I think that Winter Moon is one of the highlights of the current Australian indie scene. I have been a fan ever since I heard the Lucid Dreaming EP, and every time when I thought their music couldn’t get any better... it does!

You Got Me is a beautiful, haunting song. If you enjoy soulful music with a hint of blues throw in, this is for you. The vocals are fantastic. From the beginning to the very end, Molly's voice gives you goosebumps.

This is the type of song you won't want to stop listening to, it is just that good. Can't wait for a full-length album!

Bandcamp | Facebook

Album Sale (Digital)
You can still download it for free from their Bandcamp

Blackbird Hill - Midday Moonlight EP (2017)

I’m a real sucker for catchy music like this, tunes that will have your feet tapping and singing along to their infectious melodies. So when I received this album for review - I just had to do it.

In six songs and twenty-five and a half minutes, Midday Moonlight treats the listener to a brand of nearly perfectly executed blues rock. It has a great variety of sounds, electric blues, delta, americana and just good old rock and roll, and yet they all fit Blackbird Hill. As you listen to each track, you'll find it hard to pick a clear favourite. All of the songs are equally good. The guitar hooks are where it's at. There's a lot of really bouncy riffs that sound like they’d make for a big, sweaty blast of fun in concert. The drumming is simple, yet masterful and ripe with subtle technique.

The EP starts out fantastic with Trigger Law. A song that channels the spirit of Jimi Hendrix with its raucous riffs and an almost hip-hop sounding drum beat. It's hard to get this out of your head for the rest of the day. Next up is Horseback Sight. It's a mellow, moody song that hits all the right notes. The third number, Run Like Mad, is an energetic song that is very simple and straightforward, but also probably the catchiest number on the record. Stories From The Road shows that the band is able to stretch a song out to without losing any steam or having those listening lose interest, as even at eight minutes, it's as captivating at the end as it is at the beginning. Second to last is Hold Your Fire, which is a catchy, upbeat and sweet track. The very first few bars, the intro to this song, reminds me a bit of Sonic Youth's Cool Thing. Then comes the final track, Midday Moonlight. This gorgeous song begins with a slamming opening chord that is catchy and resonant. It has the most passionate vocal performance on the album. Also, the fuzz dial here is obviously set to '11'!

With so many bands trying so hard to do something new, it's nice to have a duo like Blackbird Hill to prove that good old-fashioned blues rock can still beat the socks off any trendy new style. Midday Moonlight has its flaws but it is certainly a great effort.

Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Website

Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries #4

Welcome to another issue of Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries. It's been a while since the last one. Maybe it should be renamed 'Monthly Bandcamp Discoveries'?... Heh... Yeah, I'm really sorry about that. I don't have a lot of free time lately and I don't expect things to change anytime soon. That's why this issue contains only eight entries. It's a mix of some recent discoveries, and some older material. This time you’ll find artists from France, Italy, USA, South Africa and Russia.

P.S. If this is your first visit here, be sure to check out:

#1 | #2 | #3

Alastor - Black Magic (2017)

Saint Vitus once sang, White magic, black magic, which am I to choose? But Sweden's Alastor didn't have any doubts, they knew exactly what to choose for their debut EP.

Well, I just got done listening to about thirty-four minutes of music. That's, of course, nothing out of the ordinary, but this album/EP compresses that much music into just three songs. Luckily, Alastor makes the most of the time and delivers a quality EP. This is exactly the type of record where you pay no attention to song length, and just allow yourself to be entranced into Alastor's world. And I can guarantee you, you will not want to leave.

The guitar playing on here ranges from heavy-as-fuck doom metal to spacey, psychedelic sounding riffs and the vocals are sung in the background, like an old Black Sabbath record. These elements blend to create the incredible atmosphere of these tracks. The songs have an overall spooky, formidable tone and tomb-like mists that slip subliminally into the listener's ear.

The opener, Enemy, is well over eleven minutes and features a long, atmospheric Sleep-esque intro leading into the massive main riff. The song has good groove and powerful presence, supreme mini-solos, long solos and great clean vocals. The next song, Nothing To Fear, is straight to the point and full of energy. The end riff here is simply stunning. Impressive as the first two songs are, it's the third, Black Magic, where Alastor really shines. To be clear though, I can't turn Black Magic loud enough. This song will get stuck it your head for indeterminable amounts of time and there is nothing you can do about it. The title track opens with a bulky Weedeater-like riff, quickly opening into another Electric Wizard/Windhand-style riff. It's a truly freaked out song with mighty vocals and with some of the most epic, monolithic riffing you'll hear on the album.

