From Sardinia, Italy comes four-piece heavy rocker INDIGOSAUR. The band’s name seems to aptly sum up the kind of electricity, energy, and heft you’ll encounter on their debut nine-song record, ‘Cosmic Censor’ (2025). With that chill desert fuzz and frenetic perpetual motion rhythm you’re definitely in for a good time. Rainy late-night atmosphere pervades the listening experience, and I enjoyed taking this one for a drive on my pre-dawn coffee runs this fall.

Today, Doomed & Stoned brings you the second single “Titania,” which delivers the addictive momentum and feel-good rocking we’ve come to expect from late-'80s metal along with the heart-pounding groove of bands like Kyuss and Truckfighters. Loving the guitar play on this one, especially, with its subtle sendbacks to bands like Guns 'N Roses and Stone Temple Pilots.

Says Indigosaur:

‘Titania,’ second single, is an homage to the Bard, William Shakespeare. Titania is the queen of the fairies but it’s also an icy moon, like the one mentioned somewhere else in the album. The song goes straight to the point, an unstoppable race downhill lead by a syncopated riff and rousing groove, catchy but dark.

Look for Indigosaur’s Cosmic Censor, issued by the esteemed Electric Valley Records on December 5th (pre-order here).

Much of the album follows fascinating lyrical rabbit trails that include “pessimistic reflections on the human condition, metaphorical descriptions of astronomical phenomena, and their link with mythology.”

And in case you’re wondering about the meaning of “Cosmic Censor,” just take a look at the album cover. The black hole says it all, which the band characterizes as a “gravitational abomination from which nothing can escape.” Some scientists have speculated that our universe is itself nested in a super massive black hole, which is indeed food for contemplation as the vinyl spins.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Electric Valley Records present the Sardinian heavy rock quartet Indigosaur’s debut LP, Cosmic Censor, scheduled for 5 December 2025 on three vinyl variants and across digital platforms.

Formed in Cagliari in 2018, Indigosaur—Lorenzo Alrifai (drums), Ivano Caria (bass), Nicholas Crozier (vocals), and Gianni Pintus (guitar)—started out by putting together the experience its members had gathered through the years and shaping the songs that would end up on their first record. Their first shows were key in building the band’s cohesion, with Indigosaur seeing live performance as the purest expression of their music. The Italian group plays a vintage and strictly valve-driven sound, drawing on thee hues of the darkest hard rock from the '70s, the steely taste of the new wave of British heavy metal and the narcotic atmospheres of stoner from the end of the millennium.

After a break caused by force majeure, the band returned to playing, both in local rock venues and in more unusual settings such as the cliffs of Ogliastra and the coast of San Pietro island, putting on a handful of “secret shows.” They shared stages with fellow Sardinian bands like Elepharmers, Ilienses Tree, Black Capricorn, and Fuzzriders.

In 2023, they recorded the tracks for their debut, while continuing to hone their live craft. In the summer of 2025, Indigosaur opened for American heavy rockers Duel on their European tour and later for London-based Italo-English outfit Gramma Vedetta. Currently working on new material, the band are eager to bring their sound to a wider audience.

Cosmic Censor is the band’s first record: nine tracks of lysergic heavy rock, at times direct and relentless, at others winding down a more complex path. Vocal lines snake through massive riffs, the rhythm section drives the songs between crushing grooves and passages of reflection. The lyrics dwell on bleak reflections on the human condition, with metaphorical visions of astronomical phenomena and their links to mythology. At the center stands the “Cosmic Censor,” a gravitational abomination from which nothing can escape.

Without doubt, one of the most exciting bands to emerge from North Carolina and onto the scene at large is Winston Salem duo STONEKIND, the impressive heavy rock duo of Jeff Ayers, Jr. (drums, vocals) and Davis Templeton (guitars, bass). I say heavy rock, as it brings you the full weight of the rumbling, low end appeal of doom metal and weds it with hard driven desert and stoner rock instincts.

Today, we present the world premiere of ‘Hollow Ground’ (2024), their second album following 2021’s Spirit of the Void and the eponymous EP in 2019, and it is a rip-roaring rager.

“Story Teller” kicks open the doors with bombastic bass and guitar riffing in the great tradition of BelzebonG, Bongzilla, and Bongripper. There’s a little more of a southern flair to this one, Davis Templeton’s guitar has a swampy, humid feel here that just pulls you right in, and the vocals are a great match. Jeff Ayers, Jr. opts for mid-range vocals, Neil Fallonesque in the sense of those early Clutch Records, only Stonekind vox are more along the soulful side – a style which is effectively matched in a heavier sound (and a great companion to Denmark’s Sonic Moon).

In “Glass of hours,” Stonekind really build on a concept and develop it beautifully, instrumentally that you can’t help but get swept away in. The song takes the time it needs to develop, from airy desert notes into bluesy middle-eastern sounds into soaring and fuzzy. Clearly this is a band capable of depth in their song development.

“Masters of man” is the quintessential track on the album, in my estimation. It blends so many of the band’s strongest elements: deep, downtuned, searing, meaty guitar riffs (here they’re ultra doomy), a hearty, rambunctious bass (rocks like Tool here), and a bold, brash, workman beat. Combine that with vocals that have an Alice in Chains flair (“What the Hell Have I”) and a mysterious, wandering desert feel. Winning combination all around.

The song takes to barren plains and windswept prairies. Vocals have a Godsmack feel, reminiscent of the foggy vocals of “Voodoo.” Contemplative moments of ambience usher us out with desert winds and acoustic plucking with elements of Spanish and traditional desert guitar.

Speaking of “Dune,” this one really bounces with one of those beats you don’t want to just bang your head to, you want to move your body. Big sound, with guitar that flirts more with metal, with a lot of stop-start stuff and rocking notes, the whole thing is infused with energy. The drums remind me of Dan Laudo’s punch in the band Prong. It’s a get-up-and-go song for sure, with vocals that had me thinking Josh Homme. Like the previous song, there is an atmospheric, mirage-like ending.

“Dressed as man” man gives us the feel of sunset (or an eclipse), with winding heavy desert grooves sporting crackling electric fuzz. There’s a surreal quality to some of it, like many of the moods on Soundgarden’s Down on the Upside. The drumbeat steadily moves us ahead to the chorus (which Apostle of Solitude fans should dig), which mesmerizes with the dead stare of someone who’s seen too much over the years. The guitar gets wild and free with a nice quick solo that buzzes around you like a bee threatening to sting. There’s a Sabbath-like romp of a B-section, prefaced by a fantastic drum solo, then some menacing, grip your heart bass notes and a glorious psychedelic guitar solo.

The album concludes on a solid doom metal note, with “Echus Chasma” and was beautifully produced and mixed by Stonekind’s Davis Templeton, with drums recorded by David Roland at Storyteller Sound. Mastering by Jay Matheson at the Jam Room. Great team on a great record. The instruments are clear, full, and well-managed in the mix.

Look for Stonekind’s Hollow Ground on Friday, June 14th (pre-order here), issued on vinyl, digital, and compact disc. Stick it on a playlist with King Buffalo, OM, and Red Mesa.

