2026 First Half Recap

In previous years my lack of posts was due to being too busy writing for other, more legitamate sites. That's not the case this year. I've been listening back through all the CDs that I own in alphabetical order by artist. And some records obviously. This has left me with less time for new releases. I haven't been completely isolating myself from 2026 though. Here are a bunch of new releases that I feel obligated to say good things about. But only a few good things. I'm in the middle of a Mastodon marathon right now and I'm anxious to get back to it. Enjoy!

Blackwater Holylight - 'Not Here, Not Gone': I admit it took me a few spins to warm up to this. My expectations were off and I had to see the album for what it was. Beautiful. January album of the month for sure. Of note: new Pelican EP and new Wild Fuzz Trip.

Weedpecker - 'V': Do you like trippin' on tunes? Isolate yourself with this album and you'll go places. Especially if you like bands like Elder. Textured psychedelic proggy stoner doom. Nothing stood out more in February. Of note: the new Belzebong and Axe Dragger's debut need a revisit.

Serpent Worship - 'So Mote It Be': To borrow from their Bandcamp page this "heavy and hypnotic" release takes its time across four tracks of experimental doom with samples from the late King Cobra JFS serving as vocals. It's the only March album I went back to again and again. Of note: Witchcraft EP, new Filth is Eternal, and I need more time with 'Excavations' by Supercontinent.

Corrosion of Conformity - 'Good God Baad Man': Now we're talkin'! This shit fucking rocks. Rocks and fucking rolls. Apparently Woody and Pepper can do just fine without Reed (R.I.P.) and Mike. Fantastically fine. There's one part that brings tears to my eyes just about every time but damn, if this isn't the most fun CoC album yet. A spiritual companion to 'America's Volume Dealer'. And potential album of the year.
April was a pretty good month to be honest. I'll recommend the Soft Sun and Ten East split, Angine de Poitrine (so much fun!), Truckfighters, WITCH (the African one), Witch Ripper, final Sepultura EP. A few others I need to revisit.

May was a damn fine month. Damn fine.
Lair of the Minotaur - 'I Hail I': Capital-M Metal. Makes me think of battle and spikes and headbanging while not being too serious. Rips though!
Bongtower - 'The Color of Pomegranates': Heavier and darker than Weedpecker but heavy doom prog nonetheless. Very cosmic at times. Just a massive album. I wish the documentary about it wasn't in Polish.
Gozu - 'Gozu VI': Stoner rock with some metal vibes, dynamicism, and more than enough fun. Fun is good.If you don't rock with Gozu yet. Get on board here.
Elder - 'Through Zero': Speaking of Elder, their new one is really good! Sounds like Elder! Well, modern Elder at least. I'm good with that. I need to listen to it more though. At the end of a proper Elder marathon. Elder always takes some time to sink in.
Monolord - 'Neverending': I'm still recommending these stoner doom titans but it's not my favourite of theirs. Need more listens for sure.

I've only got one album for June. 'Fantasia' by Slift. It's the only album you need. Right up there with my favourites of the year. This trio makes some powerful prog-doom, people. Epic doesn't even touch it. Texture and shade, darkness and light, gravity and weightlessness, explosive and genteel. The fact that they recorded it live with no overdubs or anything makes it that much more impressive. I liked 'Ummon' well enough (and missed 'Ilion' altogether somehow) but 'Fantasia' takes it up several notches! And it gets better with every listen!

I'll try and have more for July but I'm hitting the Megadeth, Metallica, and Monster Magnet sections of my collection soon and that's EXTENSIVE.

November 2025: Matt Recommends

It appears I was far less impressed with November's offerings than I was with October's. Some albums I just didn't go back to. Not that they aren't good but, I dunno, November felt off and they didn't fit my mood. Perhaps I will be more receptive to new releases from the likes of Yawning Man, Kauan, and Kadavar in December. Plus five more I either didn't get to or can't remember anything about! I do have a couple of recommendations though. Both based in Toronto, both cool in different ways, and both loud!

Verona Florrist - Verona Florrist: This is an October release but I listened to it so much in November that my brain thought that's when it came out. Aaaaand I saw them live at the end of November so I had them on the brain! They were really cool live by the way. Super tight. It was while watching them that the thought sprang to me, "they sound like an electric wizard smashing pumpkins in a dead meadow". Some sludge, some doom, some grunge, some tenderness, and psych sensibility. Hopefully I can grab some merch next time. I would have but I donated all my available funds to the homeless assistance fundraiser the show was part of. Silent auction winner though. Heck yeah. The real winners are people that listen to this album repeatedly.



Danko Jones - Leo Rising: I'll talk with guys at work about how certain metal bands got boring because they haven't changed. What I should be talking about is how Danko fuckin' Jones never gets boring and doesn't need to change! Leo Rising is the energetic power trio's latest refinement to their well-polished formula for kickass hard rock! Punchy riffs, sharp hooks, and swagger for days! They've rocked so consistently for decades and it doesn't feel like they're slowing down. I love it when my summers get even hotter from tunes like "What You Need" and the absolute banger "Everyday is Saturday Night" but I'll take some fire music to keep my blood warm all winter just fine. The temperature outside is falling but the volume on the stereo is rising.



If you're interested, November's playlist:

September 2025: Matt Recommends

What do we have for you this month, eh? Well, as usual, there's some psychrock to bliss out with. I've also brought something more powerful and something fuzzed out. Let's get into it.

Orions Belte - Pur Jus: I'm not too sure how I got turned on to this Norwegian psych trio. Some algorithm is likely. No matter. To parse their artist description, they're breezy, sometimes loud, and vibrant with groove. And that's why I like it! Feel-good tunage that puts your head in the clouds and makes the body sway. A song like "Milk Champagne" brings a vibe similar to Khruangbin. Never a bad thing. Orions Belte uses less vocals, though. That's cool with me, too.



Kungens Män - Resande i rockmusik: Slide to the east for this Swedish outfit. Similarly to Orions Belte, Resande i rockmusic is a blissed-out instrumental trip. Heavy on the repetition, sonically laced together in waves. There's a free-flowing groove that anchors the listener in a hypnotic sway. It's much warmer music than what's depicted on the album cover. And more psychedelic, of course. The four tracks average 11 minutes each. Just enough time to entrance you with varying intensities. Chill away the day.



Appalooza - The Emperor of Loss: Staying in Europe we have Appalooza from France. I love the cow skull imagery they carry across their artwork. Which is incredible. Between that and their sound you'd think they're from the American West. Sort of a desert feel. They do reference QOTSA in their bio. And Alice in Chains. Powerful desert rock with just a little melancholy and the muscle to overcome it. The highlight of the album for me would be "Tarantula". It's a complex track with with a killer fucking riff that they groove out on for a while at the end. It's a neck-snapper!



The Gray Goo - Cabin Fever Dreams: Now, Appalooza may look and sound like they're from Montana but The Gray Goo actually are. Cabin Fever Dreams takes the loose, groovy feel of psychrock (not too different than Orions Belte or Kungens Män) and infuses it with a sort of indie flair. Fans of King Gizzard and Thee Oh Sees know what I'm talking about. And more vocals. Perhaps some doom feel in there too. This album is a lot of fun. Lots of groove, fuzzy guitars, killer bass, cool riffs, atmosphere in spades without it feeling forced, just a natural thing. It feels good to the gray goo inside my skull and that's all that matters.



