MY ALBUMS OF 2011

Well I have been asked by a number of you to do a Best of 2011 List. Well this is what this article is about. So here it is. I couldn’t do a Top 10 list as I had too many great albums to include. So this is the following list that I feel are the best albums I have listened to this year. Or the ones that I enjoyed most.

There is a mixture of both albums I have published on this blog and ones that I haven’t.

So here goes. All in the correct order as well. Apologies to bands that I have missed out. All the bands that have been published on this blog have a link attached to them.

Mastodon - The Hunter
VYGR – Hypersleep
All The Empires of The World – Return
Zonderhoof – HAKKEN
YOB – ATMA
Ramesses - Possessed By The Rise Of Magik
Sorry For Nothing – Psycho Monster Resurrection
Borracho - Splitting Sky
1000mods – Super Van Vacation
Sigiriya - Return To Earth
Stone Angels - Within The Witch
SLEESTAK - The Fall of Altrusia
ZIPPO – MAKTUB
Ancient VVisdom - A Godlike Inferno
Huldra - Signals From The Void
Deterior – Men Like Gods
Traitors Return To Earth – Smokescreen
Cosmonauts Day – Paths Of The Restless
Breag Noafa – S/T
KOMATSU – S/T
SIGNO ROJO - S/T
Skeleton Gong - Eskimo Wizards and The Louisiana Swamp Priests

AVER - S/T
Battle Path - Storm & Stress
Weedsnake - S/T
Forge Of Clouds - S/T

Roll on 2012 and see what Stoner/Sludge/Post-Metal/Doom greatness comes our way.

Thanks.

Sludgelord

TEMPLES

Temples are a 3 Piece Stoner-Metal/Psychedelic/Jam/Doom Rock Band from Finland

Temples are a superb band mixing all of the genres mentioned above into something fresh and original that you don’t hear too often.

The band has released 3 brilliant top notch albums so far.

2009 – Temples
2009 – Taajuuksia
2011 – Periplaneta Nova

All available on BandCamp Pay Anything You Want Type Deal. All 3 are brilliant releases full of top-notch Stoner Metal riffs blended with amazing Psych/Jam/Doom Rock vibes.

The instrument work on all these releases are just phenomenal. Especially on their latest and best album yet – Periplaneta Nova. A sprawling odyssey of first rate Stoner Metal riffs blended in with brilliant Psych/Doom Rock all done in a wonderful jamming session.

Each release improves from what has come before it. A true sign of a great band improving on their last album. Things do get heavy and loud at times on various songs from all 3 amazing releases.

The albums are all superb examples on how to blend all the different types of genres to highly original effect.

So if you want something different from your Stoner Metal then I can’t recommend these guys highly enough.

All of the albums are full of brilliant tracks to play over and over again. Some are quite lengthy to. You have tracks ranging from 5 mins, 10 mins and two tracks that run past the 20 mins mark.

The band really do have a superb talent for writing epic brilliant tracks that the time just flies by.

So what you have hear is a band that definitely deserves your attention as they are a superb Stoner Metal band doing something different in the genre. Mixing Jam Rock/Psych Rock/Doom to great effect to give the listener a truly wonderful experience of listening to all 3 albums.

3 brilliant albums from a ground-breaking band that I had the pleasure of listening to time and time again. Simply Unmissable stuff.

So what you waiting for. Get downloading now. You have almost 3 hours of music to check out. So do yourself a favour headover to BandCamp and get these brilliant albums now.

As this one is one band I am more than happy to worship at. TEMPLES are simply a brilliant and wonderful band at the top of their game.

Highly Recommended.

Check These Great Rockers Here:

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RINGS OF RHEA

Rings Of Rhea are an Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal Band from Ukraine

The members are

Dima - guitar
Zhenya - guitar
Anton - bass
Sasha - drums
Vova - vocal

Rings Of Rhea are a superb Sludge/Post-Metal band blending intense hardcore vocals with aggressive Post-Metal riffs. If your into the top bands of Sludge/Post-Metal then you know what to expect here.

A superb band playing awesome Sludge/Post-Metal riffs to brilliant effect. Their new S/T EP is a 3 song bruising encounter on for a pulsating 33 mins or so.

All 3 songs are brilliant lengthy epics to head-bang to. Full of crunching riffs with top-notch vocals to match. These guys know how to play a hard hitting riff to perfection. Especially on the two part brilliant track Darkness Pt 1 and Darkness Pt 2 which runs for about 24 mins of the sublime 33 mins on show.

