When VERMILION WHISKY sings, “Don’t think you should come ‘round anymore” in “Down On You,” ya know they mean it. Here’s a band without pretense or gimmick, exuding a natural confidence borne of cold brews, good company, and dank, humid Louisiana nights. The LaFayette band’s latest offering is called 'Crimson & Stone’ (2023) and you’re about to hear the first single, premiering today at Doomed & Stoned.

“Good Lovin” takes off to a strumming guitar stride, with the blurry haze of dawn on the horizon. Thaddeus Riordan’s throaty vocal style is in the same neighborhood as Keith Gibbs of Sasquach and his intonation is comparable to Kent Stump of Wo Fat. Give the track a listen and see if his singing doesn’t resonate deep down in your soul.

Ross Brown’s riffage is downtuned, but warm, conjuring Black Sabbath vibes dirty with alcohol, tobacco, and firearms. Don’t miss the sizzling guitar solo three minutes in. Meanwhile, the rhythm section Jason Decou (bass) and Wade Perkins (drums) trudges on with hearty aplomb.

Vermilion Whisky adds:

“Good Lovin” is a straight up the middle fastball. With an infectious groove, this track sucks you in and doesn’t let go, much like the fiery protagonist described throughout this reminiscent true tale of early wake up calls and intimate encounters.

The recording gives real presence to each of the instruments. Nothing sounds boxy or claustrophobic. You get a real sense that the band is performing live, right there in your earphones.

Keep your eyes peeled for Crimson & Stone, coming out May 26th. Stick it on a playlist with Corrosion of Conformity, Down, and Crowbar, and stir in a dab of Eyehategod for good measure.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Grab-you-by-the-collar Louisiana metal outfit Vermilion Whiskey is preparing to release their latest album, 'Crimson & Stone’ (2023), on May 26th. The album varies from head-nodders to fist-pumpers, with no pretensions of being anything other than a heavy hunk of good ol’ southern style.

The American South is steeped in rich musical tradition. In a time when metal is in a constant cycle of who can be the most brutal, we often forget where the tradition started and its signature sound. Leading the stripped bare and played loud is hard rocking stoner metal outfit Vermillion Whiskey. The Louisiana-based band is southern-fried hard rock at its finest.

Vermilion Whiskey released '10 South’ in September of 2013 and their booze-and-blues soaked riffing soaked through the floorboards of the local bar scene. With the kind of honest bar-rock conviction you’d expect to find from a “working man’s band,” they soon spread regionally across South Louisiana, growing a loving fanbase and gaining momentum.

Their sophomore album 'Spirit of Tradition’ was released on Feb 17th, 2017 to positive reviews as their regional presence grew, and Vermillion Whiskey began to share the stage with bands like Crowbar, Mothership, Wo Fat, and many others.

Hitting the studio hard in early 2022, the band is currently preparing to release their 3rd album 'Crimson & Stone’ on May 26th and eager to return to playing live shows across their regional Gulf Coast stomping ground and beyond. The band recruited Tommy Buckley of Crowbar/Soilent Green to rehearse and record drum tracks and also found current live drummer Wade Perkins, who was instrumental in helping to produce drum tracks alongside Tommy and Duane Simoneaux at OCD Recording and Production in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This newest offering is a blend of classic Vermilion Whiskey southern hard rock, driving stoner riffage, dabs of dissonant overtones, and a heavy helping of pure Louisiana sludge.

When one hears the words space and metal together, the first thought that comes to mind is what? Maybe something with spacey keyboards, progressive styled music, and cheesy vocals that have more in line with Middle Earth than they do the furthest reaches of the cosmos.

Well, guess again, because the New Orleans powerhouse calling themselves SPACE METAL will not leave any bad tastes in your mouth. Instead of using silly space gimmicks, they employ crushing riff work, a thunderous rhythm section, and a wonderful vocal approach that should appeal to anyone who loves heavy music – plus, no lame keyboards can be heard.

The aforementioned elements are shown more than ever on their newest release, ‘Highness’ (2021), which came out on June 26th. The four tracks on this album exemplify everything you want to hear from a band of space aficionados.

