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Musipedia Of Metal
Reviews: Cognizance, Philip Sayce, Scarab, The Order (Mark Young & Matt Bladen)
Cognizance - In Light, No Shape (Willowtip Records) [Mark Young]
This is an accomplished release that overall charts a high path as it moves from start to finish. First listen and you think, yes, this ok but on a repeat listen there was a click with me. There are numerous tags associated with it, and with the band themselves, noting that they sit within that technical/progressive sphere where prowess sometimes overshadows songcraft.
So lets get into it, as they get into Transient Fixations, a reasonably short blast of brutality and technical metal. So far, so good. As openers go, it does what it needs to do in getting you engaged. The production is quality, vocals are harsh and guitars are heavy but with a clarity to them. Its when we get into Inflection Chants then they start striking through those tags associated with them – the progressive nature of their material starts to make itself known.What shone for me was that they combined that technical approach whilst keeping it interesting for those who may find it slightly less exciting than ‘normal’ death metal. And this pays dividends later, the machine gun opening of A Game Of Proliferation satisfies on a primal level before it takes that melodic turn. I have to shout out David Diepold on drums here, at times playing with deft touches and manic ferocity, providing the base from which the trio of Alex Baillie (G&V), Apostolis Karydis (G) and Chris Binns (Bass) can build from. Without that steadying anchor, I feel that the songs would flounder.
They don’t attempt to plough one furrow on repeat, Vertical Illusion drops the velocity in part, bringing an almost melancholic feel until it becomes too much and the tempo is increased once more. It’s the choice of arrangements that impress, bounding into A Reconfiguration which from a player’s perspective would be quality to jam to. I’ve said this many times, that if a song or album can inspire you then they are doing something right.The material on here is light years beyond my ability, but I can appreciate for what it is. What else works in their favour is knowing when their songs should end, they don’t try to extend song lengths out without it being necessary. For me, this Is massive as the songs come in, do what they need to and go. They don’t attempt to shoehorn as many super-difficult melody lines as possible, everything you hear is to suit the song.
They close up with The Zone, a stylish exercise in speed and touch; it ensures that they achieve their aims in making sure that the album wraps in the same way it started, always looking forward and constantly moving. It’s a strong album, and if anything you could argue that the songs suffer from sharing a similarity in sound which I think is unavoidable.However, that is being overly picky. If you come at this from a fan perspective, it’s quality right through, no interludes or overlong songs to puncture its momentum. For lovers of technical metal, this is something that is right up your street. 8/10
Phillip Sayce - Scorched Earth: Volume 2 Live in LA / London (Atomic Gemini Records) [Matt Bladen]
Blues and blues rock is at its best when it's live and raw, usually virtuosos, playing incendiary guitar riffs and filling the room with electric energy. So it's because of that why blues players nearly always have as many live albums as they do studio.
The latest on for veteran blues rocker Philip Sayce is Volume 2 of his Scorched Earth live series, with cuts drawn from his sold out Baked Potato L.A and The Garage London shows, it captures Sayce showing off his skills in front of packed full houses who hang on every riff and soulful vocals of this performance.
If you've not heard anything by Philip Sayce before then you could say there's some Gallagher, a bit of Vaughan and a lot of Hendrix in the way he plays, psychedelic rocker One Foot In The Grave and plenty of soul on Once, will tell you exactly what you need to know. Sayce even gives us his version of Hendrix's Spanish Castle Magic.
A live trio with Sam Bolle (bass) and Bryan Head (drums) behind him, there's no frills here, as other blues rock players have moved into orchestras and brass, Sayce keeps it simple as just there musicians delivering raucous blues and roll.
Soul and emotion coming in on the grooving Peace Machine which closes with a killer solos section shifting into as some bouncy country on Lady Love Divine and jamming with Morning Star where's there a little bit of Norwegian Wood in the solo section.
Scorched Earth: Volume 2 is Philip Sayce setting the stage on fire, expertly mixed and mastered by Mark Rains and Brian Lucey for full sonic power, it's blues rock in the best place for it, on stage cranked out of the amps by a white hot band of veteran players. 8/10
Scarab - Transmutation Of Fate (Brutal Records) [Mark Young]
Anyone up for slice of Death Metal with an Egyptian twist? Of course you are!! Its another new band for me, one that suggests that there is a high level of Eastern promise heading my way. I’ve mentioned before that EP’s are a great way of providing a stepping on point to a new band, and its no exception here.Now, I suppose we need to address other exponents of Egyptian style/themed death metal (looking at you, Nile). I’m not sure if there is a real comparison to be made between them, other than they both play death metal and both focus on a specific area but there is room for both.
In the case of Transmutation Of Fate, it plays out like a cinematic experience, the run times of each song whilst initially long don’t feel like it as they unspool. Yes, they each possess the core death metal ingredients – guttural vocals, blast beats, velocity of approach but there is a definite emphasis on making each song a living statement. My worry was that they would be a little cringe, but no, each is delivered from a place of authenticity, and steeped in atmosphere.
From the opener Vow Of The Sphinx (Abo El-Houl) through to Monarch Of Violence (Oriasirius) the effect is the same; the melding of traditional instruments, the use of keys and that overall drive to make this a complete experience whilst not losing sight that this is heavy metal and needs to be exciting and as visceral as possible. It’s an expansive and some cases epic listen, but what Scarab do is make sure that the core requirements are observed.All the atmosphere in the world is for naught unless there are whacking great riffs to back it up, and this is what they have. I’m assuming that having a specific focus won’t be for everyone, and that is one of the wondrous things about metal, we don’t all have to like the same things. I would say that you should give this a go, because at its heart is quality death metal. 8/10The Order - Empires (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]
Empires goes from one extreme to another, and I say that as final song Bonehead's Back - Promises And Illusions is a dramatic funk metal rife that closes the record with all the sounds of Cherone and Bettencourt. There is a menagerie of styles here as Swiss band The Order show off the skills they have harnessed over a 20 year career.
The Order have always had a political edge to them, this record for instance deal with political manipulation and the inevitable collapse of oppressive regimes. They kick off with thrash, getting the adrenaline pumping from the title track as they lean on heavy metal beginnings when things get more aggressive as they rage at the establishment though some modern sounding heavy rock.
One of their killer weapons, are the vocals of Gianni Pontillo, he has gritty style with some massive choruses on Warriors, in the vein of Udo/Accept, the grooving The Last Call, then he has a sleazy snarl on Living For The Nightlife and melodic balladry on Wherever I Go, which is probably why he's recently become the vocalist of Nazareth, as he can carry off the gruff and bluesy delivery of Dan McCafferty, adding a his own European charm.
I read that Gianni joining Nazareth will not be limiting The Order's recording and touring, which is a good thing as The Order are a great heavy rock band which can turn their hand to many things. 7/10
A View From The Back Of The Room: Intrepid (Alice Doyle)
Intrepid, Thel & Archemori, The Gryphon Bristol, 08.05.26
On another one of my extemporaneous trips out of town I landed myself in Bristol, and upon my arrival heard of a group of bands performing at The Gryphon that evening. The bands in question were Archemori, THEL and Intrepid - all somewhat falling on the death metal spectrum, and sure to be a treat. No further convincing was necessary, and I was off to the Gryphon!
The venue was quirky and separated into little segments, where the actual ‘stage’ was on the next level. A fairly small room, but compellingly good for acoustics and spacious enough to fit a reasonably large herd of headbangers in.
Archemori (7) were doing their first ever opening set, and with a technical fusion of different extremes they established the mood. The vocalist, Heather, immediately displayed an incredible control over her growl and the crowd responded with nodding to the tune. She would take the time between tracks to engage with the audience and would acknowledge us even during songs, which always adds value to a performance in my opinion. As the set went on we would see Heather touch on some clean vocals, but although the transition was smooth the clean vocals were a little lacklustre. In general each of the members performed with confidence and in near perfect synchronicity, but particularly the drummer and guitarist seemed to harmonise extremely well.
An excellent start to a night of live music!
I quickly caught up with the cats & kittens of Archemori by the bar, and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support they gave each other. Very friendly and down to earth bunch, whom then returned with me upstairs to witness the next band,
THEL (8) are a Bristol based group here to debut their melodic death jams live for the first time. In the background played a kind of electronic synth tune, which stood out for me. I wrote “f*cking sick control” twice, and I think the singer’s vocal performance was absolutely stellar and his reverb was being much accommodated by the layout of the room.We had the guitar solos, synth boogaloo and a drummer with eight arms and a cowbell - really what else do you need? As we reached the final song of their set (my personal favourite) the crowd had already established the world’s smallest pit in this narrow room, and everyone was thoroughly having a good time and I bought a t-shirt because yes.
