Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[thombo]

I'll take a stab at my top 11 albums while I'm waiting for my third cup of coffee to take hold.

Tried to keep it in the stoner/sludge/doom realm, without going as general as just heavy/metal. I also have a penchant for the bands that lean into their progressive sides...

1. Elder - Lore. My favorite band. Absolutely love all of their stuff, and this was kind of the turning point from more pure stoner rock/metal to channeling some of the Motorpsycho, Yes, and Krautrock influences.
2. Yob - Our Raw Heart. Probably my second favorite band overall. Another where I love the whole catalog, but this came around at a tough/perfect time in my life. Saw them 3-4 times on that tour. Magical stuff.
3. Torche - Meanderthal. I remember a coworker throwing this on when I was working at a record store back in the day. Couldn't really describe it, but immediately asked if we could just play it again when it finished.
4. Sungrazer - Sungrazer. Kind of a perfect stoner/psych/desert album. The tunes, the vibe, the production and sounds. I wish Rutger Smeets was around long enough for them to make more music.
5. Mastodon - Crack The Skye. I lean into the first chunk of their discography most, and this one was sort of the culmination of everything I love about them.
6. Russian Circles - Blood Year. Dug these dudes since Station, but the heaviness and riffs on this album are top notch. Really excited for the next album they've been working on. They seem to just get heavier and heavier with each release.
7. Cough - Still They Pray. A great album that really captures their sound. Super brooding, patient, and gnarly sounding. This one has just got an intangible 'something' that had me stuck on it for a long time. It's the darkest on the list and always scratches that itch when I put it on.
8. Fu Manchu - Godzilla/Eatin' Dust. This album just oozes California stoner rock vibes. Groovy, dirty, relaxed, but still very heavy with amazing fuzz sounds and drums. Awesome.
9. Slabdragger - Regress. The band name perfectly describes their sound. Everything about this album screams stoner metal from the riffs to the production to the guttural, bellowing vocals. I also think the jazz bass tones their bassist gets on this album are amazing.
10. Kowloon Walled City - Container Ships. Yeah, they get lumped into all the 'post-xxx' genre tags, and this one is the most debatable on the list in terms of genre. Still, it's heavy, dirty, sludgy in sections, and they've got a knack for boiling their songs and riffs down to a potent essence. Whatever you want to call it, it's worth checking out.
11. Elder - Dead Roots Stirring. Struggled between this one and ROAFW for my second Elder pick. Reflections is more progressive, evolved, and unique, but DRS is just an endless pile of amazing riffs and musical peaks. Plus, if you're not in from the opening - flick power switch, amp comes to life, crunchy guitar comes in - we probably can't be friends...

But really, container ships slaps! KWC is such an unrelentingly brutal band, could have been on my list. Their newest is a close second to Container Ships. They're an honorable mention for sure, along with Jesu, Wear Your Wounds, Botch, Young Widows...

As for Torche, I love their early stuff! The new stuff is great, but they aren't a celebrate their entire catalog band for me.

 

[br1qbat]

Ride the Lightning > Master of Puppets

Fight me

I have your back. 100% Agree

 

[ConfoundedBridg]

Fu Manchu - Godzilla/Eatin' Dust. This album just oozes California stoner rock vibes. Groovy, dirty, relaxed, but still very heavy with amazing fuzz sounds and drums. Awesome.

Speaking of this, every time I listen to the BOC version of Godzilla I feel like the solo ends super abruptly and weirdly, anyone else notice this? I love the OG BOC version but cannot get past that one part lol.

Fu Manchu's version frickin rocks as well and their solo section never bothered me as much.

Ride the Lightning > Master of Puppets

Fight me

Think I'll have to agree here too!

 

[br1qbat]

I like BOC but I still can't figure out why they specifically get made out as early/proto-Heavy Metal. Yeah, nope.

70s boogie hard rock with out of the ordinary for the time lyrics.

Meanwhile, Budgie dropped a series of almost Sabbath heavy tunes and they are usually overlooked.

See also Buffalo, Bang, Atomic Rooster, Leaf Hound, etc.

 

[ConfoundedBridg]

I like BOC but I still can't figure out why they specifically get made out as early/proto-Heavy Metal. Yeah, nope.