Overall, Black Magic is nothing groundbreaking, but with it, Alastor has made an amazingly competent stoner doom album. It's fat and melodic in the right places. It will be stuck in your head for a while, I assure you that.

Bandcamp | Facebook
Spotify | iTunes | Google Play

Grajo/​​Orthodox - Split EP (2017)

Grajo is a band that needs to be talked about much more. The Córdoba-based doom metal act quietly released a pristine sounding full-length debut in 2016 to only sporadic acclaim, but it's deserving of much more widespread praise. Their recent two-track split EP with Orthodox is an occasion to remind you of this band. An occasion too good to be missed!

This split starts off with Grajo's Black Thunder Witch, by far the better song on the record. It's fresh and incredibly catchy. Grajo's music is heavy, poppy, psychedelic and sounds like a modern-day Saint Vitus. A very hard thing to explain is the excellent sounding vocals. Liz's vocals are truly unforgettable, bold but yet very soft, love listening to her beautiful voice! She also provided guest vocals on Orthodox's track. Grajo has proven themselves yet again to be extremely promising.

Sevilla's Orthodox contribute the second half of the split and while solid, have a hard time matching the awesomeness of the first song. The band did a cover of Neil Young's War of Man. And if riding first impressions, it'd be easy to say that the song sounds like it was recorded by the Melvins. So basically what we have here are some thick, powerful riffs instead of Neil Young's soft, acoustic tune.

But overall, this split is a very good release. It's definitely something everyone should pick up; both bands are worth your support and attention.

Grajo: Bandcamp | Facebook

Orthodox: Bandcamp | Facebook

Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries #3

First of all, sorry I haven't written a blog post in so many days, but I have been preoccupied with work.

You know who loves a good list? Every single one of you. So here's a new list of Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries. From Finnish stoner rock to Mexican dark jazz, here are 11 discoveries I made this past week. For the first time, there's no black metal album closing the list. I just couldn't find anything interesting.

P.S. If this is your first visit here, be sure to check out:

#1 | #2

Her Name Was Fire - Road Antics (2017)

What were the odds? The first band from Portugal on Stoner Mountain and already a strong contender for my album of the year. I just can't stop listening to it over and over again. Her Name Was Fire is a desert rock duo based in Lisbon consisting of João Campos, guitar & vocals, and Tiago Lopes, drums. This is the recently formed band's first full-length and follows their EP, EP 1, which was released last year.

Her Name Was Fire is a small band with a big sound. They draw inspiration from such legends as Queens of the Stone Age, Black Keys, Kyuss and Alice In Chains to create electrifying compositions based around the blues and stoner rock. They take everything that's good in those genres to make the best out of it, creating addictive and groovy songs with a high-repeat listening potential. Passion and haunting melodies pour from the speakers as they are adept at producing catchy hooks. They also know when to hold back and when to unleash a torrent of sound. The songs take all of the duo's strong points to a pinnacle, as the guitar lines race up and down a memorable drum beat, all set to gritty vocals that will stick with you for quite some time after listening.

There is absolutely nothing disappointing about this record or this band. From the opening chords of Little Pain to the last tune that is So Long Starman, Her Name Was Fire's debut album Road Antics is easily one of the most surprising releases of the last months. My ears are pleased with this refreshing debut. I can't stress again how great this album is. In my opinion one of the best records out this year, and probably awesome live too. Do yourselves a favour and get your hands on it and I dare you not to put in on repeat all day.

Bandcamp | Facebook | Youtube
Deezer | Spotify

Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries #2

Ready for a new portion of cool records? Once again, here are 11 records from over the past couple weeks, from French stoner metal to British black metal. As I mentioned last time, most of them deserve a separate review, but I just don't have the time to do that, so at least I can give'em some recognition. BTW. This issue of Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries has been brought to you by the tag 'Heavy Psych'.

