Doom Chart: Most Paranoid Songs of 01/01/14

Top 25 Songs

#). Song Title (artist/album)

1. Ride to Ruin (Hollow Leg / Abysmal)
2. Madness! (Space God Ritual / Eldritch Tales)
3. Champions (Sandrider / Godhead)
4. Queen of the Black Harvest (Ice Dragon / Steel Veins single)
5. Sin revolución no hay evolución (At Devil Dirt / Plan B: Sin Revolución no hay Evolución)
6. Sinistra (Wounded Giant / Lightning Medicine)
7. Echoes in the Void (Black Skies / digital single)
8. Robotic Invasion (Fu Manchu / split single w/ Moab)
9. Frown Curve (March the Desert / Waves on the Moon EP)
10. Fall Through (Maze of Roots / 2013)
11. Leadersheep (Saturn / Ascending)
12. The Seeker (Doctor Smoke / Demo 2013)***
13. Behold, The Annunaki (Brimstone Coven / II)***
14. Oblivion (Switchblade Jesus / Myelin Constellation)
15. Ruler of Dust (Moon Coven / Amanita Kingdom)
16. High Priestess (Black Majik Acid / ST)***
17. Black C (Black Skies / Circadian Meditations)
18. Gary's Graveyard (Smoke / ST)
19. Invisible To See (Space Mushroom Fuzz / Stealing Some Time)
20. Come Samhain (Zodiac / digital single)
21. Slave the Hive (High on Fire / digital single)
22. Dead Friends (Doomriders / Grand Blood)
23. Dawn Rising (Red Fang / Whales & Leeches)
24. Battalion of Zero (Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals / Walk Through Exits Only)***
25. Gunslinger (Valley of the Sun / Electric Talons of the Thunderhawk)***

*** New Song

Outgoing songs:

By Endurance We Conquer (Argus / Beyond the Martyrs)
Monster of the Highway (Black Rainbows / Holy Moon EP)
Forevermore (Old Man Wizard / Unfavorable)
*Last Prediction (Dozer / Vultures EP)
Tears of Blood (Tombstone / Evil Seed single)

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PARANOID Spotlight on:

HIGH ON FIRE - "SLAVE THE HIVE" 
It's taken forever for "Slave The Hive", the new one-off single by High on Fire to break through in this paranoid mind of mine.  I first heard it on and downloaded it from the Scion A/V page where it's available for free [see link in song listing #21 on this week's chart], and thought, "well, this is okay.  But just okay."  It took months for the song to even enter the Doom Chart but it's been on for two weeks now and it's starting to gain traction.  If nothing else, it's a new High on Fire song, and how the hell can I argue with that, the Oakland trio were one of the main reasons I got into this kind of music in the first place and it turns out, after sticking with the song I've come to realize that "Slave the Hive" gives me everything I liked about High on Fire in the first place.  The band reminds me of Motörhead in that they just rock from beginning to end with no mercy.  "Slave the Hive" is just another piledriver in the deck, and that's not a bad thing when you think about it.

The song has been released on a 7" single which was available on the band's recent Scion sponsored North American tour.  It's also the band's first one-off single since the release of "Speak in Tongues", which was a leftover track from the 'Snakes for the Divine' album sessions [listen/download it here].  As far as I know, it's also frontman/guitarist Matt Pike's first new song to be written and released since committing to a sober lifestyle, despite my estimation that the song may be an average High on Fire song (which is still way above the common average), the band seems to have lost none of it's edge.

Hour of Power: BEST VIDEOS OF 2013

Here are my 14 favorite videos released in 2013.  It was hard culling a great list down to a single, essential hour of videos because there were at least two hours worth of memorable ones.  These are the ones I like best.  I've run them down in chronological order of release and I'll give my reasons for liking each one as we go here ...

