Italian Stoner Metal unit SUPERNAUGHTY to issue new album "Apocalypso" on Ripple Music this August; watch "Black Witch Mountain" video now!

Tuscany-based stoner metal powerhouse SUPERNAUGHTY have signed to Ripple Music for the release of their third studio album "Apocalypso" on August 22nd, and present a first track with their fuel-driven "Black Witch Mountain" video today!

Watch new video "Black Witch Mountain" 

Supernaughty's forthcoming third album, "Apocalypso", marks a turning point in the Livorno-based foursome's sound, who returns louder, heavier, and more metallic than before. The album’s title draws a parallel between the myth of nymph Calypso — who held Odysseus captive on her island for years before setting him free — and a recent dark chapter in modern human history. "In the aftermath of the global health crisis, Apocalypso refers to a shared feeling of confinement and longing for liberation: we all, in a way, became Odysseus in isolation," says the band.

The album artwork was created by renowned Italian illustrator Luca SoloMacello, whose distinctive visuals blending dark surrealism, mythological references, and psychedelic motifs have become iconic within the stoner and doom metal scene. His work on the band's 2020 album "Temple" was featured among the 100 best album covers of the year in Heavy Music Artwork's “Masterpieces 2020” book.

About the song, the band says: “Black Witch Mountain tells the timeless tension between opposing forces that clash yet define each other: the witch is not just a threat, but the keeper of a power that pushes men to confront themselves and transcend their own limits. It’s a song about the inner battle between the seductive chaos and the fragile order we all carry within us.”

"Apocalypso" was recorded by Nicola Giorgetti at Indipendente Recording Studio (Matelica, Italy), with vocals tracked by Matteo Barsacchi (Mr. Bison) at Blotch Recording Studio (Cecina, Italy), and mixed and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén (Dozer, Greenleaf) in Sweden.

SUPERNAUGHTY "Apocalypso" - Out August 22nd on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Supernaughty is a powerhouse stoner metal quartet from Livorno, Italy, forged in 2014 by underground scene veterans: Filippo Del Bimbo (lead guitar), Alessio Franceschi (drums), Angelo Fagni (vocals/rhythm guitar), and Luca Raffoni (bass). After years of sharpening their skills in Italy’s indie rock and heavy circuits, the four musicians officially gathered in 2013, cutting their teeth on Sabbath-worship before conjuring their own riff-heavy anthems.

Supernaughty’s sound is a molten blend of stoner rock, sludge, grunge, and hard rock—built on colossal, hypnotic riffs, raw guitar tones, and hook-laden choruses. Drawing from the desert grooves of Kyuss, the swagger of Orange Goblin, and the dark melodies of Alice in Chains, their music has been hailed as “sleazy blues rock” and “acidic, psychedelic fuzz" with “a groove reminiscent of biker gangs”. Lyrically, they warp sci-fi tales, B-movie madness, and surreal personal narratives through vocalist Angelo Fagni’s warped yet vivid storytelling.

After carving their name into the stoner rock underground with the self-released "Welcome to My V" (2015), and acclaimed LPs "Vol. 1" (2018) and "Temple" (2020) via Argonauta Records, Supernaughty is poised for their next chapter—signing with powerhouse label Ripple Music in 2024 for their upcoming third studio album "Apocalypso". Supernaughty are known for their explosive and gritty live shows, having toured extensively across Italy and Europe, sharing the stage with international acts such as Fatso Jetson, High on Fire, Zeke, and Nebula.

Supernaughty is

Filippo Del Bimbo - Guitar
Alessio Franceschi - Drums
Angelo Fagni - Vocals
Luca Raffoni - Bass

Supernaughty links

Facebook ⎪ Bandcamp ⎪ Instagram ⎪ Youtube ⎪ Spotify

Ripple Music links

Website ⎪ Facebook ⎪ Bandcamp ⎪ Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details.

ACEVES - Magnus Dopus (Album Review)

Release Date: June 27th 2025. Record Label: I:AND:I Recordings. Formats: DD

Magnum Dopus - Tracklisting

1.The True and Indisputable Meaning of Rock and Roll 03:36

2.Still Aint Dead 03:42

3.Taxi Driver 04:11

4.Love in the Time of Apocalypse 04:21

5.Hail Mary 02:49

6.Just Your Disguise 05:13

7.Daisies 02:36

8.Faithful Man (Lee Fields Cover) 04:23

9.For My Children 02:41

Members

Mark Aceves - Everything

Review

Magnus Dopus is the debut album from ACEVES aka Mark Aceves from Doom/Stoner Rock heavyweights ZED who dedicated this album to his father Jose J Aceves and band mate Sean William Boyles within a year. The record isn’t too far removed from the sound that ZED were known for but with ACEVES injecting a Punk Rock and Classic Stoner Rock sound. The album feels inspired by the likes of MC5, Motorhead, The Stooges, Black Sabbath and KISS.

ACEVES plays with a fast-paced and highly unapologetic in your face sound that plays fast and loose with the rules of Stoner Rock with the record also having a “BACK TO BASICS” approach with the production values used for tone and delivery of the album. The record can be full on PARTY MODE but ACEVES delivers with his own determined charm, warmth and superbly witty lyrics to match. There’s a classic QOTSA vibe appearing within the majority of the tracks with tracks such as The True and Indisputable Meaning of Rock and Roll, Still Ain’t Dead and Taxi Driver making a lasting impression very early on.

Mark adapts an OUTLAWS persona which allows his Punk Rock creative energy allow the record to be played at a highly exciting and fresh pace that even has an old-school Pop-Punk sound developing at times before a thuggish Stoner Rock sound levels things out for the better. The record doesn’t shy away from some tough times that Mark has been through recently on tracks such as Love In The Time Of The Apocalypse, Hail Mary and Daisies. 

ACEVES even finds the time to add elements of Electronic Rock with subtle Trance beats which should appeal to music fans outside of the Stoner Rock spectrum at times. The vocals are intriguing throughout with ACEVES developing and performing multiple different styles which has real warmth and human emotion to them. 

A lot of Stoner Rock musicians have released solo albums recently and usually move away from the music they’re known for, so Mark deserves real credit for sticking to what he knows with Magnum Dopus. Though, that’s not to say he tries new things here which he does but the majority of the music is mostly from the Stoner Rock realm. The later stages sees ACEVES developing a fuzzy and aggressive love affair with the FUZZ which should impress fans of FU MANCHU and CLUTCH and even the mighty ZED of course. 

Magnum Dopus is a grand musical adventure with ACEVES delivering an action packed, catchy and superbly entertaining record. If ZED is currently on long term hiatus then ACEVES could have a long term and exciting future of his own if he keeps releasing great records such as this.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the promo.

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp

Mæth Dæmon - Dogma (Album Review)

Release Date: June 27th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Dogma - Tracklisting

1.Dogma 02:29

2.Phalanx 04:11

3.Cargo 05:10

4.Fossils 02:13

5.Prompt Engineering 04:02

6.Wake, Woke, Woken 03:34

7.The Hangman 01:10

8.Settlers 03:54

9.Screen Time 04:56

10.Allegro Ma Non Troppo 01:59

Members

Luca Zadra - Drums

Daniele Ticconi - Guitar

Alexander Startsev - Vocals

Matteo Grigioni - Bass Guitar

Guest Musicians

Alessio Bernardi - Flute / Sax

Ludovico Franco - Trumpet

Review

Dogma is the debut album from Mathcore/Post-Hardcore/Sludge Metal misfits Mæth Dæmon where they also add instances of Noise, Punk and Japanoise into the mix. The end result is an experimental style of Sludge Metal that has a twisted sense of sound, purpose and identity. Adding flutes, saxophone and trumpets is also a big “turn-off” for me as I’m not a fan of those instruments being added to Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal. 

Those elements don’t really work here but I will say they’re superbly played by the individuals (Alessio Bernardi and Ludovico Franco) who play on this blistering, pissed off and fast-paced record. Mæth Dæmon (which is obviously a pun on Matt Damon) and it shows the band do have a sly sense of humour and I’m beginning to wonder if they were inspired by Team America and instead of Good Will Hunting that’s mentioned on their BandCamp Page.

The record is violent, chaotic and feels like you’re being pummelled to death by a mighty sledgehammer over and over again. Mæth Dæmon perhaps falls within the more experimental side of Sludge Metal with their harsh growls and glitchy electronica beats that craft a warped sense of security. There is a drug induced psychedelic environment forming within the record which comes alive on the excellent second track Phalanx. 

For the most part Mæth Dæmon changes musical direction throughout the album with different levels of glitchy FX sounds and trip-hop beats that gave a murky Sludge Metal makeover on tracks such as Cargo, Fossils, Prompt Engineering, Settlers and Screen Time. You can hear influences as diverse as Melt Banana, NIN, The Melvins and Mike Patton which allows Dogma to be quite an unsettling and highly unapologetic record which some folks may turn off before everything is said and done.

Whilst the production values are not perfect with some vocal moments being quite hard to make out with the onslaught of multiple levels of crazed heaviness going on. However, this adds to the overall crazed nature of Dogma with Mæth Dæmon excelling in the least likeliest of places that makes you glad you've listened to the album in full.

If you’re looking for something weird, experimental, daring and different then Mæth Dæmon may be the band for you. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Noise/Post-Punk/Sludge Rockers Torpedo share video from upcoming album What the f#*ked do we all do now? | Lights, US West Coast tour starts 7/10

Lausanne, Switzerland trio Torpedo share the official video for "SOME WOLVES" from their forthcoming sophomore album, What the fucked do we all do now? | Lights, today below

Hear and share the first single "NOW" at Bandcamp HERE. The album release coincides with the band's return to the US for West Coast dates throughout July. Please see complete dates below.

Torpedo is a noise rock, post-proto punk, industrial, and psychedelic trio which give itself over to creating a contrasting and unleashed music, seeking the perfect mixture that will metamorphose the leaden world into light and sulfurous gold. A slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the walls and a skid on gravel, riding a shredded bike at full speed. Can you feel your knees.

The story began in 2016 with a psychedelic and alternative post-punk duo. Carro Loubère (the howling lyre scratchers) and Jay Liseron (the bass screed and diabolic rhythmics worker and scraper) have fun weaving songs like webs around the stars and planets twinkling above the undulating sea. A beautiful trip with drum machines.

The first Hammer arrived in 2017, followed by a recording session on the European fringes of stormy Ireland, buffeted by winds and washed by ocean waves, one February of 2018. The first LP, Sphynx, was released in 2019. A post-punk and grunge album floating on harsh vocals and raw guitars, around which the bass dances, accompanied by tireless and heady drums. It was at this time, just before the album's release, that the second kicker arrived: Drew Hammer! This was followed by the recording of a new album entitled Orpheo_ Nebula in 2020. The tracks were recorded live in their rehearsal space (not much choice at that time...), the band then worked extensively in the studio to create a form of devastated opera made of layers, collages, and experiments around six poems with sprawling references spanning the ages.

Released in 2022, Orpheo_ Nebula received a warm reception from the media, and the band completed two tours on the American West Coast. In addition, two singles were released in the meantime, HOPE | DREAM in 2023 and La Mer Ondulée in 2024 - a 4-minutes excerpt from a much longer, yet unreleased jam...

Soon, the band is about to release a gut wrenching third album: What the Fucked Do We All Do Now? | - Lights, projecting us beyond the show, into the rawness of real life, that of you and me in our kitchens, weeping over a human world that has become unbearable for all the Living. Toward the essential questioning we all have under our nose.

What the fucked do we all do now? | Lights will be available exclusively on vinyl LP on June 27th, 2025 and hits streaming services in December via Broken Clover Records. Pre-orders are available HERE.

TORPEDO - LIVE 2025:

07/10 San Diego, CA - The Tower Bar
07/11 San Pedro, CA - TheSardine
07/12 Los Angeles, CA - The Redwood Bar
07/13 Palmdale, CA - Transplants Brewing
07/15 Visalia/Fresno - TBA
07/16 Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place
07/17 Sacramento, CA - The Press Club
07/18 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
07/19 Chico, CA - Naked Lounge
07/20 Eugene, OR - John Henry’s
07/23 Portland, OR - High Water Mark
07/24 Yakima, WA - Bearded Monkey
07/25 Bremerton, WA - The Charleston
07/26 Bellingham, WA - The Shakedown
07/27 Seattle, WA - Substation

Artist: Torpedo
Album: What the fucked do we all do now? | Lights
Record Label: Broken Clover Records
Release Date: June 27th, 2025 (LP), December 19th, 2025 (Streaming)

Tracklist

01. SOME WOLVES
02. Some
03. Where
04. ONW
05. NOW
06. Sugar Love
07. | NOISE (mouvement 1)

On The Web:

torpedo-cyclope.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/torpedo_band
facebook.com/torpedo.cyclope

Thanks to US/THEM PR Group and TORPEDO for the details.

