Steve De Rique - Personal Top 20 of 2025

 

Stevie Reek - Personal Top 50 of 2024

Reek of STOOM aka Stevie Reek aka Steve De Rique's Personal Top 20 is here for you the peruse! Well, it's actually a Top 50! Showing his very own impeccable and august taste! It’s the best of the very best and the dirtiest of the dirties and contains everything one might hear on his very own Howls From The Hollow. Tune in and hear all that howling... Below his list you can see what reviews he wrote for the HiVe this year...

 

CARDIACS - LSD
YURT - IV:RIPPLINGB MIRRORS OF THE OTHER
WYATT E - ZAMARU ULTU QEREB ZIGGURATU PART 1
TEMPLE FANG - LIFTED FROM THE WIND
MOTORPSYCHO - MOTORPSYCHO
THE RESIDENTS - DOCTOR DARK
SNAKEMOTHER - SNAKEMOTHER
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT - IF YOU ONLY KNEW
CONAN - VIOLENCE DIMENSION
KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD - PHANTOM ISLAND
KADAVAR - KIDS ABANDONING DESTINY AMONG VANITY AND RUIN
KAL-EL - ASTRAL VOYAGE VOL. I
PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS - POGO RODEO
CUSTARD FLUX - ENTER XENON
HYPNOTIC FLOOR - THE FRIENDLY MOSS FOREST CREATURES LIVED HAPPILY IN PERPETUAL TWILIGHT
TUMANDUUMBAND - HAIL SATAN, TRIUMPH AWAITS
CROP - S.S.R.I
OH SEES, OSEES - ABOMINATION REVEALED AT LAST
SLOMATICS - ATOMICULT
YOU GUITARPRAYER - I AM THE LIGHT/THE LIGHT I AM
ELDER - LIMINALITY/DREAM STATE RETURN
MYAELIN - CYCLICATACLYSM
THE BATELEURS - A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
KHAN - THAT FAIR AND WARLIKE FORM
JULIE'S HAIRCUT - RADIANCE OPPOSITION
FROZEN PLANET...1969 - ECHOLAND
GROS COUER - VAGUE SCÉLÉRATE
BUZZARD - EVERYTHING IS NOT GOING TO BE ALRIGHT
SILVER ORBS - SILVER ORBS
AGNOSTIC FRONT - ECHOES IN ETERNITY
GAWTHROP - KUBOA
3RD EAR EXPERIENCE - THE TWILIGHT SUTRA
BLACK PIG NEAT - SYNBIOTIC DREAM
THE IMPERIAL MUSTARD - TURN TO STONE
GODZILLIONAIRE - DIMINISHING RETURNS
NAXATRAS - V
OUTER HEAD - EREVOS
KAISER - 2ND SOUND
PIECE - RAMBLER'S AXE
APPALOOZA - THE EMPEROR OF LOSS
RUNEMAGICK - CYCLE OF THE DYING SUN (DAWN OF ASHEN REALMS
ASTRALPLANE - OUT OF THE VOID
BREATH - BRAHMAN
HADAL SHERPA - MEMORIA
SPAWN -LIGHT RITE
1968 - ROYAL BASTARDS
WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS - IN THE GLOW OF THE VATICAN FIRE
ØRESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE - ALOTTA HELLA DOWN IN ESTRELA
TROPICAL FUCK STORM - FAIRYLAND CODEX
MEGADROME SPACEDOOM - A.S.T.R.A.L.

 

 

These are the four reviews Stevie wrote for the HiVe in 2025! 

