Atlanta’s Grunge/Alt Rockers Dropsonic Returns with New Single “Honeytrap” Feat. William DuVall (Alice In Chains)

After a fifteen-year hiatus, Dropsonic is back with a vengeance. The Atlanta-based rock trio has released their new single, “Honeytrap,” featuring William DuVall (current frontman for Alice In Chains), offering a powerful preview of their upcoming self-titled album, out May 16th via Spartan Records.

In a time when home recordings and digital production dominate, Dropsonic is delivering something raw, massive, and unleashed. The band’s signature mega riffs, scorching guitar solos, and three-piece tightness remain intact, but their new work also brings a heightened sense of fidelity and depth.

“Dan had been sending the songs as works in progress for me to weigh in,” says DuVall. “Then he invited me to the studio. I heard the background vocal part for ‘Honeytrap’ immediately. We laid it down in just a few minutes. But the real joy was spending the day watching Dan work and getting a behind-the-mic view of a Dropsonic album being made. They’re simply one of the best rock bands to come out of America in the last thirty years.”

Having built a reputation for their relentless touring and six-album discography, Dropsonic initially disbanded in 2011, with frontman Dan Dixon (vocals/guitar) focusing on other projects, including PLS PLS and producing for numerous artists. However, the momentum reignited when Dixon remixed and re-released past Dropsonic albums during the pandemic, leading to a reunion, the addition of new drummer Chandler Rentz, and the creation of a new record.

“William is a longtime friend who understands what Dropsonic is about and someone whose opinion I fully respect,” says Dixon. “When I wanted someone outside the band to keep me honest or let me know if I was veering off the path, Will was my first and only call. He was the perfect sounding board and advisor throughout the process and came in at the end to add a few crowning touches as well, most notably his backup vocal on ‘Honeytrap’.”

Lyrically, the new record explores desperation, love, addiction, narcissism, and money, with a balance of hi-fi production and raw, spontaneous moments. The collaboration with DuVall—who co-produced the album—helped shape a project that both honors Dropsonic’s past and marks an ambitious new beginning.

With their seventh studio album on the horizon and their signature explosive energy stronger than ever, this new era of Dropsonic promises to be just the beginning.

Pre-order the album here: https://spr.tn/dropsonic
Pre-save “Honeytrap” here: https://orcd.co/dropsonic

Dropsonic new album is available to pre-order now via Spartan Records and will be released on Friday May 16th 2025.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

The Orchids - The Orchids (Album Review)

Release Date: March 28th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

The Orchids - Tracklisting

1.Set It Off 03:01

2.Daredevil 03:11

3.Shadow Figure 04:21

4.Can I Live 02:54

5.Made For You 03:02

6.Breaking Edge 01:35

7.Green Fuzz 03:29

8.Headache 02:12

9.Fifties Lady 02:23

10.The Rose 05:49

Members:

Rhys Poirier – Vocals/Guitar

Alexis Grant – Drums

Review

The Orchids are a Desert Rock/Stoner Rock/Punk Rock duo playing an unhinged and highly unapologetic style of music where their FUZZ sound has a dirty, scuzzy and seedy edge. Their debut album is quite fast-paced and highly aggressive with The Orchids having their instruments being played at the LOUDEST VOLUME possible. Taking influences from the likes of QOTSA, The White Stripes, KYUSS, Dinosaur Jr, MELVINS and many more from the legendary 1990’s Rock Scene.

The tracks that make up their debut album are loaded with modern day Punk Rock attitude with a killer DIY ethos allowing The Orchids to create a striped back sound where Rhys Poirier feels like an out of control madman with how he delivers his vocals and plays his sublime raucous guitar. Helping Rhys on this musical journey is Alexis Grant on drums where the drums feels like they’re being hit with a fucking sledgehammer throughout. 

The songs vary with The Orchids playing a classic style of Desert/Stoner Rock with a heavy reliance on Punk Rock and Garage Rock but everything comes alive when the muscular FUZZ ROCK sound appears that allows the band to have a more destructive quality to their overall sound. Production values are quite raw with The Orchids having that “LESS IS MORE” approach being applied throughout. 

