In this fresh audio interview, CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC guitarist and founding band member Steve Scavuzzo discusses the evolution of his songwriting, what it’s like using vinyl as a framework for creativity, Easter egg guitar leads, and the band’s sense of humor. We’ll get exclusive insight into the classic rock inspiration for the record they have in the works, and find out what’s ahead for the band in 2025.

Clouds Taste Satanic is a four-piece instrumental act that collaboratively composes slow-tempo records for vinyl formats. Drawing inspiration from a breadth and depth of doom and rock acts from iconic bygone eras to modern times, CTS brings their own flavor of hybrid heavy to the Stoner-Doom genre. Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Rezn, Brian May of Queen, Radiohead, and Led Zeppelin are just a few of the influences that pepper the band’s heavy, riff-laden sounds.

Since 2013, founding member Steve Scavuzzo has manifested his creative visions and driven the evolution of CTS, from deep doom beginnings to the versatile band they are today. Now, with the current line up signed to Majestic Mountain Records, their catalog is growing steadily as they pick up ideas from the heavy rock landscape and develop new ways to make and deliver music to their listeners.

Clouds Taste Satanic’s Christmas-themed cover album “All I Want for Christmas is Your Soul” will be available for purchase on November 1st via Bandcamp as a 10-inch EP. Containing four familiar yuletide tunes as instrumentals with heavy-metal makeovers, the album is a savory change of pace for your holiday revelries.

Clouds Taste Satanic is:
Steve Scavuzzo - Guitars
Brian Bauhs - Guitars
Greg Acampora - Drums
Rob Halstead - Bass

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.”

From New York’s Hudson Valley comes a new album from Kingston four-piece psychedelic doom heavies SHADOW WITCH. The band broke ground with the earthshaking 2016 LP, Sun Killer, then continued to dominate the Doom Charts with releases that followed.

Shadow Witch have a distinct sound that’s rooted in the deep history of doom in the Northeastern States. We featured the band on our compilation Doomed & Stoned in New York during the pandemic, and they released their third album on Argonauta Records at that same time. Next month comes a fourth LP on the same label, ‘Eschaton (The End of All Things)’ (2024).

Today, we share the second single from that eight-tracker, “The Lion & The Lamb,” following the reveal of “Tell Me” last month. The Biblical overtones of the lyrics are obvious, drawing upon the ancient story of The Fall of humanity. The song begins with a gentle riff, followed by organesque sound, and soft vocals.

Don’t let it fool you, though; this is just the build-up. Gritty vocal harmonies kick in from Earl Lundy (lead vox, Mellotron) and David Pannullo (vox, bass), then chilling low-end that engulfs you like few other bands will, finally climaxing in haunting fashion and ending in ambient effects worthy of a Panos Cosmatos film.

Before us is the music video for “The Lion & The Lamb,” which the band had this to say about:

Last fall, a guy I know was throwing away a truckload of plastic greenery he’d used for a commercial installation of some kind. It had a cheesy hyper-real kinda vibe, with an almost fractal repeat. I saw it and immediately knew I wanted to make a video with it. It’s a stand-in for the Garden of Eden, and backdrop for the characters in Tableau.

Out June 21st, Shadow Witch unleashes Eschaton (The End of All Things). Look for the new single and album pre-orders right here in the days ahead. Stick it on a playlist with Soundgarden, Lamassu, and Bone Church.

And don’t miss the opportunity to see Shadow Witch live, as bands in this scene generate insanely good live sound. Shadow Witch will be playing Maryland Doom Fest the week of the record’s release (details here).

Give ear…

Here’s a track that gets better every time you listen to it. It’s a ballade of sorts, a tale told of the longest night. “Ring The Bell” is the first single that emerged from ‘Blood Salt Sacrifice’ (2023) by MAMA DOOM, which dropped December 15th. Today, it gets the music video treatment and this Gratuitous Productions joint illuminates the story in a dreamlike way, where we are left to ponder its symbolism and puzzle together a meaning.

“Blood Salt Sacrifice,“ says the band, "tells a story that combines the eerie aspects of death and the undying with the enduring themes of love and power and Gratuitous Productions, led by Anne Terror and Grave Dave, wanted to create a Twilight Zone inspired video with ‘Ring the Bell.’ Most of the video was shot under the shadow of an ancient tree surrounded by several forgotten headstones. We set up a makeshift dreamscape which provided me with my own internal struggles because large spiders kept finding their way onto the sheets. There is always a lot of laughs and a whole lot of fun when making these videos, and we’ve got many more to come!”

"Ring The Bell” begins with a wavy Toolesque bass groove from Chuckie Rumbles, and the bass has a strong presence throughout the 3:34 runtime. This is paired with Anne Terror’s vibrant beat and an otherworldly synth that has the feeling of ancient mystery about it. Like her keyboard playing, D.Lolli’s vocals are well suited for the storytelling demands of the lyrics, supporting the narrative with a range of styles from serious and focused to dramatic and gnarly.

The underground New York trio released their third album on Interstellar Smoke Records, and it is a strange, haunting gem, weaving elements of doom metal with retro occult rock stylings (get it here). Stick Mama Doom on a playlist with Electric Wizard, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, Saint Vitus, Castle, and Christian Mistress.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Last heard in 2021 with the release of their sophomore album Ash Bone Skin N Stone; haunting hard-rockers Mama Doom return this month with their devastating new album, 'Blood Salt Sacrifice.’

