REDWOOD - Hyperspace (Album Review)

Release Date: June 12th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Hyperspace - Tracklisting

1. HIGHWAY NOVA (6:38)

2. HYPERSPACE (6:59)

3. ANOTHER PLANET (4:35)

4. GOT A FEELING (3:54)

5. LAND OF ANCIENT NOTHING (7:06)

6. OPIUM AND STIMULANTS (4:03)

7. MOTHER EARTH (4:06)

8. ASTEROID (6:03)

9. INVADERS (8:12)

10. FUTURE (11:32)

Review

The Space Rock/Doom/Stoner Metal collective known as REDWOOD wasn’t kidding that they would be back bigger than ever with their next album and they’ve truly proven that point with their latest expedition into the further edges of the COSMOS with HYPERSPACE. Following six months on after their critically acclaimed album Time To Lose, this time round REDWOOD leans further and heavily into the legendary Nineties Stoner Metal scene. 

The MONSTER MAGNET and FU MANCHU influence is there but REDWOOD adds some gloriously OTT soundtrack sensibilities to their music and some heavy use of Progressive Rock storytelling elements to the album. Hyperspace feels like a pure cinematic event and perhaps the perfect soundtrack to a classic video game of the PS2 and XBOX era of gaming. Maybe I’m slightly overselling the album but that’s the feeling I got from listening to the record as REDWOOD fully delves into the folklore of Stoner Metal, Psych Rock and Space Rock with a renowned sense of progressive purpose. 

The opening batch of songs Highway Nova, Hyperspace and Another Planet demonstrates a fine level of intricate FUZZ details that moves into heavier areas of dominant Stoner Metal melodies which does have that deep Monster Magnet influence which appears even within the spaced out guitars that have a certain Ed Mundell quality to them. It’s a great style of music that develops into REDWOOD’s own way of delivering high voltage and action packed Space Rock themes. The lyrics always have that “BIGGER THAN LIFE” attitude with raucous vocals to match.

There is still a sense of gritty realism appearing within the sludgy sounds that appear from time-to-time. The music is always catchy and superbly fast-paced where REDWOOD packs a lot of intense musical movement within the lengthy sixty two minutes the album lasts for. Despite the fantastical elements of the album, Hyperspace is quite a grounded record especially with some of the lyrics and creative messages that's outlined within the whole journey with the emerging threat of “A.I.” posing to the whole of mankind. REDWOOD has found an excellent way to offer their own perspective on this threat but do this through the power of Doom Metal and Stoner Metal.

REDWOOD continues his great use of Ambient and Trippy sound effects heard on his previous albums but this time they’re used in a more distorted manner which just highlights the dangerous effect that “A.I.” could have upon us all. Sometimes the album does feel a bit too long at times with certain songs but the listener does experience some intense SONIC musical passages that moves into heavier Sludge Metal waters with a thrilling Atmospheric delivery appearing when you least expect it.

Other great tracks to check out are: Got A Feeling, Land Of Ancient Nothing, Opium and Stimulants, Asteroid, Invades and the amazing final track Future (which is REDWOOD’s best track they’ve created by a long mile). These tracks contain the most interesting, heaviest and doomed out grooves on the whole record and you can feel REDWOOD’s own thoughts and creative persona being expressed through their music. 

Hyperspace may feel quite long at times but the real reward is the actual destination with REDWOOD finally coming into their own creative existence which could propel them to bigger things within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene. The instrumental work is stellar throughout with a SHIT-TON of epic instrumental passages and wicked guitar solos transporting you back to the classic heyday of Nineties Stoner Metal where the likes of FU MANCHU, SLEEP, KYUSS and MONSTER MAGNET ruled the entire mother-trucking universe. 

REDWOOD have just released their best record to date and this will perhaps be the album I will rank their future records against. This is seriously a grand musical adventure that’s perfectly made for the WEEDIAN generation. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Links

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Üga Büga - Valley Of The Wolf (Album Review)

Release Date: June 05th 2026. Record Label: Various. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Valley Of The Wolf - Tracklisting

1.Divine Slaughter (Backyard Barbecue Bonanza) 04:27

2.Earthsuckers 05:42

3.Valley Of The Wolf 05:18

4.Ghost in the Diamond Cage 05:01

5.Mötorhog 03:06

6.Nail That Binds 04:51

7.The Sand Witch 04:01

8.Divination 05:37

9.Descent 00:57

10.Revolting Power 08:44

Members

 

Calloway Jones - Guitars, Vocals, Keys

Niko Cvetanovich - Bass, Backing Vocals, Keys

Jimmy Czywczynski - Drums, Backing Vocals

Review

Progressive Stoner Metallers Üga Büga continue enhancing their own highly original and deeply fantastical world that’s powered through a tone of heavy grooves formed from the legendary sounds of Grunge, Doom, Sludge, Psych, Prog and Stoner Metal. Their second album Valley Of The Wolf is way more out there compared to their celebrated debut album Year Of The Hog. The vocals are freakishly outlandish which fully sells the fantastical element of Üga Büga’s overall storyline and heavy pulsating beats their music brilliantly contains.

