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  

 

COMING SOON

DEAD MEADOW: FORCE FORM FREE

Dead Meadow are back with a new album they began work on in 2021, some 23 years after their first album back in 1998.  I've always loved Dead Meadow's unique spacey, fuzzed out take on stoner rock, and am really looking forward to hearing this new one, due to hit "the shelves" on December 9th.

The band describes this album as spacey and dreamy at times, grimly propulsive at others.  This pre-released track falls into the 'spacey and dreamy' category.  

Dead Meadow states that they are "continuing their effortless exploration of the transporting, astral-gazing form they’ve spent their entire existence pushing forward."

Right on.  

Dead Meadow are currently featuring their original lineup:

Jason Simon: Guitar and Vocals

Steve Kille: Bass

Mark Laughlin: Drums

WITCHFINDER: FORGOTTEN MANSION

I've already played the two tunes on Witchfinder's June release, "Endless Garden", countless times.  I came to appreciate both tunes more and more with each listen, as I got sucked into their unique sonic atmospheres, combining heavy with melodic and spacey components.  Their sound is more aggressive than Dead Meadow's, but just as unique.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to hearing five more tunes on November 18th.

Here is the pre-released track, "Ghosts Happen To Fade":

Witchfinder are from Clermont Ferrand, France.

They are:

Clément Mostefai: vocals, bass
Stanislas Franczak: guitar
Thomas Dupuy: drums
Kevyn Raecke: keyboard

There will be guest vocals by Haldor Grunberg, on the track "Marijuana"

As you know, sharing music is my passion and I appreciate  you checking in each week

MEMORIAL DAY MUSIC MOTHERLOAD

 Many New Recommendations To Send Your Way

Geezer just keeps getting better.  I liked the pre-released "Broken Glass", but that's not even close to the best tune on this album.  Check this one out; it's the leadoff track, and if ever there was a great name for a heavy rock tune, this is it:

Electric Mountain is back.  I found these guys in 2017, 2 days after their debut album posted on Bandcamp.  It was "name your price", but I dropped some cash anyways that day, because it gratified me in ways no album had in quite awhile.  

Then the band disappeared from Bandcamp and the internet.  I thought I would never hear more from Electric Mountain, but 5 years later they reappear on Bandcamp with the original album and 2 new preview tracks from an album coming out tomorrow.  

Defining the phrase "Mexican Stoner Rock" 

Turn up volume now:

Paralyzed are also back.  They produced one of my favorite albums in 2021, and it looks like they may repeat in 2022.  Germany has never had a shortage of great stoner rock bands, which is why it's so impressive that Paralyzed has managed to be so unique.  Michael Binder is an elite singer in my opinion.

Just found this last weekend; they've been in my playlist all week, making me more appreciative of what they do with each listen:

Gypsybyrd are an atypical but a great representative of Texas Stoner Rock.

Witchfinder are from Clermont Ferrand, France.  They manage to combine a mellow vibe with doom.  Really cool stoner doom:

FINISHING WITH THIS:

Now, a candidate for most fucked-up rock video of the year, as well as one of the best songs. 

 Here is Baltimore's Black Lung.

All of this is new music, my friend.  Hope I've helped you to satisfy that itch for great new music.  Until next time

-ULTRA