Release Date: October 13th 2024. Record Label: Wet Records. Format: Digital Download
Sludgehammer - Track Listing:
Sludgehammer
Praise The Sacrifice
Members
Mário Fonteles - Guitar and Vocals
Anastácio Júnior - Guitar and Vocals
Kevin Cavalcante - Drums
Jonatas Monte - Bass
Review
Brazilian Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Void Tripper returns with a new double single Sludgehammer / Praise The Sacrifice. The new release is a different beast compared to their acclaimed debut album DOPEFIEND with the band wanting to move into other areas of music such as Grunge, Fuzz and Psych Rock. There were moments of that music on their debut album but this time it’s more fully fleshed out here with progressive melodic structures and with political commentary coming into focus with the lyrics that Void Tripper have written for both tracks.
Sludgehammer opens with a wicked Drum solo from new member Kevin Cavalcante with flashes of guitars and bass slowly appearing. There’s a controversial Donald Trump soundbyte to show you where this track is heading with Void Tripper becoming quite politically motivated within both tracks. Shades of NOLA SLUDGE reigns supreme here with nods to bands such as DOWN, CROWBAR and Corrosion Of Conformity being heard. The vocals are harsh but quite easy to understand. The sludgy aesthetics are there but it’s the aggressive FUZZED UP levels that make the most impression with the band sounding vastly different to their debut album.
Praise The Sacrifice is a less dramatic affair with the stripped back vocals showing another different side to Void Tripper though it’s the music that makes the most impression with the stylish Sludge/Stoner Metal sound aiming for a bombastic style of Psych Rock and NOLA that joins forces for a gloomy atmospheric sound. The later stages become mostly DOOM and GLOOM obsessed with some epic flashes of killer guitar solos along the way.
I can see why Sludgehammer was chosen as the main single for Void Tripper to release here though Praise The Sacrifice is still a great track within its own right. Sludgehammer delves into the current political climate that’s happening all over the world and the track is quite daring in many ways which could see Void Tripper becoming one of the boldest bands to look out for in 2025 when their new album will hopefully be released.
Release Date: October 11th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch - Track Listing:
1.A Million Beers 02:44
2.Evel Never Dies 03:05
3.Gardenia (Kyuss cover) 07:41
4.Green Machine (Kyuss cover) 04:54
5.It Ain't Free 03:00
6.Night Tripper VS No Brainer 06:47
7.Nothin' 04:24
8.Own Yer Blues 05:39
9.Party March 03:15
10.R.A.M.O.N.E.S. 01:39
11.Rad Stays rad 07:12
12.Stand Down 06:09
13.Strawberry Creek 03:22
14.The Older Kids 05:47
15.Tribe/Fly Girl 14:02
Members
Brant Bjork
Nick Oliveri
Ryan Güt
Review
Stoner Rock royalty STÖNER are back with their first “official” live album as the band did release a live record for their “debut” release Live In The Mojave Desert: Volume 4 back in 2021 which was subsequently released as a proper studio recording called STONERS RULE to critical acclaim across the Stoner Rock community.
Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch sees STÖNER play their greatest hits along with a couple of KYUSS classics (Gardenia and Green Machine) for great measure across eighty minutes of superbly played Desert/Stoner Rock grooves that proves once again why Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri are legends within the scene. Along with Ryan Güt who is becoming one of the best drummers within the scene today and shows why he’s one of Brant’s most trusted creative partners over the multiple different projects that Brant has released over the last few years.
Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch has a highly majestic and raw sounding quality which makes you feel part of the audience which allows STÖNER to play some mighty fine extended instrumental sounds that allows STÖNER to have multiple “JAMMING SESSIONS” to the delight of the audience in attendance. The highlights of the album are without doubt the KYUSS covers of Gardenia and Green Machine which have lost none of their magic.
STÖNER have a killer supply of classic tracks themselves with songs such as: Evel Never Dies, It Ain’t Free, Night Tripper vs No Brainer, Own Yer Blues, Rad Stays Rad and the brilliant fourteen minute epic of Tribe/Fly Girl.
The album is LOUD and brilliantly AGGRESSIVE from the start with its raw and deeply unapologetic production values allowing STÖNER to release a classic LIVE ALBUM in every sense of the word. This is an absolutely superb and must have LIVE album and is perhaps my favourite LIVE record I’ve heard this year.
STÖNER have been on a roll over the last few years and I’m hoping there’s more to come from this great band. Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch features a blistering powerhouse performance from STÖNER and proves once again why the Stoner Rock world needs bands like them to shake up the creative foundations of the whole scene.
Release Date: October 11th 2024. Record Label: Noisolution (vinyl). Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Gift - Track Listing:
1.Rat Race 02:29
2.Manic Street Ballet 03:28
3.Crown Of Creation 03:47
4.Face Down 01:27
5.These Days 03:24
6.Gift 03:27
7.L.O.V.E. Forever 01:24
8.Suck It Up 03:19
9.Born To Get Bored 03:30
10.Flawless Fool 03:19
11.Nothing Lasts 02:44
Members
Katharina Ott-Alavi (guitar, vocals)
Karo Paschedag (bass)
Mary Westphal (drums)
Review
Noise/Grunge/Alt Rockers 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN return for another rebellious slice of HEAVY RAWK with their anarchic second album Gift. With a meaty Noise Rock edge making an appearance compared to their acclaimed debut album Stress. The “RIOT GRRRLS” movement and creative energy is strong within the band as they draw upon influences such as Sonic Youth, The Pixies, Nirvana, HOLE and The Distillers.
The album has a stripped back Punk Rock sound with the minimalist production values allowing 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN to have a sublime “IN YOUR FACE” persona which comes through the excellent vocals and classic Garage Rock instrumental sounds.
24/7 DIVA HEAVEN have written some witty and spiky social commentary within their lyrics that allows the record to be quite subversive from time-to-time. The batch of tracks contained on Gift has a multitude of different styles which spans across the 1970’s Rock Scene right upto the 1990’s Grunge/Alt Rock scene which is captured superbly well within the opening tracks of Rat Race, Manic Street Bullet and Crown Of Creation.
There’s some wicked melodic Stoner grooves making an early appearance within Crown Of Creation which has a dark bittersweet edge with cool as hell lyrics and spicy Psych Rock guitars allowing this to become one of the standout tracks within the whole album. Though, the band take a turn into Sludgier waters on the later stages of the record with the frantic track Face Down having quite a dominant vibe especially with the screeching vocals of Kat Ott adding another layer of aggression to the mix.
From this point on 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN just became more confident with each passing track allowing the band to become quite BOLD and ADVENTUROUS on tracks such as: These Days, Gift, Suck It Up and Born To Get Bored. It’s great to see some guest stars such Behrang Alavi of SAMAVAYO fame making an appearance within tracks such as Gift and Rat Race and Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß from the legendary German Alt-Rock/Punk Rock crew BEATSTEAKS also appearing on the track These Days.
Gift is a wickedly entertaining album that allows 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN to make a real name for themselves within the wider Hard Rock scene that is bound to win them many more followers with their deeply unapologetic style of music that leaves you wanting to hear more. This record is indeed a real GIFT for fans of real music to fully get behind as 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN are the real deal.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to All Noir PR and Noisolution for the promo.
Three years after the release of the LP Dopefiend, Void Tripper presents Sludgehammer, a single featuring two tracks that walks from Sludge to Stoner/Proto Doom. This new phase marks the debut of drummer Kevin Cavalcante, as the band hits the accelerator with political statements and aggressive riffs—an organic evolution from their previous work.
This is an open door for the upcoming album, the band now is focused on recording their second album, and in full works, composing. Sludgehammer is the bridge.
Under the hammer of the Sludge,
Mário, the band's vocalist, gives more details about the production and the powerful meaning behind the first track.
“I think with Sludgehammer, we wanted to clarify a few things. First, we consider Void Tripper to be, in some sense, part of the Extreme Metal scene. Second, we have a political stance, if that wasn’t clear already (we hinted at it with Burning Woods, but it's worth reinforcing). And third, we still have a strong desire to create without sticking to a formula. The other track on this release, Praise the Sacrifice, explores different ideas from Sludgehammer. The four of us have varied tastes, and we like to explore this spectrum of stoner/doom/sludge.