My September Playist is very all over the place. You've got the bands above but also bands like Biohazard. Enjoy and skip as you wish!

August 2025: Matt Recommends

For whatever reason I do find the summer months to be a little light when it comes to new releases. This August I've got three releases that I'd like to highlight for you. Quite a mix too. With a common thread. Before we get started however, this month's playlist has doom, thrash, nu-metal, hardcore, and more.



Swaamp - II: Trippy, spacey, psychedelic journey lasting for an hour and a half. Blissed out meditations that rock, man. They have THREE monthly listeners on Spotify. Let's make some noise for Swaamp! And go listen dammit! (on Bandcamp though)



Tube Warmers - Volume 2: Not terribly different than Swaamp in general tone but more chill and less rock. Definitely a trip. Easy enough for far out background music too.



Tumanduumband - Hail Satan, Triumph Awaits: The name says it all. Satanic and triumphant. The aptly named Tumanduumband (a two-man doom band) move some heavyweight air plying a sinister style of droning instrumental doom maliciously stitched with dark samples. It is the sound of evil wrapped in a fog as heavy and magical as vaporized mercury descending and spreading through the underworld. Dance with the devil. It takes two to doom.



There you have it. Three trippy recommendations from August of 2025.

Album of the Month - July 2025: Hell - Submersus

On my older bass guitar I have a bunch of stickers all over it. On my newer guitar I have one. It says LOWER YOUR HEAD. And it came from Hell. It's their mantra, their ethos, their command. It's also an entirely rational thing to do when listening to the works of Hell's lord and creator, M.S.W.. New album Submersus is no exception. Crank it up, lower your head, and get doomed.

Led by a piercing stab of feedback "Hevy" delivers the first of five hammering blows spanning a tortured 41 minutes. Riffs march like trolls, menacing and fearless save for the light of day. Expansions of buzzing atmosphere bewilder and subjugate. Darkness becomes manifest. So much pain, so much release. Sliding right into "Gravis", gargantuan tone beckons across the wastes as if for war, yet already lamenting the fallen. Sickly rasps, bellows, and growls emanate from behind the wall of resolute energy. Tension leads to angelic clarity.

As the melancholy of "Factum" fades jagged peaks once again rise with towering might. Peaks reaching not for the sky. The domain of "Mortem" is deep and cavernous, stout riffs echoing inwards, pushing deeper and deeper into a realm removed from life. Slowly, gently, rising from the depths, "Bog". Breaking the surface a martial cadence takes hold, rot and black muck sucking at every footfall, fading back to darkness, alone and forgotten.



I hesitate anymore to use phrases like "best album to date" because context has so much to do with perception. But, Submersus is pure Hell. Everything that makes up the Hell experience is embodied here and has been refined to a deadly effectiveness. Best album of July 2025 is pretty easy to say however. Use it to siphon strength from doom and gloom, within and without.

Other releases at least worth mentioning: uh, Aank by Kombynat Robotron I guess.

As always, here's my Playlist for July 2025. One track from each release I listened to all the way through at least once. Lots of Black Sabbath and Scissorfight this month.

Album of the Month - June 2025: Goya - In the Dawn of November

This album deserves a more well written review than I'm able to give you today. I forgot I hadn't posted one yet. But at no point did I forget about In the Dawn of November, the latest (and greatest) album from the mighty Goya. I've been keen on this Jeff Owens outfit since Obelisk came out in 2015 and all their shit is good. But as the kids say, this one just hits different. Maybe it's that bitchin' album art. Or that fucking tone. Or the songs that dig into you, become you, bend you, and crush you.



It sounds massive. Of course. But tone and volume don't mean shit unless you have the riffs to back it up. No worries, my dudes. Goya has the riffs you're looking for. Sludgy and bluesy and crafted into something with character and life. Characters and life factor into the lyrics even. Mourning lovers, depressed and angry people, you know, relatable shit. But sometimes in a fastasy occult/horror context. Like "Cemetary Blues". Or just straight up this-world-sucks mean mugging. "Depressive Episode" for example. And the great thing is, the lyrics are understandable. Which means the singalongs/lip syncing are near constant. It's like a Princess Bride of downer doom. It's got doom, depression, horror, romance, and beefy riffs. Oh, and dig the solos, people. Most often bluesy and sure to enhance the emotional response In the Dawn of November illicits.

It's just bloody fantastic. I'm pretty sure it has found more air time in my head than anything else yet this year. As heavy and dark as it is, it's still really catchy. Catchy doom is the shit. And I am not sick of it in the least. (See track 4, "Sick of Your Shit")

Well, this review exceeded my low expectations and honestly Goya exceeded my high expectaions with In the Dawn of November. I'm high while writing it and it's fair to say Goya were too. Boom! Even more relatable! Now let me go listen to it some more.

Before you go, don't forget to check out my As I Go June 2025 Playlist! Goya is 40 songs in. And tracks from my favourite albums from 2006 take up a good portion of it.

May 2025: Matt Recommends

Well, May was pretty good for music. I have a favourite release but I have 5 or 6 total that got me excited enough I want to tell people about them. I already recommended one to a friend but that's it so I need to make up for it. This month we've got Canadian psychedelic doom, Swedish "stoner" rock, barely describable German psych/funk/kraut/stoner rock, and more. It's a global affair. On top of all that, May's As I Go Playlist is a 6.5 hour non-linear trek across time from the 60s to today with stops in each and every decade. It's nuts.

Let's get to it, shall we?

Aawks - 'On Through the Sky Maze': This Barrie, Ontario group's debut LP was 'Heavy on the Cosmic' and damn dude if this one isn't heavier on the cosmic, and just plain heavier! The heaviness upgrade may be from new bassist/vocalist "Grimepup". Dude is awesome. He's got a really cool dirtweed-sludge growl. When I saw them play he did all the vocals for a Weedeater cover. So you know what I'm talking about. 'Sky Maze' obviously has him slotted in with Kris (guitar/vocals/synth), Paraiso (guitar/violin/synth), and Randylin (drums) like he's been there the whole time. The album is a trip, man. Heavy ass psychedelic space doom. Every track feels like an epic. Thunderous riffs woven with cool psych touchs and smooth groove. There are quiet(er), introspective moments blown away by walls of fuzz. Totally retro atmosphere rising to the sky as mountains form below, the earth itself moved by doom. You get the idea. It's a deep album too. Not just that the album is a no-skipper. There are things to think about. I need to get my hands on the lryics. I should have skipped out on work to go to their show last month and bought the CD. And I probably missed an awesome set. I hope they don't get too big to stop coming to play our "intimate" local venue. Honestly, this is definitely my favourite album of the month, and a contender for AOTY, but there are a few more releases I feel compelled to shine a light on. But if you like the idea of "the definition of psych-doom" then check this out first.