 

Silver Orbs - Silver Orbs

 

Megadrone Spacedoom - "A.S.T.R.A.L" 

 

Pearl Handled Revolver - Tales You Lose

 

Lilac Vegetal - The Accursed Share 

 

Silver Orbs - Silver Orb

Silver Orbs - Silver Orbs
Self-released - 2025
Stoner, Hard, Kraut, Psych
Rated: 

Oz keeps the vibe going constantly! New bruces on the block SILVER ORBS deliver an emphatic, No-holds-barred blend of High-Octane Stoner Rock that is compelling and rewarding in equal measure! Opener "Manganangas" sets the table with a robust and grungy riff-fest. Track two, "Gannets" brings the Psychedelics into play: Delayed guitars feeding a monster bass riff that develops into a hard-rocking, Kyuss-esque bleacher. The finale, "Kanto Katso" rolls like the proverbial stone - a mixture of total groove and Stadium Rock vibes that will have your heads nodding like a dashboard dog! Every second of this is unwasted - time to drop it and get WASTED!

(Written by Stevie Reek) 

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Megadrone Spacedoom - "A.S.T.R.A.L"

 

Megadrone Spacedoom - "A.S.T.R.A.L"
Self-released – 2025
Cosmic Doom, Drone, Psychedelia
Rated:

German outfit MEGADRONE SPACEDOOM comes up trumps with an amazing, void-expanding slab of Cosmic Doom with elements of Drone, Psychedelia and Ambience in good measure. This is the soundtrack to Space Travel in slo-mo and fires the imagination like an Ion Drive at sub-light speed. Doom has a new, formidable ally sitting comfortably alongside PYLAR and TERROR COSMICO!

(Written by Stevie Reek)

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Pearl Handled Revolver - Tales You Lose

 

 

Pearl Handled Revolver - Tales You Lose
Self-released - 2025
Psychedelic, Progressive, Stoner
Rated:

British Progressive Rock band PEARL HANDLED REVOLVER dip deep into the well of creativity on their 5th album, "Tales You Lose". Opening with a 10-min opus, "Black Rock" slowly breathes into life with mellow drums, pensive vocals and atmospheric keys before the bass and wah-wah drop in and an off-kilter cadence ensues with proggy overtures. "Heart of Gold" starts gently with a rhodes/vocal prelude before settling into a slow rhythm groove. "Gilding the Lily" picks up the pace with some nice hammond stabs and a strident riff. "Lightning" has a mid-tempo mellow Jazz feel to it, whilst "Courageous" kicks off with wah-wah guitar before developing into another throbbing, atmospheric piece. The tempo then ramps up with a strident rhythm and some killer Hammond. More mellow Jazzy vibes from "Hammer", which has an almost Arthur Brown-like quality to it. Final track, "Junkies" is another opus to end with: A tour-de-force of all that has gone before, highlighting the groove and understanding they have for the genre and material. A well-crafted album deserving of a good ear!

(Written by Stevie Reek)

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Lilac Vegetal - The Accursed Share

 

 

Lilac Vegetal - The Accursed Share
Grazil Records - 2025
Sludge, Post-Metal, Hardcore
Rated:

Hailing from Vienna, Austria, Lilac Vegetal have a dissonant and angular approach to Sound: Weaving tapestries of noise and off-kilter signatures, "The Accursed Share" is a very inventive and accomplished album that will grab your ears and not let go lightly!

(Written by Stevie Reek)

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Stevie Reek - Personal Top 12 of 2024

 

Stevie Reek - Personal Top 12 of 2024

Reek of STOOM aka Stevie Reek's Personal Top 20 is here for you the peruse! It's a Dirty Dozen though and it's filled with albums all in tuned to his impeccable taste. It’s the best of the very best and the dirtiest of the dirties and contains everything one might hear on his very own Howls From The Hollow. Tune in and hear all that howling... Below his list you can see what reviews he wrote for the HiVe this year...

1. SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM - OF THE LAST HUMAN BEING

The Greatest Resurrection of All-Time! Nils Frykdahl and his Experimental troupe roll back the years and deliver something truly special! A dazzling, extraordinary melee of Invention which runs the gamut of genres through Avantgarde, RIO and beyond, with something new to focus on with every listen. Impeccable musicianship and cohesion throughout!

