Blogs
RATING CARD: Mount Hush - II(SELF RELEASE)
Released November 9th, 2024
Playgroundz October 2024 New Releases Top 16
1. HERMANO - WHEN THE MOON WAS HIGH (RIPPLE MUSIC)
2. CERTAIN DEATH - STRANGE GARDEN (SELF RELEASE)
3 .BURN RITUAL - HOUSE OF THE WICKED (SELF RELEASE)
4. CRIMSON OAK - WILLOW (TONZONEN RECORDS)
5. ENFORCED - A LEAP INTO THE DARK (CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS)
6 .VOKONIS - TRANSITIONS (MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS)
7 .HIGH REEPER - RENEWED BY DEATH (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS)
8. STONER - HITTIN’ THE BITCHIN’ SWITCH (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS)
9. THE PALE HORSES - ENCHANTRESS (SELF RELEASE)
10.ELEPHANT TREE/LOW RIDER - THE LONG FOREVER (BLUES FUNERAL RECORDINGS)
11.HELL VALLEY HIGH - WELCOME TO HELL VALLEY (SELF RELEASE)
12.SUN AND SAIL CLUB - SHIPWRECKED (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS)
13.CORTEZ - THIEVES AND CHARLATANS (RIPPLE MUSIC)
14.DESERTS OF MARS - DEAD PLANET EXODUS (SELF RELEASE)
15.SANTA PLANTA - FROM THE TRAILS OF DESIRE (SELF RELEASE)
16.TRANSYLVANIA STUD - EMPRESS (HELSING RECORDS)
NOTEWORTHY ALBUM: CERTAIN DEATH - SECRET GARDEN (SELF RELEASE)
Released October 17th, 2024
"Strange Garden" by Certain Death leans into a raw, rock-driven sound of proto-metal’s earliest influences. With gritty, organic riffs and a dark atmospheric edge, the album offers a refreshing homage to the foundations of heavy rock. A powerful, vintage-inspired experience!
NOTEWORTHY ALBUM: BURN RITUAL - HOUSE OF THE WICKED (SELF RELEASE)
Released October 25th, 2024
House of the Wicked by Burn Ritual is a dark blend of stoner rock and doom that is hypnotizing. Each track offers thick, resonant riffs and haunting melodies that pull listeners into its shadowy depths. This EP takes you on a journey into the heart of darkness!
NOTEWORTHY ALBUM: PHANTOM HOUND - FROM BOOM TOWN TO GHOST TOWN (GLORY OR DEATH RECORDS)
Released September 18th, 2024
Phantom Hound’s sophomore album, From Boom Town to Ghost Town, delivers a potent mix of heavy rock, doom psych, and sludge metal, showcasing the band’s growth and musical evolution. Amazing Album!
ALBUM REVIEW: PSYCHLONA - WARPED VISION (MAGNETIC EYE RECORDS)
Released September 27th, 2024
Warped Vision, the fourth and latest release from Psychlona, is a magnificent work of Psychedelic Desert Rock in its finest moment. It made landfall on September 27th, 2024 via Magnetic Eye Records and we have tracked it all the way from Bradford, UK.
The sound is rich and polished, with velvety vocals performed with a swaggy attitude. Lush and grungy guitar tones are layered on top of the drums and the bass, who do all the heavy lifting effortlessly. Together, it all sounds like a perfect storm.
The opening track, "Jasmine," sets the stage with swelling guitar lines spread out and a heavy riff-driven groove. The vocals, drenched in delay and reverb, hover above this storm, occasionally striking down with electrifying guitar leads. The impact is undeniable, and I can't help but be intrigued by this musical phenomenon. So let’s go, pun intended.
From "Let's Go," the second track on their eight-album masterpiece, the band delivers more desert rocking spacey psychedelia. This upbeat song continues to showcase their signature blend of melodic vocal lines and intricate guitar hooks, captivating listeners with its infectious energy and clever songwriting.
