Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Gorilla Warrior - Destroyer (EP Review)

Release Date: March 22nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD.

Destroyer - Tracklisting

1.Destroyer True 02:56

2.Summon Ape 06:08

3.Slow Crawl Towards Death 08:16

4.Blood, Ice And Steel 03:28

5.Burn The Crown 06:49


Members


Guitars & vocals: Eetu Heikkinen

Drums: Tuomas Ojala

Bass: Olli Heikkinen


Review


Destroyer is the debut EP from Doom/Sludge Metallers Gorilla Warrior and the record more than lives up to its name with the band creating heavy and pummelling grooves from the very start. You can hear influences such as High On Fire, Mastodon, -(16)- and EyeHateGod. The violent vocals have a great violent touch which allows Gorilla Warrior to UNLEASH HELL ON EARTH from the opening beats of the excellent opening track Destroyer True. From this moment on, the music is played at a super fast pace for the most part with Gorilla Warrior expanding their musical horizons to play a sludgy style of LOW & SLOW instrumental passages within the next two tracks of Summon Ape and Slow Crawl Towards Death.


Gorilla Warrior perfect their brutal AMPLIFIED sounds with the music becoming more melodic and quite primal with small elements of Thrash and Black Metal starting to form. There’s a lot going on within Summon Ape with Gorilla Warrior expanding their own brutal musical style for a harsh destructive atmosphere. The vocals are primal growls and harsh screams but they’re quite easy to understand which is always a good thing. The record does start with small bouts of PROGRESSIVE energy which adds to the overall great mix of different styles of music the band have created here.


With a heavy alliance of LOW & SLOW sounds allowing the sickest and heaviest parts of the record to form on tracks such as Slow Crawl Towards Death and Burn The Crown. This is music perhaps better suited to the dedicated follower of the Doom/Sludge Metal scene rather than a casual listener. As the EP does throw up some EXTREME grooves along the way which I adored even more. 


The EP sounds excellent throughout with intense production values having a violent raw aesthetic for Gorilla Warrior to thrive upon. Destroyer is a superb EP for Gorilla Warrior to introduce themselves to the underground Doom/Sludge Metal community. If you want a record that is violent from the offset and never lets up with an avalanche of PISSED OFF sounds to lose yourself in then DESTROYER is the record for you.


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Links 


BandCamp | Instagram


The Lords Of Altamont - Forever Loaded (Album Review)

Release Date: April 10th 2026. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl.

Forever Loaded - Tracklisting

1.Got A Hold On Me

2.What's Your Bag

3.Devil Rides (DFFL)

4.Rusty Guns

5.Procession For A Gorehound

6.Get Out Of My Head

7.Got You On The Run

8.Disconnection

9.I Got Your Number

10.Twisted Black


Members


Dani Sindaco - Guitars / Vocals

Rob Zimmermann - Bass / Vocals

Jake Cavaliere - Organs / Vocals

Barry van Esbroek - Drums / Vocals


Review


Forever Loaded is the latest sonic punk excursion from The Lords Of Altamont and with this being their eighth album within their twenty eight year history, the band sound more vital than ever before. With a ferocious PUNK ROCK attitude that crosses into boundaries of Psych, Space Rock. Garage Rock and Stoner Rock throughout the album. The Lords Of Altamont have a PISSED OFF attitude within this album where they leave a wave of destructive Garage Rock melodies in their wake that’s inspired by the likes of MC5, Blue Cheer, The Stooges and The New York Dolls.


Though, it’s the subtle Psychedelic Rock and Stoner Rock sounds that gives The Lords Of Altamont an unpredictable and highly original sound which perhaps a certain “MONSTER MAGNET” influence can be heard at different times on the album. However, The Lords Of Altamont embrace their own wicked style of Sixties Hard Rock attitude that moves across the different eras of Rock & Roll rebellion which results into some fantastic and absolutely frantic instrumental passages. Boisterous vocals, an out of control rhythm section and thunderous guitars allow the epic organs from Jake Cavaliere who actually founded the band way back in 1999. 