2. LOWEN - DO NOT GO TO WAR WITH THE DEMONS OF MAZANDARAN

This is unquestionably deserving of a place! LOWEN's sound is unlike anything I've ever heard before. Nina and Shem have created an album that will resonate through Time, Culture and Metal Music - A powerful and apropos narration of Persian Folklore that fans of Doom, Stoner and World Music alike should embrace! Nina is in the form of her life here: The Metal equivalent of Ofra Haza!

3. SLIFT - ILION

A French Heavy Assault team wielding a sonic attack that would cripple a galaxy. "ILION" is the sound of a band who take the best of Space Rock and marry it with some of the hardest Sludge Metal and in doing so, create something special and unique!

4. DJIIN - MIRRORS

A very creative French band fronted by an extraordinary vocalist! Impeccable Progressive Rock with hints of Post-Metal and a penchant for stunning virtuosity that your ears will thank me for!

5. DRAW THE LINES - METAMORPHOSE

Réunion is a small island in the Indian Ocean which is a territory of France and the French influence on this work is profound! Stunning Zeuhl in the vein of MAGMA, ESKATON & UNIVERS Zero with a nod to KING CRIMSON and Canterbury....Immaculate Musicianship and Vision!

6. NOTHING IS REAL - ACTS OF DESPAIR AND FAITH

Nicholas Turner, the twisted genius behind NIR returns with yet another magnificent display of dizzying, genre-morphing metal: "Acts Of Despair And Faith" highlights his signature guitar wizardry and ability to juxtapose elements of Raw Black Metal, Doom and Avantgarde compositions that simultaneously suck the listener into the void whilst propelling them into the star-filled Heavens! A triumph!

7. WHITE CANYON & THE 5TH DIMENSION - THE GOLDEN KEY TO THE KINGDOM OF NO RETURN

There is a Timeless Magick about this - an album that would sit well with ANY Krautrock of 1970: Ash Ra Tempel, Brainticket, Popol Vuh, Cosmic Jokers etc. The ebb and flow of the music, the subtle interplay between the Musicians, The Notes and the Concept is a delight to hear!  "The Golden Key..." establishes WHITE CANYON & THE 5TH DIMENSION as a Modern beacon for the genre!

8. DELVING - ALL PATHS DIVERGE

Nick DeSalvo goes AWOL from ELDER and forges a delightful and singular slice of Prog/Krautrock that showcases his melodic mastery and incredible ability!

9. THE SINSEMILLIAN - THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

Australian Psychedelic leviathans THE SINSEMILLIAN return with "The Collective Consciousness": A sprawling, snarling lumber through six gargantuan slabs of grimace that run the gamut between Doom, Stoner, Sludge and Lysergic abandon. A crushing and magma-paced slither!

10. BLACK AFTERGLOW - BLACK AFTERGLOW

Dutch Guitar Wizard Tjeerd de Jong teams up with Cosmic Wordsmith Shane Beck to produce a shimmering, multi-layered slice of Heavy Psych. 8 stunning and vastly different compositions melding Heavy Psych, Poetry and Ambience to perfect effect!

11. ORANSSI PAZUZU - MUUNRAUTUJA

Oranssi Pazuzu's sound is akin to a dark-tentacled Kraken ascending from the depths of the Mariana Trench to ensnare and terrify the unsuspecting voyager. As with all OP releases, they deftly defy convention and constantly reinvent themselves and "Muuntautuja" is no exception: Huge swathes of fearsome riffs with an Industrial edge which unfurl, capture and squeeze the essence from your soul. Magnificent!

12. MYAELIN - ANTI-KOSMIK SIN SOIREE

This band makes me want to relocate to Belgium! Everything this weird incarnation produces is simply bizarre, uncompromising and utterly Brilliant!