Next up were the headliners - Intrepid (8), whom hailed from the cool, calm and collected climates of Estonia. Regardless of their young age, they immediately took control of the stage with an intense and aggressive sound. The vocalist was impressive, driven and his growl went deep, but furthermore I took notice how the backup vocalist seamlessly blended in his own voice into support and add depth.It was also the first of the three bands, where bassist was the first to catch my attention as I dissected the ensemble, showing strong skill whilst trying to pluck above the pitch of the drums - which I later found were affected by my positioning in the room. Though the lead had started with almost cocky confidence, towards the end he seemed to visibly relax and show some playfulness in his performance. These guys definitely deserve a bigger audience, but it shows welcome humility that they are willing to play to a smaller crowd despite playing to much bigger reception in the past.
Definitely a worthwhile experience, extra points for potentially offending the singer with my joke about Finland vs Estonia, which was received with visible discomfort. (Will she ever learn?)
Brilliant night with much talent and enthusiasm. Alice over and out out out!
Reviews: Sense Of Fear, Clairvoyant, Crystal Winds, Hypostasis (Matt Bladen)
Sense Of Fear - Infernal Decay (Sleaszy Rider Records)
Classic heavy metal now from Sense Of Fear, active since 1998, Internal Decay is only their second full length, their first released in 2018.
Despite their lack of releases, punctuated by a gap in their existence in the late 2000's, there's still decades of experience in this band which means that when they do deliver new songs you get a band who can sculpt heavy metal with the best of them.
Inspired by the darker side of classic metal there's hallmarks from the 80's but also the American heavy/power scene that straddle thrash. Case in point, Cerberus reminds me of some early Iced Earth, leading into the full throttle thrash of Empathy Of Darkness.
Here the guitars of Ioannis Kikis and Themis Iakovidis are distorted, the solo section introduced by great bass lead from Mike Mastrokoukos. There's an ominous atmosphere behind it driven by Markos Kikis' rampaging double kicks, this thrash toning continues for Conflict Of Interest.
Taking Sense Of Fear down heavier routes, letting Ilias Kytidis display his entire vocals range from the snarling lows to the powerful highs he's joined on the creeping Labyrinth by the familiar snarl of Sakis Tolis. With some battle metal anthems sprinkled through the record, there a balance between the aggression and the melodic.
Towards the end of the album Sense Of Fear put two monsters as Riddle Of Shadows and The Shallow Journey Of Your Soul, both have progressive metal grooves and cinematic storytelling as Sense Of Fear deliver a masterclass in heavy metal.
These veterans of the game have given us yet another long wait for a follow up album, however it's worth it as there's no signs of decay, infernal or otherwise, in Sense Of Fear's heavy metal. 9/10
Clairvoyant - Eternal Victory (Sleaszy Rider Records)
Strap in folks because the first album in 11 years by yet another veteran heavy metal band from Greece.
This time it's Clairvoyant who were formed all the way back in 1988, and now bring us their fourth album Eternal Victory a 62 (!) minute record that features 9 new songs, 2 bonus tracks and Motorhead cover, their first proper ballad Love Me Forever.Clairvoyant have veteran experience behind them and it's all over the this fourth record, blending power and neo-classical metal, songs like Heroes Altar and Riddles are blistering power metal tracks, with a love of the epic and anthemic.
The middle of the record features the excellent double of the The Quiet Dance Of Time intro and Time Marches On, one brilliant piece that really shows the fist in the air style of Clairvoyant as well as the quality of their new singer who debuts on this album.
The band pull off a trick where they can make these songs sound simple, but there's a lot of substance there in the background as keys add classical influence against the chunky riffs and muscular rhythm section. Even on the ballads such as Dreams Of The Past, Barren Lands and that Motorhead cover there's dynamism.
Personally I could have done with one or two fewer slow songs and more like Forsaken Sentinels or Eternal Empire (Alexander), but then I suppose the band want to show everything they've been working on in the 11 years between albums?
Clairvoyant are veterans of the game and with their fourth album they can still deliver great heavy metal but there are too many ballads on this record which kills the excitement a little. Still when they're on the accelerator they're a great band for fans of neo-classical power metal. 7/10
Crystal Winds - Long Live The King (Sleaszy Rider Records)
Another set of Greek heavy metal veterans now who formed back in 1999 but got reactivated in 2013. Crystal Winds are also only on their second studio album, their debut Return To The Dark Age was released in 2021.
Since then there's been a shift in their line up as this record features a different vocalist, however the music they perform hasn't shifted as Crystal Winds take from the epic heavy metal sound of where the 70's met the 80's in bands such as Manilla Road, Omen, Cirith Ungol and Greek/American legends Warlord.
What that means if you didn't know is that most of these songs are instrumentally driven, hooked around the riffs, the guitars, bass and drums in an anthemic union, with the march of Battalion, the galloping title track or the folksy cinematics of Riders Of Rohan, because what is an epic metal album without a Tolkien inspired song?
It's riffs galore here, the vocals telling these tales of battles and warriors in sonorous style, though it's the final track The Noble where they properly ascend to full epic status with a theatrical, elongated closer.
Long Live The King keeps the beacons of lit, and Crystal Winds are ready to defend epic heavy metal with album two. 7/10
Hypostasis - Birth Of A Mask (Self Released)
A decade after their EP and subsequent hiatus, Athens prog metal band Hypostasis have delivered their debut full length.
Birth Of A Mask is a concept album full of high concept lyrics and complex technical musicianship which draws inspiration from Pain Of Salvation and Nevermore, putting introspective melodies against the heavier and moodier side of progressive metal.
The band called Birth Of A Mask a "deeply emotional journey of self-reflection and the long road to acceptance" these themes are told though the songs, it's the emotion of tracks such as Silver Stars and the heavy Afraid, where the passion in the voice of Romanos Alexander is at it's strongest, there's a host of backing vocalists adding flavour.
He's also part of guitar duo along with Bill Apo as Konrad and Eridanus take bass and drums respectively, all the members of Hypostasis virtuosos on their own right as they move between gothic metal (Birth Of A Mask), doom metal (Mirror), symphonic metal (Visions) and death metal groove (Phoenix).
Birth Of A Mask take a few listens as all good concepts should but it's a complicated, contemplative and most importantly heavy record from Hypostasis. 8/10
Reviews: Haggard Cat, Karcius, Electric Sun Defence, Sins Of Shadows (Matt Bladen)
Haggard Cat - The Pain That Orbits Life (Church Road Records)
The duo of drummer/vocalist Tom Marsh and vocalist/guitarist Matt Reynolds, collectively known as Haggard Cat, are very well known on the British rock scene.
They've played as part of bands before but in 2017 when Heck (FKA Baby Godzilla) disbanded the two of them dragged their feline bones in there studio and began to record with a much rawer, live as it can be approach of just guitar/effects/drums/vocals leading to their debut in 2018.
It was all D.I.Y, bristling with intensity, no frills, loud and raucous rock n roll, with influences of post hardcore, noise, garage rock and more chucked together in their melting pot and played through speakers at their highest volume.
Following the pandemic they took took to the stage as often as possible as this type of music is honed best when making a room of people deaf, it also gives a band a confidence to play with the recipe, many songs evolve on stage, things are added, taken away, jammed right there and then.
This experimentation has been focussed into their third album; The Pain That Orbits Life, which still slaps you round the face with volume and veracity, but also brings in another side to this cat, a measured, progressive side where the song can be more elongated and the addition of synths can create a wider audio field than just guitar/drums.
With Grammy winner Adrian Bushby behind the desk, Matt and Tom kick off this next chapter with the atmospheric oscillation of I Hate It Here, the synths giving way to the Haggard Cat groove of punchy riffs, stiff drumming and dual vocals shouts. The new with the old as familiarity is merged with modernity.
The synths wind through back of nearly all the songs on The Pain That Orbits Life. They get back to the riffs weirdness again on Halcyon, as punk stomps through on Afterlove as they up the groove for the cascading rage of Apnoea, where Haggard Cat go Queens Of The Stone Age.
We're only halfway through with this 7 minute number, 'Side B' of The Pain That Orbits Life explodes with more hardcore anger and angular riffs, the ferocity and volume increases for Suppressor as the synths and electronic textures return on Landscapes.
Haggard Cats third album closes with Zion, their most epic cut yet, a 9 minute masterpiece that adds prog, doom and chest beating classic metal to their repertoire, changing shape in the middle as the atmosphere and psych doom crawls, Haggard Cat creating sounds much bigger than you'd expect a two piece to be able to.
Let's not beat around the bush The Pain That Orbits Life is one fine feline, Haggard Cat prove third times the charm with this opus. 10/10
Karcius - Black Soul Sickness (Self-Release)
It's always a humbling experience when you realise you're an idiot. Black Soul Sickness is the third album in a trilogy by Montreal prog band Karcius and one listen to it's confirmed I'm and idiot for not having heard anything by them before, as they are right up my street.
