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Screaming From the Heavy Underground
Yeast Machine - "Bad Milk"
Photo Credit: Maxine SchneiderYeast Machine is one of those bands that can do no wrong in my eyes. Since the moment I heard their EP Rise of the Yeast, which made an entrance in the heavy underground around the same time that I did in September 2023, this heartstring-tugging quintet from Tübingen has been a go-to listen for me.Yeast Machine's sound began as very raw and heartfelt, classic grunge with stoner rock proclivities. By the time the band released their first full-length album Sleaze in 2024, their tones had bloomed into a uniquely theatrical combination of stoner, grunge, and alternative rock, filled with even more passion and bursts of intensity.Since Sleaze, Yeast Machine has been quite the tireless engine themselves, playing live shows with what feels like incessant frequency. In the midst of this whirlwind, the band also inked a deal with German record label Noisolution and recorded yet another album, Bad Milk. This release shows the band holding firmly to their stoner/grunge roots and hitting us squarely in the feels as strongly as ever, yet it's also an album you can dance to like no one is watching.Yeast Machine - Bad Milk
1.) Globalized Condolences
Globalized Condolences is a brief intro track that sets the stage with hushed and haunting notes before quickly launching into a goosebump-inducing, jarring sound and ultra-expressive, powerful vocals. This is a technique that, while not new for Yeast Machine, becomes even more prevalent and intense than usual throughout Bad Milk.2.) Falling Rocks
The mood quickly switches gears with Falling Rocks, the first single Yeast Machine released from Bad Milk. It's a track that initially made me think that the band was moving in a more pop-oriented direction.Falling Rocks is dynamic and incredibly catchy, featuring coarse, in-your-face verses and refrains and saccharine-sweet, soaring choruses. The song's grittier portions are emphasized with a punk rock flair, primarily thanks to a very fitting guest vocal from Polly of Cologne-based grungy punk rockers The Red Flags.The music video for "Falling Rocks" (featuring the Red Flags)3.) Bad Milk
The album's title track is a standout representation of the starker contrasts Yeast Machine employs throughout Bad Milk - namely in the form of guarded, tense verses and utterly explosive choruses. This song follows suit in a major way as cautious vocals dance with electrifying surges from the lead guitar and thunderous rumblings from the drums before erupting into a storm of intensity. As usual, this pattern becomes exponentially more frenetic each time it repeats, and I can very easily envision the crowd at a music festival jumping, singing, and dancing along as I listen.4.) Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is just that - a hushed and somewhat haunting acoustic rendition of the chorus to Feeding Poison to the Spiders Was Never Really My Thing that has a way of making your hair stand on end in the best way. As short and subtle as this interlude is, there's an undeniable electric energy present, and in that way, Foreshadowing certainly does its job.5.) Dust on the Radio
Not only does Dust on the Radio make phenomenal use of building, utilizing goosebump-inducing crescendos from both vocals and instrumentals at every twist and turn, but it's also a solid representation of gritty stoner/grunge, churning up that seismic rumbling that we all know and love.6.) Feeding Poison to the Spiders Was Never Really My Thing
Feeding Poison to the Spiders Was Never Really My Thing is a memorable song with a title to match.Once again, Yeast Machine maintains a balance of eruptive energy, electric tension, and serious introspection that blooms into bright, heartfelt choruses. This track has a very personal, anthem-like quality as it ultimately claims indifference over issues we can all relate to: self-sabotage and rejection. At the end of the day, you can take comfort in just being unapologetically you, because feeding poison to the spiders was never really your thing anyway.The music video for "Feeding Poison to the Spiders Was Never Really My Thing"7.) Karthago
In large part, Karthago signals the beginning of a noticeably more serious mood and softer delivery on Bad Milk.Karthago commences with mournful acoustic notes before suddenly taking flight into brighter but undeniably bittersweet atmospheres on the wings of the sentiment "never again".8.) Honey & Sweat
Yeast Machine brings the vibrant energy way back up on Honey & Sweat, delivering a delightfully turbulent melody that matches its sweetness with an equal amount of chaos. Turbulent bursts from the instrumentals, a sense of trepidation, some killer percussion, and suspiciously unruffled vocals come together to create a smooth and fluid finished product, giving new meaning to the saying "in all disorder, there is a secret order".9.) Wobbly Wizard
