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  

CLUTCH: Book Of Bad Decisions

Clutch Can Do No Wrong

aka

Maryland Legends Keep On Giving

aka

You Already Know But What Else Would Anybody Talk About This Weekend?

A quarter of a century after Clutch's first release, they still have their energy and aggressiveness, and the songwriting still keeps getting catchier and catchier.    Here is one of my favorites, an informational song teaching us how to make crab cakes.  It's called "Hot Bottom Feeder":

(briefly reminiscent of the Elephant Riders album, isn't it?)

  Next, it's Neil for President with "How To Shake Hands".  "I'm gonna kiss all the babies....maybe kiss their mommas too".  And put Jimi Hendrix on the 20 dollar bill:

Clutch must be finally getting the recognition they deserve, since they were able to afford 4 really entertaining videos even before the album released.  Here is "Gimme The Keys":

Ready for some horns?  Check out "In Walks Barbarella":

Hippocrates figured out that disease wasn't caused by the gods, and Clutch has apparently figured out that great hard rock is the best cure.  This must be why they seem so ageless.

Clutch is:

Jean-Paul Gaster  (drums)
Dan Maines  (bass)
Neil Fallon  (vocals & guitar)
Tim Sult  (guitar)

Clutch are rock geniuses.  I was previously worried that my 2018 top 10 album list would be excruciatingly hard to make, but as the year progresses the decisions seem to be getting easier and the list is beginning to write itself.

Dunbarrow II out next weekend.  Until then!

-ULTRA

CLUTCH: PSYCHIC WARFARE

CLUTCH: Psychic Warfare

You Had Me At “New Clutch”

Clutch putting out a new album just gives more weight to my argument that 2015 will go down as one of the best years ever for stoner rock and heavy rock music in general.  To me, Clutch is one of the coolest rock bands ever.  True to their name, they come through with great new material year after year, and consistently put on some of the best live shows you’ll ever see.  Clutch has always been about high energy, and the almighty riff.  Clutch puts more cool sounding riffs into one song than many bands get off in a whole album.  Not to mention Neal’s voice is the perfect complement to all this great songwriting.  First, my favorite off the album:  “Your Love Is Incarceration”:

Next, the tune with the official video, “X-Ray Visions:”

Go find when Clutch is playing near you, and make sure you are there when it happens

Clutch is (l-r):

Tim Sult: Guitar
Dan Maines: Bass
Neil Fallon: Vocals/ Guitar
Jean-Paul Gaster: Drums

Enjoy the weekend!    -ULTRA

Listen of the Day! - CLUTCH new video