Influenced by Porcupine Tree, Pineapple Thief, Opeth and Big Wreck. Rest assured I will be going back to check out the first two parts of this story but for now I'll be focussing on Black Soul Sickness which is the latest chapter.
The story of Karcius is the story of Simon L’Espérance, guitarist/producer/songwriter for the band, this is actually his seventh solo album under this name, twenty years of evolution coming from a project that was previously an instrumental crossover jazz band.
Simon, joined by long time drummer Thomas Brodeur, entered a new heavier realms with the addition of Sylvain Auclair (vocals/bass) and Sébastien Cloutier (keys), from The Anchoret who joined for the first album in this trilogy.
Now we love The Anchoret here and those brilliant vocals (similar to Tom S Englund) are a part of it so there's an elevated emotional content to these records, which continues on Black Soul Sickness, you can feel the introspection, the frustration and the strong emotional content throughout the record.
With heavy groovers such as Out Of Nothing, perfectly showing off their balance of technical expertise and songwriting prowess. There's metallic volume, post-rock shimmers, acoustic moments, that infuse the opener Wallow, a track that has that call of classic prog where you pick out Floyd et all, these 'post' sounds continue on the the short but effective Slow Down Son.
Darkest Heir meanwhile fuses Opeth with Evergrey for shifting time signatures, orchestrations and a huge chorus, Rise keeps the riffs heavy but the delivery dynamic and technical as Awakening The Spirit brings some massive Dream Theater sounds in the duelling guitar and keyboard riffs towards the climax.
Black Soul Sickness closes the trilogy with the dramatic Dusting My Coat, it's short and effecting, like all good conclusions should be leaving just enough for you to want to delve back into this complex story again. Progressive, heavy, anthemic, epic, yeah I'm an idiot for not checking out Karcius before, you shouldn't be so go listen to it. 9/10
Electric Sun Defence - Estuary (Road To Masochist)
For fans of Mastodon and Baroness about sums up Electric Sun Defence. Born from the ashes of The Massacre Cave, multi-instrumentalist Joe Cormack and drummer Pete Colquhoun set about making a new band that is entrenched in prog and post metal, leaning on sludge/hardcore of Atlanta's favourite sons, while adding the palm muting and chunky technicality riffs of djent.
Electric Sun Defence are a heavyweight band musically and lyrically but they deliver their heaviness without losing the ambience and atmosphere of prog/post metal bands such as The Ocean do. Mixed by Graeme Young (Dog Tired, DVNE) and mastered by Alan Douches (Baroness, Mastodon), it sound just how you want it too, thickness in the bottom end, a rawness in the riffs and atmospheric clarity at the top end.
Multi-instrumentalist Joe Cormack claims that Estuary is a "metaphor for inevitability" and in that it's a perfect fit or Road To Masochist Records who champion bands with a experimental sound. The high level of technicality coming immediately on the title track where Morricone brass, shifts into dual harmony heaviness with clean/harsh vocals delivery.
The theme of the water begins here with a torrent moving it's way to the end of the cycle, the rest of the songs all contributing in their own way to the lyrical themes, with proggy grooves, crushing heaviness and ambient textures on The Master's Garden and the trippy Spiderweb are countered by aggression of Phantom Limb Amputee.
With the influence of Mastodon and Baroness is so strong on Estuary that you may think it's a lost album from one of them, but Electric Sun Defence do just enough to make it their own. 8/10
Sins Of Shadows - The Last Frontier (Self-Release)
Sins Of Shadows are French heavy metal band formed by guitarist Nicolas Jacon who writes all the music and lyrics, he's joined by bassist Sebastien Normand and drummer Rodolphe Plachesi.
Over the course of their existence the trio have released two previous albums dividing their work between the early days of the British heavy metal scene and conceptual sound of American prog. They've also had a few vocalists cross their path over the years, adapting their sound each time, but you can do that when you do everything, such as the production etc in house.
They now get ready to release their third full length album The Last Frontier which has Tasos Lazaris take the vocals so there's a a more pronounced Maiden vibe to the record given the Maiden related band's he's involved in. His Air Raid siren explodes on The Void which is a pacey gallop that showcases a more aggressive, focussed sound for this record.
Sins Of Shadows are leaning on the heavier side with the American power sound of Iced Earth on The Last Frontier but then there's a shift as Walls Of Past, Tell Me Why and Rise Again recall Maiden in full 80's pomp as Laszaris unleashed over some gallops and harmony guitars.
On their third record, Sins Of Shadows crank up the Irons and are all the better for it! 7/10
A View From The Back Of The Room: Tygers Of Pan Tang (Debby Myatt & Tony Gaskin)
Tygers Of Pan Tang, Demon and Voltstorm, The Asylum Birmingham, 29.04.26
Heavy metal was was the order of the day at The Asylum in Brum as the iconic venue celebrated it’s 25th anniversary with a triple header of nostalgia and modern grit. Owners Roy and Jacqui are long time friends of the Tygers and were pleased to be able to get them to come and raise the roof.
Openers were Voltstorm (8), a London based heavy metal band forged in 2019 by established singer John D. Prasec. They encapsulate the ethos of the NWOBHM with a modern grit and swagger. The songs are fast and high energy mostly taken from their 2024 album Breaking The Silence heavily influenced by the likes of Maiden and Priest.They have a decent following in the crowd judging by the amount of singing along there was, the songs are typically anthemic and epic as you would expect from a classic heavy metal band with their European flair. I think they probably gained a few more fans as well tonight, good start to the evening.
Hailing from the Potteries, Demon (9) are one of those bands that have a cult following. One of those bands that “should have been bigger” you might say. Fronted by the cheeky and indomitable Dave Hill (not Noddy’s mate) the band have existed for 45 years and today sees them in sprightly form. Their brand of heavy metal leans on their style of dark gothic story telling like Night Of The Demon but can get serious with soaring melodic tunes such as Hurricane.It’s obvious that they’re having loads of fun but keep it technical with fast precision on The Unexpected Guest, but they get serious with Nowhere To Run a track that Hill tells us that was written many years ago about Middle Eastern conflicts and unfortunately still relevant today. A wonderfully nostalgic set though and a band we’d never expected to see in 2026!
Closing the night, Tygers Of Pan Tang (10) proved that they can still roar with the best, their style is as sharp as their claws and they still have a bite to their heavy rock. Sorry, that’s all the puns out of the way!Seriously though, guitarist Robb Weir can still shred with the best, and he is sharply turned out tonight with slick quiff and Hawaiian style shirt belying his 68 years and his interaction with singer Jack Meille is the cornerstone of the band and key to its longevity.
Meille has been at the forefront of the Tygers during their latest incarnation and his style and flair fit perfectly with the bands melodic rock, and the being a Florentine, he’s spearheaded the renaissance of the band who are as busy as ever with the resurgence of classic rock thanks to all us Gen X folk who still love to rock out!
Tonight they were on top form with classics like Slave To Freedom and Gangland whilst bringing us up to date with 2019’s White Lines. We even got a taster of the upcoming album Bloodlines with the first single that’s just dropped, “Electrifyed” proving that they can still bang out cracking tunes.
They kept us waiting till the end though for the cheesy but great fun Love Potion No.9 and closing out with the fans favourite Hellbound the packed room loved it, and to be fair it wasn’t all Gen X in the room there were a lot of other generations represented, testament to the timeless attraction that this much loved British rock band has, and a fantastic way to celebrate the 25th birthday of a much loved venue and rehearsal rooms.So a huge congratulations to Roy and Jacqui and a massive thank you to the Tygers for making a Gen X girl very happy!
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Outlaws Of The Sun
SNAIL ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE “RED TENT” — FIRST IN A ROLLING SERIES OF DIGITAL-ONLY DROPS AHEAD OF A VINYL COLLECTION VIA ARGONAUTA RECORDS
Seattle heavy-psych/stoner lifers Snail burrowed underground after 2021’s Fractal Altar and came back swinging with 2024’s live document Thou Art There: Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer. Now the trio re-emerges with “Red Tent,” a cold-sweat ripper inspired by John Carpenter’s The Thing, and the opening salvo in a 60s-style singles campaign that culminates in a full vinyl release on Argonauta Records.
“Red Tent” finds Snail leaning hard into the classic metal chassis they rode on 2012’s Terminus: knife-edge riffs, ominous harmonies, and that doom-drunk groove only this band can make swing. Fans who’ve ridden with Snail since their early ’90s origins through Snail (’93), All Channels Are Open (’94), the reunion era of Blood, Terminus, Feral, and Fractal Altar will hear the band’s signature fuzz get meaner, tighter, and freakier.“Red Tent” is the first of a batch of new studio cuts the band has been quietly tracking since Fractal Altar. Each song will drop digitally as a stand-alone single, bringing maximal riffs with minimal waiting. Then the collected work will be pressed to wax by Argonauta, who also released Fractal Altar and Snail’s 2024 live set. Translation: we’re back to the jukebox era of one killer A-side after another until the platter lands.
