VIDEO PREMIERE: Ukranian progressive stoners Stoned Jesus debut "Hands Resist You"

On September 7th STONED JESUS will deliver their next solid load of progressive stoner rock on Napalm Records entitled “Pilgrims”.  With their fourth album the Ukrainian trio offers much more than your usual Kyuss wannabe or your average desert session band and let’s face it Kyuss hasn’t but out a record for nearly 25 years and we need some fresh jams.

With “Pilgrims”, STONED JESUS have delivered a multi-faceted album mixing groove with noise rock elements, lots of proggy infusions and giant such as Mastodon and Melvins come to mind in terms of tone and texture.  Make no mistake STONED JESUS can’t be pigeonholed and “Pilgrims” is very fine album indeed.  The band comments on the new album:

"This record was inspired by our relentless touring and the feelings you get - or more precisely you lose - because of it. It's weird how disconnected one becomes when constantly surrounded by people. Musically it's pretty different from what we've done, it's more song-oriented but simultaneously more challenging than before - sonically and structurally"

Today THE SLUDGELORD is stoked to host UK premiere of STONED JESUS’ brand new video for “Hands Resist Him” which you can check out below

Band info: facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Khemmis - "Hunted"

By: Jake Wallace

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 21/10/2016
Label: 20 Buck Spin

Overall, ‘Hunted’ is an extremely solid follow-up to their critically acclaimed first album. It is a melting pot of some hugely powerful styles of heavy metal music and the flawless coalescence between cataclysmic doom and melodic prog is a truly impressive feat. Khemmis are a band on a mission and so far, they’re doing it all right.

‘Hunted’ CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Above The Water

2). Candlelight

3). Three Gates

4). Beyond The Door

5). Hunted

The Review:

Khemmis is a 4-piece doom outfit hailing from Denver, Colorado. After the devastating impact of their first release, ‘Absolution’, back in July 2015, they are now set to release their second record entitled ‘Hunted’. They play a crushing blend of traditional doom metal with melodic harmonies in the vein of Iron Maiden or Mastodon, which gives them a very distinctive sound.

‘Hunted’ is comprised of 5 tracks, resulting in 44 minutes of power doom. It was recorded by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio and the killer cover art has returned yet again thanks to Sam Turner’s incredible fantasy illustrations.

The first track ‘Above The Water’ begins with their signature harmonies over quite a prog-metal sounding intro before launching into an absolute terroriser of a riff. The general feel is very close to Mastodon with the dual guitar parts feeding off each other and spiralling the song into all kinds of melodic sections. This track has almost a Celtic feel to it and the last section sounds like it could be used as epic battle music for two warring armies.

‘Candlelight’ showcases some great vocal work from Phil Pendergast. His lyrics soar high over the top of the fusing guitar melodies ably backed up by Ben Hutcherson's monstrous guttural roar from the depths of hell around the 3-min mark. This shows the diversity in the style of the band’s music as it can change very quickly from the Maiden/Lizzy style harmonies to a monolithic doom section and the varied singing styles really provide a superb dynamic.

‘Three Gates’ kicks off with a ferocious intro section reminiscent of High on Fire/Motorhead with a rolling thunder style riff. The vocals begin harsh courtesy of Grant Netzorg (In The Company of Serpents) and then return to the clean sounding style we hear in ‘Above the Water’. The changes in this song are so dramatic that if you listen at different parts it may sound like two entirely different bands. Khemmis can deliver every element of the genre and they do it with such conviction.

‘Beyond the Door’ is the fourth track from the release and starts off with some intricate guitar harmonies and Pendergast’s truly amazing vocals creating a massive soundscape. Yet again, they launch into more thick, fuzzed out doom riffs and there are likenesses to Ukrainian doom outfit Stoned Jesus. Khemmis use contrasting styles and sections to really emphasise what makes them stand out from other doom bands today. Around the 5-min mark there is some more guitar wizardry and the solos are articulately executed. The last section of this track has a foundation-shaking riff that goes hand in hand with the slow, powerful rhythm section and the alternating vocal styles make a strong impression yet again.

