Few bands in this genre have the longevity of Orange Goblin, and with the release of their 8th long-player, Back From The Abyss, it's clear that they have no intention of compromising on their sound either. This is another stoner-metal heavyweight from a band that helped pioneer the style.

For every 10 bands that I instantly click with, there is one that takes me months if not years worth of revisiting to finally "get". YOB falls into that category. I'd call them an "acquired taste", but I realize that it has more to do with my own sonic palate than it does the big, fat, sludgy, doomy, quirky assault that these guys have been delivering for close to 2 decades. Either way, YOB's evolving sound and my evolving ear have found a real connection with Clearing The Path To Ascend, and I have a feeling that I'll be working backwards through their catalog with increasing lust now that it's clicking.

"There goes my brother floating in the river, old Irene fed him a bullet for dinner." Oh fuck yeah! Albatross Overdrive doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the riff, and their smooth blend of southern rock and stoner metal makes for a very palatable sound that will be enjoyed by anyone who likes catchy rock.

From the quirky and unique 2009 album with the same name. It took me a while to warm up to Big Business, but now that I've got a taste for their sound I have found that their tunes are laced with earworms. You've been warned.

And here we have the title track from Tank86's latest, "OBEY". If played at the correct volume, your next drive to the grocery store could very well feel like a scene from an epic car chase.

Pallbearer have become the torch-bearers of a "traditional" Doom resurrection, it seems. With tasteful blends of big and melodic, Foundations of Burden is a real treat for listeners who don't care for the sludge/death flares that are so common in most modern doom.

1000Mods are probably my favorite desert-rock band these days (sorry, Vista Chino) and their latest offering, Vultures, is a shining example of why I love the genre so much.

With their 5th studio release, The Conjuring, Wo Fat's "swampadelic fuzz groove" is alive and well. I dare say this is their best yet.

I fucking love Truckfighters, and this single had me tingling in all my naughty areas when it was released. The rest of Universe, however, really didn't tickle me as much, but it's possible that it's an album I'll revisit and find love at second glance.

The Well's "Samsara" is quite possibly my favorite album of 2014, and it only gets better with every listen. Tone, fuzz, grooves... it's all here, folks.

2014 may have been a very quiet year for The Almighty Riff but it was jam-packed with great releases. Let's take a peek at a few, starting with some "majestic" riffage via Mos Generator.

TAR's Best of 2013 - #1:

New Keepers Of The Water Towers - Cosmic Child.

Every so often an album comes around that reminds you of why you love music so much. This is one of those albums for me. There isn't a single element that I do not absolutely love, and there are a LOT of elements. I wouldn't even know how to classify this album... maybe psyched-out progressive stoner doom? I guess it has a bit of everything, including some jaw-dropping guitar work, which is kind of rare for the albums I've been crushing on these days. This record also drips with familiarity, which may have something to do with why I'm so in love with it... almost as if I can hear all of my favorite bands mixed in there somewhere. I don't know what it is, exactly, but I hope that NKOTWT keep doing what they're doing, because they are doing it RIGHT.

TAR's Best of 2013 - #2:

Clutch - Earth Rocker.

Superior Firepower. Superior Hardware. That line encompasses how I feel about this album almost entirely. The mix is crisp, the songwriting is bloody brilliant, and come on... it's Neil Fallon! For me, this is a perfect picture of modern southern rock. How fitting that it's been painted by a band that is one of the cornerstones of the genre. The blues-infused riffing is foot-tapping magic and it just makes you want to grab your guitar and rock out. Either that, or grip the wheel a little tighter and put the accelerator to the mat. 

TAR's Best of 2013 - #3:

Windhand - Soma.

The fact that I find this album so haunting and unsettling is probably an ode to the fact that Windhand knows their doom. This album has tone so thick that it could probably trap small animals in suspended animation. The riffs have a droning and brooding element that contrasts so well with the mix-buried vocals that I'm almost afraid to listen closely and hear what they're singing about. Perhaps my favorite thing about this album is that they've contrasted the fuzz with some bleak acoustic work that effectively dulls your senses just enough so that you get pile-driven when the sonic tonal attack returns. 

TAR's Best of 2013 - #4:

Vista Chino - Peace.

To be quite honest with you, even though it is essentially a Kyuss revival, I never cared much for the "Kyuss Lives" moniker, so I'm happy they were 'asked' to shed it. Where QOTSA kind of missed the mark for me in terms of the desert rock sweet spot this year, Vista Chino delivers in a big way. This is a sound that I thought was long forgotten, so half of my love for this album is probably rooted in nostalgia. Regardless, this album is a huge reminder of why I fell in love with this genre to begin with. It's tight, it's intimate, and it's uncompromising. If I had a '69 Nova, I'd be jumping in it right now.

TAR's Best of 2013 - #5:

Pelican - Forever Becoming.

These guys have been sitting at the apex of post-rock for a long time, so it came as no surprise when I was captivated by this record's grooves on the very first spin. I find that they've really mastered the ability to sink a hook in just far enough to keep you coming back for another listen but not so deep that you're saturated by repetition. There is also a sorcery to the musicianship and writing style that opens the songs up far enough that you kind of get lost in them... as if they get clicked into the "soundtrack to your day" slot. Whether you're looking for some down-tuned chug-chug-chugging or you just want to sink into 50 mins of dynamic and atmospheric wizardry, this album deserves your attention.

TAR's Best of 2013 - #6:

Russian Circles - Memorial.

Maybe I just have an affinity for instrumental post-rock, but I'll be damned if Russian Circles doesn't spit out some of the best jams on the planet. This is the type of album you grow into like an expensive pair of hand-me-down jeans from your older and much cooler cousin. At first they really don't seem to fit, but after a day to conform to your shapely body, they feel like a dream and you don't want to take them off. The best thing about this album is that it doesn't just hit you in the face with an onslaught of riffs... it gives you just enough space between beatings to recover and appreciate the next round.