Band Quote (Mark Johnson, vocals/guitar)
“We basically disappeared into the ice for a minute while writing, recording, and losing our minds on tones. ‘Red Tent’ is the flare going up. It’s paranoia, it’s body-horror, it’s fuzz that wants to tear through the canvas and eat you. We’re dropping these tracks the way the 60s did it: single, single, single, followed by the tactile vinyl ritual. If Fractal Altar was the ceremony, this is the possession. See you under the black light.”
About SnailFormed in 1992 and reactivated in 2008, Snail has carved a cult path through psych, doom, and heavy melody. Their most recent releases include the studio album Fractal Altar (Argonauta, 2021) and the digital-only live album Thou Art There: Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer (Argonauta, 2024).
Lineup
Mark Johnson: vox/guitar
Matt Lynch: bass, keys
Marty Dodson: drums
For Fans ofHeavy-tripping doom, desert-fried psychedelia, and classic-metal menace—think the spacefaring heft of Fractal Altar with the blade-edge thrust of Terminus.
Links
https://www.facebook.com/snailhq
https://www.argonautarecords.com/Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.
Void Sinker - Cycle (Album Review)
Release Date: 15th May 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Cycle - Tracklisting
1.Hanged
2.Cycle
3.Isolated
4.Dreadful
5.Nowhere
Members
Guglielmo Allegro - Everything
Review
Drone/Doom/Sludge Metal collective Void Sinker leaves the comforting sounds of the ocean that we experienced on their last album and returns to the cold, desolate and harsh realities of the Cosmic Void. Their new album Cycles fully embraces the Drone folklore and mythology with heavy monolithic tones that are quite slow-paced in nature. As before, Void Sinker emits creative themes influenced by the likes of SUNN 0))), BONG and CONAN though sticking closely to their own rules they’ve created with previous albums released under the Void Sinker name.The record lasts around fifty three minutes and is perhaps Void Sinker’s most sprawling and deliberately slow album to date. The tone is quite monolithic with deep instrumental passages having a dark pretence and essence to them. Sounds have a weighted grounded approach with that burgeoning thick AMPLIFIER sound perfectly tapping into the LOW & SLOW environment with the stunning opening track of Hanged. There is a down-tuned progressive theme which allows creative mastermind Guglielmo Allegro once again explore the bleak Ambient leaning Post-Doom and Post-Metal surroundings that manifests into some nightmarish style of Stoner Metal soundscapes with layers of FUZZ METAL feedback coming at you from all angles.Void Sinker expertly taps into the Post-Industrial theme on tracks such as Cycle, Isolated and Dreadful that taps into the gloomy theatrics of a classic Science Fiction movie soundtrack such as the “ALIEN” franchise. There is a sublime “HORROR” and “SCIENCE FICTION” element that fully comes into play on tracks such as Cycle and Isolated where I feel that Guglielmo may be inspired by certain soundtracks that he grew up with or was inspired by. The sudden sharpness of the down-tuned and drone energy does move into heavier, faster and aggressive waters along the way with the album having some intense and crisp production values especially with the haunting sound effects appearing in the background.Cycles can be quite solitary with the sludgy movements of certain instrumental passages and how Guglielmo delivers the whole flow of the album. Sometimes it’s not very subtle but it’s how Void Sinker plays out the musical momentum that pays homage to some real grounded characteristics of the Doom, Drone and Sludge Metal underground scene. With a wonderfully observed psychedelic and kinetic energy developing within the later stages of the album, Void Sinker allows the album to breathe organically especially when the heaviest and droned out sounds appear on the album.Guglielmo Allegro has got his creative mission statement developed down to a fine art with his “Void Sinker” persona but it’s always great to hear him try new things and fully challenge himself with each album he releases either under his Void Sinker or Nightscape personas. Cycles is a gloomy and highly claustrophobic release that demands your full attention that will surely put you through a punishing regime of intense Drone/Doom Metal once more.Words by Steve Howe
Links
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TOOMS - KARST (Album Review)
Release Date: 29th May 2026. Record Label: Various. Formats: CD/Cassette/DD/Vinyl
KARST - Tracklisting
1.Blood Rust of Cudgel and Quill
2.Lowlander
3.Tower of Silence
4.Blue Angel
5.Drinkvlt
6.Two Silver Pieces
7.Whitehorn
8.A Release of Tension
9.Physics Beyond The Standard Model
Members
Big Al- Guitar & vocals.
Anno- Bass
Gracious K- Drums & vocal
Review
Doom/Sludge Metallers TOOMS offer their second album Karst has a lot of great talent behind the scenes bringing the band's nihilistic vision fully to life. You have the legendary Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Pelican, Russian Circles) on mixing duties and mastering handled by the masterful talents of Chris Fielding (Electric Wizard, Conan, Primordial) which makes up for a powerful and destructive combination. TOOMS themselves bring their own dynamically powerful and brutal sound that’s held together by Doom, Sludge, Death Metal, Stoner Metal, Psych and grounded Post-Metallic themes that adds a line of Prog Metal into the mix.
The album has an highly unapologetic sound with TOOMS moving away from their Stoner Metal sound they played briefly on their earlier releases. Karst feels like a band finally discovering the music they were meant to play which is full of death growls, ambient melodies and harsh backdrops that morph into something more cerebral within the stunning opening tracks of Blood Rust Of Cudgel And Quill, Lowlander and Tower Of Silence. You can hear the likes of Mastodon, NEUROSIS, ISIS, Cult of Luna, CONAN, THOU and WEEDEATER being used for creative reference but TOOMS are wise enough to play a seedy backdrop of Post-Metal surroundings which adds extra grit, dirt and pure brutality throughout the album.
The music is at its most powerful and emotionally gut-wrenching when TOOMS play a style of modern day Post-Metal which is merged with pitch black ferocity with that Death Metal aspect fully shining through with massive amounts of technical beat-downs and psychedelic sounds developing behind the scenes. Some of the instrumental passages have an Industrial Metal and Drone Metal vibe which is laced with that Thrash Metal and Extreme Metal energy that has an ice-cold Post-Black Metal attitude not being too far.
Clean vocals do appear within the record but they’re quite violent when compared to the more extreme styles used for the majority of the album. That may sound strange but TOOMS manage to add another layer of intense violence even within the quieter aspects of the whole album.
Karst moves along at a cracking, aggressive and highly addictive pace with certain sections being quite experimental on the later stages of the record. However, TOOMS actually play a great still of riff-driven music as the album contains a high amount of wonderful instrumental passages which even allowed me to drift quite easily into full on“headbanging” mode that always leave you one thousand percent fully satisfied.
Other standout tracks to check out are: Blue Angel, Drinkvlt, Two Silver Pieces, A Release Of Tension and Physics Beyond The Standard Model. As these moments have some highly original psychedelic tendencies which moves the album into some highly unexpected musical waters you’ll be surprised to fully encounter.
There’s some perfectly placed dark humour spliced throughout the album which shows that TOOMS know how to have some demonic fun when the time calls for this. Karst is a technically impressive album from the very start with TOOMS proving what great musicians they really are by playing a wide range of different HEAVY METAL sounds that’s mostly told through the power of the Doom/Sludge Metal underground scene.
KARST can only be described as an absolute MONSTER that’s jam packed with brutal gigantic sounds that destroys everything within its wake. TOOMS have a vivid, expansive and highly unpredictable nature hidden within their music which allows the listener to be part of this brilliantly intense and pissed off musical journey they won’t forget about in a long time to come.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Cursed Monk Records for the promo.
KARST is available to buy from the links below:Links
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Phantom Logic - Salton Dust (Album Review)
Release Date: 27th April 2026. Record Label: Glory Or Death Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Salton Dust - Tracklisting
1.Salton Dust I 19:49
2.Salton Dust II 06:43
3.Glyphwave 05:13
4.A Sigil Bloom 09:06
Members
Matthew Glenn Meyer - Guitar
Kristofer Dawson - Bass
Kiran Sheshadri - Drums
Review
Salton Dust is the debut album from Instrumental Psychedelic Stoner Rockers Phantom Logic and it’s quite a highly captivating free-flowing affair that shows traces of Acid Rock, Space Rock and Post-Doom melodies along the way. Phantom Logic have a major secret weapon at their disposal on this record and that’s the extraordinary musical talents of a certain Isaiah Mitchell (EARTHLESS) appearing throughout the whole album. Sure, EARTHLESS is a massive influence on Phantom Logic but that’s only a small aspect with the band taking cues from the likes of YAWNING MAN, KARMA TO BURN, MONKEY3 and even heavier Doomed Out Bands.
The record has an epic free-flowing melody which allows Phantom Logic to tap right into the seedy heaviness of their Acid Rock creative persona with a lucid imagination exploring deeper Progressive musical themes especially within the epic opening track of Salton Dust I. There’s a rebellious slice of Classic Hard Rock that has an eerie style of Seventies Twin Guitar based action that reminds me of Thin Lizzy before the mood changes into one of Space Rock exploration with a gritty Stoner Rock undertone.
There are many moments of all of the band's musical individuals trying to wrestle creative control from each other in order to impress Isaiah Mitchell and that musical direction brings out the absolute best of the core members of the band. The album really becomes more thrilling and interesting for me when they move firmly into the realm of Doom Rock and Stoner Metal heaviness where the music is quite frenzied. Sounds become disjointed and pushes the album into new musical areas of absolute heaviness where an unexpected sideline of Sludgy Psychedelics appear to filter out the jam-based aspect of the album from time to time.
The opening track Salton Dust I is the standout track and just whets the appetite for Phantom Logic to explore other areas of their Instrumental Heavy World for the remainder of the album. The other three tracks Salton Dust II, Glyphwave and A Sigil Bloom are equally as good with Phantom Logic; they're just as capable of creating and exploring massive cinematic worlds within shorter timescales but with a real sense of urgency and grounded reality being the main strengths of the whole album.
You have to admire the great use of Ambient sound effects, fuzzed out amplifiers and distorted reverb that’s added on various stages for the album that feels like a turning point for the listener to become more wonderfully engaged with this epic spaced out adventure. The atmosphere can be quite aggressive and wonderfully uplifting with the great use of Post-Stoner effects appearing towards the end of each song that leaves you wanting more of this sublime use of delivering music that can be quite subversive.
Salton Dust is a record that deserves to be heard by the biggest audience possible. This is a record that has massive appeal and fans of Instrumental Rock Music should check this out when they possibly can. The production values are off the freaking scale that allows PHANTOM LOGIC to create HUGE SOUNDING GROOVES of their own making. This record has the potential to allow Phantom Logic become the “next big thing” within the Instrumental Stoner Rock scene in the years come if they keep making brilliant albums such as this.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Wandering Mind - Endless Skies (Album Review)
Release Date: 08th May 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Endless Skies - Tracklisting
1.The Watcher 11:05
2.Land of Nod 06:12
3.Endless Skies 07:48
4.Bathe In The Light 10:32
Members
Kurt Werder - Guitar and vocals
Jason Chenoweth - Bass and Tambourine and vocals
Jack Henry - Drums and Synth/Keys
Review
Endless Skies is the debut album from Psych/Stoner Rockers Wandering Mind which takes quite a leftfield turn with how the band develop and deliver their mysterious Stoned Out melodies that lay the entire groundwork for the album to fully work. There’s a lot of mystery behind Wandering Mind’s music that has a dramatic WEEDIAN effect but is still grounded in today’s reality with the band moving into areas of Psych, Prog, Post-Stoner, Ambient and Space Rock momentum. The freakish amounts of Space Rock activity allows the music to be quite jam-based with sludgy instrumental sounds holding everything together.
The vocals from Kurt Werder and Jason Chenoweth work superbly well together as they have a real underground quality in the way they're fully delivered. I mean that as a compliment as these are brilliantly real and far away from any modern day studio trickery that is humanely possible. The music is grounded but still off shooting into areas of Cosmic Dimensions with some jazzy interludes that allows fuzzy screeching instruments to fully lead the way on the excellent opening track of The Watcher.
Wandering Mind are influenced by a wide range of different musical artists which they fully transform into their own creative image with spellbinding musical passages being quite distorted and fully doomed out into areas of menacing Drone, Fuzz, Grunge and Blues Rock melodies. The band even play moments of hazy classic hard rock which has a free form style delivery on tracks such as Land Of Nod and Endless Skies. One moment the record can be quite playful with a subtle charge of start/stop instrumental passages before transforming into a thunderous style of Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal filled with intricate Desert Rock sounds along the way.
There’s an epic style of jam-based rock that becomes the main way for Wandering Mind to play their music against whilst still keeping close to the classic tried and tested way of riff based music which they use brilliantly well on the later stages of the album on tracks such as Endless Skies and Bathe Into The Light. One of the real strengths of the record is how Wandering Mind aren’t afraid to experiment with certain themes, textures and grizzled effects that provides their music with real intelligence and human emotion that gives this a highly undeniable quality of pure brilliance at times.
Wandering Mind are from Australia and they inject their cultural heritage into the record which you can feel from every possible angle. The lyrics can be quite uncompromising to hear at times but it’s a great approach that pays off huge dividends for the band. Even though this record can be superbly “FAR OUT” the best of times, it’s also wonderfully grounded and superbly daring when the time calls for this.
Endless Skies is a superbly entertaining album that showcases another fantastic band to check out from the Aussie Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal scene that will surprise you in many ways.
Sublime. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
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Stoner HiVe
Sons Of Node - Consequence of Abundance
Sons Of Node - Consequence of Abundance
Self-released – 2026
Metal, Sludge, Hardcore
Rated: ***Perhaps, just like your tasting buds, your ears will be most receptive, sensitive and in tune in the morning. It sure feels like it, during all of those early mornings the past week all albums that we listened to sounded amazing and quenched some kind of thirst. But then Sons Of Node came along, announced that the album would be out on May 15th, and yes you guessed it! Their new Consequence of Abundance album had us hungry for more!
Their sound, like a collapsing refinery set to music: suffocatingly heavy sludge metal dragged through stoner rock haze, noise-rock chaos and hardcore abrasion. An aggro edge and colossal bass work, combined with the triple-vocal attack shove you ever forward. Shifting between roars, barks and guttural howls like three arguments happening at once, those different styles add a lot to the Sons Of Node character. It’s a sludge-soaked demolition crew with surprisingly sharp songwriting underneath all its chaos.
Punishing grooves erupt in violent bursts of feedback and rhythmic instability. And it all feels intense and entirely physical… A body-level sludge metal assault that will bruise the ribs and the riffs will grind you up like some phantasmal machine. Each one hitting you with industrial weight, turning the entire Consequence of Abundance album into something your taste buds will be tasting for the rest of the day. It’s something to endure, to savor, cause this is impact after impact without reprieve. (Well,except for I Awake..., a lovely atmosperhic interlude.) Sons Of Node is relentless and a force to be reckoned with!(Written by JK)
Listen to the first three singles now and be ready for the entire Consequence of Abundance album by Sons Of Node to drop on May 15th!
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Hard Life Promotion
Stoner HiVe’s Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…
Stoner HiVe’s
Top 10 Most Listened Artists Last Week…
Hermano
Qlesaar
Phantom Logic
Crobot
Earthless
Black Lung
We Follow The Earth
Deathbird Earth
Tusoc
Poly-MathGood morning one and all! It’s Monday, the start of the week. And where last week was all about that Hermano, Solace and Troy Torino gig. What a night! Loved every minute of the Solace set and Hermano was tight and grooving and kicking ass! Man they rock! This is about Sonic Whip Festival, starting on Friday. An amazing festival, and two days filled with a stunning line-up! Can’t wait… Before we leave on Thursday, we do hope to get some HiVe work done! And predict at least one or two posts… Grin!
Just like we managed to put something up last week. A few words on the stunning Black Lung record and amazing Tusoc album. Madman Tony Maim graced us with his thoughts on American Sharks and we then did two premieres on one day! One for the kick ass single Foamdrinker from We Follow The Earth and the brilliant Mörkekraft album Fragments. Two sides of the heavy underground coin that both deserve your attention! And last but not least, because of inquiry or two, we put up a Buy Me A Coffee page. It’s a bit weird to put something like that up. But hey, why not right? It's all up in the air and we thank you for checking out the HiVe and reading our words either way... And more importantly, we talked with the main dude behind Phantom Logic, an interview that will go live on the HiVe as soon as we return from our off grid holiday in a few weeks. We are unfortunately too busy with work beforehand. Thanks for stopping by, checking out the HiVe and listening to all that’s good and heavy! Check out the list above, they all rock!
Buy Me A Coffee
I've recently had a few people inquire how they could support Stoner HiVe...
Well... Here's a Buy Me A Coffee page!
It could be the perfect cup of joe, fuel and energy to get even more HiVe work done!
Either way, thank you for stopping by, reading what we write and listening to all that's good and heavy!
Keep spreading that love!
