STUFF I MISSED FROM 2025

(Part 1)

At the end of every year, I put out my top 10 albums list and a month or two later I find some gem of an album that deserved  to be on the list.  Should I re-do the list?  Heck no!  If I did, I'd keep finding more great tunes and in 2026 I'd be putting out a revised Best of 2012.  Also, I'm not pretending to be the ultimate authority on what's better than what. I'm just trying to spread good music to more people, so the artists I like will get more attention, make more money, and create more great music; kind of selfish and benevolent at the same time.  Anyhow, with that out of the way, here's one of a few albums that probably deserved to be in my top ten for last year:

My first awareness of Amy Tung Barrysmith came when I bought the two albums by Slower (in my 2024 Top 10).  I saw she was in a band called Year Of The Cobra but didn't investigate.  Fast forward to January 2026, when I checked out the Obelisk's 2025 Top Albums list and saw all the attention this Year Of The Cobra album got.  I felt obligated to listen, and was hooked in almost instantly.  I listened to it multiple times without realizing it is just drums and bass;  Amy is that good of a bass player.  Anyhow, here are a couple of my favorites from an album without any weak tracks:

Year Of The Cobra are:

Amy Tung Barrysmith: Bass, Vocals

Johanes Barrysmith: Drums

LOBO DEL HOMBRE's Debut KYHYJE is a stone(r) cold killer of an album.

Lobo Del Hombre

album: KYHYJE

 I was literally just sent a heads up from the band about their debut album, KYHYJE. LOBO DEL HOMBRE hail from Argentina and are a very solid Stoner Rock Band. The warm fuzzines and groove of their riffs generously heat the cockles of my frozen New England heart. I'm a sucker for Stoner Doom Rock Vibes and this band checks off all the good stuff on my list. You can feel the dust coming off the stereo speakers as the band confidently navigates an oftentimes well worn genre with some fresh gusto. The vocals, (although I have no idea what they translate to) are delivered with a sexy growl and well placed roar. - fuck yea!

The production is stellar. I get Motorhead meets Kyuss vibes and you can't teach that. Ok, back to looking like I'm actually doing some work. Spin this album!

This was a pleasant and welcome surprise. Great start to this dismally cold year. 

-grown man out!

Whoa....

I missed this in September, but am so happy I found it now.  So distinctive and awesome. 

Kaleb Riser: Vocals, Guitar

Kevin Lewis: Bass

Jeff Vandebussche: Drums

I purchased this here.

  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

Merry Christmas

 

Here's a bunch of good stuff I've been meaning to share:

MOTORPSYCHO

2025's self-titled album is one of Motorpsycho's very best, and that's no small claim.  Motorpsycho has been putting out innovative rock for over three decades, and has not lost its edge in the least.  Calling them Norway's answer to Yes helps describe their talent and creativity, but not their sound.  Here are a couple of my favorites, from one of the very best albums of the year:

This one is what it would sound like if Steppenwolf and Yes had a baby:

And this one shows the band's versatility, with all kinds of classic rock influences:

Motorpsycho's current lineup is two of the original members:

Bent Sæther – lead vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, drums 

Hans Magnus "Snah" Ryan – lead guitars, vocals, keyboards, mandolin, violin, bass 

KADAVAR:  KIDS ABANDONING DESTINY AMONG VANITY AND RUIN

Kadavar's first album of the year, "I Just Want To Be A Sound", emphasized just how versatile these German rock legends are, and their second album puts a gratuitous quadruple exclamation point on that idea.  The range of musical ideas between these two albums is enormous, and just about every single one of the nineteen tracks will worm its way into your brain and get stuck there for days on end.  Try these two on for size:

The leadoff track says "You thought we went soft?  Think again!"

Track 3 says "You thought this was a heavy album?  This is all kinds of rock, swirled together and it's about to get stuck in your head for good!"

Kadavar are:

Christoph "Lupus" Lindemann – guitars, vocals 

Christoph "Tiger" Bartelt – drums 

Simon "Dragon" Bouteloup – bass 

Jascha Kreft – guitars, keyboards 

And now for two more traditional heavy rock albums:

WINDS OF NEPTUNE

Three veterans of multiple Detroit rock bands came together and produced this masterpiece.

Throwback rock and roll, masterfully executed.

The lead track sets the tone:

And here's another one of my favorites:

Winds of Neptune are:

Ross Westerbur: bass, vocals
Mike Alonso: drums
Kevin Roberts: guitar

WOLFTOOTH: WIZARD'S LIGHT

This Indiana band is not trying to do anything other than satisfy your need for kick-ass rock and roll.  Another winner of an album in late 2025.

This is the track they steer you to on Bandcamp:

And this is another one I love.  Reminds me of about a million tunes I used to rock out to in my teens:

Wolftooth are:

Terry McDaniel: Bass

Jeff Cole: Guitar

Chris Sullivan: Vocals, Guitar

Jeremy Lovins: Guitar

Shane Shook: Drums

Hope you had a great Christmas and got quality time with your family.  Now lull yourself to sleep with all this fine "stoner rock".

Peace!

Happy Thanksgiving

 

I really enjoyed this era of metal; what about you?

This is 25 years old now, but seems like yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 STONEBIRDS: PERPETUAL WASTELAND

This French band from Brittany has been around since 2008 but are new to me.  Thanks to Ripple Music, I have found them and will definitely be checking out their earlier releases next.  I find this album addictive, and more engaging with each listen.  I love all six tracks, but these are two of my favorites:

 

Stonebirds are:

Fañch Le Corre : Vocal / Guitars
Antoine Delhumeau: Drums
Sylvain Collas : Bass/vocal