Heavy sludge from Philly, featuring a two-piece band with a provocative name: RED BRICK. Mag Stephens tackles the strings and Chris Penrod the drums, trading barbs on vocals. It’s an all-out assault on the senses, carrying all the contempt of a brick thrown into a glass window.

The band sheds some light on the motives driving the new album, their first full-length following a 2021 EP:

Anchored in real-world despair, class violence, and moments of seething clarity, the album navigates themes ranging from substance abuse and queer trauma to dead-end jobs, burnout, performative activism, blind consumerism, and the failures of authority.

Combative and in your face, ‘Thrown’ (2025), is a wrecking ball of power and emotion blending elements of sludge, death, and grind into a caustic boiling cauldron. “The Price” is their second single and hits you with the force of a seismic wave. Out July 25th on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions is set to release Thrown, the new album from Philly’s destructive hardcore/sludge/grindcore/death metal act Red Brick. Scheduled for July 25, the album will be available on CD and digital formats, along with merch.

Red Brick is made up of two violent homunculi grown in Petri dishes in the bowels of Philadelphia for the dual purpose of suffering and playing false sludge. They arrived upon the world in 2021 AD with the EP Gastric. Operating as a trio until about a year before the debut album, Thrown, was slated for release, Red Brick eventually condensed into a two-piece. That shift birthed a new dimension for the band, as vocalist/guitarist Mag Stephens states: “Through all our various trials and tribulations, we feel like we’ve truly found our sound on this one.”

Recorded in the dead of winter as they mourned the living, Thrown is a testament to their nature, blending sludge, hardcore, grindcore, and death metal sensibilities seamlessly for a soundtrack befitting only the most destructive crash-outs imaginable. Anchored in real-world despair, class violence, and moments of seething clarity, Thrown doesn’t simmer, it erupts. Substance abuse, queer trauma, dead-end jobs, burnout, incompetent authority, performative activism, blind consumerism — it’s all here.

If you see Red Brick, do not make any sudden movements and back away slowly.

I first encountered THE COMPANY CORVETTE at the inaugural Psycho Las Vegas. A lot of people were talking about that set in the Vinyl room of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. I was won over by their sludgey disdain and fucked-up jadedness. That was way back in 2016, and the band was fronting their 3rd album, Never Enough.

Now, seven years and three albums later, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania band returns with their 4th LP, ‘Little Blue Guy’ (2023). A lot of life has gone by between records and I was curious how the band sounded now, and in the back of my mind wondered whether I would still be into it. Turns out Little Blue Guy is a grunge and doom lover’s fever dream come true.

“We work real slow,” says the band, “far slower than any of the songs on this album. This one took some sauntering. Hearing the drums and all the tones dialed in just right in the studio made us feel real good. And all the beers… Our constantly re-upped cooler worked as hard as we did. The heavy songs came out sounding massive, and the rocking stuff was fun as hell. We really love this album.”

There is indeed much to love here. The band makes a bold choice in giving us a thick slab of red meat right from play, with title track “Little Blue Guy.” It’s about 8 ½ minutes in length and I was expecting the other tracks to follow suit, but the numbers get lower from here, with the next songs clocking in at 5:45, 3:04, and 2:17, then back up to 3:38, 4:36, and 7:06. So there’s plenty to check out before you form an absolute opinion on the album, or the band if this is your first time hearing them.

Singing is Ozzyesque (shades of “Iron Man”) and the atmosphere is warm and dark, with hints of danger lurking. The guitar is in the mood for trouble, and belts out some pretty riffalicious moments here. The bass gets its moments to shine, as well.

“Marshmallow” takes us down into the very depths of dank, where menacing trills and rainy tremeloes rumble all the graves in the yard. Vox are deranged and harsh, and the guitar returns the ire with a shrieking, maniacal solo that scrapes fingernails on the doors of dissonance. There are some unnerving, but totally cool, pedal effects, as well.

The raunchy Nirvanaesque pipes on “Out of Control” had me thinking of what zombie Kurt Cobain would sound like were he to suddenly come alive in the present day. Imagine how pissed he would be, then take heed to vocalist/bassist Ross Pritchett and imagine no longer. At times, the singing feels emotionally shaken, teetering on the edge of psychosis. There’s an awesomely spaced-out solo in this one, so don’t miss it. The drumming is wild and rambling, too, giving it plenty of character.

“Brain Cells… But Who’s Buying?” begins the B-side, conjuring weird Melvins vibes (even the song title has a King Buzzo humor to it), but once again ultra sludgey, tuned down, at a slow headbanger’s pace. Guitarist Alexei Korolev takes every song over the top with his own brand of smart, punky commentary. Lyrically, it seems to be about someone deleting their brain cells by inhaling a rag full of fumes. But the chorus (particularly the singular use of “brain cell”) made me think that it’s a double entendre referring to someone trapped in a prison of their own making. While this is sung, the guitar tickles our brains with sardonic arpeggios, giving me the impression of rocking back and forth in a straight jacket.

“Stupid” is a good, old fashioned grunge rocker with a stinging riff and stinging words. The shortest of the 8-song set, it bleeds right into a speed/thrash rocker “Drag,” which this time made me think of zombie Lemmy! It’s good to hear a balance of tempos on the album, without feeling like you’re hearing an altogether different band. There’s a cohesiveness of style that holds up with considerable strength when stretched across genre boundaries.

