Ladies and germs, please put your filthy hands together for the kings of the high desert heavy blues… This is LUNA SOL a band drawn from the high mountain country of Colorado and Kentucky, existing with no doubt for the pure love of rock ‘n’ roll. And a very specific breed of it, with a bluesy, bittersweet, and darkly-hued dive bar vibe and a warm, driving rhythmic underbelly that brings comfort to misery and has a way of lifting the spirits.

“The personal struggles and joys we’ve shared through making this album highlighted that at the end of the day life is good,” says Hermano guitarist David Angstrom, who has fronted the band since 2012, “and each day is a reward that we need to cherish and take in.”

'Vita Mors’ (2024) is their third LP, releasing tomorrow on Ripple Music – a big album with a big, thumping heartbeat. When I say big, I mean 13 tracks worth of stirring, soulful, foot-stomping rock, with real lyrics about real shit.

Joining the core of the band (which also includes Zeth Pedulla/drums and Doug Tackett/bass) are members of Black Stone Cherry, Kingfish, Hermano, Disengage, and Supafuzz, along with Luna Sol friends and family. There’s a vibrancy about these various collaborations on tracks throughout the album that comes through from the get-go with “Black Cat Callin’” – a stage-storming evolution of blues, soul, and rock influences spanning decades.

The genre of rock 'n’ roll is proving enduring, even if it seems to go “underground” in the popular culture from time to time. Tracks like “Head in a Hole” cannot help but raise hell in any generation (you’ll hear many of those friends and family in the chorus, I suspect). Luna Sol’s music does the trick, thanks to a good infusion of '70s guitar-driven axe-wielding with a swampy, southern-desert twist (check out 1:52 on “Never In My Life” and the deadly riffage of “Freelance Friend”).

There is some balance with the moody “Low 'n Easy,” which reminds me fondly of Jerry Cantrell’s Degradation Trip in its dour, grungy mix. “I’ve been wrong, I’ve been right. Some will say…I bite.” The vocals are jaded and mellow throughout which is a nice contrast to the slithering rhythm, piercing tap tap of the drums, and a downtuned guitar and bass.

Speaking of downtuned, “Surrounded by Thieves” begins as an amp-worshipping gem, and you can tell the band is having fun with it, too. This may be my favorite of the record, just for how effectively pedal effects are used to shape the atmosphere of the song. The riff on this one is gnarly a.f. “Let’s go drink in the sun, let’s go drown in the moonlight, and live life on the run.” The vocals really bring out the lyrics’ rebellious intent.

“No Substitutions” is as heavy as Rage Against The Machine, but turns the guitars in a bluesier direction. The sway of the rhythm is driven and rollicking. Luna Sol play with conviction, in a way that can’t help but pull you away with the tide, if you’ve got on a good pair of headphones especially.

There’s a near 22-minute bonus track which was a refreshing capstone to what has been a hard-driving album.

Look for Luna Sol’s Vita Mors releases Friday, September 20th on Ripple Music on vinyl, compact disc, and digital formats (get it here).

Stick it on a playlist with Creedence Clearwater Revival, Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, Brant Bjork, and Old Blood.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

LUNA SOL is a highly regarded high mountain stoner blues rock band led by veteran singer and lead guitarist David Angstrom, known for his work in bands such as Hermano, Asylum On The Hill, Black Cat Bone and Supafuzz. Now in its 14th year, the band is poised to deliver its finest album yet through Californian imprint Ripple Music.

To bring this vision to life, Angstrom enlisted the help of drummer Zeth Pedulla and bassist Doug Tackett. The trio’s chemistry was immediate and undeniable. As the riffs began to flow, songs came to life and they decided to hit record to capture the beautiful heaviness they were creating together. From the onset, they all wanted “Vita Mors” to feel and sound live, pulling the listener into a small dive bar nestled in the mountains and filled with Marshall stacks, Les Pauls, a massive amount of drums and a wall of bass amps to shake the foundation.

“Vita Mors” highlights Angstrom’s desire to evolve and explore new musical territory while staying true to his Southern Kentucky roots. Doug and Zeth create beautiful layers of fury in one breath while offering a divine delicacy in the next, a perfect foundation for Angstrom’s madness, stories, riffs and noise. It was recorded in Dave Angstrom’s home studio in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain, mixed and mastered by Jason Groves (Supafuzz/Asylum On The Hill alumni) and assisted by Ty Tabor (King’s X).

We’re going for cosmic with the new record by Hertfordshire, England stoner metal four-piece ERRONAUT, with roots in the Bedfordshire band Black Atlas (they had a 2016 EP and an LP in 2018 that caught the many of our attention). Before us it the outfit’s much anticipated first LP, ‘The Space Inbetween’ (2024).

“Way Down Below” comes charging out with big bellowing drums from Sam Gates, followed by a swaggering stoner metal riff with tons of reverberating fuzz from the guitars. Mikey Ward’s singing has a modern metal sheen as he croons:

I dream of a perfect day
I’m alone and so far from view
The sea breeze it carries me
Miles and miles away from you

Bassist Simon Wilson grabs the bounce at 2:35, then a sassy metallic solo from guitarist Peter Hunt with hints of blues, Mikey Ward joining the rhythm on second guitar. The pace slows down to a dirge as the song ends and it’s a very satisfying slow headbanging moment, an instrumental contemplation of last words spoken: “You make this a perfect hell, I need to go back to the start.”

“Lost Cause” is a clear standout of the album, as the band’s first single it has classic radio appeal (though much longer at 7 minutes in length). Again the band aims for long, sweeping riffs with bossy drumming that’s anything but boring tap-tap-tap joined by beefy bass sound. The singing is strong and melodic, with a powerful, soaring chorus.

The intro to “Per Contra” really got my attention, I really like the contrasting choices between strummed and crunchy electric moments on the guitars. The verve of this one is undeniable, it’s a badass riff for damned sure. One of my favorites, especially for the trippy distorted slow psychedelic direction it goes in mid-section. The bass provides a deep resonating heartbeat for the journey. I like the band’s use of noise, too, as the track comes to a head.

“1202” was the album’s single. The chorus on this is effectively orchestrated and will be welcome by fans of Chevelle especially. Part of this is the authenticity of the lyrics, which hint that we’re not free, but could be…should be. The constricted, tightly knit group-think of the modern world and its interlocking infrastructure keeps us hemmed in, and seems to deny us our essential humanity, siloed into isolated realities. Or perhaps it’s about a personal relationship that does much the same.

These red flags are a warning
Don’t believe all that you read
These red flags are a warning
Time to leave this place and be free

“Underneath the Sun” has a massive dominating doom sound with intimidating Black Sabbathesque motifs. The low-end is massive and deserves full speakers to really be appreciated. It contrasts effectively with Mikey Ward’s searching vocals.

“Dark Horizon” is another one of my favorites, and has a larger than life feel, as if we’re on a scouting mission in a slow trance searching for habitable worlds deep in the black, forbidding void of space. “It’s slipping away, to the darkness I’m awake.” The words seem to be speaking of a state of mind, of a man giving way to inner demons dragging him down.

Picture in my mind
Can make it all feel right
But I can’t find a way
Toward darkness I can try

If you’ve been taking the album as it presents itself and just letting the record do its thing, you’ll be well into the band’s vibe by the closing pair of tracks “Beyond Sleep” (presented in two parts). “Somebody sing me to sleep,” is the cry and it’s the perfect way to end this record. The second half seems to answer the plea to soothe a soul “awake until dawn” with a beautiful heavy psych guitar passage and an interstellar progressive-psychedelic portal into an 8-minute alternate universe, entirely instrumental.

Look for Erronaut’s The Space Inbetween when it is released this Friday, August 30th, on London Doom Collective (pre-order here). Definitely one of the year’s best. Stick it on a playlist with Devil to Pay, Lamassu, Apostle of Solitude.

