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Ricky Diamond, Already Dead, 2019

ricky diamond - already deadIf you mix a part of Mötörhead with a part of Metallica in a bowl of stoner metal and throw in a bit of punk attitude, chances are you end up with Spanish trio Ricky Diamond. (Well actually the drummer is a Dane.)

After their debut EP Morphine Lips, they took the time to record their first full length and this is the result.
And while I am not really an expert on things stoner, what I can say that I am pretty sure these guys are a kick in the teeth. Riff Heavy a la Sabbath, their raw energy is unleashed in the 10 songs on the CD.
And you really cannot go wrong with songs like W.T.O.I.L., Doglike Devotion or Bullet In Your Soul. Chock full of attitude, the band growls its way into your ears.

Not a dull moment in sight, so damn convincing if you ask me!

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King Of The North, Sound The Underground, 2015

KING OF THE NORTH - Sound The UndergroundFrench label Bad Reputation must have a strong connection to Australia, because King Of The North are far from the only Aussie band on the label’s roster. And knowing the label pretty well by now, it is no surprise we have another in your face rock band on our hands. One that flirts heavily with stoner by the way, resulting in an explosive mix of groove, power and melody.

But what is really surprising is that this is a duo. Yes you read it right, we have singer / guitarist Andrew Higgs and Danny Leo hitting the skins. The secret is that Andrew does the 3 from 1 trick. This makes one guitar sound like 2 guitars and a bass. Must say that this concept really blew my mind. No wonder it has earned him a “future legend of the guitar” nomination from the Australian Guitar Magazine.

So with that out of the way, let’s talk about the music. We get 12 songs and about 48 minutes of music. Some serious riffing going on here, and as I already stated, lots of groove and power. But because of the melodies, this is a disk one can easily digest. Prime songs for me are Into Your Eyes, Watch It Die and The Shrine, but the rest comes close. Recommended!

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Monster Magnet, God Says No, 2000

monster magnet - god says no A dear old friend told me a while ago that Monster Magnet was one of the best bands on the planet in his eyes, or rather ears. So you´ll understand it made me curious enough to acquaint myself with the band I only knew by name.

Labelled as stoner (who comes up with those tags?) this turned out to be something completely different when compared to my regular play list. Which is pretty varied anyway.
What you have here is a band that leans heavily on repetition within the song structures. This creates a rather addictive effect (hence the stoner tag I guess) on repeated play (no pun intended).

So for me it really took more plays to get into the album. At first I though of it as a blur with little going on. But over time the power and genius behind the simplicity is revealed. And this leaves you with an album that creates a special kind of bonding that is hard to resist. A lot of emphasis on groove and riffing. Surprisingly less heavy than expected, with the occasional guitar solo. Than you start tapping you foot along and you won´t be able to stop moving parts of your body. A different taste yes, but a flavour worth trying out.

Personal play tips: Melt, God Says No, Queen Of You.

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