Troy The Band - The Blissful Unknown (EP Review)

 

Release Date: April 08th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

The Blissful Unknown - Tracklisting

I Wage A War

Less Than Nothing

Michael

The Blissful Unknown

Review

The Blissful Unknown is the debut EP from UK Stoner Metallers Troy The Band. Their EP has many similarities with bands such as Mars Red Sky, Acid Magus and Uncle Acid with Troy The Band employing a more "StonerGaze" or "DoomGaze" style of grooves. The music flirts between 80's/90's Shoegaze and modern sounding Psych Doom/Stoner Metal with an extra layer of DISTORTED FUZZ that helps elevate their overall sound to something quite surprising and original in places.

Opening Song I Wage A War offers over three minutes of Mars Red Sky inspired Doom/Stoner Rock with Troy The Band bringing their "StonerGaze" style of music into play. The music is quite aggressive, psychedelic and downright catchy with the Psych based vocals matching the grooves beat for beat. The song is quite progressive and moves solely into the "Doom" atmosphere side of life with gloomy riffs showing a band not afraid to mix things up a bit which you can tell from the lyrics written for the song.

Second song Less Than Nothing is a more Progressive style of song with Troy The Band adapting a Doom Metal flow for the song. The seedy Fuzz/Stoner Metal attitude of the song is what you would expect to hear from the Swedish Doom/Stoner Metal scene not from the UK scene. Echoes of Doomed Out Grooves allows the band to play some fantastic trippy guitar solos within the first few moments of the track. This second half of the song sees Troy The Band adapting a more traditional "Shoegaze" feel whilst still maintaining the "Sabbathian '' template of Doom/Stoner Metal. The lyrics even have an 80s Alternative Rock flow and all positively build up for perhaps the standout track on the EP. The band covers a lot of ground here within the almost eight and half minute runtime of the track.

Third song Michael is another lengthy slice of Distorted Doom/Stoner Metal with perhaps some indications of Sludgy sounds wanting to join the party. The track allows Troy The Band to show off their musical skills with some mighty fine trippy bass solos before moving back into the 80s Alt Rock arena. There's many different areas of music being played on this EP but this track is the best indication of what the band fully deliver. As they play a more slowed down and stripped back style of music here which you can really admire and appreciate. The grooves are quite seedy whilst being ever so more hopeful. The soulful Blues Rock attitude is a very nice touch as well. 

The final song, The Blissful Unknown is another relentless "Shoegaze" style of Doom, Fuzz and Stoner Metal with a more way out approach with the band adding a "Drone" based atmosphere to the EP. The song is slow paced but the Psychedelic Freakouts and Distorted Grooves may take cues from early era Elephant Tree. However, there is that wonderful and eerie vibe from the lyrics and vocals that allows Troy The Band to fully stand on their own creative musical vision. 

The Blissful Unknown is quite a surreal release but one that holds the listeners attention from start to finish. Excellent production values also help Troy The Band to deliver one of the strongest and wonderfully entertaining debut releases from the UK Doom/Stoner Metal scene I've heard in quite some time.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Troy The Band for the promo. 

The Blissful Unknown will be available to buy on DD from April 08th 2022

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp 

ZOM - Fear And Failure (Album Review)

Release Date: March 11th 2022. Record Label: StonerFly Records. Format: DD/Vinyl

Fear And Failure - Tracklisting

1.Washed Away 04:58

2.Long Way Gone 03:33

3.Showtime 04:36

4.Third Life 04:16

5.Running Man 03:55

6.Stone 05:38

7.August 04:26

8.Another Day to Run 03:28

9.Down The Highway 03:17

10.The Plunge 04:50

Members

Gero Von Dehn: Vocals/Guitar

Sam Pesce: Bass

Ben Zerbe: Drums/Percussion

Matthew Tuite: Guitar

Review

Fear And Failure is the new album by Grunge/Stoner Rockers ZOM and arrives four years after their last acclaimed release Nebulos. This album has allowed ZOM to bring a heavier and riffier style of delivery with their music that echoes of bands such as CLUTCH and Soundgarden.

