BONG VOYAGE
"Hedonistic Hard Rock" (Ripple
Music; 2026)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
With a band name like Bong Voyage, I was expecting "Hedonistic Hard Rock" to be another collection of those slow-paced tunes with crushing, fuzzy guitars, droning vocals and lyrics about beer, pot, wizards and/or outer space. And I would have been fine with that. I mean, I like that kind of stoner sound.
But "Hedonistic Hard Rock" took me by surprise. Instead of the steamroller sound that I was expecting, Bong Voyage delivers a hybrid, of sorts. Combining the stoner buzz with faster paced songs with a lot of atmosphere and lyrics about ... well, about the same as other bands. I mean, song titles like "UFOia," "Outer Space Freebase" and "Wizard of Ozlo" kinda indicate that, right?
An interesting, entertaining flashback to 70s rock'n'roll, with a little dose of stoner metal dripped in, "Hedonistic Hard Rock" may have surprised me, but it was a pleasant surprise, and one that I'll be happy to visit again in the future.
For more information, check out https://bongvoyage.bandcamp.com/.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Copyright © 2026 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