Brilliantly produced and played by all involved. These guys are another brilliant example of a great band demanding your attention amongst the other great bands out there.

So if you want a hard-hitting Sludge/Post-Metal release to awaken your senses to then get downloading now. As you can download this brilliant release for free from BandCamp.

All in all a heavy, loud, pounding and brilliant release from a hugely talented band

Highly Recommended!!!

Check Out These Talented Sludge Rockers Below:

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DOPEFLOOD

Dopeflood are a Stoner Rock/Heavy Rock Band from Greece

Dopeflood  are a superb Stoner Rock/Heavy Rock Band mixing modern rock/metal influences superbly into their music. Their bio should tell you what this hugely talented band have accomplished so far:

"The Band was formed in the Spring of 2010.Band members are : Manos - Vocals, Cris - Guitar , Asterios - Bass And Bill Drums.The band plays live shows regulary around Greece and has supported many known Artist such as Innerwish and Planet Of Zeus.In March 2011 the first official release of the band came out,the EP "A Planet On Four Legs" ,which received positive response from music fans and critics(Metal Hammer and many more), has been played and being played by radios and tv shows around Europe, USA And Australia."

Their debut EP – “A Planet On Four Legs” is heavy rocking blast of top notch grooves and brilliant Stoner Rock riffs. It contains 3 songs and runs for a brilliant 18 mins or so.

But 18 mins is all this band needs to throw some damn fine mighty impressive Stoner Riffs. The EP is a total blast from start to finish incorporating some mighty fine Grunge riffs as well.

The vocals are a standout as well. Showing the right amount of gusto and passion. For a band only going for a short amount of time they do have the songs to back up their undeniable talent.

The best track on the EP is the 7 minute epic – Shades which shows the band in a top-notch stoner-rocking creative mood. Blending the many genres of rock they are true experts at.

This EP really takes me back to my youth in the mid 90’s when all these brilliant bands started coming through blending Stoner Rock with other influences of Rock Music.

But  Dopeflood  are very much a modern band in their own right. The EP is superbly produced and its not hard to see why it’s getting acclaimed from the Metal Community. Because it’s an absolute blast of an EP for everyone to check out.

I cant wait to see what the guys will deliver as their next release. If it’s an EP, Split Release or full length then these guys could have a very bright future indeed.

Another outstanding example of Greek Stoner Rock. Brilliant stuff.

Well what’s even more special is the band have given me a download link where everyone can download this brilliant album for free.

So what you waiting for. That is your cue to get downloading now and become immerse of the might riff of  Dopeflood.

Highly Recommended.

Check this great band from the links below.

Myspace : www.myspace.com/Dopeflood
Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/DopeFlood
Soundcloud : http://soundcloud.com/dopeflood
Reverbnation : http://www.reverbnation.com/dopeflood
Our Stage : http://www.ourstage.com/profile/dopeflood
Roadrunner Profile : http://signmeto.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/dope-flood

1000mods

1000mods are a 4 Piece Desert-Rock/Stoner Metal band Chiliomodi, Greece

The members are:

Dani / Bass & Vox
Giannis / Guitars
George / Guitars

Lab / Drums

1000mods play a suped up version of high energy Stoner Metal mixed with top-notch Stoner Rock/Desert Rock thrown in for great measure.

Their new album Super Van Vacation is a 10 song 65 minute thrill ride of top-notch action-packed Stoner-Metal riffs. Taking influence from a whole range of top notch bands but still adding their own blend of Hard-Rock/Blues Rock vibes to proceedings.

1000mods really stand out from the crowd due to the passionate vocals of lead vocalist Dani who has the energy and vibes of a young Roger Daltery. He really sings with passion from the heart. There are no loud hardcore growls just superb vocals to match the brilliant stoner riffs on show.

Before this I hadn’t heard of 1000mods and I am glad the guys emailed me to review their masterpiece of an album. And that’s what it is.

The lengthy epic album just flies by as it makes sure your having the time of your life. Brilliantly produced and played by all involved. I just love this album. This had me rocking with a huge smile on my face

1000mods just play straight-forward up-tempo high-energy Stoner Metal music that will go down a storm in the summer months or any season for that matter.

The album is a pure joy from start to finish. Full of stand-out tracks showcasing the bands talent for playing amazing top-notch riffs and writing superb sing-along lyrics that will have you singing in no time.

I could do a song-by-song review but I wouldn’t do this brilliant album justice. There are too many highlights to mention. Super Van Vacation is one of the finest debut Stoner Metal albums I have had the pleasure to listen to this year.

