Heavy Rocks is the sixteenth studio album by the Japanese experimental

Experimental music

Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...

 band Boris

Boris (band)

is a Japanese experimental rock band, known for often combining and switching between different music genres including drone metal, sludge metal, noise rock, psychedelic rock, ambient and pop...

. The album was released on May 24, 2011, through the label Sargent House

Sargent House

Sargent House is a Los Angeles based management company and record label. It was founded in June 2006 by Cathy Pellow, who is a music video commissioner for Atlantic Records and who also owns a music video production company called Refused TV. Pellow began managing the rock outfit RX Bandits in 2006...

. Its original release date was April 26, but this was pushed back. This album has the same name and cover style as their album released in 2002 called Heavy Rocks

Heavy Rocks

Heavy Rocks is the fourth album by Japanese metal band Boris. Unlike the previous albums, which were laden with doom and drone sounds, this music departs wholesale from Boris's previous efforts and emphasizes punk and stoner rock...

, although the cover is purple instead of orange. The band brought back these elements because they "seek to redefine 'heavy' music in a culmination of the band's tireless efforts over the past two decades".

The album was released on the same day as Attention Please

Attention Please (Boris album)

Attention Please is the seventeenth studio album by the Japanese experimental band Boris. The album was released on May 24, 2011, through the label Sargent House. Its original release date was April 26, but this was pushed back...

, with which it shares the track "Aileron." It also shares different mixes of the songs "Jackson Head" and "Tu, La La" with New Album.

Initial tracklist information had the song "8" listed as the second track, but the final release replaced it with "Leak -Truth, yesnoyesnoyes."

On March 29, 2011, Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

 released the song "Riot Sugar" in promotion for the album.

The vinyl edition features extended versions of "Missing Pieces" and "Czechoslovakia."

On May 16, Heavy Rocks in its entirety was made available in full for streaming on NPR Music.

Track listing

Credits

• Takeshi
• Wata
• Atsuo
• Michio Kurihara
  Michio Kurihara
  is a Japanese guitarist who has played with Ghost, Boris and The Stars, formerly known as White Heaven. He has also released a solo album, Sunset Notes. He collaborated with Boris on the albums Rainbow and Cloud Chamber, and also appears on the Boris album Smile.-References:...
  
  
• Ian Astbury
  Ian Astbury
  Ian Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
  
  
• Kensuke Saito
• Yoshiko Kawakita
• Faith Coloccia
• Aaron Turner
  Aaron Turner
  Aaron Turner is a musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal band Isis, while also participating in several other bands and projects such as Old Man Gloom and Lotus Eaters.Though raised...