“Ted Teddler” is well-placed at this point in the record, and it comes as soothing medicine with a funky stride. The guitar has a dual role with rhythm and riff, vocals are dead-pan and apathetic, and the drums-bass combo relentless. It made me think of driving in a pick-up truck down a dark, forested road in the middle of nowhere, with only headlights to make sense of it all. “We just spent on” goes the refrain, and it’s one of several lyrical references to spending throughout the album. It doesn’t seem to be in reference to money, either, but the literal tendering of one’s life, which I found to be interesting.

The record ends strongly with “Lit The Wrong End”. There’s a subtle Mark Arm flair to it for about three minutes, then at 3:49 it turns into an amp worshiping droning dirge of doom, with tangly psychedelic guitar riffing on top of a oh-so-dirty bass groove. The band says they improvised this one in the studio (see below) and I rather like the result, especially its midsection.

I haven’t said much about drummer Zach Price, but he’s one of the big reasons why this album succeeds, with his unusual patterns, fills, and filigrees. He makes every song interesting to listen to, especially when the overall rhythm might be slow and doomy. The band shows good instincts and chemistry all the way around.

The Company Corvette’s Little Blue Guy is coming out Friday, December 1st, on Strange Mono Records in vinyl, cassette, and digital formats (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Mudhoney, Melvins, Sleep, and early Clutch.

Give ear…

The Company Corvette’s Guide to Little Blue Guy

  Words by guitarist Alexei Korolev
   Photos by Nelson Carlson

1 - Little Blue Guy: Doom as fuck. Slow and heavy as we can stand it, with a slab of minimalist psychedelia in the middle - a vacuum of sorts to suck out your brain and then slowly regurgitate it back in. Lyrics stem from that time we ate mushrooms in my shitty old tiny apartment and Ross saw something, or someone.

2 - Marshmallow: This one punches you in the gut real slow. We LOVE Cathedral and old school doom metal - it’s in our blood, we can’t help it. I tried to hurt my ears with the guitar “solo”. I’m no Dave Chandler, but a fellow can try, right?

3 - Out of Control: Kind of like a fast song played slow…. Or a slow song played fast. Still heavy and with “just let it loose” shredding and banging drums (I’m no Matt Pike and Zach may not be Dez, but a fellow can try, right?) Everyone kicks ass and is ‘in your face’ on this one!

4 - Brain Cells… but Who’s Buying: This one felt too different and we almost abandoned it. But sometimes it felt just right and once we named it, we had to keep it.

5 - Stupid: A Ross riff, if you ever heard one. He’d wanted to say ‘fuck’ in a song for a while, and finally we let him. The guitar lead was played through a little old amp with busted tubes and it sounded weird as hell. Good tubes are overrated.

6 - Drag: Loosely played thrash metal with a super fun-to-play guitar solo and lyrics about getting dosed.

7 - Ted Tedder: Driving around with a buddy named Ted Tedder, remembering the good times and doing the wrong things. Our attempt at a disco part. Still not sure it worked.

8 - Lit the Wrong End: We like a loosie-goosie to cap the album. That one had some loose ends, so we just winged it in the studio. Psychedelic jam turning heavy - yep, that’s us!

The Philadelphia stoner merchants in HIGH LEAF are preparing to drop their debut album on May 5th! The band, whose lineup consists of lead guitarist Patrick Fiore, Corey Presner on vocals and guitar, bassist Brian Schmidt, and drummer Dean Welsh, have created eight tracks that are influenced by grunge, stoner metal/rock, heavy psych, etc. These songs have all of the traits that are commonplace in the genre while still offering up something that feels fresh and exciting, yet familiar as well. That album is called ‘Vision Quest’ (2023), and it is the reason we’ve gathered here today.

Their first single ever is “Green Rider”, opening the proceedings with a big bong hit followed by a long exhale. The fuzz factor of that first riff may make you think of a hazy, smoke filled room containing four stoners creating music for other stoners. There’s an obvious Sleep influence going on, though with a vocal approach that is varied and incredible. Corey has bits and pieces of his influences that come through in his vocals, but he turns them into his own style without mimicking any of them.

“Vision Quest” sees High Leaf delving into their more psychedelic side for a great majority of the song, fortifying it with bluesy stoner sections, a Pink Floyd-esque feel, and ending the track with a grungy stoner metal vibe that features vocals influenced by the legendary singers that came to prominence in the '90s.

“Subversive” has a vocal style that will appeal to fans of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, while the music pulls from both stoner and grunge genres. This is a powerful track that is packed with beefy riffs, and a solid rhythmic backbone. It is one of, if not the best song on Vision Quest, so anyone with an ear for this genre will absolutely love what High Leaf laid down here!

“Dead Eye” marks the halfway point of Vision Quest, steamrolling its way in with a fat sounding riff that is superb! As with the other tracks, this features more of Corey’s excellent vocals, and the ultra thick riffs that are a staple of the High Leaf sound. It’s not the best song on this record, but isn’t weak in any way either.

“Hard to Find” continues on with the high quality music that the first half of the record displayed, with the difference being that there is a hard rock vibe that harkens back to the '80s and '90s. Corey also brings in an even more diverse display of his talents, and while this isn’t my favorite track, it is my favorite performance of his. Pat pulls off a perfect lead on this track too, it’s completely suited to the song and shows that he’s got the chops needed to create memorable solos.

“Painted Desert” begins by briefly showcasing the drum and bass skills of Brian and Dean before the guitars enter. There’s a serious Layne Staley meets Scott Weiland sound within the vocals, while the music is the stonerized version of Pearl Jam-esque grunge that you didn’t know you needed, but will want more of after you get it. It’s a quick track that’s absolutely killer from beginning to end.

