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Outlaws Of The Sun
Babsovet - Portents In Blood (EP Review)
Release Date: February 07th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Portents In Blood - Track Listing:
1.Conqueror 03:40
2.Border Reivers 03:24
3.Dagon 05:30
4.Anchorite 04:51
5.Pyromancer 04:29
6.Babsovet 05:24
Review
Portents In Blood is the debut EP from Manchester, UK, Proto-Doom/Stoner Metallers Babsovet who conjure up themes and grooves inspired by the likes of TROUBLE, Pentagram, Witchfinder General and Saint Vitus. There’s an over the top HEAVY METAL sound appearing within Babsovet’s vocals and lyrics which is pure NWOBHM at it’s creative core. The aggressive energy and outlandish sounds remind me of VALIENT THORR jamming with IRON MAIDEN at times especially on the superb opening tracks of Conqueror and Border Reivers.
Babsovet are simply having fun with these tracks and it’s hard not to join in as it’s so wonderfully addictive and completely outrageous at the same time. The music moves along at an exciting fast pace with a sublime CLASSIC HARD ROCK sound allowing the band to play intense grooves that these guys are hugely talented and totally serious about what they do.
The EP does become slightly more serious on the standout third track Dagon which changes the mood drastically for the EP. With a gloomy soundclip opening the track and foreboding vocals allowing the music to become more dominant and violent at the same time. This is Babsovet fully aligning themselves to the true world of HEAVY METAL with their music having a slightly BATTLE METAL complex at times with an excellent use of Psychedelic textures.
The second half of the EP allows Babsovet to embrace themselves further into the world of Battle Doom and Proto-Metal with moments of Psych Rock, Stoner Metal and Classic Hard Rock perhaps becoming quite thoughtful at times on tracks such as Anchorite, and Babsovet. The final track of Babsovet is the other standout track on the EP with the band once again showing a wealth of Proto-Doom creativity that could allow these guys to have quite the career within the underground scene.
Production values are aggressively raw and minimal which allows Babsovet plenty of opportunity to wreak HAVOC and play a non-stop style of splendid and thrilling grooves that never outstay their welcome.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Möuth - Global Warning (Album Review)
Release Date: February 14th 2025. Record Label: Bonebag Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Global Warning - Track Listing:
1.Holy Ground
2.Dirt
3.Speed of Life
4.Sheep
5.World Pain
6.Appetite
7.Alike
8.Mantra
9.In My City
Members
Erik Nordström - Bass/Vocals
Martin Sandström - Guitar
Fredrik Aspelin - Drums
Review
Global Warning is the debut album from Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers Möuth who add layers of Proto-Metal, Grunge, Fuzz and Garage Rock sounds into their music. The record is a wicked collection of tracks that can be quite retro at the best of times but one that is also thoroughly modern when the band decides to let their Doom and Stoner grooves take centre stage.
With a catchy SONIC appetite being delivered at the same time, Möuth are quite adverse in developing grooves that are inspired by European and American Stoner Rock scenes with a certai Stadium Rock energy appearing on the early parts of the album on tracks such as Holy Ground, Dirt and Speed Of Life.
I’ve seen the band being compared to the likes of Green Lung, Elephant Tree and 1000mods and those are fair comparisons to make but I see them more aligned to the 1990’s Alt Rock and Grunge scenes with the music having a killer “commercial” aspect appearing within the melodic grooves and Erik’s excellent vocals. The record is still part of the Doom/Stoner Rock underground scene with Möuth playing heavier Sludge Rock sounds within the heavier and aggressive parts of the record.
Möuth are quite adept at switching to different levels of heavy music whilst keeping with a dominant “DOOM-POP” theme. There is a huge likeability within their music and Möuth do create some epic “sing-along” moments to their tracks that remind me of FOO FIGHTERS, TORCHE and FLOOR with a killer Psych Rock swagger that screams 1970’s ROCK & ROLL excess.
