The Atomic Bitchwax
Rock · US · Active since 1993

The Atomic Bitchwax

High-octane stoner rock that swaps the usual slow haze for blistering riffs and 70s groove. Perfect for fast drives and loud nights.

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Intro

Imagine the heavy, sun-baked distortion of stoner rock injected with a massive dose of adrenaline and technical precision. This isn't the kind of stoner rock that wants to sit on a couch and stare at the ceiling; it's the kind that wants to drag you into a van and drive 90 miles per hour toward a neon horizon. The sound is thick, fuzzy, and deeply rooted in the 1970s, but it moves with a restless, modern urgency.

What truly sets them apart is their 'players band' mentality. While their peers might lean into repetitive, hypnotic drones, this group treats every song like a high-speed obstacle course of interlocking riffs and complex transitions. There is a palpable sense of joy in the musicianship, a feeling of three masters of their craft pushing each other to see how many ideas they can cram into a four-minute window without losing the groove.

Start with 'II' or 'Gravitron' to hear the band at their most accessible yet powerful. If you want to witness their ultimate technical flex, put on 'The Local Fuzz,' a single forty-minute track that serves as a relentless encyclopedia of heavy rock riffage.

The Atomic Bitchwax is an American stoner rock band from New Jersey, formed in 1992 by bassist/singer/songwriter Chris Kosnik, guitarist Ed Mundell, and drummer Keith Ackerman. They did not release their first full-length album until 1999, upon signing with Tee Pee Records. Mixing elements of 1960s psychedelic rock and 1970s riff rock, filtered through modern progressive rock, their music has appeared in TV shows such as Jackass, Homewrecker, and various Fox Sports broadcasts. The initial version of the group became a local jam band, performing in the New Jersey and New York area. This lineup released two full-length records: a self-titled debut in 1999 and Atomic Bitchwax II in 2000. Additionally, they released the Spit Blood EP in 2002 via the MeteorCity label. In 2004, Mundell was unable to keep up with the planned tour schedule and was replaced by guitarist/vocalist Finn Ryan (formerly of Core). Since then, the band has released nine studio albums and has performed 1,500 live concerts. Their 2006 EP Boxriff was engineered by Jack Endino. Current Monster Magnet drummer Bob Pantella joined the band in 2007, and the album TAB4 was released the following year. In 2011, they released the album The Local Fuzz, which consisted of a single 42-minute track featuring 50 riffs played back-to-back. In the following years, the band toured worldwide. Kosnik became a member of Monster Magnet in 2013, in addition to his duties with The Atomic Bitchwax. The album Gravitron was released in 2015, followed by Force Field in 2017. Ryan left the band after 15 years in 2018, and was replaced by Monster Magnet guitarist Garrett Sweeny, who appears on the band's 2020 release Scorpio.
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Our Catalog8 Albums · 1999 · 2020
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