If you ever wondered what MC5 and THE WHO would sound like today if they added a massive STONER ROCK energy to their sound then this album would be the twisted result especially after listening to the opening tracks of Got A Hold On Me, What's Your Bag and Devil Rides (DFFL). The beauty with all Lords Of Altamont records is they never release the same album twice. Everyone has their own stories to tell with different musical visions forming and this even truer with Forever Loaded. The songs are rebellious, aggressive and superbly freaky which allows the band to open their music to multiple different musical avenues whilst keeping its Heavy Psychedelic core in place.


However, The Lords Of Altamont breathe new life into their music with the standout tracks of Rusty Guns and Procession Of A Gorehound. There’s added layers of BIKER OUTLAW melody and momentum which has been lacking in the last album by the band. This time they come out swinging with a “KOOKY” pop attitude forming within the hazy Stoner/Punk Rock carnage which develops into great levels of Space Rock surroundings. 


Forever Loaded is deliriously fast-paced and superbly seedy with the album becoming ever more PROTO METAL and GARAGE ROCK obsessed on tracks such as Get Out Of My Head, Got You On The Run, I Got Your Number and Twisted Black. I recommend taking closer attention to the lyrics as the guys have written some subversive lyrics that are perhaps some of their most hard-hitting and surreal written to date. This gives The Lords Of Altamont a more dangerous sound, vibe and energy compared to their last few albums. Though, it’s all superbly off-beat and downright melodic which you can’t help fall in love with. 


Forever Loaded is an absolute pleasure to listen to. As what you hear is what you actually get with The Lords Of Altamont. This will perhaps be one of the standout Heavy Psych/Garage Rock albums to be released before the year is out. 


Unmissable. End Of.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Forever Loaded is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

The Lords Of Altamont Links


Tuesday, 24 March 2026

Lauren Lakis - Deadlights (Album Review)

Release Date: May 08th 2026. Record Label: RidingEasy Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl.

Deadlights - Tracklisting

1.There

2.Heaven Felt Too High

3.I Fall Apart

4.The Other Side

5.It's So Amazing

6.Deadlights

7.No Ones Around Now

8.Love Like A Dog

9.I Want You Here

10.With That Body


Review


Deadlights is the debut album from multi-instrumentalist Lauren Lakis and this record takes a mature approach with it’s great style of Alt Rock, Shoegaze, Psych, Grunge, Post-Rock and some gloomy heaviness that showcases a fondness of the Nineties Rock scene. Inspired by the likes of HOLE, Deftones and HUM, Lauren never plays it safe by merging some haunting themes and real life experiences into the album. 


Lauren has experienced some tough moments in life such as losing multiple family members and friends to addiction. Her mother was in a major car accident that left her paralyzed.  Unfortunately, after the car accident, Lakis’s mother’s health deteriorated, and Deadlights was recorded over the last year of life


I’m majorly surprised at how majorly uplifting and therapeutic that Deadlights actually is and you have to respect Lauren for not adding a truly dark aesthetic into the album. The record has its fair share of Classic Rock and Poppy moments filtered through the album. The instrumental work is super tight especially on the early tacks of There, Heaven Felt Too High and Fall Apart which allows the record to expand into areas of Progressive and Psychedelic textures with a sullen Indie Rock mood which remains constantly grounded.


If you dig bands such as SLOW CRUSH and SOM then you’ll be surprised by what is played here. Sometimes the music can be quite melancholic and bittersweet but there’s a hidden emotional depth that gives you a brief insight into what Lauren has experienced in her life.


Deadlights is at its best when Lauren plays a heavier and aggressive style of Shoegaze, Grunge and Alt Rock melodies which become more dominant on tracks such as It’s So Amazing, Deadlights and No One’s Around Now. There’s a real “storyteller’s” theme emerging from Lauren’s vocal performance which shows real maturity that keeps everything dynamically powerful which leaves the listener utterly captivated. 


The album will surprise you at how heavy it gets with brief glimpses of Post-Doom atmospherics that appear mostly within the second half of the album and that where perhaps the “DEFTONES” influence mostly comes into play.