Give ear…

Stonekind Speak on 'Hollow Ground’

We are beyond thrilled to finally share our third record, Hollow Ground. With this album, we sought to create something heavier and more visceral… while still allowing for the ebb and flow of dynamics and intensity found on our previous records. Hollow Ground is essentially a concept album in which the songs flow into one another and contain recurring themes like many of the classic records we all know and love. There are four instrumental tracks dispersed throughout the album and plenty of psychedelic interludes and unexpected transitions… possibly a treat for those more keen on instruments and atmosphere rather than vocals/lyrics. We hope this record takes you on a journey from start to finish and brings you back feeling inspired… as it has for us.

The lyrical theme of the album comes from a place of pure exhaustion with what’s going on in the world around us… being so fed up with what you’re told when you know you’re being lied to… watching powerful people shape the way information is given to us while at the same time destroying our surroundings. The weight and anxiety associated with these experiences is a recurrent theme throughout the record. Most of us can relate to the challenge of maintaining a normal life and responsibilities while it seems we are being driven off a cliff… to hollow ground.

We can’t thank you all enough for listening to our music. Much love.

TRACK BY TRACK:

1. Storyteller

This was a bonus song of sorts. We had about an extra hour of studio time when tracking drums for the album at the brilliant studio, Storyteller Sound, in Winston-Salem. We had a bluesy riff we coined “ZZ riff” in a previous rehearsal, and put it together to track the foundation of the song. The lyrics speak to the lies/manipulation our leaders and those with power bestow upon us.

2. Glass of hours

Instrumental track and was initially intended to be the album opener before “storyteller” was written. It was sort of an abbreviated, instrumental nod to our previous song “spirit of the void” for some continuity between albums.

Hollow ground

A brief guitar instrumental and atmospheric prelude to “masters of man.” The sound of rain was recorded with a mic to the skylight in our home studio during a downpour while the classical guitar outro to “masters of man” was tracked.

4. Masters of man

Overall, probably the most difficult and complex Stonekind song we have written so far, and our personal favorite from this album. Lyrically, you are in the killing fields, fighting as a result of our masters’ greed and lust for power.

5. Dune

The music on this one was more of a challenge writing compared to other songs on the album because it’s just weird haha. We were going for a Soundgarden-esque time signature/feel and it ended up being mainly 6/4 but also has a 4/4 shuffle in there and an 11/4 intro/interlude. Lyrically, it refers to the realization of our time/opportunity drifting away and never feeling satisfied or appreciating the current moment.

6. Veda

Another guitar instrumental and a nod to “dust” from the previous record with some post-rock vibes; serves as a breather before the next epic track.

7. Dressed as man

The working title was “space desert” since the music is more geared to space and desert rock genres. This one was a labor of love and the last song completed. We wanted to have a decent length drum solo backed by psychedelic guitar effects leading to a build-up / slow-down / build-up. The result would have been impossible with a click track haha. Lyrically, it refers to self-empowerment and maybe a glimmer of hope in the midst of famine, pestilence, and apocalypse.

8. Echus Chasma

Initially written to be a prelude to “dressed as man,” this instrumental turned out to be a more fitting conclusion to the album, combining both a sense of doom and hope.

WET CACTUS hail from Cantabria, Spain and have been plugging away since 2013, making them as old as Doomed & Stoned. My first notion of the psychedelic heavy rockers came in 2015, with their self-titled debut. The cover art then was weird and disjointed on the one hand, colorful and alluring on the other, and I thought it captured the essence of the band’s sound. Add to that urgent.

The new artwork by David Octane captures it brilliantly on ‘Magma Tres’ (2023), the heavy rock quartet’s lastest romp. The album takes us into proggy up-tempo territory, with frenetic drumming, grungy fuzz-toned guitar, and vocals that make me think of Marc Arm from the hey-day of the '90s punk-grunge-alternative scene. There’s fantastic energy here.

Those opening guitar strands on the new single, “My Gaze Is Fixed Ahead,” provide what I like most in my rock 'n’ roll: something disruptive. It seems to break through the sound and fury of an anxious, over-stimulated life and remind us of what is really central. We’re right here, right now. What do we do next?

“This song is about overcoming challenges and staying focused on a goal,” says the band. “It has a spectacular middle section with vocal work that is totally off the charts compared to what the band has done before.”

It’s about time we had some hefty music that’s also positive. And thank God it wasn’t over in 3 minutes, or we would have missed the gorgeous, southern-tinged guitar duet that begins at 3:16. The sweet tones of the guitar have a vintage '70s feel that’s irresistible. A grungy riff takes us on a ride that buzzes and flutters and gallops and lunges toward a heroic end.

Electric Valley Records has another hot one on their hands, with 'Magma Tres’ (2023) by Wet Cactus, their third full-length. The album is a trip, with a desert meets progressive meets spacey psychedelic sort of vibe, and gets big, bad, and bombastic by the time it’s all said and done. Scheduled for release on November 24th on three variants of vinyl (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Swan Valley Heights, Black Elephant, Black Lung, CCR, and Mudhoney.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Wet Cactus is an alternative rock band with heavy psychedelic hints, formed in Cantabria (Spain) during the summer of 2013. The band has maintained a constant lineup since their formation, with Daniel Pascual on vocals and bass, Ernesto Díez and Óscar Sánchez on guitars, and Jaime Pérez on drums.

Their debut s/t album was released in September 2015 on CD via Producciones Tudancas and Odio Sonoro, followed by a vinyl release through Violence in the Veins in 2023. The album received a great response, laying the foundation for a sound rooted in deep stoner (Californian desert) but unafraid to explore other styles. From this album, which made quite a splash on the North Spain circuit, it’s impossible not to mention “Damned Rope,” the third track, which has become a true classic in the scene.

Their second full-length, Dust Hunger and Gloom, the album was shaped in 2017 and finally released in March 2018. The album is an evolution and development from the first Wet Cactus record, fearlessly venturing into more progressive or psychedelic elements while maintaining the group’s established sound. This time, the album was released on vinyl by Spinda Records, Monasterio de Cultura, Fuzz T-shirts, Stone Hill Records Store and DoomWitch; the CD edition was handled by Producciones Tudancas and Odio Sonoro; and for those who love the pure essence, a cassette edition was made thanks to La Conspiración de los Iguales. The striking and unique cover art is the work of David Octane, who has become a regular collaborator with the band since then.

In 2018 and 2019, the band focused on presenting their new work and building their live performances, mainly playing throughout the peninsula. They even shared the stage with the iconic Yawning Man on several occasions and performed at the 2019 edition of the Resurrection Fest.

After the forced break in 2020, all attention turned back to the creative process, searching and experimenting with ideas that materialized into their third album, Magma Tres. This conceptual album delves into the consequences of Earth’s depletion as a life-sustaining planet due to human inaction in reversing their actions. Eight tracks, recorded live in February 2022, invoke a gritty and explosive atmosphere. Once again, David Octane created the cover art.

I knew from the moment I heard the opening track from ‘Return Without Any Memory’ (2023) that I wanted SONIC MOON to be featured in these pages, for the Aarhus 5-piece are a special band.

The colors are all right for their album cover, as opening track “The Waters” really does conjure those unearthly yellows, blues, and reds. It’s a song that meets somewhere at the junction of Soundgarden, Greenleaf, and Mars Red Sky. The drums mark a desert rock pace and the song rolls steady, with jaded roadhouse vocals and dark Pentagramesque riffing.