The record has also been mastered by Grunge Legend Jack Endino with Jason Jouer handling the mixed, recording and engineering duties. So the album sounds excellent and with ZOM recording this album during the start of the pandemic. To ZOM’s credit the album remains a super upbeat experience with not many “darker” moments held on this record.

Moving between modern day Psych Stoner Rock and an almost classic Grungy Hard Rock outlook, ZOM explode aggressively at the right time with superior moments of Blues Rock based grooves that you can fully experience on Washed Away, Long Way Gone and Showtime. The vocals have that modern Stoner Rock/Metal feel whilst having an classical 80’s Hard Rock feel.

ZOM do take a few songs to inject a few trippy guitar solos into the mix with Showtime being the first standout track on the album. Showtime has an exciting “CLUTCH” approach that ZOM appear to adapt for the rest of the album but with a grungy swagger that works well with their Psychedelic grooves they lay down for this release.

Other standout tracks are: Third Life, Stone, August, Another Day To Run and Plunge

KUDOS must also goto ZOM for covering NEBULA’s classic track Down The Highway. As most bands tend to go for the more “well known” bands and I’m glad NEBULA were given the respect they fully deserve. ZOM’s cover is an interesting choice and they do their own thing with the song. Sure, it doesn’t stray far from the original but I did enjoy their “more” aggressive take on this track.

Fear And Failure is perhaps not breaking any new creative ground. However, this album is quite a relentless blend of Psych Rock, Grunge and Stoner Rock that leaves you wanting more whilst kicking your ass with huge stadium sounding grooves along the way.

What more could you possibly want….

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy Fear And Failure from StoneFly Records on Vinyl now

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Psychedelic Doomsters Acid Magus Release Redux Version Of Wyrd Syster Single - SHE IS THE NIGHT

Psychedelic doomsters Acid Magus release redux version of Wyrd Syster single.

(Photo Credit - Vivid Portraits) 

Acid Magus released their debut album, Wyrd Syster on the 30th July 2021. Heaving with fuzzy guitars, fat bass lines and thunderous drums, as one has come to be expected from the four-piece. The release was extremely well received within the heavy music scene, garnering widespread attention from media and fans. Doom, Stoner, Punk, Psych, and Classic Rock are all common themes throughout the album. 

The band recently decided to re-record the title track and second single from the album as guitarist Keenan Kinnear explains, “She is the Night was a bit of an afterthought when  completing the album. When we finalized the vocals, we sat back and thought "wow, this is actually quite a powerful track!” The audience response to the song has also been very positive so we decided to give it the spotlight it deserves and re-recorded it from scratch in our newly adopted drop tuning and added a few bits to flesh it out somewhat. Once more, the inimitable Tyrone le Roux-Atterbury contributed an exclusive art piece further detailing the Wyrd Syster” from the original album art…” 

Buy / Stream Wyrd Syster: https://orcd.co/sheisthenight_redux 

Follow Acid Magus

Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Bandcamp 

South African Rockers Betty's Nuklear share the video for debut single BLEEDING THE SUMMER

Delivering roaring riff heavy rock, Bleeding the Summer is the scorching debut single from South African band Betty's Nuklear. This song sounds like the birth of a new superpower, commanding melodies belted into your ears with a husky gritty voice. Relentless guitars provide a rich bed for these vocals to bounce off. 

Established in 2021, the guys deliver groovy alternative desert rock, packed with super intergalactic power, wrapping their music in imagination and abstract emotion. The line-up includes Chad Abnett (Lead Vocals), Dean Clarke (Guitar), Shane Carew (Drums), Anthonie Botha (Bass).

Betty's Nuklear invite you to witness their birth. 

The video, which was directed and produced by Stefan Klopper & Cara Botha from Garden Route Media is set in a world where most people have left, slowly seared away by the sun.