Give ear…

Originally formed in 2015 as Black Atlas, the Hertfordshire-based quartet – born anew as Erronaut – are thrilled to announce the official worldwide release of their debut album, The Space Inbetween, this summer on London Doom Collective.

Consisting of vocalist/guitarist, Mikey Ward; fellow guitar slinger, Peter Hunt, bassist Simon Wilson, and drummer Sam Gates (whose arrival sparked this new iteration of the band) Erronaut’s singular sound has continued to evolve at every turn. Drawing inspiration from the iconic 70s rock of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, the 90s grunge of Soundgarden, and stoner metal of modern torchbearers Lowrider and Fu Manchu, the band seek to conquer new frontiers.

“When we sat down to start writing, we made a concerted effort to push and explore ourselves as artists and collaborators,” explains vocalist Mikey Ward. “With the amount of work we’ve done to create it, we’re really proud of how this album has turned out, and we feel this is a real representation of what we are trying to achieve, both in the studio and as a live act on stage.”

Employing heavy atmospheric rock to power lyrical subjects that focus on love, loss, and existential introspection, the dynamic foursome has well and truly delivered The Space Inbetween. Hook-laden guitars conjure soaring post-metal vistas and showcase a huge progression in their song writing. From the volatile cosmic sludge of ‘Way Down Below’ to the down-tuned, distorted environs of new single ‘Lost Cause’, the band crafts immersive sonic landscapes that transport listeners to distant realms.

More than just a studio project, Erronaut is also a force to be reckoned with live. Known for their electrifying stage energy, their formidable reputation precedes them having performed at gigs and festivals across the UK as well as appearing at Bloodstock 2021.

As of today, there are 30 days remaining until Autumn, and you can feel a certain wistfulness that mirrors the changing moods of the season in new album, ‘Echo Manor’ (2024) by FOSTERMOTHER. Though it was undoubtedly composed and recorded over a more extended period of time by the Houston trio, it fits the mood of right now. This is melancholy music for melancholy times. We find ourselves in this strange, mad world and it’s comforting to find a sound like this that literally echoes our despair.

That’s not to say this is angsty or angry music, just that it expresses a certain kind of longing for something better, a nagging emptiness, with elements of stoic acceptance in the singing. There’s a haunting surrealness to a song like “In The Garden of Lies,” for example. It’s as atmospheric as walking into an abandoned building that has been overtaken by nature once again. In fact, the album begins with a reference to ghosts in “Wraith.” Lyrics are fittingly vague, yet touch on something authentically felt: “Everyone is nothing, lonelier than we thought.”

Keyboards have always added something special to the Fostermother sound, doubling down on the emotive punch of their sound, as on “Empty One.” Both vocalist/guitarist Travis Weatherred and bassist/guitarist Stephen Griffin are credited with keyboards on this album, so I imagine a lot of thought was given to creating these misty, transient sonic environments.

The sweet spot of the album for me is right at “All We Know,” one of my favorite tracks of the album for its those poignant bittersweet guitar harmonies. It’s pure doom on the order of those moving riffs in Trouble’s “The Tempter,” but disguised in the vein of heavy rock. Deep and engaging, the vibe pierces right through you and tugs on those emotional heartstrings.

It keeps getting better too, with the infectious rhythmic groove of title track “Echo Manor” which feels like a dreamstate in which we’re are sedately growing apart from ourselves. “This ghostly intrusion, a haunted illusion.”

“Rituals Unknown” continues the lyrical emphasis on shadows and the immaterial realm. “I feel reversed,” Travis sings. “I am reversed.” The twin guitar harmonies are once again quite compelling. In the days following the pandemic, we have awakened to new realities about being human and in many ways perhaps we also feel like a ghost tossed about in the ether, with nothing really real to anchor ourselves to. Fostermother seem to suggest that everything is changing, constantly changing.

“King To A Dead Tree” is like a magic blend of dark rock, gothic rock, and doom metal, and features a guitar solo from fellow Houston musician Rusty Miller of High Desert Queen.

“Carry Me” is another standout, not for anything bombastic, but for its sense of melancholy. Fostermother has a knack for finding those moments to elevate to the forefront of our consciousness, with effective writing – sometimes just the way one word is sung (here the song builds up to a release in the chorus “nowhere to go, feeling blue.”).

“Watchers” brings us back to the grungy doom glory of vintage Fostermother with a brooding, stormy feel and some explosive guitar work. Some of the harmonies produced by the guitar and bass are so deeply moving that you can feel the psychic pain so keenly, as in “Lighthouse.”

Fostermother’s Echo Manor is an enigma in contemporary heavy music and for that reason alone it deserves hearing. Eerie, nostalgic, and deeply felt, with appealing vocal moments and warm, blanketing harmonies that really stay you. It comes out on Ripple Music on Friday, August 23rd on vinyl, compact disc, and digital formats (get it here). Stick it on a playlist with Pallbearer, Foot, Young Hunter, and Pinky Floyd.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Fostermother are back! Long acclaimed by international critics for their catchy take on doom metal, the Texan trio takes a substantial turn in their career by revealing a more multi-faceted, atmosphere-driven facet of their music on “Echo Manor.”

The band made an impression within the stoner and doom scene with their massive-sounding 2020 self-titled debut, “hitting both soft and hard in all the right places, leaving oddly-comforting destruction in its wake” according to Everything Is Noise. Signed to Ripple Music in 2021, the pair released their sophomore album “The Ocean” which reached #20 on the Doom Charts Top 100 albums of 2022.

With drummer Jason Motamedi officially rounding out the lineup, Fostermother recorded their third album “Echo Manor”, pushing their sound into heavy psych territory with hints of post-rock and progressive rock. It was produced, mixed and mastered by Travis Weatherred, with artwork by Kimberly Weatherred.

From Los Angeles hails the fearsome new foursome GIGANTUM, with seasoned area musicians Mia X (lead vocals, bass) and Blare N Bitch (guitar, vocals) from Betty Blowtorch, Mark Lüntzel (guitar, vocals) from Deathkings, and Chase Manhattan (drums) from Behold! The Monolith. Their new 40-minute self-titled record is an up-tempo blend of psychedelic and punk rock influences with definite doom overtones.

It begins with “Monkey King” and this great climbing bass groove and big drums (inspired by a monkey that ate the sun), and a killer stoner riff at 1:00 and a soulful second guitar. I wish it’d gone on longer, but it is interrupted by Sun Wukong and a return to the punky intro. There is a switch between rhythms and styles done with seamless skill, and Gigantum makes us believers in their sound as a result.

Today Doomed & Stoned is bringing you the lyric video “For All My Friends,” which speaks of the fragility of friendships in this current age. “This is for my friends dead or gone,” Mia X muses with jagged tones. “I may wish you well or nothing at all.” The rhythm feels like someone angrily pacing as they fume about the whereabouts of someone who was once meaningfully present to them.

“Is more poppy with a bit of anger behind it,” explain Nia and Blaire. “It jams out all the emotion. It’s about losing friends either purposely or through misunderstanding or death and the complicated feelings that go along with that.”

“Are you hanging on?” she sings in a way that we can feel her pain. “I try to forget you.” The closing two minutes are a cathartic stretch where no words are needed, just the purifying force of a good ‘70s-style psychedelic proto metal jam. The bass at 4:14 is the kind that you can really feel in your gut with the right speakers, it’s tuned just right.

“Forever Dreaming” has an absorbing rocker that transforms into something radically different, but convincing. There are vocal moments not to be missed in the third minute of the song. I’ll bet this would be downright haunting to experience live. After an interlude that almost becomes timeless, there is an eruption of powerful and emphatic psychedelic rhythms.

