Review STÖNER ‘totally…’

It was a year ago that Stöner premiered with ‘Stoner’s Rule’. In 2022 the band follow up what they started with the debut. ‘totally…’ is the title of the sophomore album from a band that is the brainchild of two well-known guys.

Two of the Kyuss founding members, Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri, are the driving force of Stöner. Drummer Ryan Güt completes the line-up and the trio present with ‘totally…’ their newest effort. That grooving stoner rock is in focus of the three-piece band doesn’t surprise and the expectation gets confirmed with the opening trach ‘Party March’. Downtuned guitars, a booming bass and a marching drumbeat, these are the key ingredients of a song that is a cool opener for ‘totally…’. Especially the part with the ‘march’-shouts is out of the usual and gives something extra to this first tune on the album.

Stöner shift gears with the roaring ‘A Million Beers’ before ‘Stawberry Creek (Dirty Feet) brings the heat of a desert breeze into your living room. And if mirages, generated by the heat of the desert, still do not appear then this will certainly happen during the eight-minute ‘Space Dude & The Burn’. The psychedelic long ball is slowly and steady rolls on and on. It’s hard to escape.

‘totally…’ is totally OK. Stöner make use of experience and creativity to create a longplayer that allows to lean back, have a smoke, and relax. These booming and hypnotic songs for sure add their piece to an interesting moment in time.