There’s something lonely, but comforting about the songs on the album. These are dark, otherworldly tracks with downtuned grunge tone and warmly bittersweet vocals, gliding calmly along in a vessel of fuzz down the shuddering waters of Styx. I took it all in while the moon was shining bright in my backyard and it was an ultra-cool experience, particularly during “Head Under The River.”

Reached for comment, the band had this to say about the new LP:

It took us some years and a few EPs to reach a point where we were satisfied enough with our material to put it on a full-length album. It’s something we looked towards from the very beginning, it just took a while to get there!

Almost every song starts with one of us bringing a riff or a loosely based idea to rehearsal, and from there we work the rest out as a group. So it’s a very collaborative process.

The new album was self-recorded at our rehearsal space in February 2022. We recorded everything live, except the vocals. We had very limited time to record, so we actually ended up recording the instrumental parts in a single day.

Sonic Moon’s debut album Return Without Any Memory is one of the clear standouts of 2023, a record I’ll be revisiting often. Get it Friday, August 4th, through the band and Olde Magick Records (pre-order vinyl here). Stick it on a playlist with Witchcraft, King Buffalo, Dunbarrow, and Magmakammer.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Sonic Moon is the sound of Kevin Starrs meeting Josh Homme on an acid trip in the dark Scandinavian winter. It is heavy guitar-riffs, drowned in fuzz and delay, carried through by a swaying drum- and bass-section, complimented by a raw and melodic vocal. The lyrics consume the remaining light, and touches subjects like nihilism, sorrow and anger.

After spending the better part of two years unfolding their contrasting and riff-based take on psychedelic stoner rock, Sonic Moon release their 7-track self-recorded debut album Return Without Any Memory on August 4th, 2023 on Olde Magick Records.

The first single Give It Time was released on May 12 and premiered by the stoner rock blog the Sleeping Shaman. Additionally, the music video was released on the 666MrDoom’s Youtube channel focusing on doom, stoner and psychedelic rock and metal.

Return Without Any Memory’s dark and heavy groove introduces the band’s shared feeling of encapsulated loneliness, anger and frustration, all contained within the refined sound produced by the intensive care, effort and soul that the band fueled the album with.

Return Without Any Memory will be available on vinyl in two editions: ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Cloudy Splatter’ on Bandcamp. The album is recorded by Sonic Moon, mixed and mastered by Haldor Grunberg at Satanic Audio, and the artwork is designed by Mirkow Gastow.

Can’t delay it
Eternal void
You can’t escape it
Crash your asteroid

Here’s an album worthy of a long drive across desert highways. ‘Return of the Asteroid’ (2023) is a stacked 9-tracker by Norwegian heavy rock trio WOLFNAUT. Hailing from Elverum, a small city in southeast Norway that traces back to a farm established near its rivers, Wolfnaut are all about getting back to the basics: a vigorous heartbeat, riffalicious grooves, and lyrics that relate compelling stories.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is giving you a first-listen to the album’s sixth track “G.T.R.” Drummer Ronny “Ronster” Kristiansen and bassist Tor Erik Hagen spark things off with a rambunctious Fraggle Rock rhythm that makes you wanna move those feet. “You’d better get your motor running” warns frontman and guitarist Kjetil Saeter. “You’re out of rope…end of the line.” Things are about to get interesting in these barren badlands.

Notes the band:

The second single from the album, the fierce and energetic “G.T.R.” is not inspired by car racing or video games. The song was written after reading a news story about the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. There was a quote in the story attributed to an Afghan saying, which translated into English goes something like this: “You have the watches, but we have the time.” After decades of war, the Afghans have learned that foreign soldiers will eventually go home, but the locals will stay on. Perseverance can prevail against the greatest armies. (This does not in any way mean that the band endorses the cruel Taliban rule in Afghanistan!)

Wolfnaut’s Return of the Asteroid enters our atmosphere on April 21st c/o Ripple Music, releasing on vinyl, compact disc, and digital formats (pre-order here). Stick this on a playlist with Queens of the Stone Age, Dozer, The Atomic Bitchwax, and Lazer Beam!

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Forged in the sounds of early hard rock and metal, and the desert and stoner rock scene that exploded in the mid-1990s, WOLFNAUT has since its debut in 1998 made it a quest to investigate the musical landscapes between melodic and catchy guitar-based songs, and sludgy and doomy stoner rock.

«Return of the Asteroid» continues in that tradition, but the new album is by all accounts the band’s most varied effort to date. «Return of the Asteroid» is an infectious blend of catchy songcraft and stoned riff madness. The album will make you break out your air guitar, then tuck you in sweet cosmic dreams.

Wolfnaut (formerly known as Wolfgang) started life in the mid-1990s in the town of Elverum, a two-hour drive northeast of the Norwegian capital Oslo. Their energetic live shows and debut album, «Welcome to the Cactus Mountains», went down a storm in their hometown, and the album even garnered a solid review in Kerrang.

Wolfnaut reformed again in 2013, and the band released its second album «Castle in the Woods» to raving reviews in 2016. The band’s third album, the aptly titled «III» was released in 2022. «III» brought the Norwegian trio’s blend of catchy tunes and heavy stoner riffs to a larger international audience.

For their fourth album, Wolfnaut has teamed up with US-based label Ripple Music to spread the word even further. «Return of the Asteroid» was recorded at Audioskop studio, Sofiemyr, Norway, from November 2021 to May 2022. Production was handled by the band, with invaluable help from engineer extraordinaire Bjørn Barstad. Swedish sound wizard Karl Daniel Lidén (Greenleaf, Lowrider, Dozer, Demon Cleaner) was enlisted to mix, master, and put the finishing touches to the album. Eminent graphic designer Mirko Masala created the visuals.

Get ready for a big sound from two massive bands from Down Under sharing the same cylinder for a two-way split as ‘Turned To Stone: Chapter V’ (2022) brings you DUNEEATER and PLANET OF THE 8s! The Ripple Music series has had some terrific pairings over the years, but this volume is absolutely brilliant. I hope you’re listening with a good pair of headphones, or at least have your car stereo system ready for a long, loud drive into oblivion, because this record is indeed a smooth ride down to the Highway to Hell.

Tires peel out for “Twin Voyager,” which makes for a big opener after the short but arresting, “Dusk Part 2,” which is a real cruiser. The band did music video for “Pleather Sex,” and its desert rockin’ vibes make it a swell playlist pal with Kyuss, Truckfighters, Dozer, and Mountains of Madness.

“C.O.B.R.A.” is a badass stoner-blues romper that makes me wonder whether these guys grew up with the same G.I. Joe comics I did, fighting as they did with their eternal enemy Cobra Commander and his henchmen of doom. The song’s got a lot of bounce, and it rumbles and tumbles along until I’m irresistibly pulled into headbanging mode as we drive towards “Dawn Part I” (aka “Devil Dodgers”). It’s a real asphalt-ripper.

Planet of the 8s carries the vibe along into “Dawn Part 2” on the record’s flip-side. The smooth delivery of the lyrics, in sync with a groovy rhythm, reminds me of Depeche Mode for some reason (that’s always a good thing). The vocal harmonies are quite effective (at times approaching worshipful), supported by deep musicianship, beautiful melodic instincts, and a grungy, bittersweet guitar solo.

