Pink Fuzz - Resolution (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2025. Record Label: Permanent Teeth. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Resolution- Tracklisting

01. Trigger

02. Long Gone

03. Coming For Me

04. No Sympathy

05. Worst Enemy

06. So Sad

07. Resolution

08. Cycles

09. Am I Happy?

10. Animal

Members

LuLu Demitro - Vocals, Bass, Keys

John Demitro - Vocals, Baritone Guitar, Acoustic, Keys

Forrest Raup - Drums, Percussion

Nick Joswick - Keys

Hannie - Hammer

Review.

Resolution is the latest offering from Psych/Stoner Rockers Pink Fuzz which is their first album in over seven years though the band did release a superb EP (Vitals) back in 2019. If you’re new to Pink Fuzz’s fast-paced and highly melodic world then you’re in for a treat with the band focusing upon playing sounds inspired by early-era QOTSA, Slomosa, FU MANCHU and Truckfighters. However, Pink Fuzz stand out when they branch out into areas of Doom, Fuzz and classic Shoegaze which injects a world building energy into their music.

The music is catchy and captures the best moments of the Nineties Alt-Rock/Stoner Rock scene especially when the music draws upon the likes of Mazzy Star with a thrilling Doomgaze melody being added throughout the whole album. The sound is quite “FIESTY” and “HEARTFELT” thanks to the excellent vocals from brother/sister duo of LuLu Demitro and John Demitro that perfectly taps into the Shoegaze vibe and the poppy upbeat sounds which become quite aggressive when the subtle Punk Rock / Sludge Rock grooves appear on the early stages of the album.

Resolution works best when Pink Fuzz thinks outside of the box with classic Stoner Rock passages that have a certain highly confident swagger on tracks such as Trigger, Long Gone and Coming For Me perfectly set the scene. There’s a hint of “Post-Doom” developing that merges with that boisterous QOTSA based sound which manages to offer a playful and full on aggressive attitude. The “POPPIER” elements soon transform into a delicious blend of Fuzz Rock with a twinge of Doom Rock suddenly appearing for a more refined “METAL” sound. 

You’ll be surprised by the different HEAVY RAWK genres that Pink Fuzz manage to include out of thin air for the freshest, heaviest and hippest sounds on the whole album. Resolution allows Pink Fuzz to play recklessly but in the best possible way that manifests into sublime tracks full of great Psychedelic grooves on tracks such as: No Sympathy, Worst Enemy, Resolution, Am I Happy and Animal.

With excellent production values being applied thanks to great work by Kevin Mckeown on Production Duties and the legendary Alain Johannes who mixed the record. Resolution is one of the unexpected delights I’ve heard from the Stoner Rock scene I’ve heard this year. As Pink Fuzz are brilliantly inventive combining classic Stoner Rock against areas of Shoegaze, Alt Rock and Indie Rock for a record that’s bound to become a firm favourite within the underground scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to US / THEM Group for the promo.

Resolution is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Relentless Teeth.

 

Links

LinkTree | BandCamp | Instagram

Noise/Post-Punk/Sludge Rockers Torpedo share video from upcoming album What the f#*ked do we all do now? | Lights, US West Coast tour starts 7/10

Lausanne, Switzerland trio Torpedo share the official video for "SOME WOLVES" from their forthcoming sophomore album, What the fucked do we all do now? | Lights, today below

Hear and share the first single "NOW" at Bandcamp HERE. The album release coincides with the band's return to the US for West Coast dates throughout July. Please see complete dates below.

Torpedo is a noise rock, post-proto punk, industrial, and psychedelic trio which give itself over to creating a contrasting and unleashed music, seeking the perfect mixture that will metamorphose the leaden world into light and sulfurous gold. A slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the walls and a skid on gravel, riding a shredded bike at full speed. Can you feel your knees.

The story began in 2016 with a psychedelic and alternative post-punk duo. Carro Loubère (the howling lyre scratchers) and Jay Liseron (the bass screed and diabolic rhythmics worker and scraper) have fun weaving songs like webs around the stars and planets twinkling above the undulating sea. A beautiful trip with drum machines.

