Monster Riff Presents

Back in the early '90s, a band by the name of Volume popped up in the blistering desert heat of Twentynine Palms, CA. Rocking out about 50 miles from the hometowns of desert rock luminaries like Kyuss and Yawning Man, Volume made a name for itself by delivering fuzzed-out psychedelic rock. In one stellar review, Revolver Magazine called Volume "the best lo-fi mindfuck since Monster Magnet's 'Tab.'" Volume was led by guitarist and vocalist Patrick Brink—who is now resurrecting the band in time for the remastered re-release of "Requesting Permission to Land." We were lucky enough to have Patrick Brink on the podcast to hear more about Volume's history—including what it was like coming out of the desert scene. Check out Volume on Bandcamp: https://volume-rocks.bandcamp.com/ By the way, the Monster Riff Presents podcast was just ranked among the top 10 Doom Metal podcasts by FeedSpot! Thanks for your support! Check it out: https://blog.feedspot.com/doom_metal_podcasts/

For this episode, we checked in with two incredible bands about an exciting upcoming split! Aiwass, the brooding Psychedelic Doom project that put out the stellar "Wayward Gods" in 2021, and Aawks, the upbeat Psychedelic Doom band that put out the excellent "Heavy On the Cosmic" in 2022, have teamed up for a powerful new split entitled "The Eastern Scrolls."  Inspired by the life and writings of Russian mystic Madame Blavatsky, The Eastern Scrolls is a dark, mysterious, and enthralling evolution of both bands’ individual sounds. The result: A heavy, captivating split between two heavy, captivating bands.  The Eastern Scrolls drops on August 25 via Black Throne Productions! Pre-order here.

In this episode with Scott Spiers, the head writer over at Clean And Sober Stoner, we discuss the blog's name and history, his life through Metal and heavy music, being part of the Doom Charts, and so much more!

Godsleep's "Lies to Survive" was a phenomenal blast of Stoner-infused Alt Rock. We sat down with Amie (vocals) and Johnny (guitar) to discuss this latest album, the evolution of the band's sound, their upcoming tour, and the Greek underground scene.

When King Bastard released "It Came From the Void" in early 2022, it was praised for its unique brand of "psychedelic filth"—cosmic and instrumental heavy psychedelic doom metal with unsettling overtones. Unfortunately, the band wasn't able to push the record out on vinyl.  But that's finally changing. Thanks to The Cosmic Peddler, King Bastard is seeing their debut album come to vinyl (available on April 5)—and they're celebrating that release with a tour through Texas. We connected with both King Bastard and The Cosmic Peddler to hear more about the album, getting it onto vinyl, and the upcoming tour! Learn more about the project here: https://thecosmicpeddler.com/pages/the-king-bastard-it-came-from-the-void-vinyl-release-tour

In this episode, Todd White of King Volume Records explains how he started his own record label—and offers advice for bands who are interested in working with a label themselves. 

Tony Reed is the awesome frontman for Stoner Rock heroes Mos Generator. In this episode, we talk about the band's latest album ("Time//Wounds"—out December 16, 2022), discuss what separates Black Sabbath from modern Stoner Rock bands, explore what it's like playing big shows—and much more. 

When Twin Wizard first released "Glacial Gods" in 2020, it was met with great reviews. But after a line-up shift to the two-man band, drummer Anthony Dreyer and guitarist/vocalist Matt Larson decided to re-record the entire album. The result was a fresh take on an awesome record! We sat down with the Savanna, Illinois-based two-piece to hear what it was like to reinvent a great album, discuss their latest tour—and more!

On this episode, we sit down with Nashville Stoner Rock juggernaut Silent Monolith to talk about their fiery new album, "Empty Kingdom." Along the way, we talk about the band's history (including how injuries to frontman Kenneth Johnson's feet almost ended the band for good), the Nashville music scene, and much more! 

In this episode featuring John Garcia of Kyuss, we talk about John's pursuits off the road (especially his life as a vet tech and his upcoming show to raise money for vet tech scholarships—details below!), finding his voice as the young frontman of Kyuss, the necessity of generator partiers, collaborating with other musicians, his next album—and much, much more! For the benefit concert, John is playing at the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum on Saturday, September 17, 2022 (8:00 PM). Learn more by visiting www.amyspurpose.net or by contacting DeAnn Lubell at [email protected]. Donations are also accepted! Tickets: https://www.psmuseum.org/events/amys-purpose-22