Wobbly Wizard isn't a ballad or plaintive song by any means, but its groove is toned-down, silky smooth, and slightly gloomy. However, the song's effect on the listener is balm-like, washing over the soul like a cool breeze.10.) The Golden Cage
Just when I thought that I couldn't be more thoroughly shot through the heart after hearing Karthago, enter The Golden Cage. While it's inarguably the saddest track on the album, Yeast Machine manages to throw some captivating and abrupt twists and turns into this somber melody. The intensity rises and falls against a dark and smoky background, always threatening to take off but not quite doing so until after the halfway mark. At this point, a 90s pop rock feel mixes with murky grunge and moody alternative rock in an emotional tug of war that has an empathetic effect on the listener. I don't think that we can be surprised that Bad Milk ends in a way that leaves us lying on the floor nursing a broken heart, just as we know we can always revisit songs like Falling Rocks, Feeding Poison to the Spiders..., and Honey & Sweat for an instant rejuvenation.Final ThoughtsWhether they intended to or not, Yeast Machine has given us everything we could ever want or need on Bad Milk. Primarily by employing their sharpest contrasts to date, the band merges deeply poignant moods with jubilant energy in a way that only Yeast Machine is capable of. Poppy anthems like Feeding Poison to the Spiders Was Never Really My Thing, Falling Rocks, and Honey & Sweat will have you flying out of your seat, compelled to move along as you're mentally transported to the middle of the crowd at a live show. Nestled between these tracks, you'll find songs that are a bit darker, melancholic, or subdued, reminiscent of the band's earliest material in many ways. However, no matter which vibe a particular song embodies, it always packs that powerful emotional punch that we associate with Yeast Machine thanks to a raw, unfettered, authentic delivery. In this way, Bad Milk just feels right - a natural evolution of Yeast Machine's sound that draws from their grungy roots, utilizes the theatrical, larger-than-life presentation they developed on their debut full-length album Sleaze, and ultimately produces what feels like their very essence. And, in my eyes, this marrow consists of a contagious, unstoppable energy that arises when Yeast Machine's relatable libretto, driven home by cathartic, perfectly timed bursts of intensity, infiltrates your soul.
Photo Credit: Maxine SchneiderMore About Yeast MachineYou can follow Yeast Machine and listen to their music at the following links:A massive thank you to Noisolution for the promo!Follow Screaming from the Heavy Underground on TikTok!
SFTHU Single Premiere: The Neurophonic Temple - "Sea of Bornite"
In February, you may have heard me singing the praises of Nuance of Bizarre, the debut single from The Neurophonic Temple's upcoming album Transgressive Sonic Stimuli. Today, I'm beyond delighted to have the privilege of premiering the next single from these highly underrated psychedelic noise rockers: Sea of Bornite.While Nuance of Bizarre provides a perfect snapshot of The Neurophonic Temple's energetic, chaotic sound marked by pockets of emotive soul, Sea of Bornite takes a slightly more subdued approach (to start, anyway). This track begins with a sensual, slinky groove and soothing, hypnotic vocals. However, there's a hint of darkness, trepidation, and trippiness in the air that provides just the right amount of tension. The band gradually builds upon this framework as the song continues, adding wailing guitar solos and increasingly boisterous drumming. The vocals ultimately follow suit, erupting in impassioned shrieks, an inevitable outcome following that mounting energy (this is a feat that the vocalist of The Neurophonic Temple pulls off beautifully while behind the drum kit). Sea of Bornite ends abruptly, its electric energy suddenly snuffed out just after reaching its peak, leaving the listener feeling deliciously rattled.The Neurophonic Temple - Sea of Bornite
Be sure to give the single a spin for yourself, be on the lookout for Transgressive Sonic Stimuli to drop on April 17 (digitally and on CD), and show The Neurophonic Temple some big love!A massive thank you to the one and only Broken Music for the promo!More About The Neurophonic TempleYou can follow The Neurophonic Temple and listen to their music at the following links:
California Doomsters Sea of Snakes Release "Behind the Mask" Single Ahead of Upcoming Album
