happens twice in a calendar year???? Do you have a meteorologist on staff over there? Maybe run it by them and let them know.

How are the preparations currently going?

Preparations are in full swing! Dan, Brent and Rob have been working furiously at jam to dial in our tunes, and I have been doing a vigorous keagles routine 3 times a day to prep for our performance!

What can people in attendance expect from Buffalo Bud Buster for this festival performance?

Imagine a double barrelled shotgun loaded with high energy rock and roll exploding in your face. And then Imagine a big warm hug. And then imagine a chainsaw of hard rock riffage tearing through your flesh. Then imagine having tea with your grandmother……..but King Diamond kicks open the door and the tea is actually blood! ……I’m sorry I forgot what we were talking about.

What type of set will you be performing though I presume it will be focusing upon your excellent new album El Diablo Locomotor.

Thank you for the kind words! This years set is going to be chalked full of 7 minute progressive rock anthems! Keyboards, horns, techno samples, go-go dancers, live animals, and clips from the Dr Phil show. Wait, that was a lie. Those who have seen us before know exactly what they are gonna get, and those who haven’t seen us before are in for a real treat.

Will you be doing any more gigs before the festival happens and if so where will you be performing at?

BBB has been so proud to be a part of every Electric Highway/ 420 festival so far, and we always like it be our first show of the year if possible. It’s a great way to kick off the season!

What bands are you looking forward to see performing live at The Electric Highway Festival?

Oh man! Sooooooo many! In fact I could just copy and paste the entire lineup right here. Hombre and The Getmines come to mind as well since I haven’t seen them live yet!

Your new album El Diablo Locomotor has just been released. Have you been pleased with the responses it's received so far. What can people expect from this record compared to your previous albums.

The response has been amazing! We came out of the gates hot, and hit number 11 on the Doom Charts, we’ve had tons of plays and streams and responses from all around the world. I think this album really captured the true BBB sound and vibe. Huge thanks to Jamie at Prohibitor Studios for all the work he put into it!


What has been the high points and low points performing with the band?

The highest points were the shows we played last year. The band has really come together. In the studio, and live the band has really evolved into a slick, well oiled machine that has its nuts neatly placed in a variety of pickle dishes! The lowest point was the time we tried to play a show at Spy Hill Penitentiary. Like Johnny cash, I thought it would really do wonders for our career, but instead we ended up serving 6 to 10 months……..food was trash, would not recommend.

Do you have any other musical projects that folks can check out or any exciting releases coming in the future?

BBB is always writing new material, and we are hopefully optimistic to be back in the studio this fall. Fans of the heavier stuff should check out Prohibitor, which Brent also plays bass in. Super heavy thrash metal that will rip you up. And Rob also does double drum duty in The Evergreen Standard, which is delicious alternative punk! Dan and myself have a side project called Shoplifting Over Priced Items At The Grocery Store, but it’s actually more of a lifestyle I guess.

How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?

All of us caught the music bug early on. Music has been front and center in our lives for as long as we can remember. Dan first got hooked by KISS, Rob, who didn’t answer me soon enough, got hooked by Kim Mitchell, he even painted his entire bedroom ceiling with a portrait of Kim being a wild party. Brent, who also didn’t answer me soon enough, got hooked by Ice Cube and gangster rap in general. The more gats, and the more bling…….the better! See what happens when you don’t respond to the band group chat! Hahahaha. I remember way back to elementary school, Guns and Roses was the first band that made me want to be a musician, and swear more, and wear leather pants……….I never did get those pants.


Will you be performing any gigs later in the year?

Definitely! Stay tuned for some announcements coming later this spring! Boom!

Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there?

I do. Listen, it’s me…..Rog; what you’re gonna do is come down to the Electric Highway 2024. You’re gonna forget about all that day to day bullshit that is nagging away at your soul. You’re gonna let it all go. You’re gonnna replace it with the divine gift of rock and mother fucking roll. It’s gonna charge your soul like a Tesla that was hit with Thor’s hammer, long haired Thor, not the short haired version with one eye, or whatever fuck was going on there. Trust me on this one. You won’t regret it.

Words by Steve Howe and Rog Reuz

Thanks to Asher Media PR for arranging this interview and for Rog Reuz for taking the time out to do this interview. 

Buffalo Bud Buster Links


The Electric Highway Festival Links

Festival passes, tickets, and merchandise are available at https://theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/​

Event info: https://www.facebook.com/events/327207160030277

Friday 29 March 2024

Fuzz Rock Group Thermate Release New Song/Video For BUZZKILL In Anticipation of New Album

Single Cover Art: Maciej Kamuda / Layout: Juuso Honkanen

Fuzz rock group Thermate (est. 2012) have released a new song, “Buzzkill”, along with a mesmerizing psychedelic sing-along video. With a dynamic blend of heavy riffs and infectious groove, the new single guarantees to make anyone's flare pants flutter.