“March to the Grave” and “The Rot” are the final tracks on Vision Quest, and they both have all of the elements that High Leaf has given listeners since the “Green Rider” single started playing. Of the two I found that I prefer “The Rot,” it’s a bit more diverse sounding musically and vocally, but both songs are excellent examples of what this band can do.

Vision Quest is a stunning debut record in every way. These Philly stoner diehards are as talented as their music exhibits, and are sure to win over even the most stubborn music fan with their take on the genre. This simply means that you will find something to love even if you aren’t totally sold on stoner music, as the fuzzed out riffs will work their way into your subconscious and refuse to leave. So head to Spotify to check out their lead off single as you wait for it to become available on Bandcamp. Enjoy!

HIGH REEPER just keep on reaching higher and higher places with their sound. Their songs have a fiery, dauntless spirit to them, with singer Zach Thomas belting out one soulful, prophetic line after another with grit and conviction.

Take their latest single “Cold World.” Guitars mark out a wicked groove, like a snake slithering across your path and you wonder if it just might bite. Drums join with strong intonation and deep resolve. Bass keeps the song thumping along. Vocals gleam with metallic sheen. What a fitting anthem for winter.

High Reeper remark:

When we were making ‘Doom Sessions Vol. 5’ we were unable to include all the tracks that we recorded on the actual release. We are hard at work on a new record and thought we would share “Cold World” with you and continue with our full-on heavy metal assault.

You can check out our review of Doom Sessions Vol. 5 right here and get the album via Heavy Psych Sounds. The new single drops Friday.

Give Ear…

SOME BUZZ

Formed in 2016, HIGH REEPER is made up of Zach Thomas, Tyler Yoder, Justin Di Pinto, Pat Daly and Shane Trimble. Originally started as a studio band, it rapidly became apparent that these songs were meant to be heard live and loud. The band made their debut in the Philly/Delaware stoner rock scene in early 2017 with success, followed up by the recording of their self-titled debut in May.

With a sound deeply rooted in modern stoner rock while giving a nod to early days Sabbath, their self-titled debut was driven by pounding rhythms, thick guitars and soaring, screeching vocals. For their sophomore record, the addition of Di Pinto on drums helped focus in an even more powerful direction.

After their sophomore album release and a successful 2018 European tour that included Desertfest Berlin, High Reeper hit Europe once again in 2019, visiting ten countries as well as an appearance at Desertfest London. The band has been working on new material since then, with a new album yet to be announced on HPS Records.

The simple genius of the Doom Sessions series cannot be overstated. It’s as if Heavy Psych Sounds had brought together my favorite Saturday morning cartoon characters for an epic team up, only of course in the musical realm. We’re not up to five volumes of these collaborations (and counting). Each has a unique character and pairs bands that seem to complement (or contrast) each other’s sound quite effectively.

For ‘Doom Sessions Vol. 5’ (2021) we have Delaware Valley band HIGH REEPER paired with the Northwest’s HIPPIE DEATH CULT – both of which have been together for a comporable number of years, the former founded in 2016, the latter in 2017.

The vibrant proto-doom sound of High Reeper is the first up to bat with “Vermillion Iron,” which begins with these stately, crushing riffs, and colliding chords. Though I don’t have the lyrics handy, it is obviously bearing witness to the sheer might and power of this ancient ore and its ability to be forged into powerful weapons of war. For as “metal” as metal music is, I don’t know of many songs off hand that actually extol the virtues of it in actuality, making this song twice as cool. The significance of vermillion iron, of course, would be its royal – even religious – character to ancient civilizations.

The twin fantasy “Winter King/Devil’s Grip” was one of the first singles to emerge from this collab and we played it not too many weeks ago on The Doomed & Stoned Show. The soaring vocals of Zach Thomas are a distinct highlight, which play so well with Pat Daly’s riffmaking. There’s a whole mythology to be explored here, so listen closely to its words.

We round out Side A with the pensive, but equally engaging song, “Withering Decay.” It’s slow-building, balladic character may bestow upon it an enduring quality that will lead future bands to cover it. Certainly, I can see it capstoning many a fan’s playlist in years to come. Don’t miss the Sabbathian switcharoo in the second-half, with its churning doom character.

Now we come to my Portland homies Hippie Death Cult, who have two longer songs to occupy the second half. “Fill The Fires” kicks off Side B with what sounds like an Alan Watts quotation, though I could be off in my vocal identification. The song seems to use fire as a metaphor for desire, which is the element that brings so many things in life together. Tribal-esque beats open the song with spacey guitars swirling in the night sky. Certainly more ethereal and mysterious than its companion, it is nonetheless a sensational experience in its own right: at times mysterious, wondrous, and psychedelic, at others frenetic, moving, and brave.

Side B concludes with the groovy “Towards Infinity,” opening as if it were in a dimly lit, sparsely occupied tavern somewhere on a weekday night in Southern Cali. For some reasons, I have flashbacks (good ones) of the second season of True Detective (Season 2, if you must ask) as I listen to this. Then again, the song’s mood speaks quite differently to me than its lyrical character, which reaches toward a concept that is difficult for any mind to grasp – the neverending and eternal. Both Ben Jackson’s distinctive vocalization and the virtuosic and imaginative guitar playing of Eddie Brnabic play gracefully upon this theme until the song suddenly extinguishes.