Witchcraft - 'Idag': I've generally been a fan of Witchcraft. Since their debut, I believe. Their last release, 'Black Metal', came out 5 years ago and it's not my favourite. It's pretty low-key and not very "black metal". Not bad, just different. So in a way 'Idag' (Swedish for "today") is the spell I've been waiting for since 2016's 'Nucleus' and I can say I'm not disappointed at all! It's brimming with the kind of varied riffing and powerful fuzz the Swedes excel at. Lots of Swedish lyrics on this too. As much as I suck at discerning lyrics anyway I usually prefer English when the vocals are such that I can hear the word. But, when you've got a vocalist like Magnus Pelander it doesn't matter. His distinctive voice and delivery suits the music perfectly. It lends a folkiness to the doom tones. The acoustic portions do that too. I mean, just listen to the ballad-ish "Om du vill". I'm not going to say it's their best album yet but goddamn that argument could be made. It has all the things that make Witchcraft great. I could just sit on that riff in the title track for days though. *sick riff face* Find out for yourself.



Miss Mellow - 'Dancing Through The Earth': As I said above, Miss Mellow blend a number of different styles like funky, hip-shaking, 70s-ish danceable fun, blissful lounge, tripped out heavy psych, and bouncy, bright, keyboard-heavy boogie. And that's just the four-part title track. Variations of such themes are built into the rest of the album along with sublte and not as subtle nods to the power of kraut and stoner rock. Some lyrics are in German but like Witchcraft it works for the songs. With slow jams and body-movers with more of a pulse 'Dancing Through The Earth' never leaves you still. Groove, vocal harmonies, and plenty of keyboards take you far away from the mid-2020s and back to an age with no more peace but one with much more love. It's a positive and uplifting album that simply rocks. I loved their debut. Instant fan on first listen. To be honest, it took two or three spins for me to sync up with one but now it's a beautiful experience every time. And check out that artwork!



Here's three more that I wanted to do blurbs for but I'm running out of steam. These are all just as good as those above.

Causa Sui - 'In Flux': Brilliant and chill.



Turtle Skull - 'Being Here': An amazing journey I need to take again. Often.



Budos Band - 'VII': I don't usually like horns but I love the Budos! Another wicked album of psychedelic funky soul rock.



And as always, The As I Go Playlist. Eat up.

2006 Re-revisited

Before I started this blog in 2008, I would send my "Best of 20XX" lists around to my friends via email. Back in 2015, I posted my list from 2006. For that, I just cut and paste the email right into the post. Bad spelling, worse punctuation and grammar. I'm leaving the ugly in. This time I went and listened to almost the albums to reassess my feelings almost 20 years on. Comments with better spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Results below.

1. Mastodon - Blood Mountain (2006 - no comment)
2025 - I wouldn't put it at the very top but it's probably still my favourite Mastodon album.

2. I Hate Sally - Don't Worry Lady (Very close second, great mix of styles, great live, and awesome people)
Of all these albums I listen to this one the most. By a wide margin. Considering this is a favourites list, move it to the top.

3 . Lamb Of God - Sacrament (I got the invitation, and I am going!)
There are some good tunes on here. But it would be nowhere near this high now. They just feel too one-dimensional to me. Randy is a fascinating guy though.

4. Kalas - Kalas (Matt Pike! incredible first, last and only album. R.I.P. Kalas)
Incredible seems like a stretch. I still dig it. I had largely forgotten what it sounded like by 2010. With Spotify I do go back to it often enough but I don't own a physical copy.

5 . Slayer - Christ Illusion (They still got it! and Lombardo is back!)
Yeah, still a pretty good Slayer album. Better than the two that came after. But not one I go back to.

6 . Accept Death - Accept Death (Death Accepted. Cool samples, great doomy feel, scary vokills)
Jesus H Christ. I had totally forgotten about this album until I heard it again. Pure fucking evil sludge filth. It's not streaming so I have to hunt down a physical. It's on youtube though. Save and download.

7 . Deicide - The Stench of Redemption (I am SO glad Benton didn't kill himself at 33)
This might be the last Deicide ablum I was really that in to. I know I've heard later ones but wasn't "in to" them. This one has some serious shred going on.

8. The Abominal Iron Sloth - s/t (uh, it's real good)
I had kinda forgotten about this one too. I won't fucking do that again! Heavy fucking shit motherfuckers!!

9. Kylesa - Time Will Fuse It's Worth (Two drummers, two vocalists, too good)
This is the album that hooked me on Kylesa. Still good! Shame on me for not owning this either. And for never publishing the interview I did with them a couple years later.

10 . Kataklysm - In the Arms of Devastation
Definitely not in the top 10. I dig Kataklysm. I don't listen to much death metal anymore but I went and saw these guys play last year. As good as this is it woulnd't make top 10 again.

11 . Jucifer - If Thine Enemy Hunger (not metal, not conventional, like Veruca Salt on LOTS of drugs) It was kinda weird listening to this knowing the kind of stuff they did after this. Still a great album. More "metal" moments than I may have indicated.

12 . Om - Conference of the Birds (two ex-members of Sleep crafting epic doom masterpieces)
Move this baby way up! Probably listen to this the most of anything else on this list. LOVE.

13 . The Sword - Age of Winters
Considering what's above this, move it up. Still lovin' it!

14 . Witch - s/t (This stuff makes you high just listening to it!)
While we are at it, move this up too. I like it more than their follow-up.

15. Napalm Death - Smear Campaign (grind at it's best)
Oh, my Napalm era. I barely made it through listening to this again. I said better things about albums after this but I wouldn't care if I never heard them again.

16 . Sepultura - Dante XXI (who needs Cavaleras? I know Iggor played on this one)
Still alright I guess. They've done better without Max, they've done worse.

17 . Bury Your Dead - Beauty and the Breakdown (If you're gonna be metalcore, at least be good at it)
Is this really metalcore? I dunno. It's not bad. And it's honest. So many breakdowns. I had a hankering for this album (in 2025!) and it inspired this whole exercise.

18. Sworn Enemy - The Beginning of the End (token hardcore album)
Token? You could argue other albums on this list are also hardcore. This didn't launch me back into a hardcore phase or anything.

19. Lair of the Minotaur - The Ultimate Destroyer
One of those bands nobody talks about but that put out some cool stuff. Fun at least.

20. Black Cobra - Bestial (great tone, sounds like a giant tank plowing across the landscape blowing up everything in sight)
Move it up! I come back to this often. My 2006 comment holds up. I fucking love duos.

21. Hatebreed - Supremacy (formula starting to get old, just enough difference to make the list)
2006 comment holds up again. I don't listen to any of their stuff after this.

22. Saviours - Crucifire (another great "stoner" album)
Forgot about this one! Move it up! I need a physical of this.

23. Norma Jean - Redeemer (who knew christians could rock so well?)
Still a pretty cool, energetic album. Don't ask me about the lyrics though.

24. Scissorfight - Jaggernaut (if you like Clutch, you'll like these guys)
If you like Clutch interbred with Appalachian mountain trolls. So much damn fun. Move it way up.

25. Fucked Up - Hidden World (if this is fucked up, I don't want normal)
Nah, bro. I wasn't feeling it. 2006 comment invalid.