The first Hammer arrived in 2017, followed by a recording session on the European fringes of stormy Ireland, buffeted by winds and washed by ocean waves, one February of 2018. The first LP, Sphynx, was released in 2019. A post-punk and grunge album floating on harsh vocals and raw guitars, around which the bass dances, accompanied by tireless and heady drums. It was at this time, just before the album's release, that the second kicker arrived: Drew Hammer! This was followed by the recording of a new album entitled Orpheo_ Nebula in 2020. The tracks were recorded live in their rehearsal space (not much choice at that time...), the band then worked extensively in the studio to create a form of devastated opera made of layers, collages, and experiments around six poems with sprawling references spanning the ages.

Released in 2022, Orpheo_ Nebula received a warm reception from the media, and the band completed two tours on the American West Coast. In addition, two singles were released in the meantime, HOPE | DREAM in 2023 and La Mer Ondulée in 2024 - a 4-minutes excerpt from a much longer, yet unreleased jam...

Soon, the band is about to release a gut wrenching third album: What the Fucked Do We All Do Now? | - Lights, projecting us beyond the show, into the rawness of real life, that of you and me in our kitchens, weeping over a human world that has become unbearable for all the Living. Toward the essential questioning we all have under our nose.

What the fucked do we all do now? | Lights will be available exclusively on vinyl LP on June 27th, 2025 and hits streaming services in December via Broken Clover Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.

TORPEDO - LIVE 2025:

07/10 San Diego, CA - The Tower Bar
07/11 San Pedro, CA - TheSardine
07/12 Los Angeles, CA - The Redwood Bar
07/13 Palmdale, CA - Transplants Brewing
07/15 Visalia/Fresno - TBA
07/16 Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place
07/17 Sacramento, CA - The Press Club
07/18 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
07/19 Chico, CA - Naked Lounge
07/20 Eugene, OR - John Henry’s
07/23 Portland, OR - High Water Mark
07/24 Yakima, WA - Bearded Monkey
07/25 Bremerton, WA - The Charleston
07/26 Bellingham, WA - The Shakedown
07/27 Seattle, WA - Substation

Artist: Torpedo
Album: What the fucked do we all do now? | Lights
Record Label: Broken Clover Records
Release Date: June 27th, 2025 (LP), December 19th, 2025 (Streaming)

Tracklist

01. SOME WOLVES
02. Some
03. Where
04. ONW
05. NOW
06. Sugar Love
07. | NOISE (mouvement 1)

On The Web:

torpedo-cyclope.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/torpedo_band
facebook.com/torpedo.cyclope

Thanks to US/THEM PR Group and TORPEDO for the details.

Stoner Rockers VOLUME announce full US tour starting in May

VOLUME announce full US tour starting in May

29 Palms, CA Desert/Stoner Rock supergroup led by Patrick Brink (Fu Manchu), Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet), Mike Amster (Nebula, Spoon Benders), Dave Catching

“Pure, unadulterated desert rock by masters of the genre.” – Decibel Magazine

“Beefy, noisy, crunchy primal glory... One hell of a trip you should take.” – Metal Injection

"Feels like an acid trip in a sandstorm." -- Psychedelic Baby

Twentynine Palms, CA band VOLUME announce full US tour dates today supporting their new album Joy of Navigation (A Trip Through the Eternal Unknown). Please see all dates below

It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine. recently featured an in-depth interview with frontman Patrick Brink HERE.

The band is VOLUME and it deals primarily in density: Thick and weighty as the abundant sand surrounding their Twentynine Palms, CA hometown, but also comprised of a mass of fine grit that can sear the skin with a gust of wind, and quickly dissipate into the ether.

Yes, that is to say, VOLUME are purveyors of Heavy Acid Rock. Doomy psychedelia, but with more raw 70s punk brash than masquerading metal. VOLUME draw musical influences from bands such as The Stooges, MC5 and Black Flag to name a few, while also crafting their own distinctive heavy psychedelic identity. And, with Joy of Navigation, the band ventures into heavier, more psychedelic tones, while also keeping powerful hooks as the focus.

