Let’s joyfully keep the end-of-year series going, and welcome French stoner rockers RED SUN ATACAMA as they drop their ten most listened crates of 2023 on THC. Follow Clem and Vincent in their quest for the best riff below!
Frankie and the Witch Fingers “Data Doom” (The Reverberation Appreciation Society / Greenway Records)
Hands down the best garage-fuzz band of the past years, as they found the magic recipe to avoid ever getting bored. On “Data Doom”, the new rhythm section injects even more swagger and maestria into the band. Punchy, lively, intricate without losing the listener, this is our fave record of 2023.
Church Of Misery “Born Under A Mad Sign” (Rise Above Records)
Just because we missed their groovy, thick, brutal and mean sound truly. Some bands evolve over the years… The doom padrinos don’t: same shit, improved formula! Vicious and monumental, this made in Japan heavy as we love it.
Mars Red Sky “Dawn of the Dusk” (MRS Red Sound)
This album is heavier and proggier than ever. They constantly manage to push their boundaries through experimentation without ever losing their essence, because the groove machine is always somewhere nearby ready to roll. The bosses are back!
Occult Hand Order “Silence By The Raging Sea” (S/R)
A finely crafted doom trip that borders on post-metal and shoegaze: this one is an absolute hidden gem. behind a wall of riffs and a cold but sophisticated production, their sharpness drags us into the ocean’s depths for 49 minutes. Special mention to the climax track “Golden Bones”. Good gob, guys!
The Hives “The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons” (Fuga)
The Hives and their feel-good summer hits made in Scandinavia. They’re back with gigantic, explosive earworms wrapped in a package that’s dirtier, fuzzier and more distorted than usual. BOGUS OPERANDI!
REZN & Vinnum Sabbathi “Silent Future” (Blues Funeral Recordings)
This might well be the classiest split record of the year, bringing together REZN’s ethereal psychedelic doom and the Vinnum Sabbathi fuzzonauts. It could only lead to something special and the result is a powerful cosmic album, simply golden-heavy psychedelia.
The Wytches “Our Guest Can’t Be Named” (Alcopop! Records)
This is a solid fourth album for this band we’ve had a chance to share the stage with in 2022 and 2023. From goth to grunge and garage rock, this album encapsulates everything The Wytches are about: raspy vocals, hypnotic guitars, tight rhythm section, all in a dangerously unstable and dark vibe.
Goat “Medicine” (Rocket Recordings)
The fantastic mystic rockers from them cold lands strike again. Just as good as their two previous records, this third album establishes their talent once and for all: a tribal psych rock subtly taking its cue from Sabbath, Santana and Jethro Tull. Delightful.
Kadabra “Umbra” (Heavy Psych Sounds)
This is Kadabra’s climax, as they deliver a classy and magnetic stoner doom banger, like some kind of Uncle Acid who would be riding a Mustang. Catchy riffs, overdriven organs, 70s horror movies vibe: you will enjoy it without a doubt.
Moon Coven “Sun King” (Ripple Music)
Psychedelic, occult and doomy, Moon Coven keep growing and honing their sound on this new one. Songs brim with hooks, the production is heavy and the vocals give that extra touch to the already superb “Sun King”, establishing the Swedes as a force to be reckoned with.
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Last modified: 4 January 2024
