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Musipedia Of Metal
Reviews: Tokyo Blade, Crimson Storm, Lethal X (Simon Black, Liam Williams & Matt Bladen)
Tokyo Blade - Time Is The Fire (Dissonance Productions/Cherry Red Records) [Simon Black]
Tokyo Blade are one of those seminal NWOBHM bands that everyone mentions as influential, but who never had made a successful impact in their original run. A quick look at the revolving door of musicians in their line up explains why, as this started from day one and never really stopped.That said, the Tokyo Blade of today is (more or less) using the reconstituted key members of the original 1982-86 run, although to be honest all five of them were only actually in the band at the same time for the last three of those years. However, this is the team that brought us Night Of The Blade in 1984 and Black Hearts & Jaded Spades in 1985, which are the two albums to reach for if you want to hear Tokyo Blade in their original context.
And to be fair, this reformed line up has been stable since they moved to their current label Dissonance in 2020, making the period since the most stable in their long and turbulent history. I’ve not heard the two predecessors, but this, album number three of this reformed run, is ticking a lot of boxes for me. For new ears, this is a really good place to start, as the album distils many of the best elements that have made up this brand over the decades, but for once they’re all on the same record at the same time.
It’s quite a meaty beast too, with nearly an hour and a quarter of run time, which it sustains remarkably well. When you’ve been around the block this many times, you expect artists to be able to crank the handle for new product more easily, and it’s a continual disappointment to listeners when they just seem to go through the motions and rely on their back catalogue to sustain them.
This is categorically not happening here…
This is a solid and well-crafted set of songs, with solid rhythmic structure, but weaved with melody and fluidity. Three-minute belters are avoided in favour of songs that build and lead you somewhere over the time it takes to do this job properly, building mood, creating atmosphere and taking the listener to a peak, which is sadly all too rare.These songs stand so well individually, and despite the sheer number and size of them do not tire the listener, because they also flow together well by avoiding sameness, padding or any repetition. It’s an album of fourteen songs clearly by the same band, but each distinct from its fellows. With some great performances all round, this unexpectedly made my week, and I now need to fill my weekend catching up on the recent years. 9/10
Crimson Storm – Livin’ On The Bad Side (Fighter Records) [Liam Williams]
Speed metal band Crimson Storm have unleashed their debut album, Livin’ On The Bad Side, upon the world, and it might just be one of the best speed metal albums I’ve listened to in recent times! Now, as a bit of a disclaimer, I don’t really listen to a lot of speed metal, it’s one sub genre that I can listen to passively, but rarely go out of my way to listen to in my own time. But this album is excellent and I definitely think I’ll be revisiting it in future!
We start with an intro track, Night Of The Tyrant. A short instrumental with some lovely duel guitars which leads into the next track Raging Eyes Of Darkness. This track starts with a really cool guitar intro and really sets the tone for the rest of the album. The chorus is pretty groovy, and so is the bridge section. There’s a nice scream that leads into the first guitar solo of the album. This is followed up with a final verse and chorus before the track ends.Track 3 is Outrageous, a very fitting title. It starts with an air raid siren before the band kicks in. This song has an early days Iron Maiden vibe to it, bit of an old school punk/thrash sound with the main guitar riff, and some of the vocals remind me of Dio’s in Stargazer. Throwing all that together, it’s a pretty epic track, one of my favourites on the album.
Abuse Of Power is up next, this one is another thrashy banger, featuring a cool groovy bridge section before the guitar solo. Then we have another favourite of mine, Nightmare Deceiver. This track is very Motley Crüe sounding. It’s got a great lead guitar riff with some nice use of harmonics, cool chorus and a nice lead-up to the guitar solo. Then it’s back to the thrashing for track 6, Speed Hammerin’ Metal. This is another good track with some great instrumental breaks before and after the guitar solo.
Harakiri Rendez-Vous starts with some clean guitars accompanied by a bit of bass before the full band come in and pick things up again. This track has some great lead guitar playing, the solo sounds very Slash influenced. Track 8 is Headfukker and this track is another one of my favourites. There’s a nice thrashy intro with some great drumming and the whole track in general has quite a big Judas Priest vibe to it for me. It also has my favourite guitar solo on the whole album. The album ends on a high note with another thrasher, Seven Days Of Mayhem. There’s a really cool chuggy instrumental part with some nice drumming just after the guitar solo which leads into the final verse and chorus.
Now, considering I’m not a big listener of speed metal, I really enjoyed this album a heck of a lot more than I thought I would. My main issue with speed metal in general is the same issue I have with a lot of power metal and most glam metal, which is the vocals are usually very cheesy and a bit too over the top for me personally. But I did not have that issue when listening to this album. The vocals were done really well. A lot of the time the vocalist sounds like Bruce Dickinson, but with more grit and power to his voice. This, along with the instruments, which all sounded fantastic and really well mixed, made this whole album a real pleasure to listen to. 10/10
Lethal X - 90 Tons Of Thunder (Metallic Blue Records) [Matt Bladen]
Now listen, in the history of Shrapnel Records, few bands are as important as Racer X, their debut Street Lethal was a 80's speed metal masterpiece, virtuoso players all pushing the limits of their instrument on the shred genre. For many Racer X never got better than Street Lethal, though I have soft spot for their latter material, they set a legacy as one of the foundations of that entire Shrapnel sound.
Perhaps though the band members were better known for what else they did. Guitarist Paul Gilbert was a member of Mr Big and successful solo artists, bassist Juan Aldertrete, the only constant member of the band went on to join The Mars Volta and drummer Scott Travis, who joined on follow album Second Heat took the Judas Priest drum stool for Painkiller until the present day.
Vocalist Jeff Martin has been around the rock world for a long time now as both a vocalist and a drummer for numerous artists, his uber-dramatic vocal style has seen him be both an in demand lead and backing vocalist, as well as a drummer too. However for me he was never better than behind the mic for Racer X, so imagine my excitement when I say the blue tinted album cover with a race car on it and the band name Lethal X.
This had to be deliberate right? They have to trying to emulate Racer X? Yes, yes they are, taking their name from Street Lethal, Lethal X pay homage to Racer X as Jeff Martin puts a band together along with original Racer X drummer Harry Gschoesser to rediscover that Shrapnel sound of their debut. Joining them are bassist Mike Szuter and guitarist Milan Polak, the latter having shredded with Shred God himself Marty Friedman, Kip Winger and Billy Sheehan.
Speaking of Sheehan, the bass wizard himself add some flair to instrumental Chasing The Flow, while on Daredevil and Fallen, Paul Gilbert returns to widdle up a storm. There's rarely a misstep if you loved the debut, speedy shredfests, Tormental is a grinding heavy rocker but also a lot of familiarity Dancing With Shadows, sounds a lot like Where Eagles Dare and some muscular balladry on God, Guts, Faith And Glory.
Lethal X continues where Street Lethal left off, Shrapnel Records Shred for 2025. 9/10
Reviews: Landfall, The Big Deal, Time Rift, Axetasy (Matt Bladen)
Landfall - Wide Open Sky (Frontiers Music Srl)
Frontiers Music have been mining a lot of musical gold from South America over the last few years, picking up prog metal, symphonic metal and plenty of melodic rock mainly from Brazil. One such act is Landfall, fronted by Gui Oliver but formed by drummer Felipe Souzza and guitarist Marcelo Gelbcke, rounded out by bassist Luis Rocha.
Landfall's take on melodic rock is harder edged than some other bands in the style, think Dokken or Extreme (Hourglass) and you'll be on the right track, SOS for instance is driven by some slick riffy guitar playing while When The Curtain Falls showcases the rough Steve Perry-meets-Bobby Kimball-like vocal of Gui, Running In Circles too is Journey rocking, No Tomorrow as well.
Let's just be honest Landfall are heavily indebted to Journey, from their rockers to the big ballads such as A Letter To You these Brazilian's pay homage to the American AOR heroes with this new record. There third album Wide Open Sky continues to showcase Landfall's gifts as a band. 7/10
The Big Deal - Electrified (Frontiers Music Srl)
The Big Deal return with some special guests, Anders Wikstrom (Treat) and Jona Tee (H.E.A.T.) join for some songwriting alongside songwriter/guitarist/producer Srdjan Brankovic, a man who is no stranger to the Frontiers machine.
Electrified is The Big Deal's second album showcasing the songwriting of Srdjan, but mainly it the vocals of Ana Nikolic and Nevena Brankovic which most will be drawn to the band for, Nevena also plays all the keys on the record so having those dual vocal harmonies with some big synthy melodic rock gives them a gimmick that will help them stand out on the label.
A track such as Like A Fire becomes a perfect showcase for The Big Deal, keyboard and guitar duels and the twin vocals working well on the big chorus hook. The Big Deal do other styles too with The Fairy Of White they tread on the toes of classic symphonic metal as Better Than Hell brings that 80's sheen. The Big Deal made a splash with their last album but Electrified is more expressive and better. 7/10
Time Rift - In Flight (Dying Victims Productions)
Time Rift are vintage rock n roll, fuzzy proto metal, put with 70's dinosaur rock and NWOBHM swagger, the band formed by guitarist Justin Kaye in 2017 has had various members but now consists of drummer Terrica Catwood and Domino Monet taking over the vocals from Levi Campbell who sung and played bass on their 2020 debut.
Bass on this record comes from producer/engineer Brian Vierra, but the addition of Domino is the revelation here. Her vocals are gritty but soulful, romantic but ravaged, evoking contemporaries such as Lucifer or Blues Pills and classic bands such as Thin Lizzy (Thunder Calling) and Heart (Coyote Queen).
There's a bit of Nugent on I Am (The Spear), choppy hard rocking on The Hunter, the proggy Into The Stillness has lyrics based upon the work of naturalist/poet/essayist Henry David Thoreau. In Flight is just over 30 minutes but it gallops through plenty of classic heavy metal muscle. If you want a vision of the past then jump on through this Time Rift. 8/10
Axetasy - Withering Tides (Dying Victims Productions)
Stuttgart speed metal band Axetasy formed in 2020, and they now bring us their debut album Withering Tides, unashamedly inspired by the 80's sound Axetasy that edges towards the dark side as the shredding speed metal of the German scene (early Helloween/early Blind Guardian) blends with American thrash (Kreator) and black metal (Celtic Frost).
It's raw and nasty in the vocals especially but musically they have solos galore and classic metal gallops on tracks such as Voidcrawler. With countless black thrash bands around, Axetasy do something a bit different vocally it's all growls and screams on Deadly Witch, all very Mercyful Fate but the playing is quite bright and bouncy, with the anthemic sound of trad metal/thrash.
Withering Tides flies by in a flash of wild guitar shredding, savage vocals, blasting drums, a time warp to to the primal force beginnings of the genre. 7/10
Reviews: Grave Digger, Dunes, Slinky Vagabond, Lifer (Liam Williams, Rich Piva, Dan Sierras & Matt Bladen)
Grave Digger – Bone Collector (ROAR/RPM) [Liam Williams]Power metal band Grave Digger have released a large catalogue of albums over the last 40 years, and now they’re adding to that catalogue with their latest release Bone Collector. Featuring some heavy hitting riffs, great drums, groovy basslines and gritty vocals. This band stands out from most other power metal bands by being darker and heavier, and this new release only cements that claim.