1. Frankenstein Pays The Rent (The Mangled Dead / Hate Humans) - Just a fun, campy, no budget video.  The best moment is when the monster rides by the bus stop on a skateboard and takes the guy's obviously fake hand off as he goes.
2. U Turn (The Quartet of Woah! / Ultrabomb) - There's nothing flashy about this video, just four guys jamming on a sound stage.  What makes this video stick out for me is the rambunctious energy of the guys in the band.  Impressive performance.
3. Bruce Lee (Indian Handcrafts / Civil Disobedience For Losers) - There's no disliking this video, that's just all there is to it.  A good retro feel here for this faux chop sockey flick.  The Canadian duo actually make a good job of it acting the parts too.
4. Torn Apart (Valient Thorr / Our Own Masters) - This video puts a smile on my face.  Valient Thorr sit in cubicles, long hair, beards and tattoos in button up shirts and ties acting freaked out by the office worker whose decided he's had enough.  Guys quietly peaking over a sea of cubicles makes me LOL as the kids say (Lucas laughs).  Good conclusion to the storyline too.
5. Dune (Beastwars / Blood Becomes Fire) - This was just an amazing animated video.  Visual stunner here, Beastwars are quickly developing a reputation as having excellent visual representation of their work to go along with the amazing music.  Astronauts and dinosaurs, what more needs be said?
6. Sons of the Soil (C.F.A. / Managed By The Devil, Brought To You By The Grace Of God) - This was another fun, silly video.  The Tacoma trio do the Dorf thing here and hilarity ensues.  Good energy and a lot of good fun.
7. Waiting for Saturn (Bison, Bison / ST) - It's kind of a toss up between this and "Bruce Lee" for my favorite clip of the year.  This video is a tribute to John Carpenter's They Live complete with alien masks and extended fight scene.
8. Goodbye Gemini (Blood Ceremony / The Eldritch Dark) - This one gets the nod for the nice retro flavor here.  It really feels like an obscure occult horror film from the seventies with the poor image quality and vintage clothing.
9. Shrouded (The Body / Christs, Redeemers) - This was one of the most enigmatic videos I've ever seen, if for no other reason than the song this video supports isn't really all that musical.  It's just a whole lot of static, but it creates an incredibly intense atmosphere and it all builds to the stunning conclusion.  Feels like a found footage snuff film.
10. The Bearded Fool (Old Man Wizard / Unfavorable) - Here we go with another fun one.  The guys in Old Man Wizard have shot (or are shooting?) a video for every song on their six track debut album and they're all different.  In this one OMW get their medieval thing on meeting the dastardly challenges of dread witches and piss poor video editing.  It's mad, brilliant stuff.
11. Branch Davidian Compound (Cold Blue Mountain / ST) - This one I just liked the concept.  The band gets together and jams in a house.  The camera voyeuristically watches from outside the window in moments here and there creating a cool perspective.  What seems normal from the inside, seems strange from the outside.
12. Slave the Hive (High on Fire / digital single) - This was a strange one indeed, just a strange concept.  A Jacob's Ladder feel to this one with anthropomorphic bunny's etc. substituting for the demons in the psych ward.  Cute when animated, the stuff of nightmares in live action.
13. Palm Reader (Castles / Fiction or Truth?) - Nothing too flashy in this one, yet again.  What I like about this video is the energy and enthusiasm of the band.  Walking down a Belgian back alley in business suits, the band headbangs, air guitars and air drums to their own song which may seem egotistical to some, but I like the idea that the band isn't too cool to totally geek out about their own creation.  It makes me enthusiastic about their music, because they are.
14. Wasted Wails (Hydromedusa / digital single) - This was just brilliant.  VHS shot for that genuine retro feel, the concept is nothing special, just the band jamming in a green room with psychedelic images projected behind them, but the video has two thing going for it: it's got a great soundtrack and a good vibe.