26. Dry Kill Logic - Of Vengeance and Violence (Cliff Rigano rules)
I still dug it. "Rules" may be an exaggeration. They put out a new single in May. I should check it out.



Top 5 "Really fun to listen to but not necessarily great albums"

1. Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage (2025 - I listened to it all. That was more than enough.)
2. Funerot - Invasion from the Death Dimension (Tyrannosaur could be my fave song of the year) (2025 - That was fun! I feel bad I had forgotten about it!)
3. Cross Examination - Hung Jury (2025 - 'The Hung Jury' is the correct title. Also, fuck me for forgetting this! Super fun crossover! Fuck yeah!)
4. Venom - Metal Black (2025 - I didn't bother.)
5. Motorhead - Kiss of Death (2025 - I tried to listen to it. Shoot me. I don't like Motörhead. I don't know why I put this one here. I don't like Venom either.)

Surprise of the Year:

I Hate Sally - Don't Worry Lady (who knew I'd love a local band this much, and the fact that Mike Kopko hated it)

Disappointment(s) of the Year (other than no new Clutch):

Tool - 10,000 days (2025 - Most forgettable Tool album.)
Five Horse Johnson - Mystery Spot (JP from Clutch drumming, thought it would be better) (2025 - Same. Couple cool tunes.)
The false start (demise?) of Black Veil Choir (Justin Marler from Sleep)(2025 - I can't even find info about this failed project.)

Stuff I Thought I'd Like But Wasn't Really Feelin':

Trivium - Crusaders (bad lyrics) (2025 - I concur. It's 'The Crusades' though.)
Protest the Hero - Kezia (hate the vocals) (2025 - I concur.)
Isis - In the Absence of Truth (2025 - I actually listened to this three times. Better than I gave it credit for at the time.)

Compilation of the Year :

Sucking the 70's 2: Back in the Saddle Again (2025 - I didn't look for it. I will say it probably still is the best comp of that year.)

Collaboration of the Year :

Rebel Meets Rebel (2025 - I didn't bother.)

Top EPs of the Year:

Jesu - Silver (2025 - It was fine? Not something I'll go back to.)
Arise and Ruin - The Fear of... (Unavailable. I probably couldn't find the mp3s around if I tried. A burned disc or a hard drive somewhere but whatever. I have both their albums.

Album of the Month - April 2025: Conan - 'Violence Dimension'

Greetings, fellow voidfillers. I'm going back to Album of the Month for at least April. I'll note some other releases at the end but Violence Dimension from the mighty Conan definitely stands above the rest of the pack. The Mizmor/Hell collaboration stands pretty fuckin' tall but I'm not here to pit them against each other. Plus, the collaboration needs to grow on me to understand it's depth. Conan however, Conan has already put me six feet under and pushin' up daisies. It's fuckin' killer. I'll want to dig into the lyrics but if we're being honest I mostly enjoy Conan for the pure sonic bludgeoning. Being buried in fuzz. Vibrating with tone. Beaten senseless. Taken to a dimension of violence.

I'm pretty sure the Violence Dimension guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis is growling/yelling about is in some way the one we're living in. Earth on this plane at this time. Certainly feels like it anyway. I've come to realize that I either connect with an album and it's sound, or I don't. And I won't. The frequencies don't line up. I don't resonate into violent frequencies all the time. There's enough of that in this dimension. In a fight fire with fire kind of way, my shield against violent waves is itself made of violence in sync with MY frequencies. That's where Conan comes in. There are all kinds of violent music. Hyper-violent. Black, death, grind. Not the right frequency (most of the time). Crushing, hulking, muscular, fuckin' doom-sludge worthy of the Barbarian's name is a most effective defense. Anytime. Every time.

What isn't as consistent with Violence Dimension - at least compared to their previous three albums - is the man wielding the bass. This time it's former Fudge Tunnel bassist David Ryley. Chris Fielding returns solely to the producer/engineer's chair for this effort. Thank the gods he didn't abandon Conan completely. I don't think Conan would sound like Conan without him in that position. So what does that mean for the new album? I haven't worked that out scientifically, comparing and contrasting details of sound and performance and atmosphere across years of material. But my gut, my real brain, my gut said "capital Fuck Yeah, bud."

Maybe I didn't anticipate the frequencies of Violence Dimension lining up with mine so perfectly, or something, but when the hammer dropped on this bad boy the energy shot right through me. It felt more vigourous, more powerful, more effective than I was expecting for some bizarre reason. It gave me marching orders. As if drummer Johnny King issued a command. "We're fucking shit up with sonic energy. Get on board." Then boom! By the time we hit "Total Bicep" the sprint towards battles of warfare and death is downright lustful. Rage and heaviness and thunder and a fucking doom drop that takes you to your knees drags you to your feet again for a weary march to the next encounter.

The next encounter being the title track. It's a more subdued affair. At least at first. The nine-minute track starts with more space, somewhat majestic, not unlike the album cover. Still massive. It plods through its midpoint, drawing energy, expanding dimensional sonic horizons in waves of droning chords. Punishing gravity returns in the tracks later third, with a beastly growl at that. A track worthy of identifying the collective material.

I could go trying put sounds into words for more of the eight tracks but you get the idea. I've been a remorseless Conan fan since at least Monnos in 2012 and I've never lost faith so I don't know exactly why Violence Dimension hit me so hard. I won't complain. Aligned frequencies, I guess. Low, pulsing, menacing, tense, frequencies. I'll get carried away again here. I can't recommend this enough especially if you're already fond of sludgy, heavy as all fucks doom. Worship!



Also recommended from the April collection of releases: Mizmor/Hell - 'Alluvion', Action & Tension & Space - 'New Dimensions', Ponddigger - 'Nocturnal Hymnal', and Blackwater Holylight - 'If You Only Knew' EP.

And as always, every release I listened to in April all wrapped up in my April Spotify Playlist. The first 80 or so tracks are all from my seven favourite bands. The new release stuff starts after that.

February 2025: Matt Recommends

Most of the February releases I wanted to check out droppped on February 28 so I had to take some time to digest them before throwing some recommendations out into the void. Speaking of the void...

Naxatras - V

It's hard to assign a particular sound to Naxatras. The Greek artists expertly blend prog and psychedelic rock with space rock and a bit of stoner. But V feels like a journey through space. Not emptiness but all the wonderful and awe-inspiring planets and places and processes we may never see. Their use of groove and rhythm on tracks like "Numenia" feel firmyl rooted in humanity and its earthly heart. Best of both scenarios. Anyone who has been reading lately should know how much "escapist" albums pull me in. V does just that. An expansive album able to push away the day to day. Naxatras binges are always a heavy trip.



Year of the Cobra - Year of the Cobra

We kick things up a notch with the newest from Year of the Cobra. Their third album just happens to be self-titled. It does feel like a step up but not a redefinitition that some bands do when releasing a self-titled that isn't their first album. You know what I mean. Again, it's not different from their first two albums just...more. The duo of drummer Jon Barrysmith and bassist-vocalist Amy Tung-Barrysmith (yes, they're married.) have added more emotion, more dynamics, more expression to their already doom-laden stoner heaviness. Amy gets more out of her bass than most guitarists with way more strings and you can really feel how much Jon is locked in. I've been a fan from the start. I feel like i've listened to Year of the Cobra more than Ash and Dust and ...In the Shadows Below combined though. And it's probably not even close. It's a banger.



