Discovering Stone Axe (Thanks to Kadavar)

428747_10150662253039483_2054041352_nKadavar played here in Atlanta a couple of months ago for the first time ever. Getting to see Kadavar for the first time ever was such a huge fucking exciting time for me. I couldn’t think of a greater gift than the gift of music from a band I really love and admire. Well, just when I thought the night couldn’t get any better, Kadavar presented me with a gift that I am eternally grateful for. That gift was the gift of pre-show intermission music.

I know what you’re thinking. Gee Don, that’s not a gift. That music is just shit to fill the void between bands. Well, normally I would agree but as I stood front stage center waiting for my Krautrock heroes to take the stage, I couldn’t help but be completely mesmerized by the music that I was hearing over the PA. One sing came and went, then another, and finally by the time the 3rd song played I vacated my prime spot and approached the soundboard to ask the sound guy what it was that was playing. He looked down at the iPad that was streaming music and says, “Man, this is Stone Axe. Aren’t they awesome?”

Eventually the music went away and Kadavar came out on stage and kicked everyone’s fucking faces in and owned everyone’s asses. I went home that night and before I could forget about it I went to Spotify and I created a playlist of Stone Axe so that I could go back and reference it again and take it in. Well, as always, life got busy and I forgot to get back to Spotify to really give them a listen. Well, today I sat down and I thought to myself, “I really need to listen to that Stone Axe stuff.” I found my playlist, I hit play, and my face proceeded to melt clean off my skull and my mind just soared. I closed my eyes and took it all in and ya know what? I was right. I had indeed found another new favorite band.

Stone Axe is everything that I love about this kind of psychedelic groove infused hard rock music but they’re doing something a bit different. In a time where a lot of these kinds of bands are playing with a pretty heavy Black Sabbath influence, Stone Axe has taken that stoner, psychedelic element but they boast more of a classic Bon Scott era AC/DC influence. Just imagine if Bon Scott smoked more weed than he did drink whiskey.

Stone Axe describes their music as “70s HARD ROCK ORGY WITH ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS.” Listening to the band’s albums Stone Axe I & II I have to say that they couldn’t have said it any better or any truer. “There’d Be Days Like This” has all of that boogie woogie swagger of AC/DC meets Humble Pie yet they turn it all round on a song like “For All That Fly” sounding almost like a lost Black Crowes classic. “Stonin’” just may be the best Deep Purple song never recorded and “Return of the Worm” sounds like a Jimmy Page/Robert Plant composition sung by Bon Scott fronting Black Sabbath. Man, just typing that melted my fucking face off and had me reaching for the repeat button just to hear this song again. Song for song Stone Axe just had me smiling, nodding and feeling every note, hanging on very soaring vocal, and nodding with every stank nasty groove.

The best way to describe Stone Axe is that Stone Axe is all of your favorite bands all wrapped up in one. When I listen to Stone Axe I just can’t help but smile. In a genre where the music can be lyrically and even musically heavy and intense, it’s just such a refreshing change to hear with such a lighthearted, fun groove to them yet still appealing to the side of me that really loves great musicianship and song structure.   Thanks Kadavar for giving me the gift of Stone Axe. I owe you guys a beer to show my gratitude. Now if only Stone Axe would make their way to Atlanta to melt my face live.

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