Originally formed in 1993 by ex-Fu Manchu singer Patrick Brink, the band has featured a revolving set of collaborators, with ex-Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell playing leads on the forthcoming Joy of Navigation mini-album. David Catching (QOTSA, Arctic Monkeys, Iggy Pop) co-produced the tracks with Brink, as well as playing synth on the recording. Mike Amster (Nebula, Mondo Generator, Spoon Benders) plays drums on the mini-album. The current live lineup includes Mingus on drums, bassist Jason Hernandez and lead guitarist Derek Christensen.

Brink founded the band in order to take the lead and steer the musical reins down psychedelic rocking routes. Having performed with a number of acts including the aforementioned vocals for Fu Manchu in their early days, VOLUME offered Patrick a new creative outlet. Over their career the band has shared stages with Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon and Goatsnake, and performed at festivals including Emissions of the Monolith and Stoner Hands of Doom (SHoD).

Brink’s upbringing in the secluded desert town east of Joshua Tree and 60 miles north of Palm Springs had a huge impact on his songwriting. It is a place of beauty and harsh realities, and those contrasts are present throughout Patrick's lyrics and songs. After getting into punk rock by accident in high school Patrick started his first band a couple of years later with the only other punks in town. This early love of punk rock inadvertently led him to the heavier bands on SST Records such as Wurm, SWA, DC3 and St. Vitus.

Heavy As F*ck (1996) and Love Is A Mountain And Heavy As F*ck (1998) were the band's first recordings. In the Fall of 1998, the seven inch Check This Planet I’m Gone... was released on Superkool Records. Requesting Permission To Land (High Beam Records) was recorded with the help of Mike McHugh (Train, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion). Each song was recorded in one or two takes to retain the original heart and soul of the piece.

“It’s rock and roll. Not brain surgery,” says Patrick of the recording process. The end result is a potent blend of thirty-plus minutes of psychedelic fuzzfest freakout and perhaps some of the rawest riffs you're likely to hear.

VOLUME draw inspiration from a time when music was truly experimental and free. They see themselves as rock'n'roll torch bearers whose duty it is to bring the flame, intact, into the future. They invite you to join in that endeavor, for the Joy of Navigation.

Joy of Navigation (A Trip Through the Eternal Unknown) is available for download/streaming, released on November 1st, 2024 via Golden Robot Recordings, and on LP via Kozmik Artifactz. Order HERE.

VOLUME LIVE 2025:

05/16 Las Vegas, NV - Dive Bar
05/17 Salt Lake City, UT - DLC
05/18 Denver, CO - The Crypt
05/19 Kansas City, KS - Mini Bar
05/20 Des Moines, IA - Lefty’s
05/21 Chicago, IL - Reggies
05/22 Detroit, MI - the Sanctuary
05/23 Lakewood, OH - 5 O’Clock Lo unge
05/24 New York, NY - Lucky 13
05/25 Boston, MA - Mid East Upstairs
05/26 Philadelphia, PA - Animated Brewing
05/27 Baltimore, MD - the Metro
05/28 Louisville, KY - Mag Bar
05/29 St Louis, MO - Red Flag
05/30 Tulsa, OK - Whittier Bar
05/31 Albuquerque, NM - Echoes
06/01 Phoenix, AZ - Yucca Tap Room

Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) will be available to buy via the following records and formats listed below:

Golden Robot (digital) / Kozmik Artifactz (vinyl)

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to US / THEM PR Group for all of the details.

