Ritual Smoke - Black Sabbathory (EP Review)

Release Date: June 27th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Black Sabbathory - Tracklist

1.Hasheeshian Tomb 09:19

2.Black Sabbathory 02:51

3.Streets Of The Damned 09:34

4.Creeper In The Crypt 04:12

Members

Adam Asquith - Vocals

Jimmy Long - Bass

Luke Thelin - Drums

Tom Clements - Guitar

Review

Black Sabbathory is the debut release from Doom/Stoner Metallers Ritual Smoke who are made up of members of the bands ORME and MORAG TONG. The band are creative descendents of bands such as Electric Wizard, Sleep and Black Wizard with a sludgier and distorted fuzzier sound developing from the epic opening track Hasheeshian Tomb. The vocals are clean based but lead vocalist Adam Asquith offers a style that moves between gritty delivery and a full on aggressive CAVEMAN style that gives the whole record a deep meaningful presence.

The music moves along at a fast pace with Ritual Smoke playing a genuine and turbo charged style of AMPLIFIED HEAVINESS that does have raw production sounds keeping things grounded. The music does have a vicious Psychedelic environment that’s compounded by that sludgy WEEDIAN groove that throws Ritual Smoke into long drawn out progressive melodies. The record is inspired mostly by the Nineties and Noughties underground scene with the lyrics being what you expect from a record such as this.

Second track Black Sabbathory is a shorter track with slowly played drones and space rock sounds tapping into the Seventies Doom landscape with a freakish and stripped back jazzy atmosphere. The song is wonderfully helped along by an eerie soundclip from the classic 1982 animated fantasy film The Flight Of Dragons. I thought it was Conan The Barbarian at first but I was way off. The song is quite Prog Rock based with Ritual Smoke breaking the song down into different musical structures with SONIC experimentation allowing the music to be quite heavy and powerful whilst keeping a low-key delivery compared to the other tracks on the record.

Third track Streets Of The Damned is pure ELECTRIC WIZARD riff-worship and that’s no bad thing especially when Ritual Smoke adds  violent Occult and Horror themes into the mix. The music is played at a deliberate LOW & SLOW musical charge with the bone crunching rhythm section allowing this to be the heaviest, violent and most surreal tracks on the record. The DRONE aspect is another highlight which only adds to the creepy surroundings that Ritual Smoke thrust upon the listener. The song works best when Ritual Smoke fully go all in with their OVER THE TOP theatrical style that feels like what UNCLE ACID and ELECTRIC WIZARD would sound like if they ever collaborated together. 

The final song Creeper In The Crypt is an Ambient/Instrumental track that delivers a more restrained experience with Ritual Smoke performing more of a song that feels left out from a classic horror movie soundtrack. The echoes of Occult, Doom, Psych and Electronica puts this track closely to the likes of GOBLIN and JOHN CARPENTER with its gloomy psychedelic and cathartic undertone.

Black Sabbathory is a highly intriguing and well executed record that should allow Ritual Smoke gain some much needed momentum within the underground scene. With superb production values, Black Sabbathory is different style of Doom/Stoner Metal that pulls off a lot of different musical surprises along the way that ultimately leave you wanting more.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Ealdor Bealu - Graves Of The Silent Plain (Album Review)

Release Date: July 10th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Graves Of The Silent Plain - Tracklist

1.Ponderay 

2.Abandonded to Decay

3.Erosion

4.Gold Mountain

5.Buried at Boot Hill 

Members

Carson Russell: Guitars, Vocals

Rylie Collingwood: Bass, Vocals

Travis Abbott: Guitars, Vocals

Cameron Elgart: Drums, Guitar

Review

Graves Of The Silent Plate is the next chapter from Americana/Doom/Psych/Stoner Rockers Ealdor Bealu which allows them to transform into HEAVY DOOMED OUT NOMADS of a scorched Desert Rock landscape. This record allows Ealdor Bealu to move into different Post-Apocalyptic areas of the Doom, Psych and Stoner Metal worlds with a stripped back delivery that gives an unflinching style of music to be delivered from start to finish.

The songs can be quite progressive and brilliantly outlandish but Ealdor Bealu feel like they’re doing something truly original and demonically heavy with their Americana imagery which allows a fast-paced Desert Rock identity to fully form and move into sudden shifts of Drone Rock/Metal. The vocals are perhaps all over the place which I mean as a compliment with Ealdor Bealu having three vocalists to call upon with Carson Russell, Rylie Collingwood and Travis Abbott never feeling the need to outshine each other and perhaps work as one cool sounding collaborative unit.