We start things off with the title track, Bone Collector, which comes in with a very eerie sounding intro before the whole band comes in and really kicks things off. Solid track, I really like the pre-chorus sections. This is followed up with The Rich The Poor The Dying. It has really cool lead guitar intro. Again I love the pre-chorus sections and the chord progression in the actual choruses are pretty great too. There’s a nice bit of wah action in the guitar solo and the song ends with the main riff coming back in for the outro.Kingdom Of Skulls is up next and this track starts off with a great bass and drums intro. The guitar riffs are really good and the verses are quite bouncy and energetic. There’s another great guitar solo and a faster drumming section with another little guitar solo for the outro. Track 4 is The Devils Serenade and this one is particularly groovy and chuggy. It features a fairly short but quite technical guitar solo. The guitars drop out for the lead-up to the final chorus before we get to the outro, where the lead guitar starts going a little bit crazy in the background.Then we get to Killing Is My Pleasure. This track has a wicked main guitar riff, really good drumming, and again I really like the chord progression used in the chorus. Mirror Of Hate changes things up slightly, with some clean guitar in the verses and the outro and a really cool instrumental section before the guitar solo. My favourite track on the album is Riders Of Doom. This track has a very mean meaty riff, it’s much darker and heavier sounding than the rest of the album in my opinion, not that it’s all been sunshine and rainbows so far.Made Of Madness is next. This track has some clean guitars in the intro. There’s some lovely sounding bass and things get crazy when the full band comes in. I really like the instrumental section after the second chorus. Coming to the last few tracks of the album, we get to track 9, Graveyard Kings. This track goes back to a similar style as the other tracks on the first half of the album.Still quite beefy and heavy sounding, nice bit of guitar chugging along, but I do think the drums really do the heavy lifting with this track, I’m not saying that as a bad thing, I just couldn’t take my attention away from the drums while listening to this one. There’s a nice bit of duel guitars before the final chorus too which is always a win for me.Forever Evil & Buried Alive is another thrasher, not much else needs to be said about it, it’s another banger! The album ends with Whispers Of The Damned. This one starts with some clean guitars in the intro, then there’s a short instrumental section with the full band before stripping things back and bringing in the clean guitars for the first verse. The second verse is a bit heavier with the addition of overdriven guitars taking over from the clean guitars of the previous verse.During the first half of the guitar solo, we just get the lead guitar accompanied by bass and drums before the other guitars come in for the second half which helps this solo to stand out from the rest. The clean guitar comes back in for the bridge section before the final chorus. Then the lead guitar comes back in before the chuggy outro and the end of the album.
Grave Digger have done a fantastic job with this album, as I have previously said, I don’t listen to much power metal, but these guys stand out by sounding a lot darker and heavier than other power metal bands. They’ve got more of an attitude and a bit of edge to them which I quite enjoyed. They show no signs of slowing down or getting softer and that’s probably for the best, they do what they do well, and I hope they keep doing so for many more years to come.A solid album in every sense and I can’t find any fault in it. It’s bloody brilliant! 10/10
Dunes - Land Of The Blind (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]
UK band Dunes is drenched in 90s alt rock and grunge in all the best ways on their latest record, Land Of The Blind, their first release with Ripple Music. Land Of The Blind gives us some serious chunky riffs, fuzzy atmosphere, cool vocals, and a moody and dark feel to go along with all of the heavy goodness the band brings across the nine tracks.
I love the opener, Cactus, which leverages all you loved from the Pacific Northwest from back in the day but adds a bit of a polish to it, creating more of a second wave grunge feel, but the good stuff from the second wave. The riff and guitar work remind me of Valley Of The Sun, which, of course, is a good thing.Tides is heavy and dripping with fuzz and has an anthem-like feel to it. Stoner vibes peek through with the grunge on One Eyed Dog, where the background vocals grab you and bring you closer to this little ripper. There is something so familiar (in a very good way) about the track Norther Scar, but it is their own enough that I can’t quite put my finger on what it reminds me of.Riding My Low may be my favourite track on the record, another one that reminds me of VOTS and shows that Dunes knows how pick up the pace and rip it out when they want to. The guitar tone is very cool on Land Of The Blind, with How Real Is Real being a perfect example, to go along with some more great vocals.Voodoo may be my other favourite track, with that killer riff and psych-tinged guitar work. The 90s are certainly alive (again, in the best way) with the would have been a radio hit in 1997, Fields Of Grey. My only question is the closer, Riding The Slow, that is an instrumental guitar driven track that seems like an anticlimactic way to end the record.
Another cool record from Ripple Music. Dunes fits perfectly for those who dig bands who understand what was happening in the 90s grunge era and what people want to hear from groups playing that style today. If part of you us stuck in the 90s, like me, then you will dig Land Of The Blind. 8/10
Slinky Vagabond - The Eternal Return (Independent) [Dan Sierras]
On their third release, Keanan Duffty and Fabio Fabbri of Slinky Vagabond return with an eclectic mix of art rock, tinged with doses of piano and synth throughout. Joining them on this journey of rock and Brit pop are Mike Garson, Ava Cherry, Percy Jones and other guests on various tracks.
You can hear influences of David Bowie and The Beatles interwoven from track to track. Although on tracks like Ad Astra & Anthem, Mike Garson’s tickling of the ivories standout to me, especially towards the end as the notes cascade of the edge of the songs.
On an album mostly comprised of Brit pop, two songs that were memorable to me were deeper into the album. I enjoyed the opening guitar riff and drum beat on I Can Fly. The song does make you feel like you’re flying during the chorus with Fabbri’s majestic guitar work.The banger Perfect World was probably my favourite off the album. More of a heavier track than the rest of the album. The appropriately named End Of The Show closes this album out, drifting out with a very familiar lyric similar to a famous Beatles track (you’ll have to listen to find out).
Upon first listen, this album didn’t grab me, but after multiple listens, it grew on me and wasn’t too bad. Give it a listen (or two) and see if it does the same for you. 7/10
Lifer - Lifer (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
Stalwarts of the South Wales heavy scene Lifer return to bring some fat NOLA-esque riffs on their first album in 10 years. Balancing sludge and stoner with thrash and hardcore, these foul mouthed heavy riffers make a welcome return in 2025 with a self titled album, that is normally a sign of a refocus on a new style or return to something they were.
The gruff drawl of Schriv is up front they have chosen the latter, Different Kind Of Pain will immediately bring to mind Down and if you have never heard Lifer before I suggest listening to Men And Pigs, which is deafening blues based heaviness, the slide guitar in the middle promoting Lifer's Southern rock trappings.
With some new blood in the band, this self-titled record feels a bit more biting and vital than it should be for band with this much experience coming off a lengthy hiatus. With Lifer, there’s influence born from various sides, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished is hardcore punk, the Southern NOLA heavy features on Imperious Delirious and Fire In The Hole.The band also bring some other sounds to this 10 track record. Hallowed By Thy Pain split between CoC and New Jersey psych of Monster Magnet, the Wyndorf influence also comes on strong for Stone Widow. Elsewhere there's Motorhead ferocity on Born To Lose (naturally), thrash on Rise Above and a general loudness and confrontational attitude. Included too are some "clean" versions for some reason but they don't detract from the songs.My advice is stick to the originals and dial it up for this South Wales riff crew. 8/10
Review: Godzillionire (Rich Piva)
Godzillionaire - Diminishing Returns (Ripple Music)
Godzillionaire has had an interesting journey. Lead singer Mark Hennessy was the main man in the criminally underrated 90s alt/grunge band Paw, a band that I still, till this day, absolutely love (I have Death To Traitors on vinyl, something that Mark told me he doesn’t even have).Mark’s ability to tell a story in his lyrics and his trademarked voice made Paw stand out to those who know what shit is good. They should have been huge, beyond the MTV Buzz Clip of their best-known song, Jessie. Mark’s life has gone in all sorts of directions since then, but eventually gravitated to Kansas-based musicians Mike Dye, Cody Romaine, and Ben White to form his next musical adventure, Godzillionaire.The band has been somewhat under the radar but still releasing killer records like Small Change and Negative Balance in a very DIY sort of way. The songs on those records are great, but now, in 2025, the planets have aligned for Godzillionaire. The band has signed to Ripple Music and created what very well may be my album of the year. I know it is January, but that is how much I love Diminishing Returns.
The playing, writing, and production on Diminishing Returns is perfect. The record goes in all sorts of directions but never is scattered or seems like it is veering off track. Mark’s vocals are some of his best ever, even if you can’t tell he was the dude in Paw. Ben White’s guitar work is excellent, bringing the necessary riffs while building the atmosphere and vibe around the eight tracks. Cody Romaine’s drums are expertly added in the mix and he partners seamlessly with Mike Dye’s killer bass work. Three of the four guys lend vocals to the record, another aspect of the songs I love. The eight songs that make up the 45 minutes of this record should be looked at as a crowning achievement in the music lives of the four members of the band.If there is a better track than 3rd Street Shuffle this year, I will be very surprised. Why? The riff, the melody, the vocals, and the lyrics are all perfect. Oh, and that bass line. Damn. The opener, Drowning All Night, is right there too. I am not going to throw labels on the band, but if you like melodic heavy rock I can’t see how this track would not be on any playlist that you build. For you stoner rock fans asking where all the riffs are, check on the heaviest song on the record, Boogie Johnson (title of the year too). This one rips and creates a frantic scene with vocals from Henessey that match the vibe. Boogie indeed.After you listen to this record a few times, sit and listen closely to the lyrics. Spin Up Spin Down is a 90s alt psych leaning slow burn that is as profound a song as I have heard in a long time and really grabs me every single time. It has a great solo from Ben White too. A quiet chug is what you get from Astrogarden, a grungy little number with cool harmonized vocals and something that brings a band like Soundgarden to mind, but in their quieter moments, but not too quiet, especially when the band brings down the hammer at the end. The rhythm section really stands out on this one. Hennessy’s ties to the 90s alt rock/grunge scene are inescapable, and the band leverages this and even leans right in.What 90s band didn’t try a synth driven track, with results all over the map? Godzillionaire offers Unsustainable, a moody and mellow song that bleeds 90s. You may not think this track fits on Diminishing Returns if you had heard it out of sequence, but it works perfectly as it relates to the rest of the record, with Hennessy singing more than I have ever hear him, partnering beautifully with guest vocalist Lizz Weiler.Common Board, Magic Nail is more moody alt rock, delivered by four musicians who understand what this truly means, and has a killer psych-tinged solo to go along with it. The song brings a sort of heavy shoegaze vibe to it that is even more impactful with the background vocal of Chelsey Larson and Lauren Mayhew added to the mix. The closer, Shadow Of A Mountain, is adjacent to the impact that Like Suicide has as the closer on Superunknown, which is really all I need to say here.
Some records just hit you. Whether it is because it reminds you of a time in your life, or because the lyrics hit home for you, or the music is just catchy, memorable and expertly played, or maybe because the band in question and has caught lightning in a bottle. Maybe in the case of Diminishing Returns, it is all of the above. Godzillionaire have created what I consider a perfect record that should be experienced by all. 10/10
A View From The Back Of The Room: The Jesus Lizard (Live Review By Joe Guatieri)
The Jesus Lizard & Lice, The Fleece, Bristol, 10/01/25
I never thought that I would be at The Fleece for this gig… People couldn’t have been more excited for it on this cold January night, taking it all in with a pint at the Seven Stars pub next door beforehand was a sight alone.Seeing so many friends in there laughing just made for an ideal start to the night and we couldn’t believe that the singer of the headline band David Yow was sitting right behind us, watching on. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to him there as I didn’t want to spoil the surprise that we soon got.