This record isn’t flashy or progressive at all with The Orchids relying on PURE RAWK FURY and their superb songwriting style which fully comes into its own on standout tracks such as: Set It Off, Daredevil, Can I Live, Made For You, Headache and The Rose. There’s a subtle Indie Rock flavour to The Orchids way of delivering music which made me feel if the band were around at the start of the millennium they would be touted as one of the next big musical acts to look out for which happened with bands such as The White Stripes and The Strokes but with a Desert Rock/Stoner Rock swagger.

The Orchids debut album is quite a hip sounding record but one that is most definitely part of the Stoner Rock underground scene and with the legendary Branca Studio designing your album cover shows you why The Orchids are WORTH GIVING A DAMN ABOUT.

These are some of the most delicious and heaviest FUZZ ROCK sounds I’ve heard in a long while and on this form The Orchids may have a bright future ahead of them.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Sykofant - Red Sun (EP Review)

Release Date: March 20th 2025. Record Label: Sycophantastic Records. Formats: DD

Red Sun - Tracklisting

1.Ashes 07:29

2.Red Sun 06:03

3.Embers 09:08

4.Red Sun EP (Continuous Mix) 22:38

Members:

Emil Moen, Melvin Treider, Per Semb, and Sindre Haugen

Review

Red Sun is the new EP from Norwegian Psych/Prog/Stoner Rockers Sykofant who blend 1970’s Art Rock Experimentiation with a superb  Space Rock sound. Taking cues from the likes of ELDER, ALL THEM WITCHES and Pink Floyd there’s a deep aggressive energy to Sykofant’s overall journey on this record. The record has a fleeting “stop/start” delivery to their music which does burst over into areas of METAL in places which was quite a surprise which appears within the standout opening track Ashes. 

Sykofant have a deliberate Post-Stoner theme to their music which allows the sudden shift in Prog Rock dynamics to suddenly appear and merge with Post-Rock instrumental surroundings being quite peaceful and aggressive at the same time. The lyrics are quite deceiving with Sykofant never outlining their full creative plans for the record outright which allows Red Sun to have a mysterious aura around it all. The music is quite vivid with its over reliance on Classic Hard Rock delivery but Sykofant are more than competent to include a thorough and aggressive modern day sound. There is some epic classic rock/metal guitar shredding on certain parts of the EP which is highly satisfying to listen to.

Second song Red Sun starts with an Ambient and Distorted based movement which fully transforms into a Prog Rock musical odyssey with light Jazz Rock touches bringing a subtle Psych/Space Rock style of music which owes a huge debt to the likes of Pink Floyd. The song is quite abstract and way out there with it’s mellow surroundings before Sykofant start experimenting with heavier strands of Space Rock and Prog Rock appearing for brief outbursts of melodic aggression.

The final song Embers opens with an intense blast of Prog Rock/Metal which reminds me of Mastodon in places with Sykofant experimenting  with their music yet again. Shades of YES and GENESIS appear within the vocals and lyrics written for this track which can be quite challenging to listen to at times. The song could have easily felt disjointed but Sykofant blends Rock/Metal instrumental passages and the appearance of an actual choir is sheer genius and downright insanity which gives this track a highly original sound that feels operatic and cinematic at the same time.

Red Sun is quite a daring, highly original, brilliantly surreal and downright bonkers record with Sykofant firing on all cylinders that makes this EP a masterful record in it’s own right.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers GRIN Announce New Album ACID GODS And Release New Single NOCTURNO

With Acid Gods heavy psych-doom outfit GRIN re-establish their unique position on the intersection between modern sludge and stoner doom metal. The intensity of the riffs, the boldness of the vocals, the heaviness of the bass and the detailed crunch of the production. Every GRIN album will have you wondering if this band can get any heavier (or better) and the answer is always YES!

GRIN have just released their epic new single NOCTURNO from the upcoming new album ACID GODS due out on CD/DD/Vinyl formats via The Lasting Dose Records from Friday May 30th 2025.

