Stoner/Hard Rock Review | Lollipop Magazine

Mudhoney – Vanishing Point – Review

June 28, 2013

Mudhoney have always been barbed, pissy, raw yet melodic, and raging against inclusion in the Seattle Boys Club of the early ’90s.

ASG – Blood Drive – Review

June 21, 2013

These 12 songs are catchy, memorable, and sound like classics as soon as you hit play.

Blood Ceremony – The Eldritch Dark – Review

May 17, 2013

Their style has been described as “flute-tinged witch rock,” and their lyrics are filled with black magic imagery and references to classic horror films.

Clutch – Earth Rocker – Review

April 5, 2013

A back catalog dotted with stargazing space rock, album-long jam sessions, and civil war concept albums, Clutch may seem a tough nut to crack. This one’s fun.

Mother of God – Anthropos – Review

March 8, 2013

Metallic stoner rock riffery meets heavy grunge soulful/sorrowful vocals. There’s enough Mastodian cosmic swirl and thrust so it’s not duh-metal.

Five Horse Johnson – The Taking of Blackheart – Review

March 7, 2013

Southern rock swagger, harmonica-drenched, dusty vocals of wide range and wide-legged stance kick up electrified cowboy grit like tequila-shooting Molly Hatchet.

Lord Fowl – Moon Queen – Review

February 28, 2013

Part classic rock, part space/cosmo rock, with a healthy dose of Kiss snuck into the vocals and chorus structures.

Down – Down IV Part 1 – The Purple EP – Review

February 26, 2013

Lotta killer riffs out there, with vocalists with wide ranges and power and insightful/mighty lyrics. Why do people still gush about Down?

Larman Clamor – Frogs – Review

February 19, 2013

Von Wieding proves himself a filthy guitarist, sliding muck along those six strings, while gravelly whispering fierceness that’d give Tom Waits pause.

Skanska Mord – Paths to Charon – Review

January 7, 2013

Dirty rock, Sweden-style, with guitar chunk and harmonica from the outset, and then the Soundgarden vocals kick in, swagger and might intact, and you’re hooked.

Graveyard – Lights Out – Review

December 26, 2012

Swedish hard rock revivalists Graveyard garnered a ton of praise (and no shortage of flattering Led Zeppelin comparisons) for last year’s Hisingen Blues.

Royal Republic – Save The Nation – Review

December 24, 2012

From Sweden, really glossy and littered with lyrical cliches, the title track is catchy and hopeful and a little naughty, in an airbrushed boy band kinda way.

Nightstalker – Dead Rock Commandos – Review

December 21, 2012

Biker rock to cosmic pondering, they grab a groove, tune low and mean, solo your dick into the dirt, and smooth croon like the best of ’em.

Sons of Otis – Seismic – Review

December 19, 2012

If Mastodon is shaggy, lumbering, and mighty, Sons of Otis are plodding dinosaurs with a delay pedal.

Greenleaf – Nest of Vipers – Review

December 17, 2012

Greenleaf is a “supergroup” of stoner rock veterans. Members may rotate, the music may shift slightly, but the ’70s rock template is solidly in place.

My Sleeping Karma – Soma – Review

December 14, 2012

Room to breathe, subtle and singable leads, impressive (but not showoff) rhythm and bass and drumming (numerous fills to make Mastodon fans nod appreciatively).

Lecherous Gaze – On The Skids – Review

December 13, 2012

Alice Cooper in a fowl mood leading Thin Lizzy’s guitarists through a hardcore punk (early ’80s-style, like Black Flag) danger zone.

Glowsun – Eternal Season – Review

December 12, 2012

While Glowsun doesn’t bring anything new to the mostly-instrumental stoner/drone world, seriously, sometimes you just want a shot of good’n’familiar.

Witchcraft – Legend – Review

December 11, 2012

The Swedes craft some fine rock tunes, playable in any decade, with strong vocals (manly, but with a bit of humility), and duel guitars that don’t wank.

Hopewell – Another Music – Review

December 10, 2012

Tracks get kinda funky here, kiss The Flaming Lips there, and leave room to breathe everywhere.

Kylesa – From the Vaults, Vol. 1 – Review

December 7, 2012

Done right (and, crucially, if you’re a fan of the band), odds and ends collections offer an interesting new perspective on a band’s musical evolution.

Orchid – Heretic – Review

December 7, 2012

Bold visuals, manly vocals, tasty riffs, songs with room to breathe, classy keyboards, and lyrics as cosmic and timeless as any on Masters of Reality.

The Graviators – Evil Deeds – Review

December 6, 2012

It doesn’t take long into “Evil Deeds” to note the solid riffing, dry production, and the odd timbre of the vocals. Like a real young Ozzy.

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell – Don’t Fear It Hear It! – Review

December 5, 2012

The Shovell go all gonzo on your ass, rampaging and pounding, changing it up, dragging your mind to fuzzy favorites buried deep on your favorite LPs.

Gypsyhawk – Revelry & Resilience – Review

December 5, 2012

Couple releases in, Thin Lizzy worship on the sleeve, twin-guitar attack firing on all cylinders, workable vocals doing their thing.