Bettys Nuklear detect a life presence - they have come to collect. 

Buy / Stream Bleeding The Summer: https://ditto.fm/bleeding-the-summer

Follow Betty’s Nuklear

Facebook 
Instagram 
SoundCloud 
YouTube 

CHRMR - Low In The Glow (Album Review)

Release Date: March 04th 2022. Record Label: Tentacles Industries. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Low In The Glow - Tracklisting

1.Phantomatic 02:39

2.Blue No.19 04:10

3.Low in the Glow 03:10

4.Lone Wolf (Edge of Town) 03:36

5.Elevators 03:42

6.Rites 03:58

7.Spells 03:38

8.Grain Ark 05:24

Review

Low In The Glow is the new album from Rochester, New York Heavy Post-Doom/Noise/Sludge/Stoner Metal collective CHRMR and it continues their abrasive and aggressive style of music heard on their last few releases. This album has a more potent threat to it all as the band play a sound that is more fitting for today’s modern, heavy and ultra aggressive style of “Post-Whatever” sounds

CHRMR consists of former and current members of Sulaco, Contrarian and Burn Everything and with that kind of pedigree you’re going to expect something different.

Throw in pockets of Post-Doom, Industrial Rock and flashy Noise Rock grooves then CHRMR flirt between 90s Alternative Metal atmospherics with a “RELAPSE RECORDS '' style showmanship. The songs are all wholly contained in their own sound with CHRMR playing multiple styles of modern day hard rock and metal but all foretold within the powers of Sludge/Stoner Metal.

The band aims for a solitary feel on this album especially on the first few songs with Phantomatic, Blue No 19  and Low In The Glow quite surprisingly quickly building up an almost “world building” feel with each song. The songs are aggressive, socially aware and downright catchy in places thanks to the barnstorming use of different styles of music with perhaps an overconfident style of Psych Rock/Metal being the main focus here. The Industrial/Noise Rock aesthetic has been heard on previous CHRMR releases but this is where it feels fully realised with stunning vocals and lyrics to match. 

The grooves are muscular but with real intelligence and if CHRMR were around in the glory days of mid-90s/early 00’s Alternative Metal then they would have been a big deal but maybe the added inclusion of the Sludge/Stoner Metal elements make CHRMR perhaps something of an oddity for today’s listeners of the scene we know, love and support. 

However, CHRMR is a wonderful creative oddity within the scene. As they’re a band who take ideas from other areas of Hard Rock/Metal that shouldn’t really work here but they do. Especially when they fuse fast-paced Sludge/Stoner Metal violent grooves with similar themes from bands such as NIN and System Of A Down. Check out the excellent two-punch combo of Lone Wolf (Edge Of Town) and Elevators for evidence of this. The music contained here on these two tracks are the best part of this album that should allow CHRMR to endear themselves to the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Community.

The final few songs on the album sees CHRMR expand their creative prowess yet again with the band adopting a more “Progressive” edge or angle to their music and the inclusion of almost extreme based “breakdowns” to their music is an added bonus for the overall enjoyment of the album.

The production is excellent as always and allows this album to be another wonderfully epic sounding release from CHRMR.

Get on this release when you can. Overall, Low In The Glow is a stunning release.

Words by Steve Howe

Low In The Glow is available for pre-order soon on CD/Vinyl via Tentacles Industries

Links

Linktree

RED MESA to release their new Doom Metal single “Forest Cathedral” on May 6th via Desert Records.

RED MESA to release their new Doom Metal single “Forest Cathedral” on May 6th via Desert Records.

Artwork by Kyrre Bjurling

The heavy desert trio will start pre-order on April 1st (BandCamp only) for limited edition 7” lathe vinyl & merch bundle that will include Taos desert sage, t-shirt, patch, stickers.

