2024 #30 - #21 Best Stoner Rock Albums

 2024 Top Twenty Stoner Rock Albums (#30-21)

This is the first time I've ever done a year-end top 30, but I would argue that there was so much great music to come out this year that picking 20 albums wouldn't do the year justice.  I'm confident that all of these albums in my #30-21 are, deservingly, in someone else's top 10. 

 

#30: Duel: Breakfast With Death

Much more "In Your Face" than the previous album, "Breakfast With Death" rocks hard.

#29: 1,000 Mods: Cheat Death

Greek band 1000 Mods have been at it for a decade and a half, and keep getting better with each release 

#28: Cortez: Thieves And Charlatans

Another band that's been making great music for a long time and continues to get better and better.  Cortez is one of four Massachusetts bands to make my top 30 albums of the year

#27: Old Blood: Midnight Climax

Old Blood's "Acid Doom" was one of my favorite albums of 2020.  Here they are again, with a more polished and more musically diverse release that is well worth your time

#26: Sundrifter: An Earlier Time

This is a really impressive album.  Hints of Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead and lots more.  Excellent songwriting and a unique sound.  Another band putting Massachusetts stoner rock on the map

#25: Sergeant Thunderhoof: The Ghost Of Badon Hill

Sergeant Thunderhoof produced my favorite album of 2022, and the fact that this gem of a follow-up  album is at #25 this year only goes to show how great of a year this has been for stoner rock

#24: UFOMAMMUT: Hidden

Italian masters of all that is heavy continue to tear the bottom end out of our speakers and to floor us with bone-crushing soundscapes.  Hidden is their most creative album yet.

#23: Melvins: Tarantula Heart

Another Melvins release, and another round of musical surprises.  As usual, it will take several listens to lock onto what these Melvins are laying down, but the reward is worth it.  There are usually a couple of tunes per Melvins album that I'm not into, but I very much appreciate every song on this one.

#22: Mirror Queen: Dying Days

A Mirror Queen album is an instant purchase for me, and this one is my favorite so far.  Mirror Queen for me are a modern-day Blue Oyster Cult: fantastically creative arrangements of classic hard-rock sounds

#21: The Obsessed: Gilded Sorrow

Doom legends for four decades now, The Obsessed graced us with this classic early in the year, and it's been getting consistent play here ever since.  Scott's guitar sound is unmistakable, and hall-of-fame worthy.

2024 Top Third Highlights

 STONER ROCK: JAN 2024 - APRIL 2024

A shamelessly long playlist full of cool music that's come out in the top third of 2024. The last three tunes would make a great playlist by themselves I think.

These bands are from:

Belgium

England

Italy

Japan

Switzerland

United States

Epic Freebies

NAME YOUR PRICE - So Nice!!

Epic Freebies on Bandcamp:

SUNDRIFTER: Vistitations

Let's start local:  From Boston, Massachusetts, Sundrifter just released their second album, and it's truly impressive, and a no-brainer of a download.  This band is happy to let you download "Visitations" for free if you'll just spread the word, assuming you like it.  Harry Harrison, one of 120 Bandcamp users who voluntarily paid cash for this freebie, summed up Sundrifter's sound far better than I could, like this: "A little bit of Kyuss; a dash of Sasquatch; a hint of Naam mixed with a tad of Sound Garden with an added helping of a ‘wall of sound’ provided by Steak. Throw in a bit of QOTSA and all this diversity gives Sundrifter."  Hear for yourself:

Sundrifter is:

Craig Peura- Vocals, Guitar
Patrick Queenan- Drums
Paul Gaughran- Bass

KAYLETH: Colossus

Next up, from Verona, Italy, is Kayleth with their sixth "name your price" release.  Kayleth's  guitar player, Massimo, reminds me at times of Mike Vitali from Ironweed and Greatdayforup, and that is no small compliment.  Kayleth's songwriting is really impressive, and includes great rock ideas from multiple decades.  Each track on "Colossus" brings something different to the table.  Here is track #2, "Forgive."  This one deserves some volume:

Kayleth is:

Massimo Dalla Valle: Guitar
Alessandro Zanetti: Bass
Daniele Pedrollo: Drums
Enrico Gastaldo: Vocals
Michele Montanari: Synthesizer

BLUE CHEESE: Reborn Into Void

Finally, from Montreal, Québec, is Blue Cheese.  Dirty, slightly fuzzy hard rock with some truly different but cool vocals.  Weird that Bandcamp says the album releases in April of 2018, but you can download it right now.  Here is the longest track on Reborn, "Dealer":

Blue Cheese is:

Chub : Vocals,Drums
Meredith :Bass, Vocals
Vick Trigger : Guitar, Vocals

I hope you feel like there's a been a second Christmas, with these three high quality freebies in mid-February.  You'll see I paid a few bucks for each of these releases on Bandcamp (I'm "ultramegadeth") because I liked them so much, but there is certainly no shame in grabbing them for free.  These bands are hoping you'll download their work and spread the word, as word of mouth is like gold for them.  

If you've never used Bandcamp before, just click on the blue links, then  click "buy the full digital album".  No credit card required; just an e-mail address, and the only e-mail you'll ever get from them is a "thank you" for downloading, and then notifications anytime the band releases another album.  That's it.

Hope you enjoyed these tunes and albums as much as I have, and I wish you a heavy heavy weekend.

Until next time    -ULTRA