KAL-EL - Astral Voyager Vol. 2 (Album Review)

Release Date: March 20th 2026. Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings / Majestic Mountain Records.. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Astral Voyager Vol. 2 - Tracklisting

1.Juno 

2.The Nine

3.The Prophecy

4.Juggernaut 

5.Pan

6.Asteroid

Members

Captain - Vocals

Josh - Guitar

Doffy - Guitar

Bjudas - Drums

Knutsen - Bass

Review

Stoner Metal Heavyweights KAL-EL return with the blistering second part to the Astral Voyager saga with a record originally titled Astral Voyager Vol 2. Nothing much has changed since Vol 1 with KAL-EL playing their highly addictive style of Doom, Psych, Space Rock, Sludge and Stoner Metal grooves. The record does allow KAL-EL to inject some mellow Post-Stoner melodies along the way with lead vocalist Captain’s undeniable vocals steadying the ship or SPACESHIP as we say.

There’s an extra level of Desert Rock detail which is more amplified compared to their previous album which comes across quite quickly and most significantly within the excellent opening track Juno. The band are in full on  SPACED OUT ROCK EXPLORER mode with the constant shift moving between Heavy Psych, Cosmic Doom and Stoner Metal soundscapes. You can hear echoes of Grunge forming behind the scenes with KAL-EL taking a cerebral approach with the main storyline of the whole album. 

KAL-EL demonstrate a destructive fuzzed up SLUDGE METAL attitude within the second track of The Nine which pushes the band into heavier waters with surprising results whilst keeping their core STONER sound. The production values are off the scale that easily matches Vol 1 with both albums being the perfect counterbalance to each other. Sometimes the music can be quite slow-paced which allows the listener to take everything as there is a lot going on within the whole musical journey which continues throughout the whole album.

Astral Voyager Vol. 2 is superbly melodic and once again sees KAL-EL demonstrating why they’re such a force to be reckoned with especially on tracks such as The Prophecy, Juggernaut and Asteroid which are my favourite parts of the album. The music is constantly engaging, emotionally satisfying and most importantly, the RIFFS are out of this world. 

The most interesting dynamic is KAL-EL’s great use of trippy sound effects which they’ve used throughout their entire existence but this time round, they have real importance into how the story of the album fully plays out. This keeps the record quite grounded and allows the other members of the band to play some outstanding musical passages of their own making like they did on the previous album.

It was probably a great decision from KAL-EL to release these albums as two separate volumes as they wouldn’t have had the same lasting impact if they were released together. This means you can judge each album on its own merits. The hardest part I have to admit I prefer Astral Voyager Vol. 1 slightly to Vol. 2. However, this is still an outstanding album of the highest order which will no doubt rank as one of the standout Stoner Rock/Metal albums of the year.

KAL-EL are one of the greatest STONER METAL bands the scene currently has now. As every album they’ve released can be considered classics and this will be no different with the whole Astral Voyager saga.

Play this album LOUD when you get the chance. You won’t be disappointed!!!.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Astral Voyager is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via the links below:

Majestic Mountain Records (EU/UK)

Blues Funeral Recordings (North America)

KAL-EL links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Instrumental Rock Supergroup YAWNING BALCH (with Yawning Man & Fu Manchu members) to issue new album "Volume Four" on Heavy Psych Sounds

Mojave Desert-based instrumental rock goldsmiths YAWNING BALCH (formed by Yawning Man members and Fu Manchu guitarist Bob Balch) return with their fourth record "Volume Four" on Heavy Psych Sounds on May 29th, and present a first excerpt today!

 Stream a new track with Water Ritual (Part 1)

Yawning Balch is the collaborative and endlessly creative outfit uniting Californian guitarist Bob Balch (Fu Manchu, Big Scenic Nowhere) and desert rock progenitors Yawning Man, incarnated by guitarist Gary Arce, drummer Bill Stinson and legendary bassist Mario Lalli (also Fatso Jetson).

About this new track, Fu Manchu guitarist Bob Balch recalls: “Water Ritual” is the second jam we did during a five-hour session in Joshua Tree on April 20th, 2024, at Gatos Trail Studios. I had just picked up a new pedal called The Fable, and it’s all over this track. It’s a delay with all kinds of crazy repeat options. When we mixed it, I wanted portions of the song to have a ’70s dub reggae feel. So Dan at Gatos hooked up his Echoplex to the board and nailed that sound. Jamming with the dudes from Yawning Man is always a blast, and I’m stoked they invited me. Thanks, Gary, Bill, and Mario!"

Yawning Balch's dreamy and jam-driven psychedelic rock journey started in 2023 with the release of "Volume One" and "Volume Two", a two-volume set carved out of a five-hour jam between Balch and the trio in the Joshua Tree desert, hailed as "a mesmeric aural experience" by Classic Rock Magazine and "a masterclass in cohesion and dynamism" by Everything Is Noise. Welcoming back desert rock legend Mario Lalli on bass with the 2025 follow-up, "Volume Three", the foursome offered another mesmerizing psychedelic and post-rock instrumental voyage crafted with love.

They will carry on with the sky-opening, riff and groove galore this spring, with the release of their fourth record "Volume Four" on Heavy Psych Sounds.

YAWNING BALCH "Volume Four" (LP/CD/digital) - Out May 29th on Heavy Psych Sounds

About the project's genesis, guitarist Bob Balch says: 

"In November of 2022, I went out to Joshua Tree for a day of jamming with the guys in Yawning Man with the intention of calling it “Yawning Balch”. No riffs were planned. We just plugged in and played. The only discussion beforehand was that Gary Arce and I wanted to mess with tons of guitar pedals. I knew that while we were jamming it sounded great, but it wasn’t until I got home and listened to it all that I realized we had something special. It’s hard to believe that we jammed for five hours and got two full-length LPs and then some out of it. Every player killed it on these recordings and I’m beyond grateful to have my name involved with this legendary band. Fingers crossed they invite me back out annually for more jam sessions. I hope you enjoy these jams and please use responsibly."

YAWNING BALCH is:

Gary Arce – guitar
Bob Balch – guitar
Mario Lalli – bass
Bill Stinson – drums

YAWNING MAN links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

London heavy rockers OKAY YOU WIN unleash first single off debut album "End of Days", out June 26th on Blues Funeral Recordings!

London heavy rock foursome OKAY YOU WIN present the high-octane first single and video off their upcoming debut album "End of Days", to be issued on June 26th through Blues Funeral Recordings and supported by a run of UK shows in the spring and summer.

Watch the new Okay You Win video: Smoke + listen to the single on all streaming services

Deploying a double hit of heavy riffs and soaring vocals, Okay You Win have quickly built a solid reputation in the UK underground, bringing their blend of driving rock with stoned psychedelics and doomy breakdowns to a string of shows and festivals across England and further afield. Drawing heavily on Seattle grunge, California desert rock, 90s alt-rock and classic British metal, the four-piece caught the attention of fellow UK rockers Psychlona, who offered enthusiastic support and guided their friends toward producer Andy Hawkins and The Nave studio in Leeds for the recording of their debut album.

Following a year that saw performances in London, Edinburgh, Norwich, Birmingham, and a short tour around Spain, Okay You Win are ready to unleash End of Days in June 2026 on the heels of a DesertFest London slot, with lots more live appearances to follow this year.

"The album 'End of Days' has been a long time coming, but we’re so excited that it’s all finally kicking off. We started recording this album back at the end of 2024 after road testing the songs far and wide across the UK heavy scene, and with this album, we really think we've captured all of that raw energy and feeling from our first years out on the road," the band comments.

About the first single, they add, "‘Smoke’ has been a real favourite with audiences out on the road, and it’s a great representation of where we've come from and what we're all about. This thing feels like it's still just getting started, but we’re on a roll now, with plenty more fuel in the tank, and plenty more riffs in the bag."