Influenced by the likes of Mastodon, High On Fire, Soundgarden and The Mars Volta once more, the band are masters of their own craft with thrilling tales of fantasy and science fiction set against the backdrop of modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal. The music is also more DOOM & GLOOM obsessive with the harsh realities of Atmospheric Sludge Metal appearing very early on that’s set against the primal neanderthal grooves that the band lay down within the opening tracks of Divine Slaughter (Backyard Barbecue Bonanza) and Earthsuckers. 

There’s a lot of different switching around of musical tempos on how everything is delivered. You can detect slight variations of bands such as IRON MAIDEN and BEYOND THE COLOUR AND ME starting to emerge with the scorched and desolate themes of the storyline fully starting to take charge. The music can be quite abstract and solitary but with Üga Büga relying on Jazz Metal and Prog Metal techniques which allows their music to be more free-form and experimental when compared to their debut album.

Some of the vocals are quite extreme but they’re easy to understand as Üga Büga demonstrate a complex style of different musical techniques whilst becoming quite obsessed with Classic Hard Rock and Grunge dynamics on other tracks contained on the album. You can feel, hear and detect a massive Devin Townsend vibe appearing within some of the vocal changes and sublime humour appearing within the lyrics. 

There is a lot to cover and unpack on Valley Of The Wolf as Üga Büga throws everything into the creative blender and just lets the MAGIC happen. The record may not be for everyone but that’s their loss as this album is brilliantly entertaining from start to finish where Üga Büga avoids the dreaded sophomore curse with flying colours. 

Other standout tracks on the album include Ghost In The Diamond Cage, Motorhog, Divination and Revolting Power. These tracks contain the most outrageous and straight-forward riff-centric melodies that will have you headbanging to your hearts content in no time at all. Plus you’ll be amazed by the technical ability that Üga Büga possesses and play on these tracks alone. As the band play different styles of HEAVY METAL at the same time which will have you thinking - HOW THE FUCK IS THIS PHYSCIALLY POSSIBLE. 

It’s these moments that allow Üga Büga to be one of the most technically impressive and musically brilliant bands that have emerged from the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal underground scene within the last decade or so. 

Valley Of The Wolf is completely surreal, outlandish, bat-shit crazy and brilliantly entertaining. It is also one of the most crazed musical experiences I’ve had this year alone with it’s neverending supply of hard hitting grooves that never misses the target. 

Outstanding. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Üga Büga and US/THEM PR Group for the promo.

Links 

ugabugaband.com
instagram.com/ugabugaband
facebook.com/ugabugaband

https://ugabuga.bandcamp.com/album/valley-of-the-wolf

Doom/Sludge Metallers DREAD WITCH to release new album on October 31st 2026. Reveal New Artwork For Upcoming New Album.

Danish doom band DREAD WITCH are pleased to announce that their new album "CULT" will be released on LP, CD and digital on October 31st 2026.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen, "CULT" is a journey through dark landscapes of monumental bone shattering riffs, unnerving lyrics and haunting vocals - be prepared!

The LP will be released through Dutch label DHU Records, while DREAD WITCH will release the CD themselves through their own label Bottomless Pit. Gateway Music will handle the digital distribution.

DREAD WITCH will drop a music video for the title track later in June

Feast your eyes on the amazing and psychedelic art by Deliriavision!

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

L.M.I. - V (EP Review)

Release Date: June 19th 2026. Record Label: HPGD Productions. Formats: DD

V - Tracklisting

1.Feelin' Tired 

2.Wings of Misery

3.Strangling a Broken Dream

4.Living Fear

5.Fever Dream in a Golden Cage

Review

V is the latest EP from Sludge/Punk/Stoner Metal upstarts L.M.I. and is the first release I’ve actually listened to in over five years since I last featured them on the blog. Since that time the band have released a full length album which didn’t really fully connect with me but their latest record V I have a lot of time for. As they bring a certain Death Metal charge to their music that can also be quite grindcore based which you’ll fully experience within the brutal opening song of Feelin’ Tried.