Then we went into The Fleece for the opening band Lice (10) and I was stunned from the start. They were both heavy and hilarious going from one genre to another seamlessly.Honestly there was something there that everyone could enjoy from insane Jazz drumming, David Bryne-esque screams and yelps, pounding bass, a noisy guitar and of course the all important throbbing synthesiser.They reminded me at points of some of my favourite bands including Talking Heads, Butthole Surfers, Nine Inch Nails, Devo and even fucking Ween! They acted as the perfect start before the chaos began.
Then at 20:30 on the dot, The Jesus Lizard (10) walked on stage as casually as you like and bashed out one hell of a set! Opening with the anxiety-inducing Seasick, everyone in that room started moving as one as a wave of heads banged uncontrollably to the off-kilter groove.My eyes might have deceived me but it looked like Mac McNeilly, their drummer was standing up, beating the drums as if they owed him money. This was only the calm till the storm as then for the next song Gladiator, David Yow at the ripe age of 64 jumped off the stage to surf the crowd in a moment of pure insanity.
As Yow washed up back onto the stage, The Jesus Lizard then exploded into Boilermaker, my favourite song of theirs. They unleashed an animalistic performance in every sense of the word.
Now this wasn’t just a reunion tour for nostalgia bait, it was done with purpose as late last year, the band released their new album Rack which was their first in 26 years after 1998’s Blue.Rack is great and these songs interspersed with older ones worked so well together, if anything they are more melodic which adds more depth and range to The Jesus Lizard sound that we all know and love.
Overall, all of the members of that band are well into their 60’s and they performed like it was their last night on earth but they’ve done this their entire career and that’s what makes them the legendary band that they are.The Jesus Lizard have been pushing the envelope and making music to be played from the bottom of a well from day one.
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Outlaws Of The Sun
New Single and Lyric Video from NC Sludge/Doom outfit DOOMSDAY PROFIT
Doomsday Profit (Durham, N.C.) is pleased to announce the release of “Doomsday Profit,” the first single pulled from a new full-length album of the same name, due out later this year.
Barely letting the dust settle on last year’s split with Virginia psych-doom titans Smoke (Olde Magick Records), Doomsday Profit is ready to showcase the next era in the band’s sound. Recorded in summer 2024, “Doomsday Profit” is a long-gestating thesis statement, with pointed lyrics giving life to the band’s moniker, and a monolithic, minimalist arrangement mining the purest ores of sludge and doomRegarding the song, the band offers the following statement:
“Doomsday Profit” was one of the first songs we wrote, and we always pictured it as a sort of thesis statement. Lyrically, at least, we were trying to marry the political vitriol of our favorite hardcore punk with the senses of dread and inevitability that course through the best doom metal. How else are you supposed to feel when you can watch, in-real time, as the string-pullers of global policy, the heads of major business and government, continue to casually ignore every warning of catastrophe, just so they can squeeze a little more blood and money out of the third stone from the sun? We’re all doomed, and they’re the reason.
Musically, it took us a while to find the right way to deliver “Doomsday Profit.” It just didn’t feel complete, so we shelved it. When David Ruiz joined the band, we revisited it, and ended up paring down the arrangement. In keeping it a little simpler, it felt like it hit harder, and the lyrics could stand out a bit more. Another lesson from punk rock, it seems.
This is the version of “Doomsday Profit” we’re glad to present to you today, Inauguration Day in the USA. And as we send this, things are still looking pretty bleak. But one thing this band has proven to us, over and over again, is we’re not alone in our fear, or our anger, or our resolve to live the best lives we can while we can. This one’s for all of us. Love,
Doomsday Profit
About Doomsday Profit
There’s no time to waste. At least that’s how Doomsday Profit seems to be operating. After making their debut with the gritty stoner-sludge of 2021’s In Idle Orbit, the Durham, N.C.-based band issued 2024’s psych-leaning split with Virginia-based Smoke, and has kept the momentum going ever since. With their forthcoming self-titled album, Doomsday profit now has embedded an even wider array of influences into their acerbic, dystopian sludge. Particles of monolithic doom, grisly death ‘n’ roll grooves, driving punk rock and scathing black metal all flash in the band’s raw self-titled LP.
As ever, Doomsday Profit has a finger pointed squarely at the powers that be, but they’ve also learned to turn their ire inward, and balance their vitriol with melancholic nuance. This broader approach has turned their already dynamic performances into a must-see, with a live resume that includes Hopscotch Music Festival and Seismic Summer, as well as supporting slots with established acts like Thou, The Obsessed, Black Tusk, REZN, and Restless Spirit.
On this recording, Doomsday Profit is: Bryan Reed (rhythm guitar/vocals), Kevin See (lead guitar/vocals), Ryan Sweeney (bass/vocals), and David Ruiz (drums).
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Doom Metal Legend DEE CALHOUN Announces New Book LUMAN And Releases New Trailer
Underground Doom Metal legend SCREAMING MAD DEE aka DEE CALHOUN of bands such as IRON MAN, SPIRAL GRAVE, THEE IRON HAND and now releasing amazing solo records under is own has announced details of his new book called LUMAN.More details belowLUMAN LowdownWho: Dee Calhoun
What: Publishing sixth book (and second novel), titled "Luman." This will be my first hardcover release
When: Friday, April 4, 2025
Where: Online retailers and at Dee's live showsBook Synopsis:
Cursed with a dark power that rises under the full moon, one man has discovered a dangerous way to keep it at bay is a method nearly as deadly as the curse itself. Resigned to a life of solitude, he is blindsided by love. But will this unexpected connection lighten his burden or lead him into even greater peril?
As the full moon tests the limits of his control and love challenges the depths of his heart, he must decide how far he'll go to protect the one who makes him feel human. A gripping tale of love, sacrifice, and the relentless fight against inner darkness, Luman will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Notes:
This is a story that I conceived in the early 1990s. I took a stab at writing it in 1996, but only finished one chapter and realized I was in way over my head. After I published my first full novel (One Whore's Town in 2021), I decided to revisit this story at some point. It was great fun seeing this story, and the scenarios within, come to life after all these years.Just for grins, here is the teaser video:Thanks to DEE CALHOUN for all of the details.
DOOM ON - An Interview With ROB HAMMER
Today I'm interviewing the head honcho ROB HAMMER behind the incredible Facebook Group Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Psychedelic and runs the excellent YouTube Page ROB HAMMER *stonerdoom*psych*sludge*grunge*metal* amongst other pages as well including one for his beloved and favourite band CONAN.Rob Hammer explains how he became involved with the underground scene, building up his Facebook and YouTube pages over the years and also his role within orchestrating the mighty downfall of SMOD.There's a lot of ground to cover and I'm grateful for Rob to completing this excellent and in-depth article. Read now.Hi Rob. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today? We’re here to talk about your amazing Facebook and YouTube channels. Can you give a brief history of how you became involved with the Facebook Page and when did you start the YouTube page.
Well it's more the other way around. In 2014 my youngest brother invited me to the biggest Facebook group there was at the time (and still is) DSSSM "Doom Stoner Southern Sludge Metal". I had never heard of doom metal even though I had been a music lover/collector for decades. Within months I was completely hooked! In the beginning I had no love for harsh vocals so bands like Windhand, Ufomammut & Arc Of Ascent were among the first ones to impress me and then there was Conan. I quickly found out that I had a thing for psychedelic effects and CRUSHING doom.
After relentlessly posting for quite some time I got asked to become a reviewer (for the Doom Charts) but since EngIish is not my first language (I live on the European mainland) I declined. Same thing when I got the offer to become a page admin for The Sonic Void. I knew I wanted to do more to help out "the scene" but I was still in doubt about how to do that.Then I contacted Tangy Zizzler, the guy behind 2 YouTube channels: Mr Stonebeliever & The Bong Druid Of Mammoth Weed Mountain, requesting to upload a couple of songs that were missing on YouTube. Nothing but respect for him but him failing to do so basically lead me to the decision to start a channel myself. The premier channels back then were all more into heavy psych & stoner or focused on traditional doom (The Holy Parish) so I saw some room on the heavier side of the spectrum. Blackened or funeral doom & doom/sludge, even though my personal taste at that time was very much pure (stoner)doom.In the early 90's I ate grunge for breakfast, lunch and dinner so a fantastic live track by Alice In Chains was my first upload in December 2016.. In the months after that, John Vasilakis (of The Sonic Void channel & page) explained to me how to do full album uploads and that really got things started....
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ROBHAMMERstonerdoompsychsludgegrungemetal
From the moment I had my channel I started posting my uploads in other groups as well. In that period I also got in touch with Sue Wright from Scotland (whom I asked to be my fellow admin once I had my own group) and Joe Eldridge. This American guy started a “secret” group on FB called Shadebeast and for quite a while we had an “incrowd” group filled with reviewers (such as yourself Steve 😉) , musicians, YouTubers (666MrDoom for example), bloggers, label owners, you name it.At some point Joe decided to make a number of members admin, so I got to see and experience what that meant which sparked the idea to get a group myself, and connect that to my channel in the hope that both would strengthen eachother.
One of the groups that I was active in was PUBLIC (it's private now but it had my my prefence back then), as where most others were private. It had exactly the genres that I wanted AND I saw that it was completely unmanaged at that point. I reached out to one of the admins and offered to start running it. So in May 2018 I was added as a moderator at first. I booted hundreds of inactive/bad accounts, deleted many posts that had no business there and I created a few announcements that contained some strict rules.The DSSSM group was filled with (weed)memes and I noticed that many of the more serious music lovers were fed up with all the bs that was posted in there, so that was the main reason to “take over” the Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Psychedelic group and change it into the more serious counterpart of DSSSM. I started adding the link to the group to my uploads and told the bands that I came in contact with about it as well. So we went from 12K members to the 37K that we got now and it's still growing hard.
Facebook (Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Psychedelic): https://www.facebook.com/groups/jpriest011
Has it surprised you how popular your channels have become over time and how important people consider your efforts to the overall underground scene. Truth be told, I only follow a few YouTube pages now and again but yours and 666MRDOOM I follow religiously every day or so. Helps me out on great records I maybe missing. So thank you for that. Do you follow any other YouTuber channels within the scene or do you focus upon your own stuff?
I think I can answer both questions in another lengthy answer 😉.
In the beginning there were a number of channels that had my attention and I'm subscribed to ALL of them because I wanted to know as many bands as possible. In order to get/buy/download music I got me a Bandcamp account where I started following a number of people that had (way) more experience and that I had gotten to know in the DSSSM group, as well as all bands & labels that I came across in groups, were uploaded by others and so on.I'm close to 13K and new bands get added almost daily. Especially on Bandcamp Fridays it'll get crazy and I've had days with over 800 mails! In general I get dozens of Bandcamp mails even on the slowest of days. I also get many requests by mail and via pm's on Facebook & Instagram. (my “handle” for those 2 social media pages as well as for YouTube = @ Rob.DOOM.Hammer ).I think I put in 10-20 hours per week on my hobby but when I look at all the love I'm getting I can only say that it's totally worth it!!! You mentioned my “efforts to the overall underground scene”, but I'm just one of many! Earlier I named some of the people who were in that secret Shadebeast group and it's a combined effort of us all to help out the bands who spend a lot of money on gear, practice space and recording studios! That's the main reason why I refuse to make money in any way with my hobby. Every now and then I'll accept a CD or t-shirt but in general I'm just glad to get a download code for Bandcamp (where I spend at least 150 euros every month). I do what I do to support the underground scene, NOT to make a profit!