P.S. If this is your first visit here, be sure to check out:

#1

Hateure - Erase This EP (2017)

Hateure is a doom, sludge, post-metal influenced band that hails from the Philippines. Erase This is actually a single, ten minutes long, track. It's a re-recorded version of the track If you are searching for meaning, erase this now. I’m meaningless. Repeat, a special release to celebrate the band's 10th anniversary.

This is the heaviest record put out in a long time. Hateure plays hard, slow, and very uncompromising. The songwriting sucks you into a gaping black hole of integrity never letting you go, and always keeping it interesting. For the most part, the lyrics will disturb the average listener with some dark pieces.

Overall, Hateure has delivered a quite promising, gloomy EP. Erase This hits hard and deep. It's the real dark side of sludge doom, captured on a single track. A full-length release is coming up this year and I for one can't wait.

Bandcamp | Facebook

Album Sale (Digital)
You can still download it for free from their Bandcamp

Superfang - King of the Mountain EP (2017)

Superfang is a fresh blues/stoner/retro rock band hailing from Norfolk, USA. The band was formed in 2013 by childhood friends Daniel Brunner and brothers Chris and Joey Hoffman. Finally, everyone can enjoy their music, because Superfang released their debut EP, King of the Mountain.

I'm quite pleased with this EP. It's good rock n roll with a cool bluesy sound here and there. Nice raw guitar and sound. King of the Mountain has a very 70's feel to it. In parts, it reminds me of early Pentagram and Cream, and at times I heard direct influences from the Black Keys. Something about the catchy melodies, the sound, the groove, the riffs, the energy. Like The Black Keys with the stoner rock touch. You get only four track, but at least there is not a bad song in the bunch.

In other words, it's a great record. Excellent new music on this first release of the band. King of the Mountain begins with the song Texas! and that alone is worth the price of the EP, but as you listen to each track you'll find it hard to pick a clear favourite, and you will also have trouble keeping your finger off the repeat button!

Bandcamp | Facebook

Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries #1

Welcome to my new series - Stoner Mountain's Weekly Bandcamp Discoveries. The name is pretty self-explanatory. I'll be posting my Bandcamp discoveries every week. Here are 11 records from over the past two weeks that you should check out. From French stoner rock to Amercian black metal, here are some of the choicest records from around the world. Most of them deserve a separate review, but I just don't have the time to do that, so at least I can give'em some recognition.

Árida - Despertar (2016)

Árida is a female-fronted power duo from Madrid, Spain. Despertar is their debut album and it was released as a digital download on November 28. The CD version was released December 23 via Nooirax Producciones. I have been listening to this album recently, especially if by 'recently' what I actually mean is 'every day since last two weeks, often multiple times in a row'. So, it's finally time to write the review.

Árida creates an intense atmosphere with mixing desert rock, alternative rock, and 90's riot grrrl styles to record ten dope songs featuring the explosive vocals and guitar playing of Sara Uve and the hard hitting drumming of Javi Puértolas. With a sound focused on energetic vocals and fast tempos, they manage to combine the grooviness of Dozer with the angriness of Heavens To Betsy and the catchiness of Le Tigre.

Despertar is a great album with powerful Spanish vocals that you will love immediately and put on repeat for weeks. Would recommend this one to anyone that's looking for a different yet familiar sound. This is just what I'd like to hear more often on the European desert rock scene. Be sure to check out their two EPs Un día en la línea del oeste and Cenizas!

Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter

Slund - The Call Of Agony (2017)

These guys are tough. They have a skeleton on their album cover, so beware! Nah, I'm just kidding. Or am I? Not much is known about Slund. They are from Slovenia, this is apparently their debut album and it was released yesterday. Anyway, I just listened to the whole album and it's much better than I expected.

If you experience night terrors and struggle with how to get rid of nightmares, then... The Call Of Agony is not gonna help. It's pure musical terror. It's violent, vicious and intense. High-pitched screams and high-pitched growls are buried in a mess of bulky, massive guitars and bass, merely acting as another layer in a thick attack. At times it's slow, doomy and at other times it's a ultra-fast, grindcore-ish madness. I think it sounds like Eyehategod meets Mortician and Agoraphobic Nosebleed, but who knows?

There's enough going on here to make Slund's The Call Of Agony worth a listen. However, this music is definitely not for everyone; some people will get it, others don't. Consider yourself forewarned.

