Bong Voyage – Hedonistic Hard Rock
Release Date: 8th May 2026
Label: Ripple Music
Bandcamp
Genre: Heavy Rock, Stoner, Psychedelic, Space Rock.
FFO: Turbonegro, Håndgemeng, Suncraft, Ghost.
Review By: Magnus Rotås
“This album is a larger-than-life tribute to the very music that made your mom fall in love with your dad, and your friends fall in love with your sister. This album will take you from the dirtiest dive bars to the ring of Uranus, and everything in between.”
Pure anarchic fun are the words that best describe Norwegian hard rockers Bong Voyage’s debut album Hedonistic Hard Rock. This album is no quiet step onto the scene, but rather a shotgun blast of pure masculine energy, zero restraint and absolutely no interest in subtlety. This is big, dumb, glorious rock ‘n’ roll, and it knows exactly what it’s doing.
This album takes you on a wild tour through a lot of different musical influences from the 70s and 80s. The result is some of the most catchy and sing-along-able songs this genre has to offer. “Give in to the beer pressure and lose yourself to hedonism — this is the perfect soundtrack to your next bender. As the Bong-boys say: live bong and prosper!”
When I say this is an all bangers album I really mean it! There is not a single dull moment on this entire release. The production sounds fittingly retro, crisp and clean. The lead guitar especially sounds so incredibly good while it’s surfing on top of the heavier bass and drums. The way these guys manage to craft melodies that really stick with you can remind a bit of early Ghost.
From the opening punch of Saturday Rite Special, the band sets the tone: greasy riffs, chest-thumping rhythms and the feeling like it could fall apart, but never does. Bong Voyage lean hard into a raw, live-wire energy that’s anything but polished, and that’s the point.
Large and In Charge is the obvious centerpiece, a swaggering anthem that doubles as a mission statement. It’s all bravado and groove, the kind of track that demands volume and preferably a crowded room with sticky floors.
Frontman Charlie Ytterli delivers vocals that feel half-sung, half-shouted, perfectly suited to the band’s unfiltered approach. They are a bit raspy, but still very melodic and easy to sing along to.
Meanwhile, UFOria and Outer Space Freebase push the band’s tongue-in-cheek cosmic theme. There’s humor everywhere, but it never undercuts the musicianship. Tracks like Enabler and In Possession show a tighter, more controlled side; still heavy, still loud, and with riffs that really stick in your head long after the buzz wears off.
And then there’s One Hundred Million Billion Beers, which is exactly as ridiculous and anthemic as the title suggests, and a future cult favorite for sure!
Escape Prison Planet Earth and Wizard of Ozlo lean fully into the band’s absurdist storytelling, turning the album into something more than just a collection of songs. It’s a vibe, a journey – part dive-bar crawl, part sci-fi fever dream.
Bong Voyage’s debut oozes with charisma. It won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for nuance or introspection, look elsewhere. But if you want riffs, attitude, and a band that sounds like they genuinely believe rock music can still be dangerous (or at least dangerously fun), Bong Voyage deliver in spades.
(4.5 / 5)