Uncle Woe - Folded in Smoke, Soaked and Bound

You may also know I'm a dedicated fan of Uncle Woe. Obviously I'm going to include Folded in Smoke, Soaked and Bound. Now, Spotify says it was released February 28 and Bandcamp says March 1 so I'm putting it in February because I already have my three recommendations for March and I HAVE to include this one somewhere. Folded in Smoke is not an album but rather a 10" consisting of two 8+ minutes tracks. The 10" is pretty special and not for the casual collector but it's worth it for a big fan like me. I just love how Rain Fice and Mark Whitworth can move me with melancholy and despair. There's so much emotion and grace. And power. The band really put it best themselves, Folded in Smoke "ponders and sprawls and creeps and whispers and slithers, but still ends up as dead as everything else". Honestly, I'm envious of Rain's ability to make real the intangle feelings we have inside.



Honourable mentions to III by Yawning Balch (so good), and Dark Green by Tumbleweed Dealer (pretty cool). III by Red Eye and The Wolfe by Dope Smoker are pretty good too.

February Playlist -> RIGHT HERE Only Naxatras on this one.

Here's March too. it's pretty much done. MARCH PLAYLIST Year of the Cobra, Uncle Woe and others are here.

2024: My Favourites

(image generated using AI)

Here we are again. Another year gone by and another list of albums to call my favourites. Honestly, I think it was something of a "down year." There were plenty of albums that I absolutely love but the choices weren't terribly hard to make. Many of the bands featured are familiar names and all-time favourites. Almost a dozen are bands that are relatively new to me. Two of the bands don't even exist anymore. Almost everything will fit into the stoner/sludge/doom/psych sphere. If you've been paying attention here that should be no suprise. Enough babbling. Here are my 25 favourite releases of 2024 and then some bonus releases that I still think you should know about and that I might listen to in the future. Ear time is precious. Outside the Top Three the order is relatively artibrary.

1. Slomosa - Tundra Rock (Stickman): I discovered Slomosa's 2020 self-titled debut in 2023 via Weedian's Trip to Norway compilation and was completely hooked. Tundra Rock buried another barb. This time even deeper. High energy desert rock culling influence from obvious players like early QOTSA and Kyuss with probably some influence from the European scene like Dozer, etc. Tundra Rock just kicks so much ass that I had to list it above the masters of ass-kicking...

2. High on Fire - Cometh the Storm (Southern Lord): The flames are definitely high! I was cautiously sceptical about Coady Willis replacing Des. No need. Des will be missed and I do have his autograph on my original CD copy of The Art of Self Defence but Willis fuckin' gives'er, man! This new era is going to rule just as hard. Jeff Matz is doing some crazy cool stuff here and Pike, well, Matt Pike for President. Anyone who shits on the record needs to wipe their face after extracting it from their own ass.

3. Fu Manchu - Return of Tomorrow (At the Dojo): Any Fu Manchu album is going to make my list. Bias is real. But it still rules. All the talk about the album mentions the two "sides" of the album, one being more mellow than the other. I guess that's true but I didn't hear anything that didn't sound like Fu Manchu to me. "Mellow" is relative, I suppose. Bonus: I finally got to see Fu Manchu live this year. They only played for like 35 minutes and I missed the first 10 due to a doors vs. start of show misunderstanding. (ALWAYS show up early, Matt! Idiot.)

The rest (more or less in order of release):

Brugada - To Slow Death and Fast Riffs (Tone Zone): Canadian west coast outfit with former members of Astrakhan. Complicated and somewhat artful hardcore-eged prog-sludge? I dunno. The band actually split years ago and it took that long to get this album out. I didn't think I'd ever see the day. Now I have the cassette tape. Booyah! (January Album of the Month)

Fearbirds - Aux Blood (Batskull/New Damage): Another left coast Canuck band that feeds the aggro beast with members of other bands I used to love. Specifically Kevin Keegan of Barn Burner (and Dead Quiet but they're still going). The other members are scene vets as well. I think they split too. Their van bit the dust, they canceled their tour, and they called it a day. Seems kind of fucked but life goes on. (February AOTM)

Weedow - Weedow (self-released): Polish stoner doom trio. As smoked out as you would expect.

Kungens Män - För samtida djur 1 and 2 (Majestic Mountain): Experimental, avant-garde, psychedelic, meditative rock from Germany.

Uncle Woe - Oblivion and Further Disaster (Packard Black Productions/Owlripper Records): Depression Doom from the Ontario wilderness (not terribly far from me actually). Main man Rain Fice enlisted Aussie drummer Mark Witworth of X's for Eyes for this one (and Well from 2023). I don't do a lot of sad stuff these days but I almost have all the Uncle Woe records on vinyl so.... (March AOTM)

Rickshaw Billie's Burger Patrol - Big Dumb Riffs (self-released): I liked this one better than Doom Wop. All big dumb riffs. Makes you want to break things.

The Cosmic Dead - Infinite Peaks (Heavy Psych Sounds): Heavy psych space rock from Scotland. It's a long trip, man. One of my favourite sub-genres of music these days.

Bongripper - Empty (self-released): Their songs are instrumental so they aren't about ripping bongs but Empty will nonetheless take all your worries away. For about 66 minutes. The doom looms.

Eye - Dark Light (New Heavy Sounds): Jessica Ball of MWWB brings us Dark Light, a darkfolk, dream pop, electronic psych doom, and more exploration of feeling with new project, Eye. It's intimate and textured. It's hard to explain, and hard to explain what it is that draws me in so much. I like it that way.

Ufomammut - Hidden (Neurot): The Italian psychedelic sludge masters just keep pumping out quality stuff. I've been enjoying their drony, hypnotic, snyth-laden, industrial heaviness for decades and they haven't let me down yet. (May AOTM)

Beaten to Death - Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis (Mas Kina): Back to Norway. This time with the explosive melodic grindcore of Beaten to Death. Sunrise continues the sonic bludgeoning with the same playful ferocity I've come to expect. This is where I go for quick pent-up energy release.

Thou - Umbilical (Sacred Bones): I really should have this one closer to the top just in case someone doesn't read this far. This is where to go to feel absolutely crushed. The music is heavy but it also makes you feel the weight of humanity's suffering with each riff. I shouldn't have to explain Thou.

Causa Sui - From the Source (El Paraiso): Aaaaahhhh more escapist music. Instrumental, experimental, proggy, psychedelic rock. It puts me in the same space as Dead Meadow, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Colour Haze. There is a lot of good stuff on El Paraiso Records.

Penza Penza - Alto e Primitivo (Funk Night Records): Psychedelic and instrumental but this time it gets funky. And jazzy, I suppose. But I like how it makes me move. It feels good! Ow! (July AOTM)

delving - All Paths Diverge (Blues Funeral): This side project of Elder's Nick DiSalvo is so chill. Light and airy, psychedelic. Beautiful sonic explorations that just seem to flow naturally from one movement to the next. Similar vibes to a lot of the places Elder goes. (His other project, Weite, is a little different. See below later.)

