The Reviewer As Gatekeeper in the Heavy Undergroud

1 month ago
SWSpiers

I've come to realize that Fans are not only the first level of Gatekeeping, but potentially the most toxic and…

My Pivot to Headphones: The “Stonerphile” Vision

2 months ago

The blog "Clean and Sober Stoner" is transitioning to focus more on headphones while maintaining its musical essence. The author…

bear: a lesson in the healing power of nostalgia from Friendship Commanders

6 months ago

Friendship Commanders' newest album hits all the nostalgic nerves for a few generations of listeners. From grungy guitar to no-nonsense…

The Top 12 Heavy Rock Albums of September ’25

8 months ago

This Top 12 Heavy Rock albums is the hardest list I've ever written. Doom. Post Rock. Heavy Metal. Sludge. I…

Faetooth: Labyrinthine Is the Perfect Soundtrack for a ‘Soul-Crushing’ Time

9 months ago

Faetooth: A Sign of the Times https://faetooth.bandcamp.com/album/labyrinthine It’s been an absolute crap show of a year, hasn't it? With political…

Black Sunrise- Drowning

10 months ago

Prelude to Black Sunrise Black Sunrise just released their new album, Drowning, and it's making me appreciate where I come…

Black Sunrise- Drowning

10 months ago

Prelude to Black Sunrise Black Sunrise just released their new album, Drowning, and it's making me appreciate where I come…

KALX Live: Dread Spire

10 months ago

Oakland's very own Dread Spire was featured on KALX, at UC Berkley, and this writer feels especially lucky to be…

Rhune Festival: Back to the Future in a Post-Ozzy World!

10 months ago

We Weren't Invited to the Party As the casual, mainstream world of rock revels in the afterglow of the Black…

Glowing Brain: Memory Distortion

10 months ago

I first discovered Oakland, California’s stoner-punk heathens Glowing Brain when I randomly chose their excellent 2021 album Brain Dust out…

The Mystical Healing Powers of Hibernaut- Obsidian Eye

10 months ago

Hibernaut just released their 2nd album, Obsidian Eye. Not only does it dominate with a relentless groove like the bastard…

Marty Williams: My Journey Into All That Is Heavy

11 months ago

Hello, Marty Williams here. I wanted to offer, if I may,  a brief history of my musical evolution, as I’m…

Dread Spire

11 months ago

The California Bay Area offers a vibrant heavy music scene, particularly spotlighted by the notable duo Dread Spire, whose unique…

Why I Skipped Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning

11 months ago

But what I’ve learned to accept is that Black Sabbath is intensely personal. It’s a lived experience, and that experience…

Whitehovse: The Mighty One (The most frustrating Stoner Album in years)

1 year ago

The worst part of Whitehovse's The Mighty One is that it's incredible. Frustratingly, agonizingly great. Not good, but great.

The Monster Riff Top 14 Heavy Rock Albums of March

1 year ago

The Top 14 Heavy Rock Albums of any given month are a bit of a challenge. I'm a bit rusty,…

Iress Covers What I Was Made For

1 year ago

I don’t know how to feel but I want to try.  What I Was Made For is helping. I am neither…

The Crushing Doom of Harvest of Ash

1 year ago

Harvest of Ash let us post an early stream of their second album, Castaway. I do these things with PR…

Coltaine: Forgotten Ways

1 year ago

https://coltaine.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten-ways Tidal Coltaine is one of the many bands that stick out to me when I'm browsing Instagram. When I…

Premiere! Bandshee: The Long Road

1 year ago

Bandshee debuts their single "The Long Road," showcasing their evolving sound with intricate guitar work and potent vocals, marking an…

Heavy on the Bass: My Interview with Linda from Scorched Oak

1 year ago

I got to interview with Linda from Scorched Oak, highlighting her evolution as a musician and the excitement surrounding their…

Thou and Thou: The Monster Riff Interview

2 years ago

Thou is like a salve, a razor, a cut, a healed wound. They are the heartbreak you feel deep inside,…

Single Premiere: IROH Release CCR cover ‘Sinister Purpose’ Video

2 years ago

If you're not familiar with IROH, you should be. The band draws comparisons to some fuzzy, Alt-Metal meets Stoner Rock…

The Monster Riff Top 5 Heavy Albums for October

2 years ago

The Monster Riff Top 5 Heavy Albums for October: Sanguine's desert rock charm, 40 Watt Sun's emotional depth, Chat Pile's…

The Monster Riff Top 5 Heavy Albums for October

2 years ago

The Monster Riff Top 5 Heavy Albums for October: Sanguine's desert rock charm, 40 Watt Sun's emotional depth, Chat Pile's…

Into the Pandemonium: The Next Phase of Monster Riff

2 years ago

Pat's blog, Monster Riff, stands out with clean design and sharp humor, unlike mainstream rock sites. Embracing newcomers and offering…

Exclusive: Stream Moon Womb’s First Single, She Wolf

2 years ago

Here's your first chance to hear Moon Womb's first single, She Wolf, from their upcoming debut: North Carolina is bringing…

My Top Stoner/Doom Albums of December 2023

2 years ago

Clean and Sober Stoner recently published their Top 100 Albums of 2023, but regrets missing out on great December releases.…

Clean and Sober Stoner Top 10 albums of November

3 years ago

Top 10 albums of November: I know that a lot of us are probably a little panicked at the amount…

Damn This Wizard Tattoo

3 years ago

Experience the greatness of Fables of the Damned and Wizard Tattoo now! Although I highly recommend buying them off Bandcamp…

WTF Is Clean And Sober Stoner?

3 years ago

So, if I'm really honest about it, Clean and Sober Stoner is partially a good-natured jab at the rigidity of…

Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are: A Clean and Sobering Review

3 years ago

This might be the best thing David Grohl ever worked on. I bet he wishes he never had to write…

My Top 11 Stoner/Doom Releases, May 2023

3 years ago

Finally, the time is here for my monthly list, this time going to 11. Check out the full list on…

Throwing Down Live at the Local 506: Imperfect Son, EvilLeaf and Lie Heavy

3 years ago

I always flashback to opening bands from back in the day, usually some variance of White suburban punk band with…

The Single Life: Luurch unleashes The Pull (AKA Giraffe Nuts)

3 years ago

Check out my reaction video (live, with the the band). Hit 'em up on Bandcamp, maybe even throw them a…

Vote for Evil Leaf!!!

3 years ago

Evil Leaf have been great friends and supporters of this blog and YouTube Channel, and I don't know what we'd…

Late to the Party: Mystic Majesty- Speak Your Mind

3 years ago

That might be the only flaw with Mystic Majesty and Speak Your Mind. It delivers the goods with a velvet-wrapped…

30 Years of Heavy Recovery: Chapter 5- Thirty

3 years ago

There’s an old concept in science called “the observer effect,” where just observing something changes it.  In counseling, there’s the…

Rock has Indeed Died, and It Now Hails the Void

3 years ago

"Memento Mori," the latest album by Hail the Void, has been lauded as a major event in the world of…

RIP Chris Cornell

9 years ago

The author reflects on their journey through addiction, influenced by music and the tragic loss of Chris Cornell. Despite struggles…

1000mods: Riff Note Double Take

10 months ago

One of the things I was most excited about when the opportunity arose to write for Monster Riff was our…

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