Line-Up

S. Oberg – Bass Guitar

J. Oberg – Drums, Vocals

Recording Details

All music written and performed by GRIN

Recorded at HIDDEN PLANET STUDIO / Berlin

Produced, mixed and mastered by J. Oberg

Drawings by Dawid M. Piprek

Design & Layout by Caspar Orfgen (DAEVAR)

DAEVAR - Sub Rosa (Album Review)

Release Date: March 28th 2025. Record Label: The Lasting Dose Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Sub Rosa - Tracklisting

1.Catcher in the rye

2.Siren Song 

3.Wishing well 

4.Daughter

5.Mirrors

6.Forgotten Tale

7.FDSMD

Members:

Pardis Latif - Bass Guitar & Vocals Moritz Ermen Bausch - Drums Caspar Orfgen - Guitars

Review

Doom/Grunge/Stoner Rockers Daever are really cooking on gas with their exquisite and beautifully heavy third full length record Sub Rosa which comes a year after their celebrated second album Amber Eyes. Daever have aligned themselves more closely to the Grunge musical cause for this release with the music being influenced by the likes of Alice In Chains and Soundgarden in places. Lead vocalist Pardis Latif is on truly inspired form hitting all the right emotional notes which shines superbly throughout the whole album especially on the excellent opening tracks of Catcher In The Rye and Siren Song.

The first part of the album feels like a mixture of WINDHAND and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS with abstract melodies and subtle Grunge sounds with a sense of dirt, dirge and complete angst hidden within the lyrics. Daevar add a sense of classic FUZZED OUT heaviness which allows their sludge based dynamics to shine through that develops into a collection of all out heavy atmospherics.

Sub Rosa does allow the band to expand their Sonic / Psychedelic delivery which was used sparingly on their previous records but Daever have developed this part of their music into a more important part of their creative arsenal which gives the record an unexpected Spaced Out element. The music is played at a spectacular and aggressive fast-paced at times with Pardis’s bass adding a level of grimy heaviness with Moritz Ermen Bausch’s drumming and Caspar Orfgen’s guitars adding the final powerful slab of destructive sludge force that expands into some outstanding instrumental soundscapes, melodies and grooves that have a life of their own.

Other standout tracks from the album are:  Wishing Well, Daughter, Forgotten Tale and WSMD. 

Sub Rosa is at it’s most strongest when Daever focuses on a primal style of music with intense amounts of classic DOOMED OUT FUZZ with a resemblance to 90’s Alt-Metal, Grunge and Stoner Metal. The sounds can be quite emotional and abstract which sees Daevar having a maturity way beyond their years despite only being together as a band for only three years. It’s simply incredible to see what Daevar has achieved in such a short space of time by releasing three outstanding records in close proximity to each other. However,  each record has been better than the last and that’s quite a hard thing to accomplish.

The record can be quite upbeat and highly emotional when the mood needs this to be with Daevar’s masterful songwriting and storytelling skills being there for everyone to fully experience. With the band teaming up with The Lasting Dose Records and underground mastermind Jan Oberg (Earthship and GRIN) once again on recording, mixing, engineering and mastering duties then is it any wonder why Sub Rosa sounds superb throughout. 

The record has the feel of a classic underground record with the right aspects of wider commercial surroundings that allows Daevar to fully breakout onto bigger and better things with this record alone.

Yeah, Daevar are without doubt one the coolest and highly talented bands to emerge from the Doom/Grunge underground scene in recent years. Sub Rosa is a definitive ALBUM OF THE YEAR contender. No question.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to CZ Promotions for the promo.

Sub Rosa will is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via The Lasting Dose Records

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

UK Battle Doom Heroes CONAN release blistering new track off upcoming album "Violence Dimension"; out April 25th on Heavy Psych Sounds!

UK's louder-than-thou heavy warlords CONAN unleash a merciless third track taken from their highly anticipated new studio album "Violence Dimension", due out on April 25th through Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

“In our 2022 song 'Levitation Hoax', we used the idea of being the voice of the unborn son of the unborn son of the unborn. This time we take it one step further, we bring those ghosts to earth, and they don’t realise they were killed by a politician in an expensive suit in an expensive seat in a country not so far away,” says Conan axeman and frontman Jon Davis.

 Get hit at full speed by Conan's new single "Warpsword" 

Two decades into their career, UK heavy scene's three-headed colossus Conan are back with their heaviest sonic statement to date, "Violence Dimension" — their first recording with new bassist David Ryley (formerly of legendary '90s sludge band Fudge Tunnel).

From the initial shockwave of "Foeman's Flesh" to the feedback-laden nightmare of "Vortexxion" through the fierce and merciless sludge of "Frozen Edges of the Wound", the band feeds from the growing violence and negativity of our society, turning it into an empowering formula for us to fight our way through. Skulls will be crushed, ears will be punished upon this massive, dimension-opening call to arms from the mighty trio. Stream their latest singles Frozen Edges of the Wound and Desolation Hexx!

About the album, the band states: "Violence Dimension is our seventh full-length release. We have come quite a distance in time and space since we released Horseback in 2010. One thing that binds us all is violence, be that within a video game, or in a movie or on the daily news. Violence affects our daily life, perhaps more than love or kindness ever will. We are all bound by death, whether we like it or not. This release explores the hinterland between being scared to live and bring scared to die, and punches holes in the idea that we must live our life by one set of rules. We all live in the violence dimension, and there is no escape.”

New album "Violence Dimension" - Out April 25th on Heavy Psych Sounds
International preorder - US preorder

Conan’s doom is singular. Carved of granite. Yes, of course there have been changes since guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis founded the group in 2006, but the intention at the time toward superlative heavy – tonal extremity wrought with impressionist lyrics stripping ideas to the core where sometimes the whole line is just one word; they’ve always called it “Caveman Battle Doom” – remains at the root of everything they’ve done since. And across five studio records in the decade from 2012-2022, Conan have set the standard by which much of “heavy” anything is judged. And in comparison, most is found wanting.

But for every time you’ve heard about Conan’s music being like galloping steeds or frost-covered sharp-peaked mountains, etc., imagery of largesse and violence, the truth is Conan are an exercise in frequency. It’s the low resonance that shakes your chest, the depth of the bass – now handled by David Ryley (ex-Fudge Tunnel) – the push of air from Johnny King’s kick drum, or the way the dark-fuzz distortion of Davis’ guitar is offset by shouting vocals cutting through that sometimes punishing onslaught, rarely to offer comfort so much as add viciousness to the crash, plod and pillage.

In 2024, Conan signed to Heavy Psych Sounds as a recognized name and one of the foremost acts of their generation, wildly influential in their home country of the UK and well beyond; headliners in practice and theory alike. Their fifth LP ‘Evidence of Immortality,’ brought a dark ambience to coincide with its outright attack. With experiments in darkwave and synth adding breadth to the stated root purpose of aural force, it’s never been harder to guess where the next few years might take their sound, but whatever’s coming, Conan will make it kill.

CONAN is

Jon Davis - Vocals/Guitars
Johnny King - Drums
David Ryley - Bass

CONAN links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Spotify

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website ⎜ Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details.

Great New Blog To Check Out - WALKING THE LIMINAL SPACE

One of my closest online friends Gizmo has started his new blog Walking The Liminal Space

Formerly of the Ave Noctum website and Giz has linked all his previous reviews on his new blog which you can check out here.

Giz is now doing his own thing preaching the Extreme Metal side of life. 

He's just started the blog but it's one too most definitely look out for.

Giz has been one of my longest biggest supporters even when I was The Sludgelord and he knows a thing or two on writing great reviews and articles which will be appearing on his blog on a regular basis.

Desert'Smoke - Desert'Smoke (Album Review)

Release Date: March 28th 2025. Record Label: Raging Planet Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Desert’Smoke - Tracklisting

Fuzzy Txitxu - 7:54

Gravity Absence - 9:00

Blind Watcher - 11:42

49th Steam Box -  6:47

Members:

André Pedroso Rocha

Cláudio Aurélio

João Nogueira

João Romão

Review

Instrumental Psych/Stoner Alchemists Desert'Smoke are back with their third full length record which sees the band hit the ground running playing a heavy assortment of cosmic sounds which has a deeply philosophical and progressive energy compared to their previous records. The record can be quite trippy with Middle Eastern vibes appearing with a subtle Doom & Gloom energy bridging the gap between Post-Rock and Doom Metal heaviness which the band expertly build upon throughout the four tracks that make the album.

Opening track Fuzzy Txitxu explores music inspired by the likes of Monkey3, ELDER and Karma To Burn in places but takes to a progressive background with flashes of eerie Space Rock that levels the creative playing fields for a heavier style of music to appear. The sound can be cautious at times with Desert'Smoke testing the waters of merging a quieter style of music that isn’t as moody as the heavier counterparts. However, the band are quite adept at playing a more forceful and aggressive style of music that leads into some intense melodic grooves with a slight abstract flow appearing.