“Raised By Night” is a rainy number, with bombastic drums and melancholy riffmaking. The smooth vocals contrast so well with the groovy rhythm, leading up to one of those great choruses you’ll find yourself singing along with (perhaps unconsciously). The climax is one of those exalted moments in rock that you want to freeze and revisit over and over.

After another convincing track (“Gravity”), the record closes on “Dusk Part I” – and just like that we’re back to start, in a kind of time loop. It’s a good hint to listen to it all again on repeat. Believe me, you will want to get lost in this record. Not hard to see why both these bands are on the rise.

Turned to Stone, Chapter V is a powerful collaboration from two of the heavy rock scene’s most extraordinary artists. Look for its release this Friday, August 8th, on Ripple Music – dropping in digital as well as several variants of vinyl (pre-order here).

Give ear…

All above, so below
Planets shift, time moves slow
Suns will die, stars be born
Barren earth, scarred and scorned

Though it may be hard for us to fathom now in this age of scientific rationalism, long before witches were castigated as devil worshippers and burned at the stake, practitioners of folk magic and traditional medicine were once revered, even consulted by rulers. There is the well-known story of King Saul who sought out the Witch of Endor and had her conjure the spirit of his dead advisor, Samuel – this in spite of the fact that his own laws made witchcraft a capital crime.

Still, there’s a veil of mystery that covers witchcraft, and it inspires fear and fascination in about equal parts. Consider many of the films produced in the past 100 years, from 1922’s lurid Häxan and Simon: King of Witches to The Blair Witch Project and Robert Eggers’ masterpiece The Witch. All of them reflect our fascination with occult knowledge and the ancient dark arts, and simultaneously betrays our frustration with the hard, cold logic our civilization is built upon.

“Witches Walk,” the brand new single from Sweden’s GOATRIDERS, is rich in symbolism as it describes the witch’s strange allure and powers. A meandering bass riff opens the song to a crescendo, when it is joined by jamming garage guitar and disquieted vocals that cautions us: “Listen closely, hear the goat speak…What kind of song is she singing now?”

It’s the latest sounds to emerge from the Linköping camp, and readers may already be aware of their first album, ‘The Magician’s Keep’ (2020), which came out in the early days of the pandemic. Now the fuzzy psychedelic desert rockers are returning with their second album, 'Traveler’ (2022).

Frontman Christofer Johansen, best known to fans as Stoffe, had this to say about the new record:

'Traveler’ is the continuation of the journey started on our debut into the vast deserts of space. A deep dive into both the infinity of the universe and the shallowness of man. It’s a paradox of metaphor with inspirations split between interstellar space travel and witches gathering for black mass detailed in the single “Witches Walk,” the result being an explorative sonic experience drawing from the jam-rock vibes of '70s prog and the harder riffs of modern stoner.

The music video by PrettyNoose is a mashup of scenes from vintage flicks about witchcraft, sometimes we see only a flicker of them but that’s all we need to entice the imagination. Look for the album to release July 1st on digital, CD (Ozium Records), cassette (Evil Noise Recordings), and vinyl (Majestic Mountain Records) formats. Vinyl pre-sales start today (pre-order here). Stick this in a pipe and smoke it with Witchcraft, Graveyard, Sleep, Hazemaze, and Green Lung.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

“Goatriders are serving a tincture of desert rock and space worship.”

We are Goatriders, a band from Linköping, Sweden. Playing our own take on stoner-rock. Drawing from the more jam-rock vibes of the 70’s prog and the harder riffs of the modern stoner- scene, with songs that often explore only one or two riffs but still stays away from the monotone sounds that often comes along with the genre.

Influenced by bands such as Naxatras, Kyuss and Monster Magnet, Goatriders is still not afraid of defining its own path down an already beaten one.

And with a drive to keep true to a DIY-aesthetic by curating as much of the art, merch and recordings as possible that surround the band, Goatriders is on the path of creating something special within the Swedish stoner community.

In 2020, Goatriders released The Magicians Keep which gained critical acclaim around the board. A fresh take on stoner rock but still in touch with the roots of the genre. The Magicians Keep ended up on multiple best of the year-lists around the web, most noticeable on the Doom Charts top 100 albums of 2020.

In 2022, the follow-up album is dropping, a three sided LP that takes a deep dive in both the infinity of space and shallowness of man. An album influenced equally by interstellar space travel and witches gathering for black mass.

Currently looking forward to shows in the fall & the coming year, Goatriders are very excited for the end of the pandemic and to get out on the road.

Imagine the clash of colors borne of a cosmic collision between late-stage Kyuss, primordial Clutch, and Down On The Upside era Soundgarden and you’ve an inkling of the fuzz phenomenon that is BLUE HERON. The raunchy, bristly desert rock crew from Albuquerque recently gave us a gnarly interpretation of “Walk All Over You” for the Back in Black redux on Magnetic Eye Records. Fusing elements of the earth with wide open skies, the Blue Heron verve is best ciphered by the band itself:

Surrounded by endless horizons that spark a compulsion to fill the vastness with massive volume, we saturate our piece of desert with rolling, thunderous riffs, drums that pummel and swing, deep, thrumming tones and vocals that rip and roar.

Today, Doomed & Stoned brings you an effective demonstration of Blue Heron’s prowess with their music video “Futurola.” I suspect the song has less to do with primo paper for rolling your blunts, and more to do with vision of the future one sees in those ethereal wafts of smoke. Heading out with a rumbling Truckfighters vibe, “Futurola” unfurls like a hearty desert plant, brushing aside flecks of parched soil to reveal a stark crimson bloom. There is less pomp here than melancholy here, with lyrics lamenting the apathetic quagmire of a post-COVID world:

There was a time when common good
Kept the wolves from our doors
Now the pull of self-interest
Undermines who we were before

This is a land of followers
Disappointed with our hand
Give us the mirage of leaders to hail
And without water we’ll drink the sand

Jadd Shickler’s vocal intonations are full of heart and gristle, an apt companion to the ultra-low notes generated by Mike Chavez’s guitar. Bassist Steve Schmidlapp and drummer Ricardo Sanchez make a robust rhythmic pair to match to complete a sound born of extended days in the arid Rio Grande rift and cold, starry nights among the Sandia Mountains.

And this is only the beginning, with seven more tracks to follow “Futurola” on Blue Heron’s debut album. ‘Ephemeral’ (2022) makes its explosive entrance on May 27th as a joint release between Seeing Red Records and Kozmik Artifactz. You can pre-order the record here.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

For decades now, bands across the planet have blasted out their versions of heavy, fuzz-driven rock, driven by a deep and mystical fascination with the desert. Blue Heron is a heavy rock band from Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose firsthand relationship with the desert is inextricable from who they are and how they sound - they embody the tag 'Desert-Rock’ to its core.

Blue Heron’s guitarist and singer were the founding members of Spiritu, possibly Albuquerque’s first desert rock band, who burned briefly yet brightly with a Jack Endino-produced debut LP, a European tour with Clutch, Spiritual Beggars and Dozer, and a compilation slot next to Entombed and Mastodon.

On December 3rd, 2021, Blue Heron self-released the 'Black Blood of the Earth’ EP, the same month contributing a track to Magnetic Eye Records’ Best of AC/DC [Redux] alongside Kryptograf, Kal-El, Supersuckers, Domkraft and more.