Cameron Elgart’s understated and epic sense of drumming gives Ealdor Bealu a pure cinematic sound that thrives on a sense of adventure. Carson (Guitars), Rylie (Bass) and Travis (Guitar) take care of the more psychedelic and spaced out destructive grooves that helps the whole journey move into another dimension altogether.

Ealdor Bealu plays music inspired by the likes of EARTH, KYUSS and YAWNING MAN but with a fractured and slightly downbeat MELODIC sound that can be quite offbeat, left-field and sometimes depressing. However, Ealdor Bealu always finds the time and creative sound to develop long drawn out instrumental Desert Rock passages that merge the finer, darker and twisted elements of Folk, Drone, Psych, Sludge and Stoner Metal for something can be beautifully surreal. 

All of the tracks are absolutely stunning and essential to listen to but if I need to choose my favourite aspects then I would say: Ponderay, Abandoned To Decay and Gold Mounting with Ealdor Bealu providing haunting and emotionally charging soundscapes where the lyrics can be downright gut-wrenching to listen to especially when Rylie takes the vocal spotlights mostly on the stunning third track Erosion.

Graves Of The Silent Plain never feels forced with Ealdor Bealu tapping into their Prog Rock, Folk Rock and Americana aspect of their sound for the majority of the album. Though, the band always manages to find ways to deliver epic instrumental soundscapes that become superbly destructive and mind-expanding all at the same time.

Ealdor Bealu thrive on being quite off-beat and highly experimental for this record which ranks as their most forward thinking and superbly creative to date. Graves Of The Silent Plain is a multi-layered and hypnotic audio experience that’s amazingly different with Ealdor Bealu once again proving why they’re an unstoppable force of nature that many bands don’t dare to tread.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

You can buy Graves Of The Silent Plain now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Ealdor Bealu links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Heavy Psych Metallers Book Of Wyrms Release New Single “Slime Fever”, First Taste Of Upcoming Album

US heavy metal psych outfit Book of Wyrms return today with their new single “Slime Fever”, offering the first glimpse into their forthcoming new album, with further details to be revealed soon.

Formed in 2014 out of a shared devotion to Hawkwind and ZZ Top, Book of Wyrms describe themselves as a four piece heavy metal psych band with extensive experience jamming in outer space, steadily building a reputation in the US underground through their blend of heavy riffs, psychedelic textures and driving energy.

“Slime Fever” captures a clear shift in momentum for the band. The addition of drummer Brian Wiltz has injected a new level of intensity and directness into the songwriting, with a more aggressive and straightforward approach that still leaves space for dynamics, restraint and unexpected turns. Wiltz’s background outside of traditional heavy music also brings a broader rhythmic perspective, knowing when to support the song and when to push it into more explosive territory.

For the first time, the band also worked with a dedicated mixer. Rob Wrong (Wrong Way Recording, Witch Mountain) handled the mix, opening up a new sonic dimension for Book of Wyrms and helping shape a sound that feels both sharper and more expansive than ever before. His approach aligned naturally with the band’s vision, drawing on reference points such as Dio’s Last in Line and Judas Priest’s Turbo, while still allowing space for unexpected creative directions in the mix.

Stylistically, the band continues to evolve while staying rooted in their core influences. Alongside their enduring love for Rainbow, Hawkwind and Monster Magnet, Book of Wyrms found themselves drawing inspiration from 80s Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Scorpions, Queen and Motörhead, aiming to create music built for movement and intensity. The result is a collection of songs shaped with a strict approach to composition, where anything that did not “hit” with full impact was left behind.

“Slime Fever” stands as the first transmission from this new era: faster, dirtier and more focused, setting the tone for what is to come from the forthcoming album.

“Slime Fever” is available now here: https://tidal.com/track/533950428/u

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/Bookofwyrms
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Manchester Morgue - III (EP Reviews)

Release Date: July 03rd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

III - Tracklisting

1.The Sorcerer 04:58

2.Farewell To Gleann An Ghad 02:50

3.Betrayers! 05:43

Review

III is the debut EP from Manchester Morgue who fuse Doom, Psych, Folk, Sludge and Stoner Rock into their wider cinematic universe of riff-driven melodies. Their debut EP is a concept record of sorts which is explained by the band below:

“III tells three stories, each dedicated to one of the protagonists of our narrative concept: a necromancer brought back to life, an Irish emigrant fleeing his past, and a fallen nobleman consumed by betrayal.”

III does have a multimedia narrative for the most part but this allows Manchester Morgue to be quite creative with their music with the hidden storylines appearing within the individual tracks. The band have also stated their influence is driven by their passion for 19th-century gothic, adventure and horror literature, B-movies, and pulp imagery.

