Cacería

Chile should need no introduction in the world of stoner music but if "hardcore" has you wondering what is up, let's start off with how much I dig this debut album from Cacería. This is stoner metal that picks up the speed to boost it into hardcore and these guys deliver a heavy, fast album that blasts from the very start to the very end. The fast fuzzy guitar sound, the heavy bass, the non-stop gunfire of the drums, and it's all covered with touch vocals. Check out Cacería:

"Guillotina" starts off the EP with an all-instrumental kick in the face. This song starts fast, gets faster, and just rips from beginning to end.

"Comando" doesn't let up, except with a little break at the beginning to lay down a sample. I have no idea what is being said and who cares anyway? When this song gets going with its heavy riffing, you won't care either. And this is the song that starts in with the vocals and what a perfect match for the music. I'm not sure if "hardcore" can be applied to vocals, but the gritty heavy and near-screaming of the vocals is exactly what this music demands. This song also delivers a killer guitar solo.

"Deep Groove" delivers exactly what is claims to: a deep, heavy riff that speeds up without losing any of its brain-bruising heaviness.

"Paranoia" has my favorite guitar work on the album, and "Pantanal" might be my favorite track on the album (and with my favorite sample), but they are all solid and overall all this is a a great debut EP.

You get 5 tracks on this EP, and it wraps up in under 20 minutes, and I can tell you I have listened to this album many, many times over the past few months. I just set it on repeat and listen to it an hour at a time.


I dig Cacería so much that I invited them to lay down a track on my next 100% stoner comp and you will dig how heavy this album turned out! Follow me on Bandcamp to get the comp when it drops in early September!

Another band to check out if you dig South American hardcore is Halfaya from Argentina.

And follow Cacería at:

THE DARK SILENCE OF DEATH

Take one of your favorite 70s hard rock albums, and peel off that extra layer of over-production so many of them were covered with, and you will have THE DARK SILENCE OF DEATH'S debut album. 40 minutes and 8 tracks of the kind of heavy hard-hitting rock you think you remember from the 70s until you go back and realize those albums spent a few too many months in post-production. Don't get me wrong -- this debut album is not lo-fi or garage. Not even close. It has full production quality without going that extra step with just a little too much perfection on the guitar or a slightly under-mixed bass. Or the dreaded "pretty" vocals. This album is downright evil at times, and in fact it sets you up so that by the time you get to the next to last track, you are glad to receive the nasty sludge thrown at you at the very end. This is an album you can get your "I like hard rock" friends to listen to, and then get them sucked into the world of the heavy underground. This is a great album.


One hallmark of a great 70s rock album is its flow. Starts off hard, gets louder, backs off and slows down a little, only to pick it back up and hammer it home at the end. And man, this album has all that without any of the songs making you reach for the SKIP button.

A little extra about the vocals. The band sings in English despite being from Mexico, and the sound is simply incredible. Rough and a little evil without getting into growling. Really excellent. Mrs. Cracklins is out of town this week but she will also dig this album for sure when she gets back.


As is very often the case, a great debut album is the result of veteran musicians coming from other bands, including Fool Magician. The Dark Silence of Death's current lineup is:

Viejo Macabro: Guitar
Javo Monzon: Vocals
Vader: Bass
Juan Carlos: Drums

This album is an absolute bargain at $1 right now on Bandcamp. Hurry up and add this hard rock gem to your collection.

Stonemongers -- Turn On!

Russians and Americans have a lot in common. Heavy drinking. Loud music. There might be other things as well, but let's not get swamped in the details. When it comes to heavy rock, we can both agree on the debut album from Russian band Stonemongers -- Turn On! Listen for free and read Fuzzy Cracklin's review of the instrumental stoner album Turn On! by the Stonemongers below....