Anciients - Beyond the Reach of the Sun (Season of Mist): If you like guitars, and lots of them, this is for you. I feel like Anciients have moved further from the sludge of "progressive sludge" into the prog end but still fucking rip. The songs are good obviously too but the big standout for me is listening to all those notes! (August AOTM)

Brant Bjork Trio - Once Upon a Time in the Desert (Duna Records): The legend Brank Bjork brings back his Duna Records label with this beaut with the legend Mario Lalli on bass. And that's what it sounds like. Yawning Man bass on a Brant Bjork album. Sweeeeeet.

Goat - Goat (Rocket Recordings): My favourite psychedelic funk rock collective brings more hip-hop style beats into the mix on this one and I'm obviously okay with that in this instance. It was my October AOTM and I described my feelings pretty well in that post. Yeah, I picked it over Brant Bjork Trio. It's that cool.

Sun and Sail Club - Shipwrecked (Heavy Psych Sounds): Tony Adolescent, Bob Balch, and BOTH Scott Reeders! Fast! Aggressive! Punk! Relentless! (Except the jazzy guitar yacht rock bookends!) Fuck off attitude! Not stoner rock!

Low Flying Hawks - Makebelieve (Sympatry Records): Hard to explain this one. Hypnotic, sludgy, noisy at times, art-rock, psych. But it's even more complex than that. Gothic. Emotional, through anguished screams or harmony. I still need to spend WAY more time with it. It just keeps getting better. October was a pretty hard choice for AOTM.

Hawklords - Relativity (self-released): I like this better than the more recent Hawkwind albums! The associations with Hawkwind are pretty loose at this point but Relavity occupies the same space. AI concept album. I dig it. But like, sci-fi Asimov stuff not ChatGPT or whatever. Plus, it's really cool space rock, man!

There they are. My favourite 24 albums of 2024. I cheated by lumping the Kungens Man albums together but who's counting? As promised, here is another bunch of albums I thought were cool enough to mention.

Elephant Tree/Lowrider - The Long Forever (Blues Funeral): Honestly, I kind of forgot about this one and I know I liked it but didn't feel comfortable putting it above. Oops.
Baardvader - When the Stars Arrive (self-released)
The Whims of the Great Magnet - FRYDOM (self-released): December AOTM
Weite - Oase (Stickman)
Cosmic Fall - Back Where the Fire Flows (self-released)
Tube Warmers - Fertilized Eggs and Honey (River Records)
Crippled Black Phoenix - The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature (Season of Mist)
Vessel - The Somnifier (Majestic Mountain): November AOTM
Babel Map - Teeth (Lost Future)
Ian Blurton's Future Now - Crimes of the City (Pajama Party): (The crimes are that for most of their shows in Toronto they don't go on stage until 1am or some nonsense.)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD (Constellation)
Mammoth Volume - Raised Up By Witches (Blues Funeral)
Free Ride - Acido y Puto (Small Stone)
Ainu - Ainu ((Subsound Records)
Rezn - Burden (Sargeant House)
Khruangbin - A La Sala (Dead Oceans/Night Time Stories)
Locrian - End Terror (Profound Lore)
Sons of Alpha Centuri - Pull (Exile on Mainstream)
Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine (Napalm Records)

There are more but really, that's enough. Comment below if you have anything to say. Keep an eye for my playlists!

Album of the Month - November 2024: Vessel - 'The Somnifer'

I'm publishing this even later this month. Wow. Things have been going on, ya know? Anyway, in the new year I was going to change this format up a bit so this month will be a hybrid. November was a decent month. Better than decent, I suppose. I didn't add too many albums to the spreadsheet but most of the ones I did add were pretty good. The one I listened to the most was definitely 'The Somnifer' by Vessel.

The Aussie band created a cool concept album around dreaming, to be super vague, that's sparse on the vocals but effective. Through the 10 songs Vessel serve up different styles of doom to get their feelings across. My favourite is "Rapid Eye Movement". It makes the album for me. It's kind of lumbering and definitely spacey, and it's one with vocals. "Walk through the space between atoms" was the kicker. It's the kind of statement I think about often enough. Since I'm keeping this short, it's a great album. You should listen to it. Many times.



Now for the other part of the hybrid. Sharing just one album that deserves it is weak. I want to share more. Because I have awesome taste. Here are some other November releases that felt pretty good to me. And of course, the As I Go November 2024 Spotify Playlist. Only 68 tracks and 8 hours this month.

Babel Map - 'Teeth' (Lost Future)
Slower - 'Rage and Ruin' (Heavy Psych Sounds) Slayer covers but slower. Plus originals this time! I bought the CD.
Longheads - 'Layers of Wax' (Stolen Body Records)
Softsun - 'Daylight in the Dark' (Ripple) Can't go wrong with Gary Arce on guitar.
Magick Potion 'Magick Potion' (RidingEasy) The good kind of 70s worship.
Crippled Black Phoenix - 'The Wolf Changes its Fur but Not its Nature' (Season of Mist) Songs from their back catalog reimamgined.
Tube Warmers - 'Fertilized Eggs and Honey' (River Records) Psychedelic, baby.
Cosmic Fall - 'Back Where the Fire Flows' (self) Spacey doom.
Apodemus - 'Monotone' (Anchor Lights) Chill trippin.
Weite - 'Oase' (Stickman) Members of Elder and delving. Also chill.
Space Shepherds - 'Cycler' More spacey stuff.

Album of the Month - May 2024: Ufomammut - 'Hidden'

Italy's mighty Ufomammut have the distinguished honour of being Album of the Month for May 2024 here at Kingdom of Noise with 'Hidden'. The "psychedelic sludge" trio celebrate their 25th year by releasing their 10th album. Not a bad pace if you ask me. Pacing is a large part of the appeal of Ufomammut too. The band has always mastered their pacing. Mostly a lumbering gait kinda thing. As doom does. Ufomammut dial up the repetition more than most locking the listener into whatever otherworldly headspace they're creating. Drones, synths, and FX round out the full effect. Ufomammut albums are a trip, man, and 'Hidden' feels of no diminished quality this deep into the band's career. Ufomammut are remarkably consistent in that regard.



There's just something about them that clicks with me. So it makes sense that 'Hidden' does too. It's heavy as fuck for starters. The transisions are near perfect. When they move between parts it doesn't feel forced or clunky even if it's abrupt. Even without the snyth effect, the industrial undertone persists. All the synths and FX do is take it to another level. It's what takes all their albums to the next level. It's so integral to their sound. I mean, it's right there in the name Ufomammut. UFO and mammut (Italian for mammoth). The power of a huge, earthshaking animal infused with otherworldy influence. Charged darkness comes to mind. An atmosphere alive and sunless and ancient.

'Hidden' is a muscular and nuanced album. It deserves your attention. The more undivided that attention is, the better. Hide yourself in the layered sonic intensity and let it overwhelm you.

