"A Countrydelic and Fuzzed Experience in a Colombian Supremo" – How Does the Stoner Desert Bury a Band Before It Can Truly Live?

I. Malmö, 1997 – Stoner Fuzz Beneath Scandinavian Concrete
Somewhere in the cold, gray Malmö of the late 90s, four young guys – Andreas Bergström, Johannes Svensson, Jonas Jönsson, and Johan Olsson – decided to play California's sound over the Scandinavian concrete. Ridge didn’t promise revolution, just mood. And they delivered that in spades. The fuzzy riffs, the analog floating, and the psychedelic pulse emerged at a time when the stoner scene was just beginning to take shape across Europe, but Sweden still had very few truly distinctive sounds.

II. Colombian Brew – One Album, Lots of Caffeine
In 2001, they released their debut (and only) album, A Countrydelic and Fuzzed Experience in a Colombian Supremo, a title that is both parody, homage, and reference all in one. As if Kyuss met Velvet Underground on a coffee plantation. The songs pulsed with energy, the sound was massive yet floating – the album is still listenable today, and in fact, it's aging quite well. It’s no surprise that their song "No Way Near" also found its place on the Burned Down to Zero compilation.

 This album was a short but intense "countrydelic" dream: as if stoner rock had momentarily moved to Malmö and then traveled back to an imaginary Latin America – through fuzz, LSD, and a spoonful of Swedish melancholy.

III. Dispersal – Three Directions, One Root
Ridge never officially disbanded, but after 2001, silence fell. However, the members didn’t disappear – they simply began searching for different sounds:

• Helldivers – Bergström and the others turned towards rock & roll, where fuzz was replaced by guitar solos and dirty vocals. The Hellacopters vibe, full throttle.

• Below – Another member plunged into the darkness of doom. He joined the Swedish doom metal elite, where the tempo is slower, but the weight is endless.

• Terminal Prospect – The third direction led to the thrash/death-tech world, where speed dictates the tempo, not the smoke.

Thus, Ridge lived on in three completely different genres – as if the afterlife of fuzz had blossomed in three shades: rock & roll, doom, death. But somewhere in each, a drop of Malmö’s psychedelia remained.

IV. Ridge Today – A Lost Classic Worth Revisiting
Ridge never became famous. But that was never their goal. Their only album, Countrydelic..., is a slice of the era when stoner wasn’t a brand, and fuzz wasn’t a speaker, but a mood.

Today, their name pops up only on Bandcamp, old blogs, or a few obsessed playlists. But once you find them, you’ll likely come back. Because Ridge is just like a special Colombian coffee blend: it takes time, but it’s memorable. AMEN!

https://www.facebook.com/ridgetheband/

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„A Countrydelic and Fuzzed Experience in a Colombian Supremo” – avagy hogyan temet el a stoner sivatag egy zenekart, mielőtt igazán élhetne?

I. Malmö, 1997 – Stoner fuzz a skandináv beton alatt

Valahol a 90-es évek végének fagyos, szürke Malmöjében négy fiatal srác – Andreas Bergström, Johannes Svensson, Jonas Jönsson és Johan Olsson – úgy döntött, hogy Kalifornia hangját játssza le a skandináv betonon. A Ridge zenekar nem ígért forradalmat, csak hangulatot. És azt nagyon. A fuzzos riffek, az analóg lebegés és a pszichedelikus lüktetés egy olyan időszakban jelent meg tőlük, amikor Európa-szerte kezdett alakulni a stoner szcéna, de Svédországban még kevés volt az igazán karakteres hang.

II. A kolumbiai főzet – Egyetlen lemez, sok koffein

2001-ben megjelent debütáló (és egyetlen) lemezük, A Countrydelic and Fuzzed Experience in a Colombian Supremo, ami már címében is paródia, tisztelgés és utalás egyszerre. Mintha a Kyuss találkozna a Velvet Undergrounddal egy kávéültetvényen. A dalok pulzálóan lüktettek, a hangzás masszív, de mégis lebegős – a lemez ma is hallgatható, sőt, egyre jobban öregszik. Nem meglepő, hogy a No Way Near című daluk a Burned Down to Zero válogatáson is helyet kapott.

 Ez a lemez egy rövid, de intenzív „countrydelic” álom volt: mintha a stoner rock néhány pillanatra Malmöbe költözött volna, és visszautazott volna egy imaginárius Latin-Amerikába – fuzzon, LSD-n és egy kanál svéd melankólián keresztül.

