Stoner Hive’s Quick Fire Friday
Another Quick Fire Friday casually delivered by our very own poet: Ronny Dijksterhuis... Who takes you with him down the rabbit hole from here!
By now,
Quick Fire Friday doesn't need an introduction anymore. It's your
never-thought-I'd-hear-it-guide to the best hidden new stuff from the heavy
underground, with an occasional well-known name thrown in for good measure.
Start clicking those links and crank it up to 11...
Rad Payoff - Spilled Milk
A slightly funky, boogie swing modern post-punk style bass line, lots of noise rock aggression and an undeniable groove. Rad Payoff's first single in six years is catchy as fuck and the perfect appetizer for their new album that will be released later this year.
Blucifer - Absinthe
The new single by Swedish doom and stoner rockers Blucifer lures you in with a nice, steady swamp groove before a doom meets stoner outburst gets things rolling for real. Just how we like it over here. And while I'm not a big fan of female vocals in this kind of music, Elsa U. has taken a few steps forward since their debut and sounds great, giving Blucifer's sound an added bit of mysticism that sets them apart from their peers. Oh yeah, the stunning artwork by Pretty Shitty Inc. is worth mentioning too.
LÁTÓ - Gospel of Past Reveries
LÁTÓ is a Hungarian band that mixes tons of different styles. You hear traditional metal, post metal, death metal, doom, stoner, alternative rock and even a glimpse of black metal. All over the place heaviness you could say, without losing sight of the one thing music is all about: writing good songs and executing them to a tee. Their new ep 'Gospel of Past Reveries' is all the proof you need.
Lost in the Sun - Six Months EP
If there's anything you can expect from a Quick Fire Friday, it's diversity. We're heading over to New York, famed for being the birthplace of NY hardcore. Lost in the Sun takes some of the influences from that genre (the vocal style and a certain oomph) to spice up their high-octane stoner rock. The result is a great, energetic three track debut ep that grabs you by the throat and will make you reach for the repeat button without hesitation.
Australian band GROND put you on the wrong foot at the start of their latest ep 'Death Rattle' by starting with some weird, cheap ass synth sounds. But that's just a one minute setup. From that moment on it's heavy hitting rock & roll all the way. Like Hellacopters on a testosterone diet of gasoline and stoner rock. I can see them on a bill with the earlier mentioned Rad Payoff. It would guarantee a massive pit and lots of sweat dripping from bare-chested bodies.
Grimsrud - Chelicerae
Grimsrud is a solo lofi doom project from the UK. Whereas the earlier ep's didn't have the sound to be memorable, the production on the new ep 'Chelicerae' is a huge step forward and makes the title track (a wonderful 12 minute composition) shine in a good lofi manner. It's doom all the way, but has enough changes in pace, chords, energy and patterns to stay interesting. The added mono mix doesn't do it for me, but closer 'One-Eyed Riot Dog (Version II)', a re-recording of an older song, is another great one and benefits hugely from the better production. It makes you wonder what they'll come up with next.
Acid Leaves - Acid Leaves
Acid Leaves is a band from La Rochelle, France. Their first ep is packed to the brim with stoner rock goodness. Nothing groundbraking, but with good songs, a steady rhythm section, nice grooves and a capable singer, you can't go wrong.
Borracho - A Heart without a Home
After a highly praised new studio album, released last August, which ended up on Number 11 of the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2025, stoner rockers Borracho are set to release a new ep in February, titled 'Eternos'. It contains five covers in honour of friends in the music scene that sadly passed away too early. One song, a fantastic cover of Hellacopters' 'A Heart without a Home', is released in advance. Check it out.
