MEMORIAL DAY MUSIC MOTHERLOAD

 Many New Recommendations To Send Your Way

Geezer just keeps getting better.  I liked the pre-released "Broken Glass", but that's not even close to the best tune on this album.  Check this one out; it's the leadoff track, and if ever there was a great name for a heavy rock tune, this is it:

Electric Mountain is back.  I found these guys in 2017, 2 days after their debut album posted on Bandcamp.  It was "name your price", but I dropped some cash anyways that day, because it gratified me in ways no album had in quite awhile.  

Then the band disappeared from Bandcamp and the internet.  I thought I would never hear more from Electric Mountain, but 5 years later they reappear on Bandcamp with the original album and 2 new preview tracks from an album coming out tomorrow.  

Defining the phrase "Mexican Stoner Rock" 

Turn up volume now:

Paralyzed are also back.  They produced one of my favorite albums in 2021, and it looks like they may repeat in 2022.  Germany has never had a shortage of great stoner rock bands, which is why it's so impressive that Paralyzed has managed to be so unique.  Michael Binder is an elite singer in my opinion.

Just found this last weekend; they've been in my playlist all week, making me more appreciative of what they do with each listen:

Gypsybyrd are an atypical but a great representative of Texas Stoner Rock.

Witchfinder are from Clermont Ferrand, France.  They manage to combine a mellow vibe with doom.  Really cool stoner doom:

FINISHING WITH THIS:

Now, a candidate for most fucked-up rock video of the year, as well as one of the best songs. 

 Here is Baltimore's Black Lung.

All of this is new music, my friend.  Hope I've helped you to satisfy that itch for great new music.  Until next time

-ULTRA

 EVENTS ON THE HORIZON

Soon to be released......

May 6th: STÖNER: Totally

May 25th: GEEZER: Stoned Blues Machine

May 27: BLACK LUNG: Dark Waves

Black Lung's "Ancients" was in my top albums list for 2019, Geezer's "Groovy" was in my 2020 top albums list, and Stöner's "Stoners Rule" was in my 2021 top albums list.  I guess these bands have albums on the horizon of the recent past as well as the horizon of the near future.

I love each of these three bands, and expect I'll be considering each of them for my top few albums at the end of the year.  

I guess April showers bring May albums

-ULTRA

  

2020 Top Ten Stoner Rock Albums (#10-1)

Starting with the number 10 album, and finishing with number 1:

Each tune is one I've never posted or included in a playlist, as I hold the belief that these albums are deep enough to make re-posting unnecessary for making a great playlist.  

Here are some tunes from what I think are the ten best stoner rock albums of the year 2020:

          

#10: "The Path To The Deathless" by Red Mesa
         

Red Mesa have produced a flawless heavy stoner/doom album with enough variety to keep me listening all year long.  I felt this would be top 10 material when I first heard it and haven't changed my mind since.  

Also, probably album cover of the year for me.

#9: "Omens"  by Elder

        

Every time Elder releases an album, you can expect two things:

-it will not be quite what you expected

-it will reveal its genius to you if you stick with it

This one took me awhile, but only because I wasn't ready for its ideas.  All of that is old news now, as Omens has finally gotten through to me.  A new Elder release is similar to what a new Led Zeppelin release used to be.   

If you told me this was your number one album of the year, I wouldn't argue with you.

#8:  "Mass Hypnosis And The Dark Triad" by Bill Fisher

This kind of originality in rock music hasn't been seen in decades.  

Highly addictive album.

#7:  "Glorious Babylon" by Lord Fowl

Everybody knows I am a sucker for throwback rock, and Lord Fowl is preserving the art form of 1970s style hard rock like few other bands do.  

This album will stand the test of time.

#6:    "Groovy" by Geezer

 

As I've mentioned before, this album art does not disappoint or deceive.  The level of coolness you expect of your album after seeing this cover art is met, and then exceeded.  I'm from Massachusetts but will never ever downplay the amount of great rock music to have come from New York.

#5:    "Acid Doom" by Old Blood

Wow

#4:    "Seaward" by Mr. Bison

Covid shut down Italy, but not Italian stoner rock.  

This album earns legendary status.

#3: "Get Out Of Your Mind" by Ten Foot Wizard

Manchester, U.K.

Nailed it.

Must own album.

#2: "Dead End" by R.I.P.

Pure Genius from Portland Oregon.

Can't get enough of this album.

#1:    "Wise Words From The Uninformed" by Mississippi Bones

They already had the best E.P. of the year (The Witch Of Fulci Holler) and now they have the best L.P. too.  Mississippi Bones can not be underestimated.  The Witch of Fulci Holler comes with a book, and Wise Words comes with a Weekly World News style newspaper.  Check it out here; it's very entertaining.

Stay safe and rock hard tonight.

Happy New Year!