“Brain Haze” follows and it came about, Mia says, “when Blare and I were talking about how the mind’s pathways are affected when the brain is on the fritz. Having consciousness during a really hard time, it becomes like a dream where you are disassociated and know what is happening, but you are a passenger in your own life.”

It’s a solid doomer that begins with a banger of a drum intro and big, resounding beats that once again come out really well over a good pair of car or home speakers. “Brain Haze” is a psychedelic fuzz frenzy with a jazzy beat that ushers us into dark rock realms with a dangerous sounding low-end riff. I could hear every instrument distinctly in this mix and with great presence thanks to Charlie Waymire at Ultimate Studios (mastered by Ernesto Homeyer). After four minutes of sinister doom rock, we are transported into something more meditative and entrancing, taking us to a place of calm and assurance deep within our crowded heads, aided by wistful and enchanting blues guitar.

There’s no denying the band’s verve on “Rock Box,” the penultimate track, with its rapid fire percussion from Chase Manhattan (who personally owns 8 drum sets and 80+ snare drums). “Musically,” he says, “it’s our ode to punk rock Gigantum style going 100mph.” This one really rattles with a verve that proves to me why rock 'n’ roll will never die, especially as the planet becomes more paved over. It’s just the kind of vibe people need to let out their steam in this hotbox zoo of 2024. And yes, you get to yell “hey, hey, hey, hey!” to this one which is always fun.

Record closer “Necron 99” is the longest (just 12 seconds longer than “Brain Haze”). It features a solemnly stated intro with wavy hypnotic groove and whispers of “wizards,” inspired the band says by 1977’s WIZARDS, an animated film brought to much of the scene’s attention by Electric Wizard with their own “Wizard in Black.” It’s one of the best songs on the album, with its angry chants juxtaposed with Mia’s wild, unhampered vocals.

The lyrics are not solely fantasy and have a subtext for our world. The song turns into doom 'n’ roll after a freak-out psychedelic solo, followed by a wicked riffing low-end groove, the lead guitar still drunk with psychedelic energy. It was a big, pleasant surprise at the end of this tour de force (listen for the spirited yelp of relief after those titanic closing beats).

It’s wide ranging heavy music odyssey that spans six hefty heavy rock tracks on 'Gigantum’ (2024), and you can get it digitally right here with the wide release date scheduled for September 6th.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Gigantum, a fresh rock band from Los Angeles, USA is ready to show the scene their unique flavor as they release their debut self-titled album on September 6, 2024.

They are now proudly presenting their third single “For All My Friends”, which is another showcase of the band’s ability to blend personal stories with innovative music. Bassist and primary lyricist, Mia X reflects on the song’s creation:

“I love to write. I like hearing what everyone is thinking or feeling and then coming up with a story for it. I need to hear the music and feel it to know what I’m going to say. The instruments always tell a story. Is more poppy with a bit of anger behind it. It jams out all the emotion. It’s about losing friends either purposely or through misunderstanding or death and the complicated feelings that go along with that.”

The band further explains that each of them brings ideas from different musical backgrounds, but with the cohesiveness of having played together previously for a decade. This leads to heartfelt and complex rock n’ roll that is engaging, catchy, and will shake the foundations of all the venues it’s experienced live in.

“For All My Friends” is groovy, foot-tapping fun, and also a “Dear John” letter for anyone that you left or has left you. It is recommended for fans of Iron Blanket, Black Sabbath, and Clutch.

There is feverish psychedelic energy behind the oh so groovy new single by US occult doom rockers HAIL DARKNESS. Love founding member Joshua’s funky, jazzy bass and the free-spirited jam band atmosphere of “With Horns of a Beast,” the Bandcamp lead single of the new album ‘Death Divine’ (2024). The bass is noodly and bowlegged, with free spirited rhythmic joy, lost in a world of its own. It only feels natural that others would buzz around that energy, and they do. Joining this a hail of notes from the guitar (Jez) and drums (Emmet), with cosmic riffs hovering over the now frenzied pace of the band. And soaring over it all still, arresting female occult vocals with true heft.

This is a US-based three-piece that hails from parts Phoenix and South Carolina, and has been active since at least 2022 when the first of a series of six EPs were released. Now, as the band ventures out in longplay form, we get perhaps an even better idea of how their songs fit together cohesively into a live set. Certainly there is high drama to be found from song to song (see that devastating and entirely unsettling low-end riff at 2:50 on “Cult of the Serpent Risen”) and this kept me invested as the record went along.

It doesn’t get more dramatic than opening track “Luciferian Dawn,” which deserves to be every bit as cult of Coven, a compelling and frightful song in its own right. We open the song with ultra fuzzy bass and a protometal charge that really grabs your attention the way Sir Lord Baltimore records surely did back in the day. The headbaning doom riff conjures the spirit of recently retired doom champions Saint Vitus and then there’s the menacing charge-forward Black Sabbath groove in the rhythm. Perhaps a dark doom anthem for the days ahead of us, much as Dopelord’s “World Beneath Us” was in the pandemic behind. Jez’s vocals are sinister and exacting it the delivery of ire. The chorus has great signature doom feel that should draw in every doom lover. It’s got real ferocity, especially when it manifests again at 2:45. At times, the vocals mock us sadistically, echoing into the night with great effect. I love the frazzled guitar solo during this one, got that Dave Chandler love.

There are some remarkably unexpected twists, too, like the enchanting and surreal interlude that meets the fade-out of an apocalyptic marching riff on “Cult of the Serpent Risen.” It’s like the psychedelics have suddenly engaged the higher senses and we’re transported into an altered state of consciousness, transporting us to the Pure Lands. The way the song builds is very much in true ceremonial forms, complete with slow tribal drumming and Eastern instrumental touches.

Hail Darkness somehow has a grittier, dirtier feel than even Electric Wizard at times, and this is especially the case during the chilling “Azarak!” I did have my bass settings turned up a bit, because that’s what really hits you is the swelling low end. The bass, guitar, and drums get damned low at 3:03 and this is accompanied by ghostly roars. “Eyes White Black Soul” is the absolutely perfect song to follow this barrage of heavies. It’s way out in dreamland, man.

Says the band:

We’re proud to launch our self-released debut album 'Death Divine’… an occult cosmic trip into the realms of the occult. Inspired by T-Rex, Jefferson Airplane, Lucifer Rising, Focus, Cathedral, Electric Wizard, Pentagram and Shocking Blue to name a few… the future is retro.

I haven’t been as impressed with an album of this kind since Green Lung’s 'Woodland Rites’ (2019), which had a similar breathtaking appeal. This better be in a lot of doom lover’s earbuds and speakers in these waning days of summer. The mood fits the times.

Look for the Vatican Records release Death Divine by Hail Darkness, releasing Thursday, August 15th (pre-order here).

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Hail Darkness is a female fronted occult rock trio from the U.S, whose sound can be described as the bastard daughter of doom and psychedelia.

Founding member Joshua (bass) grew up in Phoenix where the first songs were recorded and produced around mid 2020, which resulted in the birth of Hail Darkness… along with main composer Jez on guitar and Emmet, also the band’s designer, on drums.

Hail Darkness moved to Jez’s home turf of South Carolina in the early days of the pandemic, setting up the home studio to begin an extensive three year recording session recording up to 4 hours of material.

Initially the goal was to recreate the vintage sound of their idols; T-Rex, Jefferson Airplane, Pentagram, Shocking Blue, Focus, Jes Franco soundtracks, Black Sabbath, Lucifer Rising, Mountain, Captain Beyond and many others… and mix with the sounds of their more modern favourites like Cathedral and Electric Wizard.

In the studio Hail darkness is accompanied by a host of friend multi-instrumentalists also referred to as the Hail Darkness Coven, who help out with various instruments to create the expansive exotic psychedelic sound of Hail Darkness.