FULL ALBUM PREMIERE - Mörkekraft - Fragments
FULL ALBUM PREMIERE
Mörkekraft - Fragments
From the cold southern coast of Norway comes Mörkekraft, a three-man force forging heavy rock like iron in a storm-lit fjord... There's something very special about the Mörkekraft three. But you already knew that, cause you've had their Follow The Spiders single on repeat. Right? Well... Today, right before the full Fragments album is released through Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records tommorrow, we are honored to bring you ALL of the singles! That's right... We're honored to bring you the FULL ALBUM PREMIERE for Mörkekraft's Fragments!An album that drives hard on all that seventies classic rock, filtered through modern stoner and psychedelic sensibilities. Just open the album, just Follow The Spiders. That opening track, what a battering ram! It creeps, it crawls and it moves every bone in your body! And the entire Fragments album is packed tightly with thick, fuzzed out riffs, grooves straight out of the golden age of rock and a warm analog sound that makes it all feel like a fireside saga sung beneath those northern skies. Fragments rolls forward on those colossal Sabbathian riffs, but the tundra haze is never far away. Echoes of wandering space rock and bluesy laments are woven into the album's muscular stride. And then there are those short moments of more pop sensible, ballad opting songs like Godspeed. Delivered with euqal intensity and cavalier emotions. Turning it all into sun beam bursting through the clouds. Why yes, they've managed to capture all those dark forces and transform it into something that will induce euphoria. They've found that ancient root somewhere on the road and knew that they had struck gold. Just imagine those candelit taverns where ancient spirits still whisper and you can see the Mörkekraft three listening...
Now it's your chance to start listening... To that golden hued rock of Fragments, brought to you by the Mörkekraft three!
PR Wire:
Mörkekraft – “Fragments”
Mörkekraft are a Norwegian heavy rock trio blending heavy rock, stoner and psychedelia into a sound defined by massive riffs, atmospheric depth and emotional weight. Often described as “a depressed Thin Lizzy,” the band combines strong melodic sensibility with a darker, introspective edge. Their debut album, “Fragments,” was recorded at Bridge Burner Recording in Stavanger across two sessions in January and May 2025, capturing both a colder, more restrained tension and a more dynamic, expansive approach. Engineered by Ørjan Kristoffersen Lund and mastered by Steven Grant Bishop, the record presents a cohesive and immersive sonic identity. Inspired by northern landscapes and shaped by themes of human struggle, inner conflict and the search for meaning, Fragments moves between heaviness and introspection, balancing fuzz driven riffs with melancholic melodies and a strong atmospheric presence. Across eight tracks, the album explores contrasts between light and darkness, instinct and control, delivering a debut that is both powerful and emotionally resonant.
Tracklist
Follow The Spiders – 4:44
Shine Your Light – 4:10
Godspeed – 4:47
Virgil – 6:00
Soul Confusion – 4:50
Kaleidoscope – 6:04
Evil Eyes – 4:04
Ghosts – 3:44
Release details
“Fragments” will be released on May 8, 2026 on deluxe colored vinyl and digital via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records.
Single Premiere – We Follow The Earth – Foamdrinker
Single Premiere
We Follow The Earth – Foamdrinker
The opening track, the title track and the final single! We're honored to PREMIERE for you the final single Foamdrinker before the full album by We Follow The Earth arrives on May 12. The Winston Salem, North Carolina four are experts in creating an intense atmosphere while combining sludge metal and doom... And Foamdrinker is another prime example of that proficiency!
The album talks of a world locked in perpetual winter, where survival demands sacrifice. The atmospheric sludge sound swells like those frozen seas shifting and breaking, ice cold expanses that boom as its weight explodes through riffs. Beneath the ice, both oceanic and internal horrors rise, as selflessness and survival collide in crushing, cinematic tension. Foamdrinker's slow burning riffs start off but you can immediately feel the surging crescendo and the distant percussion nears and the burst of fury that awaits. Heavy, intense and entirely cinematic, We Follow The Earth's sound has meditative qualities, but is often volatile and shifting with restless momentum... Like a storm gathering over all that ice cold water...
Press play on We Follow The Earth's Foamdrinker right now and be ready for the entire album dropping on May 12th! All done independently, but Nespithe Records is handling the CD's!
PR Wire:
We Follow The Earth is a sludgy doom band that will occasionally lean into a post metal sound. Located in Winston Salem, North Carolina, the core of their sound is built on slow, crushing riffs, ever present soul shaking bass, and aggressive, strained screams. Started as a solo project for Matthew Crotts, with his brother, Robert Crotts, offering to write the concept story and lyrics for the debut album “Lightbearer” in 2023. Shortly after releasing the debut album, writing started for the 2nd concept album “Extinct”, which was recorded/engineered by Jamie King and released in March 2024. This new album,“Foamdrinker”, takes the listener on a journey through a world that is, for unknown reasons, stuck in a perpetual winter. Facing extinction, our characters are willing to go to any lengths to survive, but dangers beyond the ice lurk in the depths of the ocean and within ourselves. The struggle to overcome these challenges that we are presented with, both the external and the internal superstitions about how we think the world should work from the crux of this story. How we balance selfless acts against selfish ones can save or doom the world.
Album credits:
Matthew Crotts –Vocals, guitar
Josh Burton –Guitar
Jason “Buddha” Myers –Bass
Matthew Pickard –Drums
Robert Crotts –Story/Lyric writer
Engineered by Jacob Beeson
Mastered by Esben Willems (Studio Berserk)
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Screaming From the Heavy Underground
No Man's Valley Releases "Live Kult41 Bonn", an Immersive Snapshot of the Band's Trance-Inducing Live Shows
No Man's Valley is one of those bands that's virtually impossible to slap a genre label on or adequately describe with words. Sure, one could safely say that the sound produced by this Dutch quintet vacillates among soulful, expressive movements of heavy blues, post punk, psychedelic, and indie rock, kind of like inviting Jim Morrison and Nick Cave to the same party. However, I tend to think of No Man's Valley in terms of the blissful feeling they generate within their listener - a meditative state of mind brought about by hypnotic, soothing grooves that cohabit with a keen sense of focus that crescendos along with the band's bursts of intensity.
Knowing this, it's not surprising that No Man's Valley describes their condition at their live shows as a state of being "completely possessed" for an hour, even after ten years and countless stages. This psychedelic energy, in turn, is successfully transmitted to the audience, resulting in a near spiritual experience for all.
One such show took place in Bonn, Germany on October 11, 2025, a magical gig that just so happened to be captured on both video and multi-track. Naturally, the band seized the opportunity to release the result as a live album, Live Kult 41 Bonn, adding only a minute amount of additional mixing. You'll certainly hear that the integrity of the live performance is very much intact, particularly on opening track and thirteen-minute epic Flight of the Sloths (I'm so glad the band included this song).
Whether you've never heard No Man's Valley before or you're a seasoned fan, Live Kult41 Bonn will fully immerse you in a sound that's simultaneously restorative and invigorating, feelings made even more palpable through the intimate nature of the live show.
Live Kult41 Bonn is available digitally and in cassette (here), vinyl, and CD formats (here).
No Man's Valley - Live Kult41 Bonn Concert Video
More About No Man's ValleyNo Man's Valley Is:Rens Coenen ~ DrumsJasper Hesselink ~ VocalsChristian Keijsers ~ GuitarRuud van den Munckhof ~ KeysRob Perree ~ BassYou can follow No Man's Valley and listen to their music at the following links:A massive thank you to the band for the promo!