Bandcamp

Album Sale (Digital)
You can still download it for free from their Bandcamp

Beerwolf - Oracle's Prophecy (2015)

They’re called Beerwolf and hail from the city of Tampa, the unofficial capital of American death metal. Although that doesn't mean they're a death metal group. Make no mistake, this is groovy stoner/doom metal with nice soaring clean vocals. Formed somewhere in the early days of 2015, Beerwolf released their debut album, Oracle's Prophecy, in October of the same year.

The album starts off with the instrumental song Sorcerer's Demise, a Kyuss-esque, bang-along stoner rock hymn. An awesome tune with a slow, trippy, and psychedelic guitar solo. Followed by Sea Tyrant, a nutty psychedelic thing. What we get here is a thick, groovy riff inspired by Down's Nola. The next two tracks, River Styx and Warlock's War, have a heavy blues vibe to it, and a lot of Sleep and Black Sabbath worship going on. With Poor Man, we're back in fuzzed-out Kyuss-esque stoner rock land again. And last but not least, Oracle's Prophecy is a great number, with plenty of fuzz, groove, funk and all around heaviness. The song has some supreme riffage and a brilliant, mind-bending solo.

Overall, this is a very solid debut for these guys from Florida. It's nothing groundbreaking or innovating, but it's a pleasure to listen to this. I guess that if this band was from Sweden instead of the United States, that they'd be loved by now.

Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Twitter | Instagram

Dead Witches - Ouija (2017)

Dead Witches is the name of a new project from drummer Mark Greening, who is best known as one of the main members of Electric Wizard and Ramesses, who released a couple of legendary albums, and Psychedelic Witchcraft's vocalist Virginia Monti, with bassist Carl Geary and guitarist Greg Elk. Sadly, Greg passed away at the end of last year. Such a big loss, I corresponded with him a couple of times and he seemed like such a nice guy.

Ouija, recorded at the same studio in which Electric Wizard had recorded Dopethrone, only consists of five tracks plus an awesome, atmospheric introduction and it really leaves you wanting more, but at least all the songs are equally good. Yep, there is no bad song on Ouija! The first word that comes to mind after listening to this album is 'heavy'. It's a thrilling vintage-sounding production inspired by traditional doom metal, Electric Wizard-esque stoner doom and witchcraft. The band combines a monumental riffing attitude with psychedelic sounds.

Dead, the first track after the spooky intro, is a fantastic, groovy and psychedelic song with a hypnotic riff, trance-like drumming and a trippy solo at the end. The next track, Drawing Down The Moon, is true stoner insanity with a great riff and fantastic vocals. Virginia's voice and performance always appear to be great, but she surpassed herself with this one. The last three songs Ouija, Mind Funeral and A World Of Darkness are equally heavy and slow, with massive riffs to blow the pavement from the path you walk. Compared to them, Drawing Down The Moon almost sounds like some sort of pop-doom, even though it's still my favourite song from Ouija.

Let me just tell you that this record is tremendous. Maybe not original, but without a doubt a must to check out. Ouija is basically the 'groovy Electric Wizard album' I wish Electric Wizard had actually made instead of Time to Die. I promise you that as soon as you start playing Ouija, you don't wanna stop!

Ouija will be released on February 10 through Heavy Psych Sounds Records and it's now available for Pre-Order.

P.S. Dear Purple Sage PR, I would like to thank you once again for sending me all the great promos.

Facebook | Youtube | Heavy Psych Sounds' website

The Crystal Moth - Brainwasher Single (2016)

Brainwasher is the debut single by Perth heavy-psych five-piece The Crystal Moth. It was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Perth and released December 2, 2016. It's an over eight-minute proggy blues-rock jam with lots of vibrant Pink Floyd'esque moves. Fabulous tune and arrangement with a great sing a long vocal and a fantastic organ-driven groove. Can't say enough positive about it.

This gorgeous song show the guys getting off to a great start, that no doubt paves the way for more smashing songs. Get the track for as much as you feel like paying (free is even an option) on Bandcamp. Put on the headphones, go to your own lil world and sit back.