Up first, and what I feel is the best track, is a little ditty called “Stare.” I absolutely love the melody that is conveyed by the lyrics we hear in the very beginning, which also acts as the chorus.

If the wizard cares to
Hold you in his stare
Decides to migrate to your stated hemisphere
Never fear cause the wizard dares
To share your hatred for the Symmetry
That put you there

These words initially made me think this was just about a certain Wizard who strikes fear into, for lack of a better phrase, the main character of the track. However, as the song progresses on we find out that there is a space theme after all, and that the Wizard has a role to play in protecting this central figure.

The music on “Stare” is not unlike the thunderous footsteps of massive creatures, with the riff thoroughly driving its way into your skull. There is also a sense of quicker movements, which is shown by the slightly faster riffs that are used here.

Overall, this is a heavy track that doesn’t rely on speed or growled vocals to portray a sense of doom, and is even heavier for the lack of those things.

My other preferred track is called “The Seed,” and this one seems to have a focus on certain flowering plants that a lot of us love to imbibe.

Inside the mind you will find a flowering herb
Don’t be disturbed
Even if you’ve heard

Oh, that’s the kind of prescription designed
To bend your mind
And send you into a state of time

The music is fairly similar to “Stare” in design; heavy, thunderous riffage flows aplenty, and the clean vocals are superbly executed.

The intro section really sticks out to me, as I really dig the watery feel of the non-distorted guitars; they add to the melody in the most perfect of ways.

The only bad thing about Highness is that it is only four songs in length, totalling out at about twenty-two minutes. The good thing is that every last second is packed with awesomeness, making the listener (in this case me) want to hear more. I personally play this album two or three times in a row and it never gets old, leaving me to think this will be one of the best albums of 2021. I hope that you will like it as much as I do.

Enjoy!

Without doubt, Lafayette’s FORMING THE VOID is one of the hottest bands to emerge from the heavy underground in recent years. They made a big splash at Psycho Las Vegas a few years ago, which is when I first had the opportunity to meet frontman James Marshall and company in person (truly some of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet – anyone will say it).

Despite Doomed & Stoned’s longstanding history with the band (premiering music dating back to their Skyward and Relic LPs), it wasn’t until they hit the stage at Reggie’s during Chicago Doomed & Stoned Fest last year that I was smitten. My head told me I should be filming the band, but my heart told me to just stand there and soak in the heavy riffs and transcendent harmonies.

A tinted orange light peered down stoutly from the rafters, bathing the band in a rusty hue that reminded me of base red clay as they belted out the bulk of their then recent album Rift. It struck me right there and then that if a collective of cavemen had been frozen in time, awakened by the 21st century, and have now devoted themselves monastically to melancholic songs about the ancient days, that band would be Forming The Void.

Their latest, ‘Reverie’ (2020), delivers reliably to fans of the outfit’s prior three albums and will pick up immediately on that tell-tale thick, sludgy low-end and chunky drumbeat that moves the rhythmic heart of opening track “Sage.” It’s earthy moving rhythm is joined by the prophetic utterance of vocals that soar vastly overhead, surveying the horizon like a bird of prey. It’s a vibe that Slomatics fans will be used to, though arguably Forming The Void makes it much groovier. After all, you can’t avoid the influence of the blues in a place like Louisiana.

“Onward Through The Haze” has us slogging through the swampland seeking reprieve from the omnipresent cover of mist, the hardy bass slinging like desperate stomps through the bog (whether literal or a metaphor for struggle), enjoined by some righteous guitar slaying later in the song.

This brings us to the third number on the album, “Trace The Omen,” which Doomed & Stoned is pleased to present for your viewing pleasure in this music video. Don’t be fooled by its mysterious, subdued opening; the song works its way up to a brilliant eruption of sound and emotion.

“Trace the Omen is one of the more pessimistic songs off this album,” The band tells us. “It has an end of days theme and takes an indifferent look at it. The video concept is a tree of life growing and creating humanity, only to be destroyed by its creation. Cycle of life and death.”