Best New Releases April 2026
Is it just me, or have new releases in the stoner/doom heavy underground been really consistent this year? Since January, there hasn't been a dry month in sight, and April was no different. Here are my ten favorite albums from the month, but first, an honorable mention that's sure to make a few of you very, very angry:Honorable Mention:
Angine de Poitrine - Vol. II
In case you've been living under a rock and haven't yet come into contact with the polka dot triangle cult on social media, allow me to introduce Angine de Poitrine, a math rock duo from Quebec who, with only a drum set, a custom-built microtonal double-neck guitar, and a surplus of delightfully wacky DIY skills, is taking the music scene by storm. These guys seem to be getting a very mixed response here in the stoner scene but, love them or hate them, I don't think anyone can deny that it's beyond refreshing to see bona fide human creativity making waves amid a shitstorm of AI-generated slop. The duo's latest album Vol. 2 marks my first time hearing the band and, like it or not, I'm a fan for life.Favorite Track: Mata ZyklekBest New Releases of April 2026
(exactly what I submitted to the Doom Charts, in descending order)10.) Purple Skies - A Million Years
Specializing in an emotive brand of proto doom à la Witchcraft, Purple Skies delivers a memorable first impression with their debut full-length album A Million Years. The sound emanating from these Norwegian heavy rockers is awash with expressive melancholia for the most part, utilizing emotional swells and poignant lyricism. However, there's also a kind of openness that's ever-present via the more delicate influence of psychedelic and prog rock, as well as beautiful intricacies in the band's musicianship that give their sound a very vintage feel. Equally soothing and gripping, A Million Years pulls the listener in and transports them to another realm.Favorite Track: Archaic Freeway9.) Wasteland Haze - Tales From The Wasteland Chapter I: Lonestar
On their latest sonic narrative Tales From The Wasteland Chapter I: Lonestar, instrumental metal trio Wasteland Haze proves that they are never content to stagnate, confidently challenging the bounds of their creativity, musicianship, and storytelling abilities by delivering their most cinematic release to date.While Lonestar is an Italian-Western revenge story, it's set in a futuristic wasteland where interpersonal conflicts are complicated by the struggle for survival. A few sound clips dotted throughout the album do aid listener comprehension to some degree, but as always, Wasteland Haze does an outstanding job of transmitting these details via music alone. True to form, the band utilizes a complex but seamless blend of stoner metal, doom, and post rock/metal, but Lonestar is arguably the trio's grittiest release ever (perfectly demonstrated on one of my favorite tracks, Handful Of Dust). These rougher textures sonically depict scenes of parched landscapes, barren wastelands, pockets of ruin, and lost civilizations. Conversely, interludes of light and airy, vast atmospheres via a focus on post metal communicate not only intense emotions that the story's conflict brings about for the main character, but it also smacks strongly of longing: memories and increasingly faint reminders of what once was, and the harsh reality that this ravaged world is the "new normal".You can read my review of the album here.Favorite Track: Handful of Dust8.) TONS - Stoned Villains
Italian doom/sludge metallers TONS are back with Stoned Villains, their fourth album and first release with drummer Oreste Pennarelli. This album marks my first time hearing the quartet and, while I don't go for "harsh" vocals too often, TONS' particular blend of raspy shrieks and fierce energy sold me rather quickly, having a bit of a cathartic effect. Stoned Villains is a deliciously turbulent ride, marked by pits of viscous sludge, cyclones of 90s hardcore punk, a reliably tongue-in-cheek attitude, electric jolts of traditional heavy metal, and doom-laden slowdowns that will leave you worse for wear by the end, but immediately craving more.My favorite thing about the album are the small pockets of soul it delivers via short-lived but discernible shifts in tone toward a more vulnerable sound, indicating there's something much deeper at play here than weed and rage.Favorite Track: Lost in Plantation7.) Seum - Parking Life
With their new album Parking Life, Canadian "doom'n bass" trio Seum has delivered one of the most cathartic albums I've heard since I began covering underground music.With a bare bones but insanely effective setup of gnarly bass, frenetic drums, and feral vocals, Seum perfectly captures the turmoil of middle life through a turbulent blend of sludge, stoner metal, hardcore, and good old fashioned punk rock spirit. In fact, listening to Parking Life feels like being in a pinball machine, bounced madly between utter chaos and hazy interludes that beg the questions "Where the fuck am I? How did I get here? How much time do I have left?" Sounds kind of like adulthood, doesn't it?The sound of Parking Life is dirty, sweaty, intense, and above all, FED UP. Believe it or not, even with all its grittiness, this album is actually the first Seum release to showcase a softer side of the band via pockets of clean vocals (you'll hear this most on the songs Right Swipe Blues and Sad Labbath).Not only is the subject matter so intensely relatable (particularly for those of us in our to-park-or-not-to-park era), but Parking Life is executed in such an unfettered, authentic way that one is compelled to listen up and ultimately give those shelved dreams a second thought.You can read my review of the album here.Favorite Track: Sad Labbath6.) The Cosmic Dead - Beyond The Beyond
If you've never heard The Cosmic Dead before, a first spin might lead you to believe you're listening to a modern krautrock sensation straight out of Düsseldorf. Believe it or not, this spaced-out quartet hails from Glasgow and, with the addition of their latest release Beyond the Beyond, is ten albums deep into their career.I first heard the band via album #9: the vast but rumbling and decidedly spacey Infinite Peaks (2024). Beyond the Beyond, in comparison, feels more terrestrial, still fueled by a base of detached, futuristic repetitiveness (that helps each song gain momentum), but also possessing noticeably more warmth, kissed by a Middle Eastern influence. You'll be drawn in by the emotive wail of the guitar, adding a sense of humanness and vulnerability to the sound. Rich bass constantly delivers hypnotic grooves, the backbone of The Cosmic Dead's trance-inducing structures. One of my favorite things about the album is the adaptive percussion, which is truly what gives Beyond the Beyond its earthiness. It's reminiscent of the contrasts found in the natural world, emulating everything from a delicate splash to rolling thunder. To top it off, The Cosmic Dead makes very organic use of building, leading to cathartic bursts of intensity. Oh...did I mention there's plenty of wah?Favorite Track: Furthur5.) The Neurophonic Temple - Transgressive Sonic Stimuli
.jpg "The Neurophonic Temple Transgressive Sonic Stimuli Cover")
Pressing "play" on The Neurophonic Temple's new album Transgressive Sonic Stimuli feels a lot like diving into a lava lamp with reckless abandon. You'll be moved about by fluid, warm grooves via mesmeric bass lines, captivated by flashing lights of adaptive percussion, and transfixed by a kaleidoscope of resplendent guitar tones as you move between a state of acute alertness and contended trance.To be a bit more specific, the five tracks of Transgressive Sonic Stimuli vacillate between loud, tumultuous grooves, sensual, soulful sounds, a more acidic, untamed style of psychedelic rock, trippy, jazz-inspired atmospheres, and vast, meditative soundscapes. However, no matter which direction a Neurophonic Temple song takes you, it's sure to be filled with some of the most colorful, immersive tones you've heard in the underground scene. This is a band whose sound possesses an organic, improvisational quality as well as discernible sharpness and acuity. Taken together, these seemingly contrasting qualities result in an intense sonic journey whose destination is everywhere and nowhere all at once.You can read my review of the album here.4.) Truckfighters - Masterflow
Truckfighters is a band that needs no introduction. Even though this fuzzy Swedish duo has been releasing music for over twenty years now, they remain a modern classic in the stoner/desert realm, acquiring fans on a global scale. After a ten-year studio hiatus, the band is back with their new album Masterflow. Here, Truckfighters pick up the fuzzy groove as if absolutely no time has passed, bringing their trademark buzzing energy, massive riffs filled to overflowing with fuzz, and soaring melody. Best of all, Masterflow is a comprehensive collage of the sound Truckfighters developed throughout the years, delivering equal amounts of the classic stoner sound the band displayed on Gravity X and the atmospheric, emotive tones they explored on V.Even though they didn't need to, Truckfighters has cemented their status as underground legends with Masterflow, delivering nine immersive tracks that prove time has had no ill effect whatsoever on the passion and energy the duo holds for their craft. However, I think the statement on the album cover speaks volumes as to where the band is at in their career: finding a "balance between discipline and freedom".Favorite Track: Old Big Eye3.) Sea of Snakes - Magmantus
Sea of Snakes' new EP Magmantus is a concentrated shot of the band's trademark modern doom sound straight to the heart! While the five tracks of this release seem to blow by far too soon, their energy and impact remain with the listener long after the twenty-four-minute runtime has elapsed. Additionally, there are some more assertive tones coming through Sea of Snakes' sound this time via a stronger emphasis on heavy metal. I wouldn't call it aggression; Magmantus seems to be past that stage in its message. It's more like urgency: a call to wake up, be aware of the rampant deception in the world around us and take action before it's too late.You can read my review of the album here.Favorite Track: Beware The Gods2.) Bronco Forte - Lightning Scars
Bronco Forte is a quartet from Los Angeles with a warm, multi-faceted sound - soothing at first blush but not afraid to bite back here and there.Throughout the band's debut full-length album Lightning Scars, a hypnotic pace is kept by an undercurrent of stoner/doom while waves of fuzzy desert rock crunch continuously roll through. Overhead, sunny glimmers of neo grunge and psychedelic rock emit hopeful atmospheres, while passing gray clouds of southern-style heavy blues balance out the vibe with soulful authenticity. In short, there's something here for fans of a wide variety of genres, particularly if you came of age in the grunge/alternative heyday of the 1990s. Best of all, Lightning Scars is truly a no-filler album, delivering ten tracks of mesmeric, "swinging grooves" and "kitchen sink realism".You can read my review of the album here.Favorite Track: Lightning Scar1.) Castle Atom - II
II is undoubtedly Castle Atom's most varied release to date. It's a stirring rollercoaster ride that moves through a revamped version of the band's trademark indie and garage tones, an increasingly intense rendition of noise rock, notes of punk, and a comprehensive showcase of sludge that will leave you feeling both spent and fulfilled by the album's end (and in that way, it's very therapeutic). Castle Atom definitely made some noticeably heavier additions to their repertoire, both vocally and instrumentally. However, the band still manages to incorporate plenty of their "classic" indie sound into this release and delivers each track with powerful, authentic emotion.Whenever I hear a Castle Atom song, it always feels incredibly raw - like someone picked up a guitar in the heat of the moment and captured their feelings in song form with perfect accuracy. That was true of the band's earliest work and it's true now. Most of all, it's so wonderful to see Castle Atom holding fast to their heart and soul, even as their musical style evolves.You can read my review of the album here.Favorite Track: WisenThat's it for April! I hope you enjoy these albums as much as I did. Be sure to check out this month's Doom Chart where there are forty albums waiting for you to discover, and as always, show your favorite heavy underground artists some much deserved love!Follow Doomcakes on TikTok!