Of the debut EP, 'The Big Takeover’ said, “Blue Heron hits the sweet spot at the center of a vortex around which swirls sensual stoner doom, thuggish heavy blues and bad trip psychedelia,” and Real Gone Rocks called Black Blood of the Earth, “an instantly classic slab of stoner.”

'Ephemeral’ (2022), Blue Heron’s debut full-length, is an 8-track, 47-minute exploration of heavy rock at its fullest. Excavating the far reaches and connected strata of stoner rock, sludge, doom, heavy psych and post-metal, Blue Heron transmute years of engagement with rock and metal’s profuse branches into a singular, sand-scorching epic.

With lyrical threads ranging from mortality and failed civilizations to mythic fables and cinematic re-imaginations, Ephemeral is stylistically diverse, thematically ambitious and unassailably relentless in its raw, desert power.

Blue Heron’s 'Ephemeral’ arrives on May 27th from Seeing Red Records in North America and Kozmik Artifactz in Europe.

New Jersey punky desert ‘n’ heavy rock trio PYRE FYRE have got an undeniably groovy yet grungy vibe that fans of Melvins and Fu Manchu will doubtless find immediately appealing.

This is another situation with a singer on the drums, a phenomenon we don’t see very often but which Mike Montemarano pulls off without a hitch. Andy Stanish completes the rhythm section, plucking a mean stride on the bass, while guitarist Dan Kirwan hooks us right away with an earful of riffs that can really dance.

“Rinky Dink” city is part one of a two-tracker that offers a good introduction to the band’s powers, though Pyre Fyre has been belting out singles since 2019. The overtone is gritty and street smart, with a spunky kind of rambunctiousness about it that finds avenues for humor.

Ideal for your next fuzz-filled playlist with Brant Bjork, Mondo Generator, Nebula, Lazer Beam, and Ethereal Sea. You can get the new EP right here.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

“Rinky Dink City/Slow Cookin’” is the new offering from the New Jersey based power trio PYRE FYRE. Initially forming over a love of lo-fi aesthetics, early 1980s hardcore, classic psychedelia, B movies, heavy metal, and outsider art, Pyre Fyre strive to experiment with each release.

The band comments:

On “Rinky Dink City”: “This song is about those little cities all over America. They might still have pay phones or arcade machines. Maybe not. Maybe the apartment won’t shut the heat off. Maybe you can’t find good takeout.”

On “Slow Cookin’”: “PYRE FYRE have historically eaten a lot of fast food, but that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate a good old fashioned home cooked meal.”

Recorded in Morristown, NJ at Heavy Air Studios, “Rinky Dink City” / “Slow Cookin’” features amazing background vocals by Ambriosia Gainous and a guitar solo by Dustin Bartee of Ethereal Sea. Sludgy overdriven guitars drive the energetic rhythms across the tracks.

“Rinky Dink City” hits hard with immense rhythms driving the track. The powerful lead vocals, and bluesy backing, along with dynamic lead guitar motifs, enhance the complementary chaos of the track. “Slow Cookin’,” with humorous sound effects and lyrics, is jam-packed with energy. Pyre Fyre certainly don’t take themselves seriously and a huge sense of fun comes through their sound.

Pyre Fyre are by no doubt a whimsical bunch who have produced a blast of a double single.“Rinky Dink City”/“Slow Cookin’” brings the utterly loud and heavy fuzz straight out of sludge with their own witty twist.

I confess, I came a little late to the KING BUFFALO party. I mean, I’ve known about them from their very first record on and have even picked songs to play on The Doomed & Stoned Show that’s I’ve found particularly enjoyable. Regulars to the program know I’ve always been more a doomer than a stoner, though obviously relishing music from both worlds. Only recently had I given myself the opportunity of really baking in their music. It probably has something to do with the summer psychedelic kick I’m on lately, that and I’ve been getting a lot more sunshine, walking more, learning how to enjoy being human again.

Not only did I give the band’s latest LP, ‘The Burden of Restlessness’ (2021) a solid listen, I’ve been spinning it non-stop! The title grabbed me right away, because I could very much identify with the uncertainty and fear of 2020 lockdowns, which eventually gave way to boredom and stoic despair. Depending on who you ask, it’s their third studio album and it’s got its hooks in me for damn sure.

Sonically, the sound is fresh and vital, every note captured prestinely by frontman/guitarist at Rochester’s Main Street Armory between December and January. I don’t know if he’s a sound engineer on the side or what, but I really am impressed by how present the instruments sound, without excessive reverberation. After Sean finished recording and mixing, the tapes were sent to Grammy-nominated producer Bernard Matthews for mastering on the other side of the continent in Portland, Oregon.

Let’s go through King Buffalo’s release track-by-track, because I think there’s plenty to talk about here.

1. Burning

I feel it falling apart
Too many blisters and scars
Are we the wick or the flame, are they just one in the same?
Was it just doomed from the start?

The record opens with “Burning” and in those first dozen seconds of churning downtuned noise, we’re unsure what kind of song it’s going to be. An assertive riff-motif starts to dance to the accompaniment of a motor-like rhythm. The singing is as depressive as we’re bound to encounter from King Buffalo, with lyrics that express regret about “another year lost in the wasteland” and that feeling of falling apart while time stands still.

The members of King Buffalo have been on a steadily rising trajectory in recent years, so the sudden closures of concert halls and canceled tours wasn’t just a bummer for a lot of professional musicians; it had immediate career implications, along with the obvious problem of no job = no money. It’s one thing to weather through a crisis when you know what the end game is, and at this time last year most of us still didn’t know what the hell was going to happen. We thought everything would open up and return to normal, then the summer of 2020 exploded all around us with social unrest. The album’s title speaks to the creative frustrations of being not only uncertain of when your band is next going to tour, but what to do in the meanwhile. For creative people, there’s a burden to create – sometimes just to keep yourself from going mad with frustration.

2. Hebetation

I don’t know which way to run
One thousand different ways but I can’t seem to live with one
So I’m stuck where I’ve begun
Another languid day, can’t seem to break away

“Hebetation” was one of the singles that emerged before the album was independently released toward the start of summer. It is the song I relate to the most, too. Vibrant Helmetesque riffmaking sets the song a sail, with a bit of a nod to Sabbath as well. The math-like interplay between drums, bass, and guitar have a vaguely krautrock aura about it, though the volume and tone is pure metal. Like the opening track, the words are frank and honest, addressing the weight of unfulfilled dreams, the jadedness that comes with disappointment, and suicidal thoughts that come floating into mind when it seems nothing’s working out as planned. “Nothing’s changed at 35. Still every night I dream a million different ways for me to die.”

3. Locusts

Stifling the sun with wicked hands
Everything undone with vicious plans

“Locusts,” as the name implies, is replete with bouncing guitar rhythm, with picking that seems to dart about like that swarm of grasshoppers that used to sweep through my poor pitiful East Texas garden mid-summer and shred everything in sight. Around the 3:30 mark, we’re treated to an extended high-end grinder of a B-section, with sweeping psychedelic gestures ala Kim Thayil – and hearkening back to the melodic motif of another great song: “Sun Shivers.” When the A section returns, the rhythm is more deliberate, less dashing about in math or progressive fashion. The song ends with what could well end up an extended drone jam on just the right night as King Buffalo continues to roll through the U.S.

