Stonerhead - "Running High"

 

Stonerhead is a band from Bielefeld, Germany that formed in 2013. The band plays a very masterful, polished combination of stoner rock, hard rock, blues, and psychedelic doom. 

Since the release of their debut album, Fuzztronauten (an album I highly recommend that you check out), Stonerhead has played many live gigs, both at home and abroad. There have been some lineup changes along the way, but that never slowed the band's momentum and creativity. Stonerhead has also added second guitarist Christian to the fold, further expanding upon their sound. The band recently joined forces with my personal favorite booking agency, Broken Music. In fact, Stonerhead was actually Broken Music's first band! Recording on Running High was initiated in March of 2023, and the album is set to be released on April 27, 2024, just over a year later. 

Running High

Running High consists of six tracks of stoner/psych goodness:

1. Someone Please

Allow me to preface everything by saying that Running High was actually my first time hearing Stonerhead, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect (often the best mindset in which to review an album, in my humble opinion). When Someone Please came through my speakers, my first thought was, "Whoa; this is definitely stoner rock, but this is sophisticated stoner rock." And it is. It's like stoner rock went to university and came back all worldly and skilled. In basic terms, stoner rock for big kids. 

Your stoner riff is there, with a bluesy tint to it at times. Vocals are melodic but not overly clean with powerful delivery, fully capable of heavy rock intensity, growling and screaming when need be. What struck me most about this song was the tempo and style changes surrounding the chorus, giving Someone Please a bit of a progressive feel. As it turns out, this ends up being a trend throughout the rest of the album, much to my delight. 

2. Obsession

This one starts out slowly and quickly builds in intensity, both vocally and instrumentally. I absolutely fell in love with the guitar part on Obsession, finding it very unique and infectious. About midway through the song, things briefly slow down again, and some cool vocal effects gives a feeling of spiraling panic. This is my other favorite element of the song; the vocalist's skill at communicating emotion and/or a state of mind. 

3. Super Mario

Ok, I know what you're thinking: Is this song actually about Super Mario? At least partially, yes, referencing jumping on turtles, deadly mushrooms, and a quest to the castle. It's a very trippy take on Super Mario, and I mean that in the best way possible. The song follows a pattern of starting with some isolated bass (a nice change up, keeping things varied), adding in some booming percussion, psychedelic guitar, and more of the hallucinogenic vocals we got a taste of in the previous track. This builds into a culmination of some intense, heavy, and delightfully fuzzy psychedelic rock instrumentals. Super Mario follows this model twice, the final time ending in an all out jam session. In fact, Super Mario is a great follow-up to Obsession, as it goes all out in exploring the elements of psychedelia introduced there. If Obsession is made up of about half stoner rock and half psychedelic rock, then Super Mario is one hundred percent psychedelic deliciousness. The best thing about this is it shows that Stonerhead isn't just a stoner rock band; they can perform multiple genres and meld them together with ease. Super Mario is a perfect example of just that, and it's my favorite song on the album. 

4. Need Some Time

On Need Some Time, some stoner/doom metal influences are added to the mix, in addition to the stoner/psych approaches we've heard thus far. Like the other songs on Running High, this one utilizes some psych-drenched, slower parts, followed by some energetic highs (metal-tinged in this case).

5. Running Low

Running Low carries the baton even further into metal territory, with this song being noticeably more gruff and rugged than the heavy parts of Need Some Time, both vocally and instrumentally. That being said, this song is a great example of the vocalist's ability to switch from melodic to husky in an instant, all while delivering a very expressive performance. 

6. Tweaky Mind

On the beginning of Tweaky Mind, we're treated to an awesome vocal performance from bassist Anna, whose singing proves to be incredibly powerful, emotive, and hypnotic. Her singing hovers over some slower, doomy instrumentals on this track, making for a haunting combination. About midway through the song, things speed and switch up to more of a stoner/psych cadence, with lead vocalist Phil joining in singing duties. The last four and a half minutes of this track are essentially a jam session, wrapping up Running High in a fun and powerful way. Like Super Mario, Tweaky Mind is another great example of Stonerhead's ability to perform multiple genres simultaneously, but this song demonstrates it in an overall heavier way. 

Final Thoughts

As tempted as I am to simply write "WOW" here and leave it at that, I'll try to be a bit more eloquent. In all seriousness, Running High is that good. As I mentioned earlier, Stonerhead delivers a very developed, polished and refined version of stoner music. Not only that, but they do it while tapping into various styles, including stoner rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, doom metal, and stoner metal. Vocals and instrumentals alike deliver a powerful, emotive performance that I imagine makes for a juggernaut of a live show. 

Running High indubitably proves that stoner music can be incredibly sophisticated with an intricate, thoughtful composition. Stonerhead is made up of legitimate musicians whose hard work, creativity, and meticulous attention to detail are palpable throughout this album. 

I'm predicting that Running High will not only be a fan favorite in 2024, but will make it onto plenty album of the year lists as well. 

Job immensely well done, Stonerhead! Bravo! 

      

Preorders:

You can preorder Running High on the band's website.

More About Stonerhead:

Stonerhead Are:

Phil - Guitar, Vocals

Anna - Bass, Vocals

Igor - Drums

Christian - Guitar

Streaming/Social Media Links:

You can support Stonerhead by listening to their music on Bandcamp, Apple Music, SoundCloud, and Spotify, and by following them on Facebook and YouTube. 

If you dig Stonerhead, you'll also love Scorched Oak!