Originally formed in Newburgh, NY in 2016, since the band’s 2018 debut, 'From Blue to Bone’ (2018) the trio have traded in guitars for keyboards and ethereal vocals, and in doing so summoned the deepest of grooves from dominions below.

Finalizing that perfect union with crushing bass and drums, their sound might be familiar to fans of doom rock, but it also offers a strangely unfamiliar and unique tone, given its impressive component parts. Newly signed to Polish label Interstellar Smoke Records, 'Blood Salt Sacrifice’ is a monumental tale encompassing the eerier aspects of death and the undying.

Traversing a spectrum that spans traditional blues, doom, and ego-death metal, Mama Doom’s 'Blood Salt Sacrifice’ is a serious force to be reckoned with.

Buffalo, NY ‘70s hard rock worshiping outfit TINES will release a video for their single “Thin Blue Line” on May 31. This comes on the heels of last month’s release of their cover of Deep Purple’s “Bloodsucker” featuring guest drummer Andy Patterson. This song is from their debut 7” single (b/w Rock and Roll Witness Protection Program) released in Spring 2020.

The video was shot on location at the Loyal Order of Moose Club Buffalo Lodge no. 8 in the Riverside section of the city. A nod of the hat to guitarist Glenn Szymanski and singer Kelly Murphy’s time in cult '90s band Towpath, whose lyrical content dealt almost exclusively with the distinctive subculture of the neighborhood. Moose Lodges were an important part of the music scene in the 1970s, even seminal punk rock band Black Flag played their first show at # 1873 in Redondo Beach, CA.

The production of the video proved to be a huge technological hurdle to overcome. Days before the shoot, the main camera operator decided to send their camera in for repairs. Of course it didn’t come back in time and he was forced to rent a camera that he was unfamiliar with and forgot to turn on the microphone! Luckily, seasoned video editor Jacob Kedzierski was brought in to save the project and worked on it in his free time in between editing seasons of reality TV shows such as “90 Day Fiancé” and “Love During Lockup.”

Tines are currently writing new music for a full length including material that brings in elements of Santana/The Mars Volta style Latin rock and plenty of bluegrass style banjo picking. They’ve played Maryland Doomfest and Descendants of Crom Festival in Pittsburgh and are excited about similar opportunities in the near future.

Hot diggity dog, I love me some Deep Purple! This and my love of covers made me eager to check out the new rendition of “Bloodsucker” from Buffalo, New York heavy psychedelics TINES.

This particular cover has an intriguing back story, relayed by guitarist Glenn Szymanski:

The story of how the song came about starts back in 1994 with a Revelation Records band called State of the Nation crashing on my living room floor while on tour. And then 27 years later, I realized that drummer Andy Patterson (who later played in the band SubRosa) had recorded the drum track for “Bloodsucker” for Glory or Death’s ‘Bow to Your Masters Vol 2’ Deep Purple tribute album, but it didn’t get used. So we finished it.

There are, of course, points of similarity and contrast with the 1970 recording. Kelly Murphy’s vocals are suitably nasty, the twin guitar attack is stinging (accented by Mike Hermann’s stalwart bass), and the keyboards under the command of Arrow Fitzgibbon seal the deal for me. The organ is not as pronounced here as with the Deep Purple original – just enough to make it groovy, but not overtake the vibe. The switch to piano in the latter half of the song was refreshing, stretching back even further into the rock 'n’ roll spirit of Jerry Lee Lewis.

The fiery new single lands at week’s end (pre-order here), and Doomed & Stoned today is bringing you a first listen.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Buffalo, NY doomy-prog outfit Tines will release a ripping cover of Deep Purple’s “Bloodsucker,” (available for pre-order now) featuring guest drummer Andy Patterson (ex Subrosa) on April 7, 2023. The cover is their first post Covid release since their debut 7” single (Thin Blue Line b/w Rock and Roll Witness Protection Program) in Spring 2020.

Tines’ take on the 1970 hard rock album cut was almost 30 years in the making. In 1994, Tines’ guitarist and flag-bearer Glenn Szymanski was at a basement show featuring Revelation Records artist Sensefield, with a band called State of the Nation as the opening act. Impressed by their political message and pro Native American activism, he offered them his apartment floor to crash on that night.

More than 25 years go by, Tines submits their 7" to the Blynd Submyshynz podcast. In January of 2021, that episode aired with special guest…wait for it…Andy Patterson, former drummer for State of the Nation, who had since achieved prominence with bands such as Subrosa, Insect Ark and as producer/engineer at his own Boar’s Nest recording studio. Glenn recognized Andy and the two reconnected on Facebook. Andy had recorded a drum track that didn’t end up getting used for 'Bow to Your Masters Volume 2,’ a Glory or Death Records tribute album. Patterson and Szymanski arranged to use the drum track with Tines completing the other parts of the song with bassist Mike Hermann, keyboardist Arrow Fitzgibbon, and vocalist Kelly Murphy.