The song has a collection of brutal beatdowns, thuggish drums, sludgy guitars and abstract psychedelic passages which feels like a million light years away from their earlier Doom/Stoner Rock orientated records. This is perhaps down to the band maturing over the years and touring with heavy hitters such as Ken Mode, Whores, Full Of Hell, Cancer Bats and Necrot. That's a dazzling mix of great names which feels like it’s moved into their creative outlook for this record alone.

L.M.I. display a varying sense of Industrial Metal throughout the EP which comes fully into focus on tracks such as Wings Of Misery, Strangling A Broken Dream and Fever Dreams In A Golden Cage all allowing the band to play their subversive blend of Hardcore Punk, Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal melodies. The whole thing is vicious with an utter distrust and disdain for modern life and authority. The production values whilst not the most perfect environment, they still get the job down of allowing L.M.I. to sound fucking sublime within the most aggressive and violent aspects of the whole EP. 

There are moments where L.M.I. show flashes of their old creative identity with some classic High On Fire riffing methodology in the most straight forward sounds contained within the EP. V has a lot of different musical Doomed Out mechanics holding everything together which showcases the fine musical evolution that L.M.I. have experienced over the last decade or so.

This is their most violent and ultimately rewarding record they have released to date with a NO FUCKS GIVEN attitude that should allow L.M.I. to perhaps gain a greater following within the underground scene and perhaps even reward them with a bigger following within the Extreme Metal scene at the same time.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Doomherre, Ordos, Hexjakt & Kaiser Join Forces for Four Altars of Sin

Four of Scandinavia's heaviest underground forces have joined together for a special release that celebrates everything we love about doom, stoner rock, fuzz, and atmosphere.

On June 26, Majestic Mountain Records will release Four Altars of Sin, a split featuring exclusive and previously unreleased tracks from Doomherre, Ordos, Hexjakt, and Kaiser.

Check out the album's teaser now!

More than a compilation, Four Altars of Sin feels like a gathering of kindred spirits. Across four brand-new songs, these bands explore different corners of the heavy spectrum, from classic doom and occult psychedelia to blackened atmospheres, crushing fuzz, and hypnotic riff worship.

Representing Stockholm, Doomherre deliver their trademark brand of classic doom metal, channeling the spirit of Candlemass, Trouble, and The Obsessed through towering riffs and deliberate, uncompromising heaviness.

From Uppsala, Ordos continue their descent into darker and more oppressive territory. Combining stoner doom, blackened textures, and cosmic psychedelia, their contribution marks the beginning of a new chapter for the band and showcases a heavier, more focused incarnation of their sound.

One of the newest names on the release, Hexjakt have quickly emerged as one of Sweden's most promising doom acts. Massive fuzz-drenched guitars, cavernous low end, occult themes, and an overwhelming sense of atmosphere define a track that further establishes the trio as a force to be reckoned with.

Completing the quartet are Finnish heavyweights Kaiser, whose blend of desert rock, stoner doom, punk energy, and psychedelic grooves has earned them a devoted following across Europe and beyond. Their contribution brings another dose of the colossal riffs and larger-than-life fuzz that have become their trademark.

Together, these four bands create a journey through the darker, heavier, and more atmospheric corners of the Scandinavian underground, united by a shared devotion to volume, groove, and the transformative power of heavy music.

Four Altars of Sin will be released on June 26 via Majestic Mountain Records on vinyl and digital formats. Pre-orders are now available here.

Follow Doomherre

Bandcamp: https://doomherre.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Doomherre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doomherre.official

Follow Hexjakt

Bandcamp: https://hexjakt.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hexjaktband
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hexjaktband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hexjaktband

Follow Kaiser

Bandcamp: https://kaiserfuzz.bandcamp.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kaiserfuzz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaiserfuzz

Follow Ordos

Bandcamp: https://ordosofficial.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ordosofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ordosofficial

Follow Majestic Mountain Records:

Website: https://www.majesticmountainrecords.com
Bandcamp: https://majesticmountainrecords.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the details.

Eretia - EL OTOÑO DE LA CIVILIZACIÓN (EP Review)

Release Date: June 05th 2026. Record Label: Various. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl

EL OTOÑO DE LA CIVILIZACIÓN - Tracklisting

1.part VII 04:05
2.part VIII 03:50
3.part IX 04:57
4.part X 08:03

Members

David: Guitar and vocals.
Borja: Guitar.
Rubén: Bass.
Carlos: Drums.

Review

EL OTOÑO DE LA CIVILIZACIÓN is the latest release from Post-Rock/Post-Metal collective Eretia who wisely blend instances of Punk Rock, Stoner Metal and Sludge Metal into their music.