Red Mesa is (L to R): Alex Cantwell - bass/vox, Brad Frye - guitar/vox, Roman Barham - drums/backing vox

FOREST CATHEDRAL

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” — John Muir

A walk in the woods. That’s what inspired Red Mesa’s new single “Forest Cathedral” on Desert Records. Not to sound trite, but even saying that anything “inspired” the song is a misnomer. A more accurate way to explain how the song came about is that it was “revealed” to bass player Alex Cantwell during repeated hikes in the same area of Oak Flat in Tijeras, NM. 

“In New Mexico where we live”, explains Alex, “ there are different topographies within a short drive from each other including high desert landscapes, forested mountains, river valleys with old growth trees called the bosque, sand dunes, grass plains, salt flats, caves, etc . This provides an aesthetic variety and different perspectives. I spent 10 months renting a cabin in the mountains in the forest, and it was an amazing place to spend time.  I especially loved my frequent hikes, and this song, riff by riff was all pieced together in my head as the muse provided it to me and made it available for me to snatch out of the air. The lyrics are simply an outpouring of simple gratitude for the forest itself”. 

“Forest Cathedral” sees Red Mesa embracing it’s gratitude and reverence for something else as well; doom metal. While their 2020 album “The Path to the Deathless” saw the band branch out from a desert rock format with nods to Kyuss, but also Motorhead, east coast doom, and expansive soundscapes that would give way to quiet acoustic passages and death metal alike, this new single is a nod to true doom, but done in Red Mesa’s ever-evolving style.

PREORDER for “Forest Cathedral” will be available on April 1st.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Baltimore Stoner Metallers BLACK LUNG announce new album "Dark Waves" on Heavy Psych Sounds; first track and pre-order available!

Baltimore's prolific progressive stoner metal unit BLACK LUNG sign to Heavy Psych Sounds for the release of their ambitious fourth album "Dark Waves" this May 27th. Hear its compelling title track and first single exclusively on The Heavy Chronicles!

The year 2019 marked significant changes for BLACK LUNG. Following the release of their third album "Ancients", guitarist and founding member Adam Bufano amicably departed the band and in November 2019, was replaced by guitarist Dave Fullerton. In the existential dread, loss and uncertainty of the global pandemic, with the backdrop of malignant fascism and cultural enmity in the USA, the band began writing the songs that would comprise their next record. There is no question that "Dark Waves" was conceived in hostile times, and Dave Cavalier's lyrics reflect this hostility. On the title track , the band channels this mood of bitterness through their instruments, as a meditative bridge is slowly transformed into a foreboding storm front centered around Dave Fullerton’s hypnotic guitar melodies.

Listen to new single "Dark Waves" at this location via The Heavy Chronicles

Despite the apparent darkness, "Dark Waves" is not a cold or desolate sounding record. BLACK LUNG leaps forward from their previous releases with warmer, brighter sound crafting and more audacious songwriting. There are passages with a tangible sense of jubilation and excitement, as they revel in the recording process after more than a year of uncertainty and frustration. For the new release, the band was inspired to leave behind the power trio convention and add bass player Mac Hewitt (ex-The Flying Eyes) into the mix. Produced by J. Robbins and mixed by Kurt Ballou (member of Converge and Grammy-winning producer for High On Fire), it will be released on May 27th through Heavy Psych Sounds.

BLACK LUNG New album "Dark Waves" - Out May 27th on Heavy Psych Sounds

In the winter of 2014, the trio of Adam Bufano, Elias Schutzman (both founding members of The Flying Eyes) and multi-instrumentalist Dave Cavalier emerged from Baltimore as BLACK LUNG. The band quickly set themselves apart in the crowded field of psych-doom and heavy-blues bands by eschewing a bass guitarist, instead of finding the backbone of their sound in the interchange of fuzzed-drenched guitars, deep driving drum beats, and Cavalier’s raw, blues-tinged vocals. Following the release of their self-titled debut in 2014, Black Lung was named "Best New Band" by the Baltimore City Paper and embarked on their first European tour. The tour was capped with a performance at the Rockpalast Crossroads Festival, broadcast on German national television.