The last few tracks Love Like A Dog, I Want You Here and With That Body are my favourite parts of the record as Lauren creates some beautifully played music that once again moves across an emotionally charged style of Post-Rock and Shoegaze with a grizzled determination that allows the music to flow naturally. The lyrics are quite profound with Lauren ending the record with a hopeful message and attitude.


What’s even more surprising is the label who is releasing this label. RidingEasy Records are releasing Deadlights and they’re not really known for releasing Shoegaze/Alt Rock albums but KUDOS to the label for releasing something different.


However, this is Lauren’s moment to impress and she does with this absolutely majestic album which should allow Lauren to become more well known within the Shoegaze scene. 


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to RidingEasy Records for the promo.


Deadlights is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via RidingEasy Records.


Links 


Official | BandCamp


NEUROSIS - An Undying Love For A Burning World (Album Review)

Release Date: March 20th 2026. Record Label: Neurot Recordings. Formats: CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl.

An Undying Love For A Burning World - Tracklisting

1. We Are Torn Wide Open

2. Mirror Deep

3. First Red Rays

4. Blind

5. Seething and Scattered

6. Untethered

7. In the Waiting Hours

8. Last Light


Members


Jason Roeder – drums

Aaron Turner – guitar, vocals

Steve Von Till – guitar, vocals

Dave Edwardson – bass, vocals

Noah Landis – synths, samples, vocals


Review


Well, we never expected for Post-Metal legends NEUIROSIS to return with a new album especially after what went down with Scott Kelly in 2019. Most people (including myself) thought it was all over for one of the most important metal bands of the last forty years. Then the band arrived back with a new album with no fan fare or massive PR hype behind them just like how SLEEP did with The Sciences in 2018 and HUM with Inlet in 2020. However, there were more surprises with Aaron Turner (ISIS and SUMAC) joining forces with Neurosis on Guitar/Vocals. 


This made complete sense and there’s possibly nobody better than Aaron Turner who perhaps formed the “other” most important Post-Metal band of the last thirty years. His vocal and creative presence fits in brilliantly with the core line-up of NEUROSIS and brings a fresh musical perspective which makes An Dying Love For A Burning World perhaps their best album in over thirty years. This is a monumental release which sees NEUROSIS on absolute fire with powerful sounds emerging from the very start.


The vocal interplay between Aaron Turner, Steve Von Till, Dave Edwardson and Noah Landis is nothing short of brilliance with everyone given the time and space to inject their own personality into the record. It may have been quite daunting for Aaron Turner to appear alongside his musical heroes but this actually feels like an ISIS and SUMAC record in places which you have to give NEUROSIS full respect to for allowing them to open themselves to musical ideas.


However, this is still a NEUROSIS record through and through with the Sludge/Post-Metal elements having an aggressive ethereal sound with that classic apocalyptic and rustic energy which has appeared throughout the band’s career. There’s some foreshadowing movements into Ambient Rock, Post-Rock and Alt-Metal which is beautifully delicate through the great work laid down by Noah Landis. The album can be quite experimental along the way but it’s delivered with real purpose as the whole Psychedelic and Progressive structure for the majority of the songs moves into many different directions.


The first three tracks of We Are Torn Wide Open, Mirror Deep and First Red Rays allows NEUROSIS to develop the whole flow and mission statement of the record with harsh vocals, abrasive soundscapes and progressive grooves being grounded and wholly original. There are some beautiful vocal harmonies on First Red Rays which transported me back to my early days of Post-Metal whilst listening to the likes of OCEANIC and Through Silver In Blood.


An Undying Love For A Burning World is quite a bleak and sombre record with NEUROSIS once more touching upon some hard hitting themes whilst moving into other areas of heavy music on tracks such as Blind, Seething And Scattered, In The Waiting Hours and Last Light. The final two tracks of The Waiting Hours and Last Light offer around twenty seven minutes of music with NEUROSIS exploring areas of Doom, Industrial, Sludge, Post-Rock and Prog Metal like no other band can. I dare to say this might be some of the best music the band have written since their 1995 masterpiece Through Silver In Blood.


