Фирма Small Stone

Just the name Paris evokes thoughts of romance. From tiny streetside cafes serving cafe au lait and fresh croissants to the breathtaking panoramic view as seen from atop the Eiffel Tower, the city simply oozes love. Thankfully the city of love also has a darker side. One just as dedicated to love, just love of a different kind. Love of all things heavy and all things rock. And that's the real Paris the one where Abrahma lives. Formed in 2005 under the moniker Alcohsonic, this Parisian quartet epitimized the ideals of Rock and Roll. Blending the classic American 70's sound with blues, southern roots and just a hint of the modern Seb Bismuth, Nicolas Heller and the brothers Colin attempted to set Europe on fire. Their flame burned hot but far too bright and after five years, one LP and a scathing trail of live shows sharing the stage with the likes of Brant Bjork and Cactus, their course was run. But like a pheonix rising from it's own ashes Alcohsonic has been reborn as Abrahma. "Through The Dusty Paths Of Our Lives" is a self made monument to what might have been and an explosive first example what is yet to come. Five years on the road has hardened the sound and forged the new songs like iron in flame. Gone are any hints of 70's revivalism, buried beneath thick sludgy riffs and thundering basslines. Six hands play as one with the voice of an angry angel lighting the way. Featuring a guest appearance by Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet) and artwork designed by Alexander vonWieding "Through The Dusty Paths Of Our Lives" is a once in a lifetime debut. Catch a glimpse before the sparks begin to fly. Recommended if you like: Kyuss, Dozer, Greenleaf, Brain Police, Deep Purple, Sasquatch, Monster Magnet, Clutch, Lo-Pan,Freedom Hawk, Nightstalker, Novadriver, Lowrider, Skanska Mord, Dwellers, Roadsaw, 7Zuma7, Kiss, Cactus, Grand Funk, and any thing else that rocked in 1974. Style: Psychedelic Rock

Long regarded as a rising force within Italy's underground stoner rock scene, where they were previously known as Gandhi's Gunn, Genoa's freshly renamed Isaak is now preparing to spread their bruising bombast across the world with the help of Detroit, MI's Small Stone Records. The quartet, which is comprised of vocalist Hobo, guitarist Scazzi, bassist Maso and drummer Andre, was first inspired into action by the legendary works of the major names of American stoner rock - namely Corrosion of Conformity, Fu Manchu and Clutch. And yet both their first LP, 2010's Thirtyeahs (which was issued in a limited run of 300, hand-numbered vinyl + CD packages by Taxi Driver Records), and its 2012 sophomore follow-up, The Longer The Beard, The Harder The Sound, clearly revealed a band ready to transcending these core influences and explore more visionary and psychedelic territories. We're talking.churning riffs, elephantine grooves and raging growls, seasoned to perfection with lysergic flights, epic jams and even mesmerizing quieter passages, before being served al dente for consumption by our most discerning stoner rock patrons. This rich musical palate undoubtedly benefited from Gandhi's Gunn/Isaak solid two years of intense concert activity, which found them sharing Italian stages with international luminaries such as Church of Misery (Japan), Los Natas (Argentina), Nadja (Canada) and Amen Ra (Belgium) - plus a slew of U.S.-based concerns, including Acid King, Atomic Bitchwax, Big Business, 16, Unsane and Clutch. Come October 2012 the Gandhi's Gunn name was retired and Isaak born, just in time for the band's signing with Small Stone, which is now happy to announce the imminent global reissue of The Longer The Beard, The Harder The Sound, in March 2013. Newly expanded with four tracks (including covers of Pink Floyd's "Fearless" and Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild"), the album has also been remixed by Eric Hoegemeyer at Brooklyn, NY's Tree Laboratory and mastered by Chris Goosman at Ann Arbor, MI's Baseline Audio Labs. Rock...is served.