Forming The Void’s 'Reverie’ (2020) is a most worthy addition to their monolithic discography and in no wise disappoints. Now available on Ripple Music.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Forming the Void invoke the progressive and heavy tendencies of Mastodon and Torche, the psychedelic and soaring melodies of Pink Floyd, and the rolling confidence of Soundgarden. With swamp mud stuck to their feet as they trudge forth from South Central Louisiana, they aren’t afraid to slow things to a crawl, a welcome approach as shown by their last effort 'Rift’ topping the Doom Charts at its arrival.

No strangers to the road, Forming The Void have crossed the US alongside Truckfighters, Church of Misery, Kings Destroy, Gozu and Howling Giant. Their otherworldly sound has earned them spots on large festivals such as Psycho Las Vegas, Denver’s Electric Funeral Fest, Stoner Daze and Stoner Jam at SXSW, Maryland Doom Fest, and Descendants of Crom.

For their new album ‘Reverie’, the band seeks to further explore aspects of the sound they’ve shaped on their previous outings, guided by a desire to strike a balance between organic and intentional. The result is an album that reaches new levels of refined depth, mystical energy and cosmic transcendence.

The other night I watched a movie called Squirm, filmed in the late ‘70s. It involves a small town in the Bible Belt that gets hit by severe flooding, knocking hot power lines down into the soil and giving the local underground population of creepy crawly invertebrates a nice fat shoc k of juice to their systems. As a result, they become carnivorous and start turning on the local fishing population, gnawing their flesh down to the bone. Imagining these electrified critters formed a band, it would most certainly be WOORMS.

Just months ago, we got introduced to the four-year strong trio by way of their long-play premiere, 'Slake’ (2019). Now the Baton Rouge crew are ready to spit out another slimey bundle of bombastic sludge numbers in a second album, 'Twitching, As Prey’ (2020). The record is replete with resolute rhythms and riotous vocals that call to mind Unsane, thick, lumbering chords that made me think of Torche, and bold Prong-like beats. Joey Carbo (guitar, vox), John Robinson (bass), and Aaron Polk (drums) have really outdone themselves this time.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is pleased to bring you the third single from the forthcoming full-length. Frontman Joey Carbo has this to say about “Unicorn Corn”:

“So, this song started as a joke. Two jokes, actually! The title came about because of texting with a promoter friend of mine who manages our Instagram and I, drunkenly, found the two emoji things and it accidentally became a code we used for when shit was all good. If I was happy with some step we were gonna take, I just sent the unicorn and corn emojis. I promised her I’d name a song that, so I did. I heard an old dude say one time, ‘It’s all chicken but the gravy’. I love regional euphemisms. This one took me a second but I guess he’s saying that everything is good. Chicken is good and the part that isn’t chicken is gravy and gravy is still pretty damn good.

“The lyrics came about because I’d always wanted to write a limerick. The two verses of this song are a limerick. I’m pretty proud of the profound and poetic stupidity of it all. Here’s the verse limerick, for your enjoyment or my abuse and embarrassment – either is fine with me.

He who smelt your milk,
She who slept on silk,
And all those of your ilk
(-It’s not by choice.)

Slim is Jim, son of Tim,
And all who visit him
As to fit through his narrow door.
(All rot by choice.)

“Then it goes on with the chorus from line four and that’s not part of the limerick, mechanically, but more a social commentary on the people around us here. Fat, white, lumbering halfwits who kill themselves with mounds of terrible food and gallons of fountain soda. They “rot by choice.” Have you seen the size of a “small” soda at an American fast food joint? So, a lot in the deep south (and maybe where you live, too) they just swell up, buy bigger trucks, and elbow their way through life until their hearts pop. Ha!”

The band’s new album Twitching, As Prey is slated for release on Friday, March 27th on Hospital Records/Sludgelord Records. Pre-order in the US here and in the UK here.