NEUROSIS prove time and time again why they’re not only the definite Post-Metal band around but also one of the most important Heavy Metal bands to emerge over the last forty five years. This album is a testament to that fact as An Undying Love For A Burning World could end becoming my favourite album of the year. It’s already blowing everyone’s minds right now and you can see why as this album is an absolute masterpiece.


What more can I say!!!


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Rarely Unable PR and Earsplit PR for the promo.


An Undying Love For A Burning World is available to buy now digitally with physical release arriving in May 2026.


Links

Memphis Heavy Rockers THE HEAVY EYES to release new album "Focus" on June 12th; debut single "Troublesome Priest" available now!


Memphis, Tennessee's heavy blues and rock powerhouse THE HEAVY EYES are set to return with their anticipated fifth studio album "Focus" in collaboration with Magnetic Eye Records and Kozmik Artifactz this June 12th, and present the debut single "Troublesome Priest" today!
 
Stream new single "Troublesome Priest" at this location 

Six years after their last offering, The Heavy Eyes return with their most electrifying work yet. Their forthcoming new album Focus is 11 tracks brimming with new energy, cementing the band’s stomp-inducing riff-rock and transcending into heavier sonic realms. Sprawling guitar solos caress gargantuan grooves while languid, soulful vocals preach the gospel of a band reborn — ready to lead heavy rock lovers into the promised land with what can already be described as an instant classic.

About the album, guitarist and vocalist Tripp Shumake comments: “This album is The Heavy Eyes taking everything that has inspired us in the musical landscape and not giving a damn if it fits our particular genre. We want to use those impressions to bend our sound into new and exciting ideas for the listener and us, while still remaining true to our Memphis rock and roll roots. To focus on the thrill of creating something that wasn’t there before.”

Focus will be available on June 12th, 2026 on vinyl, CD and digital in collaboration with Magnetic Eye Records and Kozmik Artifactz, with preorders available from Bandcamp and MER's official store.

New album "Focus" - Out June 12th in collaboration with Magnetic Eye Records & Kozmik Artifactz (LP/CD/digital)


TRACKLIST:

1. That Cold Goliath
2. Concrete Halloween
3. It's All Simone
4. Sarissa
5. Corporal Upham
6. Troublesome Priest
7. Focus
8. Greener
9. Words
10. That Cold Goliath (Might Return)
11. Holy Envy

Formed in the sweltering Memphis heat, The Heavy Eyes — Tripp Shumake (guitar/vocals), Matthew Qualls (guitar), Wally Anderson (bass) and Eric Garcia (drums) — forge a lean, no-frills sound rooted in the power of heavy blues and classic rock. Originally a trio, Shumake, Anderson and Garcia bonded over shared influences like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, quickly carving out their own identity with a self-titled debut recorded in a break room and praised for its unmistakable grit.

The 2012 follow-up, Maera, sharpened their attack with its immediate, riff-driven songwriting and a thunderous rhythm section, while 2015’s He Dreams of Lions marked their first proper studio recording and introduced guitarist Matthew Qualls. By 2018, Qualls was a full-time member, and the band began crafting their fourth album, Love Like Machines. The road to that album was anything but straight. Recorded between New Mexico and Memphis, its completion was threatened when Shumake was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. Battling fatigue from treatment, he pushed through to finish the vocals, delivering a more polished yet unmistakably raw version of the band’s sound.

Though the album's 2020 release and a long-awaited European tour were derailed — first by the pandemic, then by Shumake’s successful kidney transplant in 2022 — The Heavy Eyes never stopped moving forward. Now, in 2025, The Heavy Eyes are gearing up to self-release their fifth studio record in collaboration with Magnetic Eye Records, as well as bringing their electrifying live show to European stages.