Bandcamp | Facebook | Soundcloud

Single Sale (Digital)
You can still download it for free from their Bandcamp

Dope Default - Tales from the Wasteland (2017)

And that's all folks. I'm presenting you the last group from Greece, Dope Default from Thessaloniki. The band has just released their second EP called Tales from the Wasteland.

What awaits you is a throwback to 90s stoner/hard rock and grunge. The band draws their influences mainly from Monster Magnet with a little bit of Queens of the Stone Age and Corrosion of Conformity. Although Dope Default sounds a bit raw at first, each of the 6 songs on their extended play features some strong melodies paired with an almost manic dose of groove.

One or two songs didn't appeal to me, but overall a nice grungy stoner rock collection from a relatively new band. I definitely enjoy the EP. Check it out if mentioned bands are up your alley.

Bandcamp | Facebook

Mother Desert - Sand Hills (2017)

I'm almost coming to an end with the Greek week on Stoner Mountain, which actually has been almost two weeks since I started it. Here are the last few bands. Lets start with Mother Desert, an instrumental psychedelic/stoner rock group from Nea Peramos.

They released their debut album Sand Hills January 12 and it's full of warm psychedelic jams. The sound is raw, gentle, hard, soft, warm, all within the same album. The music on it's own is enough to make you smile, but stop and think about this for a moment. Imagine your listening to this album, while you're sitting on your porch with a cold beer in your hand, enjoying the perfect weather in your free time.

Without a doubt, here we have a very good album that should be in your hands in case you are interested in hearing some solid instrumental desert rock. Of course, it has some flaws, but who cares. You can almost feel the sand in your shoes and the sunshine beating down onto your face.

Bandcamp

Dead Man's Band - Back In The Alley (2015)

Dead Man's Band is a band that you'd expect to hear in a good ole coffee-shop or a good independent record store. Their third album, Back In The Alley, continues the style of their two previous releases, so if you’re familiar with those albums you will know what to expect from their latest record. Eight songs are included and once again we can hear a fantastic, bluesy retro rock.

Most bands concentrate on creating catchy singles that will sell their albums. Rarely do they try to put together a strong collection of songs that one can listen to from beginning to end. This album is definitely not one of those. The emotions of the music and the listener change with each track. This band is as tight as a band can get, and the vocalist is putting raw soul back into rock and roll. Each song is blessed with catchy hooks, memorable melodies and they know when to hold back and when to unleash a torrent of sound. I like that the keyboard is more present on this record. It seems like the band has been working very hard in making Back In The Alley sound bigger than any of their previous releases. The songs have variety and show off the depth of talent.

But Back In The Alley is probably not their best album, because the debut is still unbeatable, although it's a sensational album. Truly beautiful music and retro rock at its finest. You can't go wrong with any of the songs, they are all great. This music gets you rocking. I hope to enjoy new music from these guys for many more years to come.

P.S. Please support these guys. Buy it for yourself. Gift it to loved ones. Gift it to the neighbors who always play crap music! You shouldn't even have wasted the time reading my stupid review. You could have downloaded it while you were reading and been listening by now :)

Bandcamp | Youtube

Dead Man's Band - Vol​.​ II (2014)

Dead Man's Band had me back in 2012 with their marvellous self-titled debut album. The female-fronted retro-rockers from Piraeus were so underground you needed a shovel to get to it, and Stoner Mountain was probably the first blog that wrote about them. Sadly, not much has changed after five years, they're still very much unknown. To be honest I'm very surprised that this band is not receiving the press they deserve. I hope that I can make a difference.

Dead Man's Band's sophomore album is full of melodious and beautiful guitar lines. It's a bluesy rock jam packed with emotions. At times it rocks, at times it slows down to a painful raspy grace, only to pick back up and jam a song or two later. But the best part are the vocals. The woman can wail like no other. Her singing is very powerful, reaches out and grabs you. It’s a throwback that sounds familiar, but not one you can place in time, they just know how to make that old music sound as fresh and as vital as ever.

They have generously donated their otherworldly music to this wonderful because all their albums are available as a free name-your-price download. I strongly suggest that you support the band by paying them something for this record and any of their others. Especially if you are a fan of theirs. For those of you that aren't, if you were to sit down and listen to it, I guarantee you will like at least few songs on there. Please just buy it, you can't go wrong.

Bandcamp | Youtube