Hour of Power 12/06/13

1. Slave the Hive (High on Fire / single) 2013
2. Dragon Witch (Glowsun / Eternal Season) 2012
3. King Stuste (Wood Wall / Wood Empire) 2013
4. Golden Sun (Spirits of the Dead / Rumours of a Presence) 2013
5. Shame (Jucifer / за волгой для нас земли нет) 2013
6. 120 Days (Ilsa / Tutti il Colori Del Buio) 2013
7. Raildriver (House of Harkonnen / Vol. 7) 2005
8. Siege of Jerusalem (Stone Dagger / cassette single) 2013
9. Lo Sound Desert trailer 2012
10. Untitled [live] (Geezer) 2013
11. Freelance Fiend [live @ Roadburn 2012] (Leaf Hound / Growers of Mushroom) 1971
12. Wreckage (Space Mushroom Fuzz / Stealing Some Time) 2013
13. Sinistra (Wounded Giant / Lightning Medicine) 2013
14. The River (The Tea Party / Splendor Solis) 1993 'classic clip'

Hour of Power 11/09/13

1. The Bearded Fool (Old Man Wizard / Unfavorable) 2013
2. Realms (Beastwars / Blood Becomes Fire) 2013
3. Branch Davidian Compound (Cold Blue Mountain / ST) 2013
4. Come Samhain (Zodiac / single) 2013
5. Robotic Invasion (Fu Manchu / 7" split single w/ MOAB) 2013
6. Slave the Hive (High on Fire / single) 2013
7. My Wife (The Who / Who's Next) 1971
8. The Healer (The Brimstone Days / The Healer) 2013
9. III III III (Götterdämmerung) (Doublestone / Wingmakers) 2013
10. I've Come For It All (Borracho / Oculus) 2013
11. Tropic of Capricorn (Black Capricorn / Born Under the Capricorn) 2013
12. Age of Bootcamp (Eyehategod / split 7" single w/ Soilent Green) 2002 'classic clip'

Hour of Power 05/04/13 (playlist)

1. Angel of Death [live] (Slayer / Still Reigning DVD) 2004
2. Asteroid [live] (Satellite Beaver) 04/25/2013
3. Cloak of Feathers (The Sword / Apocryphon) 2012
4. Banzai! (Barbara & Los Rotos Del Rock) 2012
5. Iron Man new album teaser 2013
6. Come Back Life (Kadavar / Abra Kadavar) 2013
7. Blackest of Times (Apostles of Solitude / Demo 2012) 2012 ***
8. Ten Lizardmen & One Pocketknife (Devil To Pay / Fate Is Your Muse) 2013
9. Rebecca At The Well (Revelation / Inner Harbor) 2013
10. Doomraiser / Caronte split trailer 2013
11. Feel My Grace (Miss Lava / Red Supergiant) 2012
12. Rumors of War (High on Fire / Death Is This Communion) 2007 'classic video'
13. Seasons in the Abyss (Slayer / Seasons in the Abyss) 1990

*** Special thanks to The Obelisk for premiering this video this week

2012 Chronicle (Year in review) part 4 - Best of April

April 1 - DESTROYER OF LIGHT (ST) - These sludgy Texan doomsmiths created a collection of 6 terrific songs with horror-themed lyrics.  Tales of swamp creatures, virgin sacrifice and vampires among other nerd-salivating subjects infuse this project with a sense of fun and makes for a satisfying listen.  Get it here.  Highlights include "Greet Death" and "The Virgin".  Rating 4/5

April 1 - The Socks (Bedrock EP)

April 1 - TENTACLE (Void Abyss) - This is Ice Dragon's super heavy, crushing alter ego.  Their first release as Tentacle was a rarity for the band as they released it on CD on a limited run of 100 (now sold out).  The CD came with a bonus track that is as good as anything else on the EP.  Super heavy and aggressive sound.  Get it here.  Highlights include "Alone In My Grave" and "The Ruler Of All Space And Time".  Rating 4/5

April 4 - Buey (Universe Bellowing)

April 9 - Sun Eater (ST)

April 12 - Iron Hills (Famine)

April 14 - SLUT MACHINE (From Blind to Blue) - French stoner quintet Slut Machine returned with their third release, a 4 song EP, a basement recording, that was a solid effort all the way through, unleashing a whirlwind of fuzz and pounding rhythms.  Any band named after a Monster Magnet song can't be all bad can they?  Get From Blind To Blue here.  Highlights include "Collapse" and "Cosmic Monster".  Rating 4/5