Greece have some brilliant Stoner Metal bands in their midst. But for me 1000mods are the best and the ones to beat.

All in all a brilliant album for everyone to check out.

What is even better the band have given me permission to hold a link where people can download this brilliant album. So thanks to the guys for doing this. Much appreciated. So download it here now.

Head over to their BandCamp page and buy some merch from them.

Not much more I can say about this outstanding album. This will definitely be in my top albums of the year. It’s simply that brilliant. Highly recommended.

Check out these superb Stoner Metallers below.

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Download Link for Super Van Vacation

Check Out The Awesome title track from the brilliant "Super Van Vacation".

STONE ANGELS

Stone Angels are a Sludge/Stoner Metal Band from ChristChurch, New Zealand

The members are:

SB - Guitar / Vocals
GE - Drums
MC - Bass
KS - Live Guitar

Stone Angels are a brilliant and brutal experimental Sludge Metal Band playing top-notch ambient down-tempo Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs to chill your bleak soul to.

Read their thought-provoking bio on how this great band got together. Intriguing Stuff on how this band got together.

"The band is not stylistically bound to any tag, fusing elements of doom, rock, metal all into a lo-fi and aggressive melting pot. It was formed in the ruins of Christchurch New Zealand after two devastating earthquakes hit the city a 7.1 and 6.3 respectively, not to mention 10s of thousands of aftershocks. Although not conscious of it at the time, the band sought to expell the frustration and emotion of such an environment through musical liberation. Stone Angels writes most of its material off the cuff, without pre conceptions in an effort to best capture the feeling of the times in this city. To capture in an almost 'abstract expressionist' way how it is to live through turmoil of this nature. This has been the focus until now, however the direction is not limited by anything other than those creating the music.

In the bands short history they have self recorded and released this full length debut, and shared the stage with Creeping (akl) Thrall (australia) and Ulcerate (akl) who have recently been added to the Relapse Records roster. The band is comprised of members with playing experience in bands such as Sinistrous Diabolus, Diocletian, Witchrist, Odiusembowel and Second Gear Grind."

Well the band mix their different genres of Doom., Lo-Fi, Rock, Stoner and Sludge music to superb effect. Their debut album “Within The Witch” is a 7 song 35 minute pulsating thrill ride fro m start to finish.

Full of heavy-pounding Sludge Metal riffs but played at a great Punk Lo-Fi levels to make this band a true standout in the realm of Sludge Metal.

Since what has happened to the band recently they really do paint a bleak atmosphere with their superb experimental Sludge Metal music.

The guys show their brilliant experimental roots to great effect especially on the sublime “White Light, White Noise”. The song has a truly haunting ambient noise effect played matched with brilliant lo-fi Doom/Sludge riffage. Imagine if SunnO))) went proper Sludge Metal. This superb song would be the end result.

If your not in the mood for experimental sludge metal music then I urge for you to move on. These guys play their own rules and  no one is going to tell them different.

The album does have great Stoner Metal riffs showing every now and again. Especially on the awesome “Bleeding Black”. A 3.40 fast and furious Punk Driven Sludge/Stoner Metal masterclass in heavy riffage.

The guys are all superb musicians with superb drumming to match the great guitar work on show. Credit must also goto vocalist as his vocals really drive this top-notch album from start to finish.

Throw in great ambient lo-fi noise effects and you definitely have a weird and wonderful album to check out.

If you want something different in your Sludge/Stoner Metal music then I can’t recommend these guys highly enough. This is music to make you think while punishing the senses to. A brilliant album by a truly outstanding band to keep an eye out for.

I can’t compare this band to anyone else at the moment which is always a good sign to me. As it’s a sign of a band that have a truly original sound on their hands who will hopefully release more brilliant albums in the years to come.

Within The Witch is simply an amazing release by one of the most original bands I have heard in years. This album has astounded me with its vision, creativity and it’s originality. Within The Witch has the potential to be considered a classic in years to come. It’s simply that amazing.

Highly recommended!!!

What is even more Stone Angels are allowing me to provide a link so everyone can download this brilliant release for free. And since StonerRobixxx has already done this. Download this masterpiece from his brilliant blog here.

If you want to own this brilliant release in a physical format then email this great band here. International Orders are more than welcome.

Let the band know what you think for their brilliant album from the links below.

Facebook
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A GOD OR AN OTHER

A God Or An Other are a Sludge/Black-Metal Band from Seattle, Washington.

The members are

Sam Pickel: Drums/Vocals
Trent Boyd: Guitars/Vocals

A God Or An Other play bleak down-tempo Sludge Metal with a Black Metal influence to stand out from the crowd. Imagine if Wolves In The Throne Room/Nachtmystium went full on Sludge Metal then this would be the outstanding result.

