Most stoner/riff bands hold the early Black Sabbath records as the Demonic Ideals for the genre. But on IV, Vancouver’s Dead Quiet make a graveyard deal with themselves to push the limits of their instruments, their chops, and sheer output volume. Smart songcraft manages that excess, distorting time, space and spirit in service of 45 minutes of blissed-out riffs and howling angst. (SB)
Featuring Cindy Lee, Nemahsis, Wyatt C. Louis, and more — These Canadian artists all commandeered our headphones this year in a compelling way.