Give ear…

Some Buzz:

Following on from the critically acclaimed release of their debut album, Baton Rouge-based colossus, WOORMS, returned with new single 'Silence and the Saints’ toward the end of last year; the first sanctioned cut from their forthcoming LP, Twitching, As Prey, due for release in March on Hospital Records/Sludgelord Records.

Formed in 2017 in Louisiana and featuring guitarist/vocalist Joey Carbo, bassist John Robinson, and drummer Aaron Polk, WOORMS has been delivering a brutal mélange of riffs and noise-rock righteousness on the precipice of significance for some time.

Yet despite only being a few years into their sonic existence they have already racked up a collection of demos, digital one-offs (‘Daddy Was A Masker,’ 'The Math Says, Yes’), a split with NOLA thrashers, A Hanging, and most recently of all, Slake; their devastating debut record.

Fully stirred from a delirious slumber, songs like ‘Mouth is a Wound’ and 'Find a Meal, Find a Bed, Find a God’ made for a devastatingly terse and perverse experience. From the pinnacle to the point of no return, WOORMS fall psychotically through the fuzz and unholy grind of bands like KARP, Jesus Lizard and Neurosis. Their debut album immediately set out its stall in the most spectacular of fashions; a lumbering, symphonic noise-rock shank fight between the fattest of riffs and the thinnest of patience with the world at large.

Louisiana is experiencing a renaissance of sorts in the heavy underground – especially as it concerns doom metal and stoner rock bands. Whether we’re talking sensational acts like Forming The Void, Space Metal, White Light Cemetery, or WOORMS, the Bayou State is busily birthing its next generation Crowbars, Eyehategods, Thous, and Acid Baths. Before us is another impressive newcomer to the scene: OLE ENGLISH, a rambunctious four-member crew nestled deep within Cajun country.

“Bowing before an altar of lore, doom-laden riffs and malevolent presence,” the band’s charter tells us, “Warlock stoner rock outfit Ole English seeks to keep Black Masses a tradition. Preserving the lineage forged by dynasties such as Black Sabbath, Kyuss, The Sword and Soundgarden, the four-piece crusade in establishing themselves throughout the land of the riffian.” That’s enough to get a hearty hellll yeah from me!

Each song on their debut, ‘Ole English’ (2019), presents us with a slice of life that could very well be contemporary, but are actually character sketches from Medieval society. What draws the band to this time period is unclear – perhaps the attraction of simpler times, or maybe just the rich thematic material that this era of history yields. Then again, you can’t help but notice the parallels between then and now, and if you like you can approach each song with this double-meaning in view (I’m sure Ole English won’t mind).

“Paladin” opens the album with gusto, as the knight trots on his horse for on some mission of conquest. It’s a spirited, up-tempo romp. “Old Man” follows and is more evenly paced, even bluesy. Whoever this elderly dude is, he’s got swagger. “Heel” is another stomper, with Nick Harvey’s vocals falling into the tradition of Sasquatch and Orange Goblin. “Visions of Ghana” is the proto-doom song of the album, if its length is any indication. Don’t let the pace fool you though; in its own way, it is one of the most urgent numbers of the EP.

The record spins to its end with “Holy Roller,” an off-kilter, slightly mad tune that touches on the desperation that leads people into extreme acts of religious devotion. I pick up a Roky Erickson and the Aliens vibe here and I couldn’t help thinking this would also make a good companion to Soundgarden’s “Holy Water.”

Ole English is a robust effort from Nick Harvey (vox/guitar), Lynden Segura (vox/guitar), Magnolia June (bass), and Austin Wood (drums) and I look forward to seeing how the band develops from here on out. Look for the big release on Friday, August 23rd (pre-order here).

Give ear…

Some Buzz

When it comes to subverting expectations, Ole English have got it down to a fine art. Even the very name – conjuring images of bards and paladins – clashes against the band’s hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, and the jigsaw-type lore they build their songs on. It’s with affection that they term their fuzzy, whiskey-soaked brand as ‘Warlock rock’, and the five songs on this self-titled jaunt are as composed as they are well-composed.