This is something of a time warped version of “Bloodsucker,” given that Tines have made heavy use of analog synthesizers and a touch of clavinet that weren’t used by Jon Lord until the more funky Mark III era of Deep Purple.

CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC have been at it now for a soid decade, long before the surge of instrumental doom (documented in our five-part compilation series, Doomed & Stoned: The Instrumentalists). They played the first ever Doomed & Stoned Festival in 2016 and arrested us with a live performance of Your Doom Has Come, a stark apocalyptic interpretation of the Book of Revelation.

More recently, Doomed & Stoned contributor Tom Hanno reviewed all four tracks of their upcoming album, ‘Tales of Demonic Possession’ (2023), to kick off the New Year (read it) and today, ahead of its wide release, Doomed & Stoned is revealing another mammoth single.

The great thing about Clouds Taste Satanic is the way the New York quartet stimulates the imagination, often with nothing but the song title to guide us. That said, I always welcome a new music video from guitarist Steven Scavuzzo. “Spirits of the Green Desert (Part 1)” begins with a panoramic view of the badlands, with an all-seeing sonic eye as our guide. This video does some trippy things visually with soundwaves. Gradually, these soundwaves differentiate themselves and we’re raptured into a celestial world comprised of hearty beats, reverberating chords, and singing guitar leads.

“One of the themes of the album,” Scavuzzo says, “is possession in the form of mental illness exacerbated by the Pandemic. 'Spirits of the Green Desert’ is the search for something to help cope with that mental illness/possession, in this case weed. This portion of the song and the video is the beginning of that quest.”

Tales of Demonic Possession by Clouds Taste Satanic drops this Friday, February 3rd, releasing on limited edition vinyl and compact disc via Majestic Mountain Records (pre-order here or here).

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Clouds Taste Satanic release their eighth album on February 3, 2023. Titled 'Tales Of Demonic Possession,’ the new record features Progressive Doom born of and inspired by the Pandemic and Yes’s 'Tales From Topographic Oceans’ and will be coming out on Majestic Mountain Records. “We wanted to make a record that felt different, dark, heavy and challenging. With time to write and create, we wanted to make music that reflected the ambitions of the past, the oppressiveness of the present and the cautious optimism for what comes next.”

Yes’s 'Tales’ came at a time when bigger meant better. Creating works of art that challenged listeners to come along on their journey. The casual listener was put off by the lack of instant gratification. Lazy critics who longed for a simpler time used it as a scapegoat rather than appreciating it for the masterpiece it was. Those willing to go along for the ride were rewarded with music that gained depth and beauty with each listen.

Fast forward to 2020. New year, new decade, and the creeping feeling that possession was around every corner. What would that possession feel like if it ever took hold? Would possession today be the same as 'Demonic Possession’ from years gone by but with a fancy new title? Bigger would not necessarily be better but it seemed to make more sense. Why not use the opportunity to reach farther. The one thing everyone seemed to have was time. Time to create, time to listen.

So here we are. Everyone has their own possession story. Clouds’ story is four sides of vinyl that tells the tale of where they came from, where they are now and the direction they are heading. “We wanted to make a triple album but reality set in so we decided to leave that for another day. If you have some time, come along for the ride. But don’t fear…it has plenty of riffs.”

Clouds Taste Satanic was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 2013 by guitarist Steve Scavuzzo and included members of his former post-rock band, Gatos de Sensi. The idea for Clouds Taste Satanic was to meld the minimalist and heavy approach of bands such as Sleep and Earth with the instrumental and heavy approach of bands such as Pelican and Bongripper. The band’s debut album, 'To Sleep Beyond the Earth,’ melded those influences into one 40-minute song that established the band’s place in the doom/stoner community. In every year since, the band has released a new record and has taken great pains to both refine and expand their sound to reach beyond the confines of what is typically considered Doom-style heavy metal.

With minimal lineup changes in their almost 10-year history, these post-doom instrumentalists have steadily built a reputation as one of the few truly great riff-heavy underground bands playing today. They have patiently and deliberately developed a unique sound that melds riff-dominated stoner rock, traditional doom, expansive space rock, and progressive metal.

The band has graced the stages of many festivals over the last several years, including Doomed & Stoned (Indianapolis), The Maryland Doom Fest (Frederick, MD), Descendants of Crom (Pittsburgh, PA), and, most recently, Stoner Jam (Austin, TX) during SXSW. Upcoming Festivals include Esbjerg Fuzztival in Denmark on May 26, 2023 and DesertFest NYC in New York on September 14, 2023.

My love for CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC is as immense as their music, so I was insanely excited upon finding out that their new album, ‘Tales of Demonic Possession’ (2023), was coming out in February. Pre-orders went live shortly after the album’s announcement and I secured a CD copy that very same day, on a Bandcamp Friday no less. However, I could not wait for the official release, so I contacted one of the people from Majestic Mountain Records to ask how I could get it earlier than what they had scheduled for their PR campaign. It landed in my inbox afterwards, and my mind was truly blown by the time the album was over.

CTS is based in Brooklyn, New York, and has been releasing the very best instrumental music since their first album, 2014’s To Sleep Beyond the Earth. I didn’t hear about them until 2017 when The Glitter of Infinite Hell was released, but was instantly hooked on their mix of heavy riffs, psych, doom, prog, and post-metal. With each new album the band reaches new heights, and continues to evolve into a more progressive machine that doesn’t alienate their fan base by drastically changing their music.