The Heavy Eyes is

Tripp Shumake - guitar/vocals
Matthew Qualls - guitar
Wally Anderson - bass
Eric Garcia - drums

The Heavy Eyes links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Magnetic Eye Records links



Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Monday, 23 March 2026

The Crooked Skulls - Midnight Sun (Album Review)

Release Date: March 27th 2026. Record Label: Electric Desert Records. Formats: CD/DD.

Midnight Sun - Tracklisting

1.Midnight Sun

2.Bury It

3.Skull Bong

4.Ashes I See

5.Let Me Out

6.Broken

7.Slow Steal

8.Iron Smile (feat Bob Balch)

9.Judgment Day


Members


Dave - Bass/Vocals

Chuck - Drums/Backing Vocals

Pete - Guitars/Vocals


Review


Doom/Stoner Metallers The Crooked Skulls mean business with their debut album Midnight Sun where they embrace a hard-edged style of Stoner Metal that’s inspired by the likes of Corrosion Of Conformity, DOWN and Crowbar. The band never forget the usual suspects of influences with KYUSS, Black Sabbath and FU MANCHU being heard within the whole album.


The sounds are HEAVY, POWERFUL and superbly MELODIC with The Crooked Skulls adding a jagged Psychedelic and Desert Rock movement along the way. The tracks all follow a similar path to each other as The Crooked Skulls offer a Doomed Out Atmosphere which allows the FUZZ METAL attitude of the album to fully emerge on tracks such as Midnight Sun, Bury It and Skull Bong, 


The Crooked Skulls can be quite an aggressive and pissed off band when the mood calls for it. Though, the excellent vocals from everyone keeps everything grounded with the music flirting between Classic Nineties Stoner Metal, Pure Heavy Metal grooves and modern day Psychedelic soundscapes. Midnight Sun does have a more straight forward creative outline with the band not progressive anyway which is a real bonus as The Crooked Skulls just play good old fashioned STONER METAL which I fully embrace especially on other standout tracks of Ashes I See, Let Me Out, Broken and Iron Smile where a certain BOB BALCH provides epic guitar solos for.


So the band must have some real talent if they can call upon the likes of Bob Balch for one of the riffiest and standout tracks on the album. You also have the legendary Kent Stump (WO FAT) helping out with engineering duties which gives the whole album a gritty and determined approach. Nothing is overdone with the sound being used to great advantage by The Crooked Skulls that results in some sublime DOOMED OUT passages appearing on the later stages of the album.


Midnight Sun is a splendid and superbly entertaining debut album that never outstays its welcome. The Crooked Suns are absolutely ON FIRE here with a record that should impress the Stoner Metal community from the very start. 


Words by Steve Howe


Midnight Sun is available to buy now on CD/DD via Electric Desert Records.


Links 


Official | BandCamp | Instagram

Sunday, 22 March 2026

NEUROSIS Returns With First New Album In A Decade, An Undying Love For A Burning World, Out Now On Neurot Recordings


NEUROSIS Returns With First New Album In A Decade, An Undying Love For A Burning World, Out Now On Neurot Recordings; Aaron Turner Joins Lineup; Physical Pre-orders Available + Band To Play Fire In The Mountains

Physical Preorders For 2XLP, CD and Cassette Are At The Neurot Recordings Store HERE

NEUROSIS returns with their first new album in a decade, An Undying Love For A Burning World, which is now streaming on all digital platforms and available for physical preorder through the band’s Neurot Recordings. The album sees the band joined by Aaron Turner on guitar and vocals. NEUROSIS will also make their return to the stage at Fire In The Mountains Festival in July.

“We are torn wide open”

Evolution can be ugly and beautiful, painful and euphoric. An Undying Love For A Burning World is the first new release from NEUROSIS in a decade, and a potent statement of intent and rebirth – one that marks the first new steps of resolve and resilience.

“We need this, perhaps more than ever, and we suspect we are not alone. The trials and tribulations in our personal lives and as a band, combined with simply trying to navigate the insanity of our society, with the stress, anxiety, and isolation that come with it can be excruciating. Add to that the existential confusion and sorrow of the climate crisis and the sixth mass extinction. It is enough to cause you to completely lose your mind if you can’t find release or catharsis. This strange emotionally charged music has always been our method of trying to survive this and this is what we've always been singing about. When you have spent a lifetime engaged with these energies and utilizing this form of expression to purge and purify, it feels detrimental to our wellbeing to let it sit idle and neglected. This was now or never.”