Do you have a set of rules that you abide by when uploading bands to your channel. (I know the SMOD rule which we’ll discuss later)? And what's your take on AI?
Well my rule in general is that I have to like the music! But of course there's stuff on my channel that's not really my thing but sometimes you also have to make choices in order to grow the channel which –in the end- will benefit the bands and labels on it. I try to spread my uploads as much as possible over the course of the day and when a do single track I usually follow with an EP or album.Pretty recent there's a big discussion about AI music. There's a bit of a grey area as I know of one band that writes the melody lines themselves but use AI to complete the songs. I did upload it but I don't think I'll do it again. But fully generated AI music? NO! I wanna help artists and bands! Not a guy that happens to be good with a computer program...I do however feel that the use of AI art is completely up to the one who's publishing the music.
Right. Time to the main business of the whole SMOD controversy. We were big advocates of banning that person (not even going to say the dude’s name) from the scene back in the day. How did you become aware of SMOD’s dirty underhanded practices? For myself, it was SMOD publicly threatening a female friend of mine using derogatory, sexist and racist terms. Also using my work without credit. I decided enough was enough.
For those who don't know what “SMOD” is; there's an American guy who runs a YouTube channel called Stoned Meadow Of Doom = SMOD.
I'm not sure if it were the "friends only” Facebook posts by Tangy Zizzler (of those 2 YouTube channels mentioned earlier), or the post by your colleague reviewer Frazer Jones (of the Desert Psychlist blog) in the (small) Hard Rock Revolution FB group about SMOD using reviews by others, mixing them up and pretending they were written by himself.It felt like an endless battle for both of us. As we pointed this out, he had some high profile supporters still backing SMOD and telling us that we were wrong. It was frustrating and getting horrible backlash from his horrible cult of followers for stating the obvious. Even when we had evidence of this it still went unpunished. Did you ever feel like giving up at times which I unfortunately did as it affected my mental health.
Well he left me alone at first -my channel was probably too small at the time- but when I got my first takedown request because SMOD demanded exclusivity- I got mad and did an extensive post in the DSSSM group bringing all his shenanigans out to a big group for the first time, and that post was active for months! SMOD left the group when he noticed that people were clearly not on his side! For those active on FB, this is the permalink to a copy of the post that I did on my own page:https://www.facebook.com/Rob.DOOM.Hammer/posts/pfbid036aY7gLAby2ePuRNVroVFKSUrWoJK8bnRyKrRxZ72tna5zDVmUY5L7F7rPYbzzUgbl
Pretty soon after, my channel was taken down by YouTube. I got 3 emails with some vague reasons and that hit me pretty hard! I was very fortunate that a member of a band that I had promoted, read my post about my channel being taken down and he sent me a pm telling me that he worked for Google, and he was going to dive into the situation.It turned out that my channel all of a sudden had been massively reported so bots took it down. He got humans to take a look at it, and they quickly realised that there was nothing to report and it was simply an attack by a group of people trying to shut me down! Luckily my channel got restored after a couple of weeks, but without this Polish guy I might have given up eventually.
We formed a cool alliance with other folks and slowly the message started being heard but yourself and the other dude (whose name I’ve forgotten, apologies) were the main factors of SMOD finally get his just rewards. It was great to see his “EMPIRE” starting to fall and his biggest supporters starting to see what despicable practices he was upto with bands, individuals and anyone who disagreed with him in the scene. Was that one of your proudest moments you accomplished within the scene?
It was a post by a guy called Luca Piazzalonga at the end of 2019 that eventually led to a shitstorm that REALLY got the scene to notice!
You already mentioned the harrassing of female musicians or girlfriends of musicians, the stealing of reviews but lots of other stuff as well, most particularly the stuff that was going on in his FB group SMOD Nation. Homophobic/anti-semitic and racial slurs + the condoning of racism/fascism & 'Heil Hitler' memes in there. Several pages did articles/posts about the situation even though half of the stuff that I/we know wasn't even mentioned!
https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/02/19/stoned-meadow-of-doom-youtube-channel-founder-reveals-himself-as-racist-sexist-edgelord/
https://astralnoizeuk.com/2020/02/18/venomous-beed-the-problem-with-stoned-meadow-of-doom/
https://mfknzine.com/2020/02/17/stoned-meadow-of-doom-youtube-channel-outed-for-racist-comments-by-metal-community-alternative-channels-to-switch-to/
https://monsterriff.com/2020/08/08/a-fall-from-grace-what-happened-to-the-stoned-meadow-of-doom/
I can't say that that was one of my proudest moments but I was sure glad that the scene finally took notice! All big bands and almost all labels stopped working with him.
No, proud moments were more like doing a radio show for a local radio station where I handpicked all the music and got to talk about my hobby for 2 hours 😀 . I curated a compilation of unsigned bands that got released on CD by the Off The Record Label and I also curated 7 very succesfull compilations for the Doomed & Stoned Bandcamp page. Recommending bands to the directors of my 2 favourite festivals, and then seeing them get signed? Yeah, those were moments I was proud of 😊 .
I don’t know if SMOD is relevant or as important as he once was but it’s great to see him not having much of a say within the underground scene. Though, I know some bands still support him. I even have folks send them videos of his page of their album for me to review. They get deleted full stop. Does that annoy you as well to see folks still supporting SMOD?
Well if a band is already on my channel and I see it appear on SMOD I will reach out and tell them the story. The majority of the bands are just new and unaware. Most of them ask for a takedown or simply won't work with him no more on future releases which is ok for me. But in some occasions I'll simply take down my own upload and delete all evidence of promoting them.
In October 2023 YouTube implemented some new rules taking away the option to make money of another artists’ work so that took away his income! (He's now now charging 25$ per upload).
I'll admit that I had lots of fun when I found out that monetising was no longer possible 😝.
You told me previously that SMOD and his followers still harass you to this day. How do you deal with that? They don’t bother me now as much but perhaps after this interview is published I may be reacquainted with some old friends.
Well some time ago on international coming-out day, I got a new profile pic using the rainbow colours. As a hetero I wanted to show support to the gay community. I got ridiculed in SMOD nation for being a faggot and such. But it's basically been quiet ever since. SMOD will most likely never fully go away but as long as I'm active in the scene I won't stop informing people. It's my belief that people of all colours & gender, or from whatever sexual orientation, background or religion should feel welcome in the stoner/doom/sludge scene!
OK, enough SMOD talk. Do you love any other genres of music and would you consider putting those artists on your YouTube channel or perhaps even start another one?
Well the length of this interview is already getting out of hand so I won't elaborate on that. But Roy Orbison was the first artist that I loved as a very young kid. My 2nd LP was by the Selecter (2 Tone ska). Bowie & Prince dominated my teens and a bit later Bob Marley as well. And then I discovered grunge.... Soundgarden & Alice In Chains are my 2 alltime favourite bands but I collected anything that was labeled grunge in those days. But recently I actually uploaded some reggae to another channel as that's the music I listen to the most when I'm taking a break from doom. That's the very short version 😉 .
I know your deep love, respect and admiration for the mighty CONAN. Who are perhaps your favourite band (but I could be wrong on that one). How did you discover CONAN? Which release was this?
Yeah Conan is my current fave band. I was brand new to the scene and I'm not sure, but I think I first checked the video that they did for “Foehammer”, a track of their 2014 masterpiece Blood Eagle. My youngest brother & I went to see Conan for the first time in April 2015 (in the weekend of my birthday). I introduced myself and had my picture taken with the band.Some time later, completely by coincidence, I met Conan's Jon Davis on a small festival when he was the tour bus driver for The Skull. I introduced myself again and that started our contact. In the time after that I set up a YouTube channel for Jon's record label Black Bow Records https://www.youtube.com/c/BlackBowRecords and a Facebook group: CAVEMAN BATTLE DOOM *a group about CONAN and all associated things* https://www.facebook.com/groups/525649494915850
And you had the chance to listen to new material before it’s even released. Have you heard the new album? What can we expect?
Yeah I had the honour and pleasure of listening to all new stuff that Jon released after Revengeance (2016). He knows that I speak my mind so I guess he wants some honest feedback. I always do a little teaser post on Facebook but without actually telling anything 😉
So sorry, I can't spill anything about the new album except for this: it's Conan being Conan so WITH 2 vocalists...
We all need time away from the underground scene. How do you switch off and relax? Do you spend time with your family or have any hobbies that you’re involved with?
Well I keep my private life away from my hobby for the most, except for some pics that I share on Instagram. You can see there that I like to travel (over 30 countries). I play basketball and watch a lot of NBA (Stephen Curry & Luka Doncic are my favs). In the weekend I'll be doing beers at my fav bar and most Sunday evenings I'll go to the movies with one of my best friends.
If someone asked you for advice on starting a Facebook/YouTube channel, what advice would you give them?
There's actually a guy that's been harrasing me and George (666MrDoom) about this for quite some time. He keeps coming back with fake name accounts and emails asking for advice. Well except for being mentally stable; you REALLY have to commit because messages and requests will be coming non-stop!In 2019 my streak of daily uploads stopped because I went to China for 3 weeks. Same in 2022 when I got hospitalized twice with gallbladder issues. But last year I went to The Gambia (Africa) and I programmed stuff from my still-to-do list so my subs got something new to listen to every day 😉.
Rob, thanks for doing this interview and for the wonderful work that you do. You’re an asset to the scene. Keep up the great work.
Steve, same goes for you!!! One of your first sentences was: “Can you give a brief history”, I failed that one big time 😉, sorry ‘bout that... but thanks for having me.
I would like to thank the people that I haven't mentioned, but have helped & supported me for the past 10 years. Doom on!Words by Steve Howe and Rob Hammer
Museum Of Light - Blunt Force Drama (Single Review)
Release Date: January 2025. Record Label: Spartan Records. Formats: DD
Blunt Force Drama - Track Listing:
Blunt Force Drama
Members
Ted Alvarez: Guitars, Vocals
Jeff Bartlett: Bass Guitar
Rob Smith: Drums, Vocals, Keys
Review
Blunt Force Drama is the epic new single from Alternative/Sludge/Shoegaze Rockers Museum Of Light who made a massive impression with me thanks to their acclaimed 2022 debut full length album Horizon. The album showed Museum Of Light’s great style of music that travelled across the Shoegaze, Alt Rock, Doom, Sludge, Indie, Psych and Stoner Rock platforms for something bold, aggressive, melodic and downright insightful.
The band have applied that style once again to Blunt Force Drama which is mostly a powerful instrumental track with haunting chants and echoes from Ted Alvarez and Rob Smith providing the ethereal vocals. The upcoming album Diviner sees new additions of Jeff Bartless on Bass Guitar, Elissa Aliverz on vocal duties and Amelia Urry providing Spoken Word poems which are highly majestic and give the album a sense of realism that’s brilliantly powerful at the same time.