 

And check out the one review he wrote last year here:

 

Djiin – Mirrors

Stoner HiVe’s Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…

 

 

Stoner HiVe’s
Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…

Castle Rat
Vitskär Süden
Acid Row
Speck
Shadow Lizzards
Sacri Monti
Airbag
Thunder Horse
Ufomammut
April 1830

Morning! This should have gone up yesterday of course. But you know how it is coming back after a festival. Getting grounded again, takes a bit of time. Freak Valley 2024 was awesome and even though I wasn’t there in any working capacity, pure to party my ass off, I might jot down a few words anyway. And due to be out of bounce for the better part of the week last week, there was only that damn fine write up by Stevie Reek about the amazing new Djiin album Mirrors! Which you should be checking out immediately if you haven’t already… Just like the list above!

Djiin – Mirrors

 

 

Djiin – Mirrors
Klonosphere / Season of Mist – 2024
Progressive, Psychedelic, Doom
Rated: Stevie does not rate

French Progressive Doomsters Djiin surpass all their previous works with 'Mirrors' :  An epic, transient journey encompassing Progressive, Doom and Post-Metal aesthetics that sees the band at their most inventive and challenging to date! Opening with "Fish", a strident rock-out with a distinct Stoner flavour, sets the tone for the rest of the album. The captivating voice of Chloe Panhaleux is the conduit for the band's hypnotic, progressive musings. Title track "Mirrors" moves through myriad time-twists revolving around guitarist Tom Penaguin's inimitable style, at times reminiscent of Steve Howe. Following along comes "(in the aura of my own) Sadness", which slows the pace to a more intricate almost Avant-Prog bent meandering and beautiful before bursting into a powerful mid-section which again highlights Penaguin's versatility and the tight backing of bassist Charlelie Pailhas and percussionist Allan Guyomard. "Blind" sees the band adopt a darker, more Doomy approach: a brooding slow-burner replete with stop-start rhythmic cadences and brash, abrasive vocals. "Iron Monsters" is the epic closer: A 13-minute excursion into heavy Progressive Rock that acts as a tour-de-force for all of the members to showcase their skill and unity. Overall, "Mirrors" delivers a fresh, modern take on Prog which incorporates different styles and genres with mind-bending ease!

(Written by Stevie Reek)

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Reek of STOOM - Personal Top 20 - 2023

 

Reek of STOOM’s Personal Top 20

of 2023!

Reek of STOOM aka Stevie Reek's Personal Top 20 is here for you the peruse! It's a Top 30 though and it's filled with albums all in tuned to his impeccable taste. We're honored to present it here first as it will also go up on the Doom Charts page soon! It’s the best of the best and contains everything one might hear on his very own Howls From The Hollow. Tune in and hear all that howling...

 THE THIRD MIND - THE THIRD MIND 2

THEY WATCH US FROM THE MOON - COSMIC CHRONICLES, ACT 1: THE ASCENSION

WOUNDED BUFFALO THEORY - PARACHUTE

GEIST - BLUEPRINTS TO MODERATE SEDATION

ALMOST HONEST - THE HEX OF PENNS WOODS

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD - PETRODRAGONIC APOCALYPSE

PYLAR - LIMYTE

HIPPIE DEATH CULT - HELICHRYSUM

LONDON ODENSE ENSEMBLE - JAIYEDE SESSIONS VOLUME 2

CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC - TALES OF DEMONIC POSSESSION

CROWN LANDS - FEARLESS

IGNU - UNITY III

SUNROT - THE UNFAILING ROPE

GOAT - THE GALLOWS POLE ORIGINAL SCORE

GRAND CADAVER - DEITIES OF DEATHLIKE SLEEP

WHITE CANYON & THE FIFTH DIMENSION - GARDENERS OF THE EARTH

DOMKRAFT - SONIC MOONS

DOPELORD - SONGS FOR SATAN

LUCID SINS - DANCING IN THE DARK

APPALOOZA - THE SHINING SON

KANAAN - DIVERSIONS VOL. 2: ENTER THE ASTRAL PLANE

LOS TABANOS EXPERIENCE - SONS OF ETHER

MOS EISLEY SPACEPORT - FURTHER

AAWKS - LUNA

GURU GURU - THE INCREDIBLE UNIVERSE OF GURU GURU

LAURA LA SANGRIENTA - PROFETA

ENGRAVER - RITUALS

MARS RED SKY - DAWN OF THE DUSK

ORESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE - CARNIVAL IN PORTUGAL