Sea of Snakes has released Behind the Mask, the debut single from their upcoming album Magmantus (slated for release on April 2, 2026).Says the band:"We wrote this track as a reflection on the figures that try to tell you how to live and dress. The people that try to hold you back. The people that tell you what you can and can't say.The self-serving, the ones hiding behind moral façades. We see through it. Hiding behind the mask. We personally don't need that crap.Riffs first.No polish. No sugarcoating.Turn it up. Stay heavy."Sea of Snakes - Behind the Mask
Somehow, in spite of the rumbling doom riffs and stormy drums that Behind the Mask opens with, the track feels especially raw, open, and ever-so-slightly stripped down. In this way, it's already apparent that Sea of Snakes intends to be unapologetically honest with their listeners about a very relatable topic, all while staying true to their trademark weighty sound. That sense of openness really blooms near the song's midway point, as Jason Busiek's vocals (giving a stellar performance as always) take off and soar triumphantly, and the instrumentals begin to follow suit. By the song's end, there's a keen sense of victory over those masked hypocrites, as well as a newfound sense of confidence and connection among those that choose to stay true to themselves and keep their eyes open. While Sea of Snakes always packs a powerful, doom-laden punch, Behind the Mask is particularly heavy in a very meaningful way.Be sure to give Behind the Mask a spin for yourself, be on the lookout for Magmantus to drop VERY soon, and show this incredible band some much-deserved love!More About Sea of SnakesSea Of Snakes is:Jim McCloskey – GuitarsGreg Noriega – BassChris Lowbridge – DrumsJason Busiek – VocalsYou can follow Sea of Snakes and listen to their music at the following links:
Best New Releases February 2026
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't have high expectations for February, but the shortest month of the year ultimately delivered in a big way when it comes to new releases in the heavy underground. In fact, I found myself scrambling to keep up with them and, in the process, I'm sure I missed a few! Here is the cream of the crop, in descending order:12.) L'Ira del Baccano - The Praise of Folly
Self-described "doomdelic instrumental space prog rockers" L'Ira del Baccano are back with their latest sonic narrative: The Praise of Folly. Here, the quartet continues to deliver their trademark blend of stoner rock, psychedelic rock, prog, space rock, and doom. The Praise of Folly is composed of four tracks, each of which unfurls slowly and ethereally, that is, until it inevitably encounters a fierce bout with the weighty tones of doom. My favorite thing about the album (and about L'Ira del Baccano as a band), is their ability to approach heavier music with a sense of delicacy - taking great care to include soft nuances, complex intricacies, and my personal favorite: captivating spacey moments that add rich details to their well-rounded soundscapes.Favorite Track: Stigma11.) Eleanore - Between Here And Anywhere
On their full-length debut Between Here And Anywhere, Eleanore doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel, something that I often appreciate. The band retains their (noticeably more polished) signature sound, continuing to utilize classic stoner rock intertwined with vibrant alternative rock and murky grunge. This time, some whispers of trippy psych and soulful blues make an appearance here and there.True to form, the mood of Eleanore's sound vacillates between a pensive, expressive state and feel-good energy via a catchy stoner groove. However, the contrast between these dispositions is infinitely starker than on the band's previous works, as the band offers up their grittiest tones and rawest emotional expression yet.Eleanore's music likely encompasses the very sounds that filled your teen/young adult years if you're anything like me, but the band's lyricism and expression are marked by the self-reflection, regret, and awareness that time is limited that can only come after a lifetime of good, bad, and ugly experiences.You can read my quick review here.Favorite Track: Time10.) Weedpecker - V
At this point in their career, it only makes sense for Weedpecker to pause and reflect, which is exactly what they did on their fifth album V. While the band continues to expertly meld the heavy and the light on this release, blending rumbling riffs and delicate atmospheres into a homogenous, spellbinding cocktail, V is particularly ethereal. Throughout the album, gossamer threads weave intricate patterns, often passing through some captivating spacey moments, gradually building in density. Not long after reaching peak fortitude, these bulwarks finally give way to a cathartic overspill of emotional expression. The result is an undeniably dreamy but deeply immersive album that, for Weedpecker, encompasses their most personal work to date.Favorite Track: Mirrors9.) Mount Palatine - Wormholy World