New material has been in the pipeline for quite some time, while the rhythm section has seen some changes since their debut album's release in 2019 through Argonauta Records. The group's sophomore LP can be expected to come out some time next year.


"The song cruises like a convertible on the groove-filled highways of the ‘70s, making your hair blow in the breeze no matter how bald you are! Towards the end, we slow things down a bit veering towards '90s vibes and introducing some deliciously heavy stoner riffs. Shamelessly combining various styles, this track serves as a compelling preview of the diverse nature of our forthcoming material," says the band's guitarist, Mikko Väätäinen.

Vocalist Arthur Thure continues: "Throughout the history of mankind, good and evil have clashed. Although tyrants have usurped power, there has always been a counterforce which has paved the way for victory over tyranny. The lyrics of this song are meant to encourage one to take a stand against injustice, everywhere and always."

Photo: Marc Sabat

Members:

Arthur Thure – vocals
Mikko Väätäinen – guitar
Juuso Honkanen – guitar
Perttu Moilanen – bass
Sami Taskinen – drums

Discography:

Redshift City (Argonauta Records, 2019)
Black Desert Highway EP (2017)
Off to Hades EP (2016)

Links:

Bandcamp: https://thermate.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thermateband/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thermateband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thermate
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/685hjZFXJCEh3vDlLmKgZz


Thanks to Vastus Promotions for all of the info.

DEAD QUIET Interview - The Electric Highway Festival Interview Special - An Interview With Kevin Keegan From Classic Rock/Doom Metallers DEAD QUIET

Classic Rock/Doom Metallers Dead Quiet are performing at the annual The Electric Highway Festival on Saturday April 06th 2024 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The band released their outstanding new album IV last year which is perhaps the band's most thrilling and original album yet. 

I caught up with Kevin Keegan (Guitar/Vocals) from Dead Quiet to discuss their upcoming festival performance amongst other things. 

Hi Kevin. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today?

KK: Good!

I know you're currently busy preparing with Dead Quiet for the forthcoming The Electric Highway Festival happening April 4th to April 6th and with you guys performing one of the headlining slots on Saturday night. How are the preparations currently going?

KK: They’re going smoothly!

What can people in attendance expect from Dead Quiet for this festival performance?

KK: They can expect an enthusiastic performance with a couple of songs we’ve never played live.


What type of set will you be performing though I presume it will be focusing upon your excellent 2023 album IV and some of your classic tracks

KK: Yeah we are busting a couple of songs we have never played live actually, so it’s definitely a special one for us.

Will you be doing any more gigs before the festival happens and if so where will you be performing at?

KK: Yeah we are playing in Edmonton the night before with our brothers in Anciients.

What bands are you looking forward to see performing live at The Electric Highway Festival?

KK: Empress and Anciients for sure.

 

Dead Quiet released their latest album VI way back in June 2023.. Has it surprised you the response that it received so far.

KK: It actually didn’t get much of a response, which was disappointing but we are very proud of it and as a band it’s our favorite so far.

What has been the high points and low points performing with the band?

KK: High points include touring Europe and the low points include getting robbed in Europe.

Do you have any other musical projects that folks can check out or any exciting releases coming in the future?

KK: Brock plays in Anciients and they have a new album coming out in September. Mike is in Empress and will be gigging a ton in the future and I have another band called Fearbirds.

How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?

KK: My brother handed me a cassette of Metallica “Kill em all” when I was 9 and that was pretty much it from there.


Will you be performing any gigs later in the year?

KK: Nothing booked as of yet but I’m sure we’ll do one or 2 more.

Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there?

KK: Rock onward!

Words by Steve Howe and Kevin Keegan

Words by Steve Howe and Kenny Cook

Thanks to Asher Media PR for arranging this interview and for Kenny Cook for taking the time out to do this interview.

Dead Quiet Links


The Electric Highway Festival Links

Festival passes, tickets, and merchandise are available at https://theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/​

ANCIIENTS Interview - The Electric Highway Festival Interview Special - An Interview With Kenny Cook With Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers ANCIIENTS


Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers ANCIIENTS are making their return to the Heavy Metal World with a headlining slot of this year's THE ELECTRIC HIGHWAY Festival on Saturday April 06th 2024 in Calgary, Alberta.

The band have been away from the scene for quite some time and I'm really pleased their coming back in a big way as I'm a huge fan of their 2016 album Voice Of The Void which has become an undeniable classic since it's initial release.

I caught up with Kenny Cook (Vocals/Guitar) from the band this cool interview where he provides details about ANCIIENTS festival appearance and speculating on rumours about a new full length record. 

Read on for a great interview.

Hi Kenny. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today?

We are doing very well!