70s boogie hard rock with out of the ordinary for the time lyrics.

Meanwhile, Budgie dropped a series of almost Sabbath heavy tunes and they are usually overlooked.

See also Buffalo, Bang, Atomic Rooster, Leaf Hound, etc.

Excellent recommendations, giving Leaf Hound a listen now and loving it

 

[br1qbat]

Excellent recommendations, giving Leaf Hound a listen now and loving it

Do Buffalo - Volcanic Rock next and be prepared to thank me again. Lol

 

[Novarocker]

I forgot to add Hum and Year of the Cobra as honorable mentions.

To be fair, I'm a huge fan of how there's so much middle shared ground on heavy, groove, riffage, psyche, spacey, brutal, sludge, progressive, and speed are blended in the genre and genre adjacent. Really IMO there's defining bands, but a lot of the rest are just a mix of a of aspects. To me that's almost one of the defining aspects of stoner/doom/desert. Long as it's heavy, and even if it's not, I'm game.

i have a few semi-modular synths but i haven't experimented with combining them yet. the Strega and Nyx should be an interesting pairing i think.

Not sure if I've asked before, but the Nyx is high on the list of synths for me. How do you like it?

 

[arbitrary]

I'm honestly not sure I could do a list of 10 doom specific albums that have influenced me of sorts. I doubt I've ever listened to an electric wizard album in its entirety; I am a poser after all.

Recent lists have inspired mine as I rifle through my record collection:

1. Botch - We are the Romans
2. Sumac - May you be held
3. Cave In - Perfect pitch black
4. Harvey Milk - I could pick any damn album here, but I'll go with My Love Is Higher Than Your Assessment of What My Love Could Be
5. Kowloon Walled City - Container Ships
6. Shellac - At action park
7. Yob - Clearing the path to ascend
8. Kyuss - Welcome to sky valley
9. Mars Volta - Francis the Mute
10. The Armed - Ultrapop

A bit of a mixup here, but I like this list. Also, just found out were opening a local show for Black Tusk next month down in Providence; super effing excited for this.

 

[Robot.G]

Kinda in order via discovery...

Black Flag - My War

Saint Vitus - Born Too Late

Swans – Cop

Melvins - Six Songs

Grief - Dismal

Eyehategod - Dopesick

Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

Khanate - Self Titled

A Storm of Light - And We Wept the Black Ocean Within

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4

 

[Robot.G]

Saint Vitus "Born Too Late" Live 3/29/11 - YouTube

 

[scabpicker]

Ok, I'll play, even if I delve heavily into "adjacent" (and I'm really old). In no particular order:

Melvins - Lysol
Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician
Melvins - Stag
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality
Ministry - The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (No, it's not really even adjacent, other than it's very metal. I loves it.)
Cherubs - Immaculada High (yeah, I think it's better than Heroin Man, but it's hard to pick)
Flipper - Generic Flipper
Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum
Red Fang - Murder in the Mountains
Light Bright Highway - Moon Glory and the 7th Sun - I've posted it here before, but I love this record.
Side A:

Side B:



Honorable mention for a thrash record, because it was so heavy that it made other people (such as Ministry) re-think their whole approach. Plus, it rules, and it's hard to find an album that's intentionally sillier:
Stormtroopers of Death - Speak English or Die

 

[El_Charro]

Ride the Lightning > Master of Puppets

Fight me

———————————————-
OHHH MAN…

Um…

RTL is a GREAT album (I am NOT disputing that), but if we are fighting over which album is better- it will be to the DEATH on this one… ;-)

Not just musically, but lyrically Puppets just personally hits me so much harder…

Growing up in super conservative church culture- I got a WHOLE lot of “Don’t question us”…

Meanwhile-I feel like the whole album Master Of Puppets-(Not just Leper Messiah, but most of the album) - Just gives off a “question authority” vibe…

When I started listening to that album I just remember it conjuring up feelings, thoughts, and ideas I hadn’t really ruminated on before (Or rather-I had considered them, however I hadn’t felt it articulated in quite the way that album does)…

I also identify with how much that album focuses on things you have no control over -Not just the title track, but also Disposable Heroes - Being thrust into a war against my will is one of my absolute worst fears due to the moral/ethical issues I have with the whole concept of war in general…