4. Silverfish

I stare at the cracks in the wall
And melt into nothing
A silverfish slithering away, from everything

“Silverfish” got a music video, which was a wise choice as the song is quite accessible and relatable, too (even if it did get a few people wondering if King Buffalo was having their own “The Sword Moment” stylistically). The main motif is a two-note broken interval from high note to low in an almost an ‘80s-style nod to the advent of computer generated music (to my ears it sounds like the guitar may either be taking on the action or playing in sync with the synthesizer).

Never fear, the heavy is soon here. When I heard those first crashing tripled-down chords, I let out an inner hellllll yeah to that shit. The quirky little melody from the start comes back, this time on guitar in a way that really works to convince you that it was a good artistic choice from the get-go.

Lyrically, it’s another wistful line of expression: “I stare at the cracks in the wall, I think I’m unravelling…I think I’m losing my grip on everything, I’m drifting away.” This is also one of the few songs on the record with a strong melodic chorus. It comes towards the end, which works quite effectively in climaxing the song.

(BTW, anyone else freaked out by silverfish as much as me?)

5. Grifter

I make my way over the dunes
Desolate and dry
The remnants of empires past
Too stubborn to die

“Grifter” returns to the everyman accessibility of “Burning” and “Hebetation,” with a notably despondent tenor to each line of the song. The calm singing over rhythmic verses so characteristic of King Buffalo’s writing gives way to a brutal grind sans chorus. Sometimes you don’t have words and you just have to work it all out with your axe or piano or whatever’s your jam. There didn’t need to be a big, bloated angry chorus on top of it all. We feel that most adequately from the riffmaking itself, which plays out like slow burning frustration that intensifies with every round of the dirge.

6. The Knocks

Everyday I wake up on the floor
Another useless day like every other that’s come before
I can feel it creeping more and more
Don’t think I wanna wake no more, don’t think I wanna live no more

“The Knocks” features the same keyboard playing as before, so now I’m sure it’s either Sean or bassist Dan Reynolds on synth – though the playing here is much more ornamental, at times adding an exclamation point to the sentiment of the lyrics. It might be a little much if overplayed, but here it’s dispensed judiciously. We have a bass, drums, and synth break where a chorus would normally be, followed by another shred sesh that’s feeling like Helmet or Prong love. A beautiful mid-range guitar melody intervenes, then things start to feel a distinctively robotic pattern announces itself around the 3:20 mark, joined in short order by the rest of the instruments. This leads to a melodious guitar sequence, with the dexterous kind of finger work that the one dude at shows likes so much when he pretends to shred next to the stage.

7. Loam

I’m shedding the burden of restlessness
To rise from the loam of the nothingness

“Loam” hearkens back to my favorite King Buffalo album, ‘Longing To Be The Mountain’ (2018). A broken octave rhythmic pattern is plucked with drums and bass being all cool, saying just the right thing at the right time. Atop it, the jaded, sedated crooning of Sean McVay, which as both a musical and cultural Doomer I find appealing. A mean guitar lick lashes out like a whip atop bass and drums around 3 minutes, then tears into another voiceless psychedelic improvisation. It’s a beautiful instrumental metal section with a hard rock appeal. The song returns to its opening vibe in an almost Toolesque fashion, then opts for more catharsis-giving mosh time and another plaintively sung extended note melody.

The verses give us a hint of hope, as Sean declares: “I’m shedding the burden of restlessness / To rise from the loam of the nothingness.” I’m curious to hear the two other albums the band plans on releasing in 2021 (yes, you read that right!) and how they will pair or contrast with this one.

King Buffalo’s The Burden of Restlessness holds a special place in my music library and its songs are a frequent highlight of my daily playlist. I suspect it will be a record you, too, will keep close at hand as the plague rages on. A balm for the weary soul.

I was turned onto the music of the multi-instrumentalist CLYDE VON KLAUS back when he released his 2020 album Klaustrophobic and was instantly a fan of what he does. Now, just over a year later, Clyde has gifted us with a new album, ‘Evil Notions’ (2021), which in my humble opinion is just as great, if not greater, than last year’s release.

I enjoy having the opportunity of adding words from the artists into my reviews, and Clyde was more than happy to share a bit about his writing process:

I have an unusual writing and recording process, one that I’m pretty confident is not done by most, if any, one-man bands. It’s really rejuvenated my love of creating music spontaneously, and it keeps the results unexpected.

It’s also the closest way that I can find that resembles being in a band, while keeping the rawness and energy as close to that as possible – mistakes, stick clicks, and all. Completely and totally unplanned and unwritten, yet it comes to be somehow. It’s truly artistically exhilarating to listen to the final version, and hear my songs come to life out of nothing – but it all starts with drum beats. I get something I’m happy with, then use those to direct and birth the songs. No click tracks. No plan.

Despite his unorthodox way of crafting music, the final result is excellent. That Black Sabbath influence is proudly displayed for all to hear, but Clyde doesn’t just rely on Black Sabbath either – there are numerous influences, which keeps the music from being just another Sabbath clone.

The album opener, “At the Crest of Eminence,” is what I have been referring to as psychedelic Black Sabbath. The riffs are full of that Tony Iommi power, chugging along perfectly, yet the vocals give me a sense of the psychedelic. I think this is due to how Clyde performs them, his tone, and his way of enunciating certain words. However, it’s track number two that made me coin the phrase, psychedelic Sabbath.

“Unravel” doesn’t just show the Sabbath vibe, it also has a very strong doom metal feel; particularly in the verse sections. I’m also detecting a Josh Homme sound in the vocal department, which I think is really cool.

I also dig that the riffs seem to sound like they’re single-string notes, instead of opting for the whole power chord approach. This gives the track an almost desert rock sound, which the vocals add to. This one is right up there for my favorite songs on Evil Notions.

“Latchkey” is another track that I feel is strong, and that’s because it’s very similar to the format used in “Unravel.”

The desert rock vibe is probably the strongest it gets on the record, and it sticks out amongst the others because of it. I really, really love the subtle keyboards that Clyde uses. They don’t stick out too far, but they’re upfront enough to add a cool sound to this killer tune. As always, Clyde laid down a great vocal for this tune.

We’re up to what I would say is my favorite song, which goes by the name of “Jigsaw Jawbone.”

The Queens of the Stone Age fans will really grab onto this one, because it has that Songs for the Deaf-style of songwriting, and the riffs really lend themselves to that comparison, while sharing a similar guitar tone as well. As does the next track, “Fatalistic,” which is my second-favorite track.

Both songs show a great sense of melody, songwriting, and are performed expertly. And knowing how uniquely they’re written makes them seem all the more special.

“Crystal Palace” closes the album in grand style, leaving the listener wanting more.

This track has a Beatles-esque melody to some of the vocals, Black Sabbath-infused guitar riffs, a Middle Eastern-sounding piece, and reminds me of Conan the Barbarian in certain sections. In other words, this has a little bit of everything that I love, and shows that Clyde is able to reach into a listener’s mind, making them hear things they’d never expect to hear on an album in this genre. That Conan thing is still throwing me for a loop.

Clyde Von Klaus’ Evil Notions is a really fantastic album, with a lot of desert vibes and influences that are among the most revered of their genres. I honestly enjoyed the second-half of the album over the first, as it seems as if that is where the desert vibe truly exposes itself, but the whole album is worth any listener’s time.

