The Graviators - Motherload

Sweden is clearly leading the world in producing great doom/stoner metal bands these days. And just look at this bad-ass album cover!Swedish rockers, The Graviators have released their third full length album, Motherload, and if you dig that analog trip but like a little shred thrown in for good measure, this is very likely your new jam. Goodness knows there's no shortage of retro bands around - a new one seems to crop up every week - but the sweet spot for me is when you take an old school 70s vibe and update it with a modern sensibility in terms of the guitar work and rhythm structure. This is why I'm a big fan of progressive stoner metal, where all of my favorite ingredients come together for a delicious sonic dish.

While The Graviators may not be progressive necessarily (though they do make use of some progressive elements), they do get that being analog doesn't mean you have to sacrifice complexity for authenticity; it's a vibe, not a law set in stone, right? And tracks like Corpauthority illustrate that idea well, with its Sabbathy main riff, multi-layered rhythmic passages, and guitarist Martin Fairbanks' killer solo adding some nice color in the form of restrained neo-classical sweep picking nestled amongst the bluesy flurries. Great stuff.

The Bottom Line: Like their kinsmen Witchcraft, The Graviators are riding the wave of doom/stoner metal on the back of a sea dragon, laying waste to all in their path with the swipe of a Gibson SG. If you like your old school metal with a modern sense of the past, check these dudes out.

Tracks To Make You Replace All Of Your Lightbulbs With Black Lights: Narrow Minded Bastards, Tigress Of Sibiria, and Corpauthority

- Genghis digs the doom/stoner metal thing just fine, but let's hope it's tapering off...