Hashtronaut’s No Return: Is This The Arrival of a New Sonic Titan?

Hashtronaut’s No Return: Is This The Arrival of a New Sonic Titan?

The first time I saw Hashtronaut was South by Southwest 2023. Armed with Dunables and Matamps and cloistered in a small room at Austin’s Far Out Lounge, Hashtronaut was simply…effervescent. The sound was that of fuzzy, crunchy, riff fueled madness, the deranged and unbearably loud explosions of a band eager to prove themselves. The crowd swayed and nodded to the beat, the riffs shook the very ground under our feet. Hashtronaut had come to Austin to make a point and the point was very much made: this was a band that you had to listen to. 

Fast forward a year and Hashtronaut was once more playing Stoner Jam at The Far Out Lounge as part of South by Southwest 2024. This time, however, things were different. Signed to Blues Funeral and about to release their debut album, Hashtronaut was even louder, even more confident. This was a band that made stoner metal PUNK ROCK. They played with energy, panache, and a youthful vitality that gave the audience no choice but to listen. The riffs were tighter, the bass and drum had more punch, and the vocals – despite some early technical difficulties – were more present. Sweat was flung from their soaking forms into the lights as the scent of marijuana drifted through the small bar. Was it them? Most definitely.

This is Hashtronaut, the most weed-fueled band this side of Weedeater and Bongzilla. This is Hashtronaut, the band that all your musician friends love. This is Hashtronaut, the next big thing in stoner metal, perhaps the heirs to the throne of Sleep and the previously mentioned Weedeater and Bongzilla. Take a rip, band your head, and get ready for a journey into the space inside your brain. 

Hashtronaut’s No Return

No Return, their debut album, is the perfect reflection of who this Denver, Colorado-based band really is. It is brash, confident, and big. It is everything that a generation raised on Sleep’s Dopesmoker has been waiting for. It is weed-fueled madness and anxiety driven into colossal riffs. It is the sound of a burning bong blasted at 120 watts through custom cabinets. It is the sound of pure, sativan joy. It is the next album that you have to have on vinyl. It is also – and this is really impressive considering it is a debut album – an early contender for album of the year.

So, the important question arises – what makes this album so damn special? What makes it the first banner seen in the distance of a conquering army, ready to tear open a new dimension in your ear drums? What makes it different from the masses of weed-themed music that permeates through the heavy underground? What makes it worthy of being the soundtrack for your next hashishian journey?

First and foremost, it’s vital to state that while this might be an album geared towards the stoner metal crowd, it also appeals to so many more. The melodies are there. The songwriting is there. The production, the execution, the intentionality is there. The songs aren’t made as jokes, meant to evoke a chuckle from your red-eyed buddy. The songs are true songs, made to make you move, to make you feel, to bring about a higher consciousness of the riff. Second, Hashtronaut rises above the fray because they’re one of the hardest working bands in the heavy underground and it shows – when you see them play these songs on the road, there is no fifty percent effort. This is a band that throws their songs in your face and makes you love them. 

Opener Riff Wizard starts with barely audible audio samples before the main riff, fuzzless and almost nude in the mix, enters the fray. When the drums signal the entrance of the whole band, there is a feeling of exhilaration that pervades the listening experience. Subtle changes in the interplay of two guitars retain interest in a riff that could have been repetitive, but is instead a rallying cry of joy and freedom through the heaviness of big riff manufacturing. Daniel Smith’s high, haunting vocals are the perfect accompaniment for a song that could have lived as an instrumental (yes, the riff is that catchy) but instead attains a brand new level of supremacy thanks to his touch. Mikey Honiotes’s drumming is thunderous and pounding without being excessive.

The heart of the song may be the interplay between Robb Park and Kellen McInerney’s guitars and the way that their Windhand-esque solo pops through the mix, but this is a massive song that only works because of the sum of its parts. Every bit of this song is essential to its success, from rhythm section to riffing to riotous vocals. Put plainly, my readers, this is one of the best stoner metal songs I’ve ever heard! I wish I was exaggerating but I’m not – I dare you to put this song on through your earbuds or your speaker system and not find yourself moved to red-eyed madness. 