III. A szétszóródás – három irány, egy gyökér

A Ridge sosem oszlott fel hivatalosan, de 2001 után csend lett. A tagok azonban nem tűntek el – csak más hangokat kezdtek keresni:

• Helldivers – Bergströmék rock & roll felé fordultak, ahol a fuzzot gitárszólók és mocskos vokál váltotta fel. Hellacopters-vonal, teljes gázzal.

• Below – Egy másik tag a doom sötétjébe merült. A svéd doom metal elitjéhez csatlakozott, ahol a tempó lassabb, de a súly végtelen.

• Terminal Prospect – A harmadik irány a thrash/death technikásabb világa volt, ahol már a tempó diktál, nem a füst.

A Ridge így három teljesen eltérő műfajban élt tovább – mintha a fuzz utóélete három árnyalatban bomlana ki: rock & roll, doom, death. De valahol mindegyikben ott maradt egy csepp a malmői pszichedéliából.

IV. Ridge ma – Egy elveszett klasszikus, amit érdemes újrahallgatni

A Ridge sosem vált naggyá. De nem is ez volt a céljuk. Az egyetlen lemezük, a Countrydelic... egy szelete annak a korszaknak, amikor a stoner még nem volt brand, és a fuzz nem szólóláda volt, hanem hangulat.

Ma már csak a Bandcampen, régi blogokon vagy egy-egy megszállott playlistjén bukkan fel a nevük. De ha egyszer rájuk találsz, valószínűleg vissza fogsz térni. Mert a Ridge pont olyan, mint egy különleges kolumbiai kávékeverék: lassan hat, de emlékezetes. (Káter János) 

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https://www.facebook.com/ridgetheband/

The Bathrobe Anecdote

Although the story goes that Brant Bjork recorded Jalamanta while wearing a bathrobe in his desert home, this is more of a legendary anecdote than a documented fact. However, the vibe of the album definitely reflects this laid-back, independent approach to creativity – one that permeates the entire record.

There comes a point when music is no longer just sound – it becomes a state of mind. It doesn’t riff, it doesn’t shout, it doesn’t even move forward. It just breathes. That’s pretty much what happened to Brant Bjork after leaving Kyuss.

He lived in the desert. Literally. Somewhere around Palm Desert, where time doesn’t pass – it just hangs in the dust. Out there, where the sunsets aren’t romantic but spiritual, Brant recorded his first solo album, Jalamanta. Barefoot, in a bathrobe. From morning till night. 

 Rumor has it there was smoke in the background, but let’s not get into the discography details.

 Jalamanta isn’t an album. It’s a slow-burn meditation. A kind of fuzz-drenched desert yoga.

It doesn’t scream. It doesn’t try to sell you anything. It just exists. Like an old van parked at the edge of the universe, with the engine still humming.

If you haven’t heard it yet, go listen. If you have, listen again – but not on your phone, and not in the background. Do it how it was made: barefoot, chill, no rush.

Brant Bjork doesn’t hurry.
Stoner rock doesn’t hurry.
And maybe that’s exactly the point.

Some bands take themselves too seriously. Hey Satan is not one of them. This Swiss trio delivers heavy riffs with a good dose of humor and laid-back energy. Their latest release, Flamingos, is a fuzz-soaked, groove-heavy ride that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel – just makes it spin faster and louder.

We had a chat with Frank – and not just about the new record.
- Where did the name "Hey Satan" come from? Was it just a joke, or was there a deeper meaning behind it?
No deeper meaning haha ! We found the name funny and easy to remember, so we went for it immediately.
- How did the band come together, and what are your musical backgrounds?
The Band was started by the guitariste François, me Frank (on drums) and a second guitar player named Laurent. François and I started music together in rap-metal band called Eastwood back in 1993. Then after Eastwood, we founded Shovel, a more hardcore Deftones sounding band, then Houston Swing Engine, then Songs of Neptune and then Bloody Sailor. We started Hey Satan in 2013 with Laurent, a guitarist, bass player who replaced Reno in our band in 2004. Unfortunately Laurent had to stop playin because of hearing loss, so we replaced him by Reno, who also sang in a metal band called Kruger. It sounds like a big musician orgy but it is our story haha !
- If you had to describe what makes your music unique in one sentence, what would you say?
Our music is unique to us because it’s the only place in life where we dont have to make compromises.