Track three “Smoke” blows in a change and a momentary lapse of reason sets over me. Like swimming in a fishbowl, the track exudes a unique blend of beauty and melancholy. Its slow and refined guitar lines intertwine seamlessly with the relaxed vocal performance, creating a captivating soundscape. However, with just over a minute remaining, the song takes an unexpected turn, escalating to another realm. Fast-paced grooves, hard-riffing guitars, and raw energy converge to create a sonic storm that reaches new heights.
"Cut Loose", "Topanga", and "Kaleidoscope" emerge as an obscure and captivating trio of songs. Carefully crafted with intricate arrangements, they transcend the mainstream with cherished cult classic familiarity. Their allure grows with each listen, warping the listener's perception and leaving a lasting impact.
As the album nears its conclusion, the song "Split" slows down the pace, creating a pleasing contrast. The verses continue to carry a melancholic tone, which transitions into a heavier electric guitar-driven sound. Ending the album with "Magic Carpet" is a fitting choice, as it strongly resonates with the overall theme and atmosphere of the album.
Psychlona delivers a collection of songs that feels both timeless and forward-thinking. With Warped Vision this release cements their place as a formidable force in the psychedelic desert rock scene.
NOTEWORTHY ALBUM: ENDLESS VALLEY - KASKASHIR (COPPER FEAST RECORDS)
Released August 8th, 2024
This innovative sound connects continents with it’s mix of progressive psychedelic heavy world music. full of incredible guitar tones, energetic jamming percussion, pulsating bass, and soulful world vocal chants. Empty the ocean floors with Kaskashir.
NOTEWORTHY ALBUM: MAMMOTH VOLUME - RAISED UP BY WITCHES (BLUES FUNERAL RECORDINGS)
Released August 23rd, 2024
Sweden's Mammoth Volume returns with Raised Up by Witches, a powerful testament to their unique blend of stoner rock, prog, and heavy psych. The album showcases their signature fusion of dirty, fuzzy, and sometimes obscure guitar riffs, dynamic shifts, and thematically deep vocals which draws the listener into their world of complex compositions. An undeniably powerful album that will be remembered in Stoner Rock.
https://mammothvolume.bandcamp.com/album/raised-up-by-witches
NOTEWORTHY ALBUM - FOSTERMOTHER - ECHO MANOR (Ripple Music)
Released August 23rd, 2024
Houston’s Fostermother returns with Echo Manor, and album that keeps haunting me to listen more. This album delivers an exceptional experience in doom-laden, heavy psychedelic, and sludgy stoner rock and metal. Prepare to be captivated by this new release. The ghostly whispers keep calling, “You think you would? could? you?”
ALBUM REVIEW: STAR BEAST - STAR BEAST (BLACK THRONE PRODUCTIONS)
Toronto, Ontario’s four-piece band Star Beast has arrived with their self titled debut album. This exceptional album takes you into the heart of 60’s psychedelia, layered with 90’s alternative rock influences. The results are a chemical fusion of stoner, psychedelic, and desert rock with its own brand of DNA.
The album kicks off like a welcome mat on a doorstep, with the song “WeeLuvU”. Door wide open, inviting you into a special place that feels like home, with familiar sonic colors we all admire. The best part is that it feels really fun here, and I am going to stick around and check out the rest of this place.
The journey continues with “Full Duration Burn”, “Got My Wish”, and “The Sea” each delivering mesmerizing, mid-tempo grooves. Hypnotizing and blissful are just some of the ways I am enjoying this fun state of mind. Each song flirts with a dreamy quality with bursts of hard hitting alternative rock energy.
This 10 track album never loses focus. From the shimmering “Rainbow Coloured Life” to the closing track “Ghosts”. 
As the album winds down, echoes from the golden age of psychedelia and grungy stoner rock guitars linger, with a modern punch. I find myself looking up at the stars, smiling, and imagining myself on a boat on a river of deceit. And I can't wait to take the journey again.