Upcoming UK shows

March 27 - The Wheatsheaf, Banbury
March 28 - Saturnalia Records, Faversham
April 11 - The Sussex Is Doomed III, The Forum Basement, Tunbridge Wells
April 17 - The Chelsea Inn, Bristol
May 9 - Doom By The Sea Vol. 5, Dalton’s, Brighton
May 16 - Desertfest London 2026, The Black Heart, London
May 20 - The Gryphon, Bristol
May 23 - Chesham Fringe Festival, Chesham
June 19 - The Brown Cow, Mansfield
June 20 - The Underground, Bradford
June 21 - Trillians, Newcastle
June 26 - The Metal Monocle, Leicester
August 1 - Bay Days Festival 2026, Chelmsford

OKAY YOU WIN "End of Days" - Out June 26th on Blues Funeral Recordings
Pre-order LP and CD now on Bandcamp

Okay You Win is

Rodrigo Barradas – Bass
David Kirk – Vocals
Ryan O'Hare – Guitar
Antonio Peci – Drums

Okay You Win links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Blues Funeral Recordings links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

MONSTERNAUT - Approaching Doom (Album Review)

Release Date: March 27th 2026. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Approaching Doom - Tracklisting

1.Cold

2.Evicted

3.Approaching Doom 

4.Drain

5.Black Blizzard

6.New Order Of Bliss

7.Humana Stew

8.Demon Strikes

9.Heavy Monday

10.Final Pain

Members

Tuomas Heiskanen - Guitars / Vocals

Perttu Härkönen - Bass

Patrik Kuitunen - Drums

Review

Approaching Doom is the latest sonic excursion into pure Doomed Out Heaviness from the mighty MONSTERNAUT and is their first album in eight years. The band play a similar kind of energy from the likes of DOZER, DOPELORD, FU MANCHU and some NOLA influences appearing on different stages of the record.

The album is quite aggressive with MONSTERNAUT not holding back with their gritty and action packed grooves that have a certain Punk Rock pedigree to them. The sound does edge ever so closer to a streetwise level of Doom/Stoner Metal especially within the opening tracks of Cold, Evicted and Approaching Doom.

The vocals from Tuomas Heiskanen are confident, lean and quite muscular with the whole performance having a classic HARDCORE PUNK aspect to them. The music itself can be dominated by outbursts of Sludge Metal which gives the record quite an unpredictable energy from start to finish. MONSTERNAUT don’t offer cheap PROGRESSIVE gimmicks as they rely on good old fashioned HEAVY METAL dominance that’s offset by small amounts of freakish PSYCHEDELIC melodies. 

The album does move along at a frantic fast pace which only adds to the overall excitement of the whole experience which sees MONSTERNAUT rely on pure ROCK & ROLL fury and genuine STONER METAL chaos on tracks such as Approaching Doom, Drain, New Order Of Bliss, Demon Strikes and Final Rain. MONSTERNAUT develops a subtle style of Stoner Metal that leans heavily into the NOLA / SOUTHERN METAL realm for some of the heaviest and catchiest sounds on the whole album.

Approaching Doom does have a raw sounding atmosphere which is mostly down to the sublime production values that the record contains. The album was recorded entirely on analog tape with no digital editing at all. So this is about as close to the action you’ll ever likely to hear and actually experience from MONSTERNAUT.

The band did have the legendary talents of Finnish producer and sound engineer Anssi Kippo best known for his work with CHILDREN OF BODOM and brings a real level of darkness to the music. Though, still allowing MONSTERNAUT to fully commit themselves to harnessing the power of the ACTUAL RIFF!!!

MONSTERNAUT feels like they are building their own genuine musical legacy which reminds me of fellow Finnish Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE. However, this is MONSTERNAUT to impress with their own uncompromising vision but still showcasing another great band to check out from the Finnish Underground Heavy Metal Scene.

If you dig your Doom/Stoner Metal with an extra sideline of PISSED OFF musical aggression that moves into areas of NOLA Metal then Approaching Doom is the album for you and with the band aligning themselves to the amazing Heavy Psych Sounds, then you know this album is the complete package. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Approaching Doom will be available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Rumble Music Promotions Announces New Merch - PATCH for "LOW FREQUENCY – HIGH POTENCY"

 LOW FREQUENCY – HIGH POTENCY 

Become a part of the Rumble Evolution!

It’s time to take the Underground to the next level.

Rumble Music Promotions is dedicated to curating the heaviest, grittiest, and most obscure sounds from the global underground.

It’s time to grow.

To support the bands better, to improve our production, and to eventually bring you physical releases like tapes and vinyl, we need to evolve.

Our brand new "Low Frequency - High Potency" patches.