The first song (and first single released) is called “Flames and Demon Drummers,” and what I love about it is that it is unmistakably the Clouds Taste Satanic style.

The intro is mellow and has a '70s vibe that is reminiscent of a band/song whose name just won’t come to my mind no matter how hard I try to grab it. It might even be something from CTS’s last album that I’m hearing, (Cloud Covered was/is an amazing cover album) so it could make sense that it could be from that…but I digress.

The tempo doesn’t change much once the main theme kicks in, but with CTS it doesn’t need to be fast to be powerful, which is another aspect of their approach that I find myself drawn to.

The pace does briefly pick up a bit around seven minutes into this eighteen and a half minute beast, and the lead guitar here is the perfect addition to the riffs already played.

My favorite riff comes in at the nine minute and twenty second mark, and the melody provided by the lead guitar is one of the best in this track. It always amazes me that CTS can be ten minutes into a song, and still throw in things that keep the listener invested in their music.

The rest of this song is equally as impressive as its beginnings, making for one hell of a lead single.

We’re going to jump right to the last one since there are only four tracks in total, and we usually only go over half of any album. That song is called “Conjuring the Dark Side”, and is one of the best tracks on Tales of Demonic Possession.

Clocking in at nineteen-and-a-half-minutes, this is one of the two shorter songs on this album. Much like “Flames and Demon Drummers”, it has a '70s vibe that flows throughout. CTS has always had that element in their music, but it seems like their last couple releases have utilized it more than on previous albums.

As I listen to this one, I find that it’s broken up in a way that makes it feel like 3 or 4 songs making up one larger, which isn’t unsurprising when you factor in that CTS writes songs that reach for – and sometimes surpass twenty minutes in length. Thankfully they are masters at cohesion, and the different sections never feel out of place when you look at the track as a whole.

Clouds Taste Satanic is one of the premier instrumental bands out there, and Tales of Demonic Possession is the next step in their continued growth as musicians. These four tracks are unmistakable as being this band, but also display the fact that they don’t want to rest on their laurels, showing that CTS are continuing to break their own boundaries with each new album.

Tales of Demonic Possession will be released on February 3rd, so head over to their Bandcamp to hear the single and top pre-order a physical copy for your collection. Enjoy!!!

I’ve long felt that heavy music needs to be treated more seriously than your average three-minute one-hit wonder. More and more I find myself using the term “composition” to describe the kind of music crossing my desk. Witnesses takes the craft of songwriting seriously as a medium of expression, and in so doing creates something of enduring interest.

Greg Schwan is the main driver behind the project, manning guitar, bass, keys, drum programming, hell even mixing and mastering the darn thing. A true auteur! In the song before us, he is joined by collaborating musicians Gabbi Coenen (vox) and Jørgen Munkeby (sax).

The three of them personify different characters in a kind of tone poem revolving around The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a painting by Edward Hull (which is, in turn, inspired by gothic storyteller Washington Irving). Here the fabled Headless Horseman (a Hessian soldier who lost his noggin during the Revolutionary War) terrorizes schoolmaster Ichabod Crane. Greg represents the archivist and historian of TarryTown, with Gabbi giving voice to The Hessian (aka Headless Horseman), while Jørgen takes on the role of a mourner.

“For the sound of ‘The Curse of TarryTown, or The Hessian’s Diary’,” Witnesses tells Doomed & Stoned, “I knew I wanted to continue stylistically in the vein of 'The Holy Water’ EP. Coming off of the previous doom albums, it felt right to deepen the atmosphere, slow down further, and go in a moody direction with the vocals. Beyond that, the imagery and metaphor of Irving’s headless horseman has fascinated me since I was a kid. Mix all this together and you get the song!”

The singing is clean, melodic, and sanguine throughout. Even before downtuned guitars, bass, and drums enter the picture, the ambience of funeral doom is established quite effectively by the piano and acoustic strings. With the addition of the saxophone, we have another rare (but welcome) instance of doom-jazz, joining acts like Messa, Old Blood, and Mope. There’s something at once mysterious and warm about the performances overall, and it makes me eager to hear even more.

The single is out Wednesday, December 1st (get it here). This is the Doomed & Stoned world premiere.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

New York City based Witnesses is preparing to unleash the enchanting heavy single “The Curse of Tarry Town or the Hessian’s Diary”. The new track follows the success of The Holy Water EP released earlier this year.

The cross-genre project of multi instrumentalist Greg Schwan began in 2015 designed to explore a multi-genre approach through a non-traditional band structure. Continuing to develop Witnesses’ music, “The Curse of TarryTown” tells the story of Washington Irving’s headless horseman, but from the latter’s perspective.

Opening with entwining serene acoustic guitar and piano melodies, a dark undertone delicately emerges before venturing into heavy realms. Entrancing vocal deliveries from Gabbi Coenen enhance the immersive quality of this release and complement the stylistic transitions.

The slower pace and elongated chords, inspired from a growing influence of doom metal, combine with the instrumental and vocal textures to produce an atmospheric sound. Playing further with genre expectations and instrumentation, Witnesses incorporate a bright saxophone lead that bridges across the light and heavy music.

