Bongzilla is a stoner metal band from Madison, USA. As their name suggests,… Read Full Bio ↴Bongzilla is a stoner metal band from Madison, USA. As their name suggests, most of their material is related to marijuana and promotes its legalization. The band formed in 1995, and over the next three years recorded and released a dozen songs on EPs and split singles. In 1998 they signed to Relapse Records, and have since released four studio albums and a live album through the label.

Since the seeds were planted in the mid-90s, Bongzilla have been sowing Madison, Wisconsin's rich soil with their homegrown, psychedelic sludge. Cultivating an extremely thick and heavy harvest of powerful mega-rock, Bongzilla have fertilized their sound tenfold over time, and the results of their bumper-crop harvest speak for themselves.

Releasing pounds of material over the course of the last few years, Bongzilla have raised consciousness in regards to their existence, and have kept their musical fires burning non-stop. Having toured the U.S. multiple times, playing gigs with the likes of Today Is The Day, Unsane, Noothgrush, Logical Nonsense, Dystopia, Grief, Zed, El Dopa, Cattlepress, Ire, Cave-In, and the mighty Spazz, Bongzilla love to perform live. The band's live show is not to be missed as crushing heaviness blends perfectly with tortured, intense vocals and tripped-out passages of mellowed, experimental jamming. Bongzilla support the cause of legalization, regularly playing national hemp festivals such as Weedstock (Bongzilla contributed a track to the Weedstock Vol. 1 CD) and Harvestfest. The summer of 1998 proved to be an important time for Bongzilla, as they made a highly publicized appearance at the Milwaukee Metalfest in addition to joining label-mates Unsane for a devastating tour of the Midwestern United States.

Influenced by the medicinal powers of THC and a love for wicked grooves, Bongzilla entered the infamous Austin Enterprises in 1996 where they recorded a massive demo with Today Is The Day's Steve Austin overseeing the festivities. This, along with other demos from the band, made their way to the Relapse Compound (the subject matter alone warranted multiple listens) and the band was signed shortly thereafter. 1997's Methods For Attaining Extreme Altitudes presented three opus magni for the elevating of musical consciousness, and proved to be a perfect companion to a serious bong session. Two heavy, stoner-rock anthems and a billowy sonic cloud of ethereal experimentation (aptly titled "Smoke/I Love MaryJane") lit up the senses, and produced a hazy, bleary-eyed vision of what was yet to come.

In 1999, the hemp-friendly horticulturists returned from the stratosphere once again, bringing with them some of the best THC-powered rock ever exhaled. Recorded under the influence of three ounces of Humboldt's finest, Stash presented ten fat spliffs of crystallized bliss. In the truest sense of irony, the release date for Stash fell on April 20, 1999 (4:20, 99), a release date that occurs only once every 7 years! In addition (and also by complete coincidence), the random Relapse catalog number assigned to Stash was 6420! When extreme homage is payed, the true are rewarded justly.

With a Black Sabbath-on-downers encrusted sound that blends billowing rock, clenched-teeth blues and an underground punk attitude, Bongzilla fire up thunderous mega-rock with a pronounced emphasis on the "big riff." Their next album, Gateway, showcased a Bongzilla sound simultaneously aggressive and mellow, with thunderous percussion, smoke-seared vocals and infectious, fuzzed-out riffs baked to perfection.

In 2005, the band released Amerijuanican, considered by many fans to be their best. The band has now taken a hiatus so Dixie can work with his other band, Weedeater.

Sacred Smoke
Bongzilla Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, the sun it rises in the east everyday
You can see it's the same, then you'll see it my way
Yeah, the sun it sets in the west where it grows
Yeah, the best I heard, dreadlock man he say so

There they sit at the foot of the mountain
Taking hits of the sacred smoke
Fire rips at their lungs

Holy mountain take us away

Yeah, the sun it rises in the east everyday
You can see it's the same, then you'll see it my way
Yeah, the sun it sets in the west where it grows
Yeah, the best I heard, dreadlock man he say so

There they sit at the foot of the mountain
Taking hits of the sacred smoke

Fire rips at their lungs
Holy mountain take us away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bongzilla's song "Sacred Smoke" seem to be discussing the cyclical nature of life, as well as the power of drug use in a spiritual or religious context. The first verse describes the way that the sun rises and sets each day in the same predictable pattern. The repeated refrain, "Yeah, the best I heard, dreadlock man he say so," seems to refer to the opinions of a wise or respected figure, perhaps someone who has achieved a heightened state of consciousness through drug use.

The second half of the song focuses on a group of people sitting at the foot of a mountain, smoking what the lyrics refer to as "sacred smoke." The use of fire to inhale this smoke is described as "ripping" at their lungs, which could be seen as a painful or powerful experience. The final line, "Holy mountain take us away," seems to suggest that the use of this drug in this spiritual context is a way of connecting with a higher power or transcendent experience.

Overall, the lyrics to "Sacred Smoke" seem to be exploring themes of spirituality, connection to nature, and the power of drugs to facilitate these experiences.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, the sun it rises in the east everyday
The sun rises every day in the east, and it is an observable fact.

You can see it's the same, then you'll see it my way
If you acknowledge this fact, you will understand my perspective.

Yeah, the sun it sets in the west where it grows
The sun sets in the west, which is where it appears to grow larger.

Yeah, the best I heard, dreadlock man he say so
A wise man with dreadlocks told me this.

There they sit at the foot of the mountain
A group of people are sitting at the base of a mountain.

Taking hits of the sacred smoke
They are smoking a substance that holds spiritual significance for them.

Fire rips at their lungs
The smoke is harsh and causes discomfort in their lungs.

Holy mountain take us away
They are seeking transcendence and a spiritual experience from the mountain and the smoke.

Yeah, the sun it rises in the east everyday
Repetition of the first verse.

You can see it's the same, then you'll see it my way
Repetition of the second verse.

Yeah, the sun it sets in the west where it grows
Repetition of the third verse.