Finnish trio Mount Palatine brilliantly showcases their ability to expertly blend contrasting sonic textures on their new album Wormholy World. For this sophomore release, Mount Palatine combines malleable psychedelic rock with the coarse textures of stoner metal and the steely resilience of progressive metal, topping it off with raw and unfettered vocals that strain under the authenticity of their expression. Ultimately, this combination creates six longer-form tracks that have a tendency to emulate the images of desert landscapes their sound generates, delivering deceptively serene beauty, intimidating vastness, unrelenting ruggedness, and hypnotic oases...a moving kaleidoscope of the heavy and the light.Favorite Track: The Sands8.) Black Toaster - Astrobird
On their latest EP Astrobird, Swiss stoner/heavy rockers Black Toaster deliver their most sophisticated sound to date. The band's increased focus on heavy rock creates a timeless, warm atmosphere that's beautifully emphasized by their analog production. Meanwhile, vibrant alternative rock gives the EP a modern and catchy brightness, while punk and stoner rock deliver a characteristic gritty soundscape. Perhaps best of all, these styles effortlessly bleed into each other and combine so seamlessly that they're often hard to pick apart - the mark of a well-rounded signature sound that Black Toaster has truly made their own.You can read my review here.Favorite Track: Astrobird7.) From Yuggoth - and ever since my paths were crooked and forsaken
From Yuggoth is a doom metal trio from Dresden whose colossal sound is beginning to make some seismic waves here in the stoner/doom underground. The band employs a dense and rumbling brand of doom as their base, a foundation they adorn with epic fantasy. Their repetitive structures are utterly trance-inducing, but the jarring intensity of the band's cataclysmal eruptions keep the listener on their toes. Named for a Lovecraftian planet, From Yuggoth's formidable sound is made especially unique by an understated but discernible infusion of spaciness. You can get lost in the intoxicating heaviness on From Yuggoth's latest album, and ever since my paths were crooked and forsaken.Favorite Track: Deathlike Living (We Are Alpha)6.) Stargo - Violet Skies
Stargo brings us their most metal-forward sound to date on their new album Violet Skies, offering up emotionally charged bursts of gritty intensity. At the same time, the band holds fast to their roots by peppering in their trademark spacey psychedelia, alternative rock energy, and stoner rock groove. The result is an evolved but authentic sound that is by far Stargo's most expressive yet.You can read my review here.Favorite Track: The Great Machine5.) Hermano - Clisson, France
Not to be outdone by the sampling of strikingly high-quality live recordings from Hermano on when the moon was high..., Ripple Music has bestowed an entire live album from the legendary stoner/desert rockers upon us: Clisson, France. The album features twelve live tracks from Hermano's 2016 performance at Hellfest, the pulsing notes of which reverberate through your ears and into your brain with velvety smooth quality and palpable energy. This performance marked a reunion of sorts for the band, their first time playing live together in eight years. In spite of having only a few hours to rehearse after arriving in Clisson, Hermano hit the stage with electrifying dynamism, the chemistry between band members, as well as between the band and the audience, evident in every deliciously fuzzy note. I'm not big on live albums - but Hermano is always an automatic exception.Favorite Track: The Bottle4.) Kröwnn - Santa Somnia
Kröwnn has been releasing music since 2013, establishing a signature sound rooted in "dark fantasy doom" with stoner metal and heavy psych influences. Heavily inspired by fantasy movies and novels, art, and even video games, Kröwnn's albums are always bewitchingly conceptual and unfailingly epic.For their fourth album Santa Somnia, Kröwnn adds some well-placed classic and thrash metal influences to their music, along with a few punky moments. This of course only adds even more depth to the band's already immersive brand of storytelling and creates an even heavier, tougher sound.Favorite Track: You Died3.) Motorpsycho - The Gaia II Space Corps
Nearly a year to the day after the release of their monumental self-titled album, Norwegian progressive chameleons Motorpsycho are back with yet another stellar collection of spellbinding tracks: The Gaia II Space Corps. While last year's album clearly marked a new beginning for the band, featuring a wide variety of styles and moods delivered in a noticeably expressive manner, The Gaia II Space Corps feels a bit less personal. By that, I simply mean that this album sticks much closer to its conceptual framework, never straying far from its retro space epic theme. Motorpsycho also adheres mostly to a 70s heavy rock-infused style of prog this time around, filling the vibe to the brim with retro groove. True to form, the band's cinematics and stylistic nuances remain razor sharp, relaying a vivid and fast-paced tale that only taps the brakes for two dreamlike interludes that serve to illustrate pivotal moments in the story. In a nutshell: The Gaia II Space Corps is Motorpsycho Theater at its finest.Favorite Track: Black As Night2.) Oath - Unteach
