2025 Top Ten Stoner Rock Albums (#10-1)

Of course, there are great albums I'm unaware of, but here are my top ten favorite albums I've bought this year:

 

#10: Death Wheelers: The Ecstasy Of Möld

The Death Wheelers get better with each release.  They are now my favorite instrumental stoner rock band.  Every track on this is perfect, and if you told me it should be #1 on the list, I wouldn't argue.

#9: Nightstalker: Return From The Point Of No Return

I've always loved Nightstalker, and this is one of their best albums.  It soothes my soul.

#8: Dozer: Rewind To Return: Rarities, Singles And B-Sides

The fact that Dozer had this much quality unreleased music blows me away.  Even though this is older music, these gems were released this year, making this a top 10 album of the year.

#7: Stonebirds: Perpetual Wastelands

I didn't like this a lot the first time I played it, but I did seek it out again and started a sequence of events which resulted in every single one of these tunes being cemented in my head.

#6: Froglord: Metamorphosis

Froglord does not disappoint!!!

#5: The Riven: Visions Of Tomorrow

In a different era, I think this band would have been huge.  Great musicians and songwriters, and a flawless album.

#4: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs: Death Hilarious

This album is also perfect.  The creativity along with the sheer heaviness of their sound makes this band special.  I was close to making this album #1

#3: Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd - 50 Years Later

An impressive addition to the "50 Years Later" series of tribute albums.  Again, a situation where I didn't like all these covers at first, but they wormed their way into my head to the point where I love every single one.

2: Motorpsycho: Motorpsycho

Motorpsycho are consistently operating on a different plane than everybody else.  How they have been this good for this long is mind-boggling.

#1: Brimstone Coven: The Light Shines Not For Thee

How does anything beat that Motorpsycho album?  While I can't rationalize the answer, I can say that I've just played this one more often.  I've been playing it since I bought it, and that makes it my favorite album of 2025.

Happy New Year!!!!

I didn't have time to make posts for these, but if you're interested, you can find my #30-21 album picks here, and my #20-11 album picks here

Best of 2025 May - August

 

Stoner Rock #60

 

Some tunes for you to peruse.

Hope you enjoy!

 

FROGLORD: METAMORPHOSIS

Bristol, UK's Froglord Released their new album last week, and I haven't been able to stop playing it.

I've referred to Froglord's sound in the past as "groovy doom", but that doesn't quite describe the diversity they manage to provide, while still maintaining a distinctive sound.  

Here's one that will be a lot of peoples' favorite.  Lots of volume is your friend here.  When the harmonica kicks in is the exact moment I was hooked:

Here's another one:

And if you didn't catch their cover of Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" that I posted a couple of weeks ago, you can check it out here.

Froglord are:

Vocals: Benjamin 'Froglord' Oak
Guitar: Jordan 'Caudata' Cross
Bass: Luke 'Bufo' Clemenger
Drums: Chris 'Anura' Seldon

I rate this album a ten out of ten.

If you like it too, check out their entire catalog here, and spread the word so that they'll get the recognition they deserve and be able to come play in Boston some day.

And Now, For Something Completely Different...

 

Thankfully, during a particularly busy time for me, Grownman has returned to throw down the sick metal and keep this blog from stagnating.  I've got a little time tonight though, and am here to represent the trippier, more psychedelic side of heavy music and send some sweet stoner rock your way.

FROGLORD: METAMORPHOSIS

This album will be released exactly 7 weeks from today, on May 2.  There is one pre-released track, and it is special.  I am a huge fan of all pre-"Permanent Vacation" Aerosmith, and this cover tune makes me happy.  

Froglord, are from Bristol, United Kingdom and are:

Vocals: Benjamin 'Froglord' Oak
Guitar: Jordan 'Caudata' Cross
Bass: Luke 'Bufo' Clemenger
Drums: Chris 'Anura' Seldon

You can grab this tune here.

NIGHTSTALKER: RETURN FROM THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Released today, Nightstalker's new album, and a video for the title track:

Nightstalker are Greek stoner rock royalty, putting out great rock music since the early 90's.