In attempting to explain my love for that album here-I realized I’m actually having difficulty putting the feelings and memories I associate with that album into actual words to explain why I love it so much…I literally don’t think I’m able to articulate it bc it’s a feeling I associate with that album…

Meanwhile-I have told my Wife MANY times that I want Orion played at my funeral…

I figure getting lowered into the ground (preferably with my fresh corpse clutching my black bass guitar) to one of the greatest Metal instrumentals ever written would be a VERY apt way for me to go out…

RTL may be the album where they found their album template, but Master Of Puppets is where they perfected it IMO…

So…While I respect your opinion-Puppets in my book will ALWAYS be the superior album…

Thanks! \m/

 

[El_Charro]

Powertrip is a classic for sure. Check out Last Patrol if you haven't already- I feel like it gets underrated in their discography.

Such a good live band too. I saw 'em on the Mindf*cker tour and it was a killer show! Dave can hold the whole crowd in the palm of his hand at times.

——————————-
Thank you for the suggestion-I will circle back on it (I’ve heard it but usually I end up listening to either Powertrip or Dopes To Infinity and it’s been a while since I listened to that album)…

I feel like they make some interesting music and he has a really good voice…

They are one of those bands that when I listen to them I just think “I need to listen to more of this”…

Thanks! \m/

 

[El_Charro]

(Slowly donning heavy flame armor) I'm not a fan thrash/death/blackmeatl all that much. whilst I like the music (mostly) and the skills of the players, the vocals are usually a turn off. I do like shouted vocals a la Slayer, but the "C. Monster, Esq." vocals of a lot of the bands just aren't my thang, ya dig?
A good friend is waaaayy into thrash, so that's what we listen to on our way to play golf. Nothing like the looks you get when pulling into a parking lot of old dudes packing up their clubs while blasting Slayer in the car.

—————————————-
Lol-Slayer is about the only thing that would make me willing to go to a golf course… ;-)

I totally get what you mean about Cookie Monster vocals…

I had a pretty hard time getting into Death Metal as result-I like melodic vocals much more and it still kinda frustrates me when I hear a really great musical intro with insane guitar work and drumming and then they come on with guttural vocals…

I agree that it’s better to think of vocals as an extra instrument when listening to extreme Metal-I can’t always do it, but as has been mentioned before here-I think that’s a great way to think of it…

I can do some borderline “ambient”/experimental type Black Metal, but that’s probably the sub genre that interests me the least when it comes to Metal in general (mostly due to the vocals and I’m not always a fan of the guitar work in that subgenre)…Some of those riffs just sounds like a horde of angry bees to me…

I feel like Thrash is far better than either of the other two genres you mentioned, but most really great Thrash bands peaked in the 80s, so it can feel a little dated, but I totally get where you’re coming from on your vocals comment…

And as much as I love Slayer…The vocal scream at the beginning of Angel Of Death is just borderline ridiculous-They are so over the top at times that I feel like it can border on the absurd…

Thanks! \m/

 

[Kaa]

———————————————-
OHHH MAN…

Um…

RTL is a GREAT album (I am NOT disputing that), but if we are fighting over which album is better- it will be to the DEATH on this one… ;-)

Not just musically, but lyrically Puppets just personally hits me so much harder…

Growing up in super conservative church culture- I got a WHOLE lot of “Don’t question us”…

Meanwhile-I feel like the whole album Master Of Puppets-(Not just Leper Messiah, but most of the album) - Just gives off a “question authority” vibe…

When I started listening to that album I just remember it conjuring up feelings, thoughts, and ideas I hadn’t really ruminated on before (Or rather-I had considered them, however I hadn’t felt it articulated in quite the way that album does)…

I also identify with how much that album focuses on things you have no control over -Not just the title track, but also Disposable Heroes - Being thrust into a war against my will is one of my absolute worst fears due to the moral/ethical issues I have with the whole concept of war in general…

In attempting to explain my love for that album here-I realized I’m actually having difficulty putting the feelings and memories I associate with that album into actual words to explain why I love it so much…I literally don’t think I’m able to articulate it bc it’s a feeling I associate with that album…

Meanwhile-I have told my Wife MANY times that I want Orion played at my funeral…

I figure getting lowered into the ground (preferably with my fresh corpse clutching my black bass guitar) to one of the greatest Metal instrumentals ever written would be a VERY apt way for me to go out…

RTL may be the album where they found their album template, but Master Of Puppets is where they perfected it IMO…

So…While I respect your opinion-Puppets in my book will ALWAYS be the superior album…

Thanks! \m/

Don't piss her off, or you'll get "All Out Of Love" by Air Supply.