Gozu first appeared on the scene in 2008 with the the release of their seven track EP. Consisting of members of bands such as Wargasm and Triphammer, Gozu laid down the rock but also brought the groove on songs such as the human-empowerment anthem "Rise Up" and D.A.R.E.-baiting "Meth Cowboy". Fronted by the man with a plan, Marc Gaffney, aka Gaff, who has the pipes Chris Cornell used to possess before he started modeling men's cologne, Gozu plays the sort of rock tailor made to be blasted out on radio airwaves nationwide, ala early Queens of the Stone Age. It's the kind of rock music that pulls up alongside you while you're walking down the street minding your own business, demands that you "get in the f@*ing car", proceeds to drive 90 mph down the wrong side of the highway, and then drops you off miles from home at some abandoned rest stop. After a line-up change which brought on board bassist Jay Cannava of Miltown and Clouds infamy, Gozu continues to chug along at its own pace. Axe slinger Doug Sherman peels off riffs and solos like they're going out of style and drum god Barry Spillberg beats his drums like they owe him money, and the whole thing just cruises along on a bed of melodies most bands would die for. Small Stone Records snapped up Gozu in 2009 and the band is currently working on its debut for the label, which will no doubt leave many a listener scratching their head, wondering how in the hell Gozu does it and makes it look so easy. But don't let your guard down, because next thing you know you'll be on the outskirts of town wondering how you got there and what that catchy song stuck in your head is and where it came from. Following the success of Locust Season in 2010, Gozu returned to Mad Oak Studios and The Bridge Sound and Stage in 2012 to put their second album to tape with engineer Benny Grotto and Owen Curtin. The Fury of a Patient Man sees Gozu still driven by Gaff's melted butter melodies and Doug's ultra-thick riffs, but the scope has expanded, and whether it's the 24-minute deconstructed jam of "The Ceaseless Thunder Of Surf" or the High on Fire-style gallop of "Charles Bronson Pinchot," the band have opened up new musical avenues. Joined by bassist Joe Grotto (Motherboar), they headlined Small Stone's Boston Showcase in the fall and proved to all in attendance that Locust Season was no fluke and that their finest hour still lay ahead. The Fury of a Patient Man rages, but Gozu remain in total control and the album is stronger for it, the band proving yet again that those who cry about the death of rock and roll simply aren't paying close enough attention. Style: Rock

Artist: Lord Fowl Label: Small Stone

Artist: Sons of Otis Label: Small Stone

Record Label: Smallstone Style: Rock

Tearing through the speakers like a swamp monster summoned from some dark cosmic morass, Texas riffmasters Wo Fat unapologetically blast out a southern fried, blues-infused version of Psychedelic Doom, conjuring up visions of hoodoo shacks, prowling undead, hell hounds at the crossroads, Lovecraftian cultists and ghouls, and worlds beyond where the riff reigns almighty. Wo Fat rose from the deep and began their psyche-doom-adelic quest circa 2003 when guitarist Kent Stump formed the band with drummer Michael Walter and bassist TimWilson. Their goal was to create a music that is crushingly heavy, but that stays within the paradigm forged by Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top and the other 70's greats. A music that allows for improvisational freedom, extensive jamming and interplay between the three members yet that, at the same time, allows them to crank out monolithic, fuzzed out, downtuned riffs, all the while staying true to the haunting blues that wail and moan deep within their souls. Their 2006 release, "The Gathering Dark," which was the first documented, hazy, smoke-filled trip in their ongoing Riff Quest, gave us the blueprint that they would expand upon in later albums. This blueprint was a mixture of dark, Mississippi Hill Country blues, extended acid guitar freakouts and heavierthan-Led, Sabbath-style riffing.Wo Fat took things up a notch with their next album, "Psychedelonaut"(2009) and again with 2011's "Noche del Chupacabra," continuing to offer up even weightier and more crushing riffage coupled with moments of spaced out trippiness. Both of these albums garnered much critical acclaim and helped to establish them as an up and coming force to be reckoned with in the Stoner/Doom world, with "Noche del Chupacabra" landing on a number of Top Albums of 2011 lists. Now,Wo Fat has joined the Small Stone roster and, after another psychedelic journey to the hoodoo shack, is offering up a new epic album - "The Black Code" - five hefty slabs of classicWo Fat analog fuzz, but this time, with a more sci fi related motif, full of cyber-visions of evil code, alien artifacts, doors to alternate dimensions and premonitions of digital horror. Musically,Wo Fat is continuing further down the road of melding structured, groove-laden riffing with free-wheeling open improvisation, relying on heavy interaction and communication between the three musicians to take the music to new heights of sonic heaviness. And not just a one dimensional heaviness. Heaviness in groove, sound and feel as well as riff. This is not cold, sterile, machine-like metal. This is organic, earthy metal that is full of that elusive, deep, "way back yonder" funk that is so often the missing ingredient in this digital age in which we live. No synthetic designer pharmaceutical here, but a pure, expertly cultivated, homegrown strain of Texas riffage.mean that. Recommended if you like: Tia Carrera, DixieWitch, Lo-Pan, Sons Of Otis, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, Acid King, Kyuss, Tummler. Style: Psychedelic Rock

In New Haven, Connecticut I'm standing amongst a swaying crowd of long hair, tattoos, and canned beer... confidant I'm hearing the coolest band I've seen in rock music in a long time. Lord Fowl, a four piece whose retro riffs and looks make me question what decade it is and why I've never heard of this band.?! Overall, their talents surprise me, and I'm not easily impressed. From their shot-of-Jack half-time-pounding heavy grooves. To a somethingsmells- great-in-here and I'm definitely going home with this blonde psychedelic-feel-good vibe - Lord Fowl delivers. Luckily the difference between their live show and their recorded music is minimal. I have listened to both and they have a soulful intensity not easily matched by any band around.With the dual vocals and guitars of Jaynes and Pellegrino, LF establishes themselves as a unique talent in rock music today. LF summons Deep Purple and Hendrix in their track Moon Queen, where the perfect blend of Gillen-esque vocals and spacious well-crafted riffs leave room for their drummer Freeman, whose tasteful fills are refreshing and downright kick ass. As they move through songs like Quicksand and Dirty Driving I'm amazed at the versatility of LF.. catchy choruses, sweet harmony vocals, call and response leads - they got it.Want raw power and melodic lines drenched in Marshall distortion? - then a tune like "Touch Your Groove" with Conine's fuzzy/funky bass will suffice. Is it the 1970's where we champion cosmic psychedelic mystics and the blatant power of sexuality? Cuz LF makes me feel like rolling up and getting down. Another Schaeffer? Why not! When I'm grooving out to their more psychedelic heavy tunes like "100 Years" and "Pluto" I'm banging my head in true bliss. You don't feel the need to sift through a million notes to locate the hooks in LF's music - it's right there - screaming from the radio of a '71 Challenger, burning down the "Streets of Evermore" - another song testament to the originality and marketability of LF. If you haven't done it yet, give Lord Fowl a listen or check out their live show. Me, I feel lucky to have found this band." - H.P. Taskmaster, (aka JJ Koczan) - The Obelisk Recommended if you like: Cheap Trick, Infernal Overdrive, Skanska Mord, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith (on drugs), Kyuss, Dozer, Greenleaf, Brain Police, Deep Purple, Puny Human, Sasquatch, Monster Magnet, Clutch, Lo-Pan, Freedom Hawk, Novadriver, Lowrider, Nightstalker, Dwellers, Roadsaw, 7Zuma7, Kiss, The Quill, Cactus, Black Sabbath (with BillWard) Style: Hard Rock

LP - 180 Gram. gatefold jacket, polylined sleeves. 20 page LP-size artbook . Limited to 400 . Transparent Swamp Green colored vinyl. Astute observers of the rock will recognize Alexander vonWieding's Style: Rock

Fuzzed out psychedelica, the likes of which hasn't been heard since the heyday of real rock in the 70's, oozes from the amps and tears across the landscape like some kind of lawnmower on acid. The world starts to spin; everything goes black and then several shades of purple. All that, and then the songs kick in. Formed in 2006 from a melding of the then-defunct and highly regarded Swedish bands Half Man and Mothercake, Skånska Mord was the next logical step in the natural evolution of both bands. A crossroads where Jönsson, Berglin & Englund's more metal inclined Mothercake fell into the swampy blues rock of Bengtsson & Carlsson's Half Man (just imagine a perfect world where Seattle's Green River happened in reverse and you'll get the idea). Blended rhythm section rarely sound this in sync, but one can easily chalk that up to the common ground shared by all the members. First, the fact that they all come from the same place, Örkelljunga, a small village in the south of Sweden. In fact, the three older members (Jan Bengtsson, Patric Carlsson and Patrik Berglin) have been friends since their early teenage years. Bengtsson and Carlsson in particular have been playing together for 16 years in Half Man and before that for even more years in various constellations, they've been pretty much inseparable through both their musical careers. Secondly, is their common love for old 70's hard and heavy rock. A lot of inspiration has been collected through the years much like Bengtsson's and Carlsson's sizeable collections of vintage vinyl, amongst them a kings ransom of hard rock, progressive, blues and psychedelia. In some way this shared musical background has help give birth to a special sound, which is uniquely Örkelljungan. "Paths To Charon" is the band's follow up to their critically acclaimed 2010 debut "The Last Supper," A record that served as a great launching point for the boys, and now, they have really brought it with their newest effor. There are plenty of thick hypnotic blues infused layers of rawk, (just like their debut), but this time around, it is even more powerful. Skanska Mord is charging ahead in 2012, only they think it is 1972... And this my friends, is never a bad thing when it comes to the fine art of Classic Rock n' Roll. Recommended if you like: Kyuss, Dozer, Greenleaf, Brain Police, Deep Purple, Sasquatch, Monster Magnet, Clutch, Lo-Pan, Freedom Hawk, Novadriver, Lowrider, Nightstalker, Dwellers, Roadsaw, 7Zuma7, Kiss, The Quill, Cactus, Black Sabbath (with Bill Ward) Style: Psychedelic Rock