Each song brings the medieval to the modern age: the journeyman vibes of opener “Paladin” fit right in with the ride-until-you-die ethos of Kyuss et al; “Old Man” showcases Nick Harvey’s belting vocals in a heartfelt number not unlike Soundgarden’s repertoire; “Holy Roller” is a nod to the '70s vintage rock plied by Uncle Acid, Graveyard and the like. Plenty more influences come to the fore, from The Sword to Kingston Wall, but the ultimate takeaway from Ole English is a damn good night of rocking fun with 40 oz’s, a bit of herb, and story-telling that delves into all kinds of strange matter.

Such a strong early release out the gate will cement Ole English’s place in their hometown’s playlist for 2019, and the band already have their sights set on the road after a set of successful runs through the US – there are plenty more places in need of an Ole English Black Mass.

I still remember when my family took a trip from our East Texas home to southern Louisiana. It was a collection of firsts for me as a sheltered 14-year old as we hit New Orleans (first topless woman), Baton Rouge (first Creole cuisine), and Lafayette (where I got a bad case of fire ants in the pants during a family picture). It’s a humid, swamp-ridden country prone to flooding, with an unforgivable backwoods terrain and people who are both hospitable and fiercely independent.

Having covered bands like Crowbar, Eyehategod, Thou, Forming The Void, SpaceMetal, WOORMS, White Light Cemetery, and a handful of others in these pages and on our weekly podcast, I was naturally intrigued to discover another band sprouting from this small, but stubbornly growing scene. CHEMICAL CITY REBELS is not our usual fare, but I find it’s good for the musical palate to switch things up to keep our musical taste buds from dulling.

Hailing from Baton Rouge, an area rich in Americana, situated right along Huckleberry Finn’s Mississippi River, Chemical City Rebels are Ben Michon (guitar, vox), Ben Ryland (guitar), Benton Lovoi (bass), and Ben Fridge (drums). Their album, ‘A New Plague’ (2019) calls to mind the angst of '90s alt rock and post-grunge, with the atmosphere of Deftones (“Disassociate’), the mood of Nirvana ("Western Decline”), and the vocal prowess of latter day Alice in Chains (“DLTBGYD”). But those are my points of reference, not theirs. The band prefers to note influences as varied as The Cars and QOTSA.

However you want to slice it, Chemical City Rebels are nothing if not earnest. The stylistic approach and execution of songs like “Introspection” and “Time” really have a way of pulling on the heart strings, while “What We Have Done,” “Patternicity,” and “Disassociate” touch on close-to-home themes of regret, personal responsibility, and lost love.

A New Plague will, I imagine, make a fine late-night spin for your Saturday night, if not a fitting accompaniment to an early-morning Sunday drive along Highway 10. Chemical City Rebels release the album digitally on April 19th (pre-order here or here) and ahead of that date, Doomed & Stoned is treating you to it all from start to finish.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Enduring floods, high volumes and the punishing southern Louisiana summer, Chemical City Rebels are here to stay. Blending furious pace with mid-tempo drive and infectious vocal harmonies they craft what they call ‘Stoner Pop-Punk’. After several years of putting the pieces together the band rounded out their lineup in early 2017 and started to play throughout the region. Wearing their pop sensibilities on their collective sleeve, Chemical City Rebels are elegantly fusing diverse sounds to craft something that speaks to the heart.

After a year of tightening their songs in clubs around the state, with bands like Forming The Void, Ambassador and Dead Register they were ready for the next step. Late in 2018 the band recorded their debut full length, A New Plague. With it they seek to fuse the influences of everyone from Hot Water Music to Queens of the Stone Age by way of The Cars and Type O Negative. The album was recorded at The Legendary Noise Floor in Baton Rouge, LA and then at Red Room Studios in Gonzales, LA. A New Plague was then mastered by music industry legend, Grammy winner Alan Douches of West West Side Music.

More than the sum of its parts, A New Plague represents the next step for a band with the grit they need to emerge from the scene as heroes. Despite the odds being stacked against them time and time again, Chemical City Rebels have persevered. Grinding forward in waves of volume, singalong hooks and guitar tone that would make a grown man cry, there’s no stopping them now. Louisiana has always spat out the best of the best, and Chemical City Rebels are continuing a proud tradition of heavy music from the deep south.