The EP also has a slight video-game influence as well which allows different sounds and textures to appear with Manchester Morgue playing songs that could easily be inspired by the Red Dead Redemption universe but still creating their own haunting identity. The record is a vibrant mix that’s played on each track with some superb Post-Doom and Gothic sound being played on the excellent opening track The Sorcerer. 

Second track Farewell To Gleann An Ghad is a Folk Rock driven number which is more melancholic and dramatic to the other tracks on the album. It’s perhaps my least favourite song on the EP but it shows a different side to Manchester Morgue compared to the hard-rocking sounds of the other tracks. The song is dominated by a historical Irish background which is quite surprising since the band are actually Italian but they pull this off with superb realism.

Third track Betrayers! is a great style of Doom, Stoner and Psych Rock driven track with Manchester Morgue applying a trippy Eastern vibe into the mix. This feels like a completely different band compared to the other tracks with Manchester Morgue delivering the standout track on the EP. The song feels inspired by the likes of Black Sabbath, Uncle Acid, Led Zepp and Green Lung where the song moves into heavier distorted sludgier grooves. 

III is a solid and superbly entertaining record. I’m still not fully sold on the second track but that will change over time. However,  Manchester Morgue has real potential here and you can feel they have the talent to deliver something really special in the near future. Until then, embrace the dark and twisted fantastical vision that Manchester Morgue has delivered with “III”.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

BandCamp | Instagram

Psych/Fuzz/Desert/Stoner Rockers ULTRACOMBO Return With Epic New Song/Video For OUT OF MY MIND

Psych/Fuzz/Desert/Stoner Rockers ULTRACOMBO release their first new song in over four years with OUT OF MY MIND. A song that has a mind-expanding Desert Rock energy with a sublime Grunge, Psych and Fuzz Rock delivery. However, what really seals the deal and stands out is ULTRACOMBO's epic use of Electronic beats and sweet Alt-Rock hooks. The sound can be dominated by a classic Nineties Alt Rock swagger which you can instantly feel and hear throughout the song.

Check out the excellent song and video below. I'm hoping there's an EP or full length album being released soon as this song has really got me hooked!!!

ULTRACOMBO are:

Alessio - Voice / Synth 

Alberto - Guitar

Giordano - Guitar

Giordano - Bass

Flavio - Drums

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Gutward - I (Album Review)

Release Date: June 06th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

I - Tracklisting

1.Reign of the Wicked 04:28

2.What's with the Rush? 04:58

3.Dead Eyes 03:48

4.Mass Delusion 05:07

5.Rot Alone 05:03

6.The Messages 11:58

Members

Dafiq Achmad - Bass, Vocals

Paskahline Putra - Drums

Nabiel Habibie - Vocals, Guitar

Review

Indonesian Doom/Stoner Metallers Gutward debut album is a great mix of Doom, Stoner Metal, Psych and Space Rock that’s filled with fractured Amplified textures that brings a groovy sound influenced by the likes of Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath, Slomatics and Monolord. The record has a stripped back sound within the recording process and production values that allows Gutward to play a distorted Cosmic sound. Gutward has that dominant Power Trio energy which allows each member to play their part in demonstrating a down tuned melodic energy that’s packed with violent delivery coming from the speakers.

The album runs for around thirty six minutes across six tracks with Gutward showcasing a delicious LOW & SLOW theme throughout the whole record with great vocals coming from Nabiel Habibie and Dafiq Achmad providing excellent support. Though, it’s the music that’s the real “STAR” or “MAIN ATTRACTION” here with Gutward adding a sludgy sideline of Psychedelic Fuzz Rock sound that has a hidden Atmospheric depth that can be quite destructive the best of times on tracks such as Reign Of The Wicked, What’s With The Rush, Dead Eyes and The Messages.

There is some great riff-centric build up here with Gutward edging more closely to the likes of Black Sabbath and Monster Magnet on the heaviest parts of the record. The level of SONIC interplay contained on this record has a classic Nineties Grunge and Stoner Metal energy which is brought bang up-to-date with thrilling modern day psychedelic soundscapes but with Gutward keeping with that classic down-tuned delivery that can be quite long drawn out at times. 

Though, most of the grooviest and impressive instrumental beats come from when Gutward rely firmly on Seventies Hard Rock musical worship which shows prominently on the later stages of the record. There’s a hidden backline of Proto-Metal and Classic Doom appearing which is perhaps used as an afterthought at times but this gives the album an unpredictable energy which Gutward use to their full advantage. 

