Blood of the Sun smoked my cerebellum

Blood Of The Sun's latest release Blood's Thicker Than Love keep's the intensity comin' from the initial drop of the needle all the way through the final run-out.  While the band didn't lay down as many tracks on this new album, with six, as they did on 2013's Burning On the Wing's of Desire, eight, the run time is extended by three minutes, 38 minutes then vs. 41 minutes now, so we're treated to longer, meatier jams this time out.  And those jams do not disappoint.

The opening track may be the most memorable, simply for it's title and chorus, "Keep the Lemmys Comin'."  Of course, on January 12, 2016, after Ian Fraser Kilmister, or "Lemmy" died on December 28, 2015, Food and Beverage magazine officially named the Jack and Coke "The Lemmy."  This song obviously honors the spirit both literally and sort of piously.  It's a dirge to the shit faced lifestyle:

"I gotta Keep drinking/I can't stop thinking/ready to hit the floor/Keep the the Lemmys Comin' All night long/ ready to lose control."

And the next morning:

"looking in the mirror/nothing seems clearer/what was the name of that girl?/Cutting through the fog/get the hair of the dog/and I'm ready to rock and roll/Keep the Lemmys comin' all day long and I'm ready to lose control"

All set to a blistering guitar and some smokin' keys, played by Dave Gryder, on top of a driving rhythm section.  This is a hell of a lot of fun and it's just the opening track.

Now I've got to admit, the title of the second song didn't catch me, at all... "My Time."  But after about 1:59 I was really starting to get into it.  "If you don't like it hit the road," indeed.  About the three minute mark the guitar just takes over this song completely, and man, I was ever wrong about this one.  Do not judge a song just because it may have a title that doesn't catch your eye.  This guitar solo fucking SMOKES!!!  And the organ does just enough to compliment it.

"Livin' For the Night," an epic eight minute jam is up next.  It's so easy to praise the guitar and organ work on every song, and the vocals, belted out by Sean Vargas, are solid, they're cleanish, gruff, but clean delivery style, the rhythm section kind of gets lost in the shuffle.  But on this tune in particular the bass, handled ably by Roger "Kip" Yma, and drums, played by Henry Vasquez, chug right along at a thunderous pace.  They just lay down such a powerful bottom end you can really feel it in the pit of your stomach with any volume of appreciable levels at all.

The twin guitar attack of Wyatt Burton and Alex Johnson is brutal.  Their playing on the "Air Rises As You Drown" is nothing short of an aural assault.

My favorite vocal on the album belongs to the fifth track, "Stained Glass Window," a tune about a bad relationship.  It also has some of the more unique keyboard work, not necessarily the best, but certainly different than what appears on much of the remainder of the album.  It's got almost a church hymnal like sound, which may be the point.

"Blood Off the Road" closes the album.  I LOVE the keyboard work to open this one. It is reminiscent of Deep Purple and many of their "hard driving tunes."

Basically this album fucking blew me away and I didn't expect that.  I was familiar with Blood of the Sun's body of work and while I had enjoyed it, I was NOT prepared for a slab of rock and roll this smoking hot.  Honestly, released this late in the year, it has to make me re-evaluate my current list of albums I was assembling for my year end Top 25 Releases From 2018, because it may earn a slot.

I rate this album a damn near perfect 95/100. 

An early November release, I certainly look for this one to make next month's Doom Chart.
You can get a copy of Blood of the Sun's new album here.
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...and Five More You Should be Spinning!

Each month after the Doom Charts are released we'll take a step back to let people digest the 25 albums in that countdown, then we'll follow up with five more albums that we think you should be spinning in addition to the albums that MADE the Doom Charts.  Call this an addendum, or whatever you want, it's not necessarily the next five albums, as these were NOT voted on by the Doom Charts committee, but in all likelihood they did come from my ballot.  Without further ado I give you a Further Five you should be spinning...

Take one part Sabbath, one part Jane's Addiction, one part Mastodon, and one part Pink Floyd, throw in a dash of Hendrix and maybe a touch of Clutch, and the final product hails from the Pacific Northwest, cruising in on the spaceship rock and roll is Jollymon with their new nine-cut LP Voidwalker.

From the opening track "Tsunami" washing over you with it's monster stomp and sweet melodies and the claim that "We come in peace, but not the kind of peace you're used to see(ing)," to the processional march of "Sky Burial," this is one special release, deserving of 40 minutes of your attention, you know, just to get to know one another.  I think after you've been introduced properly, you'll want to spend even more time together, exploring deeper cuts, like bass in your face goodness of "Missile Commander," the groovy "Forecast" and reggae inspired "Slice of Life."

Up next is Bang with Best Of..., a compilation of the band's best tracks from it's first three albums released between 1971 and 1973.  This gorgeous double LP has been given a lot of TLC by label Ripple Music and it shows.

The poignant opener "Death of a Country," which could very easily have been written about present day America instead of 1971, is the 10 and half minute standout on the record, with a sultry bass line and urgent lyrics delivered in a crisp, smooth style.  The guitar tones are sharp and fill in around the bass nicely.  Other top tracks on this 18 track monster include "Our Home," the band's one charting hit song titled "Questions," "Mother," "Don't Need Nobody" and "Slow Down."  Bang is back!

Coming to you from the wilds of Quebec is Cleõphüzz with their new release Wizard of phüzz.

Though just a four song EP, it rates up there with some of the best releases of the year so far in 2018 IMHO.  A twister transports you to the world of Oz where you're off to meet the wizard in the classic tale The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  You're not in Kansas anymore.  So it's only appropriate that one is similarly transported to the world of phüzz by this time a "Sandstorm," the 7:11 killer instrumental that opens the EP, and indeed, Kansas goes bye-bye, in exchange you find yourself in the rockin' desert, possibly of New Mexico or California.  Somewhere where stoner rock is prevalent.

Fuzz tones, or should I say phüzz tones, abound throughout the EP and the third cut, the middle eastern sounding centerpiece "Half Moon Ritual," features cello play as well as sitar.  This lush little 28 minute EP is a breath of fresh air for the summer and is a must buy.

One that just missed making the Doom Charts this past month is the kick ass album from El Rojo, 16 Inches Radial.  This one, from the five piece out of Morano Calabro, Italy, will make you want to drive your car fast and maybe do something stupid, like run from the cops in the process, haha, the lead track particularly will have you revving your engine - "Pontiac."

I can see myself easily blasting this behind the wheel of a 1977 black Pontiac Trans-Am Smokey and the Bandit style, running down the road doing 95 mph on the open interstate on a Coors beer run, working interference for Snowman. 

"We know the road."

Indeed.

Finally we come to the six cut deep album North from a band that combines and crosses multiple genres, including southern rock, grunge, 90s metal, and more.  Of course, I'm referring to Reykjavik, Iceland's Keelrider.  Released back in early March, this album has flown under the radar for far too long considering how strong it is.  It has clean, solid vocals reminiscent of Screaming Tree's Mark Lanegan, in my mind at least. 

While the grunge and 90s rock influences are easily detectable, this album is still rooted firmly in the stoner tradition, with the fuzzed out guitars and it has bears some 70s influences, though they are not as blatant as some of the other inspirations.  You have to listen attentively to pick them out in the mix.  All in all, though it's a kick butt record, reminds me of Mad Season, the best parts of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and the aforementioned Screaming Trees, but with a stoner rock twist.

Go North young man.