FORMING THE VOID is a name that most doomers have had the opportunity to get to know quite well over in recent years. For me, they will always be remembered as the Lafayette band that covered Led Zeppelin better than Led Zeppelin. Forming The Void’s version of “Kashmir” from last year’s ‘Relic’ (2016) is absolutely amazing. Now the band is gearing up to release the next chapter: 'Rift’ (2018), available August 17th through Kozmik Artifactz Records. It’s the next logical step for James Marshall (guitar/vocals), Shadi Omar Al-Khansa (guitar), Luke Baker (bass), and Thomas Colley (drums), who present another album of heavy riffs, with progressive tendencies and killer vocal work. From a fan standpoint, this is a phenomenal sounding album and, for new fans, this is a great place to get into a kick-ass band.

Album opener, “Extinction Event,” is a first look into what we can expect from Rift.   This track has possibly the heaviest intro on the album, bringing a ripple of thunder before the verse riffs take over. The overall tone is just damned brutal, but it’s the lighter elements that I seem to gravitate towards. They provide respite from the darkness and are just beautifully written.

“Arcane Mystic” is a journey into the depths of sound that will not soon be forgotten by those who hear it. These musicians are able to integrate heavy music with the soaring psychedelic passages, creating a landscape of dense aural pleasure. This song is a perfect example of what I am speaking of. It’s just pure power and beauty, rolled into one exceptional track (easily my favorite song, too).

“Arrival” is another monster number that exemplifies the Forming The Void sound. The introduction charges toward you like a bull and the verse riffs are given an ethereal quality their vocal stylings. This song has some decisively progressive tendencies, while remaining grounded in an extremely heavy tone throughout.

“Ark Debris” comes in very low-key, with some nice Middle Eastern touches on guitar. I really love the dynamics of this one, because it’s mellow for most of the track. That means when the riffs get heavy, they sound that much heavier! Those dynamic shifts really make this a standout on Rift and, as usual, the vocals are outstanding.

It should be a foregone conclusion that fans of this amazing group will be picking up this album. However, it is also an excellent jumping off point for people who have never heard of Forming The Void before. I urge you all to give this phenomenal release a thorough going over, as I think you’ll find it will earn repeated listens, as well. Forming The Void gets better with each release and I, for one, cannot wait to see where Rift takes them as a band!

I’ve been a fan of Forming The Void since I first heard last year’s Relic.   What can fans expect from the new album, by comparison?

There was a huge improvement in production. We really tried to focus on feel and energy with this album, as well as make it feel like one cohesive piece of work.

Personally, I sense some growth from Relic to Rift.   The songs seem more progressive, with some psychedelic elements. Was this a conscious decision or just the benefit of natural progression?

We underwent a lineup change before recording this album. Our new drummer Thomas joined six weeks before tracking began and even in the short time he had to learn everything, he contributed so much to the overall sound and writing of the new album. One of the special things about Rift is that it captures the openness and chemistry of our new musical relationship with Thomas, as well as the experience and understanding the rest of us have developed from years of working together.

What method does Forming The Void use when writing songs? Do you all sit in a room and jam? Or do you take the more modern method of writing and recording over the internet?

A lot of the writing comes in the form of riff-trading. The strings will all come up with riffs and trade them around until a couple come together and feel right. Once we get that foundation, we record a digital version in Studio One. Then we use that recording as a blueprint to jam on. After, we’ll get the whole band to jam on the idea and make changes as needed. Vocals are the most solitary portion, but vary from song to song and go through a lot of changes – sometimes right up to the recording.

Where was Rift recorded and how was that experience overall?

We recorded Rift with Chris Munson at The University of Louisiana’s Blue Room Studio. Chris cut his teeth in Nashville and is Grammy nominated, so working with someone who has that kind of pedigree was really a new experience for us. He is a very helpful and friendly guy and we had a blast recording together. James Plotkin mixed and mastered the album.

