Occasionally, something comes to Monster Riff’s attention that is pure, unadulterated Stoner Metal. Achachak’s Planet Hashish, released on March 12, is one of those albums—and a stunning follow-up to the band’s High Mountain.
Channeling the heavy riffs of Down, the occasional psychedelia of My Sleeping Karma, and wrapping it all together with deep, Doom-driven vocals, Planet Hashish is a quick-moving Stoner Metal stomper with plenty to love.
About Achachak
Achachak is a Stoner Rock band from Vučipolje, Croatia, and their roots go all the way back to 1999. On Planet Hashish, the band members are:
- Ante Kodžoman – Vocals
- Patrik Zelenika – Guitar
- Luka Gobin – Guitar
- Lovre Gobin – Bass Guitar
- Milan Mijač – Drums
Planet Hashish is the band’s third full-length album. It was recorded at CCC Studio and mixed and mastered at Cave Studio.
Planet Hashish Album Review
Release Date: March 12, 2022
Tracks: 9
Length: 41:12
Track 1 – Planet Hashish
After opening with a water bong sample, “Planet Hashish” tears into a relentless riff—a riff that eventually leads to a new vocal approach compared to High Mountain. Kodžoman’s voice is deep and booming, and it has all the gravity of an impending apocalypse. “Planet Hashish” is a good example of what the rest of the album has in store: exciting, distorted riffs and massive vocals.
Track 2 – Breathe
The first single off Planet Hashish, “Breathe” picks up where “Planet Hashish” left off, breaking into a delicious Stoner Rock riff and those big, guttural vocals. The music video, while relatively straightforward, captures the desperation of the lyrics, showing a man being more and more aggressively suffocated. Check it out here:
Track 3 – Celebration For the Desert
After two heavy tracks, “Celebration for the Desert” is surprisingly psychedelic, relying on dreamy strings and a mystical bass line to build a true sense of mystery. A purely instrumental track, “Celebration for the Desert” is a repetitive, meditative palette-cleanser.
Track 4 – Orange Moon
“Orange Moon” pushes Planet Hashish even deeper into Metal territory, although it remains rooted in the Stoner scene with Kodžoman’s flat vocals in the verses. Interestingly, Kodžoman cranks up his own distortion during the chorus, entering a sort of Punk-Metal territory akin to Titanosaur.
Track 5 – Weed Wagon
Running less than 3:00, “Weed Wagon” is a fun little Stoner Metal tune with big riffs riding atop churning power chords, and Kodžoman’s mellow vocals run alongside an electrifying lead guitar. “Weed Wagon” packs a quick, impressive punch.
Track 6 – Shaman’s Horse
“Shaman’s Horse” offers a tinge of Psychedelic Doom, relying on rhythmic power chords and chanted vocals to create an emotional rollercoaster. “Shaman’s Horse” doesn’t offer a ton in the way of movement at first, but the final minute of the song is a fast-paced adventure.
Track 7 – Desert Eye
A chill Stoner Rock track with occasional Metal accents, “Desert Eye” tells the story of a spacecraft crashing onto a planet with one lone survivor, and occasionally calls to mind Monster Magnet.
Track 8 – The Hasheesh Eater
In another ode to the stoner scene, Kodžoman delivers what are probably the coolest lines on the album, which could be read as effectively tying the biblical story of Peter with weed consumption:
I’m stone, I’m Peter
The old hashish eater
Overall, “The Hasheesh Eater” is another fun Stoner Rock track packed with massive riffs and fun guitar licks.
Track 9 – Fishermans F(r)iend
Telling the story of a tragic fishing accident, “Fishermans F(r)iend” is a slower track that’s heavy and pregnant with expectation, relying solely on the bass, guitar, and sampled waves to create a Psychedelic tapestry. When the song finally explodes, Kodžoman tears into these memorable lines:
Now tables have turned
My time is gone
I am the prey
The hunt is done
Final Thoughts
Final Score: 9/10
Top Tracks: “Planet Hashish,” “Weed Wagon,” “The Hasheesh Eater”
Pros: The biggest drawback to the band’s 2021 album, High Mountain, was its tendency to dip into other genres without warning. “Cozy Night” sounded like a Classic Rock song stripped out of the ‘70s, and “Biggest Wave” was a sort of chill Surfer Rock wind-down—just for two examples.
Here, Achachak has delivered a spellbinding and cohesive experience, wrapping the listeners in waves of distortion and pounding riffs. Planet Hashish offers some of the band’s heaviest and catchiest music yet, and it may very well be an album you play on repeat in the coming days.
Cons: Milan Mijač is a skilled drummer, and I would have loved to feel the full force of his drums through the recording. Instead, they seemed to sit in the background, trying to cut through the wave of guitars and bass.
Learn More About Achachak
To learn more about Achachak, check out the Achachak Bandcamp page, follow them on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), or subscribe to their YouTube channel.