BONGZILLA - Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe (Album Review)

Release Date: March 15th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe - Tracklisting

1. Sundae Driver (live at Duna Jam)

2. King of Weed (live at Minoga in Poznan, Poland)

3. Free The Weed (live at Minoga in Poznan, Poland)

4. Greenthumb (live at Voodoo in Belfast, Ireland)

5. H.P. Keefmaker (live at Voodoo in Belfast, Ireland)

6. Hippie Stick (live at Minoga in Poznan, Poland)

7. Gestation (live at Duna Jam)

Members

Mike "Muleboy" Makela - vocals & bass

Jeff "Spanky" Schultz - guitar

Mike "Magma" Henry - drums

Review

Legendary Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers BONGZILLA  first live album with Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe which was performed across multiple European locations for a record that oozes their classic WEEDIAN sound with a Punk Rock attitude. The album doesn’t feature their lengthier compositions that’s featured on their last few releases but you’re still treated to a great selection of classic tracks that the band have made their name with over nearly thirty years in the business.

The tracks are mostly from 2021’s Weedsconsin and 2023’s Dab City with a couple of classic tracks such as Greenthumb being added to the set list. Despite this record being played at different locations, the album still feels and sounds like it was recorded from the same performance. There is a rough sounding quality to the record which allows the listener to fully experience the definitive BONGZILLA performance live on stage. The grooves are aggressive and downright nasty in places which is what you expect from this great band. However, there’s some fantastic FUZZED UP and SLUDGY attitude that’s appeared within their collection of Heavy Psych Sounds releases over the last few years.

Mike’s vocals are harsh and abrasive as ever with some wicked moments of humour appearing here and there especially when he name checks another legendary WEEDIAN metal band live on stage. 

Standout tracks to checkout are: Sundae Driver, King Of Weed, Free The Weed and Hippie Stick. These tracks are perhaps where BONGZILLA impress the most with their enthusiastic and unapologetic stage presence where the AMPLIFIERS are electrically charged with some epic FUZZY SLUDGE grooves that only this great band can deliver.

My only complaint is that it’s a tad too short, lasting under forty minutes. I wanted something a bit longer especially with this being BONGZILLA’s first live album. However, Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe delivers a superbly entertaining diversion for dedicated followers of BONGZILLA and the WEEDIAN way of life. 

The album does a wonderful job capturing BONGZILLA at their absolute best and this is another sublime release from Heavy Psych Sounds.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

US stoner metal behemoths BONGZILLA to release new live album "Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe" on Heavy Psych Sounds this March!

Wisconsin's premium stoner metal dealers BONGZILLA announce the release of their new live album "Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe" this March 15th, with preorders available now on Heavy Psych Sounds.

“The Wisconsin natives have been making heavy, groovy doom metal songs about weed since the mid-’90s, and they’ll be making them until the sun extinguishes itself.” Decibel Magazine

Following the 2023 release of their revered sixth album "Dab City" on Heavy Psych Sounds, the kings of weed metal BONGZILLA offer some of their smokiest riffs with their exclusive live album "Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe". The album features seven tracks of the highest doom metal order recorded in various cities during their "Dabbing Across Europe & UK Tour" in the spring and summer of 2023. Mixed and mastered by Shane Trimble at Sletner Sound, with assistant mix engineers Justin DiPinto and Andrew Owens. The album will be issued in various vinyl editions, CD and digital on Marchb 22 via Heavy Psych Sounds

"Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe"
Out March 22nd on Heavy Psych Sounds
European preorder // US preorder

TRACKLIST

1. Sundae Driver – 4:36

2. King of Weed – 5:46

3. Free The Weed – 6:26

4. Greenthumb – 4:06

5. H.P. Keefmaker – 6:40

6. Hippie Stick – 6:06

7. Gestation – 6:06

BONGZILLA is a stoner metal band from Madison, Wisconsin. As their name suggests, most of their material is related to marijuana and promotes its legalization. The band formed in 1995, and over the next three years recorded and released a dozen songs on EPs and split singles. In 1998 they signed to Relapse Records, and have since released four studio albums and a live album through the label. Since the seeds were planted in the mid-90s, BONGZILLA have been sowing Madison, Wisconsin’s rich soil with their homegrown, psychedelic sludge. Following the release of their fourth studio album "Amerijuanican" in 2005, the band toured and remained active until 2009 when the group quietly took a hiatus.

In April 2015 it was announced BONGZILLA was reforming with the "Gateway" lineup, first announcing a tour of Europe. The band followed up with a four-date tour of the West Coast USA, a tour of the east coast USA and an appearance at Desertfest Belgium. The band began 2017 with a local show in Wisconsin before embarking on another European tour, playing the likes of Roadburn Festival, DesertFest Berlin, DesertFest London, KristonFest and have begun working on material for a new album.

In early 2020, BONGZILLA started their own label Gungeon Records and released a re-issue of their classic album "Apogee". However, in March of 2020 it would be announced that Cooter Brown would retire from the band due to health and family reasons, with Bongzilla choosing to continue as a thunderous three-piece. A few months into the pandemic, BONGZILLA began rehearsing and entered the Future Apple Tree Studios in Rockford, Illinois in October 2020 for the recording of several different record projects: a limited 'Wake Brewing' 7", a split album with the band Tons, and a 7" split with Boris, as well as their new full-length.

In January 2021, the band announced their signing to European label Heavy Psych Sounds for the release of their fifth studio album "Weedsconsin", which immediately returned them to the top of the stoner doom heap. Fully reactivated and fully loaded, the band quickly released their sixth album "Dab City" — an ode to the purest form of THC and the trio's beloved hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, which is known as Mad City — in the summer of 2023.

BONGZILLA is

Mike "Muleboy" Makela - vocals & bass

Jeff "Spanky" Schultz - guitar

Mike "Magma" Henry - drums

BONGZILLA links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Spotify

 

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Youtube

BONGZILLA - Dab City (Album Review)

Release Date: June 02nd 2023. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Dab City: Tracklisting

Dab City

King Of Weed

Cannonbongs (the ballad of Burnt Reynolds as lamented by Gentleman Dixie Dave Collins)

C.A.R.T.S

Hippie Stick

Diamonds And Flower

American Pot

Review

Legendary Doom/Stoner Metallers BONGZILLA return with their new album Dab City and it's everything you wanted from an album about the mighty WEED. The band opted for a back to basics approach for this album compared to the 2021 effort WEEDSCONSCIN. This album is less Spaced Out and Psychedelic than that great album with the band returning to their earlier sound. There's still many moments of LOW & SLOW based Psychedelic energy on the record but mostly it's BONGZILLA playing a more aggressive style of FUZZED UP Reefer Based Madness which comes into play throughout the epic opening title track.

Dab City offers almost twelve minutes of a more Punk based and raw-sounding musical opus from the band. The lyrics and vocals offer a more edgy performance with subtle hits of dark comedic humour. The grooves are once again powered by SEEDY and DOWN TUNED themes with a slight Progressive feel on the longer extended and drawn out jams. BONGZILLA add traces of Distorted Psychedelic sounds that have a sense of DARK PARANOIA to them. The music is widely distorted which is a big essence to BONGZILLA's overall sound which makes it one of the perfect tracks about WEEDIAN culture and the raw surroundings that live within this track. 

The sounds are constantly harsh and unpredictable with BONGZILLA playing wicked sounding jams that are quite melodic in places. Dab City runs around fifty five minutes in length and continues playing their bombastic and hedonistic style of WEEDIAN metal with areas of distortion creeping in on the second song King Of Weed.

King Of Weed has a more structured approach to the opening track with the band adding eerie moments of Psych Metal and becoming more interested in playing bass-heavy Sludge grooves. The song is slower with BONGZILLA taking a dramatic pause to allow the listener to soak up the aggressive and violent nature of the lyrics and vocals delivery used for this track. However, this is still an addictive song that the band have conjured up here. 

Third track Cannonbongs (the ballad of Burnt Reynolds as lamented by Gentleman Dixie Dave Collins) needs to be one  of the best sounding tracks on the album with a title like that. And you know what, it is. As BONGZILLA adds classic sounding soundbytes to the mix. The subtle sludgy themes allows the band to play a slower style of music that has a more AMPLIFIER based presence. The song runs past the thirteen minutes mark and the music is mostly of the LOW & SLOW variety and could be considered as an ANTHEM for the WEEDIAN Generation. As the track has a massive "CALL TO ARMS" or "UPRISING" vibe to it. BONGZILLA experimented with their music more here with different musical styles beginning to appear especially with the fantastic drumming and subtle changes to the Psychedelic flow of the album.

Fourth song C.A.R.T.S is the more straight forward track on the album with BONGZILLA playing a classical style of Doom/Stoner Metal but with that slightly rebellious and outlaw feeling appearing within the sound of the guitars and killer vocals yet again. The song has a superb "Stop/Start" approach within the heavy grooves being played throughout the track.

Fifth Song Hippie Stick opens with a KILLER opening soundbyte which draws up the feeling of the whole album before BONGZILLA get straight down to business into playing more WEEDIAN and DOWN-TUNED fuzzy carnage. The song feels like it could have easily come from the Weedsconsin recording sessions. As that has a similar sound to that great album. However, this track also allows the band to offer the album a more exciting creative narrative with its multi-layered approach with the lyrics that ultimately has a Socially Aware Conscience to them.