Look for this powerful listening experience to release May 14th via Heavy Psych Sounds on digital, compact disc, and a brilliant array of vinyl formats (pre-order here), with the full stream available to Doomed & Stoned readers right here, right now a day before!

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Formed in 2016, HIGH REEPER is made up of Zach Thomas, Justin Di Pinto, Pat Daly and Shane Trimble. Originally started as a studio band, it rapidly became apparent that these songs were meant to be heard live and loud. The band made their debut in the Philly/Delaware stoner rock scene in early 2017 with success, followed up by the recording of their self-titled debut in May.

With a sound deeply rooted in modern stoner rock while giving a nod to early days Sabbath, their self-titled debut was driven by pounding rhythms, thick guitars and soaring, screeching vocals. For their sophomore record, the addition of Di Pinto on drums helped focus in an even more powerful direction.

After their sophomore album release and a successful 2018 European tour that included Desertfest Berlin, High Reeper hit Europe once again in 2019, visiting ten countries as well as an appearance at Desertfest London. The band has been working on new material since then, with a new album yet to be announced on Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

High Reeper is:

• Zach Thomas — Vocals
• Pat Daly — Guitars
• Shane Trimble — Bass
• Justin Di Pinto — Drums

HIPPIE DEATH CULT has proven to be one of the more exciting hard rock bands to surface in recent years. Described as a band who “perfectly fuses classic rock sounds with a more modern fuzzy doom sensibility” by Metal Injection and “definitely ones to watch” by Classic Rock Magazine, the Portland, Oregon quartet only began writing and performing in early 2018, while the roots of the band go much deeper.

A stream of musical consciousness swept over guitarist Eddie Brnabic inspiring him to create the band, but it would take a few lineup attempts and a little luck to bring the right members together. With a solid lineup of Laura Phillips, Ryan Moore and Ben Jackson in place, they set out with fierce dedication to rehearse, record and perform a string of successful live shows, securing a deal with Cursed Tongue Records, who released their politically and ecologically-driven debut album '111’ in 2019.

In 2020, Hippie Death Cult signed a worldwide record deal with Heavy Psych Sounds Records to release their sophomore full-length in the spring of 2021.

Hippie Death Cult is:

• Ryan Moore — Drums
• Eddie Brnabic — Guitar
• Laura Phillips - Bass
• Ben Jackson — Vocals/Keys

~By Tom Hanno~

Album Art by Drahma R.

This solo project has one of the coolest names I’ve heard in a while, and the music matches that coolness before multiplying it tenfold. That project is manned by Alex Parkinson, goes by the name of MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS and the debut album, ‘Into the Hollow’ (2021), drops on May 21st.

One of the biggest things that I hear is a Mastodon influence, and that rides throughout this album. However, there is so much more than just the Mastodon influence, creating an extremely diverse album that effortlessly blends several genres into one.

On top of me hearing great music on this release, I also am attracted to the name for reasons other than coolness. Breaking the moniker down, we discover that there are the names of two cryptids contained therein.

First, we have the Mothman, which is a cryptid seen in the West Virginia area of the United States starting in November of 1966. It is heavily believed that a Mothman sighting is the precursor to some kind of tragedy, which began after the December 1967 Silver Bridge Incident The bridge connects West Virginia and Ohio, and it collapsed under the weight of rush hour traffic, killing 46 people; thereby instigating the bad omen myth that follows the Mothman to this day.

Second is the extremely dangerous Thunderbird, which dates back to the Native Americans, and are capable of altering the weather; creating storms and lightning. Both of these cryptids still have sightings, and captivate the imaginations of many people across the globe.

The first track is called “Mothman Takes Flight”, and the layering of the vocals in the intro section are extremely cool sounding; not to mention that the first riff has a slight Slipknot vibe to it. Those layered vocal parts really grabbed my attention, and that attention only grew stronger as this track moved forward.

One of the elements that I really latched onto was the diverse feel of each part of the song. It seems as if everything has its own influence, but they all fit together perfectly to create this awesome piece of music.

As we move onto track number two, we get a Mastodon-heavy song called “Hollow Earth”, which gets my nod for best vocal effects for a verse; they really bring to mind Static-X’s “Chemical Logic” from the Cannibal album. I asked Alex how he was able to create that sound, and he told me this; “For Hollow Earth I did the regular clean vocals and then ran them through a Korg vocoder a few times, so it’s a couple different vocoders on top of each other, on top of the clean vocals.”

“Indrid Cold” is another banger, and keeps the Mastodon vibe alive and well. The main riff has a gallop and a well placed emphasis on the right notes to make this track sound even better. The vocals are executed with a burly rasp, and an almost agonized tone in certain spots; they match the heavy feel of the music expertly, and the lyric that says, “Smile through the pain” helps add to that agonized idea even more.

Up next is possibly the best track on the album, “Infinite Ocean”, which features Breaths’ Jason Roberts on verses 3 and 4. I love everything about this song, but it’s the vocal melody and performances that really stick out; they are perfectly executed, well written, and memorable.

The section that hits around the 2:30 mark is very interesting, almost progressive in nature. The guitars display a lot of movement, and the bass just hangs back to subtly hold the whole thing together. I really love this one, it’s my personal favorite in the album.

One of my other favorite tracks is called “Cloud Giant”, which could have just as easily been on the latest Devin Townsend album. His influence is very strongly felt in the music, as well as the flow of the vocals; which are performed by special guest vocalist, Joe Sobieski. Even with all of that I think my favorite aspect is the tribal nature of the drumming, which makes perfect use of the toms to really propel things forward. The whole vibe of this song is positive and uplifting, which fits the lyrical context nicely.