The album is available now, so head over to Bandcamp to check it out in full. As a gift for the fans, Clyde has sent over some Bandcamp codes, and I’ll include those below. Also, be on the lookout for a big announcement from Clyde in the coming weeks. Enjoy!

Download 'Evil Notions’ by grabbing a code below and redeeming here.

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When I first heard the name STÖNER, earlier this year, it didn’t immediately get me interested. I think I’m repeating myself when I say I’m not a fan of subtle drug puns, but this is just a whole other level. Then I heard who is in the band, and my interest was piqued. Both Brant Bjork (guitar, vocals) and Nick Oliveri (bass, vocals) are desert rock royalty, being founding members of Kyuss and being involved with a plethora of other bands, like Queens of the Stone Age, Mondo Generator and Fu Manchu, just to name a few. If anyone has the right to name themselves Stöner, it’s these guys. The power trio is completed by drummer Ryan Güt, who’s also part of Bjork’s solo band. Last October, the band made their live debut in the Mojave desert for Stoned & Dusted; a recording of which was released not too long ago. The day before that performance, the band got into the studio to record their first album, ‘Stoners Rule’ (2021). The record is now being released by Heavy Psych Sounds, who are regular collaborators of both Bjork and Oliveri.

Unsurprisingly, Stoners Rule contains the same tracks as their live recording, but in a slightly different order. It still kicks off with “Rad Stays Rad”, a track that’s filled with Brant Bjork’s signature laid-back vibe, but spiked with that punk rock Oliveri bass work. The whole thing is kept together by Güt’s swinging drum style. For six and a half minutes, the band dances around just a couple of riffs, but they manage to keep the track interesting by incorporating a lot of variations on that main theme. And let’s be honest here, we’re all going to be singing that “shit don’t change, rad stays rad” chorus for the next couple of days.

“The Older Kids” picks up the pace a bit more with a grooving rhythm and a large role for the bass and drums. It’s a kind reminder that we’re dealing with some of the originators of the desert rock genre, since there’s some clear Kyuss magic echoing throughout the track.

On “Own Yer Blues”, the guys take us to the Mississippi delta, with a leading role for Brant’s slightly fuzzed blues riffing and matching lyrics. It doesn’t take long though before the guitarist boosts his signal for a good old fashioned blues solo. The track evolves from there, and for the song’s conclusion, we’re right back in the early 90’s California desert.

On the next two tracks, Oliveri get’s to do his thing. “Nothin’” is a track with clear Mos Generator undertones. “Evel Never Dies”, where Oliveri takes on the vocal duties, is a fitting tribute to legendary daredevil Evel Knievel. The two tracks, both clocking in at under three minutes, are quite different from what we’ve heard before on Stoners Rule, but don’t feel out of place. That’s probably because whatever these guys play, the Bjork/Oliveri dynamic is palpable.

“Stand Down” is a track that starts off quietly with a Bjorkian riff, but turns out to be one of the most versatile tracks on this record. The band keeps adding new elements, slowly working up towards its almost metallic conclusion. On the first listen, by the end of the track you almost wonder whether you’re still listening to the same track, it’s done that well.

The record ends with the 13-minute epic “Tribe/Fly Girl”. “Tribe” is another Bjork track, where he delivers smooth riff after smooth riff over the Oliveri/Güt groove. The lyrics feel like a mantra and are almost hypnotizing. After some six minutes, the track starts to evolve into “Fly Girl”, where we get to hear the band at their most psychedelic. All band members get their time to shine, while the track meanders towards its riveting conclusion.

Stoners Rule is a solid record, but you shouldn’t expect anything less from these veterans. If you’re a fan of any of the other bands these guys are or were involved with, you’re going to love this record. Personally, I can’t decide whether I prefer this to “Live in the Mojave Desert - Volume 4” (2021, Giant Rock Records). I prefer the track order of the live record, as well as the raw edges, but the production on the studio record makes the tracks shine more. I guess you’ll have to decide for yourself. Either way, let’s hope this isn’t a one-time thing, because I feel that Stöner can bring back the fire to desert rock.

Before us is the latest record from Santa Cruz heavies DOORS TO NO WHERE, a band new to these pages but which has played alongside many of our favorite West Coast acts, including KooK, Worship, and Year of the Cobra. As May is Mental Health Awareness month, it’s good timing to be introduced to ‘Darkness Falls’ (2021). “This came to me during the pandemic,” says frontman Marc Lewis. “I was watching so many folks struggling from all walks of life. Struggle isn’t biased – it can hit anyone.”

The album lyrically was a concept album in a way on the topic of mental health and its impact. I’m truly passionate about this and want it not to be such a taboo thing to talk about or seen as a sign of weakness.

Composed during the pandemic’s most clutching moments and recorded with Aaron Cooper of Pylon Productions, the album features longtime collaborators Marc Lewis (guitar, vox), Marc Prefontaine (bass), and Pete Testorff (drums).

“Lie, Lie, Lie,” dashes off to a furious Foo Fighters pace as we begin the record, with Pete Testorff’s fervor and panache paving the way for Marc Lewis to deliver the three word chorus with all the snarl of a man who just wants to break his rusty chains and run.

“The riff in Lie, Lie, Lie,” Marc tells Doomed & Stoned, “was written off something I heard Pete doing one night during sound check. He was playing his whole kit and then doing those snare hits you hear at the beginning of the song.”

There’s some nice give-and-take between Marc Lewis’ guitar and Marc Prefontaine’s bass that betwixt the introduction and chorus. I didn’t pick it up at first listen, but it definitely grabbed me the next several spins through.

The grungy lyrics match the pissed-off spirit of the music, as the song mourns the loss of a common reference denominator for truth, warning that in its absence there is division, calamity, and ruin. “Together we rise, together we fall.” Marc amplifies these powerful moments for us:

This track centers around the idea of false power and how someone could start to believe their own lies and self-hype, while others could fall for it. It can become a toxic relationship or even a cult kind of thing.

It may be hard to remember this far into this surreal “pause” in our world’s history, but we too were afraid, alone, and angry for much of the pandemic’s wake – especially in those uncertain early moments when we followed the spread of this strange disease from China to Italy and onto the shores of Seattle and New York.

The aptly named “Fade” comes next, presenting at a doom’s crawl with a sombre arpeggiated motif that summons the spirit of Trouble and Saint Vitus. Or you might hear a twisted, doomed-up variation of Metallica’s “Enter The Sandman” in that low-end omen. “Fade was built of the rolling riff and bend,” Marc explains. “I wanted it fat and raunchy.” Certainly Pale Divine and Dirty Grave come to mind as I seek to match the mood with bands of similar spirit.

Then comes the pained chorus: “Run, run baby,” which Marc illuminates in a very personal light:

“Fade” is about a friend of mine who is no longer with us. She was a larger than life personality that was loved by all. She played the personna and role of the happy-go-lucky person. She thought that’s why people loved her and why they were friends. She was actually really struggling with mental health and depression though. She would behave in a way that she thought people wanted her to behave, while she was actually suffering. Those around her did not realize her pain or that their influence was making things worse. For years she would self-medicate with drugs and alcohol and that was celebrated by those around her.