• Design: High-quality embroidery featuring the Rumble skull and our mantra.

• Look: Classic black or with a striking gold/ochre border – built to last on any battle vest.

• Mission: 100% of the proceeds from these patches go directly back into the company to fund the future of Rumble Music Promotions.

Support the Underground! Wear the Frequency! 

Shipping out on or around March 13, 2026 with an edition of 100 

Buy Now €5

https://rumblemusicpromotions.bandcamp.com/merch/patch-low-frequency-high-potency-10cm

SIXYEARHEX - Original Sin (Single Review)

Release Date: March 10th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Original Sin - Tracklisting

Original Sin

Review

Doom/Stoner Rockers SIXYEARHEX latest single Original Sin is the first peek at the duo’s groove laden and stylish sound from their upcoming new album. The song is thoroughly modern with elements of Sludge Rock and NOLA vibes appearing from the very start. SIXYEARHEX adds a cool Alt Metal sound which allows the vocals to be quite aggressive along the way. The music is played at a delicate slow-to-mid pace which allows the Psychedelic, Noise Rock and Doom Metal aspects to fully take charge. 

SIXYEARHEX have developed a more melodic style of music compared to their last release which has a certain Post-Stoner atmosphere merging from the shadows. Throw in some great dual vocals from the members of SIXYEARHEX and they start channelling bands such as FLOOR, TORCHE and MASTODON but still doing in their own great style. 

With a classic Progressive Metal energy appearing and holding everything together, SIXYEARHEX have delivered a truly superb track that makes me quite excited to hear their upcoming album. As if the songs are good as Original Sin then we’re going to be treated to something special indeed.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Eternal Dialtone - Eternal Dialtone (EP Review)

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

Original Sin - Tracklisting

Song 1

Song 2

Song 3

Members

Rich - Guitar

Steve - Bass

Burke - Drums

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Eternal Dialtone is the new project featuring Dust Moth, Giza, X Suns, Witchrat, Bering Sea, and Maxx Shredroom. I’ll let the band describe what they have in store with their self-titled debut EP.

“Eternal Dialtone was created in 2024 by current and former members of Dust Moth, Giza, X Suns, Witchrat, Bering Sea, and Maxx Shredroom. A sonic departure from the group's previous bands, Eternal Dialtone's sound draws from a wide range of underground music, surrounded by amplifiers set to 11.” 

Eternal Dialtone debut EP is purely instrumental which sees the band focusing upon a stripped back style of Doom, Psych, Space Rock and Stoner Metal. The record is quite raw but very intense and highly melodic with the band inspired by the likes of KARMA TO BURN, EARTHLESS, FU MANCHU and BIG BUSINESS. The record is spread across three tracks that lasts around thirteen minutes in total. The guitars played by Rich have a very sludgy aesthetic which is off-set by the classic Doom/Stoner Metal sounds played by Steve (Bass) and Burke (Drums) who keep everything grounded.

The tracks all have a similar creative theme to each other with Eternal Dialtone playing a great stop/start formation to their music. The listeners are propelled into the great Psychedelic and Spaced Out sound that dominates the whole musical landscape especially within the standout track of Song 2. Eternal Dialtone demonstrates a great style of Blues based COSMIC DOOM into their music with some flashy progressive sounds giving the EP a solid gritty feel.

Behind the scenes, Eternal Dialtone have worked with some great folks to help make this record with the EP being engineered by Nicholas Wilbur at the Unknown in Anacortes. The EP has been mixed by Matt Bayles at the Red Room in Seattle and mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering. Then you have the killer artwork provided by the one and only Steven Yoyada

The final track of Song 3 allows Eternal Dialtone to play a more sombre Post-Rock and Post-Stoner kind of energy which soon transforms into some freakish Progressive Sludge Rock soundscapes that I would love to hear more of on future releases.For a debut EP, Eternal Dialtone have delivered a highly promising EP that shows a lot of great original sounds which perhaps could be expanded upon further on a much longer record. Though, until then, Eternal Dialtone’s debut EP is a winning record on all levels.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Eternal Dialtone debut EP will be available to buy from all good Digital Stockists from March 27th 2026.

Links 

BandCamp | Instagram