Dozer

One of Sweden's first and most enduring stoner rock bands, Dozer were formed in 1995 by vocalist and guitarist Frederik Nordin, lead guitarist Tommi Holappa, drummer Erik Bäckwall, and bassist Magnus Larsson, who would soon quit to pursue a martial arts career and be replaced by Johan Rockner. Dozer hailed from the sleepy town of Borlänge, but quickly started making waves on the international stoner rock scene when 1998's "Hawaii Cottage" was awarded "single of the week" honors by Kerrang! magazine. Several split releases with Demon Cleaner (1998), Domestic Dudes (1999), and Unida (1999), plus another single (1998's "The Phantom") later, and Dozer unleashed their year 2000 full-length debut, In the Tail of a Comet, through up-and-coming stoner rock label Man's Ruin. Despite being recorded for a meager $500, the record landed on many critics' year-end Top Ten lists, and set the stage for a much anticipated sophomore effort in 2001's Madre de Dios. Unfortunately, both Dozer and their album fell victim to Man's Ruin's much lamented bankruptcy debacle later that year, and a third opus, Call It Conspiracy, would get lost in the shuffle when released by vinyl experts Molten Universe in 2002. The members of Dozer then decided to take some time off from touring and recording to pursue parallel projects (most notably Holappa's Greenleaf), and only reconvened in early 2005 for a European tour with Extol and Mastodon. This bout of roadwork was enough to start the gears turning again, though, and after installing new drummer Daniell Liden, Dozer finally set to recording their fourth full album, Through the Eyes of Heathens, released in early 2006 by Detroit-based Small Stone Records.