Experience the enthralling delights of Witnesses through an unconventional twist on a dark tale. Taking an unusual approach through all aspects from the lyrical narrative through to the music itself, Witnesses opens the door to the obscure.

Greg comments “I wrote this song foremost to have fun with Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman. I wanted to give the character a certain perspective on what’s happening around him, while the music continues in the vein of The Holy Water EP.”

Within the past few years we music fans have had a taste of an incredible style of singing, which is partially thanks to the appearance of acts such as The Hu and Heilung. This vocal style is commonly known as throat singing, and it has the potential to cross genre lines, and to introduce music fans to what indigenous tribes have been doing for ages.

STEPPENDOOM is one of the new acts utilizing throat singing, and is the project of a New York City/London-based, 3 time Grammy winning audio engineer, sound designer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist named Marc Urselli. This project sees the producer bringing in some of the best musicians from across the doom metal genre, as well as legendary indigenous singers employing ancient throat singing traditions from across the globe.

The lineup of guest musicians that Marc was able to put together is like a who’s who of doom metal, a list that includes Matt Pike (Sleep, High on Fire), Aaron Aedy (Paradise Lost), Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Christopher Juul (Heilung), Dave Chandler (Saint Vitus), Lori S. (Acid King), and Scott “Wino” Weinrich (The Obsessed), as well as masters of throat signing such as Alash Ensemble, Batzorig Vaanchig “Zorigoo”, Huun-Huur-Tu, Tanya Tagaq, Albert Kuvezin (Yat-Kha), and Alexey Tegin.

What these artists have applied to this album transcends the doom genre, the music becoming more tribal thanks to the atmospherics of throat singing, while also retaining that crushing vibe of heavy music. If you let it, this music will transport you from our reality and drop you into a doom-crossed wasteland of the mind. While every track is worthy of note, I’ve picked what I feel is the top 4 for us to go over today.

Today’s number one pick is actually the second in the album’s running order, the massive sounding “Garuda Khuresh.”

This song features Paradise Lost’s Aaron Aedy on guitars and Huun-Huur-Tu on vocals, and is one of the doomiest tracks on the album. The vocals are exactly what I love about this style, heavy with a deep timbre that reaches into your soul and stirs up ancient feelings that decades of living in our society has all but erased. Then we have to take into account the great power of the riffs, and the music as a whole to be honest. It’s just enormous sounding, with incredible guitar tones and an equally incredible mix. Everything about this track floors me.

Going back to the album opener we find “Etugen Eke and Ode Ana”, featuring the mighty Matt Pike on guitars and Batzorig Vaanchig “Zorigoo” on vocals. While this one is musically different from “Garuda Khuresh”, the style of singing is fairly similar and extremely well done. The music is still doom, but there are sections with more guitar movement in them, adding a slightly more airy vibe than we had in “Garuda Khuresh.” Overall, this is another great song.

“Tamag and Ocmah” was another of SteppenDoom’s highlights for me, and if you haven’t felt it this far into the album, then this is the one where you will feel your primal self twitching.

Neurosis’ Steve Von Till handles the guitar, while Albert Kuvezin does the vocal work, and each of them creates a droning atmosphere that will permeate every pore in your body, invading your system with musical beauty. This track is quite different from the first two that we discussed, yet is equally amazing in its quality.

The last track that I’d like to bring up is called “Imdugud in Shambhala”, and features Massimo Pupillo (Zu) on synths, Christopher Juul (Heilung) on percussion, and Alash Ensemble handling the vocals. I’m a huge Heilung fan, so hearing Christopher on here was very cool.

The music here is very neo-pagan folk oriented, and I actually hear a lot of Heilung during it, and even a bit of Wardruna. While “Tamag and Ocmah” was a departure from the others covered, this one is much different than all three of them. If I was pressed to make a judgment on it, I’d have to say that this is my second favorite song from this stellar album.

SteppenDoom is eight songs in length, including a 33 minute bonus track, which is the only one that I couldn’t get interested in; partially due to its length, but also because I just wasn’t into what was going on during it. The rest of the music should be able to captivate even the most closed-minded of listeners though, so head over to their Bandcamp page to check out the available singles and maybe get your preorder on, as well.

SteppenDoom comes out November 18th on Magnetic Eye Records. Enjoy!

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for an old fashioned, beer drinking, bottle breaking rock ‘n’ roll good time and MICK’S JAGUAR surely delivers. Their new record holds nothing back lyrically, with titles like “Speed Dealer,” “Molotov Children,” “Nothing to Lose,” and “Free On The Street” (which I’ve been singing a lot lately). Then there’s the band’s three guitar attack! Musically, 'Salvation’ (2022) is a rousing, fist-raising, fire-starting nightbreed that scratches all the right itches for me.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is bringing you an advance listen to its closing track, “Georgian Pine,” which vocalist/guitarist Grace Hollaener tells us “is inspired by Matthew McConaughey’s performance as Moondog in Harmony Korine’s masterpiece The Beach Bum. It’s an anthem for the apathetic resistance (see trend of 'quiet quitting’) to the horrors of proto-fascism, climate change, and late capitalism that plague our modern condition. It’s also a cracker jack little ditty about getting high and eating fast food.”