The band have just released their S/T Demo. 3 tracks that run for a soul-shattering 31 mins or so.

This Demo is one of those demos that pop out of nowhere and astound you in what your hearing. As the demo is superbly produced and the 3 songs on show are all played brilliantly well.

The vocals have an eerie feel to them that will send a shiver down your spine.

The 3 tracks on show are all brilliant epics that you have to listen to time and time again. Especially the 12 minute epic “Synesthesia”. Full of bone-crunching riffs to get stuck into

So if your into WIITR & Nachtmystium then your going to love these guys. As they play the same type of new breed of BM riff with a great psychedelic edge. Only in this case it’s a superb Psych Sludge Metal edge.

A God Or An Other have crafted a truly outstanding release they should rightly be proud of. It’s hard to believe this is a demo release as this can easily pass for a professional record release.

These guys have some superb ideas on show to backup their undeniable talent. I will definitely keep an eye on these talented Sludge Rockers.

You can download this brilliant release for free from BandCamp and I urge you all to download this now. Highly recommended!!!

Check Out This Great Band Below:

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CULT OF OCCULT

CULT OF OCCULT are a 4 Piece Sludge Metal Band from France.

This band play sublime bleak down-tempo Sludge Metal to devastating effect. Their new S/T album is a 4 song 33 minute beast of an album. Full of bleak down-tempo Sludge Metal riffs to pound you with over and over again.

Throw in brilliant and impressive hardcore based Sludge Metal vocals. Then this band have released a truly superb album with a great hardcore edge to it.

This album will hopefully be getting picked up by the other top-notch blogs as this album is just simply a masterclass in Sludge Metal that deserves to be heard by a bigger audience as possible.

Taking influence from a whole range of bands but adding their own bleak hardcore take to proceedings. If your into EHG or Corrosion of Conformity then your going to love this band like I did.

These guys add a more bleak edge to their music. This isnt for the faint hearted but genuine committed down-tempo Sludge Metal fans.

It has been a while since I have heard a band this bleak but thank our lucky stars this band came on the scene. These guys really do know how to play a top-notch Sludge Metal riff to impress the listener with. So it’s not all bleakness and no-light. The guys throw in great riff after great riff to show they can truly play with the best of them.

The 4 tracks on show are all brilliant individual tracks but if I have to pick the best tracks to check out then I would definitely recommend the title track and Blurry and Muzzy. Both superb songs that show what this hugely talented band does brilliantly well. Playing heavy-pounding riffs from start to finish.

All I can say this is a brilliant release for you all to check out and download for free from BandCamp, Facebook and their SoundCloud Pages

Highly Recommended!!! – As this is a brilliant release I urge you all to check out now.

Check out these great Sludge Rockers Below:

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Check out the brilliant "Blurry and Muzzy" from their awesome S/T debut release. Fucking Brilliant.

LINES AND TERMINALS

Lines and Terminals is a Anthemic-Rock/Stoner-Metal Band from Chicago, USA.

Lines and Terminals play an intriguing blend Instrumental/Ambient/Anthemic Rock with a great blend of Stoner Metal added to proceedings.

Feeling more like a more out there version of fellow Chicago residents PELICAN this band are just a brilliantly talented band in their own right.

Blending the different sounds of Post-Rock and Stoner-Metal with ambient soundscapes this band truly standout in a world of their own. They do add vocals to some of the tracks but they are mostly instrumental based songs.

The band don’t fall into any one unique category but rather a brilliant blend of all the genres concerned.

Yes some riffs might sound like Pelican but Lines and Terminals do add some great experimental sounds and vibes to their music. This gives Lines and Terminals a truly hypnotic psych-edge to stand out from the crowd.

Their latest release is a brilliant live album. Live At Klas is a 6 song 35 minute opus which shows a truly talented band at the top of their game performing to an enthusiastic audience.

The songs on show are played superbly and to brilliant effect. The album is brilliantly produced for a live release. Not one note is played out of place.

The sound is great. Every note is played loud and thick which is what a live album should be. These guys deserve top-marks for releasing a live album as their next release. As they easily could of released an EP of some sort. But this release shows these guys are an outstanding live act with a great stage presence to match.

I have seen this posted on this other blogs but I was weary about checking them out but I finally did and I am glad that I did. As otherwise I would of missed out on a top-notch Experimental Post-Rock/Stoner Metal band.

This is a brilliant live album I urge everyone to check out. Superbly played and produced by all involved.

You can own this brilliant release for free from BandCamp. Simply superb and definitely recommended.

Check out this great band below:

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Check out the superb "French Press" from their outstanding new release.

OCOAI - The Electric Hand Review

OCOAI are a Instrumental Post-Rock/Post-Metal Band from East Tennessee, USA

The members are:

Travis Kammeyer - Guitar
Joe Armstrong - Guitar
Cody Ledford - Cello & Keys
Bo Dugger - Bass
Joe Metcalf - Drums

OCOAI play a great blend of Instrumental Post-Rock/Post-Metal music to great effect. Their 2011 release – The Electric Hand is a 7-song 49 minute blast of bombastic Post-Rock/Post-Metal riffs.

Taking influence from the top bands of both genres OCOAI are masters of playing the non-aggressive Post-Rock melodies matched with the angrier and more aggressive Post-Metal riffs to great effect.

The new album highlights their talent brilliantly. One minute everything is in an organized Post-Rock fashion and the next all hell breaks through when the angrier riffs kick in.

The album’s sole purpose is to take the listener on a journey they will not forget in a long while. And it succeeds big time.

The songs on show have the perfect blend of light and dark riffs. The light is guided by the Post-Rock dreamy riffs before being dominated by the dark aggressive Post-Metal riffs.

Sometimes this album feels like a duel between the two genres and at times I felt breathless listening to it. Especially on track “Grimpeur”. A 13 minute epic that starts off quietly and slowly before the listener is pounded into submission by the aggressive Post-Metal riffs on show.

OCOAI have crafted a thing of beauty that portrays the sides of Post Rock/Post-Metal to superb effect. Never dominating one genre over the other but a great blend of both played to superb effect.

OCOAI are widely thought of in the underground community and its not exactly rocket science to see why. They are a superb band that you should all check out.

This album is full of brilliant songs to listen to time and time again and I thank the band personally for letting me review this excellent album.

If your into Pelican, Russian Circles or any band of that genre then these guys deserve your maximum attention now. These guys are getting a lot of publicity from all of the top-notch blogspots. So you know these guys are definitely worth checking out.

The Electric Hand proves OCOAI are one of the best Instrumental Post-Metal Bands out there delivering top-notch Sludge based Post-Rock/Post-Metal Riffs.

I recommend all of you to check this top notch band now. An outstanding album the band should rightly be proud of. Simply Unmissable. Great work guys.

Check Out these brilliant rockers below.

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Plöw - Bicentennial Picnic EP Review

Plöw are a Stoner Metal band from Denmark.

Plöw play fast and furious Stoner Metal with in your face attitude to match. Taking influence from PANTERA, CROWBAR, DOWN, Corrosion of Conformity and other bands of that ilk.

The band have just released their superb 2nd EP – “Bicentennial Picnic”. A 4 song EP on for a fast and furious 23 mins or so. The guys released their debut S/T EP a while back to much acclaim within the Stoner Metal community.

Well the guys asked me to check out their debut EP before listening to their new great release. Which I did. Their debut EP is a great collection of songs that sets out a winning formula which Plöw deliver with great results. Mainly top-notch hard hitting Stoner Metal riffs.

Well I am glad to say their newest release is even better than their debut release. The riffs are more heavier and the vocals have more passion to them.

Plöw don’t add anything new to the genre but what they do bring a mean angry Stoner Metal riff to proceedings. And the riffs do have a more confident feel to them.

The 23 mins just flies by. The release feels like its on twice as long. All the 4 songs are great examples of how this band can write top-notch riffs with hard-hitting vocals & lyrics to match.

None more so on the sublime song Spring Tide which is definitely the best song the guys have written so far. A superb 9:23 minute epic full of heavy pounding riffs to head-bang which will go down a storm in the live arena.

Plöw have proved with “Bicentennial Picnic” they can play with the best of them. They have the talent and songs to really go far in the Stoner Metal scene. I hope their next release is their debut full length.

As Plöw are ready for a shot at the big time. A superb release from a truly talented band with hopefully a bright future ahead of them.

You can buy this release from Plöw's bandcamp page. You can also check out their debut superb release from the same page as well.

All in all a great release to that shows Plöw are now a force to be reckoned with. Brilliant stuff.

Highly recommended!!!

Check Out This Great Band Below!!!

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzSgAUJGYuY
Bandcamp
http://plowmetal.bandcamp.com/
Portfolio
http://www.behance.net/plow
GogoYoko
http://www.gogoyoko.com/artist/plow