Before I end this review, I’d like to include Alex’ thoughts on his record:

I started Mothman and The Thunderbirds in the middle of 2020, when quarantine-pastime curiosity in cryptids and conspiracy theories came to a head with my creative indecisiveness. I think Into the Hollow is a strong first outing at that, showcasing a range of styles – some metal, some not – that I had been itching to record. Rather than starting several different “solo” projects, I decided that this album was going to be a vehicle for all things weird and wonderful.

While the album deals in cryptids and conspiracy theories, I’ve tied in many real-world themes of war, global warming, anxiety, paranoia, and manufactured consent. But to transport the listener in and out of the world of Mothman and The Thunderbirds, the album is bookended by two songs that deal in pure escapism. I think my varied approach to both vocals and song styles helps convey the dichotomy between the real and surreal.

I’d like to thank the four Guest Thunderbirds (in order of appearance: Jason, Kirby, Sam, and Joe) for their guest contributions, which make this album truly special. And I’d like to thank you, the listener, for embarking on this crazy journey with me Into the Hollow!

In closing, as I quote from their press release, “If anything, Into the Hollow is a stoner metal album for people who are bored of stoner metal.” That line really sums up why I love this album as much as I do. The amount of eclectic diversity in the songwriting really helps to set Mothman and the Thunderbirds apart from other bands in the genre, not to mention that Alex has been able to obtain guest musicians that really add their own spark to the tracks they’re featured on.

May 21st is coming soon, so go to Bandcamp, hit that pre-order button, and feel free to let us know what you think of this excellent recording. Enjoy!

We’re seeing more and more international collaborations over the course of the pandemic, with its frequent regional lockdowns around the globe (see: The Crooked Whispers). Now Puerto Rican progressive metal outfit MOTHS and Philly rockers THE STONE EYE have combined talents to bring us a four-track EP split. On the one hand, you’ve got a very experimental band breaking conventional structures, coupled on the other hand with a band that’s not afraid to make us question what we know to be true about those conventional structures. In other words, stoner rock meets Alice in Wonderland.

Moths

Moths are a progressive/stoner metal band hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico that blends powerful riffs with unexpected with progressive tendencies along the lines of Frank Zappa and Mr. Bungle. The band is made up of Weslie Negrón (bass), Jonathan Miranda (lead Guitar), and Omar González (rhythm guitar) in 2016, with the later addition of Damaris Rodríguez (vocals) and Daniel Figueroa (drums).

Moths released their debut, self-titled EP just two years ago and wisely embarked on their first mainland tour shortly thereafter, with a brief stint of dates in the northeastern US, where the band was well-received by new audiences. Just this summer, Moths contributed a track to the Stimulus Swim mixtape curated by Adult Swim.

The press clippings are right: “With Damaris’ aggressive but melodic vocals, Omar’s catchy riffs, Jonathan’s unorthodox leads, Weslie’s solid bass lines, and Daniel’s at times extreme drumming, Moths has marked out a sound that is anything but conventional.”

“Intervention” showcases Moths’ songwriting tendencies which kept me engaged throughout (if only occasionally troubled, not only knowing what the song was up to). This means, of course, that their Black Sabbath cover “Hand of Doom” will be a must-listen. The atonal fringes of the composition alone make it unique among other renditions of the song, not to mention the band’s tendency towards mind-wandering psychedelic meandering. We also get to hear the upper reaches of Damaris’ vocal technique in this song, which was quite impressive.

The Stone Eye

The Stone Eye is an electrifying rock band from Philadelphia, no stranger to these pages. Combining elements of stoner, garage, and alt rock comes a hard-hitting yet catchy style. Following a plethora of releases dating back to 2014, The Stone Eye recently treated us to their latest Doom Charts ranking spin, ‘Ventura’ (2020).

The band’s contribution to this split marks The Stone Eye as heirs to the grunge legacy, with “Presence of the Mind” giving off a strong Alice in Chains/Godsmack vibe, at least vocally. The EP concludes with another cover, this one a version of “Wayfaring Stranger” a traditional folk song.

Look for the Moths/The Stone Eye split on Electric Talon Records this weekend, August 21st (pre-order here).

Give ear…

Upon first blush, I thought GRAVE BATHERS might be some kind of caustic death-doom outfit (not that I dislike that sort of thing), but then I hit play on their new spin and wowsers did that classic doom and early stoner vibe grab me. “We all grew up on The Mars Volta and Thin Lizzy alike,” the band says, “and continue to nerd out over music history, compilation albums and ‘70s hard rock style. We are constantly sharing playlists with one another, studying mythology, and most importantly, we all drop acid and worship the devil.” All of that brings us a sound that shuffles well with the rockier side of Pentagram, Black Sabbath, and Portland street doomers R.I.P.

The band really began after a shared motorcycle ride when vocalist Drew Robinson moved from Brooklyn to Philly into Bassist Davis M. Shubs’ Cadaver Club Funeral Parlor on a whim, with the sole purpose to create this band. It was like fucking magic. They shared books, studied cinema, and wrote an entire album with the band between the Parlor and the studio.

Guitarist Jaret 'Paisley Papi’ Salvat-Rivera and Davis have been making music together for more than half of a decade long friendship, and 'Stoner Steve’ Capitano is a fucking warlock who never puts down his guitar (Davis once had a side project with Steve making '70s porno music called ‘Sexecutioners’ with original Grave Bathers’ drummer Barret May where they all wore gimp masks). The final puzzle piece, Cliff Albert, fucking rips pinball and shreds the drums like an octopus.