I know you're currently busy preparing with Sasquatch for the forthcoming The Electric Highway Festival happening April 4th to April 6th and with you guys performing headlining slot on Saturday night. How are the preparations currently going?

Rehearsals have been going amazing, we are living in different cities these days so it’s always a good time when we can get together in the same room and unleash some pent up energy.

What can people in attendance expect from Anciients for this festival performance?

For one, they can expect a new line up. Since the last time we played in Calgary, we’ve acquired a new bassist. Everyone in the band is now firing on all cylinders and we are quite excited to get back to playing our music live, after quite a lengthy hiatus. We’ve got a special set of songs picked out, one of which we’ve never performed live before.

What type of set will you be performing though I presume it will be focusing upon your excellent previous albums. Will you be performing or trying out new material for this festival slot.

We’ve chose a killer set of songs which I think will gel well with the overall vibe of the festival. Hard and heavy as well as dynamic and sonically pleasing. Most of the material will consist of songs from ‘Heart of Oak’ and ‘Voice of the void’, Although, we do have a few new songs also included! We are excited to see how they go over with the in attendance.

Will you be doing any more gigs before the festival happens and if so where will you be performing at?

We’ve got one warm up show happening on April 5th at the Starlite Room in Edmonton.

What bands are you looking forward to see performing live at The Electric Highway Festival?

There are a ton of killer bands on the bill. I’m really excited to check out Empress. They are an awesome band from Vancouver. I’m always ready to see Dead Quiet melt some faces as well. There is a handful of performers I have yet to see or hear so it will be great to check out some new music.


Anciients released their last album Voice Of The Void way back in 2016. The album was critically acclaimed across the board. Did it surprise you the response that it received and how it's still highly regarded to this day. Did you know you had something special when you released that album.

We don’t ever go into the writing room expecting any certain type of reaction to the music. For me personally, anyways, I can’t write thinking about whether or not the material being written will sound good, or bad, to the ears of the masses. I just try to make sure that we as a group, are satisfied with the songs we create. If the material gets us stoked, and we enjoy performing it, that’s all that really matters. With Voice of the Void, I felt like we had a decent collection of songs, but we didn’t have and major expectations, the music will always feel special to us after putting so much time and effort into putting the album together, but it’s hard to think it will be special to anyone other than us.

We were certainly surprised when the album won the Juno award! That was something you could never expect, especially with so much talent spread out across the country. It does feel quite rewarding when people also enjoy the music you create. We really do appreciate all of the fans that have shown interest in our band.

I've heard rumblings of a new album being released in 2024. Can you confirm this or is everything still top secret for the time being. If you can provide details when is the album being released.

I can definitely say the rumblings are true! Though I can give too much information about it yet, I can confirm the album is fully complete and ready for release. Season of mist will be putting it out, and it should start seeing the light of day within the next couple of months.

What has been the high points and low points performing with the band?

We have had many high points as a band. Whether it be getting to tour with the like of Death to all, Lamb of god and travel the world. Receiving accolades such as the Juno Award were also very nice.

Health issues with family taking a front seat for a while, caused us to take a step back after Voice of the Void was released, coupled with the COVID years, it seemed like we were out of the game for quite a while. If there were any low points for the band, I think that period of time, with not much activity, would be front and centre.

Do you have any other musical projects that folks can check out or any exciting releases coming in the future?

A couple of the guys have other projects they’re involved with. Our guitarist Brock, also plays with Dead Quiet, who are also performing at festival. Our new Bassist Rory, plays n another project called Ritual Dictates. They are both great bands and worth checking out.


How did you get involved with music? Was it a particular album, group or artist that made you want to write and play your own music?

My household growing up always had music playing loudly. My father, although not a musician, has always been very enthusiastic about music and a lot of variety of genres. I believe that must’ve played a huge part in the desire to learn how to make music.

It was bands like Nirvana and Metallica that really flipped the switch for me to want to learn how to play and instrument. I got a CD player and Nirvana's In Utero from a flea market when I was 11 or 12 and was hooked ever since. Once I got my first I was obsessed with getting better at playing, so I’d spend countless hours hacking away at learning my favourite songs, and trying to learn the craft.

 

Will you be performing any gigs later in the year?

We’ve got a string of dates lined up surrounding our record release, but nothing that we can announce at this point in time. Eventually we will be covering ground across North America and Europe in support of the new record!

Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom for your fans currently out there?

Nothing other than, Try to spend your life doing something you love and enjoy, make the most of your time as it is a priceless commodity.

Words by Steve Howe and Kenny Cook

Thanks to Asher Media PR for arranging this interview and for Kenny Cook for taking the time out to do this interview.

ANCIIENTS Links


The Electric Highway Festival Links

Festival passes, tickets, and merchandise are available at https://theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/​

Thursday 28 March 2024

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Psych/Alt/Post-Rock/Stoner Rockers FRANK NEVER DIES New Album RED MOON RISING


Frank Never Dies released their second LP called Red Moon Rising.

Compared to their debut LP (Behind the Paradox, Blood Rock Records), the sound created by the band is now less melodic and presents more free structures that recall 70′ psychedelia. Inspirations from jazz, trip-hop, funk, and grunge merge with it.

The result of this eclectism creates a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere, following the main themes of the LP, related to the red moon as worshipped or feared symbol: before it, the humanity reveals its most irrational aspect, between madness and adoration.

The first LP was completely instrumental, in Red Moon Rising instead Mirko Giuseppone and Simona Ferrucci sing in some tracks.

The drum’s sound of Luca Zannini is direct, sometimes aggressive, tribal and lead role all the time.

Mirko’s guitar, compared to the first LP, has a rough and vivid sound, frequently played through wah-wah pedal. The inspiration is between rock & blues and grunge.

The vintage’s sound of Simona’s synths contributes to the creation of a ’70 touch.

The bass frequently becomes the third melodic line in the tracks, with unconventional rhythm patterns and effects.

The composition of Red Moon Rising started in 2020. After three years, the drum and voice recording, mixing and mastering were made by Fabio Ferri (renowned sound engineer and former drummer of Il Balletto di Bronzo), in his studio in Roma Millenium Audio Recording.

Guitars, bass and synths were recorded in Rome at Blue Bird Studio of Simona Ferrucci and Mirko 

We are happy to premiere the whole album in full which you can hear below thanks to the great folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion and Argonuata Records.


You can buy Red Moon Rising via Argonuata Records on CD/DD from March 29th 2024

Links

Wednesday 27 March 2024

Max Boogie Overdrive - Stoned Again (Album Review)

Release Date: March 29th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Stoned Again - Tracklisting

1.The Devil Knows My Name 05:09

2.Suffer Sister 03:04

3.Freakazoid

4.Van Boogie

5.Bomb Incoming

6.Demonaire

7.King Of Fire

8.Stoned Again 05:58


Members

 

Drop Dee -  Bass, Lead Vocals

Max Boogie - Guitars, Vocals

RC - Guitars

Tom Hernandez - Drums


Review


Stoned Again is the debut full length from Doom/Sludge/Stoner Rockers Max Boogie Overdrive who consume a healthy dose of Classic 70’s Hard Rock, Boogie Rock and Proto Doom Swagger with the added goodness of 90’s Stoner Metal and Sludge Metal heaviness. Lending the classic sounds of bands such as FU MANCHU, The Melvins, ZZ Top, Motorhead, KISS, Black Sabbath and Orange Goblin for this thrill-a-minute and NO-FUCKS-GIVEN blast of Sludgy and Stoner soaring based grooves.


The tone within Stoned Again is one of REBELLION and fusing the tropes of Classic Heavy Metal against the Psychedelic and WEEDIAN pastures that Max Boogie Overdrive play throughout the album. Certain parts of the album will be familiar to just about everyone but it’s the band's determination with their brilliantly funny and well observed lyrics that gives them an extra sense of danger to their music.


The sound can be firmly rooted in Classic Heavy Rock the next with shades of KISS, Motorhead and Black Sabbath before changing into a Stoner Metal behemoth conjuring up classic vibes of KYUSS, Orange Goblin and FU MANCHU especially on tracks such as The Devil Knows My Name, Freakazoid and Van Boogie. Drop Dee’s lead vocals have a certain over confident and flashy style to them which allows his delivery to be very on point especially within the more daring lyrics the band have written for this album.


Stoned Again captures the golden age of Sludge Rock and Stoner Metal superbly well before changing to a style of 1970’s Hard Rock and 1980’s Heavy Metal where there’s a lot of cool guitar shredding which could see twinges of Van Halen and Metallica starting to appear. Max Boogie Overdrive are quite obsessive with the multitude of different styles of music they employ and play on this release alone. 


Other standout tracks include: Bomb Incoming, Demonaire and Stoned Again with these songs showing flashes of groove laden heaviness with an epic Boogie/Swamp Rock tone whilst keeping up with a Sludge Rock/Metal attitude. A kick-ass THIN LIZZY and BUDGIE influence starts to shine through especially when the Classic Twin Guitar sound takes full effect. The other main strength with this record is how brilliantly FUN the whole album is. Max Boogie Overdrive is just a damn great album to listen to no matter what style of music they play within the album.


Overall, Stoned Again is an absolute blast of non-stop grooves which will surprise you in many ways. 


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to US/THEM PR Group for the promo.


Stoned Again will be available to buy on CD/DD from March 29th 2024.


Links


Linktree | BandCamp | Instagram