We admit, there are WAAAAY more bands in the California Heavy Underground, but we wanted to get the ball rolling with a few of our faves. California is home to some of the most iconic acts in all of rock and heavy metal. When it comes to the Heavy Underground, Sleep, Kyuss and Fu Manchu probably come to mind. Then there’s the brutality of Primitive Man.
The scene is alive and well, and these are examples of the intense diversity that make up the new sound of the West Coast!
Faetooth
Faetooth, a young three piece doom band from L.A. have defined a sound so fitting of their name that it has called forth the birth of a new genre: FAIRY-DOOM. They meld dark bass and guitar leads so that they dance back and forth in an ebb and flow as natural as the trickle of a stream and infuse that with sharp drum stabs and gorgeous vocals. Every now and then, the dark beauty is interrupted by unbelievable gutturals that wake the listening dreamer. They are absolutely amazing live. Find a way to go to a show friends, you will thank me.
Throbbing bass, wailing guitar, crackling drums, calling song, haunting gnarl. This is Faetooth. Beauty, death, darkness. Light, decay, darkness. Life, rot, darkness. This is Fairy Doom.
Faetooth has been on the move, touring all over CA and into Oregan. They are currently working on new music. The world isn’t ready, but I am!
Dread Spire
Originally from the Davis, California area, Dread Spire has found a home for their heavy instrumental bass and drums assault in Oakland and the greater Bay Area. Formed during the pandemic, these long time good friends were seeking an outlet for their feelings of frustration, confusion, and general uncertainty of the time. They had their first show at an open min night in Davis, in January of 2023.
They are heavily influenced by bands like, Russian Circles, Deftones, Melvins, Mastodon, and Dope Throne with a healthy nod to Om (look for more on Om soon). The bass player, Richie, told me he especially loves Brian Cook (of Russian Circles, Botch, etc.) He sticks to his trusty Ernie Ball Music Man bass while Erol pounds out steady blues inspired drum-lines with plenty of tight, punctuating fills. Their home-grow 2023 EP, Endless Empire, has a heavy, post rock feel and is filled with sludge, doom, psych, and lot’s of invigorating tempo changes.
The duo id currently working on new material and says they will get back to touring soon. I can’t wait! They are on my list of must see bands.
KIM
This three piece stoner doom metal band out of Oakland, Ca hits like a hammer that just keeps driving those nails home. Heavy riffs, nasty screams, unyielding drums…it’s all there.
Their Album, Sir Kim, opens with a truly heavy track, Madam. It instantly pulls you into a trance with a brutal guitar progression that keeps circling back on you and does not let up. This song has so much power to it, I have played it on repeat for an hour at a time. Try these one track as your gym playlist on leg day!
With a blend of solid riffs and unconventional use of whammy, the guitar work in KIM is memorable along with tight, jazz inspired drums that carry each song forward. The vocals play back and forth between pleasantly rock & roll to wild banshee screams. It all ties together to make a heavy album full of punky moments and sludge sentiments.
Live, KIM is absolutely brutal and the recordings are no different. Just like the poster of Hurricane Kim that hangs in their studio, they are a storm and they are raging. They’ve been playing all over the Bay Area, opening for bands like King Woman and Mizmar. This KIM is on the move!
Chrome Ghost
Sacramento boasts many a great band and Chrome Ghost is one of their recent gems. Maybe funeral doom, maybe stoner rock, maybe post rock, definitely heavy, they infuse tender, aching sadness with crushing, powerful walls of sobering highlights that widen the eyes of everyone at their shows. I took a friend, who was completely new to stoner doom, to see them last year and his reaction to the first slamming breakdown was priceless! The extreme juxtaposition from gentle, forlorn vocals and delicate guitar to the absolute earthquake of bass, drums, guitar, and screams in mind-blowing, amplified synchronization is a roller coaster for the ages.
They have a bumper stick that reads, Chrome Ghost makes me sad…And I like it. But in my experience, their music doesn’t leave me sad. There is something transformative about their songs, especially live!
With the exception of the drummer from time to time, they are serious and somber on stage, adding to the mournful feel of their sound. But when I interviewed them earlier this year, I was surprised to learn that they are all very funny, light hearted guys off stage. They had me laughing throughout the entire recording. When I asked about how they developed their ability to create such stark transitions, the drummer took on a sober tone and said something I quote often.
If you’re just loud all the time, it’s not loud anymore. So you have to be quite to be loud.
Indeed, that is an excellent philosophy for life.
Snakemother
Ah, Snakemother. What can I say? Shall I compare them to a…I’ll stop trying to be clever right there and just get to the point. These woman are on level with the greats both in musicianship and stage presence. They have the song writing chops of early Led Zeppelin; memorable, meaningful, and masterful music. Their riffs are powerful, their breakdowns are heavy, their lyrics are engaging.
Vocally, the blend of a solid heavy blues broth is salted with classic rock and middle eastern embellishments that set them apart in the doom metal realm. I hear hints of Robert Plant on several of the melodies. In fact, I really am curious as to how it would sound if they covered Whole Lotta Love or Kashmir… but I digress. Their title album is full of doom, full of rock, and full of dark and mysterious magic.
I’ve been able to see them live a couple times and they open their shows in a ritualistic performance, with the singer playing a drone instrument and wearing a ceremonial a mask. It is mesmerizing and welcomes you into hypnotic state that never lets go until the show stops. In May 2024, they headlined for the Rites Of Beltane Festival in Oregon. I did not make it to that show, but I have read about it and been told it was miraculous and I would expect no less from these professionals. They area a Bay Area favorite among other bands. I recently went to a Faetooth show and found I was one of four people rocking a Snakemother shirt. In fact, if you scroll back up, you will see a Snakemother shirt on one of our other featured musicians. Check out my interview with them.
With all the incredible heavy music emerging from the golden state, I am proud to be a part of the scene and grateful for every opportunity to share their music with the world. Stay tuned for more California heavy as I continue this series here on Monster Riff!