KOSMODROM - WELCOME TO REALITY 

And check out the four reviews/blurbs he wrote last year here: 

The Sound Of Origin - Man In The Arena 

 

Tumanduumband - Throne of Grief

 

Geist - Blueprints To Moderate Sedation

 

Seer Of The Void – Mantra Monolith

 

The Third Mind – The Third Mind 2

 

 

The Third Mind – The Third Mind 2
Yep Roc / V2 – 2023
Rock, Sixties, Seventies, Psych, Folk
Rated: ****

The first time I heard the new album called The Third Mind 2, I immediately wondered if I had The Third Mind’s first album from 2020 and if I was equally enamored with that one. Which of course immediately shows, I probably didn’t. Which is weird on many fronts. And it’s tempting to therefor state the band grew closer together in the past two years and that the music matured and all that stuff. But we can probably just as easily claim that I wasn’t in the same frame of mind when that first album was released. And we should revisit. Listen to it more closely. Get some notes on paper before attempting to write something about their new album. But then Reek of STOOM stated it was the best album he heard this year. Now, if you know Reek, he claims this more than once per month. But it still means it must be good. So, instead of going back, we moved forward and kept spinning their second album. A super melodious, harmonious and musical album performed by amazing musician that all have been involved with many other great projects and bands. Shall we call The Third Mind a supergroup? This time around Jesse Sykes (acoustic guitar, vocals); Dave Alvin (electric guitar); Victor Krummenacher (bass guitar) (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven); David Immerglück (guitar/harmonium/mellotron) (Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven); and Michael Jerome (drums/percussion) (Toadies, Better Than Ezra) are taking a deep cut, trip back into the psychedelic folk/rock sound of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It gives you six tracks all at least five, eight or ten minutes long, all exhuming alternative rock through every pore and laidback soul of the hippy kind. It’s the marvelous guitar work and strumming that take center stage, although the vocals by Miss Sykes also deserve the spotlight. Which is even more apparent on the only original work on the album called Tall Grass. Shall we call it a cover album? Let’s not, for in the way they delved these obscure tracks out of the great American musical history and re-invented them, makes them entirely The Third Mind. Or as our very own Reek ended his blurb on the Doom Charts Peroration of October 2023: “Atmospheric and dreamy, glossed with a rich coating of captivating vocals and delightful musicianship across the board – MUST HAVE!!” He’s right!

(Written by JK)

 

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The Sound Of Origin - Man In The Arena

 

 

The Sound Of Origin - Man In The Arena
Self-released - 2023
Stoner, Doom
Rated: ***

Yorkshire Stoner pokes its evil head over the parapets again, this time in the ungodly guise of The Sound Of Origin: Re-vamped and re-recruited, the Shudders of Hudders bring a new, invigorated interpretation of crushing Stoner Doom on their new release "Man In The Arena". From the opening riffs of "It Ain't Free" you can hear the palpable Intent of the band - to overpower and nullify you with the meaty and weighty delivery of prime Stoner Metal! "Frail Ol' Bones" is the first of two songs featuring Kyle Thomas (Alabama Thunderpussy) and is a sleazy, Southern Groover with great hooks and crunch! The second comes in the form of title track "Man In The Arena" - a slow-burning fizzler aiming straight for the TNT boom at the source! Overall, The Sound Of Origin have delivered a sophomore platter that has rejuvinated both the band and their sound - MUST HAVE!!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Stoner HiVe’s Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…