“We’ve forgotten how to live, so we suffer”

An Undying Love For A Burning World is an epic album of colossal hypnotism - beautiful, fearsome and utterly compelling in a way that only NEUROSIS can be. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) – a name whose legacy is intertwined with the band’s own and a true kindred spirit -- joins the band on vocals and guitar, alongside vocalist/guitarist Steve Von Till, bassist Dave Edwardson, keyboard player Noah Landis, and drummer Jason Roeder.

“He came straight out of the gate contributing, writing and presenting ideas,” the band states on Turner’s arrival. “His energy matches ours perfectly. It’s as if he was always meant to be there.” Turner adds, “From the moment I first heard NEUROSIS over 30 years ago, I felt this was the music my heart and mind had been seeking but not yet heard. Now after many years travelling along various musical paths of my own, the singular sound and spirit embodied by Neurosis continues to speak to the depths of my being. It is an honor and a true pleasure to have been welcomed so warmly into a band that not only shaped my perspective on the limitless possibilities of music - but has lived and exemplified the necessity of upholding creative integrity and camaraderie above all else.”

“We’ve forgotten how to struggle, so we suffer”

NEUROSIS has never been afraid of change, and here they embrace endless regeneration, surrendering to the emotional exorcism through heaviness and distortion that their music incites. Just as the universe tends towards balance, NEUROSIS’ cacophony of noise, rhythm, and dissonance always resolves towards moments of beauty. The addition of Turner's powerful vocals and wildly creative and unhinged approach to guitar proves to be a vital force as Neurosis find themselves again at the mercy of evolution and expression.

“We’ve forgotten we are wild, so we suffer”

On every song in the band’s history, NEUROSIS shifts restlessly between tension and relief, invoking a feeling both feral and transcendent in listeners. The band describe their songwriting process as an inescapable impulse to create with each other - a need rather than a choice. Indeed, the band insist that their return is, “not a reunion - we never broke up.”

An Undying Love For A Burning World was recorded by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Sumac, Great Falls) at Studio Litho in Seattle over three weekends this Winter and mixed in three days just six weeks before release at Evan's Antisleep Audio in Oakland.

“We exist in isolation, so we suffer”


An Undying Love For A Burning World Track Listing:

1. We Are Torn Wide Open
2. Mirror Deep
3. First Red Rays
4. Blind
5. Seething And Scattered
6. Untethered
7. In The Waiting Hours
8. Last Night

NEUROSIS will play their first show in seven years on the traditional lands of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana as part of Fire in the Mountains festival by special invitation of Firekeeper Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to reducing youth suicide in Indian Country. FITM, is a unique festival known for bringing epic music to epic landscapes with the intent of reconnecting and immersing oneself with the natural world, and strengthening our ancestral roots as human beings - an aim which aligns directly with NEUROSIS’ deep-rooted power.

“I cannot think of a more appropriate environment for us to return to the stage,” comments Steve Von Till who also serves on the board of Firekeeper Alliance. “Last year’s Fire In The Mountains festival was the most profound music event I have ever been a part of. The weekend took on a healing, cathartic ceremonial nature that is difficult to put into words. Using emotionally heavy music to build community and collectively stare darkness in the eye is something we have always believed in, but using it to directly address the heartbreaking reality of suicide, grief, loss and trauma is taking it to another level.”

“The dissonance is deafening.”

NEUROSIS’ An Undying Love For A Burning World is available now on all streaming platforms. The album will be issued on LP, CD,Cassette and Digital; physical preorder options can be found HERE.

NEUROSIS Live:

07/23/26/2026 Fire In The Mountains @ Red Eagle Campground – Blackfeet Nation, MT [info]


Links


Thanks to Neurot Recordings and Rarely Unable PR for all of the details.