After the release of 5 singles in digital format, the debut album “Death Divine” will be self released on Hail Darkness’ own label Vatican Records on August 15th 2024. The album contains 10 songs showing their musically diverse side, incorporating aspects of occult 70’s rock, psychedelia, doom and folk to present the listener with a magical retro dark cosmic journey.

Jez’s lyrics deal mostly with tongue and cheek occult, inspired by the old occult movies, with some serious winks to light and dark occult works and some personal insights and doodles.

Doom is alive and well on planet earth with Western Australia’s KING ZOG. Stand in the throes of its thundering court and you’ll be readily convinced. Their name perhaps taken ironically from the insane dictator King Zog of Albania, this Perth-based four-piece follows in the legacy of Black Sabbath infused with ‘90s-influenced heavy rock, presenting to us something extraordinary on its own terms.

'Second Dawn’ (2024) is now King Zog’s sophomore LP and I took to its power immediately. “A new line-up, a new feel,” the band says. “Gongs, mellotron and synths add a textural layer to this thunderously heavy fresh platter of Zog music.” It follows their eponymous full-length entrance in 2017, which we reviewed in these pages in some depth.

Every song on the new venture is seriously strong, beginning with a commanding intro “Scelestic Dust” (scelestic being a rare word for something abominous, formidable, evil). Plenty of weighty thuds from the drums (William Macfarlan on this recording, Sean Ryan in the stage line-up) and pure glitz from lead guitarist Martin Gonzalez, who’s found an excellent tone for his instrument. I can see this being an effective show starter, and get the impression King Zog wanted the album to carry the dynamic of a live experience.

“Rat King” is the first song proper and the second longest of the album at 7:13, as most fall between 4.5 and 6 six minutes. Plenty of time for effective songcraft, and there are some interesting compositional developments along the way. Here we have a damning Sabbath-style groove and misty vocal harmonies anchored in the neighborhood of Chevelle, 3 Doors Down, and Phantom Hound. At 5:36 Martin Gonzalez’s bass builds up to a bittersweet guitar melody that provides a fitting end to this unnerving story.

“Hollow Man Blues” dwells in the phrygian mode of Black Pyramid and Reverend Bizarre, a haunting confrontation of the “stranger in the mirror” lost in a mad fit of pleasure-seeking. Like the previous track, this one has a dramatic Sabbath-style B-section close. Where most songs might end with the music fading, this one gives an emphatic last word.

“Creep On” has similarly gritty lyrics, about someone a clod who’s really creepy and doesn’t quite get it, a sex pest among other things. He’s best summed up by the lines:

Some came to snigger
some came to blame
We heard the ‘timber!’
and down you came

“Madagascar Tree” exudes a dark, macabre flavor that Beastmaker fans will admire, a beautiful fusion of doom and grunge in this bizarre legend of a man-eating tree, the Yateveo.

“Brute Beast” comes out with all the aggressive crunch and grind of that great first album by Stone Temple Pilots, and makes fine company with cosmic doom bands like Domkraft and Forming the Void. It’s a compelling rhythmic headbanger, evolving into a second section which gets surreal and psychedelic, and then rallies a determined beat and downtuned chords with plenty of sway in the final minutes.

“Aruna, Sunmonger” is dramatic spoken word, serving to introduce the title track and record closer “Second Dawn,” which goes on for Slomatics heights of vocal glory, later trailing off in a Sleep-like hypnotic gaze toward some unknown destiny. Yeah, the living dead again, to quote from 1973’s Psychomania.

Look for King Zog’s Second Dawn to see release on vinyl, CD, and digital format this Wednesday, July 31st via Rue Morgue Records (get it here). Stick it on a playlist with Aleph Null, Troll, Sons of Arrakis, Under, and Fuzztoads.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

King Zog’s 2017 debut album inducted a new titan into the underworld of doom – earning unilateral fandom and critical praise for its devotional offering to the gods of metal. Songs like “Temple’s Temple,” “Man-sized Rotisserie” and “Witchsmoker” sounded the way Dominic Sohor’s iconic album artwork looked – fiery and ferocious.

Since the arrival of this musical leviathan, King Zog have worked on a tireless mission. The line-up of Daniel Durack (vocals/guitar), Connor Pitts-West (guitar), Martin Gonzalez (bass) and Sean Ryan (drums) haven’t wasted a single day – hunkering down to write album number two during the pandemic and performing relentlessly once the lockdowns lifted.

The reward for their toil is soon to be unveiled, with “Second Dawn” due for release mid-2024. Bigger, heavier and doomier than its predecessor, King Zog’s second album is everything fans want it to be: a rampaging bull of Iommic riffs, seismic bottom-end and thundering rhythms. Downtuned and distorted, the crushing weight of “Second Dawn”’s music is raised up by undiluted, unadulterated vocal hooks.

Like the eternal journey of Sisyphus up the mountain, “Second Dawn” is a show of otherworldly strength – each song ascending in sheer force before thudding back to Earth, ready to start anew. From its blistering opener “Scelestic Dusk” to its closing title track, “Second Dawn” is a voyage through cyclonic seas… introducing fans to instant doom classics like “Rat King” and “Brute Beast”, whose names do well to serve their ghoulish nature.

Now the go-to doom band in their Western Australian hometown of Perth, King Zog are looking out to the horizon as they ready to set sail in support of “Second Dawn.”

From headlining sold-out shows, to touring the east coast of the sunburnt country, to tearing the roof off every heavy music festival that blows into town – King Zog have become the monster their debut album promised them to be. Now they begin to ink the next chapter in their continuing odyssey… now is the time of their Second Dawn.

It’s been just a minute since we released our compilation Doomed and Stoned in New Zealand, which we were honored to have preserved by The National Library of New Zealand. The current of underground heavy rock and metal is still strong in The Land of the Long White Cloud (or if you prefer, Middle Earth).

Our latest discovery is Wellington five-piece heavy rock beast SIDEWINDER, who today air their latest single “Prisoner” from the upcoming LP ‘Talons’ (2024), an album that has some monumentally heavy moments (wait’ll you hear “The Depths”). We’ve already gotten a taste of the band’s bouncy heavy psychedelic groove with the first single “Disarm The King,” and the second showcases their swagger even further with soaring melodic lines, crunchy southern sludge riffage, chugging bass, and workhorse drumming.

Jem Tupe is a powerful vocalist, on the order of Laura Donnelly from King Witch. She can really belt it out with ferocity and it meshes really well with the swampy might of the band’s hefty, hefty low-end. Sidewinder is taking no prisoners with this one – a big sound through and through.

“Prisoner has been a staple for us with our live shows for years,” says guitarist Ben Sargent. “It was our opener for a while and quickly became a crowd favourite. We did a few things we hadn’t tried before with the recording: like the whisper track through the verses. A lot of the lyrical content refers to Tartarus too which tied in with overall themes of the album. Big riffs, dissonant verses, lead breaks and heavy bridge sections – Prisoner’s got it all.”

“Prisoner was one of those songs that came together naturally and without too much difficulty,” adds guitarist Thomas Rousell (yes, we’ve got two axemen at the ready with Sidewinder). “Ben had a banging riff, we threw in some rolling verses and great melodies, it all came together to make a killer track. The crowd have been hearing this one for quite some time now, but there’s some special bits added to the recording that really lift the track to new heights.”

Sidewinder’s Talons strikes on August 23rd c/o Wyrmwood Records (pre-order here).

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Since their formation in Wellington back in 2021, NZ heavyweights Sidewinder have always summoned the biggest riffs and most monumental of grooves possible to carve their own path out from the underground.

In a short space of time, they’ve proven themselves to be an integral part of the burgeoning NZ hard rock/stoner scene and this summer they return to the fray with their eagerly anticipated follow-up to their 2022 debut, Vines.

