#14 Big Business – Mind the Drift

With the addition of guitarist Toshi Kasai for Mind the Drift, Big Business became a three-piece, but they really made a name for themselves as a two-piece, so consider this another notch in the beard for the mighty duos. Now, I don’t just love Big Business because I share the same last name with bassist/vocalist Jared Warren, or because Warren and drummer Coady Willis are now fixtures for the mega-awesome kings of stoner fuzz, Melvins, but those reasons certainly don’t hurt. No, what I love most about Big Business is that, musically speaking, they portage the terrain of mountainous sound with crooked backs and bleeding hands, stopping only to feast on the raw buffalo carcasses scattered along the way. I’ve always dug the crushing, and at times melodious, sludge n’ fuzz of Big Business and I still dig it, even if they have added a guitar to the arsenal.

Listen to “The Drift” from Mind the Drift!

#13 Saviours – Accelerated Living

Yeah, I just reviewed this album around the end of October, so if you can remember that you no doubt remember how much I dig Saviours and how much I dig the new album. Now, if you’ve been living under a rock, Saviours are a serious stoner thrash band, and if we’re to believe that metal is making a triumphant return to glory, Saviours is definitely one the bands leading that charge.  Unfortunately I missed the opportunity to go catch them live with 3 Inches of Blood in Edmonton last month and I still haven’t stopped crying about it, but I’ve been crushing this album non-stop ever since to try to make up for it. Anyway, now two EPs and three albums in, Saviours are really hitting their heavy stride. Beard!

Listen to “Apocalypse World Split” from Accelerated Living!