Album of the Month - March 2024: Uncle Woe - 'Oblivion and Further Disaster'

Ya know, I can't even remember how I came across Uncle Woe exactly but since hearing 'Pennyfold Haberdashery and Abbatoir Deluxe' a couple years ago I have made Uncle Woe music a part of my life. A place to go for refuge. A sound I can wrap around myself and become seaparte from the outside world. This month's outstanding release, 'Oblivion and Further Disaster' adds another layer of protection. A thick, insulating layer. Thick in tone, thick in emotional heft, thick in vocal expression.

I suppose those are the attributes one looks for when searching the doom forests for a balm for your soul but finding the unique combination that just clicks is becoming increasingly rare. Uncle Woe, and 'Oblivion' in particular doesn't so much click as slide gently into place. As loud as the tube amps get, and they get loud, as heartwrenching as the wails become, as forcefully as the drums impact, there's a soft quality that's hard to define but it definitely isn't as harsh and potentially brittle as a click would suggest. The connection is intuitive, sub-atomic, and seemless.

Throughout 'Oblivion' I often find myself almost frozen. The massive doom riffs, slow and patient, hold me in place. Not through oppression so much as thickening the space around me. The vocals, disorienting, calling from the mists beyond the pines, make my bones vibrate. It's about the frequency. The frequency of life. Uncle Woe is tuned into my frequency, or the other way around. I mean, it's miserable music much of the time. It's not happy. I'm generally a happy person. I practice being happy. But I've yet to acheive spontaneous and everlasting happiness. Suffering and delusion still hold sway over parts of my mind. That's where Uncle Woe comes in. Matching frequency, acting as a channel for expression even if it's just between my ears.

I've matured to a point where the music I really connect with largely depends on how it makes me feel. Sometimes that involves shaking my hips like I'm looking for tips, head-and-shoulder groovin', or in the case of doom, the feeling moves inward. Mind and soul. Uncle Woe is good for my heart and soul. Perhaps 'Oblivion and Further Disaster' will be there for you too through your own oblivions and further disasters. Only one way to find out.



Full March 2024 Spotify Playlist (this Unlce Woe release is not on Spotify)

2023: My Favourites

Man, the evolution continues. Or is it a de-evolution? Not society. That's totally fucked. I mean my music listening habits. Long gone are the days of knowing every sub-genre. Or trying to anyway. I really, really feel most at home when I'm enjoying stoner rock and metal, doom, stoner doom, sludge, psych, heavy psych, more and more prog, shit like that. I think I listened to one black metal album all year? ('Blackbraid II') Thrash? Probably just Slayer (more or less) thanks to the Talkin' Slayer podcast by D.X. Ferris. As for death metal well, most of that input was in the live setting. Anyhoo.

Once I got down to it putting together this year's list wasn't so hard. I value my time to the point of not wasting any of it if the tunes don't resonate. That made that long list shorter and the cuts easier to make. There are no consequences. Go with your gut. Music is transcendence. Music is prayer. Music is salvation.

Following last year's format here are the 40(ish) releases that gave me the most feelings in 2023.

Favourites of 2023 Spotify Playlist Song Version

Favourites of 2023 Spotify Full Version

FULLY ENLIGHTENED BEINGS (pure beings devoid of faults)

Hippie Death Cult - 'Helichrysm' (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Baroness - 'Stone' (Abraxas Hymns)
REZN and Vinnum Sabbathi - 'Silent Future' (Blues Funeral Recordings)
Royal Thunder - 'Rebuilding the Mountain' (Spinefarm Records)
Melt - 'Replica of Man' (self-released)
Acid King - 'Beyond Vision' (Blues Funeral Recordings)
Dozer - 'Drifting in the Endless Void' (Blues Funeral Recordings)
Blood Ceremony - 'The Old Ways Remain' (Rise Above Records)
Mutoid Man - 'Mutants' (Sargent House)
Psychic Trash - 'Psychic Trash' (Riding Easy Records)

GODS OF THE FORM AND FORMLESS REALMS (aeons of refined bliss)

Miss Mellow - 'Miss Mellow' (self-released)
Frankie & the Witch Fingers - 'Data Doom' (The Reverberation Appreciation Society/Greenway Records)
Giant Lungs - 'Giant Lungs' (Transporta Records)
Iron Buddha - 'Raze/Repose' (self-released)
Goat - 'Medicine' and 'Levitation Sessions' (Rocket Recordings and The Reverberation Appreciation Society)
Mizmor - 'Prosaic' (Profound Lore Records)
Choose the Juice - 'Meteoria' (self/Artemis Kaiser)
Dopelord - 'Songs for Satan' (Blues Funeral Recordings)
Night Verses - 'Every Sound Has a Color in the Valley of Night: Part 1' (Equal Vision Records)
Astral Hand - 'Lords of Data' (Romanus Records)

DESIRE REALM GODS (enjoyment and satisfaction of desires)

Bongzilla - 'Dab City' (Heavy Psych Sounds Records)
Dead Feathers - 'Full Circle' (Ripple Music)
Dead Quiet - 'IV' (Artoffact Records)
Snakes Don't Belong in Alaska - 'Sounds of a Forming Planet' (Catacomb Family Records)
Swamp Ritual - 'Vol. III' (self-released)
Domkraft - 'Sonic Moons' (Magnetic Eye Records)
Sâver - 'From Ember and Rust (Pelagic Records)
Danko Jones - 'Electric Sounds' (Sonic Unyon Records)
Green Yeti - 'Necropolitan' (self-released)
Gozu - 'Remedy' (Metal Blade Records)

PRECIOUS HUMAN LIVES

Crown Lands - 'Fearless' (Universal)
Black Rainbows - 'Superskull' (Heavy Psych Sounds Records)
Auralayer - 'Thousand Petals' (King Volume Records)
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats - 'Slaughter on First Avenue' (Rise Above Records)
Restless Spirit - 'Afterimage' (Magnetic Eye Records)
Howling Giant - 'Glass Future' (Magnetic Eye Records)
Sonic Demon - 'Veterans of the Psychic War' (Majestic Mountain Records)
Warp - 'Bound by Gravity' (Nasoni Records)
Moon Coven - 'Sun King' (Ripple Music)
REZN - 'Solace' (self-released)

FAVOURITE EPs OF 2023 (some of the above were technically EPs too but whatever)

The Budos Band - 'Frontier's Edge' (Diamond West Records)
Stöner - 'Boogie to Baja' (Heavy Psych Sounds Records)
Olde Grale - 'Blood of Fools' (Salt of the Earth Records)
Uncle Woe - 'Well' (Owlripper Records)
Ufomammut - 'Crookhead' (Supernatural Cat)

Nebular Nine: December 2023

Full disclosure. I'm tired of this format. This will be the last collage/what I listened to most post.

I'm not sure what's next, if anything, but this post at least will be kind of half-assed.

These don't usually show up here but I'm always listening to the Weedian compilations. December featured at least the Trips to Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Arizona too, I believe. 

I missed out of the Giant Lungs album when it first came out. But I'm sure loving it now! Tone and riffs and appealing vocals. Let's doom!