Due for release this August, new studio album Talons is a breathtaking byproduct of their tight, high-energy performances and sold out shows with bands like Orange Goblin and Sasquatch. A swirling tempest of bluesy southern rock and grunge in keeping with the quintet’s heavyset approach to sonic exploration, it draws on influences that span decades, from the hard-driven strut of Kyuss to the spirited sensibilities of Church of Misery.

“We’re really excited for this album,” explains guitarist Ben Sargent. “It’s a lot darker and heavier than our last. There are some monster riffs throughout, some great psych and doom sections and plenty of that eerie, swampy blues thing we do too.”

Featuring new vocalist Jem Tupe; guitarists Ben Sargent and Thomas Rousell, bassist Sean Fitzpatrick and drummer Grant Lister, Sidewinder is primed and ready to bring it all home in the most spectacular of fashions, with their, “wall of riff-heavy psych, with lashings of delta-blues.”

Produced by James Goldsmith (Beastwars, End Boss, Planet of the Dead) and mastered by Will Borza (Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins), just one listen to “Prisoner” showcases just how heavier, darker, and more powerful they’ve become.

Today, we hail a powerful new atmospheric gem from Bordeaux three-piece ENDLESS FLOODS. I’m not sure if the band’s name is drawn from the Song of Solomon or not (“many waters cannot quench love”) or whether it is in reference to something more grim, such as the soul-weathering nature of our era. All that’s important is we have a fourth album from the band, which we brought to your attention way back in 2016 when they released their self-titled debut.

Now we ready for a fourth album Rites Futurs, this one featuring a seamless melding of talent from Louise Dehaye (vocals), Stéphane Miollan (guitar, bass, vox), and Benjamin Sablon (drums, synth, vox). Thibault Laisney (who provides some additional guitar) a fantastic job of recording and mixing the record at a/b box studio, the sound is clear, full, and roomy.

The songs certainly give you a lot to think about – less narrative and more contemplative. Sung entirely in the French tongue, the words in English are no less compelling:

“Planet-piercing silver spear
Incandescent like immense flames
Chariots arrive slowly
The chariots and the burning wind”

“L'Eclair” comes out with bristling guitar and wailing dissonance as the moon makes its appearance in the night sky. The amazing three-person choir is immediately arresting, containing elements classic and modern that flow from beautiful to mysterious to unsettling within a single progression. The jaded crooning at 2:05 rivals those of Undersmile. There are exaltant moments in this song (around 4 minutes in) that tap into a similar vein as Green Lung. Endless Floods are masters at transporting us through moods as naturally as the flow of disruptive waters. This is about light, balance, and contrast.

“Décennie” seems to be about time and how events repeat themselves endlessly in cycles, leading to a passionate climax of cymbals, screeching dissonance, and wailing voices.

Relancer chaque jour l'effet
et dans l'echo tout noyer

Lyrics are similarly grim on “Muraille,” which might be contemplating the ashen remains of Vesuvius (Nuage de lave mêlé au cristal des murs de flammes). There’s something quite ancient about the way the song starts, drawing upon early contrapuntal style. There are doomy elements in play, such as the funeral-esque guitar lead that follows. This is counterbalanced by glistening post-metal ambience and a haunting entanglement of voices that eventually take soaring into the aerosphere. There’s something at once meditative and bittersweet about the chorus that concludes the song (“Stone after stone, let’s climb airless enclaves”).

Louise Dehaye’s singing is reassuring and enchanting in the serene unfolding of title track “Rites Futures”. As the song developed, there are standout moments you’ll not hear anywhere else, such as the distant, riotous warbling of carolers set against a slow, fuzzy, bad-ass headbanger riff with garage vibes that goes shoegazey then has an out-and-out meltdown of black metal tremeloes, finally taking us to record center in a blaze of hypnotic glory as singers coalesce Gregorian chant style. The closing moments settle us into calm, reassurance that after all is said and done, we are always in the ever-present NOW.

Look for Endless Flood’s Rites Futurs on Friday, July 12th, with a limited run of cassettes issued by Breath Plastic Records (get it here or here). For many it will prompt you to get into their back catalogue, and summer is the perfect time to do it, especially at sunrise.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

After a five-year absence, Endless Floods are reunited around vocalist Louise Dehaye, Stéphane Miollan (guitar, bass, vocals) and Benjamin Sablon (drums, synths, vocals). Spanning through the crepuscular and droney doom landscapes of their first three records, they reveal in a prodigious blaze of post-metal, doom and shoegaze driven by the trio’s aerial choirs.

Bordeaux, France’s doom metal experimentalists Endless Floods formed in 2015 in Bordeaux around Stéphane Miollan (ex-Monarch, Bombardement, Faucheuse), Benjamin Sablon (ex-Monarch, Bombardement, Shock, Mégot) et Simon Bédy. With “no boundaries in heaviness” as a motto, they raise a prodigiously dense wall of sound by blending drone and doom metal aesthetics with mind-expanding ambient structures, like a sorrowful procession arising from the limbo…

The trio released their self-titled debut in 2015, quickly followed by their sophomore album “II” in the winter of 2017. This drone-sounding assault saw the band sinking deeper into bleakness and minimalism, immersing the listener in a monolithic and feedback-laden sonic experience described by the press as “a vast, never-ending room of heavy” (Cvlt Nation), “a juggernaut of sonic grandeur” (Metal Nexus) or simply “sublime” by Pure Grain Audio. Their third album “Circle The Gold” epitomized a fresh start in their creative process: between chaos and light, the Bordeaux trio transcended genre boundaries while unveiling a more melodic and cathartic aspect of their music.

After a five-year hiatus, ENDLESS FLOODS now returns with a new lineup and their fourth record "Rites Futurs”, to be released in July 2024. About the album, the band comments: “On Rites Futurs, we built a mythology around the idea of the rite of passage. The five tracks symbolize this tipping point into the unknown by evoking ancient traditions where fires extinguished everything in their path.”

It was recorded and mixed by Thibault Laisney at a/b box studio (Lestiac, France) and mastered by Ben Jones. Cover art and graphic design by Louise Dehaye. Constantly maintaining the subtle balance between light and melancholy, soaring atmospherics and granite riffs, Endless Floods deliver their sonic rebirth in forty minutes of a grippingly emotional experience.

What could be better than a breakfast with Death? What a party, right? Might sound bizarre, but you’ll be up for the vibe right away as soon as you get this album rocking. DUEL releases ‘Breakfast With Death’ (2024) this weekend on Heavy Psych Sounds, a hard-fighting, whisky-spitting, rubber meets the road rock 'n’ roll road trip from Austin, Texas. But it’s not just rock, this is heavy rock with desert, doom, and psychedelic mods on this stream rolling machine, with a rhythm that will not let up from Drew Potter (bass) and Patrick “Scooch” Pascucci (drums).

This is just high octane, kick-ass stuff, beginning with the over-caffeinated heartbeat of “Ancient Moonlight” made perfect by cool, lower-range crooning from frontman Tom Frank (vocals, guitar), who doesn’t seem concerned in the slightest about how fast this thrashy train is moving. The dank ending 3:13 is like everything suddenly going into slow motion and the tracks melting right beneath the wheels.

“Chaos Reigns” has a rambunctious '70s rock start, but the low-end is like nothing heard generations ago. This is heavy as all fuck with two downtuned guitars. And those verses are defiant. The rhythm section likes to go insane in short bursts, especially during the punk-thrash chorus. Nice to have some bitchin’ guitar soloing too from Jeff Henson (lead guitar).