Man can these guys jam, too! The Grave Bather’s debut is just two tracks: 'Feathered Serpent/Death Hand’ (2020), but they’re both quite beefy, generating the net effect of making you want to simultaneously bang your head and shake your money maker. Look for the new EP to release via Seeing Red Records on 7-inch vinyl and in digital format this Friday, February 28th (pre-order here).

Give ear…

I’m ashamed to admit that I’d almost forgotten about Philly doomsters CRYPT SERMON. Their excellent debut record, Out of the Garden, is already four years old and it’s been over two years since their epic, slowed down reworking of Mayhem’s “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas,” aptly titled “De Mysteriis Doom Sathanas,” was released. I hope you can forgive me for my forgetfulness, because I can assure you it won’t happen again. Their new record, entitled ‘The Ruins of Fading Light’ (2019), will make sure of that.

The band refuses to ease into their sophomore record and kicks off in high gear with “The Ninth Templar (Black Candle Flame).” It’s immediately clear that the band has grown and found their own sound, while still deeply rooted in the traditional doom metal they’re known for. After a short intro we’re greeted by an epic sounding riff, supported by blast beats. The song is fast, especially for doom metal. The song itself sounds more like Iced Earth than Candlemass, but the doom is never far away. Brooks Wilson’s gives a dynamic vocal performance, ranging from more traditional doom metal vocals to a more raw sound and even a grunted “Burn” for good measure. The band has grown a lot since Out of the Garden and this song is a testament to that.

“Key Of Solomon,” on the other hand, is an epic doom metal song by the numbers. It has epic twin guitar riffs and wailing solo’s spread out over a landscape of stately, heavy riffage. “Heavy as fuck” pops up in my mind while banging my head. I really hope to hear them perform this song live sometime.

To be fair, “heavy as fuck” is a fitting description of pretty much every song the record. Whether it’s galloping power metal bravado or epic doom sorcery, everything just fits. Just like on their debut, the band shows that they have high standards when it comes to songwriting. Whether it’s an interlude like “Epochal Vestiges” or the drawn out title track, second is of the same high quality. The sound is clear, but full. Mixed into all the sonic violence, some subtle key work left and right adds some nice accents. To get the full picture of what to expect of The Ruins of Fading Light, just listen to “Christ is Dead.” I’m sure Leif wished he wrote that song for The Door to Doom.

The thing that might be impressing me the most, is Crypt Sermon’s use of Christian themes in their music. Many bands who use Christian symbolism in their music, tend to get preachy really fast. Wilson’s lyrics, on the other hand, are clearly rooted in Biblical stories, but remain just that: stories. It reminds one that despite all the (misguided) positivity and misquoted optimism, the bible sports quite a lot of doom and gloom. It’s also a nice departure from the wizards and dragons that usually populate the epic doom metal lyrics.

Whether you’re looking for epic doom metal with a twist or power metal without most of the over the top fiddling, go and give The Ruins of Fading Light a spin. You’re sure to find something of your liking. Crypt Sermon proves that there are still new plains to be discovered within the realm of traditional doom. The promo material dares to compare this record to Candlemass’ Nightfall, Solitude Aeternus’ Through the Darkest Hour and While Heaven Wept’s Vast Oceans Lachrymose. A bold statement, but certainly not exaggerated. The Ruins of Fading Light has all the potential to become a genre classic. Give ear!

Meet THE STONE EYE, whose base of operations is Philadelphia. Recently, Stephen Burdick (guitar, vocals), Jeremiah Bertin (drums), and Wolfgang Noll (bass) released their third album, entitled ‘Kevlar, Kryptonite, Gloria’ (2018). In each of the eleven tracks before us, The Stone Eye draws heavily from both the '90s grunge scene and the doom-stoner scene we all know and love. Taking notes from bands like Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Ghost, Sleep, and a slew of similar bands, The Stone Eye have crafted a fine album that doesn’t merely sound like their favorite bands, but succeeds in creating a distinct sound all their own.

The first track, “Hand of Silk,” opens with a riff that’s pure stoner goodness. Fuzzy guitar tones, a low end from hell, and thunderous drumming are all present and accounted for! When the vocals come in, I can hear a hint of David Byrne (Talking Heads), while the pre-chorus and main chorus bring to mind an old Syracuse, New York band that went by the name of Torment the Vein. I feel that this song is fairly representative of what you’ll hear on this album, so it was a good choice to have first on the playlist.

Next up is “Cut Me Loose,” which starts off with a drum passage that brings to mind an old Alice in Chains number (one whose name escapes me at the moment). The drums aren’t the only place you’ll hear an AIC influence, because the vocals have a definite Layne Staley feel. I enjoy that younger bands like The Stone Eye are still listening to the bands I grew up with. While not copying them outright, they’re drawing upon those styles to create something truly distinct.

“Tin Man” is my favorite song here, which is a bit weird because it’s the mellowest of all these tunes. Driven primarily by an acoustic guitar and vocals and using a very somber tone, this track witnesses the most nicely executed performances of the lot.

“Black Cat” is another standout, sporting a pure stoner–doom intro, then settling into a grunge-fueled vibe for the verses. This one also brings to mind Torment the Vein for me, which is cool since that was a real kick-ass local band. The guitar tones are immense during the introduction and chorus, yet are perfectly laid back in line with the verses. You definitely cannot criticize this band for overplaying – they play to suit the song, not for their egos.