The final two tracks of "Diamonds And Flower" and American Pot turn the American Dream on its head with its smoke-fuelled commentary on modern day life. This part of the album is perhaps the most cynical sounding of the album. However, BONGZILLA pull this all off with their legendary WEEDIAN charm and finely tuned powerful riffs which drift further into the LOW & SLOW abyss.

Dab City is quite thought provoking and brutally honest in places. However, there's a huge amount of fun to be had with this great album as BONGZILLA have created a high amount of FIRST RATE grooves throughout the album.

This album will no doubt become a firm favourite with BONGZILLA's established fan-base and also within the Doom/Stoner Metal community. Dab City is also one of their best albums they've released to date and may ultimately be my favourite album of theirs yet. That's how great this album is.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Dab City will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday June 02nd 2023.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

BONGZILLA to release new album "Dab City" on June 2nd via Heavy Psych Sounds; first track and pre-order available!

Wisconsin's sludge metal behemoths BONGZILLA announce the release of their sixth studio full-length "Dab City" on Heavy Psych Sounds, and unleash the crushing first track "Hippie Stick"

Their sixth album "Dab City" is an ode to the purest form of THC and the trio's beloved hometown of Madison Wisconsin, which is known as Mad City. A political and social hotbed and a lightning rod for the state and entire Midwest since the 1960s, Madison is also home to a large University with one of the best agronomy departments in the country and not surprisingly the focal point for some of the finest cannabis our country has to offer — frontman Mike "Muleboy" Makela has not seen pot with seeds in it since arriving in 1993! Although not legal, possession is basically ignored and punished with a nominal $1 fine for under 128 grams. "Dab City" was 100% recorded on tape and composed of seven songs with a running time of almost 60 minutes of brand new Stoned Sludge Heavy Doomy Riffs!

Says BONGZILLA: "For the recording of "Dab City" we procured 10 g plus of the finest concentrates, we could lay our hands on and somewhere north of 120 g of cannabis flower. And recorded it on 2-in analog tape over two sessions at Future Apple Tree Studio in Rock Island, Illinois. The fall 2022 session is known as the "Harvest Sessions" and the February 2023 session is known as the Propagation Sessions. The record is our second album as a three-piece and our second release for our label Heavy Psych Sounds, continuing our journey into ultra-stoned sludgey psychedelia."

"Dab City" will be released in various ultra-limited and limited colored editions, classic vinyl edition, CD digipack and digital on June 2nd through Heavy Psych Sounds.

BONGZILLA New album "Dab City" - Out June 2nd on Heavy Psych Sounds - PRE-ORDER

BONGZILLA is a stoner metal band from Madison, Wisconsin. As their name suggests, most of their material is related to marijuana and promotes its legalization. The band formed in 1995, and over the next three years recorded and released a dozen songs on EPs and split singles. In 1998 they signed to Relapse Records, and have since released four studio albums and a live album through the label. Since the seeds were planted in the mid-90s, BONGZILLA have been sowing Madison, Wisconsin’s rich soil with their homegrown, psychedelic sludge. Following the release of their fourth studio album "Amerijuanican" in 2005, the band toured and remained active until 2009 when the group quietly took a hiatus. 

In April 2015 it was announced BONGZILLA was reforming with the "Gateway" lineup, first announcing a tour of Europe. The band followed up with a four-date tour of the West Coast USA, a tour of the east coast USA and an appearance at Desertfest Belgium. The band began 2017 with a local show in Wisconsin before embarking on another European tour, playing the likes of Roadburn Festival, DesertFest Berlin, DesertFest London, KristonFest and have begun working on material for a new album.

In early 2020, BONGZILLA started their own label Gungeon Records and released a re-issue of their classic album "Apogee". However, in March of 2020 it would be announced that Cooter Brown would retire from the band due to health and family reasons, with Bongzilla choosing to continue as a thunderous three-piece. A few months into the pandemic, BONGZILLA began rehearsing and recording for several different record projects: a limited 'Wake Brewing' 7", a full-length album titled Weedsconsin, an LP split with the band Tons, and a 7" split with Boris —  the first of a 7" split series released on Gungeon Records. All projects were recorded at Future Apple Tree Studios in Rockford, Illinois in October 2020 by the legendary John Hopkins, before his sudden and unexpected passing in the late fall of 2020.

In January 2021, the band announced their signing to Heavy Psych Sounds for the release of their fifth studio album "Weedsconsin" in the spring of 2021, which "immediately returned them to the top of the stoner doom heap", according to Decibel Magazine. They are now set to return with their new album "Dab City" on HPS Records.

BONGZILLA is

Mike "Muleboy" Makela - vocals & bass

Jeff "Spanky" Schultz - guitar

Mike "Magma" Henry - drums

BONGZILLA links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Spotify

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜Instagram ⎜ Youtube

BONGZILLA - Weedsconsin (Album Review)

Release date: April 20th 2021. Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl 

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

 

BONGZILLA: new single "Sundae Driver" + album preorder available on HPS Records

Midwest's sludge behemoths and all-time weed metal pioneers BONGZILLA unleash their brand new single "Sundae Driver" exclusively on Decibel Magazine today! The song is taken from their forthcoming fifth album 'Weedsconsin', due out April 20th and available to preorder now through Heavy Psych Sounds.

Featuring a three-piece lineup of all original members—bassist/vocalist Muleboy, guitarist Spanky and drummer Magma— ”Sundae Driver” delivers the kind of hazy, heavy-as-hell doom that BONGZILLA earned their reputation peddling. The riffs on “Sundae Driver” are low and slow, sounding like they originate in a smoke-filled room; paired with a flattening rhythm section, the instruments create the ideal backdrop for Muleboy’s throat-shredding, smoke-destroyed vocals.

Listen to Bongzilla's new single "Sundae Driver" on Decibel 
 

On the fringe of chaos, in the Year of the Pandemic, the Cannabeast has awoken. World pioneers of Weed Metal BONGZILLA return with their new full-length album, sixteen years after their last record 'Amerijuanican'. Over the span of 'Weedsconsin' six tracks, Bongzilla delivers heavy doses of crushing stoner doom and psychedelic space rock that sets it apart from earlier material.

This record travels down a path of heavy riffs, mind-expanding jams, sonic tones, and stomping beats in the band's first release as a thunderous three piece, with Muleboy moving from guitar to bass. Approaching these songs as a three-piece has created more space musically and allowed the band to showcase their musicianship in a different way, resulting in a sound that is very heavy, along the lines of 'Gateway' tone-wise, but sonically clearer.

'Weedsconsin' was written by Muleboy (bass, vocals), Spanky (guitar), and Magma (drums) and recorded and mixed by the late John Hopkins at Future Apple Tree Studios in Rock Island, Illinois in October 2020. It was mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering in Chicago, Illinois, with an artwork design by Eli Quinn. It will be released on April 20th, 2021 on various limited edition vinyls, black vinyl, CD and digital.

 

BONGZILLA New album 'Weedsconsin'
Out April 20th on Heavy Psych Sounds - PREORDER

TRACKLIST:

1. Sundae Driver

2. Free the Weed

3. Space Rock

4. The Weedeater

5. Earth Bong, Smoked, Mags Bags

6. Gummies

BONGZILLA is a stoner metal band from Madison, Wisconsin. As their name suggests, most of their material is related to marijuana and promotes its legalization. The band formed in 1995, and over the next three years recorded and released a dozen songs on EPs and split singles. In 1998 they signed to Relapse Records, and have since released four studio albums and a live album through the label. Since the seeds were planted in the mid-90s, BONGZILLA have been sowing Madison, Wisconsin’s rich soil with their homegrown, psychedelic sludge. Following the release of their fourth studio album "Amerijuanican" in 2005, the band toured and remained active until 2009 when the group quietly took a hiatus.

In April 2015 it was announced BONGZILLA was reforming with the "Gateway" lineup, first announcing a tour of Europe. The band followed up with a four-date tour of the West Coast USA, a tour of the east coast USA and an appearance at Desertfest Belgium. The band began 2017 with a local show in Wisconsin before embarking on another European tour, playing the likes of Roadburn Festival, DesertFest Berlin, DesertFest London, KristonFest and have begun working on material for a new album.

In early 2020, BONGZILLA started their own label Gungeon Records and released a re-issue of their classic album "Apogee". However, in March of 2020 it would be announced that Cooter Brown would retire from the band due to health and family reasons, with Bongzilla choosing to continue as a thunderous three-piece. A few months into the pandemic, 

BONGZILLA began rehearsing and recording for several different record projects - A limited Wake Brewing 7 inch, a full length album titled Weedsconsin, an LP split with the band Tons, and a 7 Inch Split with Boris, the first of a 7 inch Split Series released on Gungeon Records. 

All projects were recorded at Future Apple Tree Studios in Rockford, Illinois in October 2020 by the legendary John Hopkins, before his sudden and unexpected passing in the late fall of 2020. In January 2021, the band announced its signing to Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds for the release of their fifth studio album "Weedsconsin" on April 20th, 2021

BONGZILLA is

Mike "Muleboy" Makela - vocals & guitar
Jeff "Spanky" Schultz - guitar
Mike "Magma" Henry - drums

BONGZILLA LINKS

Website ⎜ Facebook  ⎜Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS LINKS

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Youtube