Stoner Rock and Doom Festival HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST LONDON shares first acts for November 16-17th edition; tickets available now!

European stoner, doom and psychedelic rock festival Heavy Psych Sounds Fest returns to London grounds this fall and reveals the first batch of bands to hit the Signature Brew Blackhorse Road stage on November 13-14th. Tickets on sale now!

Leading the charge are Italian fuzz pillars Black Rainbows, whose explosive blend of garage psych and stoner rock fury has made them cult heroes across the underground, alongside Greece's doom worshippers Acid Mammoth, who summon crushing, incense-heavy riffs from the deepest abyss. Scotland's cosmic travellers The Cosmic Dead will bring their sprawling space odysseys, while UK desert rockers Psychlona are set to channel sun-scorched grooves and trance-inducing melodies with their distinctively British swagger. Sweden's Firebreather are all about modern sludge-doom at its most volcanic, all monstrous tone and wildfire energy, and Italy's own psychedelic power trio Mr.Bison round out the ritual with raw, 70s-soaked heavy psych that stomps, swirls, and hypnotises from first riff to last.

Prepare for a full weekend of fuzz and mind-expanding riffs at the Signature Brew Blackhorse Road venue — tickets are on sale now at this location!

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest London - November 13-14th at Signature Brew Blackhorse Road - TICKETS 

Black Rainbows

Acid Mammoth
The Cosmic Dead
Psychlona
Firebreather
Mr.Bison

About Heavy Psych Sounds

Headquartered in Rome, Heavy Psych Sounds Records is one of Europe's leading stoner, doom and heavy rock labels and the home to some of the most revered artists in the scene, such as Brant Bjork, Nick Oliveri, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Conan, Bongzilla, Yawning Man or Black Rainbows.

The underground cult label is not only a place for all heavy rock record collectors, but also an essential part of the live scene with its mini-festival series Heavy Psych Sounds Fest, gathering heavy music fans worldwide. Since its inception in 2015, the festival has taken over all major European cities, from London and Berlin to Paris, while also spreading its wings across the United States with events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Baltimore.

The festival has hosted some of the biggest names in the scene, consistently presenting an electric blend of HPS bands alongside top-tier acts from the international heavy scene such as High On Fire, Red Fang, Elder, Monolord, 1000mods, Messa, and many more over the years.

Heavy Psych Sounds links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details

Blüdwyrm - The Blissful Sleep Of Ignorance (EP Review)

Release Date: June 05th 2026. Record Label: Road To Masochist. Formats: CD/DD/Tape

The Blissful Sleep Of Ignorance - Tracklisting

1.Preacher Of My Own Demise

2.Isolate

3.The Vultures

4.Pesticides

Members

 

Leo Butterworth: Bass & Vocals

Alex Jones: Guitar & FX

Seb Olds: Drums

Review

Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Blüdwyrm debut EP The Blissful Sleep Of Ignorance will appeal to fans of Electric Wizard, Weedeater and Bongzilla the music is constantly seedy with a violent Fuzzed Up and Down Tuned approach hidden within the music. This is good old fashioned and superbly menacing Doom/Sludge Metal with Blüdwyrm expertly creating gloomy violent soundscapes with a distorted amplified quality with a certain raw sounding aesthetic hidden behind all the grimy melodies that reside within the whole EP.

The EP isn’t the best produced or recorded but allows Blüdwyrm to have a real sound of the actual underground running through their music. The whole thing is stripped back and allows Blüdwyrm to play right through with a violent energy emitting from all the stacks of amplifiers they have at their disposal. The songs are quite filthy and intense with a menacing WEEDIAN environment almost moving everything over to the EXTREME METAL side of life within the opening tracks of Preacher Of My Own Demise and Isolate.

Lead vocalist Leo Butterworth demonstrates a world weary style of vocals from someone who has seen everything and can’t take anymore of the shit currently going on within the world. What makes Blüdwyrm standout is the use of groove based mechanics which gives their music a highly impressive style of riff-centric delivery and the added use of Psychedelic effects makes you sit up and take notice.

I get a vibe of stripped back and slower versions of HIGH ON FIRE and MOTORHEAD on the later stages of the EP which fully sold me on Blüdwyrm’s overall creative vision especially on tracks The Vultures and Pesticides. The tone is bleak, desolate and one of abject misery once again being delivered through that THICK WALL OF AMPLIFIED SMOKE and DOOMED OUT DESPAIR.