“Satan’s Invention” was the lead single from this album and starts strong and rebellious “I don’t believe in the devil! Hell is a place here on earth!” Later the guitars do a solo version of that verse and the chorus. The band describes this one as “a four-minute Thin Lizzy-sequel rocker exploring the evils of man and the illusions of life. The countless lies we are fed from birth to death. All at a beat you can dance to!” The backing vocals are effective and the riffs and vocal intonations work out really well together here

Nice to see a band like Duel traffic in and out of different styles of rock and metal so seamlessly, not just between songs but within the tracks themselves. In “Fallacy” we get full-on groove metal, but everything about the song still screams DUEL, whether it’s the tuning of the instruments, the chemistry of the musicians, or the defining vocal tone and harmonies (a singer and two backers). The middle section goes into a more regret-filled, horror-tinged sentiment that’s right in Beastmaker territory.

“Pyro” may not be the best song to highlight on the 4th of July (let’s keep our forests from setting on fire for Pete’s sake, folks), but it’s definitely high octane and mischief-filled. “You think you’re innocent, Tom quips, and right away you’re thinking no. The guitar solo here takes us into an alternate universe, while the second guitar joins the rhythm section for some truly impish grinding and some sweet dueling guitar play later in the song.

"Berserker” features some grueling bass and drum work, and a trippy chorus with hypnotizing guitar riffage that recalls 1960’s classics.

“Tigers of Destruction” charges at us with Metallica-esque fury in those monstrous monotone verses that greet us from the start. The Duel beast continues to morph and evolve throughout the song, and the guitar solo introduces elements of psychedelic and grunge. This is going to be one of your favorite tracks on the album.

“Greet The Dead” dredges up a stormy clash of riff and rhythm, then showcases some awesome basswork. Tom’s range works ideally on this song’s verses and chorus. Finally vocals that aren’t high for me to sing along with. There are some great harmonic touches from backing singers Jeff and Drew, as well as a whirling dervish of a solo the finish.

“Burn The Earth” begins with an early-doom, Saint Vitus type groove but gets way rowdy just a minute in. I cannot emphasize how important it is to listen to this with some decent speakers that really bring out that bass. It’s pulse pounding with great energy, rowdy vocals recalling those gritty early Neal Fallon days in Clutch. Two minutes in and the song is still revving strong, then a disjointed, jerky breakdown that takes us into strange Ozzy dimensions of spooky. When the ravaging chorus returns at 3:07, you’ll for sure snag this for your End of the World mixtape.

Duel’s Breakfast with Death comes out Friday, July 5th on Heavy Psych Sounds on vinyl, CD, and digital (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Red Fang, Danava, High Desert Queen, Hippie Death Cult, and Greenbeard.

TRACKLIST

1. Ancient Moonlight
2. Satan’s Invention
3. Chaos Reigns
4. Fallacy
5. Pyro
6. Berserker
7. Tigers of Destruction
8. Greet The Dead
9. Burn The Earth

There’s been a lot of excitement brewing around New York’s KING BASTARD for years now. We’ve been following their impressive trajectory since early ‘21, bringing you sounds from their debut It Came From The Void. The psychedelic doom trio from Stony Brook are back at it this weekend with the drop of a new four-tracker, 'From Whence They Came’ (2024), and it is nothing short of stunning.

Opening number “Knuckle Dragger” is a knock-down-drag-out that summons the ferocity of our ancient past and engulfs us in its sound and fury. As the title implies, there’s a whole lot of huffing and grunting going on here, with an ancient tribal war beat set to the backdrop of boisterous rainforest activity. It’s primitive and effective. Would love to see it performed live.

The album art is the perfect companion to this one, inspired by the meeting of ancient man and monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. The resounding, hungry chomp of the irradiated bass, guitar, and drums is just bruising, with dirty, roaring vocals representing our still ingrained primordial instincts. This would make a great companion to Kurokuma’s Born of Obsidian, which delves into the Mesoamerican mythos.

“The Invisible Landscape” is next, drawing its title from the book by Terence McKenna, who’s voice is heard in the backdrop. The reference is to psychedelic plants and their power to unlock a new realm of consciousness. Resounding bass grounds us to the soil, while the guitar takes us to trippy, bluesy heights with swirling squawks and flourishes that have a wild, spontaneous character, riffing on the aviary from the previous song. It’s a 4-minute instrumental chock full of atmosphere, and it bleeds neatly into the next track.

“Astral Psyche,” is both wondrous and menacing. The rhythm is undeniable here, too. The unwieldy stretches of cosmic guitar at 1:25 recall Kim Thayil’s frenetic noodling in Soundgarden. Those crunchy, downtuned guitar and bass collisions at 1:54 are arresting, plain and simple. There are proggy elements to the song ala Elder, manifesting around 4:30 and taking us full circle to bird calls and clacking wood chimes. Things wind down with a bone-chilling quote via Rodney McDowell from the original 1968 Planet of the Apes: “Beware of man…for he is the harbinger of death.”

The chords that summon hefty 12-minute closer “The Dawn of Man” are damning, the pace obsessive, the fuzz all-encompassing. I haven’t heard low-end captured this convincingly in a while. The percussion does not let up on this one, either, solid to the fading end. Vocals are raspy and savage, and over this sails a mysterious psychedelic guitar that contrasts with raging drums and thundering bass.

All hail King Bastard’s From Whence They Came, out Friday, June 21st (get it here). Stick it on a playlist with Yob, Conan, Ufomammut, Ape Cave, and Kurokuma.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

King Bastard is intent on bringing new sounds to the cosmos via infectious jams, gratuitous effects, and cranked amps. Their music is an excursion into the dark recesses of gritty, sci-fi horror. King Bastard bridges the gap between the psychedelic and the sludgy aspects of the doom sphere, terraforming a new sonic landscape within.

Formed in Stony Brooke, NY in 2018, they independently released their debut album “It Came from the Void” in January 2022. Recorded by Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts) live from the depths of the Thousand Caves studio, the bastards channeled the works of H.R. Giger and H.P. Lovecraft through their pedalboards. This face-melting space odyssey was featured in Revolver Magazine, received praise from publications such as Blabbermouth and Metal Injection, and reached #9 on the January 2022 Doom Charts.

King Bastard has toured across the eastern US, sharing the stage with acts such as Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean and Restless Spirit.

Slated for a June 21st release, their sophomore album “From Whence They Came” is a complete thematic change up from their 2022 debut album “It Came From The Void”, further emphasizing the contrast between the psychotropic and psychopathic realms of the doom metal scene, shifting from caveman riffs to swirling FX-ridden harmonies.

“Whereas our first album explored space in the form of a disastrous mission to travel to another planet, our sophomore album explores time. Herein lies a sonic chronicling of the origins of humanity from an aggressive, knuckle-walking ape to a collaborative, destructive force of nature set to doom the planet. Tuned to drop-F and utilizing various percussion instruments, this album is intended to bring a new meaning to the term 'caveman-riffs’.”

More about the album concept: “While this story may have science fiction elements in its center, it is bookended by true tales of the human race’s doomed course.

“The opening lyrics of Knuckle Dragger establish the setting. A landscape inhabited by our early ancestors described as 'beasts of stone.’ A land of 'blood and bone’ in which violence is law. The lyrics in the second half of the song describe the mental state of two combatants battling for some unknown reason. Be it land, resources, self-defense, the purpose is lost as 'pure fucking adrenaline’ pumps through their veins.

“The Dawn of Man describes how language, the essence of humanity ultimately results in a level of destruction which was impossible to conceive of prior. Through murder and 'the 6th mass extinction’ the human race used the ability to collaborate to destroy themselves and sentence the earth to death.”

SPIRIT MOTHER formed in Long Beach, CA, greeting us with debut Cadets at the beginning of the pandemic. That was a welcome respite from the madness, and the following year the band gave us a taste for their live sound with Live In The Mojave Desert Volume 3 on Giant Rock Records.

Now Spirit Mother’s members are stretched across the United States, staking the ground in Buffalo, Los Angeles, and the high-desert of Eastern Oregon. Branching out into these very different locals, and I’m sure the associated experiences, have influenced an album I found genuinely moving, ‘Trails’ (2024 - Heavy Psych Sounds) – and an insanely good record at that.

Today, Doomed & Stoned brings you “Wolves” as the first single from the new listen (out late summer).

Says Armand Lance on this song:

Lyrically, “Wolves” is a questioning. An interrogation of the world around us, and our concept of face value. Our daily pill. What does it take to free your mind from influence? To form a truly original thought or perspective? Would you even know it if you did? Sonically, “Wolves” paints the full picture of Spirit Mother – so it only makes sense as the first single off “Trails.” All our songs are first written as folk songs on acoustic guitar – with a focus on the lyrics, the chords, and the song structure. It’s our foundation - and it gives the band direction before the fuzz hits.

When you realize that part about folk songs, you gain an even deeper appreciation for Spirit Mother’s craft on the new album. Everything here, with all the various colors and hues and layers can be encapsulated in a simple folk song. There’s something visceral about that being in the fabric of each song.

There’s also something misty and hallucinatory about the atmosphere throughout the record (see “Voyeur”), with affecting moments that pierce the soul (as in the climax of “Given”). SJ brings us flourishes of violin to complete the mood (as in “Below” and “Emerald”). Armand joins drummer Landon Cisneros to form a vibrant rhythm section (check out “Veins”).

Title track “Trails” begins with thumping rhythm bass riffing, joined by plaintive Wild West guitars plucking out a folkish tale. Later guitar joins with bass for a damning, downtuned, downstepping riff. Vocals It’s a slow burn, but worth it for those moments that really boil over (the exaltant rebel cries at 1:49 – I dare say the track should be legendary just for that moment), then there’s payoff in a haze of psychedelic dark rock. Emphatic bass grooves offer gravitas to the closing minutes.

Spirit Mother are really in their element on the deliriously good “Below,” it’s like being lost in a Pink Floydian dreamscape. And “Vessel” stirs up rebellious garage spirit in the vocals, combined with a brisk beat and grungy stoner riffs.

There’s something airy and hallucinatory about the atmosphere throughout the record, though they sometimes pierce the soul (as in the climax of “Given”).

“Wolves” is another standout track on the new record, and may turn out to be a favorite for many of you. This has the feel of dusk all over it, rolling down highways with a steadily pumping heart. The guitars are so effective here, with a wailing melancholy riff that comes in at 2:45.

Spirit Mother makes use of disparate rock influences throughout Trails, but has ample room for fluidity and evolution between styles. Unifying the sound is a bath of heavy ambiance and the complimentary vocals of Armand Lance and SJ. They’re clean and mellow (with an occasional flirtation with madness), and that’s just my vibe these days. The real treat is there’s no shortage of tone or passion in Sean McCormick’s guitar play which brings a heavy reality check to the situation.

Trails unfolds a new age of psychedelic dreaminess coupled with full-on fuzz and dark rock. Look for it September 13th on Heavy Psych Sounds (pre-order here) or (here).and stick it on a playlist with Pink Floyd, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Castle, Weedpecker, and Young Hunter.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Spirit Mother’s forthcoming album “Trails” brings the energy of the band’s visceral, all-in live performances while expanding on the sensibilities of their debut album “Cadets.” It is the undeniable next chapter in the band’s creative process.

The darker tonality, heavier, fuzz-fueled riffs, and relentless rhythm section accompanies prolific structure and arrangement. The violin summons a brooding, atmospheric pedestal for the remaining power trio to wield with fervor. Lance’s haunting vocals and stark lyricism intersperse the instrumentals with a melody that is as dynamic as it is accessible.

It is the culmination of road worn years in pursuit of the art, and the moment-to-moment adrenaline of studio exploration. The album was aged, captured, delivered by Spirit Mother, and brought to the broader public by Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

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.

I filmed Mothership at the inaugural Beers in Hell Fest and saw them again at Old Nick’s Pub in Eugene a number of years later. Guitarist KELLEY JUETT was unstoppable each time, possessed with surges of guitar-driven energy, a true slave to the riff and that oh so sweet blues tone. His new album, ‘Wandering West’ (2024), showcases an introspective side, widening his signature sound to take us into new realms of artistic and psychonautic possibilities.

“Jimi’s Jammie” greets the record like the red glow of a dawning horizon as earth gently awakens. The slow, hazy strumming of the opening moments gives our heads a place to settle while we watch the sun rise and all of nature come to life.

“December Dewdrops” plays out like a still day in winter. Here in the Willamette Valley, things stay green year round, but I remember from those days in East Texas when there isn’t a lick of green in sight. Gives you time to think, if you’re not in a hurry to distract yourself. The song unfolds like a meditation, one where you simply notice all the things happening around you, different strains of sound, each contributing its own voice and somehow achieving symbiosis.

Probably my favorite track on the record is “Lonely One” with its mysterious desert touches. It dovetails nicely with Alice in Chain’s SAP or Jerry Cantrell’s “Killer Is Me.” The whole thing’s got a sitting on the front porch waiting out the sweltering dry heat kind of feel to it, with blues notes that really grab hold of something inside you.

“Breezin’” is a perpetual motion 8-note riff that appears as gentle as the wind and then becomes the hypnotic subtext for sun-drenched guitar noodling. You can almost see yourself laying in your yard watching clouds pass while this is playing.

“Electric Dreamland”, another standout, mingles two guitars playing at different registers, one deeper and more somber the other serene and crystaline. It’s as though Hypnos himself were wooing us into somnambulance, taking us into a shadowy cavern where our subconscious anxieties are broken down into reverberating soundwaves. After several minutes in this mesmeric state, Kelley’s bluesy, bittersweet riffing hovers overhead and almost seems to narrate the dream. There’s a stretch of electric that had me thinking of fireflies fluttering in the night air. This is an easy one to close your eyes and drift away into.

We introduced you to the single “Mind Mirage” earlier last month, in which I lauded Juett’s “spacey psychedelic riffing, adding layers and details with all the patience of a whittler slicing away at a block of wood, turning it into a work of art.” The guitar soars like a seagull overhead, giving us a bird’s eye view of the ocean and the manifold glimmers of light.

“Hello & Goodbye” features some of the most psychedelic playing on the record, which will appeal to fans of Pink Floyd. Ambience abounds as the song winds down with chirping pedal and noise effects. You can tell that Kelley’s paying attention to every single detail of tone, with the mastery of one who is truly wed to his craft.

Kelley Juett’s new LP Wandering West releases Sunday, June 9th on Glory or Death Records and there looks to be some groovy variants of vinyl (get it here or here). European distribution through Majestic Mountain Records, Electric Valley Records, and Kozmik Artifactz.

Give ear…

In a sea of acts that multiply exponentially by the day, I was not sure what to expect from PRESIDENTE JUDAS, but wow did this São Paulo four-piece impress me. I’ve listened to new single “Boatman” on repeat and I’m still mesmerized every time I hear it.

“Boatman” begins with haunting noise and ghostly ambience, truly disturbing if you get a little too high on the maconha. But we’re soon glued to the ground with a doomy riff. Dank on the order of a Demon Lung, with a certain southern sludge flavor. The guitar tone is richly downtuned, with a thick buzzsaw tone.

“He knows the way, through the rivers of the underworld,” sings Sara Pereira with a sullen, authoritative tone that recalls Haunted’s Cristina Chimirri and Odile Boche from Shroom’s Circle. Her vocals are cloaked in ominous mystery and travel through the night air as Sara narrates a journey between realms.

It will take you.
He will take you.

The one thing that really stands out to me is the throbbing heartbeat that begins at 2:30 (and returns for a triumphal close at 4:07) that includes a deeply pulsing, scratchy bass riff from Felipe Arruda. It gets right inside your belly and shakes you ragged. Added to this the frightening drumbeat of Rodrigo Dias, who sets the fateful pace for this ethereal trip downstream. Nothing short of damning, and a big headbanging moment in the track.