Gutward have delivered a debut album that shows how they’re a band with real potential to last the course and gain a cult following within the scene. If you like your Doom/Stoner Metal music with the classic LOW & SLOW approach the “I” is a record you need to play on the BIGGEST, LOUDEST and most AGGRESSIVE speakers you can lay your hands on and just let yourselves FLY!!!

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Sweden’s KONGH Return with New Album "Dissolved in Time" and First Single "Staining the Ether"!

Photo by Malin Helenius

After nearly a decade of silence, Swedish sludge/doom metal heavyweights KONGH return with "Staining the Ether", the first single and lyric video taken from their long-awaited fourth full-length album, "Dissolved in Time", due for release on September 25 via Trust No One Recordings.

Between 2007 and 2013, KONGH released three critically acclaimed albums that established the band as one of Sweden’s most distinctive voices in heavy music. Extensive touring alongside acts such as Meshuggah and YOB earned the band a devoted international following before entering an extended hiatus.

Now, KONGH re-emerge with a record that does not seek to recreate the past, but rather continues and sharpens it. Written from ideas accumulated over the last decade and developed during six months of intensive work, "Dissolved in Time" expands upon the band’s trademark blend of crushing heaviness, vast atmosphere and hypnotic repetition, while incorporating electronics, layered textures and some of the most ambitious compositions in the band’s history.

The album was written and recorded under the direction of founding member David Johansson, who performed guitars, bass, electronics, and lead vocals, while also handling the mixing process. Drawing on years of experience gained both within Kongh and through his time as a touring guitarist for Cult of Luna between 2013 and 2019, Johansson shaped a record that is both deeply personal and structurally expansive.

The first glimpse into this new era comes with "Staining the Ether", presented here as a specially edited ten-minute single version, while the full album version unfolds across nineteen minutes. The track moves through overwhelming weight, expansive sonic space, and moments of fragile and eerie restraint, offering a condensed entry point into the broader world of the album.

Watch the lyric video here:

Speaking about the song, David Johansson comments:

"During the years when the band was on hiatus, with no plans in sight of bringing it back, this song slowly and silently developed in the back of my mind. It began with that eerie opening riff and gradually expanded into what it is today. I think it’s a very complex yet organic composition. Not the kind of song I would sit down and write over a weekend. It evolved over several years and through different phases of my life. It’s a 20-minute journey through heaviness, complexity, and existential themes. In my opinion, it is the ultimate Kongh song."

Tracklist:

01. Staining the Ether (18:51 min)

02. Guided to The End (07:02 min)

03. Dissolved in Time (13:21 min)

Furthermore, "Dissolved in Time" features contributions from several key figures in the Scandinavian heavy music scene, including three of Johansson’s former bandmates from Cult of Luna. Christian Augustin performed drums and engineered the vocal sessions, while Kristian Karlsson engineered and mixed the drum recordings. The album was mastered by Magnus Lindberg, who also worked on KONGH’s 2013 release, reinforcing a sense of continuity in sound and vision. Additional backing vocals are provided by Jörgen Sandström, known for his work with Grave, Entombed, and many other seminal acts.

David Johansson on the new album:
 "After 'Sole Creation', it felt as though Kongh had fulfilled the artistic vision that inspired its creation in the first place. There was no reason to continue simply because another album was expected. Music needs to come from a genuine creative necessity. For many years, Kongh remained dormant while life moved in other directions. Eventually, new ideas began to emerge, and over time they became too strong to ignore. During those years, I also immersed myself in audio engineering and music production, which ultimately allowed me to take on the role of the album’s main producer. That became a way of bringing the music even closer to the vision that has always defined Kongh. This album exists not because of nostalgia, but because there was once again something that needed to be expressed."

Tim Bertilsson of Trust No One Recordings comments:
 "Having worked together almost two decades ago, releasing the band’s debut album 'Counting Heartbeats' and the follow up, 'Shadows of The Shapeless', I’m stoked to welcome David and Kongh back to the label. Kongh has always been in a league of their own and 'Dissolved in Time' is a further proof of that."

Rather than functioning as a reunion in the nostalgic sense, KONGH’s fourth album stands as a continuation - a record shaped by absence, persistence, and renewal. It reconnects with the foundations of the band while presenting its most focused and fully realized expression to date.

"Dissolved in Time" will be released September 25 via Trust No One Recordings on CD, LP + digital formats and is now available for pre-order here: PHYSICAL | DIGITAL

Line-up:

David Johansson - guitar, vocals, bass, electronics
Christian Augustin - drums
Jörgen Sandström - backing vocals

For more info visit:

https://www.facebook.com/KonghDoom
https://www.instagram.com/kongh_official
https://www.kongh.net
https://www.facebook.com/tnorec/
https://www.tnor.se/

Thanks to All Noir PR for the details.