“We always like to throw a curveball with the album closer,” says singer John Martin. “So, when Grace took over lead vocals for this pop banger sans guitar solo, we figured it is the perfect way to find 'Salvation’ after the nine pissed off tracks that came before. It’s the sun coming up after a blackout night at the bar. Maybe things will be okay after all.”

If you’re ready to “turn on, tune in, drop out” when you read the day’s headlines, “Georgian Pine” may be just the medicine for you.

Mick’s Jaguar will be releasing Salvation on December 2nd via Tee Pee Records/Totem Cat Records (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Thin Lizzy, Kiss, Sex Pistols, Mudhoney, and The Shrine.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Born in the wild, alive to stalk death, and destined to make righteous noise via the annihilation of shit rock, Mick’s Jaguar is a force to reckon with.

Formed in Brooklyn many moons ago, as a one-off Stones’ covers band for an impromptu New Year’s Eve party, at its core, the NYC collective is the bastard son of an unholy union between Judas Priest and Guns N’ Roses.

Their debut album – 2018’s 'Fame and Fortune’ – received praise from both American and European press alike, with Classic Rock Magazine noting that the only way to describe their sound is, “If Ace Frehley was in Thin Lizzy and it was the summer of 1977…and they were all really into the Sex Pistols…and AC/DC.”

Since 2018, the band has toured nationwide, making appearances at the inaugural Psycho Smokeout in Los Angeles and Desertfest New York, as well as opening for legendary punk and hard rock acts like Airborne, The Adicts, and Turbonegro’s late/great Hank von Hell.

After losing their original bassist amidst the dense jungle boughs of Thailand, Mick’s Jaguar have since enlisted close friends Jack Ridley (Drowners) and Aaron Roche (Wye Oak, Anhoni, Tōth) to record another round of ten, bar fighting rock tracks at Brooklyn’s Figure 8 Recording with engineer Philip Weinrobe (Adrianne Lenker, Alanis Morissette). The result? Their killer new record, Salvation, which once again finds the band living too late, bound for hell and quite possibly, the last great rock and roll band on the planet.

“Like every band says at every show these days, it feels incredible to be back,” says vocalist John Martin. “But after the last three years of bullshit, this is the music you need to hear. Having both Tee Pee and Totem Cat in our corner is huge too. We’re stoked to see there’s a new wave of bands coming up that are making music for rock fans like us.”

'Salvation’ by Mick’s Jaguar is released 2nd December on Tee Pee Records/Totem Cat Records.

Born just prior to the pandemic, Brooklyn acid doom trio REVEREND MOTHER has been significantly shaped by it, releasing several singles (“Songs from the Isolation”) and a self-titled EP along the way. Their latest offering is ‘Damned Blessing’ (2022), a nine track full-length that drags from the intoxicating smoke of Black Sabbath records, with jaded vocals that hint of Acid King.

The verve of the record’s first single “Locomotive” is undeniable. Effecting a “Hole In The Sky” swagger, the song grabs you from the get-go, with feelings of ire, dread, loss, and longing swirling together as the story unfolds.

Singer Jackie Green illuminates us:

I think “Locomotive” was one of the first songs I ever wrote if not the first song I ever wrote in its entirety. This song is about one of my greatest role models in life passing a few years ago.

Indeed, the music video gives us hints with black & white flashbacks, while the lyrics process the shock of learning about his passing.

You’re gone much too, much too soon
Where do we go? Do we go when we do?
Your eyes icy, icy blue
How did I just bury you, just bury you?

The narrative is complimented with a smokey landscape, faded colors, and touches of occult mystery. It appears to be shot on Super 8 too, and its grainy look captures the mood of the song remarkably.

Reverend Mother’s Damned Blessing comes out on vinyl October 7th via Seeing Red Records (pre-order here). Today, enjoy your first taste of this harrowing new LP with “Locomotive,” a joint premiere between Doomed & Stoned and 666MrDoom on YouTube!

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

On 'Damned Blessing’ (2022), the debut album from Reverend Mother, the Brooklyn power trio burrows deep into big questions of human experience, relationships, death, and rebirth.

Front woman Jackie Green wrote the album almost with inctual necessity, as though it lived fully formed in the recesses of her consciousness, waiting to be freed. A classical violinist since age 4 and a life-long music addict, Green taught herself to play guitar in 2016 and called on the spirits of the greats both living and dead to guide her: Black Sabbath, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Motorhead, and countless others. Unable to divorce her classical background from the psych, metal, punk, and funk bands she loved, she instead melded these elements to create a sound sitting somewhere between Queens of the Stone Age and Corrosion of Conformity. The result was such a profound amalgamation of Green’s personality and tastes that she chose to sing in the band too, in order to take full ownership of her lyrical stories.

As the band began to play shows throughout Brooklyn, Green felt the urge to say something new. She saw the visceral experience of writing an album as an opportunity to shed a layer of emotional skin. The songs she wrote question self-destructive behavior, force the listener to look inward, and ultimately remind us that with the darkest times often comes blinding light. One EP and a few line-up changes later, 'Damned Blessing’ came to life.