 

[lucas303]

———————————————-
OHHH MAN…

Um…

RTL is a GREAT album (I am NOT disputing that), but if we are fighting over which album is better- it will be to the DEATH on this one… ;-)

Not just musically, but lyrically Puppets just personally hits me so much harder…

Growing up in super conservative church culture- I got a WHOLE lot of “Don’t question us”…

Meanwhile-I feel like the whole album Master Of Puppets-(Not just Leper Messiah, but most of the album) - Just gives off a “question authority” vibe…

When I started listening to that album I just remember it conjuring up feelings, thoughts, and ideas I hadn’t really ruminated on before (Or rather-I had considered them, however I hadn’t felt it articulated in quite the way that album does)…

I also identify with how much that album focuses on things you have no control over -Not just the title track, but also Disposable Heroes - Being thrust into a war against my will is one of my absolute worst fears due to the moral/ethical issues I have with the whole concept of war in general…

In attempting to explain my love for that album here-I realized I’m actually having difficulty putting the feelings and memories I associate with that album into actual words to explain why I love it so much…I literally don’t think I’m able to articulate it bc it’s a feeling I associate with that album…

Meanwhile-I have told my Wife MANY times that I want Orion played at my funeral…

I figure getting lowered into the ground (preferably with my fresh corpse clutching my black bass guitar) to one of the greatest Metal instrumentals ever written would be a VERY apt way for me to go out…

RTL may be the album where they found their album template, but Master Of Puppets is where they perfected it IMO…

So…While I respect your opinion-Puppets in my book will ALWAYS be the superior album…

Thanks! \m/

At the end of the day, I can't fault anyone who says Puppets is their best. They're both insanely great albums. If someone were to choose the Black Album, though...

 

[Kaa]

At the end of the day, I can't fault anyone who says Puppets is their best. They're both insanely great albums. If someone were to choose the Black Album, though...

Or Load, or Re-Load, or Death Magnet, or....

 

[YawningJorin]

I've never been a Metallica fan. Some songs are good, overall their stuff with Burton seems more interesting and the music of their early days really packs an energetic punch, so I can see why people really love it. But even the material with Burton I feel downplays the bass. It's hard to make it out due to the tone and the mix. And that's kind of a deal breaker to me. Can anyone convince me otherwise? It's a band I want to be able to appreciate.

 

[lucas303]

I've never been a Metallica fan. Some songs are good, overall their stuff with Burton seems more interesting and the music of their early days really packs an energetic punch, so I can see why people really love it. But even the material with Burton I feel downplays the bass. It's hard to make it out due to the tone and the mix. And that's kind of a deal breaker to me. Can anyone convince me otherwise? It's a band I want to be able to appreciate.

I wish I could convince you otherwise. Coincidentally I was listening to Puppets this morning and thought to myself that the bass was lower than I'd like.

Maybe try something like this on for size:

 

[bassboysam]

I forgot to add Hum and Year of the Cobra as honorable mentions.

To be fair, I'm a huge fan of how there's so much middle shared ground on heavy, groove, riffage, psyche, spacey, brutal, sludge, progressive, and speed are blended in the genre and genre adjacent. Really IMO there's defining bands, but a lot of the rest are just a mix of a of aspects. To me that's almost one of the defining aspects of stoner/doom/desert. Long as it's heavy, and even if it's not, I'm game.



Not sure if I've asked before, but the Nyx is high on the list of synths for me. How do you like it?

The Nyx is a great little synth in terms of sound character. Definitely in the moog family but darker and heavier. It's a little cumbersome to change some of the under the hood features and the filter and lfo routing settings took a while for me to grasp. i don't use it enough to memorize the various combinations of VCO, VCF and LFO options, so having the manual handy is useful. it seems to get pigeonholed as a drone/ambient machine, but it can do all the typical synth sounds too.