April 16 - BABY WOODROSE (Third Eye Surgery) - Dutch psych peddlers Baby Woodrose have been around for a while but this was my introduction to the band.  I was struck immediately by the genuineness of their late 60s inspired psychedelic rock.  Mainman Lorenzo Woodrose sounds like a cross between Stevie Winwood and Arthur Lee.  Get it here.  Highlights include "Nothing Is Real" and "Just A Ride".  Rating 4/5

April 17 - UFOMAMMUT (ORO: Opus Primum) - A single song consisting of 10 tracks, two albums and 90 minutes may sound pretentious and self-indulgent on the surface, but it doesn't come across that way.  The Italian psychlords have always been known for being able to create private little worlds, again they unleashed an album to lose oneself in.  Get it here.  Highlights include "Infearnatural" and "Empireum".  Rating 4/5

April 18 - MOONLESS (Calling All Demons) - One of the most accomplished debuts of the year.  Danish four-piece Moonless released a relentless heavy rock assault with elements of stoner doom.  Every riff should be preserved and displayed in a museum for all time for educational purposes.  This is how you make bad ass heavy rock and roll.  Three Top 5 hits in the Doom Charts including the chart-topping title track, one of the best of the year.  So good I bought it twice, read the Weekly Mailbag in which I received 'Calling All Demons'.  Get it here.  Highlights include "Calling All Demons" and "Mark Of The Dead".  Rating 5/5

April 20 - Astroll (ST)

April 20 - Black Shape of Nexus (Negative Black)

April 21 - Law of the Tongue (ST)

April 23 - PARADISE LOST (Tragic Idol) - This one took a while to grow on me so consequently I came late to the party on this one, once again.  Once I got into it though, I couldn't stop listening to it.  The band's sound has changed a lot since the days of 'Gothic', but the feeling or mood of the band is more tangible than ever.  Find it here.  Highlights include "Honesty In Death" and "Crucify".  Rating 4/5

April 24 - Horisont (Second Assault)

April 24 - Sun Gods in Exile (Thanks For the Silver)

April 24 - -(16)- (Deep Cuts From Dark Clouds) - The Californian sludge veterans -(16)- re-emerged with their sixth full-length album in 20 years, and if the band themselves are to be trusted, it's their most accomplished album to date.  Possibly the favorite sludge album of the year at Paranoid Hitsophrenic, it's full of energy and memorable songs.  Get it here.  Highlights include "Her Little "Accident"" and "Theme From 'Pillpopper'".  Rating 4/5

April 27 - Dead Horse One (Heavenly Choir of Jet Engines)

April 27 - DÖDAREN (Maen)

April 27 - Gandhi's Gunn (The Longer The Beard The Harder The Sound)

April 27 - SAINT VITUS (Lillie F-65) - The masters had returned and without missing a beat unleashed vintage Vitus to vitrify the villainous volumes of Vitus lovers worldwide.  New drummer Henry Vasquez infused the band with drive and renewed energy.  It's a concept album of sorts about drug addiction and the two instrumentals are organic to the plot.  They also serve to spotlight Dave Chandler's very distinctive playing style in a way fans had not heard before.  Wino was also reborn and repurposed, regaining the slow-rising angry sneer fans know and love.  A very satisfying return to glory.  Get it here. Highlights include "Blessed Night" and "Let Them Fall".  Rating 4.5/5

April 29 - HIGH ON FIRE (De Vermis Mysteriis) - 'De Vermis Mysteriis' is a very different record for High on Fire.  It's more focused and more varied than what they'd done in past years.  It's a concept album about Jesus' twin travelling through time and it's hopefully the last time we hear Matt Pike in his drinking days on record.  It feels like a transitional record to a new era for the band but we'll have to wait and see.  This is a solid listen through and through, one of the absolute best albums of the year, with reoccurring themes and an interesting story to tell.  Grab it here.  Highlights include "Serums of Liao" and "Bloody Knuckles".  Rating 4.5/5

April 30 - Trippy Wicked & The Cosmic Children of Knight (Going Home)


Best Album From April 2012:
'De Vermis Mysteriis' by HIGH ON FIRE

Best Song From April 2012:
"Calling All Demons" by MOONLESS