They are:

Argy: Vocals

Andreas Lagios: Bass

Tolis Motsios: Guitar

Dinos Roulos: Drums

You can pick up "Return From The Point Of No Return" from Heavy Psych Sounds Records here.

RAINBOWS ARE FREE: SILVER AND GOLD

Released exactly a week ago, this album is really growing on me.  Here's the opening track, which is an early favorite.

Oklahoma's Rainbows Are Free are:

Brandon Kistler: Vocals 
Richie Tarver: Lead Guitar 
Jason Smith: Bass 
Joey Powell: Rhythm Guitar 
Bobby Onspaugh: Drums
Josh Elam: Synth

You can get "Silver And Gold" from Ripple Music here.

I've got more, but am out of time.  Will post ASAA

(as soon as able)

Rock on

2024 Top Third Highlights

 STONER ROCK: JAN 2024 - APRIL 2024

A shamelessly long playlist full of cool music that's come out in the top third of 2024. The last three tunes would make a great playlist by themselves I think.

These bands are from:

Belgium

England

Italy

Japan

Switzerland

United States

BIZARRE COLLECTION

 

Here is an absolutely psychotic mix of new music I'd like to recommend.

First:

BLASTING ROD: OF WILD HAZEL

Japan's Blasting Rod is a truly unique and creative group of musicians who write and play whatever strikes their fancy.  Every tune takes you down a different musical avenue, often making you ask "Where am I?  What just happened?" when you get to the end of it.

So far, this is my favorite track from this album:

Another favorite is "Oh, Emma, Burn It Down".  It starts with the feeling you're listening to a cool rock band in a bar somewhere in the Western US and finishes with you being chased by a monster yelling in Japanese.  I love the trippy atmosphere of "Where Today Begins And Yesterday Ends/Star King" and dig the punk feel of "Sin City Blues".

If you're in the mood for something cool and different, check out this gem here or here

Blasting Rod are:

S. Shah: Guitar/Voice/Percussion/Synthesizer
Yoshihiro Yasui: Bass Guitar/Guitar/Percussion
Chihiro: Drums/Percussion

Second:

SCRAPE: SHAKE THE NATION

When I bought Gnome's King album, I got on the mailing list for Polderrecords, and have learned that there are tons of great rock bands in Belgium.  One of them is Scrape.

Scrape manages to simultaneously pay tribute to punk and nineties metal.  

I like all five tracks a lot, but this is my current favorite:

"Shake The Nation" is an EP worthy of your attention, and you can check it out here.

Scrape is:

Wouter Vandaele - Vocals & Guitars
Sebastiaan Hoet - Guitars
Jens Vanhee - Bass
Stijn Decoene - Drums

Third:

FROGLORD: LIVE BY THE FUZZ OR DIE BY THE SLIME

England's Froglord produced one of my top five favorite albums of 2023, and are already back with a top-rate EP.  I obviously love this band.

Froglord are:

Too mysterious to have their names findable online, but here's a pic:

Check out the other two tunes here.

Fourth:

MR. BISON: ECHOES FROM THE UNIVERSE

Italy's Mr. Bison have really turned a corner and stepped up their songwriting game.  On this album I hear traits of the bands Motorpsycho, Elder and King Buffalo.

I posted the pre-released track "The Child Of The Night Sky" back in November, but the complete album is finally out and I wanted to share this gem of a tune:

Mr. Bison are:

Matteo Barsacchi: Guitar/Synth/Bass
Matteo Sciocchetto: Guitar/Vocals/Bass
Lorenzo Salvadori: Drums
Davide Salvadori: Acoustic Guitar/Synth/Hammond/Mellotron/Bass

Check out this epic album here.

Fifth:

MONKEY3: WELCOME TO THE MACHINE

Back in 2016 I referred to Switzerland's Monkey3 as the Pink Floyd of stoner rock, and now they've chosen a Pink Floyd-related title for their newest album.  If you are unfamiliar with this veteran band, I think you'll understand the Pink Floyd analogy when you hear this:

Monkey3 are:

Walter: Drums

Jalil: Bass

Boris: Guitar

dB: Keyboards/Sounds/Acoustic Guitar

Check out the four other instant classic tracks here.