The Blissful Ignorance Of Sleep is quite a well put together EP that allows Blüdwyrm to showcase a great style of Stoner Metal momentum within the meatier grooves that await you on various sections on the record. These guys have a fine eye for detail with a certain Post-Doom, Ambient, Psych and Post-Rock direction appearing within the standout final track of Pesticides which I’m hoping they explore further on future releases.

I feel with slightly better production values and a longer running time that Blüdwyrm could be really onto something special but that doesn’t stop The Blissful Ignorance Of Sleep being a downright thrilling release to make themselves known with.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Imperative PR for the promo.

The Blissful Sleep Of Ignorance is available to buy now on CD/DD/Tape via Road To Masochist.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Rifle - Bound To A Psychotic Cycle (EP Review)

Release Date: May 22nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Tape

Bound To A Psychotic Cycle - Tracklisting

1.Incarnation 06:02
2.Twisted Death 05:14

Review

Doom/Stoner Rockers Rifle release their latest dirty and twisted musical assault on the senses with Bound To A Psychotic Cycle which takes a more sleazed out and garage rock journey. I haven’t featured the band on the blog since their excellent 2022 debut album “Repossessed” where their album cover managed to get me a ban on Facebook for a short amount of tim. So thanks for that guys.

Ever since then, Rifle have gone on from strength-to-strength releasing a couple more of records since then including their superb 2025 album Beyond Paranoia. Their music is a little bit more out there with Rifle focusing upon seedier sounds from musical areas such as Garage Rock. Psych, Doom. Proto-Metal and Stoner Rock.

With influences ranging from MC5, Black Sabbath and Led Zepp this EP has a freakish attitude which results in some Jazz Rock passages with a wonderful Psych Rock sound. The whole mood is quite freaky and disjointed when the song has a certain Post-Punk and Post-Dance energy which you can experience within the excellent opening track of Incarnation.

Rifle are quite adept at including moments of Classic Hard Rock freakouts which results into some epic guitar solos along the way. There’s some wonderful South American charm and Blues Rock atmosphere which closes out the opening track. The vocals are quite hard to describe which range from Funk. Doom, Dance, Punk and Heavy Rock but Rifle fully sell this great style throughout.

Second track Twisted Death has echoes of Thin Lizzy shown within the vocals delivery and how the grooves are played out. Though, the energy of Blue Oyster Cult gives this track a proper Doom Rock vibe which Rifle play to their own advantage. The usual mix of Psych, Dance and Post-Punk swagger reigns supreme once more for a song that dares to be different and pulls this off with absolute charm.

Bound To A Psychotic Cycle is a crazy and warped record with Rifle firing on all cylinders by offering the listener a damn good time.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Houston's Bong Wizard conjure dank doom & sludge on new album "Transilvanian Munchies" out June 25th 2026. New Song & Video Out Now For BLUNTLUST

Coming hot on the heels of 2025's EP Clones, sativa-soaked sludge bruisers Bong Wizard are back with their new full-length, Transilvanian Munchies. Slow-burning, riff-forward doom with a not-so-subtle nod to cannabis culture, this is a record that treats weed the way outlaw country treated whiskey.

Across eight tracks of gargantuan grooves and throat-shredding vocals, Bong Wizard deliver classic extremity reinterpreted in resin.

In the band's own words:

“Each song flips a classic black metal title into something cannabis-fueled and relatable. The parody is obvious, the reverence is intentional. The humor opens the door, and the riffs walk you through the threshold. It’s stoner/doom metal that understands absurdity.

This is also the first record with our new drummer and it feels locked in. The lineup shift forced us to approach this record with a mindset that is different than what we have done in the past.”

Transilvanian Munchies drops in all its weedian glory June 25th. Alongside tracks “Bongblåst” and “Inno A Sativa”, out now, Bong Wizard deliver one last nug of a taster in third single “Bluntlust”, accompanied by a music video as dank and devilishly funny as one could hope. Follow the smoke and fall under the Bong Wizard’s spell.

Bong Wizard - Transilvanian Munchies

Album out June 25th, 2026
Self-released (Digital, Vinyl)
Houston, Texas, US
FFO: Conan, Weedeater, Electric Wizard, Yob, Boris, Melvins

BONG WIZARD is:

Justin Liles - Guitar/Vocals
Ronny Spera - Bass/Vocals
Thomas Meeks - Drums

Tracklist:

1. Bongblåst (6:29)
2. Spellbound By The Devils Lettuce (2:23)
3. With Strength I Burn One (3:57)
4. Transylvanian Munchies (6:57)
5. Inno A Sativa (6:45)
6. Bluntlust (4:24)
7. Procession Of Bowls (4:20)
8. I Am The Bong Wizards (4:21)