There are subtle moments of DOOM & GLOOM that appear out of nowhere within the lyrical content that works superbly well despite the occurrence of the sweet natured grooves that Möuth continuously to impress throughout the album on tracks on such as: Sheep, Appetite, Alike and In My CIty.
Global Warning is an album packed full of great tunes allowing Möuth to bring a different style of music to the majority of the tracks which will impress you with the multitude of different styles of Doom/Stone Rock the band actually play on the whole album. The record can be quite understated at times but they bring a thunderous and highly energetic level of VOLUME to the album which allows Global Warning to be an outstanding debut album you seriously must own.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Sheltered LIfe PR for the promo.
Global Warning will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Bonebag Record from Friday 14th February 2025.
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
Alternative Stoner Rockers MOON DESTROYS Announce New Album SHE WALKS BY MOONLIGHT
MOON DESTROYS is guitarist and songwriter Juan Montoya (ex-Torche, MonstrO) and drummer/bassist/producer Evan Diprima's (Gold Pyramid, ex-Royal Thunder) latest entry of sonically massive, swirling guitars and tight rhythmic counterpoints that recall classic Alternative, Post-Punk and Dark Wave sounds. The duo's 5-song EP, Maiden Voyage was released via Brutal Panda Records (Local H, Cherubs) in March of 2020 -- featuring guest vocalists Troy Sanders (of Mastodon) and Paul Masvidal (of Cynic) with Synthesizer contributions from The Sword's Bryan Richie.
It's been a long road to get to what would ultimately be the band's debut LP, She Walks By Moonlight, out April 4th, 2025 on Limited Fanfare Records (Palomino Blond, The Ettes, MonstrO.) Juan and Evan have worked together on a few projects previously that have led them down a path to a fruitful and creative working relationship...even while living 600 miles apart."Juan and I started writing new music in late 2023. Most of the basic tracks were recorded remotely with him living in Miami and me being up in North Carolina. Juan would start off with a riff, we’d record the scratch guitar track into Logic over FaceTime, I’d cut the drum track in my home studio, and then send the session back to Juan to track the final guitars." said Diprima of the origins of She Walks By Moonlight. What they both realized halfway through the recording process is that a key ingredient was missing...a permanent member to take over vocal duties. Diprima continued,"Juan mentioned to me that he had reconnected with his former MonstrO [Vagrant Records] bandmate, Charlie Suárez. I've always loved his vocals and guitar playing and the three of us had formed a great friendship back then. We sent Charlie over a few songs...it was definitely meant to be!" With Suárez now head-first in the fold, his guitars, vocals and synth parts were tracked in Miami in the Summer of 2024 by Diprima, who handled most of the engineering and production duties – also mixing the album. She Walks By Moonlight was Mastered by Carl Saff (Sonic Youth, Magolia Electric Co., Melt-Banana) at Saff Mastering in Chicago, IL
She Walks By Moonlight's first single, the crushing and beautiful "The Nearness of June," displays Suárez's hypnotic incantations and emotional, lyrical depth that is stamped across the 9 song, 32-minute record. The pumping drive and layered build of "Echoes/The Empress" addresses "the repetitive in-between areas of human disconnect with overwhelming uncertainty and reflective conviction," and the slow-burn propulsion of "Only" at it's core is about "a series of unreasonable requests and exhausting pleas to another in hopes of amending the irreconcilable" states Suárez.
In late 2024, the band recruited Suárez's former Sunday Driver (Doghouse Records) bandmate, Arnold Nese, to fulfill bass duties and complete the lineup of Moon Destroys who will support Elder throughout the US and Canada in April 2025. - Brian Kurtz, Limited FanfareShe Walks By Moonlight is available for Pre-Order on Cassette/Digital/Vinyl and will be released on Friday April 04th 2025 via Limited FanfareLinks
Within Wilds - From The Valley Of The Moon (EP Review)
Release Date: January 29th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
From The Valley Of The Moon - Track Listing:
1.Floodplain Apex 03:36
2.Dawn Thief 02:40
3.With High Spines 06:17
4.Magma Rises, Falls 03:30
Members
Pepper Glass: guitar/vocals
Mike DiTullio: drums/percussion
Ben Dodds: bass
Review
From The Valley Of The Moon is the new EP from Instrumental Stoner Rockers Within Wilds who play a fusion of Psych, Desert, Fuzz, Stoner and Ambient Rock with a freakish Jazzy sound. Parts KYUSS, Karma To Burn and Yawning Man can be heard within their music with a sense of trippy Tribalism and Eastern themes appearing throughout their EP.