 

 

Stoner HiVe’s
Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…

Jacket Thief
Bismut
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets
Acid Throne
Dirty Sound Magnet
Dead Feathers
Saturna
Phe
The Rolling Stones
Rival Sons

Another week in the books. One filled with hectic scrambling to get certain articles done in time. And one filled with a sadness in our bones that we couldn’t attend DesertFest Antwerp this year. But luckily we had so much great music to listen to again! To get us through it all… And hey, Helldorado festival is just around the corner! Plus, whenever Kyle, Reek and even Doktor420 deliver something for the HiVe we always love that week! Did you listen to Bigstrut yet? Or Phe? Or Tumanduumband’s Throne of Grief release? And Doktor420 wrote about his experiences listening to Visite du Temple Inné by Crabe. And since Doktor420 writes something once every two years, this must be something you need to listen to as well! Enjoy the new week! And all that new and heavy music!

Tumanduumband - Throne of Grief

 

 

Tumanduumband - Throne of Grief
Cursed Monk Records – 2023
Doom, Illbient
Rated: Reek does not rate!

Black Country-based duo TUMANDUUMBAND offer up their latest monolith to Misery, "Throne of Grief". Absolute Crushing Doom that smears the vast landscapes of SunnO))) and Dos Brujos with their own festering blend of decay and morbidity. They're benefitting from their signing to Cursed Monk Records. And the production shows: this is a sonically expanding album - the best mixes I've ever heard from them! It's unlocked The Sound they've always wanted to make - expansive, atmospheric and devastatingly low! They are rapidly rising stars in the Underground Scene and I strongly suggest you catch them live! Hail The Rifftual!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Geist - Blueprints To Moderate Sedation

 

 

Geist - Blueprints To Moderate Sedation
Self-released 2023
Sludge Metal
Rated: ******

Imagine you're a Young Medieval Knight: Brash, cocky. fearless. You've trained hard and this is YOUR day! The Princess dropped her lace and you took up the gauntlet, visions of a castle and lands swimming in your head... Your heart sinks when the King beckons forth his Champion - The Black Knight: Immovable, Irrepressible, Infallible. 78 recorded deaths in the arena. But, it's YOUR day...defeat him and you will be Legend! Taking up your lance, you aim with precision and career down the jousting course, confident that You will out! Ever nearer he thunders towards you, hell-bent on your demise. You see the weak point under his armor and steady yourself for the killing blow... but, He swerves... the lance misses and you have a split-second of total horror as you see the mace unfurl from its chain... next thing you know, you're gurgling your last rasping breaths with a crater where your face once was. The Princess and most of the crowd look away, sickened and as the light dims on your world, You realize your folly. GEIST is The Black Knight. "Blueprints To Moderate Sedation" is the mace...

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Bandcamp Codes - Nepaal – Protoaeolianism

 

Bandcamp Codes 

Nepaal – Protoaeolianism

Psychedelic Source Records is the perfect source for finding all that heavy psychedelic stuff, the weird freak out and the kraut that goes the way of garage. We love the label and the collective that has been rocking out under the name Nepaal ! Or as our very own Reek of STOOM stated:

“Immense, radiating Psychedelia brimming with Hawks/Kanaan/OSC influences through three extebded lysergic explosions!”

And today we are honored to hand out a handful of codes for their Protoaeolianism album! Turning all that psych and kraut into one wild space rock adventure! Once played, you will be traveling every way through time and space and you will find yourself returning over and over again to the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning and the other way around…

Codes:

jc4k-c626
6ssu-xgxk
z4hd-j3j8
zecc-6s92
y6hc-y4gh
3zc4-bmrv
wtj4-wzw9
pkgh-cglt
83kh-wbvb
tdzp-cwzw
hksy-b94s
h3q3-x9jd
hd8l-jt9c

REDEEM HERE

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Worldwide Premiere - Phe - Saviour

