Canadian band Doom Stoned have crafted, unsurprisingly, based on the name, a doom meets stoner metal sound that they describe as “raw, ruthless and creative.”
The Toronto trio began when guitarist Daniel ‘Psychedelic Steak’ Diggins started writing songs in late 2021. He met vocalist Renaldo ‘Pop Plug’ Carvalho when they were both working as stagehands and audiovisual technicians at a concert the following summer. Renaldo eventually also took on bass duties before finding drummer Kazik ‘IDropMySticks’ Konopka on Bandmix to complete the lineup in winter 2023.
On the sound they’ve crafted since, Daniel told us: “Doom Stoned’s sound is catchy, groovy, raw, relentless, oppressive, dark, psychedelic, chunky. It can also at times be gentle, beautiful, dreamy, soulful and much more. Doom Stoned is not one set thing, but an eternal driving creative force right from the heart and soul. It can at times sound like a bong toke or a tank or artillery fire, or a galactic storm, or a dreamy soul with a story in motion. A reign for triumph to push the boundaries of reality’s limitations in a constant thriving to grip the cosmos like a snake.”
To give us a taste of this, the band sent us their debut single Roshambo, which was released in February. On the track, Daniel told us: “Roshambo is a very early raw song. The mix wasn’t even perfect. When I recorded the guitars, I was high on mushrooms by myself with the gear and space I wanted and just placed the mics and did what I felt. It was ok. But I see now how to make it even better. This first song is very raw and wild. And so were the early times of the songs. And it reflects growth as the new releases come out. I learned how to commit to writing songs. And allowing musicians to organically create what they will and just give some direction.”
The band followed that up with Bong Ripper, which opens up with big doomy guitars that continue as Renaldo’s engaging vocals take over. It flows into a catchy chorus before another verse and chorus drop into wild guitars and echoey shouts that continue into a chunky guitar riff, which gives way to a meandering solo to bring the track to a lively conclusion.
The Doom Stoned sound is inspired by a wide range of metal and rock artists, from Led Zeppelin, Alice In Chains and Nirvana to Iron Maiden, At The Gates, Deftones, Gojira, Rage Against The Machine, Lamb of God and Cypress Hill.
And Daniel explains: “When Covid happened, I started getting into guitar a lot again. I started jamming with people and started a cover band. I really learned about more types of metal in 2020. I was drunk and watched Korn at Woodstock 99, and it blew my mind. The seven strings and low-end growl. Before, what I knew about metal was more Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Metallica, the heavy metal didn’t make sense to me until this. I got into Korn, Bolt Thrower, Slipknot, Decapitated, 200 Stab Wounds and more, and my mind really started to open up. I always loved the heaviness, I just wasn’t aware of it through the guitar in this way.
“Ever since then, I’ve found all these great patterns on guitar and really evolved. And the songs are a reflection of this evolution. From classic power metal to nu metal to death metal. My grandma died in 2021 and I used some inherited money from her to buy my electric guitar and downtune it. And I felt the responsibility to write stuff. I had no idea what it was, but I knew I needed to and I just went with the flow and my instinct. With a lot of classic rock background, knowledge has evolved into heavier, more technical, and smarter metal.”
And on what inspires them to write music, Daniel said: “It’s one of the only things that feels like it makes the most sense in this world,” he told us. I can take what’s inside of me and bring it to the universe, and make it something bigger. It’s like a snowball, I just keep rolling it and making it bigger.
“My father was a huge inspiration to me. It showed me a spiritual energy in the world. He played acoustic for me when I was a baby going to bed. I saw him as a normal person and this humble power and devotion on stage. He is a rockstar, but just a normal person. It’s spiritual energy and power. I just know I have to make music. Theres nothing I love more than creating art. And I’ve always been that way. I was always a troublemaker, but I love using metal to shake up the system, claim my own personal power and develop my senses to be as sharp as I can with my studies. It gives me meaning and purpose.”
Doom Stoned currently have four more songs in the recording phase, Amber, Art of Anger, Investment in Genocide and Phantom Pulse, from which Daniel tells us to expect some heavy thrashy stuff and more soulful, mellow sounds. As he explains: “It will be a great mix of songs and I’m very excited for these. I think we dialled in the tones for recording better too, and we hope to get a very wild tone this time that is much more precise. Since our last recording, we have become much better musicians and much tighter together.”
The band is currently working on finalising their first album, with work already underway on a follow-up that’s more death metal in style. The band is also busy playing shows around Toronto and Hamilton, with a view to playing more gigs outside of Toronto and securing festival slots as they grow the Doom Stoned Army.
And Daniel added: “I am having a blast figuring out these new patterns and growing my memory of song structures. And finding new ways to create earthquakes or any natural disasters in the room in the most beautiful way. I’d like people to know we’re here to rock out from a really pure place. And we are always thriving to sharpen our blade to create the most badass vibration we can bring. We would love it if you joined our adventure.”
You can follow Doom Stoned on Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
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