VOLUME - Joy Of Navigation (a trip through the eternal unknown) (Album Review)

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:

Golden Robot (digital) / Kozmik Artifactz (vinyl)

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

High Desert Queen - Palm Reader (Album Review)

Release Date: May 28th  2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Three Moons: Tracklisting

1.Ancient Aliens 

2.Death Perception 

3.Head Honcho

4.Palm Reader

5.Time Waster 

6.Tuesday Night Blues

7.Solar Rain

Band Members

Ryan Garney – vocals

Phil Hook – drums

Morgan Miller – bass

Rusty Miller – guitar

Review

Austin, Texas based Stoner Metallers High Desert Queen earned a ton of critical plaudits for their 2022 debut album Secrets Of The Black Moon that saw the band arrive on the global Stoner Rock/Metal scene in a big way. Multiple tours and festival slots happened both within the USA and Europe where the band developed a great following on both sides of the Atlantic.

High Desert Queen have returned with their second album Palm Reader and it easily avoids the sophomore slump that has dogged so many great bands time and time again. The secret to High Desert Queen’s success is their ability to experiment with new sounds and storytelling techniques compared to their acclaimed debut release. Palm Reader does have its fair share of Psychedelic and Cosmic interludes but they added a real storytelling narrative within the lyrics and how the vocals are delivered throughout the album.

Touring with icons of the Desert/Stoner Rock scene may have helped the band along the way but High Desert Queen are still essentially delivering epic Desert Rock/Stoner Rock tracks tinged with more Emotional Driven rock on the excellent opening tracks of Ancient Aliens and Death Perception (which features guest vocals from Emma Näslund from the ace Swedish Doom/Stoner Rock band GAUPA). These two tracks alone sees High Desert Queen set down the groundwork for high voltage FUZZED UP grooves with that Texan based Desert/Stoner Rock sound merged with elements of Psych Rock, Doom Rock and Classic Hard Rock energy.

Palm Reader is quite different to Secrets Of The Black Moon when the heavier sounds appear but Ryan’s excellent vocals is like welcoming back an old friend with open arms who you haven’t seen in a long time. The music is always of the BOMBASTIC variety with the band adapting to a Blues Rock and Cosmic energy on other tracks such as Head Honcho, Palm Reader and Time Waster. 

High Desert Queen manages to impress further on the lengthier tracks of the album with Head Honcho and Solar Rain both running past the nine minutes mark. The band starts to lay down grooves with a Progressive Sludge Rock swagger that feels inspired by Mastodon and Baroness in parts. The album soon starts adding wonderful overlaps of Stoner Rock and Cosmic Rock with a touch of AMERICANA mysticism appearing within the lyrics and superb vocals allows High Desert Queen to match the dizzying creative heights and psychedelic beats of their acclaimed debut album.

The band could have easily made Secrets Of The Black Moon Part Two but they offered something more fulfilling and equally rewarding with a record that has it’s own original sound to impress listeners with all over again. 

Palm Reader is beautifully melodic and quite intense when High Desert Queen for the heavier Stoner Metal sound on the later stages of the album though the band show their tender side as well which becomes perhaps dominated by the legendary Desert Rock landscape.

This is another must-have record from High Desert Queen who have earned their reputation as one of the most promising and essential acts to come out from the legendary Texan Desert/Stoner Rock scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Magnetic Eye Records, US/THEM PR Group and All Noir PR for the promo.

Palm Reader will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records from Friday 31st May 2024 at the following links below:

Worldwide: en.spkr.media
US/Canada: us.spkr.media

Links

www.highdesertqueen.com
www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen
www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen

Austin Psychedelic-Americana band LORD BUFFALO share first single off new album "Holus Bolus"; out July 12th on Blues Funeral Recordings.

Austin heavy psychedelic and Americana purveyors LORD BUFFALO release the first single & video from their forthcoming album "Holus Bolus", to be released on July 12th through Bliues Funeral Recordings.

Lord Buffalo is heavy in the way that ghosts are heavy… in the way that billowing dust is heavy. That is to say, the Austin, TX Psych-Americana band’s music impacts hard, though it seems impossible to touch. Their sound flows through us, it doesn’t invite the Pavlovian response of typical heavy rock music.

Perhaps it’s fitting that their new album "Holus Bolus" takes its name from an antiquated term meaning “all at once.” It materializes instantly from the first opening notes, a grey haze drawing listeners in with deft juxtapositions of droning violin, guitars, drums and vocals.

Watch Lord Buffalo's new video "Holus Bolus"

Stream the single on all digital services

While the quartet wades into the same murky waters as dark emotive brethren Wovenhand, All Them Witches, Chelsea Wolfe, Emma Ruth Rundle, Earth, Echo & The Bunnymen, Nick Cave, the creative interplay of Middle Eastern influences and Western folk Americana takes the record in its own enveloping, meditative direction. Embarking on a sleep-deprived road trance through High Plains iconography, "Holus Bolus" is bleak yet hopeful, a mix that is by now Lord Buffalo's established custom blend.

"Holus Bolus" was recorded by Danny Reisch and Max Lorenzen at Good Danny's in Lockhart, TX, mixed by Danny Reisch and mastered by Max Lorenzen. It will be available in vinyl, CD and digital format on July 12th, with preorders available now through Blues Funeral Recordings.

LORD BUFFALO "Holus Bolus"

Out July 12th on Blues Funeral Recordings (LP/CD/digital)

Preorder on Bandcamp, Bluesfuneral.com and SPKR shop

Exporting the haunting heavy folk of their 2020 full-length "Tohu Wa Bohu" across North America, Lord Buffalo toured as direct support for Elder in the fall of 2023, and previously for England's Church of the Cosmic Skull. They've performed at Psycho Las Vegas (twice), the inaugural Monolith on the Mesa, Ripplefest Texas and more.

NPR Music described Lord Buffalo as, "known for their atmospheric spin on folk-rock, at times sounding like the Anthology of American Folk Music beamed from outer space." The Austin Chronicle called Tohu Wa Bohu, "a dusky, moody, roots-quaking disc of tension and release," and PopMatters summarized the music as, "haunting, American Gothic-inspired lyrical poetry, a torch to light our collective way in times of darkness."

LORD BUFFALO is:

Daniel Pruitt - guitar, bass, piano, vocals, melodica
Garrett Hellman - guitar, sub-bass, piano, synths
Patrick Patterson - violin
Yamal Said - drums, percussion

LORD BUFFALO links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Spotify

BLUES FUNERAL RECORDINGS links

Website ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Bandcamp ⎮ Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR and US/THEM PR Group for all of the info.

Desert/Stoner Rockers HIGH DESERT QUEEN Release New Song TIME WASTER From Upcoming New Album PALM READER

Texas based Desert/Stoner Rockers HIGH DESERT QUEEN will be releasing their eagerly anticipated second full length album Palm Reader on May 31st 2024 via Magnetic Eye Records.

The band released the well received debut single and video for Ancient Aliens recently which was a very cool tongue in cheek video inspired by the John Carpenter classic THEY LIVE.

Now the band are releasing the second single TIME WASTER from the forthcoming new album which you can listen to below. 

Tracklist

1. Ancient Aliens
2. Death Perception
3. Head Honcho
4. Palm Reader
5. Time Waster
6. Tuesday Night Blues
7. Solar Rain

"Palm Reader" is available as digi-sleeve CD, as a transparent green vinyl LP, and as a marbled pink & black vinyl LP from http://lnk.spkr.media/high-desert-queen-palmreader

The Lowdown

HIGH DESERT QUEEN's sophomore full-length "Palm Reader" is bursting with raw energy and radiates the feeling of 666 diesel horses thundering loud. The album is crammed with cool vibes, ripping leads, and a ton of desert fuzz with a focus on great songs rather than trying to stay confined within a corral of a particular style.

This untamed attitude took its creative high energy source straight from touring. When the band from Texas returned home after six weeks travelling the roads of Europe with the legendary FATSO JETSON and watching them improvising jams every night, they had also taken notes. Although a bit worn from the road, HIGH DESERT QUEEN could hardly wait to start recording. Not focusing overly on how parts were played, allowing themselves imperfections, and ditching the click, the music started to flow like never before. In the very first studio session after the tour, three new songs emerged.