Links

LinkTree | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

King Potenaz - Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 2 (Album Review)

Release Date: June 12th 2026. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: DD

Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 2 - Tracklisting

1.Sumerian Nights

2.Lord Of The Rust

3.The Nothingness

4.A Crack In The Void (The Empty Hand pt. 2)

Members

 

Vocals/Guitars: Giuseppe Guarini

Bass: Francesco Pensato

Drums/Synths: Piero Schiavone

Special Guest:

Anna Carla Del Prete: cello on “Sumerian Nights” intro

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers King Potenaz returns with Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. Two which is being released a year after the critically acclaimed first volume was released to the world. That record showed how King Potenaz leaned heavily into the Cosmic, Occult and Space Rock vortex of the Doom/Stoner Metal world. Volume 2 takes up a similar journey with King Potenaz playing even more lucid and strange Psychedelic sounds with a fine level of distorted paranoia appearing within the epic opening track of Sumerian Nights.

There’s a sense of mystery that builds up behind the scenes which allows the band to be more focused and perhaps leaning into the Sludge Rock aspects of their overall sound. The music can be slightly fractured and disjointed compared to Volume One but there’s a familiar distorted flow that holds everything together. Sometimes the atmosphere can be cautiously slow with long drawn out instrumental passages especially with the intense down tuned FUZZ based grooves. 

King Potenaz dictate their music with real doomed out precision with a chainsaw effect developing within the thrilling and highly cinematic second track Lord Of The Rust. Taking small inspiration from the likes of KYUSS, SLEEP, MONOLORD and BLACK SABBATH for small parts of the record, there’s a subtle Punk Rock ethic appearing with how the vocals and melodies are fully delivered. The amplified movements have a classic Seventies and Nineties feeling that manifests into some epic bursts of Doom, Stoner and Cosmic Metal that pull no punches with how HEAVY the whole record becomes. 

The album has an infinite amount of different sounds and trippy effects that constantly overlap each other which remind me of SLOMATICS and UFOMAMMUT in places. The final two tracks of The Nothingness and A Crack In The Void (The Empty Hand pt. 2) once again sees King Potenaz bring a heavier, violent and apocalyptic sound to the party with areas of Progressive themes becoming quite dominant and perhaps at the forefront of how the band deliver their music.

With the band willing to experiment with melody, tones and textures on Volume Two, there’s some excellent use of Post-Doom, Post-Stoner and Ambient structures which really transports the listener into the far reaches of the Occult World and even beyond into the Cosmic domain. With rich storytelling aspects appearing within the lyrics, the vocals are delivered superbly by Giuseppe Guarini once again. The later stages of Volume Two can be quite “out there” with Giuseppe sounding like he’s been possessed by an evil entity but the Space Rock themes allows everything to be quite over the top and brilliantly outlandish. Though, there’s a sense of grounded realism that still manages to be one of the albums main strengths.

There’s plenty of outstanding riffs, grooves and instrumental sounds for listeners to sit back and enjoy the wild cinematic ride that Volume Two contains. Once again the album has been recorded by Stefano Manca and with Marc Urselli handling mixing and mastering duties. It was this winning combination that made Volume One such a great record to listen to and they pull off the same incredible work here.

Majestic Mountain Records are once again on board by releasing the album and once again proving why they’re one of the best labels currently out there alongside the likes of Ripple Music, Heavy Psych Sounds, Argonauta Records, Blues Funeral Recordings and Magnetic Eye Records. 

Arcane Desert Rituals Vol.2 is an absolute triumph and closes this magnificent two part musical adventure on a complete high. What more could you possibly want!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo.

Arcane Desert Rituals Vol.2  is available to buy now on Digital Download via Majestic Mountain Records.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/KingPotenaz666
https://www.instagram.com/kingpotenaz666
https://kingpotenaz.bandcamp.com

Bantoriak - Vol II (Album Review)

Release Date: June 19th 2026. Record Label: Argounata Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Vol II - Tracklisting

Vol II

Blu Bus feat. Sergio Ch.

Ritualism feat. Dome La Muerte

Liquid Brain

Kairot

La Muerte feat. Dome La Muerte

Amanita

Karpura

Members

 

Izio Orsini

Special Guests & Contributors

Dome La Muerte, Sergio Ch. (Los Natas), Marco Gambicorti (Rancho Bizzarro), Toto Barbato (The Cage, Snaporaz), Omar Tognotti, Giacomo Cerri (Vesta), Rosy Ninivaggi (Profanal), Valentina Erre, Jacopo Pannokkia, Filippo Del Bimbo (Supernaughty), Andrea Appino (Zen Circus), Mattia Cominotto (Green Fog Studio), Giacomo Vaccai.

Review

Psych/Desert Rock/Stoner Rock collective Bantoriak returns after an eleven year absence with their second imaginatively titled album “Vol II”. The record has a spectacular roster of guest musicians to help Izio Orsini, the creative mastermind behind Bantoriak, fully come to life. The album has a wonderfully rich and meaningful Space Rock and Cosmic attitude that acts as the main launchpad for Bantoriak to create music that spreads the vast Desert Rock sounds that come right at you from the very start.

Vol II has a free flowing narrative where the majority of the tracks follow their own creative path which isn’t surprising with the wide range of guest musicians contributing to the album. If you’re a fan of KYUSS, Yawning Man, Monster Magnet, Karma To Burn and Monkey3 then this album will have you fully covered with its trance induced extended instrumental jams. There is a deep Eastern mythology and folklore within the music which gives this record a very unique sound especially within the Ambient and Post-Rock elements that appear within the quieter stages of the record.

Bantoriak does play fast and loose with the rules of Heavy Psych and Stoner Rock with certain songs not following a straight forward narrative as such. However, this is one of the albums main strengths with the non-stop SONIC experimentation reminding me of the classic Monster Magnet record TAB. There’s similarities between TAB and VOL II with warped psychedelics and distorted Space Rock environments combining for a minor battle of SONIC WARFARE within the heaviest moments on the album. 

There’s a layer of Prog Rock that allows the listener to immerse themselves even further as Bantoriak starts using Progressive themes and gloomy Droned Out melodies which is also deeply rooted in Seventies Psychedelic Rock surroundings. Sometimes the record can feel a bit overloaded but Bantoriak wisely takes a break to play a more stripped back style of Heavy Psych and Ambient Rock. 

Standout tracks on the record for me are: Vol II, Blu Bus, Ritualism, Liquid Brain, Amanita and Karpura. As these tracks are the most focused with heaviest, trippiest and riff-centric on the whole album. Obviously SONIC EXPERIMENTATION and Psychedelic Distortion are the key elements that make this record really standout. There are vocals along the way and they only appear when they’re really needed. When they do appear, they’re mostly based on shamanic chants but it does give an air of mystery to the whole journey of Vol II. 

Vol II does have a neverending supply of superb instrumental spaced out jams from start to finish which overlaps with other areas of the whole Desert Rock/Stoner Rock scene. There is a certain Tribal and Ritual presence which makes the whole journey richly rewarding and when Bantoriak is in his creative element then Vol II is in a league of it’s own especially when the sludgy guitars fully take control for brief moments of the album.

It may have been a long wait for Bantoriak to return with Vol II but this album has definitely been worth the wait which will no doubt go down a storm with the wider Stoner Rock community. This is another contender for Album Of The Year especially if you like your music that takes you on a massive journey across the COSMOS!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Vol II is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records.

Links 

https://www.facebook.com/bantoriakDoom
https://www.instagram.com/bantoriak.ii/

https://bantoriak.bandcamp.com/

Swiss Spheric Rock Trio BIRDLORD Release New Single “En Donde Me Perdí”

Swiss spheric rock trio BIRDLORD continue the ascent toward their highly anticipated debut album with the release of the new single “En Donde Me Perdí”, available now via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records. 

Stream the track here: https://tidal.com/track/526315361/u

Taken from the upcoming full-length album Dreams Lie In The Eagle’s Eye, set for release on September 25th, 2026, “En Donde Me Perdí” shows one of the heaviest and most direct sides of the band so far. Built around thick fuzz guitars, driving bass lines and an infectious groove, the track combines psychedelic rock with raw alternative energy and a strong sense of movement.

Rather than turning inward, the song reflects on frustration with a cruel society and the feeling of losing yourself inside systems, numbness and the constant struggle between ethics and profit. Sung in Spanish, "En Donde Me Perdí" balances catchy hooks with dense walls of sound, shifting between hypnotic passages and explosive instrumental moments.

Since forming in Bern in late 2023, BIRDLORD have rapidly evolved from an ambitious underground project into one of the most compelling new names in the European psychedelic and progressive rock scene. The current lineup featuring Lily Lord, Gaia Giacomelli and Köbi Ferber has refined the band’s sound into something sharper, heavier and emotionally layered, balancing explosive energy with atmospheric depth.

With “En Donde Me Perdí”, BIRDLORD offer another immersive preview of an album destined to push their artistic vision even further. More details about Dreams Lie In The Eagle’s Eye will be revealed soon.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/birdlordband
https://www.instagram.com/birdlord_band
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.