Psalm - In Darkness… Have Mercy (EP Review)

Release Date: July 15th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

In Darkness… Have Mercy - Tracklisting

1.MISERY

2.MESSIAH

3.VALUE THE SUFFERING

4.BLESSED ARE THE CURSED’ 25

Members

Jon "Fro" Torres - Vocals/Bass

Carlos Martinez - Guitar

Ian Henneforth - Drums

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Psalm return after a four year absence and with a revised line-up with Jon”Fro” Torres being the only member left from their excellent 2021 EP - Blessed Are The Cursed. Jon is joined by Carlos Martinez on Guitar and Ian Henneforth on Drums. This version of Psalm is a heavier, doomier and groovier unit compared to previous one especially on their new EP - In Darkness… Have Mercy.

In Darkness… Have Mercy sees Psalm conjure up visions of the golden era of Proto-Doom with influences such as Trouble, Pentagram, Saint Vitus and The Obsessed starting to appear. However, there’s a sense of Groove Metal surroundings that you can hear as well. Though, Psalm most definitely believes in the power of the ALMIGHTY RIFF and puts their authoritative stamp on proceedings. I can hear other old school influences such as Black Sabbath, Led Zepp and Pantera being thrown about. Psalm play their own great sound which moves from Old School Heavy Metal to modern day Stoner/Sludge Rock with a ton of FUZZY guitars being added.

Opening track Misery is a throwback to the good old days of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with Psalm bridging the gap between both eras with relevant ease with a great sense of melody and catchy aggressive melodies which the Groove Metal era of music becomes quite dominant on the later stages of the track. Jon “Fro” Torres vocals are excellent and he fully commits to the role which has a deep emotional range throughout.

Second song Messiah is a Groove, Sludge and Proto-Metal driven sound with Psalm adding layers of Post-Doom atmospherics within the lyrics and vocals used for the song. The song is mostly inspired by Pantera and Alice In Chains at times with Psalm never losing their true Proto-Doom creative energy. Perhaps the most emotionally engaging track on the EP which offers serious firepower in the VOLUME department where Psalm gets down and dirty playing a grizzled style of Doom/Stoner Metal.

The final two tracks of Value The Suffering and Blessed Are The Cursed is where Psalm use a destructive HEAVY METAL approach with a great style of bravado and muscular sounds being quite realistic and grounded. Psalm always allow themselves ample opportunities to prove what great musicians they really are with Carlos Martinez intense guitars, Ian Henneforth bombastic drumming and Jon’s epic bass sounds creating a whole destructive instrumental force that never goes out of fashion whatever style of music you’re playing or currently listening to.

There’s something for everyone who is a true fan and dedicated follower of HEAVY METAL within In Darkness… Have Mercy. This is a first rate EP from Psalm and I’m looking forward to their next creative chapter.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

In Darkness… Have Mercy is available to buy from all good digital stockists now. Cassette, CD and Vinyl releases will be released at a later date.

Links

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Doom Metallers COSMIC REAPER debut first track off new album "Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned"; out September 26th via Heavy Psych Sounds

North Carolina's stoner doom specialists COSMIC REAPER announce the release of their sophomore album "Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned" on September 26th via HPS Records.

Stream Cosmic Reaper's new track Pot Of Gold

Since 2017, Cosmic Reaper has carried a black-flamed torch of tradition, forged in the long lineage of doom and sludge. Emerging from the shadows of Charlotte, North Carolina, the band blends a raw, southern swing with the full circle of heavy metal, creating a sound as steeped in American mysticism as it is overloaded saturation of amplifier worship.

Their highly anticipated second full-length "Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned" is a deeper descent into psych-doom’s haunted core and sees a big step away from older stoner elements, promising to push their sonic boundaries further into the void—heavier, stranger, and more apocalyptic than ever before.

“Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned is an album we poured our hearts into. With our sophomore LP, we wanted to take our sound to a new level, but also call back to the roots of doom, with a touch of 90s angst. Lyrically, it touches on everything from standing up to tyranny, to revenge, to sacrifice, to love, lust and betrayal- all wrapped in themes of horror, science-fiction, and history. For the best listening experience: light one up, and turn it up loud.”

New album "Bleed The Wicked, Drown The Damned" - Out September 26th on Heavy Psych Sounds

TRACKLIST:

1. Hammer
2. Bloodfeather
3. Pot Of Gold
4. Parasites
5. Dwelling
6. Perfect Organism
7. Bones
8. Waiting by the Gallows

While their roots lie in the hallowed halls of Sabbath and Saint Vitus, the band’s DNA mutates further, pulling from the textured anger of Soundgarden and even the chaotic forces of Snapcase. Cosmic Reaper isn’t interested in simply echoing the past; they swirl it in a glass, layering a cocktail of thunderous bass and drums, brink-of-destruction fuzz, and ethereal vocals into a sonic ritual all their own.

The band’s self-titled debut, released in 2021 on Heavy Psych Sounds, announced their arrival with cataclysmic force, earning praise for its crushing atmosphere, hard rock-influenced riffs, and psychedelic accents. Tracks like “Hellion” and “Planet Eater” showcased their ability to drift between galactic doomscapes and swamp-born grooves. 2022’s follow-up, "Doom Sessions Vol. 7," saw a brief evolution in tempos and themes pulled from the remnants of the self-titled record.

Since then, much has changed. With lead guitar duties being passed not once, but twice, Cosmic Reaper welcomed guitarist Pete Snasdell into the fold. A longtime stalwart of the UK heavy music scene, Snasdell brought an evolved sense of harmony and heaviness, expanding the band’s twin-guitar attack and deepening the commitment to the cult of heavy metal. Now armed with a sharpened lineup of Thad Collis (vocals/guitar), Garret Garlington (bass), Jeremy Grobsmith (drums), and Pete Snasdell (guitar), Cosmic Reaper continues to burn slow, but ever blinding.

COSMIC REAPER is

Thad Collis - Vocals / Guitar
Peter Snasdell - Guitar
Garrett Garlington - Bass
Jeremy Grobsmith - Drums

COSMIC REAPER links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Atom Juice - Atom Juice (Album Review)

Release Date: July 11th 2025. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Atom Juice - Tracklisting

1.Hercules 

2.Gooboo 

3.Duo

4.Dead Hookers

5.Sexi Frogs

6.Honey

Members

Bartek Dobry – guitar, vocals, keyboards

Piotr Kuks – drums

Karol Melak – guitar, vocals

Patryk Tarajko – guitar, didgeridoo

Jan Rabiega – bass guitar

Guest musicians:

Mateusz Strzempa – keyboards on Hercules

Łukasz Bareja – flute on Sexy Frogs

Review

Atom Juice is a Prog/Psych/Stoner Rock band from Warsaw, Poland who are made up of former members from bands such as Weedpecker, Makiwara and Clockmaid. Their self-titled debut album takes areas of music played by the likes of Pink Floyd, The Beatles and ELO with a trippy Stoner Rock vibe which reminds me of Weedpecker playing their most tranquil and laidback jams. The album has a self aware sense of mysticism, jazz and sixties pop-rock energy which translates into some hazy Blues Rock vibes.

The record is quite different to what Heavy Psych Sounds have been releasing lately but it’s good to change your perspective at times and Atom Juice should have no trouble gaining a considerable following with this highly energetic album. The songs are simply exquisite with some huge sounding Space Rock and Post-Rock landscapes that operate with a sense of real warmth, depth and genuine humanity appearing within the lyrics.

 

Atom Juice opens the album with two stunning opening tracks of Hercules and Gooboo where the mood is wholly melancholic with some outbursts of Heavy Stoner Rock being played at the right time. However, for the most part Atom Juice creates classic moments of Prog Rock interlaced with Floydian Psych Rock energy with the heavy guitars from Bartek Dobry, Karol Melak and Patryk Tarajko creating different strands of dynamic melodies. Atom Juice can be quite cinematic and flamboyant in their creative approach with the music perhaps being quite diverse with the different types of musical instruments that they play throughout the album.

Third track Duo is my favourite track on the album with Atom Juice playing a subtle style of Post-Stoner landscapes with a mind-expanding style of Prog Rock which once again sees the Pink Floyd influence kick into overdrive with flashes of Blues Rock and Jazz Rock combining for a song with a true chameleon like effect. The vocals from Bartek and Karol have some wonderful interplay between each other showing different styles which only adds to the COSMIC journey of the whole album. The final part of the track is an extended instrumental jam which becomes quite freaky and lucid with sudden screeching and distorted instruments coming out of nowhere before settling down for a Jazz Rock swagger.

Fourth track Dead Hookers is quite a subversive and cheeky little number which brings a killer Garage Rock and Proto-Rock flow that reminds me of early era Aerosmith at times. There’s also that classic modern day Stoner Rock approach that Weedpecker were known for bringing a sense of distorted heaviness to the mix. Though, the off-kilter Soft Rock drive allows Atom Juice to experiment with Ambient noises and Space Rock sounds for some epic OTT passages that is another of the highlights of the album.

The final two tracks of Sexi Frogs and Honey are the hippest tracks of the record with Atom Juice playing with a Funk Rock attitude especially within Sexi Frogs. The mood is subtle and once again sees the band explore a freakish Heavy Stoner Rock attitude that becomes quite original and brings a lot of musical depth to the party. Honey allows Atom Juice to finish the record in true Heavy Rock fashion once again employing a wealth of different musical styles which still retains that sense of Prog Rock urgency and different sound effects contributing to a truly magnificent finish.

Atom Juice’s debut album is a thrilling piece of Psych Rock entertainment which can be very theatrical at times but this also makes this quite an original voice within the Psych Stoner Rock underground scene. This is a refreshing and highly inspired record that will leave you with a warm glow after you’ve listened to the album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Atom Juice is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Links

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Minus Mountain - Minus Mountain (Album Review)

Release Date: July 05th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Minus Mountain - Tracklisting

1.Grim 05:17

2.Gigantic Alien Mega Structures 04:35

3.Heal Machine 07:30

4.Exoplanet 05:35

5.Mother 03:30

6.Toxic Ground 06:27

7.Flesh 03:59

8.Minus Mountain 08:55

Members

Robert Heiduk – Vocals

Felix Buck – Guitar

Max Beckmann – Guitar / Vocals

Gerrit Böttcher – Bass Guitar / Vocals

Ingo Festag – Drums

Review

Progressive Stoner Metallers Minus Mountain debut album is one that focuses heavily on the “PROGRESSIVE” of their album which allows them to bring other areas of Hard Rock and Metal into the mix. As the band fuse elements of CLASSIC ROCK, NWOBHM, THRASH and DOOM for a sound that is both original and quite familiar at the same time. The band take influence from the likes of Mastodon, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Black Sabbath and QUEEN. You feel these influences shining through the opening tracks of Grim, Gigantic Alien Mega Structures and Heal Machine.

The music is quite choppy and fast-paced with Minus Mountain never stopping for breath at times. Robert Heiduk’s vocals feel inspired by Freddie Mercury and Claudio Sanchez at times which is an intriguing proposition especially when paired against the Progressive Stoner Metal grooves that the band primarily play. There is a subtle Spaced Out and Cosmic theme within the lyrics and creative outline for the album which gives the record a slightly OTT feel. However, the music still retains a sense of grounded realism with the DIY production values contained within the album.

One of the standout parts of the record is the different use of vocals that come into play throughout the album as Minus Mountain have three different members (Robert Heiduk, Max Beckmann and Gerrit Böttcher) who provide vocals and with guest contributions from Alex Borsti & Johannes Jockisch. Minus Mountain have fully tapped into the Progressive Metal side of things for the vocal arrangements which are quite refreshing and highly original.

The other songs on the record does allow Minus Mountain to develop intriguing concepts and different musical delivery with flashes of Psych Rock emerging on tracks such as Heal Machine, Exoplanet, Toxic Ground and Minus Mountain. These are my favourite tracks on the album with Minus Mountain going way OVER THE TOP once more but they do this with great style and play some wonderfully aggressive and outlandish grooves on these tracks alone. 

Minus Mountain have created an album that has BIG, BOLD and BRASH ideas that are fully fleshed out and delivered superbly on a grand scale. If you want a Stoner Metal album with a truly cinematic feel and isn’t afraid to be quite outrageous then Minus Mountain is the album for you. This is an excellent debut album that showcases another great band to check out from the German Stoner Metal underground scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Dope Skum - Hollow Point (Single Review)

Release Date: July 04th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Hollow Point - Tracklisting

Hollow Point

Members

Cody Landress-Gibson (guitar/vocals)

Scott Keil (drums)

Review

Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Dope Skum return with the blazing and rebellious new single Hollow Point which is from their upcoming new EP “Hollerwood” due for release on Sept 5th 2025. The single itself is a slightly different sound with the band adding an “Americana” and “Blues Rock” vibe into their mix of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal. There’s an authentic WEEDIAN and DOWN-TUNED energy to the record with Dope Skum playing a fast-paced style of music where they even find the time to add small doses of Country Music which allows their “Appalachian” roots to fully shine through.

The song is a very good song indeed and showcases how Dope Skum have matured a great deal since their last record with Hollow Point. As the writing is better, music is tighter and the whole track is perhaps their most impressive to date. Sure, there’s still elements of LO-FI sludgy atmospherics heard on their previous records but Dope Skum show that they mean business and Hollerwood could be a game changer for them.

Hollow Point is another top-notch track from Dope Skum and I can’t wait to hear Hollerwood when it’s finally released.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Burning Sister - Dead Love (Single Review And Exclusive Song Premiere)

Release Date: July 08th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Dead Love - Tracklisting

Dead Love - 7:20

Members

Steve Miller - Bass, Synth, Vox

Alison Salutz - Drums

Review

Burning Sister return with their latest venture into “HIGH DOWNER ROCK” territory with the new single Dead Love which features another aggressive style of smoked up FUZZY atmospherics spliced with trippy Doom/Stoner Metal melodies. This time round the band conjure up a Proto-Metal style of music with elements of Garage Rock which is quite different to their last song of Lethe//Oblivion.

The stripped back energy has a more dynamic presence with Burning Sister just being a bass and drums type of band for this current moment in time. This may change in the future if they decide to add another guitarist into the mix. For now, Dead Love allows Burning Sister to operate with seedy Psychedelics with a sound that has a slight Monster Magnet (TAB era) influence with layers of frenzied sludgy sounds.

Steve Miller’s appear sporadically throughout the song and even then their brief and straight to the point. Alison Salutz excels on drums by putting in a measured and commanding performance. Steve’s bass playing has a subtle Space Rock energy when compared to his sublime Synths that dominate the Space Rock landscape. 

Once again, Burning Sister moves away from the sound they created on their acclaimed 2022 album “Mile High Downer Rock”. Dead Love has a more gloomier environment with catchy, aggressive and subversive melodies being quite progressive that sees Burning Sister drifting ever closer to the promised land of HIGH DOWNER ROCK and creating something original and special indeed. 

This is another outstanding slice of Doom/Stoner Metal from one of the coolest bands currently within the underground scene and why their upcoming new album due for release later this year is perhaps my most anticipated album of the year. 

Burning Sister have kindly allowed me to premiere the song in full which you can watch below.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Burning Sister for everything.

Links

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STOMACH - Low Demon (Album Review)

Release Date: July 18th 2025. Record Label: Hibernation Release. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Low Demon - Tracklisting

1. Dredged - 04:25

2. Bastard Scum - 08:33

3. Get Through Winter - 08:21

4. Oscillate - 04:48

5. Shivers // Drafts - 17:17

Members

John Hoffman - Drums/Vocals

Adam Tomlinson - Guitars

Review

The brutal Doom/Sludge Metal unit known as STOMACH are back with their new album Low Demon and it’s an expertly created exercise in punishing landscapes and violent grooves that will pummel you into submission from the very start. The band is made up of John Hoffman (Weekend Nachos) and Adam Tomlinson (Sea Of Shit and Sick/Tired) where they continue the nightmarish trajectory they created on their outstanding 2023 debut album Parasite. 

For the most part STOMACH play long draw out  Doom/Sludge Metal sounds that retain a horrifying storytelling aspect to them There’s echoes of Weekend Nachos and Sick/Tired heard within their music though the fast-paced aspects has been replaced by a long drawn out style of DRONE which is powerful enough to cause moments of sheer uncomfortable NOISE throughout the album. 

Low Demon is best described as PURE SONIC WARFARE with it’s neverending style of filth and industrial beats with a slight Progressive energy appearing on the longer tracks of Bastard Scum, Decaying Winter and Shivers // Drifts. The album is made up of two shorter tracks of Dredged and Oscillate which are just as bleak and violently heavy as their larger counterparts. 

The vocals from John Hoffman are violent, harsh and quite extreme which does make it hard to understand the lyrics at first but after a few listens I started to understand them more clearly though I wish I didn’t. As STOMACH touch upon some pretty hard hitting subjects with a NO HOLDS BARRED approach which could easily be the perfect nihilistic soundtrack for current worldwide events. 

I wasn’t prepared for how Low Demon would affect me emotionally and musically as this album has haunted me for the last few weeks. The last time I felt like this was for Primitive Man’s classic 2013 album Scorn and STOMACH have a similar creative energy and vibe to that great band. STOMACH’s music maybe more Drone and Sonic based but the use of extreme music is the same with both bands delivering the same results of highly destructive EXTREME DOOM / SLUDGE METAL to great effect.

The standout tracks for me are Oscillate and Shivers // Drifts which sees STOMACH adding elements of Grind and Prog Metal into the mix. These two tracks make up about twenty two minutes of the album’s forty three minutes run time. STOMACH perhaps experimented the most on this part of the album with overlapping layers of distorted feedback with those harsh aspects of Extreme Metal bringing one final blast of decaying filth that will live on in my dreams and nightmares for a long time to come.

Overall, Low Demon is a masterclass of Extreme Metal that gives the modern day Doom/Sludge Metal scene a great sense of twisted Dystopian Paranoia you rarely nowadays fully experience. 

WOW - is all I can say. I’m going to take a well deserved rest after listening to this album. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.

Low Demon is available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Hibernation Release

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

We As A Company - First Summer (Album Review)

Release Date: July 04th 2025. Record Label: MiaCameretta Records. Formats: CD/DD

First Summer - Tracklisting

1.Outcast 04:44

2.A God 04:44 

3.Kill Spider-man (In the Steppes of Central Asia - A. Borodin) 07:57 

4.Flowers Gone 06:48

5.Tears Away 05:25

6.First Summer 06:38 

7.Saved 05:39

Members

V. – voice, guitar, synths

F. – drums

D. – bass

Review

First Summer is the debut album from Italian Psych/Alt/Stoner Rockers We As A Company and the record has a messy and chaotic style of storytelling to the record that actually makes it standout. We As A Company have a loose structure where they blend Doom, Noise, Grunge and Shoegaze into the mix with the record being a constantly heavy affair. It can be a bit all over the place with the Punk Rock production values applied throughout the whole album but it sounds remarkably hip and fresh as well.

The instrumental melodies can be quite Sludge Rock aggressive with We As A Company hitting upon similar aspects to bands such as RED FANG, WHORES and TORCHE in places. The album gets straight down to business of of playing subtle Doomed Out grooves with a touch of Garage Rock snarling arrogance to them on tracks such as Outcast, God and Kill Spider-man (In the Steppes of Central Asia - A. Borodin). The vocals are clean based and have a subtle Indie Rock / Alt Rock flow which works surprisingly well with the rebellious Stoner Rock passages and intricate Fuzzed Up Psychedelic sounds that acts as a fine counterbalance to the Space Rock aesthetics that suddenly start to emerge.

We As A Company focus on GIGANTIC sounding riffs on this record that feels like they should be played on the biggest stage possible but still retaining that vital underground energy which allows the band to keep experimenting until the final stages of the album. The band aren’t afraid to strip back the Stoner Rock / Sludge Rock aspects of their music and replace them with a Indie Rock and Brit-Pop momentum with the highly emotionally charged Kill Spider-man (In the Steppes of Central Asia - A. Borodin). 

The sound does become more of a Post-Rock anthem for the first half of the track before We As A Company add moments of uplifting Doomgaze and Grunge energy for one of the most unconventional and standout tracks on the album. The vocal harmonies and superb lyrics have a real “ WAVE YOUR LIGHTER / MOBILE IN THE AIR” kind of effect. The second half then transports that atmosphere to a heavier Sludge Metal playground whilst still being hopefully uplifting and destructive at the same time. 

Fourth track Flowers Gone opts for a Gothic/Occult vibe with an enthusiastic Eighties Rock score developing in the background. There’s a minimal Post-Punk and Post-Doom drive constantly driving the music forward with haunting synths and a stubborn Indie Rock that keeps things nicely grounded. This isn’t the heaviest track on the record but We As A Company surround themselves with BIG, BOLD and BRASH ideas to keep the atmosphere highly interesting and superbly original.

Fifth song Tears Away is a mixture of FOO FIGHTERS, QOTSA and TORCHE based melodies with a thumping instrumental score and Pop based vocals that is quite playful and thuggish with the superbly THRASH & PUNK grooves that could have easily made a killer impact on commercial radio over thirty years ago. We As A Company excel with their unusual musical ideas and creative themes that result in highly memorable riffs to make them stand out from the crowd.

The final two tracks of First Summer and Saved sees We As A Company apply unconventional musical structures and ideas to form a backdrop of leftfield based Sludge/Stoner Rock soundscapes with a dreamlike quality before transforming into a heavier and cohesive musical journey. The Shoegaze from the band’s creative perspective offers some life affirming lyrics especially on First Summer. 

We As A Company return to the Doom-Pop atmosphere on the excellent final track Saved which once again sees the band delve into the uplifting Psych Rock arena that leaves the record on quite an emotional finish. The record does lose focus at times but you can’t deny the unquestionable energy from We As A Company and that’s one of their greatest strengths which they never lose sight of.

First Summer is an excellent debut record that may see the band gain a loyal and dedicated following within the underground scene. Check this out when you can.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Metaversus PR for the promo.

Links

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