Working within a live framework and mindset, the band from Austin, Texas hit the jackpot and "Palm Reader" bears witness to that claim. In more than one way, HIGH DESERT QUEEN have always been a bit different and much more than 'another desert rock band'. Formed in Houston, Texas by singer Ryan Garney and guitarist Rusty Miller in 2019, the duo soon recruited drummer Phil Hook (MONTE LUNA) and relocated to Austin in 2020.

With the addition of Rusty's daughter Morgan on bass, the band hit the ground running. The lone star shone bright when these four got together as desert rock had already endured a long rather dry spell of stagnation and was parched for an injection of fresh sounds.

HIGH DESERT QUEEN had what it takes to kick the scene into gear again. Their vast musical influences ranging from grunge to funk, old school metal to doom and much more provide an ideal foundation for new ideas and a rejuvenating approach to the genre. Their thunderous, fuzz-drenched anthems are delivered with a healthy dose of groove and catchy melodies, and get a massive boost from an emotional intelligence in their music that's hard to find. The newly-minted sound is linked to the rich heritage of their musical environment, inspiring the style tag 'Texas desert rock'.

Hard work and their obviously burgeoning talent resulted in an fast rise for HIGH DESERT QUEEN, beginning with their first record deal arriving thanks in part to their being hand-picked by ZAKK SABBATH's Rob Blasko. Their debut full-length "Secrets of the Black Moon" arrived in 2021 and was immediately heaped with praise in the US and Europe, which kicked the doors open to touring and invitations to prestigious festivals both domestic and abroad. In March 2022, the Texans embarked on their first tour in support of SASQUATCH on the US West Coast. Only two months later, HIGH DESERT QUEEN hit the roads of Europe as a headliner in June 2022, with a return to the other side of the Atlantic with FATSO JETSON in 2023. Underlining the fast rise of this live monster, the newcomers were booked for Desertfest London (UK) and Berlin (DE) and the Truckfighters' Fuzz Festival (SE) among many others.

Answering the exponentially multiplying requests for new material from their steadily growing following, HIGH DESERT QUEEN flanked their live activities with the "Turned to Stone Ch. 8" split release with BLUE HERON, and contributed a track to "Best of Soundgarden Redux", the latest instalment of the bestselling Magnetic Eye Records Redux series.

With "Palm Reader", HIGH DESERT QUEEN have made a quantum leap in their evolution as the Texans found the perfect balance between the well-loved legacy of the desert rock genre and carving out their very own path. Fuelled by the power and spirit of live music, this album rocks as hard and honest as can be done.

HIGH DESERT QUEEN live:

24 MAY 2024 Lafayette, LA (US) Freetown Boom Boom Room
25 MAY 2024 Houston, TX (US) White Oak Music Hall
26 MAY 2024 Arlington, TX (US) Division Brewery
30 MAY 2024 Austin, TX (US) The Far Out Lounge
31 MAY 2024 Bryan, TX (US) The 101
01 JUN 2024 San Antonio, TX (US) The Amp Room
02 JUN 2024 New Braunfels, TX (US) Guadalupe Brewery
13 JUL 2024 Erfurt (DE) Stoned from the Underground Festival
26 JUL 2024 Neuensee (DE) Rock im Wald Festival
21 SEP 2024 Austin, TX (US) Far Out Lounge, RippleFest Texas

Line-up:

Ryan Garney – vocals
Phil Hook – drums
Morgan Miller – bass
Rusty Miller – guitar

Guest musician

Emma Näslund (GAUPA) – vocals on 'Death Perception'

Recorded by Casey Johns at Yellow Dog Studios, Wimberley, TX (US)
Mixed & Mastering by Karl Daniel Lidén at Studio Tri-Lamb, Solna (SE)

Cover art & album design by PabloRR (72826)

For more info visit:

www.highdesertqueen.com
www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen
www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen

Available formats

"Palm Reader" is available as digi-sleeve CD, as a transparent green vinyl LP, and as a marbled pink & black vinyl LP from http://lnk.spkr.media/high-desert-queen-palmreader

Thanks to US/THEM PR Group for all of the details.

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.

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