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Stoner Kings Sign to Sliptrick Records

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 12th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

Let’s go ahead and assume that maybe Kelsinki’s Stoner Kings, in deciding to name their new record Alpha Male, weren’t thinking of the whole internet-alt-right ‘beta male’ thing. They’re a pretty dudely band, either way. They’ve just signed to Sliptrick Records after issuing Alpha Male back in May — it includes a pretty groovy cover of Kyuss‘ “Green Machine,” which is a bold enough choice to speak alone for the level of testosterone with which the band is clearly working. Sliptrick will do a version of the album that’s listed as “coming soon” — fair enough — and Stoner Kings offer plenty of burl to justify the pickup.

And if you remember Stoner Kings from back in the early days of internet riffy proliferation, you’re correct. They were around then and took a break before coming back a couple years ago, as the PR wire explains:

stoner kings

Sliptrick Records Welcome Finnish Slackers STONER KINGS

Stoner Kings is the brainchild of band frontman, vocalist and songwriter, Michael ”StarBuck” Majalahti, who is the self-proclaimed, most accomplished professional wrestler in history from Northern Europe. The band was formed in 2000, after Michael came back from a disenfranchising experience of a disheartening UK wrestling tour, looking to focus his efforts elsewhere. Michael had moved from his homeland of Canada to Finland in the summer of 1996, when he started writing music and picked up playing guitar to pass the time. Many of the songs that ended up on Stoner Kings’ debut Brimstone Blues were created around this era, between 1996-2000.

The band strove forward and under an augmented line-up released a second album in early 2006 after finishing recordings in late 2005. This sophomore effort would come to be known as Fuck The World, which served as a backlash to all of the spite issued forth by the critics of the band, who just couldn’t get over their name. Between late 2006 and early 2007, Stoner Kings went through some tumultuous line-up changes. Everyone, save StarBuck, exited the band to be replaced by new players.

By the autumn of 2008 and after 3 singles, this latest line-up of Stoner Kings had dissolved and Michael decided to hang up the gloves indefinitely. It took eight years for the itch to make a comeback and became so undeniable that Michael contacted his old drummer J-J and talked to him about regrouping under a new line-up. Rude Rothsten from the 2007-2008 incarnation of Stoner Kings joined on bass once again and the new guitarist would be a young musician named Joonas Vepsä.

Stoner Kings’s comeback gig was in November 2016 in Helsinki at On The Rocks. From that moment forward, the band set out to both gig regularly and at the same time work on new songs. The group hit the studio one year later in the autumn of 2017 to compile a set of songs for their third album. This process would take one year, as they recorded the yet-to-be-released album that came to be called Alpha Male between the autumn of 2017 and the autumn of 2018, a process that was performed in three separate recording and mixing blocks. Now ready to see the light of day, Alpha Male will be released via Sliptrick Records soon!

Stoner Kings are:
Michael “StarBuck” Majalahti – Vocals
J-J Kontoniemi – Drums
Rude Rothstén – Bass
Joonas Vepsä – Guitar

https://www.facebook.com/stonerkingsband
https://www.instagram.com/stonerkingsband/
https://stonerkings.bandcamp.com/
https://sliptrickrecords.com/stoner-kings/

Stoner Kings, Alpha Male (2019)

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Stoner Kings Post “Cro-Magnon” Video

Posted in Bootleg Theater on November 20th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

stoner kings

Anyone remember that old Saturday Night Live bit where Phil Hartman played the ‘Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer?’ Well, the new video from reignited Finnish rockers Stoner Kings is kind of like that, except instead of a lawyer, their Cro-Magnon sits in an office reading old Conan comics — boy did that Lego ad on the back of that comic book bring back some memories — grossing out prissy coworkers by eating a pig’s head, spilling his beverage, tearing down Justin Bieber posters, etc.

The message is pretty clear, right? “Cro-Magnon,” which also happens to be the name of Stoner Kings‘ new single, is serving as a kind of representation for alienated masculinity. The job, the pretty girl taking selfies and eating chickpeas, the technology — note the model age of our protagonist’s not-at-all-smartphone — all of it is holding this thick-browed dude from letting loose, until finally he discovers the band rocking out in what seems to be a garage and gets his shirt ripped off, revealing a Stoner Kings tee that couldn’t be more fitting. Rocking out ensues, good times are had, and the inner-dude is reclaimed and redeemed.

Hard-hitting and catchy as all hell, “Cro-Magnon” is the first new Stoner Kings material in more than a decade. The song itself dates back nearly that long, to 2008, before vocalist Michael “StarBuck” Majalahti brought the band to its initial close. Now completed by drummer Janne Kontoniemi, guitarist Joonas Vepsä and bassist Rude Rothstén, Stoner Kings have a handful of new songs to throw in their sets, some going back even further than “Cro-Magnon,” but clearly when it came time to pick one to make a video for, they found just the right kind of hook to go with. Good luck getting it out of your head.

New album in 2018? Anything’s possible. When I hear whatever I hear I’ll let you know what I’ve heard. Until then, you can dig into the clip for “Cro-Magnon” below, followed by more background on the band — if you can chase down a copy of 2001’s Brimstone Blues, it’s some solid pre-social-media heavy rock — courtesy of the PR wire.

Enjoy:

Stoner Kings, “Cro-Magnon” official video

Stoner Kings single Cro-Magnon (2017 Rebel Breed Recordings).

After reforming in late 2016 after an eight-year absence, STONER KINGS are back with new material, recorded under the auspices of producer Hannu Leiden and engineer Eero Kaukomies at Sonic Pump Studios and Content Union Studios in Helsinki over this past autumn.

The band’s first album, Brimstone Blues, was released back in 2001, and subsequently re-released and licensed by Massacre Records in 2002. Stoner Kings’ second album Fuck The World in 2006 featured guests Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), Marco Hietala (Nightwish, Tarot), Pasi Rantanen (Thunderstone) and Nico Hartonen (Godsplague). New Stoner Kings single, “Cro-Magnon”, is also the band’s first-ever music video, shot and edited by Marko Simonen.

Written by Michael Majalahti, Petteri Hirvanen and Christian Palin. Arranged by Stoner Kings, Hannu Leiden and Eero Kaukomies. Produced by Hannu Leiden at Sonic Pump Studios, Helsinki. Engineered by Eero Kaukomies at Sonic Pump and Content Union Studios in Helsinki. Copyright 2017 Shrinking Cosmos Music. Published by Content Union Studios.

Stoner Kings Cro-Magnon music video concept, filming and editing by Marko Simonen (www.markosimonen.com).

Stoner Kings on Thee Facebooks

Stoner Kings on YouTube

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