-ULTRA  

GEEZER: GROOVY

"Groovy" Delivers On Every Level

Every expectation you have upon seeing the album art and hearing the name of the album is met or exceeded.  The sound is bad-ass.  The songs are catchy.  The songs are interesting and unique enough that I can't listen to them enough.  This album would stand tall in any generation of rock.  In fact, that kid from high school that had the Foghat patch prominently displayed on his jean jacket (maybe it was you) would have gone out and sewed on a Geezer patch right next to it after hearing Groovy.  

I really enjoyed Geezer's last album, but Groovy is easily their best yet.  

There are so many great songs, but here's the title track:

And here's a good one to listen to in a peacefully-altered state of mind:

Geezer was formed in Kingston New York, in 2012.

They are:

Pat Harrington - Guitar/Vocals

Richie Touseull - Bass

Steve Markota - Drums/Percussion

Speaking of Foghat, they are still well-remembered today, yet they never had an album as complete as Groovy.  Just sayin' that Geezer deserves to be a household name (among households that still listen to rock) for a long time to come.

This is shaping up to be another historic year for stoner rock

-ULTRA

LOOMING ON THE HORIZON

Check out what's on the way

We're still in the first 5% of the new decade, and listen to what kind of excellence is already about to be laid down:

BLACK RAINBOWS: Cosmic Rainbow Supertrip

If you're a regular reader, you know I love the Black Rainbows.  Space rock with more riffs.  Guitar worship, as rock and roll as it gets.  

Pandaemonium was a monster album, and I am expecting the same from this one.  Sounds like I won't be disappointed; this tune is great:

GEEZER: Groovy

BAD ASS album cover.  A throwback to the black velvet, black light posters of the late 70's and early 80's.  New York's stoner legend Geezer will release a new album on May 22.  Here is the teaser track, "Dig":

BRANT BJORK(not centered, because Brant Bjork is not the same as anyone else:

Brant is a living rock and roll legend, and I will be ordering this one on principle.

ELDER: OMENS

For me, a new Elder album is as critical listening as was a new album by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or The Who back in the day.

SLOW PHASE:

Dmitri Mavra from Skunk has another project going on, and has once again channeled all the spirits of the 1970's hard rock scene.  Dmitri is an underappreciated rock (and graphic) artist, and seems to be a magnet for great musicians as well.  Same level of sincerity as Brant Bjork.  Listen to this.  I think it's what the band Budgie would have written if they had been binge listening to Metallica's "Hit The Lights".

LORD FOWL: Glorious Babylon

From Connecticut, Lord Fowl will release their third album on April 24th.  This song really makes me want to hear the whole album.  If the rest is this good it will get hundreds of listens from me.

Have got to close this post; we'll be losing an hour due to Daylight Savings, and I need to be functional tomorrow.

Next time

-ULTRA

 4TH OF JULY BUFFET

Here are six 2017 releases from right here in the US of A:

MISSISSIPPI BONES: "Fat Bottom Girls & Midnight Rider"

Normally I wouldn't get too excited about a band releasing two cover tunes, but Mississippi Bones did a great job with both of these rock classics, paying proper tribute while making them their own at the same time.  Extremely well done; hear for yourself:

SOLACE: "Bird of Ill Omen"
New Jersey's Solace is one of my favorite bands of all time.  When I saw there would be a new EP on Bandcamp I thought it was too good to be true.  Then I found they had replaced Jason, and I still don't know how to process this.  Justin Goins now appears on vocals (and keyboards).  Tommy Southard and Justin Daniels are still on guitar and Rob Hultz is still on bass, so I thought a new singer couldn't make for such a drastic change in a band's sound, but I was wrong.  Jason (nobody seems to know his last name) was a truly inspired rock singer, and there is probably no one who can adequately replace his energy.  That being said, these two tunes do have their moments.  When the full length album comes out, perhaps this EP will have given me enough time to adjust and appreciate the new version of the band on its own merit.



ALL THEM WITCHES: "Sleeping Through The War"
I really wasn't going to review this album at all since it has received so much attention and critical acclaim, but this is one of those posts where I mention all the cool stuff I have neglected to mention  to date, and here we are.  If you haven't heard this one, it breaks new ground for this band.  Sleeping Through The War would likely appeal to stoners, regular rock fans and many in the "Coachella" crowd as well. 
 

LO-PAN: "In Tensions"
Lo-Pan always delivers high quality rock with one or two real "keepers" on each album.  "In Tensions" came out in January, and "Long Live The King" was the first tune to really catch my ear on this one.  

GEEZER: "Psychoriffadelia"
This one came out in May, and will be a contender for my top ten list.  Here is "Stressknots", one of five truly great tunes on the album.  

SASQUATCH: "Maneuvers"
Sasquatch is another band that does not disappoint its fans.  "Maneuvers was released a couple of weeks ago; here is "Destroyer": 

In the spirit of July 4th, I wanted to put a good spread on this picnic table. Hope you got something something to eat that was to your liking.  Back next weekend, over and out!
-ULTRA