Kevlar, Kryptonite, Gloria is one hell of a record and well worth your listening time. It can be found on Bandcamp, along with the rest of The Stone Eye’s albums, so go scope it out and their older stuff, too. It’s all so damn good!

Oh, boy, do we have a treat for you today, Doomers & Stoners! Heavy Psych Sounds have gotten ahold of another killer spin and you get to be the first to hear it today. Meet HIGH REEPER from Philly. I remember listening to the self-titled debut by High Reeper on a long walk. As soon as it was over, I started it again…and then again after that. The songs on High Reeper have a kind of sinister verve that appeals to my rebel spirit, something that’s evident right away from opening number “Die Slow.” The incredible energy of the riffmaking and rhythm section keeps the pace going strong in “Chrome Hammer.” The next track, “Soul Taker” (one of my favs), gives us a fresh take on the style of doom immortalized by Black Sabbath and the crew of early ‘70s proto-metallers.

Speaking of crew, let’s meet our cast:

• Shane Trimble (bass)
• Zach Thomas (vox)
• Pat Daly (guitar)
• Andrew Price (guitar)
• Napz Mosley (drums)

Man, it’s no wonder this album is a party – and a damned heavy one – from start to finish. What you’re noticing this deep into the album is nothing sounds sluggish or half-hearted. High Reeper have bottled up all the excitement of a barnstorming, arena-filled stage show in these nine tracks. It’s clear that the band wants you to experience this record in a single spin and have put a lot of thought into the placement of each song to keep you engaged throughout.

Some other highlights include the namesake track, “High Reeper,” with a fun drum solo, and the devilish grin of “Reeper Deadly Reeper” – perhaps the doomiest song on the record. It will be impossible to keep from making comparisons with Orchid, Purple Hill Witch, R.I.P. – bands that have material rooted in the Sabbath legacy, yet succeed wildly in crafting a fresh sound that is distinctly their own. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into these tracks, as nothing came across to me as trite or forced.

The record just couldn’t sound better to my ears, either – engineered by bassist Shane Trimble himself. The album, which releases this Friday, March 16th, and is available in limited transparent orange vinyl and standard black, as well as in CD and digital formats (I noticed some cool bundles, too). Pre-order on Heavy Psych Sounds right here.

Some buzz:

High Reeper’s self-titled debut is an unapologetic punch to the face for fans of early ‘70s proto-metal. The sound and smell of leather, weed, boozing, gambling and death permeate the record from start to finish. Nine tracks that run from up-tempo straight ahead rock, to slowed down, heavy, early doom. With a rhythm section throwing down grooves that are deeper than the darkest abyss and guitars big enough to put a hole in your chest, the record’s finale hits just as hard as its opening track. Vocals that soar above the guitars with laser like precision, while delivering a direct hit to your soul. (Heavy Psych Sounds)

Interview with Shane Trimble
from High Reeper

By Shawn Gibson

I think I’ve listened to the new album about twice now. The sound it has a punch to it, kind of like a raised middle finger! I like the edge you’ve honed in on.

Thanks, I’m a bit of a gear nerd and shit, and I’m real into that kind of shit.

That’s right, you recorded and produced the album, didn’t you?

Yes, I’ve been doing that for a very, very, very, long time. Like for twenty-five years, probably. I had a very good teacher.

Yeah?

A crazy mentor! His name is Mike Tarsia and he was a lead engineer at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. They had 'Young Americans’ (1975) by Bowie recorded there. When I first started recording, I learned at our big studio in New York. It was all right place at the right time; it had nothing to do with me. Mike is still my mentor, he mastered the record. I wouldn’t be able to do anything without that guy! I would be able to do what I do, without him. He’s as fantastic a guy as the day is long. It’s always great to be able to take great knowledge and great expertise handed down from a great teacher. He’s not just a teacher, but also a very close friend.

Explain the name High Reeper.

(laughs) We were throwing out names and that got thrown out there. “Oh it’s so over the top,” we thought, but it was appropriate so we went with it.

Sure, I dig it.

If you’re going to go, go all the way!

What’s that like getting signed and being on Heavy Psych Sound Records? Is that pretty badass?

Well, we just started this for ourselves; we had no intention of putting it out or anything like that. We just wanted to make a stoner rock like Sabbath’s kind of recorded but for ourselves. We thought we were just going to play four or five live shows and have something to have fun with and get drunk together. We’ve all been in bands together over the last ten years in one form or another playing all kinds of music. Once this was recorded, the reaction was very positive. Long story short, we hired this PR guy, fantastic guy, right before the album was to be released digitally, we got signed. One morning I wake up with like four labels offering to put out the record and I was like, "What?”

The funny thing is once things started taking off, we hired a PR firm, and I personally had emailed every label who I thought was cool. I can’t stress this enough: Heavy Psych Sounds was our first choice. I was talking to another label and he was like “I’d love to put this out; I can’t do this for a while. I can definitely put out your second record. But have you tried X label, have you tried Y label? Have you tried Heavy Psych Sounds?”

I said, “Yes! I sent them our records forever and never got a response.” He said, “Don’t worry. I’ll get in touch with them.” He gave them the record that morning and then Gabriele from our label Gabriele Fiori he is the lead singer and guitarist for Black Rainbows. Super, super band. I don’t know if you ever listened to them. They have a new album coming out, it’s killer. So Gabriele and I started talking, I would say it’s surreal for all of us to now be on the label, the only label we wanted to be on, you know. We love the aesthetic of the label. We love the bands on the label. It would be impossible for me to express our gratitude and how happy and satisfied we are to be on our label.

