What is rock music? At the core, its history and its origin?
Well, for anyone who has ever done any homework whatsoever into the roots of rock, into its rich background of years past and the groundwork that its early fathers laid down, you’ll know that that the answer lies in rebellion.
Rock has always been the voice of the counter-culture. It has stood against the widely-accepted norms of the day. It’s been the voice of dissent in the face of the bullshit propaganda lines of the day. Whether it was the Vietnam War, the televangelist money-mongering of the 1980s or the political agendas to go claim oil from other countries at any expense, rock music has always toted the banner of counter-statement. And so it should, for rock music itself was founded as a voice of rebellion.
The Sex Pistols. Would they ever have meant a damn thing if they’d been PC?
For decades, rock was exactly that: the inconvenient message that bucked the system and pulled no punches in doing so. It was riding the edge of the razor blade. It was, as Gene Simmons from KISS said it should be… dangerous. Yes, rock HAS to preserve an element of danger to be viable and potent.
All of that was fine and dandy for years upon years. It was what was expected of rock. Everyone knew the name of the game. Hell, many even tried to plagiarize the agenda, making it come off as cheesy and absurd at times. But then came the modern era that we now find ourselves living in and everything… and I mean EVERYTHING changed.
Rock lost its grit, its soul. It lost the spirit of rebellion in the hopes of artists appeasing the social media masses, towing the company line of modern day thought and mass social conditioning, all under the haunting fear of social media backlash. In pandering to the social justice warriors and accepted public opinion and social pressure, musical artists themselves changed with the times. They forgot their roots. They forsook their heritage.
It became more important to get likes and follows and re-posts than stand as a bastion of counter-culture. The fear of getting blackballed and labelled whatever the social justice neophytes of the day like to throw around as easy shame tags created a play-it-safe atmosphere of toothless, soulless, non-confrontational pop. Hell, even the much-ballyhooed black metal acts became redundant, beating on the dead horse of anti-Christian sentiment long after our western world became as secular as anyone could ever hope for. Indeed, rock lost it’s identity.
This all brings me back to something that I recall a lady named Kristen Mulderig telling me back in 2013. Kristen – the manager for Slayer, Bullet For My Valentine and Ghost – told me as we were sitting down for supper one night, that every single rock act that ever made it big understood the day and age they were living in and were able to tap into that day and age through their music and message.
This brings me to 2019 and the return of my much-beloved Stoner Kings, as we stand here on the cusp of releasing our third studio album since 2001. It’ll be on May 17 that Alpha Male is slated to hit the digital airwaves on platforms like iTunes and Spotify.
Stoner Kings 2019, photo by Marko Simonen, clockwise from top left: StarBuck (vocals), Rude Rothsten (bass), Joonas Vepsä (guitar), Janne Kontoniemi (drums)
It’s absurd to think that since our inception in the fall of 2000, we’ve only put out two albums up ‘til now — 2001’s Brimstone Blues and 2006’s Fuck The World. We were arguably infamous back in our day, a sore thumb and Ichabod amongst our peers, hated yet a cult phenomenon at the same time. Then, there was an eight-year absence, an exile in limbo, between 2008-2016. We came back from that, determined to make an impression yet again. I had a vision that the guys shared. A vision to re-establish what rock was meant to be. Yes, Stoner Kings’ late, third coming would be a roar of rebellion in and of itself.
So some of you will ask what is this rebellion? What’s the big fuss and big talk about?
Well, it’s in the lyrics. It’s in the message. It’s in the meat of the matter, as I lyrically pillage the socially-accepted dogmas of our times, aiming to dissect and dismantle the myriad lies fed to us in the name of whatever suits the agenda at whatever turn and point in modern days.
Already in name and title alone, Alpha Male bucks the system. We’re not looking to kowtow to the masses. We’re not looking to win brownie points and play nice. Hell, we’re looking to not only rock the boat but turn the whole damn thing over!
So yes, Stoner Kings ARE bringing back the spirit of rebellion to rock. But it’s not the spirit that you’ll recall with familiarity from times past, because times have changed. Now, we’re calling everyone’s bullshit and bluff in the face of modern times. We’re offering the bitchslap that others fear to dish out. We have no fear, because we care not for public sentiment, nor is our house hingent upon social media likes, follows or ass-kissing to buck up our self-worth.
Fuck it, Stoner Kings are coming again with Alpha Male to kick ass, take names and overturn the lies that we’ve all been sold in the name of political correctness.
Get ready. May 17, the Earth rumbles in tribulation once again!
The album cover for Stoner Kings – Alpha Male (2019)
Hear the first single from our upcoming Alpha Male album, Fucked AD, here!
starbuck.fi 