The final track, ‘Hunted’, is the longest track on the album clocking in at 13min 31secs. It begins with another harmony section which slowly rides out, and around 1min 20secs it takes off into another stentorian guitar riff. There are also hallmarks of Pallbearer present as well and you can tell that Khemmis are direct descendants of this style of doom metal and they intend to advance their craft, as they are doing ever so well. There is another blistering guitar solo section around 7min 30secs and the harmonies fuse together yet again for that trademark sound. Around 8min 40secs the track winds down into a clean guitar section that’s very reminiscent of the post-rock styles of This Will Destroy You or Explosions in the Sky. Around 11mins the track lifts off again from the mellow, clean section and builds more and more power as it ascends into the skies for the last elaborate display of melodic guitar harmonies.

Overall, ‘Hunted’ is an extremely solid follow-up to their critically acclaimed first album. It is a melting pot of some hugely powerful styles of heavy metal music and the flawless coalescence between cataclysmic doom and melodic prog is a truly impressive feat. Khemmis are a band on a mission and so far, they’re doing it all right.

‘Hunted’ is available to pre order digitially here and on CD//LP here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

RIYL: Pallbearer, Sleep, High On Fire, Spirit Adrift

Stoned Jesus - 'The Harvest' (Album Review)

By: Victor van Ommen

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 24/02/2015

Label: Independent

“The Harvest” is undeniably good, hitting the spots just right. There’s power in the slow cuts “Black Church” and “Rituals of the Sun,” which puts Stoned Jesus’s fine focus on display. Other cuts like “Youth For Sale” or the aforementioned “Wound” stroke our desire to hear something that’s both heavy and catchy, earning “The Harvest” a spot in one’s record collection.

‘The Harvest’ DD track listing:

1). Here Come The Robot

2). Wound

3). Rituals of the Sun

4). YFS

5). Silkworm Confessions

6). Black Church

The Review:

Ukranian three piece Stoned Jesus presented their third and most cohesive album in February of this year. That was a time in which Europe was inching its way towards sunnier days and warmer weather, which resulted in a rush on tickets for the various stoner rock festivals across the continent. Stoned Jesus played to these circumstances well, announcing their appearance at Desertfest Berlin as well as releasing their new album, “The Harvest.” The reviews that came rolling in were overwhelmingly positive, some even marking it as album of the year. Now, nine months down the line, I’m presented with the task to review said album, which leaves me with a challenge, because everything has already been said about it and you’ve probably already heard it. The only question that remains is, how has it stood up to the test of time?

So let’s assume I don’t need to tell you how “Here Come the Robots” starts the album with a welcomed shift in focus from the bands past. You probably then also don’t need to be told that ”Wound, ” with its one-liner chorus, is so absolutely addictive and primed for a live setting, which is ironic considering the story the song tells of downtime and other trying moments of tour life. Stoned Jesus also brush up against topics of war and share their views on local politics, making them more than just sun, babes, and hot rods. These songs are all sung to the tune of heavy riffing that’s been sucked through a filter of a clear-minded production, eliminating the dust that hangs in the air on other stoner rock albums like “Action is Go.” It’s a formula that has worked for Truckfighters and all the bands they have since picked up on Fuzzorama Records, so it makes sense that Stoned Jesus would also be such a success.

So here we are, nine months after the initial release date, asking ourselves the question if it stood the test of time. My answer is, though I wouldn’t have dusted off these mp3s had it not been for the task The Sludgelord bestowed upon me, that yes, it still rocks. “The Harvest” is undeniably good, hitting the spots just right. There’s power in the slow cuts “Black Church” and “Rituals of the Sun,” which puts Stoned Jesus’s fine focus on display. Other cuts like “Youth For Sale” or the aforementioned “Wound” stroke our desire to hear something that’s both heavy and catchy, earning “The Harvest” a spot in one’s record collection. And that’s because they have crossed their t’s and dotted their i’s. Everything from the musicianship, look, and production is in the right place. I’ll always knock the band for their inane name, but “The Harvest” remains a good trip.

‘The Harvest’ is available here

FFO: Truckfighters, High Priests of Saturn, Acrimony, Snakerider

Band info:  bandcamp | facebook