Definitely.

The main thing is when you’re doing something like when you’re on a label, you want the right fit. There’s plenty of awesome labels. This label you know I was hoping was the right fit for us and after talking to Gabriele, that it certainly was the right thing for us. We thought it was a no-brainer at that point.

Well I’m happy for you!

We are in disbelief every day. We are extremely grateful. It’s crazy, we can’t believe it. We are happy this is the outcome and we certainly weren’t imagining anything like this when we wrote the record. We really made it and mixed it for ourselves, thinking that it wasn’t a record made with the intent to get a record deal our play in any kind of scene or anything like that that’s just, “Oh no.” It took on a life of its own. It’s still bizarre. None of us can believe it. (laughs)

So it makes it that much more meaningful because it’s truly organic. It’s all from the heart, it’s your passion.

Yeah it’s crazy, you know, we’re reminded of it every day, messages on Facebook and Instagram. We don’t even have a record even out, you know. Was it the Doom Charts? Bucky Brown managed to give away like 50 or a hundred download codes before the record was to come out, right before we got signed. So our record has floated out there with some people, digitally. There are people who heard it and who have it and are really fans and they reach out to us and tell what they think and it’s been great. It’s been rewarding and we appreciate them. I don’t know if it will be possible to convey how much we appreciate them. It certainly makes us feel good to connect any way possible, as much as possible. To be as accessible as possible.

I see that you guys are from Philly, Delaware area. Do you have any skaters in your band?

Well, Andrew and Pat are both skaters.

I was wondering if any of you guys skated LOVE Park.

Oh yeah, like a million times.

I’ve seen it in several skate videos all the CKY’s any of BAM’s footage Chris Cole’s parts. Even guys from everywhere else coming to skate there. Being from the southeast, I got a lot of love for LOVE Park. I’ve heard sometimes you couldn’t skate if you weren’t local.

Yeah, it can be rough sometimes. No doubt, it’s Philly. (laughs) That’s just the way it is, man.

Nice segue to my next question. Were you witness to any of the anarchy that happened after Eagles won the Super Bowl?

Well, Zach went to the parade. The night of the Super Bowl, let’s see where was Zach watching it? Zach was at the parade, everyone else stayed home and the night of the Super Bowl, no one was out. Andrew’s brother however did after they won, I don’t even know what went on there! Zach was at the parade, like a trooper. I’m not sure if he remembers, so if you ever meet him or talk to him you can ask him any questions you want, but I don’t think you’re going to get many answers. (laughs)

Back to the music, for a moment. What are some influences for High Reeper?

Oh, man. Obviously, Black Sabbath. You have to remember our intent of the record was. We weren’t thing we were going to put anything out “we should make something that sounds like Sabbath yak know?” I want the vocals to sound like “Behind The Wall Of Sleep.” It’s what like the third song on the first Sabbath record? That’s why the vocals are loud, they have the double on them from the delay, except it’s not pan-crazy like on the record, the Sabbath record.

Honestly, any band that rocks, whether it’s Sabbath or Deep Purple. I don’t know if you ever heard of this band from like 2000 – The Datsuns, they’re from New Zealand. Anything that rocks man! For us more than anything, it would be older bands. Zach is super into everything that is in stoner and doom. He’s really on top of everything. The rest of the guys listen to it, but Zach is on top of every new release that comes out. I would say the vocals weren’t dirty; they’re not swimming in delay. They are, there’s a ton of reverb on them. It doesn’t have that new doom sound because it wasn’t really made to be one of those records, that wasn’t even the fault when we were making it, just because we were making it for ourselves. Motorhead that’s another one, one of those crazy ones. Any of the heavy rocking bands like Thin Lizzy, that’s all.

Hell, yeah! What would be a damn good book you’ve read?

The Keith Richards autobiography.

I need to read that.

That would be a damn good book for anyone that’s played music or anyone who wants to read about an interesting guy. I can’t tell you how much we love the Stones. They may not be doom, they may not be metal, but they are the baddest motherfuckers on two feet! It doesn’t show in this album, but we love those guys. Pat and I are super Stones-heads – Andrew, too. We just love that shit.

On a lighter note, what is something that will make you laugh uncontrollably?

The movie Burnt (2015) with Bradley Cooper. It makes me laugh uncontrollably every day, I watch it almost every day. It’s as bad as a movie can be.

I’ll have to check that out! What are some bands around the Delaware-Philly area that you guys like a lot and or like to play with?

Ecstatic Vision, for one. We are playing with Heavy Temple, who are awesome, at our record release show and Hound, who are stripped down 70’s style rock – they rock! Of course, Ruby the Hatchet, we would love to play with them. We think they’re fantastic!

That would be a badass show!

Oh yeah man, a lot of good bands in the scene, for sure. Yeah it’s very encouraging and everybody’s cool and nice. That never hurts.

We should also mention that you’re playing Doomed & Stoned Fest III in Indianapolis in October.

Yes! We’re really excited about that! Super fucking stoked, man!

Awesome! We’re really looking forward to both that and the release of your debut LP this Friday.

Thanks! We really thrilled and grateful you’re writing about the record. We weren’t making this record to put it out, but were glad that it came out. We’re fucking thrilled! It’s something that snowballed! We’re just so happy to be on Heavy Psych Sounds and be going on tour. It’s just really great.

What a beautiful ride!

Absolutely wild.