Miss Lava is another band comprised solely of men, but named for a female character. They have less in common with Cinderella or Lizzy Borden though, than they do with Baroness. Their album, "Sonic Debris", is loaded with far out song titles like ‘I Am the Asteroid’ and ‘In the Arms of the Freaks’, wrapped up behind a trippy, Hendrix-reminiscent album cover. The music isn't so much Hendrix-descendant, however, but rather points to the usual cadre of influences for the modern Stoner Metal band: Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, The Sword, maybe-a-little Mastodon, maybe-a-little Black Keys, and definitely-a-lot Black Sabbath.

Even with the current glut of bands in this genre, Miss Lava's release is part of the cream rising near the top. The formula works well for them: simple, fuzzy riffs infused with delicious, luscious groove through solid playing and powerful backbeat. Ice clean vocals across the top, and. . . it's a familiar treat, but tasty nonetheless. I'm declaring 2016 the year of the Stoner Metal resurgence. There've been a number of releases, each of the good ones unique enough to be distinguished from the other babies in the nursery. One characteristic that sets "Sonic Debris" apart from, say, "Arcane XIII" from Danza Macabra, is a touch of glammy snarl. There's some anger beneath the surface here; subtle, as opposed to the bubbling outward rage in much of a Slayer's or a System of a Down's work. That low fire brings some heat to the material.

Album highlights include: ‘I am the Asteroid’, ‘In a Sonic We Shall Burn’, and ‘Planet Darkness’ - - but as with others in this genre, the songs on "Sonic Debris" maintain a level keel; solidly good, but without any glaringly superior or poor standout tracks.