2022 Top Twenty Stoner Rock Albums (#20-11)

The first half of my top 20 heavy rock albums list for 2022. One song from each album, beginning with album #20 and finishing with album #11. 

Artist/Album/Track info displayed for the first 10 seconds of each tune.

Each tune is one I've never posted or included in a playlist.  
The idea is that since these are the best albums of the year, they're deep enough that I don't need to 
re-post in order to make a classic playlist:

                                                                                                           

#20: Dominance and Submission (A Tribute to Blue Oyster Cult) by Various Artists.

  This is a great tribute album; really well done, with the right mix of bands sticking to the original and bands taking risks.  

#19: "Ambos Mundos" by Cachemira

Throwback rock from Barcelona.  I've listened to this album so many times    

#18:  "totally..." by Stöner 

Brant Bjork.  Nothing else needs to be said.  Second year in a row this band is in my top 20

#17:  "The Eye Of The Icosahedron" by Dungeon Weed

Dimitri Mavra of Skunk has put out his second "Doom" album and it's immense.  I use quotes on doom since it's really not what you think of as doom but more like the music you imagined when you laid in bed at night and stared into the black light posters you hung on the wall back in the 1970s

 

#16: "Blue Rumble" by Blue Rumble

Yet another throwback rock album, this time from Switzerland.  Clearly Led Zeppelin fans, these guys are not good but great.  I love this album and would have already worn it out by now if it was on vinyl or cassette

#15: "The Singularity" by Wo Fat 

          

There is no other state that has a list of rock trios as great as Texas.  

Wo Fat have never stopped being elite.

#14:  "Sunrise On Slaughter Beach" by Clutch        

This one took some time to worm its way into my brain, but yet again Clutch delivers a must-own album.

#13:  "Forgotten Mansion" by Witchfinder

Witchfinder is well described as a mixture of Belzebong and Youngblood Supercult.  This French band produced one of my favorite EPs and also one of my favorite LPs of 2022

#12:  "Regenerator" by King Buffalo

Back to back years King Buffalo has put out some of the most distinctive music of the year.

#11:  "Blinded By The Wicked" by Hazemaze

Hazemaze had the balls to make their first Bandcamp release a live EP, and I have been a fan ever since.  I am saddened to hear that after producing this gem of an album, Hazemaze has decided to disband

#10 through #1 on New Year's Eve!
ULTRA  

 2022, FIRST ULTRA REVIEW

Blue Oyster Cult may be the band I have listened to the most over the years, despite my obsession with so many other great bands.  It's just that every BOC album took me a while to appreciate, but then eventually took root in my brain, to the point where I'd go weeks without listening to another album. When I saw that Ripple Music was compiling a tribute album, I was quite excited.  Now that it's out, I claim it to be among the very best tribute albums ever recorded.  Each tune features top-rate musicians who clearly love the songs they are covering.  The amount of authenticity is gratifying, and the liberties taken keep it interesting.  The late Steve Hanford, aka "Thee Slayer Hippy" is involved in much of this album (5 of the 13 tracks I think), and his last efforts show his versatility as a drummer, and are monumental achievements.

Here are two that go nicely together despite how different they are:

(Steve plays on Tattoo Vampire but not Wings Wetted Down)

The guitar soloing on Wings Wetted Down, and the way Mondo Generator and Thee Slayer Hippy recognized the aggressiveness of Tattoo Vampire are worth noting.

Rest in peace, Steve Hanford (aka Thee Slayer Hippy)

Up next week:

new Mississippi Bones

Until then...

-ULTRA 

 LOOMING ON THE HORIZON

(late 2021 edition)

Check out what's on the way:

Look at this tracklist:

The only way to improve on this assortment is to include a cover of "Bay Ice Dog" or maybe "Subhuman".

The first released track, featuring Bob Balch from Fu Manchu, does not disappoint.  

There are so many great tribute albums to have come out in recent years, and I will be shocked if this doesn't end up in the upper echelon of all of them.  Keep your eyes out here for newly released tracks, or to pre-order.

Just sayin'