However, Blunt Force Drama is powered by ethereal Sludge/Stoner grooves that reminds me of HUM, TORCHE and FLOOR but with Museum Of Light still creating their own highly original style of music that is very hard to define.
WOW. End of…
Words by Steve Howe
Diviner will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Spartan Records from March 14th 2025.
Links
ZOAHR - Mosaic (Album Review)
Release Date: January 14th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Mosaic - Track Listing:
1.Endurance Race 05:34
2.Zephyr 04:27
3.Garden Of Grief 05:46
4.Prisma 04:42
5.Cornered 04:11
6.Erosive 05:02
7.Idols & Statues 04:38
8.Red Tide 05:25
9.Wayward Blues 06:16
Review
Mosaic is the new trippy and heavy fuzzed up offering from Psych Stoner Rockers ZOAHR which has a freakier and spaced out attitude compared to their previous records. Their trademark style of Fuzz, Classic Rock, Desert Rock and an unhealthy obsession and reliance on Blues Rock allows the band to draw upon influences such as Thin Lizzy, Led Zepp, The Who, Black Sabbath, Brant Bjork, EARTHLESS, NEBULA and KYUSS. The record is quite abstract and has 1970’s Raw Rock Energy with plentiful moments of lysergic freakout passages.
The guitars are tuned into the HEAVIER SIDE of the COSMOS with the Phil Lynott heavily inspired vocals appearing very early on within the excellent opening track of Endurance Race which sets up the ground rules for the whole album to follow. Though ZOAHR even break their own rules with other areas of Hard Rock striving to take full control especially on other earlier standout tracks such as Zephyr, Garden Of Grief and Prisma.
ZOAHR tend to overlap different styles of FUZZ ROCK with highly inspired results which are quite LOUD, BUOYANT and AGGRESSIVE with a deep sense of melodic energy. The CLASSIC ROCK movement can be quite progressive in places with ZOAHR primarily focusing upon extended instrumental jams with sonically aware Space Rock vibes that doesn’t detract from the exquisite vocal harmonies and stunning lyrics that accompany the whole of the album.
ZOAHR do become quite emotional on certain parts of the album with a romantic and heartfelt style of Blues Rock paying homage to the good old days of 1970’s headline Rock & Roll acts with moments of classic sounding Stoner Rock grooves. The album can be quite slow moving but ZOAHR have a winning creative personality which easily sells the whole musical illusion whoever dares to listen to this spellbinding and superbly heavy record.
Mosaic is another standout record from ZOAHR which brilliantly tugs at the heartstrings whilst having an endless amount of highly anthemic and aggressive grooves which allows this to perhaps be the band’s most convincing and highly confident album to date.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
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Stoner HiVe
Plasticdrop – Life, Death and Miracles
Plasticdrop – Life, Death and Miracles
Argonauta Records – 2025
Stonerpop, Alternative, Rock
Rated: ****Italian trio Plasticdrop are about to release their debut full-sized album Life, Death and Miracles. It will be let loose upon the world through Argonauta Records on Friday January 31st. But Stoner HiVe has the honor to do a FULL ALBUM PREMIERE two days before the release. So be sure to check in on Wednesday the 29th! Cause Life, Death and Miracles is filled to the brim with highly infectious, super danceable stoner pop and alternative rock. A bit of pop punk, power rock and a whole lot of fun loving attitude. But if you can’t hold on till then, they’ve released the three singles that make up the album title over on their bandcamp site. It’s got as much gleaned from Foo Fighters as Nirvana, from Greenday or Bad Brains and then put it all in the mix with the sounds from the infectious stoner deluge that happened after 2002. Which means, highly energetic rock that inspires you to shout along and jump around. Great bass work, compliments powerful drumming and the axe-work can slay as easily as it shows its melodic side. And you can state the same thing about the vocals. Paolo Pani has a great voice, especially when he uses his sharp edge. And then there are those moments of harmony, simply lovely. Plasticdrop is an absolute pleasure to listen to… So, mark your calender… Cause it will be our absolute pleasure to premiere Plasticdrop’s Life, Death and Miracles to you on Wednesday the 29th! Bella zio!
(Written by JK)
Stoner HiVe’s Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…
Stoner HiVe’s
Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…
Manic Street Preachers
High Desert Queen
Plasticdrop
Acid Magus
Brant Bjork Trio
Pentagram
Warlung
Lorquin’s Admiral
Mouth
Tumbleweed DealerAnd I wish you the best of weeks once again! It’s Monday, my start of the week. Lots of work to be done. So, not sure how many updates we can get out. But there will be some! And if not, there is always that list above for you to check out, the posts from last week and the playlist below. As you can see from the list, the new Manic Street Preachers album has been on heavy rotation, not really heavy underground material of course, but we’ve got an interview with them coming up. And the rest of that list is made up out of last year and new year material! And all awesome!
The Spotify Playlist for...
Stoner HiVe's Weekly Top 10 Most Listened
Week 4
FULL ALBUM PREMIERE - Caprahed – Empire
FULL ALBUM PREMIERE
Caprahed – Empire
Welcome to the first FULL ALBUM PREMIERE of 2025! It’s a one song, made up out of four parts, lo-fi, doom punk narrative called EMPIRE! Delivered by one man project Caprahed. Which is an entirely solo project by Phil Howlett (Lucifer's Fall, Solemn Ceremony, Zlórtcht & Rote Mare) who aims to mix Doom, Metal, Punk, Alternative & Progressive styles. Indeed, and he’s right! For there is a lot of classic doom spliced with all sorts of alternative avenues, touching base with progressive wanderings and all brought to you in this poetic punk style here. The on track, comprised out of I. Phase IV, II. Masters And Slaves, III. The Rebellion & IV. Until The End continues the story started on that first Caprahed release. Here, the enslaved population starts to fight back against the EMPIRE… Strap yourselves in and grow fierce as you experience the Caprahed fable of EMPIRE!
PR Wire:
Caprahed - Empire
Esoteric, progressive doom from Adelaide, Australia
New album “Empire” out January 20th
Genres - Doom metal, punk, alternative, primitive progCaprahed was formed in 2022 in Adelaide, Australia as an entirely solo project by Phil Howlett (Lucifer’s Fall, Solemn Ceremony, Zlórtcht, Rote Mare & Devils Victim (coming soon!)) as a vehicle for recording anything and everything a little bit different or strange that doesn’t fit in with the other more traditional projects mentioned. The first self-released self-titled Caprahed came out in 2023 and was a mix of Doom, Punk and more alternative influences. The second album and current release (January 2025) titled EMPIRE is a single 30 minute track which could be described as a mix of Doom, Punk, Alternative and a kind of primitive Prog. The usual more traditional doom influences plus something like Sonic Youth, Voivod and maybe even King Gizzard.
The artwork for Empire is by long term collaborator Sean Wiskin. Caprahed the band is based entirely upon the coming of goatmen from a parallel universe who use a machine of six pillars and a crystal humanoid skull to generate a portal through to our world, the power being generated through the draining and enslavement of the collective mind of humanity. The debut album began the story and the second album focuses on humanity’s fight back against the EMPIRE.
Caprahed is a purely studio project with the only current long term intention being to release further material.
Caprahed - Empire
Album out January 20th, 2025
Self-released (CD, Digital)
Adelaide, Australia
FFO: Cathedral, Sonic Youth, Voivod, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Recorded by Phil Howlett
Artwork by Sean Wiskin
Caprahed is Phill Howlett
Tracklist:
Empire (30:26)
Four Song Version (Parts I-IV):
I. Phase IV (6:28)
II. Masters And Slaves (10:12)
III. The Rebellion (8:50)
IV. Until The End (5:11)
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High Desert Queen – Palm Reader
High Desert Queen – Palm Reader
Magnetic Eye Records – 2024
Rock, Stoner, Desert, Metal
Rated: *****How can we justify to ourselves not mentioning one of our absolute favorite albums from 2024 on Stoner HiVe. It flies high on our Personal Top 20 and turned out to be one out of two albums on that Personal Top 20 that we did not write about when said album was released. Well, we’re here to remedy that fact. And yes, there will probably also be a Duel review in the near future…
But right here, right now, are a few words about High Desert Queen and why we love their Palm Reader album so hard. First off, there’s the diversity, their devious choices of dynamics, their obvious restraint in going for the riff till they drop options. And don’t get me wrong, the riffs are there, huge and ten-fold. But always in supreme service of the song, the structure and the delivery. Opener Ancient Aliens for instance, with its stoner trucking groove, the bass heavy breakdown towards the third part and the guitar solo that’s goes off into the stratosphere. The main riff returns and points out the simple fact how thunderous it always was. It was always that bulldozer. But because of the excellent vocals by Ryan Garney that early part feels like a pusher that adds layer after layer to its foundation, and not like the all-leveling, all-freeing riff you can feel powering through your veins at the very end. Death Perception, continues with a more bluesy touch and a wonderful guest spot by Emma Näslund of Gaupa. It has thunder doom riffage once the middle part rolls around, but before it we are treated to a lot of subdued and bluesy guitar work, all so, Emma can shine. And where the riff and the punch sits obvious and loud on Head Honcho, there so much extra in the way of building up the anticipation that comes so easily to them. The vocal hook being the song title, the round going twice before the breakdown takes things into more of a slam dance territory. Which is another eagerness that builds up while listening to the album, you will want to catch these crazies live. Desperately. And then the breakdown goes deeper, slower and rustling with melancholy before they once again go back to the colossal side of heavy. Head Honcho, might be the perfect articulated promise. No need for experimentation, stick to your guns, make ’em shine and aim for nothing but headshots.
If there’s one song that has the Karl Daniel Lidén, responsible for the mixing and mastering, signature over it, it might be title track Palm Reader. The swirling guitar work, the whirling drums, that pounding groove, there are definite moments where its surely easy to imagine the Swedish touch. And you can see the crowd go wild as the chorus hits. Time Waster stays in more broken hard rock boogie territory, a bit of funk, a whole lot of vocal prowess and an axe wielding maniac serving up string poetry with every note played. And hear that drummer and bassist rumble in the distance. All chops and class there! And then we’re hit by the Tuesday Night Blues, soft melodic melancholy surfing on top of a current of jazz and blues, as Garney offers up his spoken word, his graceful bourbon bottom memories about a fateful dreary night. And they end their album with Solar Rain. Fuzz-heavy, straddling the line between heaviness and transcendence, the paradoxical touch between the melancholy drizzle that continues from the Tuesday Night Blues song into Solar Rain, slowly becomes this warm tempest. A psychedelic monsoon showering you with grit, power and a shove that turns into the biggest push of the album. The intensity doubling, tripling and finally thrusting you into the deep end…
And as you fly, you realize, Palm Reader is not just a continuation of High Desert Queen's upward trajectory—it's a statement. This album is a monster, full of swagger, grit, and raw emotion, of knowing your forte, your riffing strengths and sneakily build upon that, layer by layer… It came out in May 2024 and has sneakily become one of my favorite records of the year, listening to it, more and more and more…(Written by JK)
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Magnetic Eye Records
Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday
Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday
Welcome to the first Stoner HiVe Quick Fire Friday of 2025! That definitely has a ring to it! And we’re happy to get the fire started quickly in January this year! Soon, there’s also the Doom Charts Peroration for December going live today. So, there’s a lot of music to contend with. But that’s what we love right?! You can never have enough of it! So, here are some quick words about some great releases. We know, they deserve more, but there’s so much good and heavy stuff, and we just simply cannot ever do it all justice. So here it is… Another Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday! And it burns hot like molten lava!
Icarus Burns – Minotaur
Here’s the first drop of scorching lava! This four-piece from Berlin released their new single Minotaur exactly a week ago! It’s Icarus Burns and they deliver their mythical psych and prog in instrumental metal style. It’s the first single to set the scene for their debut album to arrive on February 10th. Incredibly thick bass sounds, wild guitar tones, thrilling riffs and drums captured to perfection. And then those shifts in structure and composition, furious! See, it burn! It burns! Icarus Burns!
Slumlord Radio – SnakebitAnother single released about a week ago, it’s Slumlord Radio and their Snakebit track. Starting off with a QOTSA vibe, thanks to the little opening background choir, it quickly turns more gritty, punk and into an action packed hard rocker. Although the background choir returns at the end, turning it back again, and turning you on again, and having you push the play button again. Perfect for getting your revved up to visit your local dive bar! Shirley is waiting! Again!
Dakû - EndlessTheir debut Post Apocalyptic Atmospheric Black Metal EP Endless was released yesterday! It’s the Polish two piece Dakû. With VladO doing the instruments and vocals and Mati on Drums, these five tracks are crushing, brain shattering, yet retain melodies that flow through the remnants of your grey matter like icy water. Nothing like their other band MüuT and their amazing Make Me Do It album, but still… Endless proves once again they are brilliant artists!
Da Beumb Project – Fairly ConsistentBass and drum duo Da Beumb Project hails from Montréal, Québec, Canada and are about to release a new album called: Closer, Warmer. First single, Heck Yes, out since December 16 is a righteous calling card. Fast paced punk, all sludged and grunged up, and not a huge time commitment, since it only lasts one minute and forty-five seconds. You want a video for this? Heck Yes!
Sha-La-Lees – O, Oblivian!Been following these cats ever since the best drummer from the Netherlands joined their ranks in 2021. New album Hex is coming out January 24th, this is the first single O,Oblivian! O, and they’re called the Sha-La-Lees. O, and the drummer is Ries Doms. Once from The Spades, Hooghwater, Vanderbuyst, Reaching Forward and more. O, and the rest of the band is made up out of Belgian rock royalties, from bands like The Sore Losers and El Guapo Stuntteam. Garage and proto punk! O, and very addictive!
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Kova – FirçaThe Turkish four piece Kova is made up out of musicians from various stoner doom and heavy psych bands, residing in Ankara. They came together in a studio and recorded a four-hour, fully improvised session. The first single Firça was released a week ago and delivers some spicy instrumental doom noise. Savage and wild, the psychedelic paintbrush used does not paint happy little trees but serious deliriums…
Stonerhenge – SolarisBelarus is not an easy country to reside in at this moment in time. Perhaps it never was. But the three piece Stonerhenge have their music to escape into. Solaris takes you on a progressive stoner metal adventure. Based on the book by Polish author Stanisław Herman Lem, they translate the mystique and strangeness of the story perfectly, with their shifting colors and compositions. Stonerhenge’s Solaris deserves to be explored.
Fish Basket - Cartboard RacerThe Cartboard Racer single was released in 2023 but will feature proudly on the new album coming out today through on Interstellar Smoke Records. It’s a new Fish Basket record and delivers their progressive instrumental madness in fine form! And look at that fun video!
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Screaming From the Heavy Underground
Instrumental Psych/Prog Trio TFNRSH Releases "Book of Circles"
TFNRSH is an instrumental psychedelic/progressive rock trio from Tubingen, Germany. The group has been creating music since the early 2020s, focusing on "synthesizing" their individual musical styles and influences into a signature sound. As it turns out, this particular sound is known for its complex, multi-faceted, and unpredictable nature, yet it still has a way of being utterly mesmeric and melodic for the listener.TFNRSH released their debut album TIEFENRAUSCH in July 2023. TIEFENRAUSCH was well-received and even landed at #28 on the July 2023 Doom Charts. (Side note: I personally found it very cool to learn that "tiefenrausch" is a German word derived from the Greek for "the act of making numb", but it translates to "rapture of the deep" in English. This is perhaps a bit of a spoiler, but this feeling is essentially what you can expect when you listen to TFNRSH).The band's newest album, Book of Circles, was released on January 17, 2025, and is considered to be a sequel to their debut. According to TFNRSH, you can expect more of their trademark bursts of energy scattered throughout their distinctive sound, only elevated to the next level. Furthermore, the band promises an additional layer of "wrath and a raw, visceral energy". TFNRSH elaborates,"Bittersweet melodies blend with powerful riffs to create an atmospheric and moving synthesis that inevitably embraces the soul, offering space for limitless expression and blurring the boundaries of perception.Welcome to the rapture of the deep!"
Book of Circles
1.) Zemestån
Zemestån, meaning "winter" in Farsi, has a deeper meaning behind its frosty atmosphere. According to TFNRSH, the song "thematically connects to Death of Freedom, from the debut album TIEFENRAUSCH, and addresses the protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. After the violent suppression of the Iranian people's protests, the oppression continues seamlessly, resulting in a seemingly eternal 'winter' that must be endured."Utilizing psychedelic and spacey elements, Zemestån follows a complex progressive rock pattern that skillfully communicates the plight of the Iranian people. In its airier, more delicate parts, the song illustrates a bleak mood, rife with hopelessness. In the denser, riff-driven areas, the pace picks up to add a layer of rage to the despair. By the end of the song, these forces culminate with soaring synth tones and wailing guitars, which inevitably feels like a symbolic crying out.2.) WRZL
WRZL communicates with stark contrast and is an interplay among angst, peace, and passion. In the first half of the song, this distinction is most sharp, beginning with tempestuous riffs tussling with some futuristic sounds. Quite suddenly, "peace" enters on gossamer wings, placating the guitars into a calm, psychedelic interlude with her serene but coldly modern synth tones. This dance ultimately culminates in a fleeting moment of triumphant optimism, before rage seems to win in the end. At this point, you can quite literally hear peace and passion yielding to these darker forces.3.) Zorn
Pounding percussion, eerie synth, and trepidatious guitar and bass hover above a lengthy spoken word part for nearly the first five minutes of Zorn. When the speaking stops, the instrumentals erupt, the anxious energy finally bubbling over. Very gradually, this temper gracefully transitions to one of victory. All things considered, Zorn feels like the long-awaited ascendency of hope over fear.Interestingly, "zorn" is a German word that refers to anger, wrath, or rage. I can't help but hear a base of apprehension in the song, but when you think about it, that makes sense considering fear is often the root of anger. I think if my German was better and I understood more of the speaking word part, Zorn's deeper meaning would be clearer for me, but I'm still very content to hear emotion so accurately and powerfully depicted in the song.4.) Ammoglyd
Ammoglyd, Welsch for "possible", also seems to ultimately represent victory over fear, but from a much different place than Zorn. Ammoglyd's beginning, while delicate and calm, feels tangibly sorrowful - the kind of despair one feels upon completely surrendering. Like Zorn, Ammoglyd very cleverly uses a slow and measured transition that, by its end, sounds like how I imagine true inner peace feels. Best of all, this shift happens so smoothly, you don't notice it occurring until you feel your own mood reacting. At this point, you can practically see the sunbeams beginning to make themselves known as the storm clouds dissipate.Final Thoughts
First of all, I have to enthusiastically applaud TFNRSH for their clever use of contrast and "bursts of energy", as they aptly call them. This not only keeps the listener invested, but it so vividly renders the way in which real emotions and events occur, often without warning and with jarring intensity.In that vein, Book of Circles, to me, is an introspective journey. It feels like holding up a mirror and looking long and hard at some of life's heavier emotions, particularly the power they have over us. TFNRSH sonically communicates these emotions in such a vivid way, as clearly as if they were painted with a brush. It bears emphasizing that this is done not only in the absence of visual cues, but also without lyrics of vocals to underline each song's meaning. While TFNRSH certainly created each of these tracks with a specific purpose in mind, it's ultimately up to you, the listener, to process and translate them for yourself as an individual. It probably goes without saying that Book of Circles was a refreshing but thought-provoking meditative experience for me, opening up the door not only for self-reflection but to a deeper understanding of and empathy for the circumstances of those we share the planet with. As it turns out, this is a journey that requires no words, only an "embrace of the soul".More About TFNRSH
TFNRSH Is:
Sasan Bahreini - Guitars / SynthsStefan Wettengl - Bass / SynthsJulius Watzl - DrumsYou can follow TFNRSH and listen to their music at the following links:
A massive thank you to the always awesome Broken Music Booking for the promo!If you enjoy TFNRSH, you might also like Acid Rooster!
A Review of Godzillionaire's Sophomore Full-Length Album "Diminishing Returns", Out Now on Ripple Music!
Godzillionaire: "Raging Poetic" Stoner and Alternative Rock from America's Midwest
Godzillionaire first graced by ears in late July of 2024 via their album Negative Balance. I was instantly taken by this Kansas-based band and their carefully balanced mixture of stoner rock, alternative rock, and grunge, a fusion that also manages to vacillate between a pensive, hazy glow and a powerful, emotion-filled tornado. However, my favorite thing about the band is the corresponding vocal delivery and the lyrics they supply. Utilizing my favorite style of songwriting, Godzillionaire's lyrics are beautifully poetic; enigmatic yet specific (more about that later). These are words you can easily discover yourself in, and when you do, it feels like finding an old friend.This makes a lot of sense once you learn that Godzillionaire is fronted by none other than singer, poet, and artist Mark Hennessy from the grunge band Paw (a band this author has a tremendous amount of love and respect for). The band also includes Ben White on guitar, Michael Dye on bass, and Cody Romaine on drums.Godzillionaire has been releasing music since about 2016. Prior to their first full-length album, the band gained worldwide attention when their songs Absolute Zero and Excommunication were included in the film They Come Knocking (part of Hulu's Into the Dark series). Negative Balance (2020) is considered to be Godzillionaire's debut full-length album, and it received several acclaims including ranking #14 in New Noise Magazine's Albums of the Year staff poll and #50 in their readers' poll. It also secured the #13 spot in Guitar Part Magazine's staff picks for Best Albums of 2020 and was praised by several members of the Doom Charts to boot. Not too shabby!On January 17, 2025, the band released their sophomore full-length album, Diminishing Returns, their first upon signing to Ripple Music. This album, considered to be the most "eclectic" of the band's career, will be our focus here.Diminishing Returns
1.) Drowning All Night
The second and final single released from Diminishing Returns, Drowning All Night begins the album in a rather upbeat way. Standout, energetic percussion and soothing, luminous guitar tones call to mind a glimmering sunset. Some awesome bass groove is present throughout but is particularly noticeable just past the midway point, working with the drums to keep the energy up. There's something here that whispers a hint of heartland rock to me; I'm sure it's the muted shades of southern rock influence and notes of longing in both the guitar and vocals. The song ends with a rather haunting diminuendo, the instrumentals quieting as a heightened focus on the vocals results, and the lyrics draw sharp attention to their vivid imagery. As it turns out, this ending style will be a pattern throughout the album.2.) Boogie Johnson
The aptly titled Boogie Johnson features a foundation of psychedelic groove, but it's performed with delightfully gritty, rock n' roll emphasis. Mark Hennessy's vocals utilize their frantic/borderline shrieking style that I remember fondly from the Negative Balance album. This manner of singing results in a passionate and attention-holding performance, frenzied yet melodic at the same time. It also makes for a surprisingly fitting combination when paired with the bass heavy psychedelic boogie of the song. Speaking of, Boogie Johnson, just like Drowning All Night, is full of some absolutely delicious bass lines, something my attention has been magnetically drawn to on the album.3.) Spin Up, Spin Down
Spin Up, Spin Down is a beautiful, atmospheric piece. To my ears, it plays out with watercolor hues and fluid, aquatic textures, the gentle crash of the cymbals washing over the listener like a cool sea spray. The vocal approach here is a very tranquil hybrid of soft melodic singing and placating spoken word. Wailing guitars at the middle mark pick up the passion, but not so much the pace, as Spin Up, Spin Down proves to be more than a song - it's audible art and a thought-provoking meditative journey.4.) Astrogarden
I can safely say that Astrogarden is unlike anything I've ever heard before in underground rock music, and I mean that in the best way possible. I think the most appropriate way to describe it is with the stark contrasts present throughout the song. It's percussive while being silky smooth and soulful as it begins. This gives way to a very stormy final third of the track, a part that has a very metallic and often almost aggressive demeanor, as well as some nods to rap and nu metal. Astrogarden in its entirely has a very modern feel, crisp with rich guitar tones and a spacey flair. This song is certainly one of the most experimental on the album, but it was undoubtedly a very pleasant surprise for me (and I know it will be for you too). It also breaks up the album nicely, its placement in the middle acting as a palate cleaner, preparing the listener for the final courses.5.) 3rd Street Shuffle
3rd Street Shuffle was the first single released from Diminishing Returns in late November 2024, and it was a great choice. While paying tribute to the band's grunge and stoner roots, 3rd Street Shuffle also offers just a whisper of Godzillionaire's updated sound. This is particularly noticeable in the ample addition of groove (again, that bass is killin' it), and a modernized, fresh tone.6.) Unsustainable
Unsustainable can undoubtedly be called a ballad, with a sound that's contemporary yet reminiscent of the 80s/early 90s with its synth-heavy base. To me, this gives an anchor to an otherwise gossamer lament. Unsustainable here refers to the fate of a relationship that, while founded on a plethora of love, could not be maintained due to physical distance. The song ends on a heart-wrenching note:"And we came togetherJust to break our hearts.....And that's just for starts..."I'll be the first to admit, my deeply repressed romantic side came out, screaming, "Noooo! It wasn't all for nothing! You shared something!" Ouch, my heart...That aside, this is yet another style I certainly didn't expect to hear on Diminishing Returns, but I think the band did a phenomenal job of expressing their softer side in a very artful and poetic way.7.) Common Board, Magic Nail
I could be all alone in this, but to me, Common Board, Magic Nail feels like a reprise of Spin Up, Spin Down...a funkier, smokier, city night version: Spin Up, Spin Down After Dark. While there's a similar flowing psychedelic atmosphere and half spoken word/half melodically sung vocals, the bass is infinitely more pronounced in Common Board, Magic Nail, and it continues to wax funky. A big swell midway through the song crescendos into epic vocal harmonies, crashing percussion, and swirling, vibrant guitar. Everything is elevated, that is, until the hushed final minute of the song take us out, making it all feel like a dream.8.) Shadow of a Mountain
The longest track on the album at about eight minutes, Shadow of a Mountain plays out much like a strange dream that will be slowly pieced together into something comprehensible and revolutionary. Metaphor and stream-of-consciousness soliloquy melodically recount events, advice, and declarations over warm drums and trepidatious guitar and bass. This ultimately explodes into a soaring, triumphant, and confident energy from vocals and instrumentals alike. As almost every other song on Diminishing Returns, the album closer ends on a whisper, but always an intriguing one that tends to leave you feeling either reassured or questioning everything, depending on the scenario at hand.Final Thoughts
Diminishing Returns has a strong foundation of the things we know and love about Godzillionaire that were developed on the Negative Balance album. This includes the band's characteristic fusion of stoner, grunge, and alternative rock with plenty of nods to other genres, particularly metal. On Diminishing Returns, these chameleon-like instrumentals are elevated tenfold, becoming even more variable and avant-garde. Similarly, the vocals build on their trademark smooth/rough approach, introducing some new techniques such as a soothing spoken word style. The lyrics continue to be sophisticated and metaphorical for the most part. However, on Diminishing Returns, these words seem to be more personal and heartfelt than ever.Speaking of the lyrics, an element of music that's incredibly important to me personally, I have to take a paragraph to show my full appreciation for them. When listening to the stoner/doom genres, where lyrics tend to be oversaturated with songs about weed and witches, I have to admit that I frequently find my soul crying out for simile and metaphor. Don't get me wrong, weed and witches certainly have their place in stoner rock, but some of my very favorite bands in the genre combine elements of stoner with expressive alternative rock songwriting. I appreciate the more ambiguous lyrics, as their vague but artful nature allows them to be interpreted differently by each listener, often allowing them to resonate even deeper with the individual. Godzillionaire's lyrics not only fit this description phenomenally well, but they also have a unique way of coming together like pieces of a puzzle, one that looks a bit different for everyone when it's complete.So, is Diminishing Returns Godzillionaire's most eclectic release to date? Absolutely, yes! In fact, as I was writing this review, I realized that I eventually stopped using genre terms to describe what I heard and naturally began to focus more of the images and moods these clever tracks evoked for me. I think this speaks volumes as to how Diminishing Returns is truly art delivered via song, so much so that labels and making comparisons aren't even on the listener's radar. With that said, I had a very strong feeling that this album would be deep. I (correctly) assumed there would be some of the feel-good yet thought-provoking grunge-tinted tracks that I know and love from the band with some cool surprises thrown in. Still, I could never adequately prepare myself for the diverse, astoundingly creative, and comprehensive collection of songs that awaited me. In a nutshell, Diminishing Returns sounds like a band that came together and was somehow able to adequately and elegantly describe a lifetime's worth of emotions and moods on one album, and that is profoundly meaningful to me. This is an album that you can play at any point in your life, and something different will deeply resonate with you each time, a hallmark of any thoughtfully crafted artwork.More About Godzillionaire:
You can follow Godzillionaire and listen to their music at the following links:
Godzillionaire Is:Michael Dye- Bass, Synth, VocalsMark Hennessy - VocalsCody Romaine - DrumsBen White - Guitar, Synth, VocalsA massive thank you to Purple Sage PR for the promo!If you like Godzillionaire, you'll want to check out Yeast Machine!
Best New Releases December 2024
I may have set a new personal record for the tiniest list of new releases ever.
Don't get me wrong, December is known for being a "slow" month when it comes to new music in the heavy underground. Naturally, right? It's the end of the year, everyone is busy with the holidays, there's a lot going on. Even so, I thought I'd come up with a few more albums than this to share with you this month, but alas, I come groveling before you with only two. As I always say, however, what the list lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality, so I highly suggest that you check each of these stellar albums out for yourself. (In fact, both releases made my Top 25 Heavy Underground Releases of 2024 list!)
Here's exactly what I submitted to the Doom Charts this month in descending order:
2.) Desert Suns - Edge of the Sky
After some significant lineup and style changes, Desert Suns are back with what is arguably their most sophisticated release to date. Edge of the Sky maintains the band's heavy blues foundation, but adds just as many progressive rock, psychedelic, grunge, and metal textures that really give Desert Suns' sound mind blowing dimension. Gritty yet soaring notes of the desert are ever-present throughout the album, resulting in a warm and sun-streaked tonality that pays homage to the band's home base of California. If this is the refined but deliciously heavy sound we can expect from Desert Suns, it's safe to say their future is as bright as the California sun.You can read my full review here.Favorite Track: Real Eyes1.) Fuser - Aero Soul
FUSER is a band from the Oldenburg area of Germany who has been around since 1998. Historically, this aptly named band has been known for their distinctive fusion of stoner and alternative rock, with a hint of grunge thrown in for good measure. On their latest album Aero Soul, the band drifts further from those alternative roots and leans harder into heavy psych and metal influences. This album is both an infinitely heavier yet more atmospheric version of FUSER's brand of stoner rock, and it's a very natural next step for the band. In fact, of all the albums I heard in 2024, Aero Soul exemplifies one of the most impressive evolutions of a band's sound.You can read my full review here.Favorite Track: Fresh Dead WarmThat's it for my tiniest list ever, and that's also it for the year 2024!When this post is published, the holidays will have already passed, but I hope each and every one of you had a beautiful holiday season. I'm well aware that this isn't the most joyous time for everyone, so do me a big favor and make sure you remember to take time for yourself as the festivities wind down.Lastly, thank you all from the bottom of my heart for a memorable year of heavy underground music! I appreciate each and every one of you more than you know: the followers, the bands, the labels, fellow bloggers; you each have a vital role in the community that does not go unnoticed.So...here's to a killer 2025! As always, keep it heavy!-Stephanie (Doomcakes) 🤘🖤
Top 25 Heavy Underground Releases of 2024
I can't believe we're here already! 2024 has come and gone, and it left a plethora of amazing heavy underground releases in its wake.2024 was my second year really participating in the underground music scene via social media and contributing to the Doom Charts. Furthermore, this little blog of mine is celebrating its first birthday! I feel a little more seasoned when it comes to writing about the music that I love, and I feel like I'm starting to find my niche in the scene. Above all, I'm mostly just continuing to have a massive amount of fun listening to some of the best music I've ever heard and getting to know all of you a little better. Moving forward, the plan is to continue doing just that.I won't bore you too much more with my ramblings, as I know you're here to see THE LIST (and I don't blame you), but first, I want to discuss how I compile my choices for the best of the year. First of all, any new release can make this list, be it an album or EP. Second, this list really doesn't have much to do with what I submitted to the Doom Charts over the year. These are the albums that not only resonated with me the first time I heard them, but they're the ones I continued to play over and over. There are some releases here that I fell in love with the moment I heard them, and others that really grew on me. Either way, if an album is in my top 25, it means that I not only enjoyed every single song on it, but it means a lot to me personally. While some of my choices might be a bit predictable, I think others will really surprise you (they certainly surprised me). The albums this year were much harder to rank than they were last year, and I think that's primarily because multiple genres are covered here. One album may have been my #1 doom album, another my #1 grunge album, etc., but I still managed (painfully) to put them all on one list.But, before I present my Top 25 Heavy Underground Releases of 2024, I have a few honorable mentions, each of which I've continued to listen to throughout the year and are more than deserving of recognition:Honorable Mentions
(in no particular order)
Daily Thompson - Chuparosa
Dortmund, GermanyFavorite Track: Diamond Waves (A Love Song For The Ocean)You can read my full review here.Scorched Oak - Perception
Dortmund, GermanyFavorite Track: OracleYou can read my full review here.Juke Cove - Tempest
Leipzig, GermanyFavorite Track: WaitYou can read my full review here.Eleanore - Full Throttle In All Directions
Emden, GermanyFavorite Track: One For The RoadYou can read my full review here.Drive By Wire - Time Horizon
Deventer, NetherlandsFavorite Track: Northern LightsBoozewa - Bon Vivant
Coatesville, PennsylvaniaFavorite Track: Maybe I'm A BirdYou can read my full review here.Spacedrifter - When the Colors Fade
SwedenFavorite Track: SpellboundHorseburner - Voice of Storms
Parkersburg, West VirginiaFavorite Track: Hidden BridgesYou can read a little interview with Horseburner about the album (and other random things) here.Top 25 Heavy Underground Releases of 2024
(video version)
Top 25 Heavy Underground Releases of 2024
(in descending order)
25.) The Weedbine - Temple of the Universe
Saint Petersburg, RussiaFavorite Track: Lizardsong24.) Spirit Mother - Trails
Long Beach, CaliforniaFavorite Track: Veins23.) Magmakammer - Before I Burn
Oslo, NorwayFavorite Track: Doom Jive22.) Black Capricorn - Sacrifice Darkness and ... Fire
Sardina, ItalyFavorite Track: Sacrifice21.) Kant - Paranoia Pilgrimage
Aschaffenburg, GermanyFavorite Track: Occult Worship20.) Wizard Must Die - L'Or des Fous
Lyon, FranceFavorite Track: L'Or des Fous19.) Peach Melba - Melting Face
Cologne, GermanyFavorite Track: Exit DreamYou can read my full review here.18.) Hermano - when the moon was high...