Unteach, the new album from Greek doomsters Oath, is a gem from start to finish, offering up a solid slab of classic proto doom sound that could easily have teleported straight in from the genre's peak in the mid-to-late-1980s. You'll hear the thick and hazy riffs we all know and love punctuated by some energetic bursts, occult-themed lyrics, and an appropriately frantic vocal style (think Witchfinder General). Best of all, just when you think you've heard the top song on the album, it only gets better.Favorite Track: Alucarda 771.) Fátima - Primal
Parisian grungy doom rockers Fátima are back with Primal, their fifth album and the final chapter in "The Monsters Trilogy". Here, Fátima adds a plethora of dimension to their signature blend of doom, grunge, and psychedelic rock adorned with intricate Eastern influences. The band also experiments with incorporating some post-punk tones into their music, a fusion that fits in seamlessly while adding discernible moods throughout the album. In keeping up with the "monsters" motif, Fátima fashioned an imposing Sasquatch/Kong creature to grace the cover of Primal and utilized an ice age/prehistoric theme throughout. For me, this is representative of the base carnal instincts and darkness that exist within us all... We're not quite as sophisticated as we think, and that's ok.You can read my review here.Favorite Track: Dog HamThat's it for February! I hope you enjoy these albums as much as I did!Don't forget 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!@doomcakes4 The Screaming from the Heavy Underground Best New Releases of February 2026: My picks for the best new underground stoner/doom releases. More info and Bandcamp links on the blog! #screamingfromtheheavyunderground #doomcharts #stonerdoom ♬ original sound - Doomcakes Note: You might notice that my typical YouTube video isn't here this time, and that's because I've decided to phase out my video reviews/monthly lists on that platform. I kind of knew this before I started uploading content to YouTube, but I've found the community there to be incredibly immature, closed-minded and, well...toxic...and that's something that I refuse to be part of! So, for the foreseeable future, you'll be able to find all of my video content in the form of reels and short videos on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. I will still keep my YouTube page active, post YouTube shorts about new stoner/doom singles, and will keep my "New Stoner/Doom" Playlist updated.
Wasteland Haze Releases "Wstlnd Messiah", the Final Single from Their Upcoming Album "Lonestar"
In preparation for the release of their upcoming sophomore album Lonestar, Düsseldorf-based instrumental trio Wasteland Haze has graced us with two outstanding singles so far: Pathfinder (The Great Hunt) and Handful of Dust. After a sneak peek via a "First Spin" on the German heavy underground promotion page Fuzzy Time (seriously, go follow those guys!), Wasteland Haze is officially releasing the final single from Lonestar: a moving, atmospheric track titled Wstlnd Messiah.While all three of these songs from Lonestar boast a definite post-rock vibe, Wstlnd Messiah is the most ethereal of the bunch, devoid of the grittiness found throughout Pathfinder and Handful of Dust. A hint of country-western flair can be heard in the mournful twangs of Wstlnd Messiah's intro, and some rumbling bass near the song's midway point reminds the listener that Wasteland Haze definitely knows their way around stoner/doom.Wstlnd Messiah starts in a very somber, bare-bones manner, builds into a triumphant midsection, and finishes with a brief, haunting spoken word part that signals a pivotal turn of events within the album's conceptual tale. In fact, the coolest thing about the singles Wasteland Haze has released from Lonestar is that each song is like getting another piece of the puzzle - building onto and clearing up the image of the story the band plans to tell with this album. Even better, every track is a communication that resounds so distinctly, it doesn't even require words as it sets its vivid scene.You can find Wstlnd Messiah on your favorite streaming platform beginning today (March 5, 2026), and you can also pre-order the vinyl version of Lonestar via the amazing Clostridium Records HERE.Be sure to check it out and show Wasteland Haze some big love!Follow/Listen to Wasteland Haze:A massive thank you to the band for the promo!