Speaking of doom. Uncle Woe gave us a new EP called 'Well' and well, it's pretty awesome. There's something about them that just resonates. Heavy, a little psych/post/prog and stuff. Interesting structures and all that. My vinyl is gonna be great when it gets here. 

I already know my Slower CD will be great when it arrives too. It's a January release though. I very rarely check out promos before release but I went ahead with this. I mean, Slayer but slower? Fuck yeah!

I'm going to have to check out the Mars Red Sky album again. I can't remember. December was weird.

Ok, bottom row we have three releases from Goat. I listened to the whole discography. 'Levitation Sessions' kicked things off and I went backwards from there. These three just had the most tracks. 

Van tunes: Talkin' Slayer Podcast

As I Go December 2023 Playlist

My Favourites of 2023 coming up next.

Nebular Nine: November 2023

Music is a drug. A strong, addicting, healing drug.

Here's what I medicated with most in November.

Ok, so obviously not all of these were November releases but thats not how this works anyway. 

'Lords of Data' by Astral Hand came out in March. Too bad I didn't know about the psychedelic doom within back then. The Anuseye album came out in October. It's pretty cool. Same with Massive Hassle. That album cover is VERY deceptive. It's not black or death metal at all! Uh, the heavy ass Tortuga album was also October. And the Ufomammut EP. And the Howling Giant. They were all late October, okay? 

November's best is the self-titled Psychic Trash debut. Bear in mind this is basically (literally) Wizard Rifle with a different name. With all the gun violence in the US they thought it best to change monikers. Same weirdo duo though! Maybe a little less weird.

Ethereal Tomb released their album in September. It's great. They're even better live. Show report upcoming.

Last but not least is the reissue of Hermano's 'Only a Suggestion'. I suggest you listen to it.

November 'As I Go' Spotify Playlist (one song from each release I listened to, in order. If I listened to it 100 times it's still just one song.)

Van tunes: Filter - 'Short Bus', Black Mastiff - 'Loser Delusion'

Podcasts: Talkin' Slayer, some Communist/Socialist/leftist stuff I don't want to look up right now, the Clean and Sober Stoner interview with JJ of The Obelisk.

Nebular Nine: September 2023

For the first time in a long time I went a whole month without alcohol. And the last 8 days without weed. Or wearing a hat. Those things are irrelevant though as the quality of the music was unaffected. 

Based on number of plays the new Baroness takes the cake for September. 'Stone' seems to be the logical place for Baroness to be at this stage in their career. Stellar.

Frankie & the Witch Fingers are one of those bands that found me. A little weird, a little progressive, a lot of fun. 'Data Doom' kicks ass. 

Not enough can be said about Danko Jones. High energy rock and fucking roll. Their 11th studio effort kicks all kinds of ass. My only complaint is by the time it came out I was basically done cutting grass for the year so I couldn't bomb around the yard yelling lyrics to the wind like a nut job. Ah well.

Another all-time in Brant Bjork. I would also include here 'Saved by Magic Again' by Brant Bjork and the Bros. They are companion pieces and all. And both classic. These reissues are niiiiice.

Random throwback with 'Ocean Machine'. I know I've listened to it before but it had been forgotten and neglected for decades by me for some reason.

Speaking of neglected, I liked the debut from Kvelertak. Then I didn't like them. Now I like them again. Thank you, 'Endling'.

That Iron Buddha album is some heavy shit. Gotta get back to that one.

The Nashville show of Clutch's PA Tapes is a killer set! Lots of favourites. And I hear that Neil Fallon chose that set list. 

Last but certainly not least, the newest from Night Verses, 'Every Sound Has a Color in the Valley of Night: Part 1'. They're a new band for me but I am totally a fan now. This mostly instrumental album is quite the departure from the sound of their debut (and subsequent albums) and I'm blown away by their musicianship. 10/10 will listen again. 

Van tunes: Slayer - 'South of Heaven', High on Fire - 'The Art of Self Defense (original Man's Ruin release), Mizmor - 'Prosaic', Bell Witch - 'The Clandestine Gate', Beaten to Death - 'Unplugged', Danko Jones - 'Electric Sounds'.

Spotify playlist (one song from every album I listened to at least once, most more than once):

As I Go Sepetember 2023

Nebular Nine: August 2023

We have quite the diverse lineup this month! Some psych doom, some stoner doom, some death metal, some metallic hardcore, some Metal with a capital M, and whatever we call Mutoid Man. 

The collaboration between Rezn and Vinnum Sabbathi is just so fucking cool. Spaced out concept album full of atmosphere and tone, telling a pretty cool story if you ask me. I need the vinyl to put with 'Eldovar' and 'Mariner'. 

Mutoid Man and Uncle Acid came through again this month. Just great albums. The reissue of High on Fire's 'The Art of Self Defense' is pretty great too. As expected. 

I expected the new Ringworm to be as vicious as it is but honestly I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the new Kataklysm. Going to see them play at a coffee shop in November. Rad!!! 

New Moon Coven is pretty good. Need more spins. Ya know, I'm not as excited about recent Spirit Adrift albums as I used to be. 

And holding down the center is Swamp Ritual's 2017 album. I just discovered them thanks to Weedian's Trip to Montana (not pictured. Neither is Trip to Washington). Love them! 

Van tunes (compact discs): Gozu - 'Remedy', NIN - 'With Teeth', Slayer - 'Reign in Blood' and 'War at the Warfield', and Them Crooked Vultures - self-titled.

Instead of another collage of small pictures of more of my listens I made a playlist of one song from every album I listened to at least once in August, in order. It's "only" eight hours long. For now it's just a link. I'll try to embed it later.

August 2023 Spotify Playlist

Nebular Nine: May 2023

May 2023! What a month! Well, I make every month good because of my good taste. Ha! The Nebular Nine may have nine albums listed but most of the air time was spent on Gozu and The Acacia Strain. Gozu makes me feel oh, so good and The Acacia Strain can make you feel oh, so bad. 

The new Blood Ceremony is oh, so good too. Probably my favourite of their releases. Some stiff competition there though. 

Clutch's Pitchfork and Lost Needles isn't totally accurate. While I did listen to most of those tracks it was actually an mp3 folder where all the "rare"/off album tracks were labeled as being from that album. ALL KILLER.

Still spinning Crown Lands! Just discovered Rotor on this album and now I'm a fan! Instrumental stoner rock? Yes, please. And of course a Weedian comp. A good one too!

Blast off! It's party time! Had some serious SOAD urges in May!

Van tunes: Slayer - Undisputed Attitude, Hell Awaits, God Hates Us All, NIB Black Sabbath tribute, SOAD - Mesmerize, Toxicity, QOTSA - Songs for the Deaf, Monster Magnet - Last Patrol, Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun, Welcome to Sky Valley, Gozu - Remedy

Now playing: Odyssey by Vokonis (Kicking off Pride Month!)

Also.....new Kanaan, Djunah, Last Rizla, Dozer, Cattle Decapitation, Clutch live, Giobia, Void Master, and Galactic Empire.

More System of a Down, the Budos Band, Negative 13, Corrosion of Conformity, Fear Factory, Crown Lands, and a full Danko Jones run (studio albums). Not shown but the three Mountain Tamer albums also got love.