Cough It Up, fueled by a sinister opening riff that swirls from left to right ear, is a bludgeoning instance of pure stoner metal fury. Daniel Smith’s vocals, brought lower and almost to the point of a guttural, are the perfect accompaniment for a song that seems to evoke the nature of a bad trip. Leads pop up that bring the listener to the edge of joy, only to be brought back to earth as an audio sample enters the fray before the whole band seems to exhale a giant cloud of smoke into our faces and the song truly begins to rock. As the pace slows, we feel our feet dragging through a swamp of riffs and fuzz. This is the sound of a joint being passed to you one too many times – a song that could have been unpleasant but instead simply edges you over the cliff into near psychedelia. 

Carcinogen starts with some of the heaviest bass tones I’ve ever heard. This is the kind of caveman, knuckle-dragging riff that fans of stoner metal crave. As the full band once again enters the fray, the pervading evil of doom is more present than on other songs, showing the diversity of sounds that Hashtronaut is capable of and willing to explore. Hazy vocals drift through the mix, evening out the array of sounds, as the guitars and bass continue to pummel your eardrums into a tearful submission. The phased out solo is exactly what this song required to bring it to perfection – a beautiful counterpoint to the sludgy main riff. 

Dead Cloud starts with the echoes of reverb heavy guitar, slowly building and building and building until the band exhales and joins the fray in bludgeoning the audience into settling further into their couches at home. Punk rock energy is key to the success of this song. Just as the psychedelic intro lulls us into submission, the heart of the song brings us to our feet in triumph. Here is a band showing the full range of their powers, exultant and free to rock n’ roll with pride. 

The shortest song on the album, Hex, is another bludgeoner from the very first notes. To my ears, it is the constriction of the lungs after being filled with just a whiff too much of smoke. Its pace is frantic yet measured, its tenacity only matched by the perfectly placed solo that lifts the listener out of malaise. Its brevity is brilliant in that it leads perfectly into the heavy drop of “Lung Burner,” an odyssey of indica driven couch locked riffs. Smith’s gutturals are perfect for this song, as they evoke the uncertainty of the brain under the influence of THC. When we are given reprieves, the band does not lapse into stereotypical riffs, but instead seems to propel us forward. “Lung Burner” is especially interesting to me in that it is both meditative and evil – essentially, there’s something here for everyone. 

Next up comes Dweller, which features some of Smith’s best vocals in my opinion. A gentle hum of vocals becomes a roar that resonates perfectly above the raging slur of chords from the guitars. The drums are careful, metered, perfectly placed. Everything works here and it works purposefully, as this is a band that shows a supreme understanding of pace. The song leads into “Marsquake,” among the heaviest songs on the album, and this change is perfect for the overall pacing of this monumental album. The song shows a deep understanding of songwriting and the need to continue to surprise your audience. The solo, perhaps my favorite on the album, is bluesy and elegant, melodic and overdriven. It’s exactly what I look for in a solo for a band such as this – not overly technical, but technical enough to raise eyebrows in admiration. For me, the effectiveness of “Marsquake” is unparalleled. 

By the time we reach the Motorhead-esque drive of Blast Off, our eyes are red-rimmed and teary. The drums punish, the guitars and bass pummel and rip at our guts, and then, almost too suddenly, it’s over. The album closer is brief because it needed to be. It is a perfect cap on a journey through weed-filled vistas. We have fallen off the cliff and suddenly the parachute doesn’t work. Before we can hit the ground, the song and the trip is over. Back to reality for us. 

In the end, Hashtronaut has delivered a memorable and enchanting work of stoner metal as art. The pacing, the dynamism, the riffs, the glory. It’s all there and waiting for our ears. If you enter their weed-filled world as a visitor, you will leave as a denizen of a new world where good riffs really matter.

Is this band the next great thing to come out of the heavy underground? I think that the answer is an emphatic yes. Don’t be surprised when the next time you hear about Hashtronaut, it’s that they’re inflicting damage on ears on even bigger and better stages. This, my friends, is a band to watch as they evolve, traipsing their way across the country leaving stoned and deafened fans in their wake. 

-Blake Carrera