Under the Influence: Giant Lungs

I grew up mostly on Scandinavian Punk and Metal and only discovered Stoner Rock in recent years. This album was one of the stepping stones into the genre for me since it expertly combines heavy Stoner riffing with those Scandinavian harmonic and melodic sensibilities that I so adore. Truly an incredible record that has immensely inspired my Stoner Rock guitar playing.

Another eye-opening record on my way into the Stoner genre. This EP and their 2016 album Volume Rock blend heavy, fuzzy Stoner riffing with memorable melodies and excellent song structure, which makes those records a joy to listen to. Definitely something I try to aspire to in my guitar playing and song writing.

When I first heard the album Ride the Lightning – after the initial experiences with this genre with Kill ‘Em All – I was blown away by the brutal, but also groovy and melodic bass play. The harmonic interaction of bass and guitars, which was exceptional at this time, simply blew me away. Though I was well aware that I’d never get even close to this level, I’ve always tried to spice up the songs of the bands I play in with similar elements, without taking too much room from the guitars (they do not really like that).

After a long period of listening to metal, speed and thrash, I also discovered some doom and psychedelic style bands like Black Sabbath and Monster Magnet. It took some further time to get into the world of stoner rock with bands like Red Fang. When I first heard the song “Wires” while watching the music video, I was immediately a fan of these tremendously cool dudes. The groovy compositions paired with the fuzzy sound always put a smile on face.

This album has been with me for almost 20 years. It is my absolute favorite on all levels. Vocally, I was very influenced here. Markus Acher’s vocals hit me deeply every time. The voice glides tenderly and vulnerably in the overall sound. Slightly wrong notes are part of this concept and free the singer from having to hit every note. In their previous album Nook, the singer shows that it is also possible to sing like this on much heavier guitars.

Of course, I could also have mentioned here the usual suspects like Kyuss, QOTSA and Smashing Pumpkins. A less obvious influence for me are some elements of Krautrock. Especially Neu! from Neu!. Songs like “Isi” and “Hallogallo” are my faves here. The ingenious warm production of the drums and the whole sound generate a feeling for me that I try to put myself in when playing guitar and composing. The innovative motorik beat and the sparingly interspersed guitar elements generate a kind of happy inspiring trance for me. For me they show the one thing you can’t overdo is clever repetitiveness :-). In the stoner area this has of course a different face, but emotionally it is still a compass for me in the band context.

Being too late to the party, their last record was the first one I listened to in 1995. Even more than Grunge, this changed everything for me. The sound was something I had never heard before and it still is the main reference for my productions. No clicktrack, no (obvious) overdubs, just sheer power. Perfection in imperfection. Obvious, but someone had to list them.

All rough and dirty, relatively simple riffs pushed to the max, precise but yet organic. When writing stoner material, I always tend to slip into the Cavalera corner. And hey, why not. It’s one of the best records ever made.