CaliforniaFavorite Track: BreatheYou can read my full review here.17.) Outer Head - Cosmic Vibrator
Leeds, UKFavorite Track: Atrahashish16.) Stonerhead - Running High
Bielefeld, GermanyFavorite Track: Super MarioYou can read my full review here.15.) Desert Suns - Edge of the Sky
San Diego, CaliforniaFavorite Track: Real EyesYou can read my full review here.14.) FUSER - Aero Soul
Oldenburg, GermanyFavorite Track: Fresh Dead WarmYou can read my full review here.13.) Supersonic Dragon Wagon - From the Deep
San Diego, CaliforniaFavorite Track: RiptideYou can read my full review here.12.) Okolyt - Restless
Bremen, GermanyFavorite Track: They Ain't Got No RightYou can read my full review here.11.) Mammoth Volume - Raised Up By Witches
Lysekil, SwedenFavorite Track: Serpent in the Deep10.) Transonic Science - Psychobulb
Cologne, GermanyFavorite Track: Cherokee SmithYou can read my full review here.9.) Gnome - Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome
Antwerp, BelgiumFavorite Track: The Ogre8.) Silverships - Kingdom of Decay
Hamburg, GermanyFavorite Track: Kingdom of DecayYou can read my full review here7.) Mouth - Vortex Redux
Cologne, GermanyFavorite Track: Parade6.) Slomosa - Tundra Rock
Bergen, NorwayFavorite Track: MonomannYou can read my full review here.5.) Sea of Snakes - Bow to No One
Los Angeles, CaliforniaFavorite Track: 1313You can read my full review here.4.) Baardvader - When the Stars Arrive
The Hague, NetherlandsFavorite Track: Let Go3.) SLÜGFÜT - III
Sheffield, UKFavorite Track: I Am The KnifeYou can read my full review here.2.) Yeast Machine - SLEAZE
Tübingen, GermanyFavorite Track: Brittle PillarsYou can read my full review here.1.) Fátima - Eerie 🏆
Paris, FranceFavorite Track: CeremoniesYou can read my full review here.That's it! The best of 2024 according to Doomcakes!Thank you for stopping by and checking out my choices; I hope you love each of these albums as much as I do! And of course, a massive thank you to all the followers, fellow music nerds, bands, PR teams, record labels, bloggers, DJs, podcasters, artists, and everyone here; you all have a vital role in the heavy underground scene that is much appreciated!Here's to a killer 2025!Keep it heavy,Stephanie (Doomcakes) 🤘🖤
Desert Suns - "Edge of the Sky"
Desert Suns is a band from San Diego, California who has been making music since about 2013. Since their inception, the band has undergone a few lineup and style changes, but is still going strong over a decade later. Aside from their infectious signature sound that has a tendency to maintain a base of heavy blues interlaced with psychedelia, progressive rock, and metal (much more on the nuances of this later), Desert Suns is a band who really exemplifies just how often our favorite heavy underground musicians wear many hats:In 2021, vocalist Jason Busiek (also of Sea of Snakes, a favorite group of mine) joined the band. Desert Suns guitarist AJ Belluto also played bass in Supersonic Dragon Wagon (yet another favorite for me), and he's one of Desert Suns' founding members along with drummer Ben McDowell. AJ Belluto and current Desert Suns bassist Gabe Fonseca are also in a death metal band called Kushtaka. Finally, AJ recorded and mixed Desert Suns' new album Edge of the Sky, while Jason took on mastering duties. It always blows my mind that so many skilled underground musicians lend their talents to multiple projects, often while holding down a full-time job and raising a family, and they do it well. Hats off to you, gentlemen!With all that said, I'd never heard of Desert Suns before until I heard their single "Luck of the Draw" when it came out in October 2024. Upon hearing the vocals, I gasped aloud, "That's the dude from Sea of Snakes!" Desert Suns subsequently announced they'd be releasing their newest album, Edge of the Sky in December, and the rest is history...I knew I had to hear more.Without further ado, let's get into Edge of the Sky track by track:Edge of the Sky
1.) Sweet Sorrow
Sweet Sorrow, the second single from Edge of the Sky, was released in late November 2024 and was the one that really got me excited about the album. If you know anything about my musical preferences, that won't come as a surprise once you hear this emotive yet weighty track. Sweet Sorrow begins with a doleful doomy-psych mood and evolves into a triumphant progressive rock atmosphere as it continues. Notes of psychedelia remain a constant along with whispers of the desert. However, skirmishes with mournful doom are still encountered as this hauntingly beautiful song plays out, its intricate composition dancing across the entire spectrum of emotion.2.) Luck of the Draw
Luck of the Draw, as mentioned earlier, was my first taste of Desert Suns' sound, and it really is a great place to start. This is primarily because it's absolutely saturated with the band's trademark heavy blues influence, but it boasts just as many stoner/desert, psychedelic, and grunge textures, giving it a delightfully rugged feel overall. The grooving chorus is undoubtedly infectious and, if you're anything like me, you'll be getting it stuck in your head for the foreseeable future (not that I'm complaining). Luck of the Draw also really drew my attention to just how incredible the guitar work is throughout this album. The last two minutes of Luck of the Draw are overflowing with some killer musicianship and incredible dimension via wailing progressive rock, 70s heavy rock, and classic metal influences that are sure to grab your attention.3.) Real Eyes
Real Eyes is another blues-forward track that begins in a very cool way: with the guitars calling and answering the main riff to each other. The style of blues here differs from the one used in Luck of the Draw; this time there's a noticeable southern influence. Everything is a bit more slowed down and sultry, and the notes seem to linger a bit longer (in typical southern fashion). Certain guitar parts even remind me a bit of a distant train whistle.There's also a big grunge influence in Real Eyes, which goes hand-in-hand with the southern rock textures. My favorite part occurs about midway through the song when doom and metal very naturally fold into the mix and intensify as Real Eyes progresses. I'm also a big fan of the vocal harmonies used in the choruses. Although brief, they give the song a haunting quality that works impeccably well with the overall mood.4.) Daisy Chain
Daisy Chain switches gears quite a bit by being strikingly psychedelic in the best way. However, there's just as much of a grunge and prog sound here, which ultimately gives a hint of an early Black Crowes vibe (except Desert Suns is infinitely heavier and adds a layer of darkness with their doom and metal inclinations). While Daisy Chain vacillates between lighter and darker vibes throughout its duration, it's a feel-good song in my book - one that inspires you to let loose and crank the music up, as the song quite literally implores you to do.5.) Fata Morgana
The longest song on the album at just over seven and a half minutes, Fata Morgana (which, put simply, refers to a type of mirage usually seen on the open ocean), was originally released as a standalone single back in October 2023.This is a very unique track, especially as it begins with a retro 70s/80s prog rock sound that's actually incredibly soothing. When the vocals kick in, they're not what you'd expect to hear from Jason Busiek at first, and I mean that in a good way. Although as powerful and impassioned as ever, the trademark grungy growl in temporarily stifled, resulting in a much more melodic tone that blends beautifully well with this tranquil intro. It's really cool to hear another side of Jason's vocals, showing just how versatile he is as a singer.Not quite halfway through, Fata Morgana launches into what I could best call heavy desert prog, which is as great as it sounds with a gritty yet soaring and melodic tone. An undercurrent of stoner/doom drops in to help take the song out, and the notes of psychedelia and blues it contains really remind me of the same way Black Sabbath utilized a blues influence in their music.While these seven plus minutes absolutely fly by, Fata Morgana is a song meant to be savored, containing a little bit of multiple styles of heavy music with something that will resonate with everyone. Along those same lines, I really feel like this particular track is representative of the new direction Desert Suns is going with their sound, and it showcases not only their unique style, but their instrumental and vocal aptitude.Final Thoughts
Let me start by saying that I'll never pretend to be an expert on blues and its varying offshoots, but I hear more than one style of blues on Edge of the Sky. There's definitely more of a classic heavy blues style, a southern rock/grunge-tinted version, and finally, a psych-injected Sabbathian rendition to end the album. This is truly a breath of fresh air and brings me to my next point: heavy blues albums often feel very one-note to me. Now, I know this is just my personal tastes and biases working against me, and of course Edge of the Sky isn't solely a heavy blues album by any means. The point is this album couldn't be further from flat. It's cut like a diamond with multiple facets including progressive rock, desert rock, doom, grunge, heavy metal, and good old fashioned heavy rock to name a few. What's more, these influences vary in intensity depending on the song. Some tracks are noticeably more grunge-forward, other more blues-heavy. Still others have discernible layers, reading almost like chapters of a riveting novel in true progressive rock fashion (Daisy Chain and Fata Morgana are prime examples). You'll never be bored listening to Edge of the Sky; there's truly something here for fans of many styles of heavy music.Perhaps frontman Jason Busiek explains it best:"We ride the line between stoner-psy and prog-rock. WE like the elements and progressions that come from both. The album takes on subjects in everyday life, from feeling unlucky to missing so many dear friends as life passes by, and addresses the need to come together as people and spread love. We incorporated some recording techniques that the band had not used before to get a well-produced, psychedelic sound, to take people on a sonic journey and fill their heads with the visions we are building through the music. We hope everyone digs the production on this album. We think of this album as the gateway to a fresh new sound for Desert Suns going forward."In a nutshell, if this ultra sophisticated yet deliciously heavy sound is what we can expect from Desert Suns, the sky is truly the limit for the band, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for this incredible group of musicians!More About Desert Suns
Desert Suns Is:
AJ Belluto - GuitarLucas Fisher - GuitarGabe Fonseca - BassBen McDowell - DrumsJason Busiek - VocalsYou can follow Desert Suns and listen to their music at the following links:
I also highly suggest you check out Glory or Death Records, the label for both Desert Suns and Sea of Snakes. They're always dropping deliciously heavy releases! A massive thank you to the label for the promo!
You can read my full review of Sea of Snakes' newest album, Sea of Sorrow here, and my review of Supersonic Dragon Wagon's album From the Deep here.
