Album: Colour Haze - Tempel (2006)

Released in 2006 on Elektrohasch Records, Tempel is German stoner/psychedelic rock band Colour Haze's eighth full length studio album.This has been one of my favorite albums ever since I heard it. It's great to relax to, as it has a nice, steady, drawn out pace, reminicent of Yawning Man, but slower and with more reverb. The opener, "Aquamaria", is a nice, relaxing, eight minute fourty-two second journey through space which reminds me somewhat of Hawkwind. The rest of the album retains that same, spacey vibe, climaxing at just the right moments, the lulling back into its hypnotic groove. And groove it does, constantly, it's something Colour Haze can do perfectly, never overdoing it, just keeping you drawn in. I just want to be clear: I adore this album. If you're at all a fan of psychedelic music, you should definitely check this out. I mean it. Get this album. You'll love it.

Album: Fu Manchu - The Action Is Go (1997)

Fu Manchu's fourth studio album, The Action Is Go, released in 1997 on Mammoth Records, features Kyuss' Brant Bjork on drums. It stays true to The Fu's form, flattening you with the first track, a wah-soaked, demonic rocker that goes by the name "Evil Eye". After that, the group lets things cool down with "Urethane" before smacking you in the face again, this time with the title track. All in all, there's nothing wrong with the album, it's a chunk of pure California rock-and-roll, with The Fu rollicking around at the edges of control, barely hanging on to their own sound. (Hey, that kinda rhymed.) A solid 9/10. Highly recommended, and essential if you're a Fu Manchu fan. Enjoy!

Band: Fu Manchu

Fu Manchu are an American stoner rock band formed in 1990 in Southern California. "The Fu", as they are affectionately referred to by the fans, are a balls-to-the-wall, pedal-to-the-metal, fuzzed out assault on all your senses. They are PURE American hard rock, with pounding riffs and searing solos that still manage to evoke the desert theme of Kyuss, and other bands from the Palm Desert scene. Fu Manchu is the sound of a Camaro peeling out of a parking lot at midnight, breaking windows with the sound blaring from within. They have a uniquely fuzzy sound, with a punchy low end that evokes quite a Zeppelin-esque rhythm section, with rolling drums and bass that escalates the sound to a frenzied pace. For Fu Manchu, it's hard to go wrong, but I'd recommend starting with 2000's King of the Road. (Which is, in my opinion, one of the best albums to drive to ever.) Whatever you do, don't miss their cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla", on their Eatin' Dust LP (1999, Man's Ruin Records).
Check out the title track from King of the Road, and don't forget to let me know what you think!


Fu Manchu on Last.fm

Fu Manchu official site

Do Not Adjust Your Internets, We're Still Here

Apologies for having not updated in over a week, things have been a bit hectic lately. Band of the Week and two album reviews coming later tonight!

Upcoming Release: Church of Misery - Houses Of The Unholy

Japanese stoner doom masters Church of Misery are at it again, with their third upcoming full-length studio album, Houses Of The Unholy. The album, slated for release on April 20th, is much anticipated in the doom metal community, and I am anxious to see what the serial killer obsessed (all their songs are about them) band can do.

Church of Misery on Rise Above Records
Houses of the Unholy on the Encyclopedia Metallum

Updates, updates, updates!

So, I've worked out a rough schedule for updating the blog. Check it out:

Mondays: Band introduction

Wednesdays: Upcoming releases (If applicable)

Fridays: Album reviews.

Also, due to personal reasons there might not be an update today. Cheers, and thanks for reading.

Album: Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R (2000)

For my first album review, I thought I'd do a favorite of mine from legendary desert rockers Queens of the Stone Age. This is their second album, released in 2000 on Interscope Records, and they still retain a fuzzed out desert sound that frontman/guitarist Joshua Homme (of Kyuss fame) has all but perfected. Rated R is a pretty straight forward hard rocker, kicking off with the mesmerizing Feel Good Hit Of The Summer, an ode to recreational drugs that follows Homme's philosophy of "robot rock", saying that he wanted to "create a song based on a solid riff and pound it into your skull." Feel Good Hit Of The Summer gives way to The Lost Art Of Keeping a Secret, a catchy song about deception, that happens to be my favorite track on the album. It features Homme's talents as a vocalist prominently, with a freaky solo that honestly gives me chills every time I hear it. (I hate doing track-by-track reviews, so I'll just finish out with this.)
With a few exceptions (Leg of Lamb, Tension Head), this album is all but perfect, and is certainly in my opinion Queens of the Stone Age's best work. Rated R is a great album, and if you're at all into stoner rock you should definitely check it out.