What lyrical themes are approached on the album? What makes these themes important to you?

For Rift, we wanted the lyrics to have a bit more of a story telling aspect than we focused on with previous albums. One way we did that was by drawing inspiration from authors, ideas, and imagery that we were big fans of. Some of those inspirations include Cormac McCarthy, Mark Twain, Game of Thrones mythology, Lord of the Rings, and Nietzsche. We also pulled inspiration from the philosophies of nihilism and existentialism to fuel a lot of the lyrics. Concepts of death, immortality, and humanity really became the centerpiece for Rift.

What gear does the band use for recording and performance?

James uses a Dunable Yeti, Orange AD140 or OR120, and Marshall cabs. Shadi uses a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom through a 1974 Hiwatt DR103 with Hiwatt and Hi-Tone cabs. He uses an Electro-Harmonix POG 2 pedal extensively. Luke uses a Fender P bass through an Ampeg VR and 810 cabinet. Thomas uses all vintage Ludwig drums and gigantic Paiste cymbals.

On Relic you guys covered a classic Led Zeppelin track and took it to another level. I’ve spoken with some people who believe your cover is actually better than the original. What led you to cover that track and how does it feel knowing there are fans who feel this way about?

We are thankful to those fans, but we disagree with them! “Kashmir” is one of the best songs ever written. By covering it, we sought to pay tribute to Led Zeppelin and show how they’ve influenced us as a band. We knew covering such a well-known song by one of the biggest bands out there was a risk and we’re glad that people were open to our interpretation.

Thanks for spending time with Doomed & Stoned’s readers and congratulations to the bands on an amazing follow up to Relic.   Skål!

Thanks for your kind words. We look forward to sharing our new music with everybody!

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

I have painful memories of Lafayette, but not for the reasons you might think.     I was 11 years old and my family was travelling through the land of the Ragin’ Cajuns en route to New Orleans, when we stopped for a stretch at a park and decided to take a family picture.   As I flashed a toothy grin, I felt a strange, stinging sensation ripple across my flesh.   Glancing down, I realized I’d made the unforgivable error of stepping on a red ant hill.   Literally ants in my pants…and those are some mean motherfuckers.

That’s where my memories of Lafayette began and ended – until I discovered FORMING THE VOID.   Assembled four years ago, the Louisiana quartet blew my mind with last year’s debut, Skyward   (I’m still in love with that striking album cover).   Not surprisingly, they were quickly picked up by Italian label Argonauta Records, which has of late been making one good decision after another in signing new talent from the heavy underground.

James Marshall (guitar/vox), Shadi Omar Al-Khansa (guitar), Luke Baker (bass), and Jordan Boyd (drums) are forging ahead this month with a massive eight-tracker called ‘Relic’ (2017).   “We really found our stride with Relic,” Marshall says. “I think with this album it was important to showcase as much of our diversity of influences as we could while still staying under a fuzzy, progressive, atmospheric sound.”   If you’ve given a listen to the three singles revealed to date, you know exactly what they’re talking about – and you probably want more.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is quenching your thirst with album opener, “After Earth.”   Having been given a choice of which track to debut, I chose this one specifically for its emotional heft, portentous vocals, and that wicked little riff that suckered me in at around the five-minute mark.   For me, it was an extraordinarily effective number.

“We went for a mystical, trance-like sound with this one,“ explains frontman James Marshall.   "It’s the simplest song on the album, rhythmically and melodically.   We had a tendency to utilize odd scales and syncopated parts on every song so we opted out of that for this one. Lyrically, it’s centered around the idea of reincarnation.”

Indeed, from start to finish, Relic demonstrates the impressive dynamic, stylistic versatility, and sheer powerful that Forming The Void can wield on command.

Give ear…

Forming The Void’s Relic is slated for released on March 17th via Argonauta Records.   You can get it on CD here and digitally here.   Look for Forming The Void during SXSW at Stoner Jam, taking place Wednesday, March 15th, at Spider House Cafe and Ballroom.

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