Berlin, Germany

Steeped in the bluesy, brooding, bottom-heavy traditions of bands like Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, and Led Zeppelin, German psych-rock trio Kadavar spin '70s hard rock tropes into contemporary, stoner metal gold. Formed in Berlin by Christoph Lindemann (guitar, vocals), Simon Bouteloup (bass) and Christoph Bartelt (drums), the immaculately bearded retro-rockers released their eponymous Teepee Records-issued debut in 2012. The band inked a deal with Nuclear Blast the following year, the home of like-minded acts Witchcraft and Graveyard, resulting in their sophomore long-player Abra Kadavar (2013) and chart-topping 2015 follow-up Berlin. The summer of 2017 saw the release of a pair of singles, "Die Baby Die" and "Into the Wormhole," ahead of the arrival of their fourth studio long-player, Rough Times, which dropped later that September. ~ James Christopher Monger