The majority of the music within the opening track of part VII is purely instrumental with bruising vocals from David only appearing when they’re actually needed. This gives Eretia a forceful delivery to their music with echoes of ISIS and CULT OF LUNA appearing at the earliest stages but with a harsh Hardcore Punk energy giving this EP a grounded and highly volatile sound.

If you can remember the much missed legendary band Fall Of Efrafa then Eretia contain a similar sound but with a distinctive cautionary sound branching out into further levels of Ambient Rock, Shoegaze and Post-Rock which can be quite progressive whilst channelling a determined Psychedelic sound especially on tracks part VIII and part IX.

Truth be told, this feels like an extended track broken down into individual chapters and that was the right decision for Eretia to make. As each track has its own great style whilst containing similar progressive grooves and overlapping melodies that allows the Atmospheric Sludge element to take complete control.

David’s vocals keep their muscular appearance with harsh deliveries throughout the whole ride where he’s superbly helped by Borja (Guitar), Rubén (Bass) and Carlos (Drums) who all bring their superb talents to the fold. David also plays guitars as well where Eretia has an impressive Twin Guitar sound within the heavier, progressive and spaced out vibes that appear on the later stages on the EP.

The final track of part X is the standout track and perhaps the most technically impressive with Eretia combining different Post-Metal soundscapes with a real human warmth that you can only get from a hugely talented outfit such as this. The only downside is the record is too damn short and I’m hoping for a longer release from Eretia in the near future but for now EL OTOÑO DE LA CIVILIZACIÓN is a masterful EP that all self respecting Post-Rock/Post-Metal fan should add to their collection right now!!!

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

We Follow The Earth - Foamdrinker (Album Review)

Release Date: May 12th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Foamdrinker - Tracklisting

1.Foamdrinker 06:45

2.Maelstrom 08:42

3.Aeons 03:57

4.Black Lamp 06:23

5.On Violent Waves 07:17

6.Sirens 09:07

7.The Still Blue 06:42

8.Weight of the Stars 07:49

Members

 

Matthew Crotts - Vocals/Guitars

Josh Burton - Guitars

Jason "Buddha" Myers - Bass

Matthew Pickard - Drums

Review

Doom/Sludge Metallers We Follow The Earth return with their new album Foamdrinker which continues their bleak destructive path laid down on their excellent 2024 album Extinct. The sound is perhaps more grounded with the band venturing into subtle areas of Prog Metal, Stoner Metal and some Hardcore tendencies appearing. The record is delivered cautiously slowly which allows We Follow The Earth to create a dense psychedelic sound with them taking influence from the likes of CONAN, SLOMATICS, HIGH ON FIRE and MONOLORD.

Speaking of Monolord, Esben Willems from that great band has mastered the album from his famed Studio Berserk headquarters. The record is helped by the excellent recording and engineering duties carried out by Jacob Beeson. Everything is brutally LOUD with the band perfecting their own style of LOW & SLOW musical punishment being played throughout. We Follow The Earth have added a gloomy cinematic storytelling aspect to their music which gives Foamdrinker a truly apocalyptic energy with distorted Psychedelic sounds controlling the HEAVY METAL narrative of the whole album.

Some parts of the album are have moments of contained Post-Rock and Shoegaze landscapes which sees the record transform into a mainstay of modern day Post-Metall on tracks such as Foamdrinker, Maelstrom, Black Lamp, On Violent Waves, Sirens and Weight Of The Stars. These tracks are quite lengthy and highly involving with the band aligning themselves more closely to the likes of NEUROSIS and ISIS but with a richer underground aspect allowing them to create their own great style of music.

Though, the shortest track of Aeons contains some of the heaviest and fastest grooves on the whole album which shows you how the band can deliver a fast-paced and pissed off style of music which High On Fire would be proud to call their own.

The riffs may feel quite drawn out and not moving in any particular directions at times but this allows We Follow The Earth to be quite creative with their music. As the Ambient and Post-Rock themes ultimately add more nuance to the lyrics the band have written for the entire record. There is a gritty Thrash Metal sound appearing from time-to-time which injects some classic headbanging action for listeners to be part of.

Foamdrinker is an absolute blast of destructive rhythms and progressive soundscapes that deserves to be heard on the biggest, loudest and heaviest SPEAKER SYSTEM you have at your disposal. The record has the perfect balance of the bleak optimism needed for We Follow The Earth to be considered as one of the brightest lights of the Doom, Sludge and Post-Metal underground scenes. However, they have a free-flowing Stoner Metal identity that includes some highly addictive WEEDIAN movements along the way.

Add this record to your collection now!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram