Museum Of Light - Blunt Force Drama (Single Review)

Release Date: January  2025. Record Label: Spartan Records. Formats: DD

Blunt Force Drama - Track Listing:

Blunt Force Drama

Members

Ted Alvarez: Guitars, Vocals

Jeff Bartlett: Bass Guitar

Rob Smith: Drums, Vocals, Keys

Review

Blunt Force Drama is the epic new single from Alternative/Sludge/Shoegaze Rockers Museum Of Light who made a massive impression with me thanks to their acclaimed 2022 debut full length album Horizon. The album showed Museum Of Light’s great style of music that travelled across the Shoegaze, Alt Rock, Doom, Sludge, Indie, Psych and Stoner Rock platforms for something bold, aggressive, melodic and downright insightful.

The band have applied that style once again to Blunt Force Drama which is mostly a powerful instrumental track with haunting chants and echoes from Ted Alvarez and Rob Smith providing the ethereal vocals. The upcoming album Diviner sees new additions of Jeff Bartless on Bass Guitar, Elissa Aliverz on vocal duties and Amelia Urry providing Spoken Word poems which are highly majestic and give the album a sense of realism that’s brilliantly powerful at the same time.

However, Blunt Force Drama is powered by ethereal Sludge/Stoner grooves that reminds me of HUM, TORCHE and FLOOR but with Museum Of Light still creating their own highly original style of music that is very hard to define.

WOW. End of…

Words by Steve Howe

Diviner will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Spartan Records from March 14th 2025.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

ZOAHR - Mosaic (Album Review)

Release Date: January 14th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Mosaic - Track Listing:

1.Endurance Race 05:34

2.Zephyr 04:27

3.Garden Of Grief 05:46

4.Prisma 04:42

5.Cornered 04:11

6.Erosive 05:02

7.Idols & Statues 04:38

8.Red Tide 05:25

9.Wayward Blues 06:16

Review

Mosaic is the new trippy and heavy fuzzed up offering from Psych Stoner Rockers ZOAHR which has a freakier and spaced out attitude compared to their previous records. Their trademark style of Fuzz, Classic Rock, Desert Rock and an unhealthy obsession and reliance on Blues Rock allows the band to draw upon influences such as Thin Lizzy, Led Zepp, The Who, Black Sabbath, Brant Bjork, EARTHLESS, NEBULA and KYUSS. The record is quite abstract and has 1970’s Raw Rock Energy with plentiful moments of lysergic freakout passages.

The guitars are tuned into the HEAVIER SIDE of the COSMOS with the Phil Lynott heavily inspired vocals appearing very early on within the excellent opening track of Endurance Race which sets up the ground rules for the whole album to follow. Though ZOAHR even break their own rules with other areas of Hard Rock striving to take full control especially on other earlier standout tracks such as Zephyr, Garden Of Grief and Prisma. 

ZOAHR tend to overlap different styles of FUZZ ROCK with highly inspired results which are quite LOUD, BUOYANT and AGGRESSIVE with a deep sense of melodic energy. The CLASSIC ROCK movement can be quite progressive in places with ZOAHR primarily focusing upon extended instrumental jams with sonically aware Space Rock vibes that doesn’t detract from the exquisite vocal harmonies and stunning lyrics that accompany the whole of the album.

ZOAHR do become quite emotional on certain parts of the album with a romantic and heartfelt style of Blues Rock paying homage to the good old days of 1970’s headline Rock & Roll acts with moments of classic sounding Stoner Rock grooves. The album can be quite slow moving but ZOAHR have a winning creative personality which easily sells the whole musical illusion whoever dares to listen to this spellbinding and superbly heavy record.

Mosaic is another standout record from ZOAHR which brilliantly tugs at the heartstrings whilst having an endless amount of highly anthemic and aggressive grooves which allows this to perhaps be the band’s most convincing and highly confident album to date.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

UK heavy rock'n'roll merchants EARL OF HELL share first track and video off upcoming self-titled debut album; full UK tour announced!

Scottish rock'n'roll purveyors EARL OF HELL announce the release of their self-titled debut album on April 25th and an extensive series of winter and spring UK shows supporting Brant Bjork Trio, Masters Of Reality and Alain Johannes. Blast their intoxicating new single "The Infernal Dream" now!

️ Watch Earl Of Hell's new video "The Infernal Dream" ️+ listen to the single on all streaming services

Earl of Hell's self-titled debut album bestows a juggernaut of raucous dive-bar rock ‘n’ roll delivered with a relentless, raw punk energy. Comprising nine tracks recorded at Deep Storm Productions and mixed and mastered by Alain Johannes, this unapologetic high-octane follow-up to 2022’s "Get Smoked" EP unveils a more refined sound that is both thoughtfully embellished yet unapologetically gritty.

Embodying the spirit of bands like Alice In Chains, Killing Joke and Black Sabbath, this album pays homage to its stoner rock roots while exploring historical and futuristic concepts from Edinburgh’s infamous grave robbers to Planet Earth’s impending doom. It will be available on April 25th via Bandcamp and on all digital streaming platforms.

Earl Of Hell UK tour dates 2025:

° with Brant Bjork Trio / ✢ with Masters of Reality / ▴ with Alain Johannes
Jan 24 - The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes °
Jan 25 - Rebellion, Manchester °
Jan 26 - The Cluny, Newcastle °
Jan 27 - Audio, Glasgow °
Jan 31 - Sin City, Swansea °
Feb 1 - Mama Roux’s, Birmingham °
Feb 2 - Strange Brew, Bristol °
Feb 3 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds °
Feb 4 - Waterfront Studio, Norwich °
Feb 5 - The Forum, Tunbridge Wells °
Feb 6 - The 1865, Southampton °
Feb 7 - The Arch, Brighton °
Feb 8 - Oslo, London °
April 6 - The 1865, Southampton ✢
April 7 - Rebellion, Manchester ✢
April 8 - The Classic Grand, Glasgow ✢
April 9 - 229, London ✢
May 1 - The Cluny, Newcastle ▴
May 2 - Voodoo, Belfast ▴
May 3 - Grand Social, Dublin ▴
May 8 - The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes ▴
May 9 - The Underworld, London ▴
May 10 - The Bunkhouse, Swansea ▴
May 11 - The Hairy Dog, Derby ▴
May 15 - Lending Room, Leeds ▴
May 16 - Future Yard, Birkenhead ▴
May 17 - The Cathouse, Glasgow ▴

Debut album "Earl Of Hell" - Out April 25th on Bandcamp (LP/CD/digital)

TRACKLIST:

1. Satan Is Real
2. The Infernal Dream
3. Impaler
4. Brave New Age
5. Calling, Is The Crow
6. My Twisted Mind
7. Macabra Cadabra
8. Waiting To Die
9. Bloodlines

Earl Of Hell was born in 2020, just prior to the COVID pandemic which forced the UK into lockdown. They spent the first few months sharing ideas remotely and began rehearsing once restrictions finally eased. With music venues closed, the band spent a year honing their set and wouldn't play their first gig until August 2021 to an all- seated audience. This was shortly followed by a sold-out first hometown show in Edinburgh’s legendary Sneaky Pete's.

The band released a series of singles, ‘Blood Disco’ and ‘Arrythmia’, while continuing to play around Scotland and Northern England. They finally hit the studio again in 2022 to record and release their debut EP ‘Get Smoked’ on US label Slightly Fuzzed Records, receiving many positive reviews within the stoner and doom community. This was followed by an extensive run of shows, which included their first visit to London and opening for Bongzilla and Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons.

Over the summer of 2022, Earl Of Hell looked to expand their sound by recruiting a second guitarist in the person of Dan Mitchell. The band dynamic was enhanced as they immediately began writing and performing live as a five piece, opening for touring acts such as Lightning Bolt, Gnome and The Vintage Caravan.

2023 would prove to be the most successful year yet for Earl Of Hell, playing in excess of 30 shows, including a slot at the coveted Desertfest London, a summer tour with Iceland’s Volcanova and opening for bands such as Sasquatch and Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator. On Halloween, they released their fourth single ‘Impaler’, rounding the year off with headline weekenders in London, the Midlands and the North of Scotland. 2024 has seen Earl Of Hell complete a successful tour with renowned multi-instrumentalist and producer Alain Johannes, performing as tour support and Alain's own backing band.

EARL OF HELL is

Eric Brock - Lead Vocals
Lewis Inglis - Guitar & Vocals
Dan Mitchell - Guitar
Dean Gordon - Bass
Ryan Wilson - Drums

EARL OF HELL links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details,

GLOW - The Beauty Outshines The Hurting (Album Review)

Release Date: January 14th 2025. Record Label: Up Top Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

The Beauty Outshines The Hurt - Track Listing:

1.Separation Anxiety 04:29

2.Bravado 04:00

3.Cameo 03:44

4.KP2* (Interlude) 00:27

5.The Great Divide 04:32

6.Mirrored Image 04:41

7.Control 02:30

8.Severed 04:41

9.Tilted* (Interlude) 01:55

10.Hour Glass 04:56

11.To Fill A Void 04:28

Members

Joey Claus - Guitar

Jay Jacobson - Drums

Tyler Cain - Bass + vocals

Matt Thomson - Guitar

Aaron Broveak - Vocals + KaossPad + Piano

Review

The Beauty Outshines The Hurting is the debut full length album from Alternative Stoner Rockers Glow which has a healthy appetite for all things Grunge through the subliminal grooves that pack quite a Psychedelic punch. The music is fast-paced and has a contrasting nineties sound throughout with Glow easily switching between the finer aspects of the Stoner Rock/Metal divide. 

The album is slightly subdued with the vocals at times and Glow blends different musical instrumental sounds into the mix such as piano and effects from a Kaoss Pad which all gives a slightly alternative feel to the heavy sludgy guitars and aggressive drumming that reside on the album. There are subtle lo-fi production values which give a muscular aesthetic to the way how the music is played and delivered on tracks such as Separation Anxiety, Bravado and Cameo. 

With influences ranging as wide as HUM, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters and CAVE IN being heard at certain times though allow Glow to deliver their own catchy and thrilling style of music. THe music can be quite eclectic and progressive with different time signatures, distorted instruments, warped sound effects and psychedelic movements that screams 1990’s excess with the middle-to-later stages of the album being the strongest parts of the whole album.

The lyrics can be a bit underwhelming when you’re first listening to the album but with multiple listens, The Beauty Outshines The Hurting becomes more intriguing and quite emotional even with the more damaging/heavier sludgy guitars that Glow on the following tracks: The Great Divide, Mirrored Image, Hour Glass and To Fill A Void. If you like moments of Glitch/Electronic/Psych beats then the shorter tracks that appear mostly as brief interludes are well worth checking out as well.

 The Beauty Outshines The Hurting is a well constructed and superbly produced record that offers a different style of Alt Rock, Grunge and Stoner Rock where the riffs are plentiful with plenty of melodic aggression to allow GLOW to standout from the crowd.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Brand new Drone Metal band, DRONI EYE OMI to release debut album ‘Liminal Mass’ via Desert Records on March 7th, 2025

Photo by S. Seibert

Two guitars, one from Brad Frye (Red Mesa and Desert Records founder) and a second one from Ronaldo Baca (renowned New Mexican gypsy jazz band Swing Magique and flamemco guitarist) bring you a dense electric guitar drone mixed with psych and space minimalism, and meditative heaviness.

However, desert/stoner rock or gypsy jazz/flameco this is not!!

This is true drone and minimalism inspired by Lamonte Young's "Composition 1960 No. 7" and Earth's "Earth 2"

Droni Eye Omi take these influences as a base starting point and send them straight into the cosmos.

“The band name came from a text between myself and Michael DiMartino of Fowl Sounds. We were conceptualizing a drone pedal for guitar/bass (coming soon?) and he sent me two words: Droni Iommi. I laughed and said that would be a perfect name for a drone band. Well, a few months later I pitched this meditative drone project to Ronaldo Baca, and we got together and immediately found a connection with this style of music. The album was done live, all in one take. We recorded ourselves with a ton of mics on many amps with a psychedelic digital light show projecting on us. Enjoy melting your brains on this music.” -Brad Frye

Album cover by Diogo Soares

Links

Facebook | Instagram | BandCamp

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for all of the details.

Icarus Burns - Minotaur (Single Review)

Release Date: January 10th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Minotaur - Track Listing:

Minotaur

Members

Tim Corden - Guitar

Jens Gehrke - Guitar

Axel Kalteiß- Bass

Cristobal Cuadra Bravo - Drums

Review

Minotaur is the debut song from Instrumental Psych/Stoner Metallers Icarus Burns and is from their forthcoming self titled debut album which arrived February 2025. Icarus Burns were initially a female fronted metal band on their debut EP back in 2021. However, a line-up change saw the band transform into a heavier, progressive and instrumental unit with the focus primarily on Doom, Stoner Metal grooves.

There’s bleak sonic soundscapes and landscapes that have been added to Icarus Burn’s music with the music being slightly cautious and apprehensive when the movement transforms into a Progressive Ambient theme. There are echoes of bands such as TOOL, PELICAN, ELDER and CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC that can be heard but for the most part, Icarus Burns allow themselves the creative freedom to try, test and perfect many different areas of Instrumental Rock/Metal. 

There’s a slightly downbeat and occult sounding Soundbyte which comes out of nowhere that projects Icarus Burns into the Doom Metal arena with menacing grooves to match. I’ve heard the upcoming debut album from Icarus Burns and Minotaur is definitely one of the strongest tracks on the record and this is a very wise decision to release this as the first single. As this will prove why Icarus Burns will become one of the main bands to look out for and talk about within the Instrumental Rock/Metal scene before the year is up.

Links

www.instagram.com/icarusburnsmusic/

www.facebook.com/icarusburnsbooking/
www.icarusburns.bandcamp.com/

www.https://www.youtube.com/@icarusburns1211

Garage Rock/Punk/Stoner Rockers FVZZ POPVLI Premiere New Song/Video For TEMPLE OF DOOM From Upcoming New Album MELTING POP

Garage/Noise/Fuzz/Punk/Stoner Rockers FVZZ POPVLI will be releasing their new album MELTING POP via Heavy Psych Sounds on Friday 07th February 2025. You can read my review here.

The cool folks over at Purple Sage PR and Heavy Psych Sounds have allowed me to premiere the excellent track TEMPLE OF DOOM from the upcoming new album which you can watch below:

FUZZ POPVLI say this about the song: 

"We love Indiana Jones, so we wrote a track about Indy himself, fighting the bad guys and always coming out on top. It fills us with hope for the world we live in, which could really use some. In this song we put all that really is “Melting Pop” for us: Fvzz-heavy, glorious, catchy, powerful riffs and still you can do a sing along in the choruses. We want “Temple of Doom” to go over the boundaries between different genres of heavy rock music and make people having fun listening to it as much as we enjoy playing it. Did we succeeded?"

Band Bio

Founded in Rome by Pootchie and Datio in A.D. MMXVI, the idea was to build a powertrio with a direct and rough way to deliver heavy fuzzy riffs. Their sound melts Black Sabbath-style heavy riffs with the roughest garagepunk bands attitude -like The Stooges-, adding the psychedelia from the 70's to create their own style!

The band released and promoted an "EP" in May 2017, with a promotional tour in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. In June 2017 they became a part of Heavy Psych Sounds Records (Bongzilla, Pentagram, Brant Bjork, Nick Olivieri, Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man, Nebula, Giöbia, Duel, Black Rainbows.) roster to promote their 1st album "FVZZ DEI". 

Released in September 2017, the album has brought the band on more than 70 european stages in 8 countries, giving them the chance to play in the mysterious DUNA JAM. In June 2018 the band recorded their 2nd album "MAGNA FVZZ", which has been released in October 2018 followed by a 75 gigs european tour, with highlights in festivals like HPS Fest, Le Grand Incendie, Gouha, Berlin Swamp Fest and Tabernas Desert Rock Festival. In 2019 the band signed with the indie r'n'r label RETROVOX to release their 3rd studio album named FVZZ POPVLI III in March the 3rd 2023, then Datio left the the band, III was supported by 4 long tour legs across Europe in the name of Punk Rock.

Fvzz Popvli, among others, shared the stage with: White Hills, Black Rainbows, Naxatras, Giöbia, Ufomammut, Karma To Burn, Rotor, Zodiac, DYSE, Powder for Pigeons, Lili Refrain, El Perro, Hypnos, The Tazers, Mars Red Sky, Mother Engine, The Midnight Ghost Train and much more. In November 2024 the band signed again an agreement with Heavy Psych Sounds, to release a new album on Q1 2025.

Links

Band links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify
Preorder: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS336

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details.