Thursday 30 January 2014

BONG - Stoner Rock - Album Review

STONER ROCK CD cover art

Album Type:Full Length
Date Released: 25th January 2014
Label: Ritual Productions

Stoner Rock, album track listing:

1.Polaris
2.Out Of The Aeons

Album Info:

BONG have summoned the tones of the elder gods with their epic new genre-defining album, ‘Stoner Rock‘, their fourth full-length release on Ritual Productions.

BONG are the ultimate drone-lords of the cosmos and with ‘Stoner Rock‘ have rewritten the commandments of a genre as they explain:

It is a tongue-in-cheek dig at our usual classification as stoner rock and what the term has come to represent. The idea is to create our own definition of ‘stoner rock’ by creating an album so utterly stoned and repetitive to be a million miles away from the usual definition.”…they continue…”Those who know Bong already will get both the humour and the philosophical redefinition… those who don’t know us will either get it when they listen or will never understand BONG at all.”

Review:

So we have a new album by seminal Drone/Ambient/Doom Metal overlords – Bong. Stoner Rock. Wait a minute. Hold the phone. Stoner Rock.

So Bong’s press release says this is their interpretation of a Stoner Rock album as they have been called a Stoner Rock band in the past. What.. – Who called Bong a Stoner Rock band. They are anything but. Have they heard their previous releases especially their excellent last album.

Bong, Stoner Rock. Seriously. WOW. Maybe I am getting old or out of touch with the genres. As Bong’s new album – Stoner Rock – is anything but Stoner Rock. It is a 73-minute sonic odyssey full of fast-paced Stoner Rock riffs that will get your heart racing.

Seriously – No – This is BONG people. When does Bong play fast-paced riffs. This is Bong playing slow-paced music full of heavy atmospherics, which is what they do best. The album features 2 songs both running for around 36 mins each.

First track – Polaris – is a36-minute musical odyssey into the drone-based minds of this highly creative musical collective. It embraces drone-based atmospherics with subtle hints of Doom Metal. Bong are playing tricks with your mind as they include drone/doom based riff trickery here as they make you a part of their magical drone-based wonderland. It is a journey you will not soon forget as Bong blend doom/drone noises with no Stoner Rock riff or vibe in sight. This is the soundtrack to another world waiting to be awakening from its long peaceful slumber. Hypnotic Doom/Drone Metal at it’s best.

You may think nothing much is happening on this track but you will be wrong as Bong are masters at making the smallest of noises and riffs sound absolutely huge. And boy do they impress here. The band are on fine form through out with each band member playing their part in bring the world of Stoner Rock to life.

Second track – Out Of the Aeons – starts off with a pulsating Drone/Doom Riff, which lasts almost the entire song. Drums and guitars barely move out of first gear while still maintaining a majestic presence before Bong start adding ambient-based tribal noises into their sound. This track is a concept piece about making contact with an sentinel being or that sentinel being contacting humanity as Bong include a cool spoken verse featuring out of this world lyrics which sorts of embrace the vibe that a lot of Stoner Rock bands play on.

Stoner Rock is another brilliant release from these visionary rockers and only enhances their reputation as being one of the worlds leading Doom/Drone Metal bands. Stoner Rock may not appeal to all but, for long-time fans like myself – this is the perfect soundtrack for who worship at the place of Bong. And there is no better place to be right now.

An incredible album that only Bong can deliver. Now lets see what happens if we start calling Bong a Pop Band.

Brilliant. End Of.

Stoner Rock will be available to buy on CD/Double Vinyl from Ritual Productions now and Double Vinyl will be released Feb/Mar 2014.

Brilliant and Highly Recommended.

Written by Steve Howe

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