The sound is quite heavy and space rock orientated in places with its stop/start attitude appearing within the opening tracks of Floodplain Apes and Dawn Thief. There is an off-kilter Post-Rock energy that appears in the quieter parts of the EP from Within Wilds which is quite experimental and maybe off-putting for some. However, the music is quite original, surreal and outlandish in all the right places which allows the band to become ever more confident with their music especially on the final two tracks of With High Spines and Magma Rises, Falls.
Within Wilds do embrace their Stoner Rock roots more and more on the later stages of the EP with the music becoming ever so LOUDER and RIFF-CENTRIC. I was hoping for a couple or more tracks from Within Wilds but that’s my only complaint for this superb slice of highly surreal style of Instrumental Stoner Rock.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Harvest Of Ash - Castaway (Album Review)
Release Date: March 06th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Castaway - Track Listing:
1.Castaway
2.Embracing
3.Shine
4.Constellation
5.Of beloved flame
Members
Pepper Glass: guitar/vocals
Mike DiTullio: drums/percussion
Ben Dodds: bass
Review
Castaway is the second full length album from Doom/Sludge Metallers Harvest Of Ash and is quite a therapeutic album where you feel at rock bottom and have no way to turn to which I’ve personally been to recently. It’s not a nice place to be at and the world can be quite a cold hearted place to survive in but the power of music can be a real lifeline to help with that feeling and Castaway is one of those records that’s helped me a great deal recently.
Maybe I’m being a bit too personal there but Castaway helped me a lot recently with its bleak delivery of heavy sludgy grooves and uplifting passages that appear at the right moment in time. Taking cues from bands such as Neurosis, ISIS, Mastodon and Cult Of Luna but with Harvest Of Ash operating with a more Crust Punk/Metal attitude which allows their music to have a more aggressive and volatile sound. The harsh growls from lead vocalist Pepper Glass are superbly understated and quite easy to understand especially with the down tuned and violent Post-Metal imagery the band create on the excellent opening track of Castaway which solidifies Harvest Of Ash as a force of nature to be reckoned with.
The lyrics are deeply meaningful to the band and it was quite easy for myself to forge an emotional connection to this record especially earlier this year when I was going through a hard time in my life. (Apologies once again for admitting my real life struggles into the review but it did ultimately help along with a couple other albums which I’ll write about later). The sense of loneliness can be felt within the downbeat and nihilistic sounds of the early stages of the record within the standout tracks of Castaway, Embracing and Shine.
Harvest Of Ash create complex Post-Metal and Atmospheric Sludge melodies which they splice with bursts of uplifting Post-Doom and Post-Rock movements especially within Embracing and Shine. This shows a different and caring side to Harvest Of Ash which you may not fully see or embrace when first listening to the album.
The final part of the album sees Harvest Of Ash building upon their harsh Sludge/Post-Metal sound with subtle flashes of Prog Metal heaviness that moves into that Post-Rock and Post-Doom dimensions once again on the final two tracks of Constellation and Of Beloved Flame. The lyrics are perhaps more emotionally charged and leave you in a much better place than you initially expect especially compared to the beginning of the album.
You can tell I made a deep emotional connection to this record and I thank Harvest Of Ash for that. The record may not be for everyone but I loved the blunt honesty and heavy as hell grooves that the band brought to the table for Castaway. This is a record that I’ll be listening to for a long time to come and why I’ll consider this album as one of the albums of the year before 2025 is fully out.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.
Castaway will be available to buy digitally from Friday 06th March 2025.
Links