In 2016, BLACK LUNG released their sophomore album "See The Enemy" on Noisolution Records. Produced by J. Robbins, guitarist and frontman for post-punk icon Jawbox (and producer for The Sword and Clutch), See The Enemy saw the band building on the strengths of their debut while at times pushing into garage-psych territory in the vein of The Black Keys and Jack White. They followed the release with a headlining European tour, notably appearing at Freak Valley Festival and Desertfest Belgium alongside bands like Graveyard, Dead Meadow and All Them Witches.

After several more years of touring and songwriting, BLACK LUNG returned with "Ancients" in 2019. Produced by Frank Marchand (producer for The Obsessed), it found the band taking even more adventurous departures from doom and psych-rock tropes. The album was followed by another successful release tour in the EU and in late 2019, guitarist Adam Bufano amicably departed the band. Shortly thereafter, guitarist Dave Fullerton (member of the post-rock trio Deaf Scene) joined the fold only to find the world turned upside down by Covid-19. Despite the setbacks and ripples of doubt across the whole of the music industry in 2020 and 2021, BLACK LUNG pushed forward with their new lineup and quietly stayed hard at work on their fourth album.

While in some ways "Dark Waves" offers a departure from prior Black Lung records, the band stays true to their roots in doom and psychedelic music, delivering eight songs packed with the frenzied, fuzzed-out guitar breakdowns, booming drums, and soulful vocals that longtime fans will appreciate. The decision to bring bass guitar prominently into the mix on "Dark Waves" adds new levels of depth and heaviness to their songs, which may be the album’s most notable and exciting development. For them, making it through these dark times meant reflecting on the past while pushing forward without knowing what the future may hold. The result is a record that sees BLACK LUNG rising to new sonic heights. "Dark Waves is set for global release through Heavy Psych Sounds Records May 27th, 2022.

BLACK LUNG is

Dave Cavalier - Guitar & Vocals
Elias Schutzman - Drums
Dave Fullerton - Guitar
Mac Hewitt - Bass

BLACK LUNG links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

GREENLEAF sign with Magnetic Eye Records

GREENLEAF have inked a deal with Magnetic Eye Records. The veteran desert rockers will finally be returning to detonate stages around Europe this year, and have already started to gather hot ideas for their next full-length to be released via the label.

GREENLEAF comment: "Signing a new record deal with Magnetic Eye was a pretty easy decision for us", writes vocalist Arvid Hällagård, who can be seen while signing the contract together with his band mates below. "We already knew them to be good people who do this for the love of heavy music, which is exactly the only kind of people that we want to work with. With them by our side, we feel that we can continue to do what we do in harmony with our label. This is something you won't find every day."

Jadd Shickler welcomes GREENLEAF: "I almost don't know where to begin in expressing my incredible pleasure at this signing", tells the Magnetic Eye director. "I've known guitarist and founder Tommi for more than 20 years, and I've been a fan of every band and project he's been part of. Yes, I liked GREENLEAF when they were his low-pressure side project, but when they transformed into a proper band with the 'Trails and Passes' album, it was a 'holy crap' moment, because they instantly became one of my absolute favorite heavy rock outfits on earth, and have remained so ever since. Saying how pleased we are to welcome GREENLEAF to the Magnetic Eye roster is a supreme understatement!"

GREENLEAF have already announced a set of live dates in Europe including Hellfest. Please see below for a list of currently confirmed shows.

Photo by Kimmo Holappa

GREENLEAF LIVE 2022

17 JUN 2022 Clisson (FR) Hellfest
02 JUL 2022 Gera (DE) Graveyard Summer Fest
08 JUL 2022 Borlänge (SE) Alive Festival
11 AUG 2022 Bagnes (CH) Palp Festival
01 OCT 2022 Göteborg (SE) Musikenshus
8-9 DEC 2022 Stockholm (SE) Fuzz Festival

Photo by Peder Bergrstand

Hard rock afficionados GREENLEAF were initially formed as an informal project by friends that were already playing in a number of other bands including DOZER, LOWRIDER, and DEMON CLEANER. The Swedes simply wanted to have an outlet for their mutual love of '70s-era hard rock and proto-metal while being free from the expectations and pressures that were hanging over their main bands.

Despite all their best intentions to have GREENLEAF just for fun, their undiluted joy of creating catchy songs led to everyone telling them to record their material. This led eventually to the release of a self-titled debut EP in 2000, which was quickly followed by their debut full-length "Revolution Rock" only a year later.

With guitarist and sole remaining founding-member Tommi Holappa firmly at the helm, the sound of GREENLEAF has remained remarkably consistent throughout the releases that followed, even though the band experienced several personnel changes over the years. Inspired by their growing popularity and the success of "Secret Alphabets" (2003) and "Agents of Ahriman" (2007), they decided to shift gears in 2010 and transformed from "the side project that refused to die" into a full-time band with the release of their fourth album, 2012's "Nest of Vipers".

Having turned from an on and off fling to a full-time love affair, the years of rotating line-ups were over, and GREENLEAF's newfound focus and stability was crowned by their fifth album "Trails & Passes" (2014), which also featured new permanent vocalist Arvid Hällagård. Their next two full-lengths, 2016's "Rise Above the Meadow" and 2018's "Hear the Rivers", won the band prime performing slots on European festival stages, while "Echoes from a Mass" (2021) reached the global streaming and European album charts – reflecting the quartet's ever-growing popularity.

Weaving together psychedelia, hard rock, and metallic blues in a warm, serpentine mélange that leaves behind none of the punishing immediacy of their earlier recordings, today's GREENLEAF merge road-tested tightness, swirling guitar-driven soundscapes, and captivating blues-laden vocals into one of the most reliably mesmerizing acts pushing the sonic horizons of desert rock to new frontiers.

Line-up

Hans Fröhlich – bass
Arvid Hällagård – vocals
Tommi Holappa – guitars
Sebastian Olsson – drums

Links

www.facebook.com/greenleafrocks
www.instagram.com/greenleafband

MWWB - The Harvest (Album Review)

Release Date: March 25th 2022. Record Label: New Heavy Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Harvest - Tracklisting

1.Oblok Magellana

2.The Harvest 09:10

3.Interstellar Wrecking

4.Logic Bomb

5.Betrayal

6.Altamira

7.Let's Send These Bastards Whence They Came

8.Strontium

9.Moon Rise

Members

Jessica Ball, vocals and synths.

Paul Michael Davies, guitar and synths.

Stuart Sinclair, bass

Dom McCready, drums

Review

The Harvest is the new album from Psych Doom/Stoner Metallers MWWB formally known as Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. The band have not only shortened their name but brought a whole different creative perspective for this album. The album was meant to be released in 2021 but was delayed due to guitarist Dave suffering from a severe stroke after contacting COVID which he's still thankfully recovering from.

Vocalist Jessica explains in greater detail below:

“It’s been a long and arduous road for him ever since. He had to be put into a medically induced coma while the doctors battled to keep his oxygen levels up. It was touch and go for many months, and at one point we were told to say our final goodbyes to him.

 

As we all waited for that awful day to come, Dave had other ideas. Against the predictions of the doctors, he came back fighting. Fast forward to today, and Dave is doing exceedingly well in rehabilitation and once again surpassing the expectations of everyone around him. Despite the life-altering effects of having a stroke, including relearning speech and movement, Dave has worked his hardest at every challenge presented to him and it shows. He is visited regularly by his partner Charlie and their son Zeke, who have been nothing but incredibly strong and positive for all of us through this time.”

The Harvest was recorded before Dave's illness appeared and the album is vastly different from MWWB previous albums with the band adopting a left-field approach with their music.

As they bring in elements of Electronica and Seventies Psych Rock. MWWB are influenced by the works of John Carpenter, GOBLIN and Pink Floyd while still showing their acclaimed Cosmic based Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal. This is all done under the guise of Chris Fielding (CONAN) on Production Duties and the mood is always constantly adventurous, distorted and beautifully engaging.

The music is progressive from start to finish with the opening tracks Oblok Magellna and The Harvest allowing MWWB considerable time to blend their well-known Amplifier Distorted Grooves with the experimental Psychedelic based Electronica glitches that appear on the title track. Sure there’s a lot of different glitches and noises to take in but MWWB play their acclaimed style of sludgy riffs with the action being more centered around the more “experimental” noises and sound effects of the album. Jessica’s vocals are quite sparse and solitary to begin with and I wonder if “Brian Eno” was a major influence on this album as well, especially with the production values of the whole album.

The Harvest feels like a soundtrack to an unknown classic Seventies Horror Movie that is helped along by amazing John Carpenter-esque synths that are truly prominent on third track Interstellar Wrecking. With its “Escape From New York” eerie melodic parts making me think of Snake Plisken. Never thought I would say that when listening to a Doom/Stoner Metal album.

MWWB have delivered something truly different compared to their previous albums with The Harvest being their most diverse, thrilling and surreal offering to date. The album revels with it’s outlook on Seventies Electronica and Classic Doom spliced with modern day Psych Stoner Metal aspects which lovingly come to life on the stunning fourth track Logic Bomb which is perhaps my favourite song off the album. Everything is pitched perfectly on this track with Jessica’s eerily haunting vocals leading the way and the heavy down-tuned grooves not too far behind. There is a sense of danger lurking within the shadows on this track but it offers a wonderfully uplifting atmosphere as well.

The album takes some dramatic and gloomy turns on the second half of the album with the Psychedelic element being given a slightly sinister makeover but the Electronica sounds still leaving you cautions and that’s with the outburst of downbeat and uplifting grooves MWWB have written for this part of the album.

Other standout songs include: Altamira, Let’s Send These Bastards Whence They Came and Strontium with every song offering a different style of music for MWWB to impress you with.

I’ve been a fan of this band since their debut release and they always constantly amaze me with the different styles of records they’ve released to date. However, this record is definitely my favourite so far. As the band have changed their musical and creative style for the better and I love the seedy uncompromising vision of it all.

The Harvest is an action packed release that ventures amazingly across the subgenres of Doom, Sludge and Stone Metal that brings a new Electronica/Synth driven perspective that is so brilliantly fresh and downright original. 

MWWB have worked their magic yet again with The Harvest. This is going to be considered as one of the Top 5 Albums Of The Year when those inevitable Albums Of The Year Lists are posted. Don’t be too surprised or shocked this will definitely be in my Top 5 Albums Of The Year. 

Incredible. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Simon at For The Lost PR for the promo.

The Harvest will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via New Heavy Sounds from March 25th 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Introduce Yourselves: TROY THE BAND

What is the name of your band?

Our band is called Troy The Band. 

What is the genre of music that you play?

We describe our sound as 'atmospheric stoner rock' because the underlying bass riffs and structure of our songs fit somewhere in the stoner rock spectrum, while our guitarist brings some shoegaze/psychedelic influences in their playing that, as the description suggests, creates a lot of atmospheric soundscapes with a heavy dose of reverb and delay in parts of the songs. That atmospheric sound also fits well with Craig's vocals that are both melodic and guttural.  

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

We are a London based four-piece that formed in 2021 after our bassist Sean Durbin put out an ad on Gumtree that just said 'bassist seeks rest of band for stoner metal project.' Our drummer, Dan, happens to be Sean's flatmate so he was an easy addition to the project. Craig, our vocalist, was the first and only vocalist to reply to the ad, and he kept turning up to practice so he was in from the start. Finding a guitarist was actually the most difficult part, because none of us are originally from London and hadn't been here too long before lockdown, so we didn't have a lot of connections within the music scene to reach out too. Our guitarist, Sean Burn, joined in September 2021, and they really solidified the lineup and sound of the band. 

We are still a new band. We recorded the tracks that comprise our debut EP, The Blissful Unknown, in October last year. Since then, we've been working on designing our band logos and accompanying artwork and playing gigs along the way in preparation to release the EP, all while working on refining our existing set and writing new music. I think we are very proud of where we are after such a short time as a band, and we are really just looking forward to making more music and playing more live shows. 

What can people expect from your music?

As described above, they can expect atmospheric stoner rock. Heavy riffs, big soundscapes, melodic vocals. Sean and Sean put a lot of thought into the way they write riffs and the way their respective instruments interact with each other, which hopefully some listeners will appreciate too. 

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

Our only one so far: The Blissful Unknown, which is out of April 8! 

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://linktr.ee/TroyTheBand

Elk Witch - Beyond The Mountain (Album Review)

Release Date: March 18th 2022. Record Label: StoneFly Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Beyond The Mountain - Tracklisting

1.Cape Foulweather 04:58

2.The Woodsmen 06:55

3.Llao's Island 06:59

4.Coyote and the Wind's Daughters 05:37

5.Greybeard Arsenal 06:11

6.The Plight of Valus 06:24

Members

Deven Andersen - Guitar / Vocals

Darren Wostenberg - Bass

Joe Coitus - Drums

Review

Beyond The Mountain is the new release from Doom/Stoner Rockers Elk Witch and is a reworking and re-recorded version of their 2021 debut release The Mountain. This release now has two new songs being added into the mix. I never found the time to review The Mountain but I did enjoy the hell out of it with Elk Witch employing a classical style of Psych Doom/Stoner Metal with Prog Rock/Metal flourishes to give Elk Witch a more muscular presence.

Beyond The Mountain is a much richer audio experience with Elk Witch employing a heavier style of delivery compared to the original release. The album is more grounded with better production values but still allowing Elk Witch to stay true to the vision of the original EP.  If you dig legendary bands such as Black Sabbath, The Obsessed and The Sword then Elk Witch will embrace you with open arms on this release. You can tell from the stunning opening track Cape Foulweather that these guys know how to DOOM ON with their lovely homage to Black Sabbath and The Sword that just moves along at its own creative rhythm. The Psychedelic vibes gives Elk Witch an almost modern day feel but the majority of the music is mostly rooted in classic 70s and 90s Doom/Stoner Metal.

The album has some epic guitar solos coming your way from one of the album's standout tracks The Woodsmen. Moving between The Obsessed classic Doom Metal sound and bringing The Sword’s riffs still allow this song to be quite exciting and original in its own right. Throw in some Psychedelic Boogie based grooves and Elk Witch are starting to fully get in the mood of playing their own stylish sounds on this release.

Llao’s Island is a little bit more laidback with the opening sounds before adding more subdued levels of Psychedelic Stoner Rock with an ever so cautious Gloomy approach. There is a buoyant Post-Rock energy with this song and the instrumental work is perhaps the best of this release for myself personally. The vocals could have done with more volume but this is another standout track to include to the mix. There is a more aggressive element to this album when the band starts playing the heavier DOOMED OUT riffs towards the end of the song.

Fourth track Coyote and the Wind’s Daughters is up before them. This is a track that is perhaps the most SABBATHIAN based track on the album. With vocals, lyrics and music reminding myself yet again of that great band but at least Elk Witch do inject their own creative flavour into the mix with a rawer and distorted style of music.

The two new tracks Greybeard Arsenal and The Plight Of Valus are perhaps the main attraction for this release and they don’t disappoint either with Elk Witch offering almost thirteen minutes of more of the same great Doom/Stoner Metal riffs that has preceded it. Greybeard Arsenal is the strongest of the two new tracks with everything a bit more clearer on this part of the album.

Elk Witch have now released the definitive version of their acclaimed debut EP that has better production values and the additions of the two new songs make this an outstanding release in its own right.

Words by Steve Howe

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