Fuzzbreak - Black Pyramid - And the Gods Made War/Visions of Gehenna

I caught this gem on random this morning and thought that I should share it with you guys.  Not only is the tune full of sludgy, doomy, fuzzy, goodness; it’s catchy as hell and the video is pretty cool too.  

When I heard this song for the first time I immediately went digging around for some more of their work.  I was not disappointed in what I found!  This is what a stellar stoner-doom-metal band sounds like.  They have plenty of riffs, hooks and fuzz to go around.  They rarely drone out and the music and vocals are highly accessible in terms of listen-ability.  

If you like that tune, check this one out too!  In fact, a quick youtube search will yield enough results to whet your appetite! Do it!

Spotlight - Sahg

There’s no question that Black Sabbath was one of the founding fathers of the entire Doom/Stoner “genre”.  Hints of Ozzy and Iommi can be found in every nook and cranny, if one were to listen closely enough.

When it comes to Sahg, this may be a massive understatement.

While Black, Thrash and Doom metal influences are very evident as well, it’s hard not to hear that distinct classic Sabbath sound when you listen to Sahg.  Their riffs are catchy, the song structures are well conceived and the execution is excellent.  

There is plenty of opportunity for head-bobbing and foot-tapping while listening to this Norwegian foursome, but that’s not to say that they don’t slow it down; the dark overtones that are present in their upbeat singles get even darker when they pull the reigns on their tempo.  

In a nutshell, you hard rock and metal fans are in for a treat if you’ve never heard of these guys before.  Enjoy!

Godless Faith - Sahg I (2006)

Pyromancer - Sahg II (2008)

Mortify - Sahg III (2010)

Fuzzbreak - Colour Haze - Love

Why, you may ask, do I love stoner rock so much?  THIS is why!

Colour Haze has mastered the ability to embed an unspoken story between layers of cool psychedelic groove.  This particular tune builds up like the tide coming in, the deft musicianship massaging the soul into a state of heightened awareness as the over-driven fuzz comes to carry you away. Just then, when they have you locked between here and there, Stefan Koglek lends you his insight.  

Lyrics:

I sit myself high up on a mountain top and I look far, far across the hills.
I’m so loaded, man, so deep and full, with all the love and all that is real.
We gotta cry out and reach out and turn our twisted minds,
feel the connection that is between you and all that is alive.

To be with the smallest and biggest without fear and pride.
I went through the chapel of dangers a few hundred times.
And I had to work so hard to keep my love and intuition,
not to lose my guts and not to lose my mind.
I reach out, I step forward, I stumble and I fall.
All my greed and longing wasn’t for the real at all.

So reach out, reach out, get a hand brothers and sisters!
Grow on your kindness, love, harmony, and peace.
Empty yourselves of everything, gain in losing, thrive in your freedom.

I’ve tried, but I’m sure you WILL. 

Fuzzbreak - Wight - All Beyond The Piend Of Being

If I didn’t share this one with you, it would totally defeat the whole purpose of this blog.  I just happened to stumble across this gem as a suggested video on youtube.

There’s an unbelievable amount of soul and groove stuffed into this 70’s throwback. Mix in a little psychedelic doom and you’ve got a recipe for some gooooooood tunes!

A little digging around led me to a few of their tunes on SoundCloud.  Check them out!!

http://soundcloud.com/wight/tracks

Fuzzbreak - Cowboys & Aliens - Highly Overrated

Why not kick back, put your feet up, and crank up some solid stoner rock?  You deserve it!

This Belgian foursome is guaranteed to quench any thirst you have for catchy riffs!

Fuzzbreak - Melvins - The Bit

Allow these sludgy vets to provide the backdrop to your morning coffee break. If you can decipher the lyrics, it may unlock some kind of secret bonus level. 

Without getting into a novel about how much influence these guys have had on modern rock, some first-hand evidence may be in order.  

I heard you like Mastodon…

Russian Circles - Empros

The 4th full-length album from this Chicago trio is sure to please fans of fat and fuzzy riffs everywhere!

After being introduced to Enter, I immediately gobbled up the rest of their work and have been at the mercy of their groove-centric onslaught of perfectly layered instrumental madness for a couple of years now.  I will admit, I’m a bit of a sucker for instrumental/experimental/progressive rock, and it’s bands like this one that serve to constantly refortify this passion.

Russian Circles have this ability to build a song to a climax like few other bands that I can think of.  Once they have carefully added ingredient after ingredient to the mix, they throw a savage hook at you that completes the equation and leaves you begging for more.

To the point, Empros hits the nail on the head!  The first two tracks, “309” and the single “Mladek”, are nothing short of mind-blowing.  If you like head-bobbing riffs and beautifully architected soundscapes, then do yourself a favour and check them out.

If you’re reading this today (October 25th), you can still stream the full album for free on their Bandcamp site: http://russiancircles.bandcamp.com/album/empros

Get your fix…

On Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/russiancircles

On Youtube:

Enter - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s92DwkAjVqk
Geneva - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDdTpVrcNvQ
Carpe - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzYW1pY3hFA

Introduction

I like fuzzy riffs.  If you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you do too! 

That’s awesome!

Even better is the fact that, here, you will be able to find some commentary and information on the fattest and fuzziest riffs known to [this] man.

I’ll dabble in some album reviews, maybe some “must-listen” lists, and share with you whatever has my ear at any given time.  In return, I hope that you readers will expose me to even MORE groovy, thundering, neck-cramping riffs.  If you know of a band, album, or even a tune that you think fits the bill, drop it in my ASK box!

Keep it fuzzy!