I hope I've given you enough to explore to make up for the long delay since my last post.

I'm out for now; Stay heavy!

-ULTRA

2023 Top Ten Stoner Rock Albums

 2023 Top Twenty Stoner Rock Albums (#10-1)

The second half of my top 20 heavy rock albums list for 2023. One song from each album, beginning with album #10 and finishing with album #1. I understand I'm sure to be missing some great albums that came out this year, but am just sharing my favorite purchases of the year. Artist/Album/Track info is displayed for the first 10 seconds of each tune.

#10: "Cosmic Evoked Potentials" by L'Ira Del Baccano

Italian instrumental band with real technical precision.  Excellent songwriting here.  I've been listening to this since it came out in March

#9: "Fuzzrider" by Fuzzrider

Greek guitarist and vocalist Jim Lord has returned with a new band and 8 great tracks with his distinctive sound

#8: "Medicine" by Goat

The mysterious Swedish band has put out another album.  Of course it's really nothing like their others, and of course it's another masterpiece.  This one's got a real trippy, hippy vibe.  Goat can do no wrong in my book.

#7: "Superskull" by Black Rainbows

Italian stoner rock legends return with one of their most aggressive and catchy albums yet.  Also, another candidate for album cover of the year.

#6: "Enveletration" by Sandrider

This unique Seattle trio has their own style, which includes elements of punk, metal and stoner.  This is their best album to date, and one of the best albums of the year.  Every tune is great.  They also recently put out one of the best EPs of the year, also worth your while.

#5: "Sons Of Froglord" by Froglord

This British rock band with the weird face masks really knows how to write great tunes.  I love every one of these eleven tracks.  I refer to their sound as "groovy doom".  

#4: "Low Desert Surf Club" by Fire Down Below

The third album from this Belgian band is truly special.  They've really nailed that classic "desert" fuzz sound.  Obviously one of my favorite few albums of the year, and Cocaine Hippo is one of my favorite songs of the year.

#3: "Thunder Ape" by Bahboon

Even though their first album came out in 2015, I just found this Japanese band this year, and what a great surprise this album was.  Each song has a different atmosphere, and each one is polished and perfect.  I'll be listening to this for years to come.

#2: "Margarita Witch Cult" by Margarita Witch Cult

This British band caught my attention with an EP last year.  Even though the quality of the recording was rough, I listened to those two tunes countless times because the songwriting was so good.  This new album has nine new tunes that have all been stuck in my head since the album was released, in April.

#1: "The Old Ways Remain" by Blood Ceremony

Not just album of the year, this is one of the very best albums I've ever bought in my life.  The musicianship and songwriting here stack up with any rock album of any era.  The song I chose for this playlist is not typical of the album, but none of the songs is.  Each is its own masterpiece, and every note of every tune has wormed its way into the inner recesses of my brain.   

Notable Omission:

"In Times New Roman" by Queens of the Stone Age deserves to be in my top 10.  Few individuals have helped to shape the genre we call Stoner Rock like Josh Homme has, and this is as perfect an album as he's ever been involved with.  Yet, I am still unwilling to take any of these other albums off my list.  I'd like to spread the word on relatively lesser-known albums as the year closes.  I'm pretty confident this new Queens of the Stone Age album has already reached a pretty vast audience.

Best EPs:

"Kiss The Boot" by Glitter Wizard

"Aviary/Baleen" by Sandrider

"Parable Of The Taxidermist's Dilemma" by Mississippi Bones

"Fu30, Pt. 3" by Fu Manchu

"Lady Cadaver" by Tumble

Stay safe out there, and Happy New Year!

FROGLORD: WEDNESDAY

Here's another pre-released track from Froglord's upcoming album "Sons Of Froglord", due on July 7th

 RIBBIT CROAK RIBBIT

Just found this.  It makes me smile. It makes me shake my head back in forth in a laid-back, plodding rhythm.  I had to share.

Steven Speilberg spends millions of dollars to make his movies, but I'd rather watch this.  When do you get to see a frog rewarded with raisins in a Hollywood movie?

More tomorrow