Marijuana Johnson - Reefer Chamber (Album Review)

Release Date: July 28th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Reefer Chamber: Tracklisting

1.Reefer Chamber 05:34

2.Mountain High 04:27

3.Glass Brain 05:40

4.Every Day 01:24

5.My Weight (In Bud) 04:11

6.Red 05:02

Members

Ashley Ashbrook - Guitar, Vocals

Matt Clark - Bass, Vocals

Elliott Harrell - Drums, Background Vocals

Review:

Doom/Stoner Rockers Marijuana Johnson return after a two and a half year absence with their new album Reefer Chamber. As with their last album, Gem City Kush, Marijuana Johnson standout from the overcrowded WEEDIAN scene by exploring areas of Hard Rock and Punk Rock for a more fleshed out sound. The album is mostly powered by those powerful SABBATHIAN fumes with a classic style of Hard Rock that sees elements of Blue Cheer, Led Zepp and the mighty SLEEP appearing on this album.

There’s a great sense of humour appearing within this album which reminds me of BONGZILLA and WEEDEATER that did appear within their previous album. This album has a more free-flowing Classic Rock attitude with the Punk Rock vocals being the icing on the cake. Marijuana Johnson offer a “NO FRILLS” blend of Doom/Stoner Rock and it’s a refreshing change of style especially on the excellent opening tracks of Reefer Chamber and Mountain High. 

Marijuana Johnson seem they’ve taken creative influence from the legendary “anti-weed” films such as Reefer Madness with the opening two tracks explaining the benefits of the mighty weed but told with a “not so serious” narrative and attitude appearing mostly within Reefer Chamger. The grooves have a certain “LO-FI” edge which makes Marijuana Johnson music more appealing to the Stoner masses. 

The added use of subtle humour comes into play more on Mountain High and Glass Brain where the band go more Doomedelic with some of the most haziest and laidback sounds appearing on Glass Brain. This track feels like it has come from a different band but there’s a wonderful sense of familiarity when the heavy FUZZED grooves appear for some of the best sounds on the album.

There’s some epic levels of Electric Wizard inspired HEAVINESS within this album which Marijuana Johnson explores to their full advantage but with rebellious Punk Rock identity appearing on tracks Glass Brain, My Weight (In Bud) and Red. 

Reefer Chamber has superbly realised production values that allows Marijuana Johnson to play a wide array of different Hard Rock themes whilst being a KICK-ASS Doom/Stoner Rock album within its own right. The album never takes itself too seriously and proves why Marijuana Johnson are one of the most fun and highly energetic bands within the Stoner Rock scene.

This album is an absolute blast of sublime grooves from start to finish. Plain and simple.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Marijuana Johnson for the promo.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | Twitter

Marijuana Johnson Release New Video For SMOKE SIGNALS

Weedian Stoner Metal Outlaws Marijuana Johnson release the brand new music video for "Smoke Signals". The final song from their acclaimed current album GEM CITY KUSH which you can see below:

The band said this about the new video: "This video was a labor of love--and a bitch to edit, ha ha--but I think it turned out really fun! We slay a dragon at the top of Everest and steal his weed; you know, normal stuff."

Normal stuff indeed guys....

Anyway check the guys out from the links below and give them a like if you haven't already on the multiple Social Media Platforms below:

MARIJUANA JOHNSON Official Site: https://marijuanajohnson.com MARIJUANA JOHNSON on Instagram: https://bit.ly/37rH5Ho MARIJUANA JOHNSON on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2VIOaRC MARIJUANA JOHNSON on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3itZM3K MARIJUANA JOHNSON on Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/3CpFpwF MARIJUANA JOHNSON on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2U0AGjq MARIJUANA JOHNSON on Apple Music: https://apple.co/3xuYDgn MARIJUANA JOHNSON on TikTok: https://bit.ly/3fKk8Uy

Marijuana Johnson - Gem City Kush (Album Review) and Exclusive Premiere Of New Song - SMOKE SIGNALS

 

Release date: January 15th 2021. Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Gem City Kush– Tracklisting

1.This Smoke
2.Nuclear Godzilla
3.Green Means Go
4.Kush
5.Trees
6.You Don't Get Off Until You Cough
7.Endo In The Outdo
8.Smoke Signals

Members

Ashley Ashbrook - Guitar, Vocals
Elliott Harrell - Drums, Background Vocals
Matt Clark - Bass, Background Vocals

Review

Marijuana Johnson released their last album back in 2010 and 11 years later the band return with their new record Gem City Kush. The band have gone through various line-up changes through the years but this line-up is the heaviest and most musically diverse yet. Well according to their BandCamp Page and with the evidence with this fantastically heavy new offering.

Let’s not beat around the WEEDIAN BUSH here. Marijuana Johnson are here to make songs about the mighty WEED and don’t shy away from that fact. Look at the evidence. Marijuana is the main driving force of this band’s existence. The band name, the album name, the song titles and the whole album is about WEED. So with that out of the way lets get down to business of the reviewing the album.

The album isn’t the most groundbreaking but Marijuana Johnson do show ambition by playing homage to their musical heroes and including elements of those bands music into the record such as Black Sabbath, SLEEP, ZZ TOP and BORIS. The record is a mixture of Classic Rock, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal and Punk Rock. There is a wild vivid energy to it all and you feel that from the excellent opening song – This Smoke.

This Smoke is a hazy pot-fuelled adventure embracing the seedy side of Punk Rock with a snarling Doom/Stoner Rock attitude that has quite a raw feel to it all. The album was written and recorded during the COVID-19 Lockdown and the album is quite remarkably upbeat and good natured within the groovy riffs the band have laid down for the song. The grungy attitude is a welcome bonus as well with Marijuana Johnson never outstaying their welcome.

Second song – Nuclear Godzilla – is a stripped back song with Marijuana Johnson playing a more Doom/Stoner Metal orientated song before the heavily inspired ZZ Top vocals appear with a direct Blues Rock approach. The song does take time to fully find it’s groove but the double edged vocals that appear give the song a much needed boost for Stoner Metal heaviness and becomes one of the albums standout songs.

Third song – Green Means Go – is more of a Punk Rock song with the band playing a faster style of music with an almost Motorhead energy to it all. The lyrics are ridiculously over the top but it shows the good warm hearted nature of the band. They’re here to have fun and there’s nothing wrong with that. The riffs are the main selling point once again but the vocals do have a certain charm that leave you rocking along to the crazy madness of it all.

The band experiment with their Punk Rock fuelled WEEDIAN sound on the next part of the album with the band adding more crazier style of vocals and Stoner Metal riffs that make you wonder where will this CRAZY album go next.

Other cool songs to check out or get high to: Kush, Trees, You Don’t Get Off Till You Cough and Smoke Signals.

These are some of the other standout songs on the album and ones to leave you with a huge smile on your face. Some people may complain that the joke is wearing a little bit thin but to Marijuana Johnson’s credit they do have a real creative flair for writing highly energetic and anthemic songs that capture the rebellious nature of Punk Rock, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal in one gloriously addictive riff-fuelled package.

For an 11 year absence, Marijuana Johnson have released a superbly entertaining record that gets the World Of Doom/Stoner Metal off to a great start in 2021. What more could you possibly want…

Marijuana Johnson being the super cool guys that they are have let me premiere the new song SMOKE SIGNALS

 

 The band say this about the song.

"One night, after a bunch of bong rips, I fell asleep and dreamed the band was playing a show in Nepal. Ash, Elliott, and I were having a hard time finding any weed. Some local sherpas told us the only place to get any was at the peak of Mount Everest, but it was guarded by a huge dragon. So--obviously--we climbed Everest, smoked a big chalice with a dragon, and hitched a ride out with some aliens. And that's how we wrote Smoke Signals." -- Matt Clark

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Matt for the promo. Gem City Kush will be available to buy on DD from January 15th 2021.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp