What Are You Listening To?

[AlSymerz]

1 hour ago, Thatguy said:

I hate it already. I don't need to listen.

You've always had impeccable taste.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Sepultura - Morbid Visions

 

I always forget the version of troops of doom from schizophrenia is a re-recording…

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

FOG LAMP - Anxious Stargazing

....very heavy CHROME vibe....

 

NOSTRA CULPA - Demo

....fyre crust....

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Arnaut Pavle - Transylvanian Glare, Finland. 

 

Ondfødt - Det Österbottniska Mörkret, Finland. Top 10 contender from earlier in the year. Just now noticing the crazy snare sound.

 

 

3 hours ago, AlSymerz said:

You've always had impeccable taste.

Impeccably esoteric.

[markm]

Dozer/Drifting in the Inner Void (2023)-Stoner was a gateway for me in the aughts. Dozer has been part of my life ever since Madre De Dios way back in 2001 before I listened to any extreme metal. They're pivotal  to the fertile Swedish stoner scene which sounds like an oxymoron given Scandinavia's  proximity to California. But clearly, the Swedes like their hard rock with some fuzz. This is Dozer's first album since 2008. Times and tastes change. Desert rock is less of a scene now. I'd say the stoner sounds have been absorbed into other sub genres and can be found as influences rather than existing as a separate entity.  At this point, Dozer just sound like a great heavy psyche band that get to the point and rawk. No prog. No post metal. No gaze. Less proto metal and punk influence. They have grit and grease and muscle. Just a heavy rock album. I like it. 

[MarkhantonioYeatts]

42 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Arnaut Pavle - Transylvanian Glare, Finland. 

 

Ondfødt - Det Österbottniska Mörkret, Finland. Top 10 contender from earlier in the year. Just now noticing the crazy snare sound.

 

 

Impeccably esoteric.

....WhiteNoise....glad to see you like that ONDFODT....one of my favourites....

BUNKER 66 - Portraits Of Dismay

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Zaratus - In the Days of Whore, Greece

 

6 minutes ago, markm said:

Dozer/Drifting in the Inner Void (2023)-Stoner was a gateway for me in the aughts. Dozer has been part of my life ever since Madre De Dios way back in 2001 before I listened to any extreme metal. They're pivotal  to the fertile Swedish stoner scene which sounds like an oxymoron given Scandinavia's  proximity to California. But clearly, the Swedes like their hard rock with some fuzz. This is Dozer's first album since 2008. Times and tastes change. Desert rock is less of a scene now. I'd say the stoner sounds have been absorbed into other sub genres and can be found as influences rather than existing as a separate entity.  At this point, Dozer just sound like a great heavy psyche band that get to the point and rawk. No prog. No post metal. No gaze. I like it. 

They had that one song 20 years ago, The Hills Have Eyes, I used to play it over and over. Never got too deep into them for some reason, just had that one Conspiracy record, even though their brand of hard rock is reminicient of the shit I grew up on in the 70's. I don't think I even realized they were Swedish.

[Arioch]

Dimmu Borgir - Inspiratio Profanus (2023)

A covers album released on 8 December. It includes tracks by Venom, Bathory, Celtic Frost and, more surprisingly, Twisted Sister, Accept and Deep Purple!

I'm listening to the first track, Black Metal (Venom). Unsurprisingly, it's clean and well played, but it lacks the dirty, nasty edge of the original track.

 

[Arioch]

Macabre - Grim Scary Tales (2011)

 

[MacabreEternal]

Black Tongue - Nadir (2018)

 

 

[JamesT]

3 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

Black Tongue - Nadir (2018)

 

 

Excellent choice!  Black Tongue has long been a favorite of mine.  I liked their previous album a bit better, but I certainly enjoy this one from time to time as well.

[markm]

Royal Thunder/Rebuilding the Mountain (2023)-It's annoying that anything with a 70's influence that's not outright prog is lumped in with stoner rock, a stupid name if there ever was one. Case in point the blues hard rock of Royal Thunder, an under the radar rock band with a late 60's/early 70's sound. Miny Parsonz is a standout female vocalist often compared to Janis Joplin. Their music is understated, moody blues based rock that harkens to the 70's without sounding intentionally retro. They just do what they do and do it well. I came in on their album CVI in 2012. Plagued by substance and personnel problems they return with their first album in 5 years. I like it. It has a dark tone and is very chill. It's not going to change your life but if you enjoy blues rock with a slight QOTSA and indie flare with good female vox, it's worth a listen. 