 

- I have to ask the obvious question: Why flamingos? What inspired this album title?
I guess it’s simply the name of one of our songs. It sounds good and let’s face it : birds are cool !
- Is there a deeper concept in the lyrics, or is this more of a "let's have fun" kind of record?
You will have to ask François about it. I guess he talks about personal experiences also, but mainly, he wants people to have fun and give them energy.
- There’s a noticeable alternative influence mixed with the stoner vibe. What bands inspired you on this album?
The usual same, Fu Manchu, Led Zeppelin, RATM, Kyuss.

- How does the songwriting process work for you? Do you jam together, or does someone bring in the main ideas?
We always start with one of Francois’s great riff, or one of my beats. Then we try to build something coherent, catchy, and sometimes try to suprise people with slower or faster parts. Reno is new to the band, but his basslines bring the heaviness that was sometimes missing in our past records.
- Is there a particular song on the album that you're especially proud of? If so, why?
I personnaly love the monster. We start our shows with this songs and i love his weirdness and heaviness. Really fun and easy to play also. I love it
- If you had to compose a soundtrack for a movie, what kind of movie would it be?
Something fun with motorcycle, car chases, and the calfornia sun.

 - How’s the stoner scene where you’re based?
There are a few bands out there, but we don’t really know them. Maybe it’s because we are too old haha.
- Do you have any tour plans for this album? Any chance you’ll make it to Hungary?
As i told you, we are getting old. Two of us are dads, we have full time jobs and Hey Satan is for the fun of playing a few show and make good records together. But maybe Hungary one day, who knows ?
- If you could tour with any stoner band, past or present, who would be your dream lineup?
Fu Manchu and QOTSA

- If Hey Satan was a cocktail, what ingredients would it have?
Probably a mocktail with lemonade for Francois and I, and something stronger for Reno haha. Whisky and pee maybe ?
- If flamingos weren’t extreme enough, what other animal would you write a song about?
Cats. They rule man.
- Finally, what message do you have for the Hungarian stoner rock community?
Keep being cool and have good taste in music in a world full of Swifties

We exchanged emails with Frank – and not just about the new record.
Because sometimes, all you need is loud riffs, a weird sense of humor, and a couple of flamingos to remind you why rock ‘n’ roll still matters. AMEN!

Fotos: https://fotaugrafiero.ch/

https://www.facebook.com/heysatanrock/, https://www.facebook.com/coldsmokerecords/

Gondolkoztam sokat, hogy is kezdjem ezt a cikket a Lo-Pan új lemezéről. Egy olyan zenekarról beszélünk, akik idén már 20 évesek és ezalatt eljutottak a "legenda" státuszig, mégse hallunk felőlük szinte semmit. Nehéz helyzetben voltam, mert elismerem profizmusukat és nagyszerűségüket, de személyesen nem fogott meg egyetlen albumuk sem, pedig a dörgedelmes riffek nagymesterei! Emiatt próbálok egy objektív felütéssel kezdeni és egy szubjektív véleménnyel zárni.

A Get Well Soon a Lo-Pan eddigi legkomplexebb és legsúlyosabb albuma, amely húsz évnyi tapasztalatot és érzelmi mélységet sűrít egy erőteljes, 45 perces utazásba. A lemez központi témája a veszteség elfogadása, legyen szó személyes, politikai vagy történelmi kontextusról. A hangszerelés továbbra is masszív és feszes, a dalok egyenes vonalvezetésűek, de a lírai világ sötétebb és gondolatébresztőbb, mint valaha. A Northern Eyes, Rogue Wave és Six Bells kiemelkednek az albumról, a politikai töltetű God’s Favorite Victim pedig merész húzás. A Lo-Pan itt nem csupán a saját történetét meséli el, hanem reflektál a világ káoszára is. Nem könnyű hallgatnivaló, de annál fontosabb és időtállóbb anyag.

 

Azonban, mint a cikk elején említettem, engem nem igazán fogott meg. Nincs számomra semmi fogódzkodó, sem egy megjegyezhető dallam, sem egy jó gitárszóló. A Riffek nagyon dörögnek, ezt elismerem, főleg nagy hangerőn, de ez kevés, mert jellegtelenek. Minnél többet hallgatom, annál jobban megszürkülnek. Valószínűleg ez abból is adódhat, hogy napi szinten több albumba kell belehallgatnom és ezért már azt érzem, hogy ugyanazt hallgatom számról számra. Te ne érezd ezt és hallgasd örömmel! AMEN!

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