We came up with the name 'Sludgehammer' as a play on the word 'Sledgehammer'. We want listeners to have fun imagining Nazis getting their skulls crushed. There could be more than one meaning here. The hammer is often seen as a symbol of workers' struggle. At the end of the day, we’re workers too, wanting our voices heard and seeking to silence our oppressors.”
This represents a natural evolution. Void Tripper already dipped into sludge with tracks like Hollow and Comatose from their first album, Dopefiend, released on vinyl by Wet Records and on cassette by Evil Noise Recordings. But Sludgehammer also marks growth in terms of production, as the band has faced numerous recording issues since its inception.
“In our previous work, we were always plagued by production problems. Void Tripper was the first band for all of us. We were kids and got into situations that were tough to navigate. Sludgehammer is a turning point because it’s the first time we’ve been able to compose and record on our own terms, and I think the difference is clear. We now have more freedom and maturity to shape our sound the way we want. Gaining experience with the recording process also helped a lot. This release is especially important because it’s Kevin's official debut as our drummer, and he absolutely crushed it. That’s why we wanted to highlight him in the track, opting for a drum solo instead of a guitar solo.”
About the Sludgehammer video, Mário adds:
“Naturally, we’re fans of this kind of video—it makes sense to us within the genre. The video is an extension of the song. The track is brutal and direct, and we wanted the video to reflect that. We believe we shouldn’t be afraid to say certain things, and some people should be afraid to show up in public spouting messages that oppose society and people’s freedom to live and relate as they wish, or any speech that incites hate towards certain groups. Intolerance for the intolerant.
As a whole, Sludgehammer marks the beginning of a new chapter in our story—almost like a fresh start.”
They are finishing up songs for our next album. "We want it to be bigger, heavier, and more impactful than our first full-length, Dopefiend. We hope to have it ready by early 2025 and hit the road again."
Sludgehammer is set to be released digitally on October 13th via the American label Wet Records.
Swedish stoner rock pioneers LOWRIDER and UK psych-doom royalty ELEPHANT TREE share their new single "Through The Rift" on all streaming platforms today. Their widely anticipated collaborative album "The Long Forever" will be released on October 25th via Blues Funeral Recordings.
Elephant Tree and Lowrider's collaborative album "The Long Forever" is easily one of the most eagerly awaited split releases in heavy rock history. Arriving in the wake of their landmark 2020 releases, "The Long Forever" finds both bands at critical junctures: each has a broad and expanding influence, each is revered onstage and off, and each is about to deliver its first proper new music in four years to tremendous anticipation.
About the making of the song "Through The Rift", Lowrider frontman Peder Bergstrand recalls: “When Elephant Tree put their vocals on it, Jack sent me a text: ‘Singing on this reminds me of sitting on my mate’s shed in the sun when I was like 17. So hopeful and pretty'. It hit me right in the feels, because they just get it. That text, and this song, is exactly why we are doing this split album together. Through the Rift was written when I was falling in love with Elephant Tree and their last album 'Habits' at the height of the pandemic. It matched that time so well: calm and crushing at the same time, and endlessly emotional. Having since become friends and also having them sing backing vocals on it, is more full circle than I can describe with words”.
"The Long Forever" takes its title from the nickname Elephant Tree singer and guitarist Jack Townley gave to the multi-week coma he was kept in for medical reasons following a near-fatal biking accident in early 2023. Dreaming without waking and losing all sense of time as his mind attempted to process and cope with the ordeal, that lyrical description can only hint at the enormity of Jack’s experience. And yet, the year or so that followed manifested a musical freedom in the bands’ respective approaches. Lowrider has grown more complex and expressive, while Elephant Tree has chosen a rawer, set-up-the-mics-and-go approach. "The Long Forever" is the vehicle through which the bands meet, subverting and superseding the expectations on them, with a traumatic nexus as the gravitational singularity around which the entire LP orbits, bending and shaping every note that escapes forth.
Stress, trauma, time, gravity, sound, joy, catharsis and texture all find a place across the record’s 43 minutes, but what resonates is the stridence with which Elephant Tree and Lowrider meet at the convergence of timelines and complement each other in evolving listeners’ ideas of who they are. In the end, perseverance, healing and stubbornness of passion are what made "The Long Forever" a reality. We invite fans to listen with open minds and love in their hearts...
1. Lowrider - And The Horse You Rode In On 2. Lowrider - Caldera 3. Lowrider - Into The Grey 4. Lowrider - Through The Rift (feat. Elephant Tree) 5. Elephant Tree - Fucked In The Head 6. Elephant Tree - 4 For 2 7. Elephant Tree - Long Forever (feat. Lowrider)
About Elephant Tree
Formed in London in 2023, Elephant Tree has spent the past decade delivering their heavy, melodic sound to audiences across the international scene with their 2016 self-titled album winning praise from critics and fans alike. Early 2019 saw the band enter The Church Studios to deliver their third album 'Habits' (2020) with engineer and producer Riley MacIntyre (The Horrors, Thurston Moore, Adele) at the helm — an ambitious, emotion-driven journey made of spacious yet heavy-as-ever soundscapes, a scintillating blur of prog, psych, and melodic heavy rock.
2020 was, as foreseen by the clear-sighted, the year they bloomed out of best kept underground secret into a household name, making it to the top of year-end lists and making an appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show as well as reaching number 14 on the Official Charts Rock & Metal and number 25 on the Official Charts Indie lists. After a series of acclaimed festival performances across the UK and Europe, all band activities were unexpectedly put to a halt in the winter of 2022 after frontman and guitarist Jack Townley was severely injured in a bike accident. Elephant Tree is now set to release their anticipated split record with Lowrider on October 25th via Blues Funeral Recordings.
About Lowrider
As the preeminent band out of the gate in the late 90s post-Kyuss wake, Lowrider's debut EP and seminal album 'Ode to Io' were foundational slabs at the dawn of stoner rock. The swinging metal offshoot grew quickly into a worldwide phenomenon, with Lowrider established as one of its undeniable trailblazers. Following those early releases with a handful of compilation and soundtrack appearances and a period of relative inactivity, the band re-emerged at DesertFest Berlin in 2013. They've since blown minds at Hellfest, Keep it Low, DesertFest London and Belgium, Stoned from the Underground and Up in Smoke, and issued expanded remastered versions of their original records.
All that was left was to give the world something new. Released in early 2020 through Blues Funeral Recordings, their long-awaited sophomore album 'Refractions' explodes with all the churning fuzz and expansive riff-heaviness for which the band are beloved, shot through with re-energized purpose and maturity. All throughout the year, "Refractions" has garnered high praise from international press, being awarded "Best Album of 2020" on Magnet Magazine, Metal Hammer's staff lists, The Obelisk, Doom Charts, as well as being featured on top of numerous end-of-year lists such as on Metal Injection, Rock & Folk Magazine, New Noise, Invisible Oranges and Guitar Part Magazine.
Release Date: November 01st 2024. Record Label: Golden Robot (digital) / Kozmik Artifactz (vinyl). Format: DD/Vinyl
Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) - Track Listing:
1.Mercury Pull
2.Joy Of Navigation
3.Heavy Sunshine
4.The Golden Age
5.Spacebaby
Members
Patrick Brink - Guitars/Vocals
Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet) - Lead Guitar
Mike Amster (Nebula, Spoon Benders)- Drums
Abraham Parker - Bass/ Acoustic / Electric Sitar / Rhodes / Piano / Synth /Backing Vocals
David Catching - Synth, Moog
Review
Stoner Metallers VOLUME return with their new mini-album Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) which features around thirty minutes of classic Spaced Out Stoner Metal with a vintage Punk Rock vibe throughout the whole album. This is a supergroup of sorts on this record alone with appearances from Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet), Mike Amster (Nebula), Abraham Parker and David Catching lending their creative talents to VOLUME head-honcho - Patrick Brink.
VOLUME were one of the unsung Stoner Rock/Metal bands within the late 90’s until they originally split back in 2004. The band have reformed with VOLUME re-releasing their seminal record Requesting Permission To Land back in October 2023 to critical acclaim. So I’m pleased to say Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) is another classic record for the band with VOLUME bringing the nostalgic vibe in a big way that screams 1990’s Stoner Metal attitude throughout the whole album.
This feels like the twisted and bolder offspring of NEBULA, Monster Magnet and FU MANCHU but with a more Out There and Spaced Out Spirit which comes into life with the standout track Mercury Pull.
The song lasts around nine minutes with VOLUME blending Middle Eastern sounds and LSD influenced lyrics that perhaps owes a nod of gratitude to Dave Wyndorf in places but Patrick Brink builds his own blend of tantric mantra with a subtle style of 1960’s philosophy before the aggressive Stoner Metal passages appear. Catchy SPACE ROCK sounds and Ambient rhythms allows VOLUME to create their own highly anthemic blend of raw-sounding grooves that shines a light to the classic era of STONER METAL.
The album then leaves the progressive sounds of the opening track behind and aims for a Punk Rock vibe with frantic Garage Rock obsessive STONER based sounds allowing the record to be more rebellious with each passing moment especially on tracks such as Joy Of Navigation, The Golden Age and Spacebaby.
The record feels more powerful when VOLUME adds a Speed Rock element to their music and sludgy guitars within Joy Of Navigation and Heavy Sunshine. If Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) was released back in the 1990’s then it would easily be considered one of the landmark records of the Stoner Rock/Metal era. This allows VOLUME to create an album with an essential timeless quality which should appeal to a wide section of the Stoner Rock/Metal community.
The lyrics are wonderfully subversive and quite playful with VOLUME living up to the true ROCK & ROLL lifestyle in so many ways within the short running time of the whole album. This is a record I’ve completely fallen in love with from the very first listen as it takes you back to the golden age of Stoner Rock/Metal whilst still having something original to say as well.
Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) is one of the must have records to own right now and one that can easily speak for any generation of the Stoner Rock scene. And with this being called a “Mini Album” then I’m hoping VOLUME has new music in the near future.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to US/THEM PR for the promo.
Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) will be available to buy via the following records and formats listed below:
French stoner rock trio Wizard Must Die has premiered their latest video for the track "The Breach". Everything Is Noise describes the song as "having everything you’d want from a great stoner rock tune." Then adding: "While it’s ambitious in its nature, the band hasn’t quite let the prog hooks sink their barbs in; while there is some Elder peeking through the riffs, there’s a simplicity to the composition that makes it more poppy than proggy. But pop this is not. The song pummels from overly-distorted guitars, deep guttural bass, and pounding drums to black metal atmospherics to Baroness-like melodies that make the seven minutes, indeed, seem like a journey to “The Breach”.
Formed in 2013, Wizard Must Die has been riding the waves of the stoner rock scene ever since. Led by singer and guitarist Florent Michaud, alongside bassist Enguerand Dumas and drummer Robin Aillaud, the Lyon-based band blends direct rock with a progressive and psychedelic twist, often drawing comparisons to bands like Baroness, Mars Red Sky, and Motorpsycho. Their debut album In the Land of the Dead Turtles (2018) gained significant recognition for its exploration of stoner and desert rock genres.
Now, Wizard Must Die is gearing up for the release of their second full-length album, L'Or des Fous, due out on November 15th via Klonosphere Records. Recorded and mixed by Christophe Hogommat (Mad Foxes, 20's Falling Man) and mastered by Thibault Chaumont (Carpenter Brut, Igorrr), L'Or des Fous delves deeper into the band’s evolving sound, offering a more personal and introspective exploration.
The new album blends powerful riffs, intricate rhythms, and rich atmospheres. Its six tracks explore themes of personal evolution, change, and inner growth. To emphasize this transformation, Wizard Must Die incorporates new elements, such as saxophone and mellotron, expanding their sound beyond traditional stoner rock into more progressive and melodic territory. With influences from 90's rock, the album features subdued vocals and impactful choruses, with the French-language title track, "The Fool's Gold," capturing the essence of the band's evolving identity.
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