 

Phe - Saviour

The three called Phe from Helmond in the Netherlands will be releasing their new almost forty minute long Five-track EP somewhere in October. Perhaps they should just call it an album, cause the duration warrants it. They released their self-titled debut EP back in 2017 and followed that with Glooming Dawn in 2021. We had Kyle SB / Shastabeast review it back then. This time we asked both Kyle SB / Shastabeast and Reek of STOOM to give some ear and time to their new single Saviour. So… Before you click play on the premiere of the new Phe single Saviour. Or after you clicked play… Read those words and see if you agree with what the two had to say about Saviour!

Reek of STOOM: “With a new album on the horizon, Netherlands Stoner Doom outfit Phe offer up a first single "Saviour": A gnarly, gritty piece of crunching riffs, piercing solos and epic proportions! A great introduction to a long-awaited return!”

Kyle SB / Shastabeast: “Dutch rockers Phe return with a slab of huge, fuzzy riffage in their new single "Saviour", off their upcoming EP to be released this October. As emotive and heavy as ever, the lads from Helmond have cranked up the scale of their sound to epic proportions. Saviour is all big riffs, soaring leads, and Ruud's always distinctive and powerful vocals. There's a bluesy touch to the solo starting at the halfway point as well, before the song flies off into parts unknown with winding licks and spacey keys. If "Saviour" is any indication of things to come, October will belong to Phe.”

Here's the new Phe single SAVIOUR!

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Seer Of The Void – Mantra Monolith

 

 

Seer Of The Void – Mantra Monolith
Venerate Industries – 27th January 2023
Doom, Stoner
Rated:

Spawned after the demise of fellow Greek Glam-Stoners DR. AWKWARD AND THE SCREWS, Bassist and Frontman Grigoris Konstantaras leads a new, epic Doom collective into the world! Their previous album, "Revenant" bristled with a gloomy, almost funeral feel to it and now "Mantra Monolith" goes even deeper into Heavy Doom territory. Opener "Astride" is full-on Iommi worship - crushing riffs and that rumbling bass so very reminiscent. Vocally, Grigoris has slowed the pace from his earlier projects, this time opting for menacing growls and emphasis on the subject matter of each track. "Electric Father" blasts in like a slow-pounding Howitzer barrage with a delicious, evil riff rotting all over it. "Death Is My Name" is a mid-paced slugger whilst "Seventh Son" starts with fury and thrash - pummeling drums propelling an Old School riff progression with tight percussion. Eponymous track "Seer Of The Void" maintains the relentless, high-octane attack - once again, musically very tight and assured. "Demon's Hand" rumbles in on throbbing basslines and vicious riffs before dropping into the dark abyss of crepuscular Doom before finishing with an explosive climax of percussion and riff! "Hex" keeps the upbeat Sabbath motif alive and twitching through a multitude of stop-start crunching passages. Final track "Necromancer" rounds off the platter in fine style: again utilizing the powerful riffs and menacing growls to superb effect. "Mantra Monolith" is a very successful sophomore effort and  as their sound develops, SEER OF THE VOID will become a go-to band!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Fomies - Sudden Lag

 

 

Fomies - Sudden Lag
Self released: Oct 21st 2022
Psychedelic, Stoner Rock
Rated: *****