The Otis seed was planted in late 1992 by the trio's founder/guitarist/vocalist Ken Baluke, an export from Detroit, Michigan. The band was originally dubbed Otis, in homage to the character of the same name in the cult film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Kil Record Label: Small Stone Style: Stoner Rock

Don't try to label Nightstalker, it only makes them mad. Over the years they've been saddled with every label under the sun. In the 90's it was grunge. After that it was Stoner Rock. And never try to call them a Greek Rock act. They play Rock music plain and simple and have been doing so to rave reviews for the past two decades. In a world full of bands that fracture at the first hint of a bad review, that splinter off into side projects and sub bands Nightstalker are what their new album professes, "Dead Rock Commandos." Formed in Greece, in late 1989, by singer (and at the time drummer) Argy and made truly stable with the addition of Rotting Christ bassist Andreas in 1992, Nightstalker managed to meld their heavy rock influences with funky rhythms and grungy melodies to create a whole new beast.With all these elements in place they released the first EP in 1994 entitled "SideFx."With the release of their first full length album "USE" in 1996, the band established themselves and their own trademark brand of dark heavy sounds. 2000 saw a slight shuffle in membership as well as a new EP, "The Ritual," which found Nightstalker treading further in to the realms of deepest, darkest Psychedelica. Line-up fully entrentched the ensuing pair of albums, 2004's "Just A Burn" and 2009's "Superfreak" garnered the band a new and loyal following across the world. Which sets the stage for their newest dark masterpiece, "Dead Rock Commandos." Another albums worth of raw rock 'n roll simplicity, filled with stunning riffs and electric haze. More heavy sounds, groovy rhythms and intense bass playing all merging with the power of Argy's vocals, which is the secret to the music of Nightstalker that has kept the band going for more than 20 years and made them one of the most important bands in the history of the European Hard Rock scene. Call it whatever you want, but do so at your own risk. Recommended if you like: Kyuss, Dozer, Greenleaf, Brain Police, Deep Purple, Sasquatch, Monster Magnet, Clutch, Lo-Pan, Freedom Hawk, Novadriver, Lowrider, Skanska Mord, Dwellers, Roadsaw, 7Zuma7, Kiss, Cactus, Black Sabbath (with Bill Ward). Style: Stoner Rock

Formed in 2009, Mellow Bravo has quickly built a reputation as one of Boston's premier rock and roll acts.Well known for their sold out crowds and energetic live performances, Mellow Bravo's twin guitar attack and hooky songwriting make them top-notch crowd pleasers. Led by soulful and charismatic lead singer Keith Pierce the band cuts a wide range of styles from hard rock and metal to country and blues and injects each song with its own brand of passionate urgency. Blending the classic party rock of Van Halen and Deep Purple along with the brooding modern approach of Black Mountain and QOTSA, the band is rounded out by a hard hitting rhythm section and the wildcard organ and vocal stylings of Jess Collins. Mellow Bravo is a must-see act that threatens to climb higher with the release of their self-titled second album on the debut of the brand new Mad Oak Recordings imprint later this spring. ~"Awesome" ~ Jed Gottlieb, The Boston Herald ~"The epitome of a good time band." ~ Shawn Sixx, CBS Radio/WZLX ~"Mellow Bravo's debut album (Strut) is as burly and bravado filled as anything you will find passed out on the sid walks of East Boston." ~ Peter Legasey, TheWeekly Dig ~"Mellow Bravo is one of Boston's best live acts" ~Joe Graham, Audio Floss/The Lowell Sun For fans of: The J. Geils Band, Black Mountain, The Brought Low, Infernal Overdrive, James Gang, Shame Club, Cheap Trick, etc Style: Hard Rock

Style: Rock

Style: Rock

started as a casual side project for both Conner and Peters along with Van's brother Patrick (Kitty Kitty) and Kurt Danielson (TAD) Van & Co. have stepped out from beneath the shadow of all their previous bands combined to show what a more mature, confida Style: Stoner Rock

Style: Rock

Style: Rock

For well over a decade now, Tia Carrera have been melting minds with their own twist on the 70's rock n' roll jam. Mostly improvised, each live show is more of an experience than a performance, transporting you from wherever you are to places you didn't e Style: Rock