At the last, guitarist Ygor Berçott belts out a screeching emotive solo that sounds like wailing and gnashing of teeth. There’s a stark, alarming realization that the end has come. You can never return to your flesh, you are on a ferry to Hades, riding on the river Acheron that is refreshed by the body and blood of the son of Helios.

It’s not hype to call this doom at its absolute finest. I’ve visited São Paulo twice in the last 8 years and it would be tantalizing to see Presidente Judas live. I hear their sound is monstrous. More still to come, as the band is currently writing new songs. Don’t rush it guys, aim for this kind of excellence. Stick it on a playlist with Dopelord, Monolord, Haunted, Messa, and Forming The Void.

Check out “Boatman” below and get the track right here.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

By Matheus Jacques and Presidente Judas

The ferryman of the underworld. Greek mythology. Charon, son of darkness and night, is the boatman who takes souls across the river Styx, also known as the river of pain, taking them to Hades to be judged. The deceased were buried with gold coins in their mouths so they could pay for the crossing. Otherwise, the soul would wander for 100 years on the banks of the river until Charon granted the free journey to these souls.

The new track by Brazilian stoner/doom metal band Presidente Judas, the powerful single “Boatman,” rescues the mythological theme to bring to light a theme that also relates to current times, in allusion to the lost souls that wander aimlessly in the life when the cost is not paid.

Recorded at Estúdio Navimãe in the city of Cerquilho/SP, with production by Naamã Maragno, with lyrics developed by the singer Sara, “Boatman” begins a new cycle for the band and delivers a promising bias with musical influences that come from names such as Electric Wizard, Black Road and Monolord, evoking lysergic and atmospheric nuances, driven by Sara’s always magnetic vocals and packed with a visceral and powerful instrumental outfit.

A couple of dudes in Portland named Ben
noodling their way through the end times.

Today, I want to introduce you to a band I’m especially excited about, SEMUTA from Portland, Oregon. I’ve been following the heavy music landscape for the better part of three decades and have seen a lot of ebbs and flows in the City of Roses, with a lion share of great talent – from Yob to Witch Mountain to a band called Burials, which many of acolytes of the scene will recognize.

Their debut is the near 40-minute spin Glacial Erratic, and it so deftly weaves post-metal and progressive stylings with sludge that you could even call it beautiful. Not that there isn’t plenty of aggression here, as you would expect from the guitarist vocalist Benjamin Caragol, brilliant guitar play and melancholy, nihilistic lyrics. Words are concerned less about He is joined by whirlwind drummer Ben Stoller, who has been in a chain of area bands as well.

The album jumps to a start with swirling riffs on the order of an Elder for “Toeing the Line.”. Drums resound deep while a maze of guitar carries us from guttural lows to screeching highs. What floats to the surface over the winding, buzzing fray are melodic verses leading up to melancholy harmonies in the chorus. Easily one of my favorite tracks from the record. Watch the paint dry, stagnant like a light. Bathe in the dying dust, let the bodies rust. There is a wistful middle section that bleeds very nicely into the song’s rousing finish.

“A Distant Light” demonstrates the same complex drumming as before, with a nice bouncy beat, mathy rhythms, and some post-jazz touches. Again the vocals are a key ingredient in making this duo work so effectively. Anything grittier might spoil the contrast between bruising low-end and crunchy riffage. The singing is at an ideal range for the style. It just works.

“Glacial Erratic” is, of course, the title track, and the beat says it all with an enticing shuffle between drums and gentle thrusting cymbals. I like that the percussion is not ear-splitting. A great job from all involved in the production. Things intensify with rapid fire poly-rhythms in both instruments, intersected by crystalline intonations. Fans of proggy guitar will appreciate that Caragol doesn’t stay in his lane and a nice squak now and again.

I appreciate that the songs on the record have a certain distinction from one another, while remaining true to the band’s core sound. “Selective Memory” dashes about like waves against the rocks, with some amazing, perpetual motion guitar play and crashing drumming. Words contemplate the fall of humanity to its continued mistakes, as we forget the past from generation to generation.

As you can tell, there’s a lot at play here from concept to execution. “Wounds of Storm” is the closer and the first few minutes are like being frozen in time, floating in dreams. I couldn’t help but think of the haunting last track on Mad Season’s Above. But that petrays me as a ‘90s kid. The piece is well constructed and takes its time building. The drums have a booming resonance here, while meeting out a brilliant start-stop rhythm that platforms the verses ideally. The vocals really shine on this one.

Semuta’s Glacial Erratic releases this weekend get it here.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Semuta is the duo of guitarist/vocalist Benjamin Caragol and drummer Ben Stoller, former members of noted Rose City bands Burials, Dark Numbers, and more. Together as Semuta, the two summon a mournful strain of sludgy post-metal, marked by enthralling songcraft and passionate execution. Mixed by Scott Evans at Antisleep Audio (Kowloon Walled City, Great Falls) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Portrayal of Guilt, Torche), debut full-length Glacial Erratic depicts an ocean of melancholy, punctuated by triumphant swells.

Its five songs unfold over the course of 37 minutes, with Caragol’s rich, clean vocals soaring over icy lulls and metallic eruptions. Navigating gentle interludes, tense buildups peppered with odd time signatures, and heroic climaxes, Stoller delivers rock-solid beatings in the Bonham tradition and Caragol unfurls a spectrum of six-string magic, all in service of the songs’ momentum.

Caragol states: “When I was a kid all I really cared about was metal, but around the time I was 15 or 16 I started to branch out. A big moment for me was seeing Radiohead for the first time. I had never seen a group of musicians so willing to dispense with conventions, and explore such a wide array of sounds. After that I was drawn to heavy bands that experimented with sonics, odd times, and emotive melodies; bands like Neurosis, Converge, Godspeed… I really appreciate music that pushes boundaries while maintaining a lot of feeling. I want the music we make to be ambitious, but I also want it to resonate with people emotionally.”

Caragol’s goal, to create music that challenges the mind whilst stirring the soul, has been realized with Glacial Erratic, an album likely to hook the ears of any fan of progressive heavy music, from Russian Circles to Cave In and beyond.

Revealing the themes at play behind the new album, Caragol states: “Most of our songs are about the ways in which human systems are failing us. Governments waging endless war. Corporations hoarding wealth and exploiting natural resources at the cost of an inhabitable planet. The abandonment and persecution of our most vulnerable populations. It’s hard to look at our civilization and not see a gaping wound. And most people bury their heads in the gutter of social media and vapid entertainment; a desperate attempt to hold onto fleeting moments of joy as the world around us falls apart.”

In contrast to the grave messaging, the official music video for the album’s title track sports a lighthearted, B-movie tone. Directed by renowned documentarian of Portland’s metal and punk scenes, Shelby Kray, the video sees a party at a backyard skateboard ramp devolve into hallucinatory horror. Making cameos are a bevy of Semuta’s hometown friends, including members of Usnea, Dark Castle, Armed for Apocalypse, Stoneburner, Nasalrod, and more. “Portland has a pretty thriving music scene,” says Caragol, in regards to the video casting. “There’s a wide variety of bands, and the music community is pretty close knit.”

The Glacial Erratic album artwork was created by Ashleigh Caragol, with design and layout by Justin Cory. The album follows one self-titled EP, released by the band in 2020.

Semuta on Tour

May 31 - Portland, OR @ The High Water Mark (w/ Yellfire)
June 1 - Bellingham, WA @ Make Shift (w/ Melancholia)
June 2 - Seattle, WA @ The Sunset Tavern (w/ Heiress)
June 8 - Santa Rosa, CA @ Shady Oak (w/ Ex Everything)
June 9 - Oakland, CA @ The Stork Club (w/ Ex Everything)