This excellent Psychedelic Rock troupe from Vevey, Switzerland are obviously farming the same fertile grounds as KING GIZZARD and THEE OH SEES and unearth a hefty treasure trove of mind-bending melodies on their latest release "Sudden Lag". Bursting in on a slim guitar melody, "Noiseless Noise '' is anything but: - he track morphs suddenly into a funk-laden groove of rhythm and organ, crunchy guitars piercing through intermittently and building the tension and suspense with fuzz and tremolo. Title Track "Sudden Lag" is a loose, elastic band of Tripped-out vocals and searing lead breaks very reminiscent of KG&TLW's fuel-injected Garage Psych - a real Tour-de-Force! "Lifted" starts languidly on tremolo guitar and soft drums, echoing vocals adding atmosphere before the jangling riff kicks in, odd time-signatures and restrained attacks are the essence of it, vehicled by a rumbling bassline into another impressive workout. A gentle synth melody induces "Foggy Disposition" to live, joined by a strident drum cadence, then the sound slowly builds until the Space Guitar kicks in, transforming into a swirling, snarling beast of pure fuzz and brute force! "Ego Trip" starts with a simple two-chord intro before the vocals and guitar drop in, creating an early 70's fuzz-propelled excursion.More jangly guitars a la Oh Sees open "A9" with more funky bass underpinning the groove, breaking out into a Space Rock throbber complete with all manner of echoes and general weirdness, drawing from aforementioned influences but adding Krautrock shifting landscapes of synth to flavour the brisk motorik beat. "The Elevator" kicks in with an immediate drop-kick a fuzz guitar and frantic beat - pure Garage Rock! Effects-drenched guitars give that suitable amount of crunch whilst remaining tight to the groove. The closer, "The Journey of Ganzor" opens in a manner that recollects the earlier sound of NEKTAR or AMBROSIA...wistful and nostalgic, it's lazy hazy hologram of hypnotic meditation which quickens in pace propelled once more by those omnipresent jangly guitars and motorik drumming before smashing the crescendo in a raucous melee of fuzz and noise! FOMIES draw on an incredible range of influences and it is testament to their Musicianship that they can produce Psychedelic Music that is both mind-expanding and Mind-Bending - Five fat stars!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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The Heavy Crawls – Searching For The Sun

 

 

The Heavy Crawls – Searching For The Sun
Clostridium Records / Electric Experience Records - 2022
Psychedelic Rock
Rated: ****

Ukrainian psychonauts The Heavy Crawls bring their new album to the masses: "Searching For The Sun" (their fourth album) brings the swagger of hard 60s/70s Rock and marries it to a modern, upbeat sound that is both engaging and unique. Nine tracks that run the gauntlet of Psych, from the brash heaviness of "Evil Side Of (Rock n Roll)", through the mellow, organ-led vibe of the title track and the Hendrix-inspired "Out Of My Head" showcase a group of musicians who really understand their craft. My personal favourite, "Stoner Song" is a fuzz-laden, lumbering beast that slowly racks up the tension and power before launching into a blistering guitar workout. All in all, a must for fans of bands like Cream, Blue Cheer and Hendrix!

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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Ultracombo – Season II

 

 

Ultracombo – Season II
Self-released – 2022
Rock, Alternative, Stoner, Desert
Rated: ****

The first Ultracombo release entitled Season 1 was released some two years ago and Reek of STOOM desperately wanted to write a few words about it back then. He begged and begged and then went on to write a riveting review about it: “Five tracks of fervent Stoner that bring the heat, the sweat and the flies of Sonora to your ears and minds.” Was one of the sentences the good man wrote back then. And it still seems to apply. Cause, the Italian five piece is back with Season II and it trucks further towards the end of the road. And that’s a good place to be, cause it just means that the road ends, and the desert begins! High on fuzz, high on energy and high on something extremely and maddening catchy. First single Follia was of course already out since March but hearing it full force with that crazy synth work after rough and raw opening stomper 12345 makes it even more danceable and exhilarating. And that extra edge of craziness continues on Umanotest, giving it an additional push with some krautrock reminiscent hypnotism. Specchio turns a slightly more normal page, opting for bigger gestures and instead of the pounce of the earlier three a more breezy approach to stoner, desert and alternative rock. A moment of respite perhaps before we go absolutely berserk, bonkers and barmy with closing freak out rocker La Fine! Ending Season II properly and with an absolute cliffhanger, cause we can’t wait to hear more from Ultracombo!

(Written by JK)

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