Second track Gravity Absence sees the band offer a dreamlike state of Space Rock, Prog and Stoner Rock with a surreal Jazz Rock narrative which slowly builds into heavier areas of Psychedelic and Progressive movements. Desert’Smoke weave Ambient sounds and Cosmic beats before unleashing a backdrop of Atmospheric Sludge surroundings into the mix. The screeching guitars are an unexpected delight with the record being quite DOOM obsessive than you initially expect or fully realize until the closing seconds of the song.

The final two tracks of Blind Watcher and 49th Steam Box majorly transforms into a destructive and despairing style of Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal with the instrumental passages being played and drowned out by longer notes but with a rich sense of melody appearing within the quieter moments of the song. Third track Blind Watcher is the standout track for me personally. As Desert’Smoke start to create their original style of music and explore different areas of Cinematic Rock which has moments of Classic Hard Rock appearing that oozes 1970’s reflection and attitude. 

This record is not your most straightforward Instrumental Doom/Stoner Rock album with Desert’Smoke allowing themselves to explore the lower depths of the Classic Rock and Prog Metal abyss with a mighty STONER METAL flourish appearing at the right time to demonstrate a highly rewarding style of music that offers BRAINS and BRAWN in equal measure.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo.

Desert’Smoke will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Raging Planet Records from Friday 28th March 2025.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Exclusive Premiere Of Psych Stoner Rockers MADMESS New Song/Video For VELVET NEBULA From Upcoming New Album THE THIRD COMING

Portugal’s psych-rock heavyweights MADMESS finally reveal their first track from their upcoming record “The Third Coming”.

Always sparkling, always brilliant - and heavy as usual - Portuguese power-trio Madmess release a new LP “The Third Coming” on May 9th via Glory or Death (USA), Kozmik Artifactz (EU) and gig.ROCKS! (PT)

They might as well be one of Europe’s hidden gems when it comes to the psychedelic scene, but maybe no longer like that. “Velvet Nebula”, the first peek from Madmess newest and third album, has just been revealed for us to mouth water, chew and spit what sounds to be a prelude for what’s next to come, following a rich year of touring where they stepped the likes of Krach am Bach (Germany), ArcTanGent (UK), Freak Valley Xmas (DE) or Sonic Blast (PT).

Velvet Nebula allows a faithful crew of followers yearning for new Madmess songs, the following track goes onto a more classical and mature approach, reminisce the Bonham-like flavours on drums w/ modern psychedelia melodies flourishing for five minutes plus a few crumbs that are more than enough to eager us, waiting for further ear-catching songs, the record itself and, most importantly, for the first chances of banging this riffs live - across Europe and beyond - as the stage remains their natural habitat.

With a tour scheduled for late-May (covering Portugal, Spain and France), “Velvet Nebula” is a glimpse of the fog that's about to come over Europe.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to GIG.ROCKS for all of the details.

HÅNDGEMENG - Satanic Panic Attack (Album Review)

Release Date: April 11th 2025. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Satanic Panic Attack - Tracklisting

1. The Cauldron Born

2. Medieval Knievel

3. Satanic Panic Attack

4. A Path Less Traveled

5. Earthwoman

6. The Sundrinker

7. Down Below

8. Supermoon

Review

HÅNDGEMENG returns with a finely tuned and dangerous slice of Blackened Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal that's held together in a superbly entertaining package with Satanic Panic Attack. The KVELERTAK influence is there but with HÅNDGEMENG doing their own thing with their trippy Psychedelic melodies. However, the band doesn’t return to that world that made their debut album Ultraritual so memorable. As HÅNDGEMENG first setup Hardcore Punk structures with a classic NORDIC Blackened RAWK ‘N’ ROLL sound that oozes a more sinister style of “POP” melodies appearing within the stunning opening track The Cauldron Born which even sees moments of vocalized harmonies appearing towards the end of the song.

Satanic Panic Attack sees HÅNDGEMENG offer a lot of vocal word-play with their lyrics that gives them a streetwise and most definitely SATANIC quality to their music on tracks such as Medieval Knieval and Satanic Panic Attack. The music is a classic throwback to Heavy Metal and Proto-Doom sounds with HÅNDGEMENG adding subtle Garage Rock vocals that remind me of THE HIVES in places. Yeah, I know, that does sound mightily strange but if you ever wanted to hear THE HIVES with a devil worshipping twist then the answer is held right here on this very album. The music can be quite progressive when it veers into Sludge Rock dynamics and excellent instrumental solos with a dynamite bass line appearing. 