NP: Immortal War Against All (2023)

[Arioch]

Ihsahn - Ámr (2018)

 

[Nasty_Cabbage]

7 hours ago, markm said:

Royal Thunder/Rebuilding the Mountain (2023)-It's annoying that anything with a 70's influence that's not outright prog is lumped in with stoner rock, a stupid name if there ever was one. Case in point the blues hard rock of Royal Thunder, an under the radar rock band with a late 60's/early 70's sound. Miny Parsonz is a standout female vocalist often compared to Janis Joplin. Their music is understated, moody blues based rock that harkens to the 70's without sounding intentionally retro. They just do what they do and do it well. I came in on their album CVI in 2012. Plagued by substance and personnel problems they return with their first album in 5 years. I like it. It has a dark tone and is very chill. It's not going to change your life but if you enjoy blues rock with a slight QOTSA and indie flare with good female vox, it's worth a listen. 

Yeah, I remember when that CVI album came out. Made some lists at the end of the year if I'm remembering correctly. Cool to see they're still kicking around. As far as the label 'stoner rock' goes I pretty much agree. It's such a nebulous label that can be slapped onto anything with a blues scale (and that is a lot of things). The genre title that confuses me the most though is probably 'desert rock', which apparently QOTSA and Kyuss fall under. I've even heard it applied to Neurosis' Souls at Zero album. So it's what, any slower paced slightly bluesy rock that came out of California or Arizona from like '95 to '05? I just can't really get a bead on it sonically. Ah well, music fans are creatures of habitual archival for sure. I'm reminded of a quote I heard my friend use once (I don't know if he made it up or was quoting somebody) where he said "the business of canonization is best left as a leisure activity among myopic security guards". 😝

Whatever genre though, Miny's got the pipes to carry these songs for sure. The Joplin comparison is a little off the mark for me, but I have a bad habit of pushing back mentally anytime I see our tendency to lionize the dead in effect. That's not a knock against Miny though. I think I had the chance to see them live once, but it fell on a day I already had planned to go see Mgla or Velvette Cocoon or one of the super Portal-esque bands that were really popular back then. Royal Thunder are pretty enjoyable though. I'll have to check out the new one sometime today.

NP: Xorsist - At the Somber Steps to Serenity

▶︎ AT THE SOMBER STEPS TO SERENITY | Xorsist (bandcamp.com)

Excellent. These guys were definitely laid at the altar of Entombed, Carnage, and Bloodbath at birth. Good way to start the day.

[AlSymerz]

Reaver - Iron Nation

[Nasty_Cabbage]

NP: Totenmesse - Fiktionlust

▶︎ Fiktionlust | TOTENMESSE | Pagan Records (bandcamp.com)

Not going to lie I kind of hate that sickly bile yellowish green on the cover. Maybe I played too much Fallout New Vegas, but the musical quality is there. Nice mid range bm guitar tone as well. I just can't look at the cover while I listen.

[markm]

On 12/19/2023 at 6:33 PM, Thatguy said:

We agree again, I had almost written Enslaved off, but in view of past form I gave it another go or two and I think it is one of their strongest recent releases. No strange lapses in taste and actual metal. It is a strong contender for a place on my very refined end of year list.

On TG and F.A. recommendation, I spent more time with Enslaved/ Heimdal. It's better than I first thought. I think the newer Enslaved feels a bit smoothed out with the prog parts taking precedence over any real grit to the blackened bits. Their classic material had a good mix of black metal and prog.  

[MacabreEternal]

20 hours ago, JamesT said:

Excellent choice!  Black Tongue has long been a favorite of mine.  I liked their previous album a bit better, but I certainly enjoy this one from time to time as well.

It is a recent discovery of mine.  Rare that I set foot in the realm of deathcore but occasionally my peers elsewhere on the internet put me onto something that grabs my interest.  This is not a "breakdown factory" deathcore record though - in fact I would say only Ultima Necat as a track fits this billing of old.  Elsewhere on the record there are elements of grindcore, black metal and the abysmally heavy drops that are more fitting to the sub-genre.  Great story to this record which is obvious from listening through (even the Celtic Frost cover works) to simply pick up the narrative.

[Arioch]

Grip Inc. - Power of Inner Strength (1995)

 

[Arioch]

Mercyful Fate - Melissa (1983)

 

[JamesT]

Betzefer - "Entertain Your Force of Habit"

Bullet - "Highway Pirates"

Bullet - "Heading for the Top"

One of my top 10 all-time favorite bands, and they might possibly be releasing their next album coming up here in 2024!  Their last release "Dust to Gold" was back in 2018, and I began to worry that they may have broken up.  My goodness, I hope the rumors of a new release are true!

[markm]

Acid King/ Beyond Vision (2023) -This will probably be my last stoner pick up for 2023. Acid King were  a seminal band in stoner doom with a slow laid-back heavy style with smooth female vocals that have influenced many artists. The new one is more atmospheric, almost post rock in feel with slow, psyche jams and those great female vox I like. Chill drink a beer stoner doom. I dig it. 

[Arioch]

Morgoth - Cursed (1991)

 

[Arioch]

Overkill - Taking Over (1987)

 

[Nasty_Cabbage]

NP: Keres - Vexilloid

▶︎ Vexilloid | Kêres | TERRATUR POSSESSIONS (bandcamp.com)

Striking cover art. Music's a little ho-hum so far.