@doomcakes4 Screaming from the Heavy Underground's Best New Releases of April 2026. Full list and more info on the blog! 🤘🖤 #doomcharts #stonerdoom ♬ Mata Zyklek - Angine de Poitrine 
"Yeah, I Decided Not to Park Here"... Seum Delivers an Intense and Relatable Take on Middle Age with "Parking Life"
Seum - Parking Life
With their new album Parking Life, Canadian "doom'n bass" trio Seum has delivered one of the most cathartic albums I've heard since I began covering underground music.With a bare bones but insanely effective setup of gnarly bass, frenetic drums, and feral vocals, Seum perfectly captures the turmoil of middle life through a turbulent blend of sludge, stoner metal, hardcore, and good old fashioned punk rock spirit. In fact, listening to Parking Life feels like being in a pinball machine, bounced madly between utter chaos and hazy interludes that beg the questions "Where the fuck am I? How did I get here? How much time do I have left?" Sounds kind of like adulthood, doesn't it?Well, now that you've identified the problems ("loneliness, boredom, unfulfilling careers, addiction, and broken hearts"), you can make a choice. Keep on keeping on in the daily grind, giving up on your dreams and ambitions, the same old same old until one day, you mercifully drop dead. Or, you can elect "not to park here", boldly standing up and speaking out, brazenly choosing life and passion. That's exactly what Seum does throughout this album.Through a delivery so raw it's almost painful to hear at times (as it evokes genuine understanding from the listener), the sound of Parking Life is dirty, sweaty, intense, and above all, FED UP. (Even the coughing fits don't get edited out - this is the real deal).The music video for "Labrador".Believe it or not, even with all its grittiness, Parking Life is actually the first Seum album to showcase a softer side of the band via pockets of clean vocals (you'll hear this most on the songs Right Swipe Blues and Sad Labbath).As if this already wasn't enough goodness, Seum ends the album with a very cool surprise: their version of a ballad via an insane cover of Willie Nelson's Always on My Mind that you have to hear to fully appreciate.Of course, resolutely proclaiming one's intention to no longer "park" doesn't come without challenges. The monotonies, rules, and red tape of life don't go away completely, and of course, you can't forget the hidden fees. This is perfectly exemplified by Seum's use of a sound clip of Carl and the parking attendant from the 1996 film Fargo within the album's title track. "Yeah, I decided not to park here," Carl states casually and calmly. The attendant responds with a grin, "Well I'm sorry sir, we still gotta charge you the $4."Carl tells the parking attendant what's up.Final ThoughtsParking Life marks my first time hearing Seum and, although I don't often listen to music with "unclean" vocals or vibe with anything too tumultuous these days, this is an album that resonated with me deeply on both a sonic and personal level. Not only is the subject matter so intensely relatable (particularly for those of us in our to-park-or-not-to-park era), but Parking Life is executed in such an unfettered, authentic way that one is compelled to listen up and ultimately give those shelved dreams a second thought.
More About Seum
Seum Is:Gaspard - VocalsPiotr - BassFred - DrumsBio:"Seum is a bass-only sludge - Doom'n'bass - band from Montreal (Canada) formed by 3 doom veterans formerly in Lord Humungus (Gaspard - vocals), Mlah! (Piotr - bass), and Uluun (Fred - drums). Adding a ferocious punk energy to their New Orleans inspired sludge, the band is known for its intense live performances, workaholic attitude and nihilistic, tongue-in-cheek lyrics.Seum means Venom in Arabic and is French slang for disappointment and frustration:No guitars.After releasing two albums, Winterized in June 2021, DOUBLE DOUBLE in February 2023 and multiple EPs while playing shows in Canada, US and Europe, the band just released Conjuring, a split album with Temple of the Fuzz Witch on Black Throne Productions.Seum makes us relive the excitement felt in the first half of the 90’s when we discovered sludge through bands like Buzzov-en, Iron Monkey, Green Machine or Eyehategod".A massive thank you to the band for the promo!
The Neurophonic Temple - "Transgressive Sonic Stimuli"
What does a saltwater trout hallucinate when swimming through toxic chemical waste?The visuals are anyone's guess, but one thing is for certain: The Neurophonic Temple, a psychedelic noise rock trio from Osnabrück, provides the perfect soundtrack for this very specific situation.While it's true that this group delivers the best of two worlds - the euphonious chaos of noise rock and the mind-bending albeit soothing tones of psychedelia, all cranked up deliciously loud - there's so much more going on here.The Neurophonic Temple - Transgressive Sonic Stimuli
.jpg "The Neurophonic Temple Transgressive Sonic Stimuli Album Cover Photo")
In fact, pressing "play" on The Neurophonic Temple's new album Transgressive Sonic Stimuli feels a lot like diving into a lava lamp with reckless abandon. You'll be moved about by fluid, warm grooves via mesmeric bass lines, captivated by flashing lights of adaptive percussion, and transfixed by a kaleidoscope of resplendent guitar tones as you move between a state of acute alertness and contended trance.To be a bit more specific, the five tracks of Transgressive Sonic Stimuli vacillate between loud, tumultuous grooves (heard on opening track Nuance of Bizarre), sensual, soulful sounds (as on Sea of Bornite), a more acidic, untamed style of psychedelic rock (heard on Consciential Paradigms), trippy, jazz-inspired atmospheres (demonstrated on Chrome Magnet), and vast, meditative soundscapes (as on final track Floral Architectures). However, no matter which direction a Neurophonic Temple song takes you, it's sure to be filled with some of the most colorful, immersive tones you've heard in the underground scene. This is a band whose sound possesses an organic, improvisational quality as well as discernible sharpness and acuity. Taken together, these seemingly contrasting qualities result in an intense sonic journey whose destination is everywhere and nowhere all at once.The music video for "Nuance of Bizarre"The music video for "Sea of Bornite"More About The Neurophonic TempleYou can follow The Neurophonic Temple and listen to their music at the following links:A massive thank you to the one and only Broken Music for the promo!
Wasteland Haze - "Tales From The Wasteland Chapter I: Lonestar"
Düsseldorf-based instrumental metal trio Wasteland Haze is back with their newest sonic narrative: Tales From The Wasteland Chapter I: Lonestar.Leading up to this album, the band released three singles from it: Pathfinder (The Great Hunt), Handful Of Dust, and Wstlnd Messiah, each of which did a spectacular job of giving the listener more clues as to how the full story would unfold without giving away too much in the process. This doesn't come as a surprise knowing that Wasteland Haze tried a new approach to songwriting for this release: they wrote the story first and then composed the music with the tale freshly floating around in their heads, leading to an even more vivid version of the band's trademark yarn spinning.Wasteland Haze - Tales From The Wasteland Chapter I: Lonestar
While Lonestar is an Italian-Western revenge story, it's set in a futuristic wasteland where interpersonal conflicts are complicated by the struggle for survival. A few sound clips dotted throughout the album do aid listener comprehension to some degree, but as always, Wasteland Haze does an outstanding job of transmitting these details via music alone. True to form, the band utilizes a complex but seamless blend of stoner metal, doom, and post rock/metal, but Lonestar is arguably the trio's grittiest release to date (perfectly demonstrated on one of my favorite tracks, Handful Of Dust). These rougher textures sonically depict scenes of parched landscapes, barren wastelands, pockets of ruin, and lost civilizations. Conversely, interludes of light and airy, vast atmospheres via a focus on post metal communicate not only intense emotions that the story's conflict brings about for the main character, but it also smacks strongly of longing: memories and increasingly faint reminders of what once was, and the harsh reality that this ravaged world is the "new normal".On Tales From The Wasteland Chapter I: Lonestar, Wasteland Haze proves that they are never content to stagnate, confidently challenging the bounds of their creativity, musicianship, and storytelling abilities by delivering their most cinematic, stirring release to date.You can order a colored (limited edition) or black vinyl copy of Lonestar via the one and only Clostridium Records here!More About Wasteland HazeYou can follow Wasteland Haze and listen to their music at the following links:A massive thank you to the band for the promo!
.jpg "The Neurophonic Temple Transgressive Sonic Stimuli Cover")
.jpg "The Neurophonic Temple Transgressive Sonic Stimuli Album Cover Photo")