Built on hypnotizing riffs, 'Damned Blessing’ makes your soul scream and slays self-doubt, calling listeners to a higher vibration. Haunting melodies strung along kaleidoscopic wavelengths release long-held demons, while pounding chords march along to the beating of your heart. And some of the songs just plain slap. 'Damned Blessing’ will leave no one unchanged.

New York has a plethora of killer musical acts that call it home. From Clouds Taste Satanic to Geezer to A Fitting Revenge to today’s topic of discussion, Brooklyn’s own bluesy stoner rock trio GRANDPA JACK.

On July 29th, Grandpa Jack released their newest outing, Grits, which is full of grooving riffs, and mellow, psych flavored interludes with a foundation based on heavy blues music. I reviewed their killer self-titled 2018 album around the time of its release, and they have done nothing but improve since then.

There’s a lot to love about Grits, but I’d like to start out with the very Led Zeppelin influenced “Evil Eye.”

The intro pulses with the bass guitar, and then drops into the first verse where we find vocals that are reminiscent of the great Robert Plant. That Zeppelin vibe really grabbed my attention as I love early Led Zeppelin, and while the music doesn’t have a Jimmy Page style of songwriting, it is my favorite track. There also seems to be a dark tone that pervades the entire song, and the riffs are very solid; the stuttering piece adds a nice alteration to them.

Another fine piece of music is “Once Bitten,” which serves as the album’s first track. Here we find a heavy blues influence that combines a Queens of the Stone Age type of riff with an amazing vocal flow. One of my favorite lines is “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” mostly because it reminds me of the Great White song of the same name; but the vocal tone and delivery doesn’t hurt either.

The last four tracks are all a part of each other, known as “Consumption.” Part I is called “Crawl,” “Part II - Parasite,” “Part III - Cannibal,” and “Part IV - Crawl Reprise.”

“Crawl” is superb, employing blues, psych, and heavy riffs to get its point across to the listener. The groove is undeniable when the riffs change to a slightly heavier part, and there’s a cool Jefferson Airplane vibe at about the three minute mark, followed by a stellar ‘70s influenced guitar part, not quite a lead, but in the same realm for a brief moment.

“Parasite” has an excellent main riff, one of the best on the record to be honest. The short pause between changes seems to make the music breathe more, creating a sweet groove in the process. Add in one of the best vocal performances you’re likely to hear this month and you’ve got the makings of another standout track.

“Cannibal” opens up with a swagger filled groove that is pure 1970s rock and roll goodness! The wah soaked guitar solo is so expertly played, and the band plays behind it in an equally expert fashion.

“Crawl Reprise” continues the tradition of excellence that “Consumption” exudes, adding a flair that compliments the rest of its parts. I really enjoyed the slick bass and drum grooves, which are the focal point for much of this track, as well as the guitar playing, singing, and overall structure of the song.

As an unwritten rule, I’m not big on songs like this, yet Grandpa Jack pulled this trick off in a way that took – and held – my attention throughout all of its parts. The same could be said of every song on Grits, which is an album that must be heard by all stoner-psych-heavy blues fans. It’s available now on Bandcamp, Spotify, and other streaming services, so go give these tasty Grits a listen. Enjoy!

False Gods are back with new music, and this track in particular is something fierce. I wonder whether it references the Clive Barker character Peloquin, a shapeshifting member of the ghastly Nighbreed from the ‘88 novel Cabal. Then again, it could be referring to peloquin more literally, that is to say a miserly wretch.

“Peloquin” pummels away with percussion and saturates our senses with bass. Atop this foundation: rapid-fire guitar tremolos, sick groove metal licks, and powerful, mordant vocals. In fact, the apocalyptic pipes of Mike Stack are the first thing you’re going to notice, and those first few cries are awesome.

The lyrics are interesting, in that they draw no clear lines of distinction between beginning and end. “…this war within ourselves is nothing but a grave, a grave for all to look upon as we surrender yet again…” It’s tantamount to a run-on sentence splicing thought-to-thought. Call it a psychotic diatribe, the scrawlings of a prophet, or simple observations about the state of things, the words ring viscerally true.

Joining frontman Mike Stack is Nick Luisi and Greg March on guitars, Devin Stacuzza and Paul Stack on bass and drums. Together, they conjure a mood that is dire and fierce, making me think that False Gods may be New York’s answer to hard bitten acts like Conan. The Patchogue, Long Island band has been producing new music year after year since their founding in 2015. The last time we saw them in these pages, it was to premiere new sounds from the album, 'No Symmetry…Only Disillusion.’ (2020).

Now the five-member crew is set to drop a massive new LP, 'Neurotopia’ (2022), which False Gods notes has all the earmarks of an emerging subgenre: doomcore. Indeed, the song “I, Cemetery” (which follows “Peloquin”) uses a doom metal substructure, fusing slow pacing, irradiated low end, and hardcore tendencies. This is accented by one of the stormiest atmospheres you’re likely to hear outside of black metal.

In addition, there may be a sci-fi subtext, if the album title is in any way an allusion to Tony Mohorovich’s 2018 novel Neurotopia. Beyond that, it’s just a striking name – a kind of neuronal utopia. It makes me think of how everyone is taking nootropics these days. I guess we’re all cosmonauts of sorts in this Brave New World, for better or (far too often) for worse. One thing is without controversy: Neurotopia is a beast of a record; you’ll feel less a victim of its carnage and more a devourer.

