2024 #20 - #11 Best Stoner Rock Albums

 2024 Top Twenty Stoner Rock Albums (#20-11)

I'm confident that all of these albums in my #20-11 are, deservingly, in someone else's top 10. 

 

#20: Leather Lung: Graveside Grin

This Massachusetts band has great musicians, great songwriting, and "CHARASMA".  I have listened to this album on and off all year long.

#19: Black Elephant: The Fall Of The Gods

Back-to-back Black Elephant albums made my year-end top 20 lists.  More great Italian stoner rock.

#18: Mammoth Volume: Raised Up By Witches

When Mammoth Volume got back together, they didn't try to pick up where they left off.  Rather, they embarked on a mission to explore new ideas and boldly go where few bands have gone before.  Try to see how many different band influences you hear in some of these tunes; it's amazing

#17: Greenleaf: The Head & The Habit

While Mammoth Volume is definitely Swedish stoner rock royalty, Greenleaf is easily in the average person's top 5 Swedish stoner rock bands list.  Greenleaf has not slowed down, and have evolved their songwriting and production games.  As with the other albums in this list, this is top ten worthy.

#16: Mr. Bison: Echoes From The Universe

Three Italian bands in a row.  Mr. Bison leveled up on this album, being heavy and polished simultaneously.  There are Yes comparisons to be made at times.  This album is a ten out of ten 

#15: Free Ride: Acido y Puto

Can a Spanish band sound more like California desert rock than California desert rock itself?

Yes

#14: Monkey3: Welcome To The Machine

Sixth European band in a row, Monkey3 are from Switzerland.  These four words will say more than anything else I could write would:

Best Monkey3 album yet.

#13: Planet of Zeus: Afterlife

Make that seven European bands in a row.  There was a time when calling Planet Of Zeus "Greek Clutch" might have pointed you in the right direction, but Planet of Zeus have evolved so much, other bands should be flattered if they get compared to Planet of Zeus.  I wouldn't argue with you if you picked this one for #1 album of the year.

#12: Delving: All Paths Diverge

Nick DiSalvo lives in Germany now; do we call this the eighth European band in a row on this list, or the second Massachusetts band since that's where he started?  I like this as much as any Elder album.  Again, a number-one-worthy album

#11: Fu Manchu: The Return Of Tomorrow

This is instantly one of Fu Manchu's greatest albums, so it's got to be a special year for an album of this caliber not to be in my top 10.  Spoiler alert:  Bob Balch plays on three of my top 20 album picks

Released Today

 THIS JUST IN:

MAMMOTH VOLUME:

RAISED UP BY WITCHES

A new Mammoth Volume album is an automatic purchase for me, but I am confident it will take me weeks to get my head around this one.  This is definitely their most ambitious album, as they enter lots of new territory.  No single track could hint at the variety of songwriting ideas on this album, but this song is an early favorite:

Mammoth Volume are Swedish.

Thay are:

Jörgen “Aston” Andersson: vocals 

Daniel Gustafsson: guitars and keys

Kalle Berlin: bass

Nicklas Andersson: drums, percussion, vocals

Also released today.......

DELVING: ALL PATHS DIVERGE

Delving is a solo project by Nick from Elder.  Another album with a multitude of musical ideas that will take lots of time to fully comprehend.  I will also say that I purchased this album by the end of the first song I heard, which was Sentinel:

When you were younger, weren't there albums for which you'd plant yourself perfectly between the speakers, stare at the album cover and listen to the entire thing in one sitting?  This is one of those albums for me.

All Paths Diverge was written entirely by Nick DiSalvo, originally from Massachusetts

Nick also performed the entire album, with help from 

Fabian de Menou on the Rhodes and upright pianos, and

Michael Risberg adding guitar ambiance on "Zodiac"