I had started to see signs of her pain and tried to reach out. Unfortunately, I was too late. Any time anyone would reach out for help, she would disappear. The chorus line “disappearing one” is a reference to her pushing away and hiding from help. When she passed (sucide) everyone spoke of how special she was and how much they loved her. I was angry and sad. Why didn’t more folks try and help her? My perspective was that coddling her addictions and self-medicated escape helped her to the grave.

The lyrics “We all love to see you fade, but don’t you go away” and “We all love to see you soar, but don’t you fade away” are references to the idea that sometimes humans are selfish in their relationships. Meaning that someone may give me the attention and things I need without me being aware of the sacrifices the other person is making.

“Worship The Machine” is another hefty doomer, with some wild guitar noodling contrasted against a rhythm that is quite machine-like as it dances stoically along its predestined chordal path. “Worship The Machine was written to be heavy and groovy,” the band notes. “We wanted it to have a certain feel that pushed hard, while still having that chugging along kinda vibe.” Closing in on the three-minute mark, Pete turns loose on the drums like a man possessed and the intensity continues when the rest of the band joins in, taking us right across the finish line to a crashing conclusion.

“I wanna live, but I’m dying” are words I can certainly relate to, not just in 2020, but in 2021, where the lingering impact of such a global (and personal) disruption is still very much a struggle on the daily. Turns out, my intuition was not far from the lyrical intent: “This song is all about the addiction to social media and how it corresponds with one’s self esteem, mood, and self-worth. The social media world has become this giant machine and some are literally addicted to it. It creates this tool of status. I think it has truly impacted how people feel about themselves and others.”

“Got Mine” is up next and this one is the most punkish track yet. It reminds me a lot of Soundgarden’s periodic forays into punk, with songs like “Nazi Driver,” “Never Named,” and “Kickstand.” On this point, Marc is clear: “Got Mine is influenced by the fact that I love old punk rock. I love the energy and the attitude. We wanted it to be loose but with tight stops and control.” As to its meaning, we’re told:

This song is about a revolution with the main character being selfish and self serving. So the character is done with the revolution or fight once their needs and wants are met. They are not really looking out for the cause or to tackle bigger issues for the good of humanity. They are actually looking for what is best for them. The chorus refers to a cold heart and lack of empathy.

All you lovers of southern sludge will dig “Policy” with its Goatsnake meets Acid Bath groove and sassy guitar lead. Speaking of Soundgarden, I really dig the Kim Thayilesque breakdown and stinging solo two-minutes in, though some may draw parallels with Crowbar here. These are all, of course, points of reference to try to do the near impossible: put the emotional experience of one listener (e.g. yours truly) into words. In the end, it’s up to you to listen and find a favorite of your own. For my money, “Policy” is where it’s at. Check out the fantastic dual guitar interplay two-and-a-half minutes in! Down, eat your heart out.

“Policy” is another riff I wrote to play off of a groove I heard Pete do during warm ups. It’s got a swing to it but punches hard. Almost a heartbeat if you will. The solo was a direct result of playing the drums.

This track touches on letting toxic people go from your life. At what point do you stop investing in someone’s negative energy? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. It is the idea of surrounding yourself with people that want you to be the best version of yourself.

Up next: “Who Died”, which summons all of the band’s talents. Beginning with bursts of rapid-fire guitar picking set against a zombie-like beat and chorus, the song has something of a swampy feel. “I won’t follow you!” Mr. Lewis shouts defiantly. I wasn’t sure where the song would progress from there, and almost thought it was concluded at the false stop barely two-and-a-half minutes in. But the song rallies and the band pulls out its full force, with what sounds like the addition of the synth to present a layered effect that amplifies the intensity. I think this could have been developed even further, but sometimes brevity is the most appropriate option for a song.

“Who Died” was written off the chorus and intro. Zeppelin kinda riff. It’s all about feel and giving the riffs room to breathe. This track is about the concept of thinking for yourself and not being an easy victim of mental or physical abuse.

The reverberating echoes of organ-sounding keyboards greet as “New Monster” takes its place next. We get our footing pretty quickly with a kind of “We Will Rock You” bass motif, but the song gets stranger and stranger as the seconds tick off. As with the previous track, there is a sudden atmospheric shift accompanied by furious strumming and ending on the swirling guitar theme we started with.

“Here we are, same ol’ thing, round and round, 'ever again…I wanna run, I wanna breathe, I wanna live.” This is, for me, perhaps the most relatable song on the record, lyrically speaking. This one especially gave off strong Prong vibes with its strong vocal lead, robust drumming, strong bass play, and industrial guitar feel.

“New Monster” was written in isolation and was originally an acoustic song. Even though the tempo is upbeat it’s a dark and murky riff. We wanted the end out of the breakdown to hit hard. I imagine it building like a wave in the ocean.

Another track focusing on mental health with the idea of perseverance and to keep fighting, “New Monster” is the idea of not being perfect is actually perfect. We are all just floating on a giant rock in space and going through this thing called life together.

At last, we reach the record’s namesake “Darkness Falls” – the gem of this eight-pronged crown of thorns. I’ve always thought it was a great name. Darkness Falls is also the title of a 2003 movie about a malevolent tooth fairy, though I see no compelling reason to connect the film with either the song or record. I may not be too far off the mark, as Marc Lewis explains:

This concept came to me during the pandemic. I was watching so many folks struggling. All walks of life were struggling. Struggle isn’t biased and can hit anyone. “Please, please shine for me” and “Please, please glow again” reflect on how badly I wanted things to be better. For things to be ok. How I wanted those I love to be happy, safe and loved.

As it stands, Doors To No Where does a superior job of fleshing out the notion of “Darkness Falls” than previous contenders in any medium. The song stirs up a smokey, mysterious Near-Eastern ambience. Four minutes in and it’s confirmed: there is indeed a synthesizer at play on Darkness Falls but its hypnotic effect in this song is interrupted by a screaming riffstorm and a gut full of churning bass. This song would make a great companion to “What The Hell Have I” by Alice in Chains. It also pairs well with Portland band A//TAR, whose metaphysical music we’ve also debuted in these pages.

“Darkness Falls” is special for another reason: Bob Balch of Fu Manchu and Big Scenic Nowhere was a guest on the album closer. “Him and I worked together on the track,” Marc reflects. “He is a pro’s pro and added so much to the vibe of the song. His playing and tone are phenomenal.

The new album Darkness Falls by Doors To No Where releases to the public on Friday, May 21st via Desert Records (pre-order here). This is its world premiere c/o Doomed and Stoned.

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Featuring Marc Lewis (Guitars/Vocals), Pete Testorff (Drums) and Marc Prefontaine (Bass). Doors To No Where have been making music since 2010. Their sound is heavily influenced by Santa Cruz and the local beauty it offers along with the rich history of music. Doors To No Where have been called a stoner rock band but also touch on elements of punk, doom, metal and even grunge.

Growing up on a skateboard and surfing has played a huge part on the influences of the sounds Doors To No Where like to include.

The band has toured in and been honored to share the stage with bands like, Mondo Generator, Fatso Jetson, Fu Manchu, The Melvins and many more.

Doors To No Where will be releasing 'Darkness Falls’ (2021) via Desert Records on May 21st 2021. The fourth studio album features eight tracks and a special guest appearance from Bob Balch (Fu Manchu). Staying true to their roots, 'Darkness Falls’ is a combination of desert rock and punk influences. The band tracked and recorded the album in the unusual quarantine times of Covid-19.