We’re stoked to have False Gods performing at Ohio Doomed and Stoned Festival, which takes place July 29th & 30th. Days before (on July 22nd), Neurotopia gets a digital release, issued on 12" vinyl by Seeing Red Records (pre-order here).

Today, we’re bringing you the song’s second single, “Peloquin.” A joint release between 666MrDoom and Doomed & Stoned!

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Formed in late 2015, New York’s False Gods whip up a unique blend of Sludge / Doom Metal mixed with melodic noise and down-trodden hardcore. Neurotopia marks the band’s sophomore full-length and follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut LP, 'No Symmetry…Only Dissolution’ (2020), which, like many others, was derailed by the pandemic.

Despite the COVID obstacle, the press got behind it…The band was featured on Metal Injection’s Slay at Home series which was a brilliant and inventive outlet for bands to keep music alive during the shutdown. The band had two other videos that were featured by Cvlt Nation and supporter of all things Doom, Rob Hammer. Their single, Lords of Emptiness, was also picked up by a Spotify editorial playlist.

Staying busy over the last two years, the band kept their heads down and kept writing which resulted in what we are presenting here today, 'Neurotopia’ (2022)> Their sophomore album further fuses, while at the same time, expands upon their marriage of Doom and Hardcore. Dare we add another subgenre to the fold and dub this Doomcore? If Doomcore is ever to become a thing, this is the definition.

The album was recorded at Westfall Studios in Farmingdale, New York. Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Anthony Lopardo and Ray Marte.

False Gods have been invited to perform at this year’s Doomed and Stoned Ohio and will continue to stay active playing regional tours throughout the Summer and Fall. Stay tuned for dates.

For nearly a decade, GEEZER has been electrifying our eardrums with the kind of sound that really gets the body movie. The heavy blues rock outfit from Kingston, New York is now gearing up to release their sixth album and today, Doomed & Stoned is giving you a first listen to the opening track from ‘Stoned Blues Machine’ (2022).

“Atomic Moronic” starts with an emphatic beat from Steve Markota’s drums, and as Richie Touseull joins in on bass things get really funky. Longtime frontman and scene icon Pat Harrington makes sure we’ve got an earful of groove with that mean guitar tone. His vocals are dank and earthy. “It feels so good to be so wrong,” says the opening verse, “to light the fire and to burn it down.”

The song’s about more than who gives a fuck hedonism, though. Heed the chorus to find out why he’s gonna let the whole world go up in flames:

All ignorance is sacred
All crucify the truth
All put your faith in stupid
All self-inflicted wounds.

Later it is revealed that this ignorance has its root in the “vanity of hatred.” In this kind of a world, he says, “I want to be sedated.”

From the band:

“Atomic Moronic” kicks off the album with a vicious combination of grooves, riffs and even more cowbell! The result being a euphoric feast of dystopian revelry. The song structure is pretty weird and the changes come fast so it took a while for us to get it together. It took a long time, but we got it right and it feels so good!

It’s the second single revealed from Stoned Blues Machine, which Geezer drops May 20th on Heavy Psych Sounds – releasing on digipack and three variants of variants (pre-order here). Stick “Atomic Moronic” on a playlist with White Zombie, Mudhoney, Wo Fat, Radio Moscow, and The Midnight Ghost Train for a foot-stomping, rip-roaring good time!

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

A decade beyond their formation, Geezer have become a staple presence of the US heavy underground. From their 2013 debut, the Kingston, New York, trio have progressed into and through open-spaced jams and memorable hooks, offering glimpses at their growth across records like 2014’s Gage, 2016’s self-titled and 2017’s Psychoriffadelia, founding guitarist/vocalist Pat Harrington has led the band – now himself, bassist Richie Touseull and drummer Steve Markota – on a thrilling journey of altered consciousness and downright boogie.

Amid the grim existence of 2020, Geezer unleashed Groovy, their most vital release yet, pulling together what Harrington calls the “three pillars of Geezer: heavy, trippy, groovy” with a batch of memorable songs and easy-rolling vibes. It’s a rare band that finds its sound so engagingly, and with the new album, the sixth Geezer LP, coming out in 2022 via Heavy Psych Sounds, they once again build on their accomplishments, working with producer Chris Bittner at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY, to harness the band’s most expansive production to date.

It’s a rare band that finds its sound so engaging, and with 'Stoned Blues Machine’ (2022), the sixth Geezer LP, they once again build on their accomplishments, working with producer Chris Bittner at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY, to harness the band’s most expansive production to date.

A vivid and bombastic album, Stoned Blues Machine is Geezer’s response to the last few tumultuous years. Much of the subject matter deals with the fear, the literal and metaphorical isolation revolving around the pandemic, the resulting political turmoil, the disintegration of truth and decline of a shared, common good.

The album that will see them return to Europe for the first time since 2017 and serve as their second release for Heavy Psych Sounds is yet another example of what can be done with classic songwriting in imaginative hands. Stoned Blues Machine puts the emphasis on the band’s dynamic and the joy of playing and writing songs together – more as a unit than ever – and shows that even amid some of the darkest hours, you can always say screw it, go get high and cruise the cosmos.