Stoner Rockers Portland's BELONGING Announce The Vinyl Re-Release Of Their Debut Album HOLLOW CELLS

Following up the release of their debut LP, Portland-based post-hardcore trio from the Upper Midwest channels grunge, doom, and psychedelic rock into a haunting re-release via Dipterid Records.

What began in isolation has returned with force. Belonging, a genre-defiant trio with roots in North Dakota and Minnesota, is reissuing their debut album ‘Hollow Cells’ through Portland-based imprint Dipterid Records. Originally self-released, the album is now being offered a proper platform to a hidden gem waiting to be unearthed by a broader audience attuned to its raw emotional depth.

The band—Bryce August (guitar/vocals), Jeremy Hansen (bass), and Shane Heilman (drums)—formed out of the tight-knit DIY scenes of the Upper Midwest, later converging with the heavier and more experimental currents of the Pacific Northwest. The result is a massive, emotionally complex sound, blending the raw urgency of punk and screamo with the heavy, hypnotic energy of sludge, psych, and grunge.

“Hollow Cells was the culmination of a lot of different influences,” says guitarist and vocalist Bryce August. “We wrote and recorded a lot of these songs during the Covid quarantine — so there's a sense of alienation, isolation, creeping dread… and a desire to cut silence with noise.”

The record’s thick atmosphere of disquiet is met with a visceral, melodic pushback. Fuzzed-out guitars groan and bloom. Basslines writhe under crashing drums. Each track captures the tension of breaking free — of finding belonging in dissonance.

The band draws on the Midwest’s punk/hardcore pedigree as much as the doom-laden legacy of Pacific Northwest icons. “Initially we fused my punk and screamo roots with Jeremy's experience in Portland noise rock bands and Shane’s post-metal drumming,” Bryce continues. “As we refined the songs, we took a lot of influence from PNW bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Melvins, alongside the more psychedelic elements of bands like Lungfish and Black Angels.” That background of evolving influences carries weight, not just in tone, but in atmosphere—textured, heavy, and deeply rooted in emotional contrast. As Bryce concludes, “All of that together surfaces as the heavy, hypnotic energy of stoner/doom that flavors our particular take on post-hardcore.”

The reissue comes courtesy of Dipterid Records, a label devoted to underground sonic oddities. Founder Kevin Curty recalls: “I discovered Belonging through a mutual friend of Jeremy's. When I heard ‘Hollow Cells’ I was honestly shocked it hadn’t already been picked up. It was love at first listen.”‘Hollow Cells’ from Belonging is coming out on via Dipterid Records. 

Pre-order here.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Sheev - Ate's Alchemist (Album Review)

Release Date: July 11th 2025. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Ale’s Alchemist - Tracklisting

1.Ate's Alchemist

2.Martef 

3.King Mustard II 

4.Elephant Trunk

5.Henry

6.Cul De Sac

7.Tüdelüt

8.Sabress

Members

Guitar / Vocals - Nitzan Sheps

Drums - Philipp Vogt

Bass - Joshan Chaudhary

Review

The mighty Sheev return with Ate’s Alchemist which is a thought provoking expedition into the surroundings of Grunge, Doom, Sludge, Psych, Stoner and Prog Metal with the band conjuring complex technical melodies akin to bands such as GOJIRA and MASTODON. 

Throw this against the lyrical brilliance of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and a whole load of gnarly NOLA vibes for a record that is refreshingly different and eerily similar at the same time. That’s a great mix to have for your sophomore record which will no doubt put Sheev on a bigger footing within the underground scene especially when they have the power of RIPPLE MUSIC behind them.

The album is quite dark and brutally honest with its creative outlook which allows Sheev to draw upon quite an emotional vibe throughout the whole record. The music is catchy, aggressive and superbly melodic with the band all trying to outdo each other with spectacular melodies and technical beats of their own making. This makes Ate’s Alchemist a deeply engrossing and forward thinking affair.

The opening track is an instrumental number lasting under ninety seconds which sets the highly atmospheric scene for Sheev to confuse and delight listeners with.

Sheev follow an epic style of GOJIRA and MASTODON based Progressive madness within the excellent second track of Martef where they splice GRUNGE movements into the mix that adds a level of grounded reality to the record. The vocals are brash and highly confident but show a softer side when the time calls for this. The music is where Sheev impresses the most by adding a Post-Metallic and NOLA flavour to the album. There is a subtle sense of TYPE O NEGATIVE inspired Gloomy melodies coming into play in the final moments of the song.

Third song King Mustard II is where Sheev goes full on Grunge which harks back to the likes of Soundgarden and Alice In Chains with the Progressive Sludge attitude appearing. The Psychedelic landscapes are another highlight which becomes more dominant as time passes by. Sheev plays a thuggish “STOP/START” blast of tech metal at times when the whole atmosphere becomes wholly emotional and brilliantly melodic which is some of the best instrumental moments of the whole record.

Fourth track Elephant Trunk starts with a Jazzy opening which is most definitely inspired by the likes of OPETH or ANIMAL AS LEADERS. I wasn’t completely sold at first with this style of music but it works well with the sudden shift into Sludge Rock and Seventies Prog Rock which gives Sheev an unexpected quality at times. Though, not everything works well as it should with Sheev overloading the song with too many sudden shifts in melody and tone. However, the song pulls everything round in the second half when it settles down for a straightforward and riff-centric journey and all is forgiven. The vocals are absolutely first rate with some great lyrics to match as well.

The second half of Ate’s Alchemist allows Sheev to experiment and delve further into the world of Prog Metal with SONIC precision which allows areas of Hard Rock to take a more committed presence. The subtle shifts to Grunge and Progressive Stoner melodies is where the most exciting and heaviest moments appear with first rate lyrics selling the whole thing. Sheev demonstrates a lot of epic world building within the second half of the album with intense Psychedelic grooves and bombastic vocals that allows this album to become quite an unmissable audio experience especially on the standout tracks of Henry, Cul De Sac and Sabress.

This is a record you need time with to fully understand and appreciate but Sheev does play a lot of amazing music to lose yourself with. The end result is a highly captivating and original slice of Progressive Stoner Metal that allows Ate’s Alchemist to stake a claim as one of the best and most unique Stoner Metal records of the year. 

 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Ate’s Alchemist is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl from Ripple Music.

Links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Pogreb - Live (Album Review)

Release Date: June 13th 2025. Record Label: Riff Dealers. Formats: DD

Live - Tracklisting

1.Каждый день 11:02

2.Ты нужна мне 09:13

3.Ельни вий 11:38

4.Погреб 14:20

Members

Ilya Kovalsky – vocals/guitar,

Vladislav Strakovsky – guitar

Evgeny Klachkov – bass

Nikita Tatarintsev – drums

Review

Live is the debut album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Pogreb who arrive from Minsk, Belarus and who are given their chance to shine within the underground scene courtesy of great label Riff Dealers Records. As the title suggests, this is a LIVE ALBUM that is spread across four lengthy tracks with the album running around forty five minutes in length. 

If you’ve grown up on a steady diet of riffs provided by the likes of SLEEP, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and BELZEBONG then here’s another superb band to check out. Throw in vast amounts of AMPLIFIER FEEDBACK, Seedy Proto-Doom Metal sounds and a blatant disregard for modern day recording techniques. As this album is raw, loud, mean and nasty as they come. The music is put through a ton of reverb and down-tuned distortion which rarely allows the Psychedelic soundscapes to grow organically. Pogreb feel like they're playing their instruments with a HAMMER and I wouldn’t be surprised if their instruments were completely unusable after this epic live performance.

I have to give credit to the band as they do play superb melodic surroundings along the way which reminds me of SLEEP and COUGH in places especially on the standout tracks of Каждый день, Ельни вий and Погреб. The vocals are quite sparse throughout the album and only appear when they need to appear but Ilya Kovalsky’s style and delivery is what you expect for a raw sounding album such as this. They’re delivered with absolute conviction but with a pure PUNK ROCK energy and PRIMAL essence which could be considered CAVEMAN based but Ilya fully delivers on all fronts.

Pogreb’s record label (Riff Dealers) previously released the stunning and similarly raw live album from Sludge/Stoner Metallers Doūsk where I stated within my review for them - I’m looking forward to hearing a proper “STUDIO” recording from Doūsk in the future but LIVE is one hell of a record that demands your full and undivided attention. The same goes for Pogreb where I would love to hear a proper studio recording of these tracks to hear what they sound like in a studio environment. 

I perhaps prefer Pogreb’s “Live” album to Doūsk as it’s heavier and has more intense and evil sounding grooves that adds a brilliantly morbid style of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION to the mix.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram