Stonerider - Fountains Left to Wake (2012)

 

Wow, this is one band that not only wears their influences prominently on their sleeves, but also mixes those influences into a unique stoner/blues concotion which is immensely satisfying. From Led Zeppelin to CCR to the old blues greats such as Robert Johnson, BB King etc, this is a very well-rounded and highly inspired record. All the songs are really catchy, and the vintage-sounding production is just killer. It's a heavy record, but its "heaviness" is much closer to the bluesy hard rock of Led Zeppelin than to the Sabbath-esque metallic riffage of many other stoner bands. Honestly, I think this band beats out their more popular blues-rock contemporaries such as Rival Sons and The Black Keys (not that those bands are bad by any means though.) In any case, I thoroughly recommend this album to all lovers of classic rock.

9.5/10