The music does have a turbo-charged atmosphere compared to its predecessor with HÅNDGEMENG playing at full SATANIC strength with Blackened Stoner melodies bringing their classic style of Psych Doom back into the mix from tracks Satanic Panic Attack and  A Path Less Travelled. The creative themes from Ultraritual start to become more dominant and I’m fully on board with that mission statement as HÅNDGEMENG wisely blends both creative worlds of music for the remainder of the album. 

Sure, it can be quite OTT in places but the band know what they’re doing with trippy OCCULT mysticism and COSMIC / SONIC pastures for the later stages of the record. HÅNDGEMENG are all about REBELLION and CAUSING HELL on this record with their not so subtle NO FUCKS GIVEN attitude bringing a playful energy to the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal underground scene. 

HÅNDGEMENG could have easily released Ultraritual Part 2 for their sophomore record but they avoided that route and decided to create a heavier, aggressive and muscular record compared to their acclaimed debut. Satanic Panic Attack may take time to find it’s Psychedelic beat but when you see influences as diverse as The Doors, The Hives, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and KVELERTAK then you know HÅNDGEMENG are onto an almighty FUCKING WINNER here. 

Other standout tracks to checkout are: Earthwoman, The Sundrinker and Supermoon. These tracks could have easily made the cut from Ultraritual and be considered the best parts of that record. However, they’re more suited for this record with its pitch black and doomed out theatrics, HÅNDGEMENG close the album on almighty DEMONIC high. 

Ripple Music is releasing this great album once again and I’ve said this time and time again. If you have the power or Ripple Music behind you then everything behind the scenes sounds EPIC and Satanic Panic Attack is another winning package from that great label. However, this is HÅNDGEMENG's chance to shine and like their debut album, Satanic Panic Attack is an unmissable slice of Heavy Metal Heaven. 

Awesome. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Satanic Panic Attack will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from Friday 04th April 2025.

HÅNDGEMENG links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

RIPPLE MUSIC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Heavy Cosmic Rockers KAL-EL share new single/video Cloud Walker From Upcoming New Album "Astral Voyager Vol. 1"

Norway's cosmic heavy riffers KAL-EL present a towering new excerpt and visualizer off their anticipated new album "Astral Voyager Vol. 1", to be issued on May 16th through Majestic Mountain Records (Europe) and Blues Funeral Recordings (North America).

Rising from Stavanger's frozen wastelands, KAL-EL are set to return with "Astral Voyager Vol. 1", the first chapter of an ambitious double-album assault to tear through space and time. Their new single "Cloud Walker" bursts in at full blast as a towering and starfaring doom-laden statement from the cosmic quintet: "This song is about getting to the next level, having hope and reaching your goals in life, as well as bringing that good energy to eternity. Although somewhat different from what you might expect from us, it is most definitely a KAL-EL tune: heavy as hell, but also melodic and tender as morning dew."

 Take off with Kal-El's new video "Cloud Walker" at this location + listen to the single on all streaming platforms

Summer and fall 2024 saw the crew locked in at Bridge Burner Studios, building on the momentum of their latest two offerings "Moon People" and "Dark Majesty". The Captain's distinctive soaring vocals cut through walls of distortion while Josh and Doffy's guitars weave between crushing heaviness and infectious earworm melodies. Down in the engine room, Bjudas's martial drumming and Knutsen's earth-shaking bass keep the vessel on course at all times.

The title track opens in low and slow heaviness, carrying a pinch of melancholia before debut single "B.T.D.S.C." ignites with what KAL-EL calls "pure rocket-fueled, fuzz-infected scandi-stoner" power. The journey winds through tougher tempos and headbanging chaos, hitting ethereal zones where overdriven guitars pierce the stratosphere. There's contagious energy here — stoned cosmonaut blues giving way to seventh-heaven solos. A must-have for fans of Dozer, Domkraft, Truckfighters and Monster Magnet, KAL-EL are ready to melt minds across the galaxy with six tracks of pure sci-fi stoner fuzz.

New album "Astral Voyager Vol. 1"
Out May 16th on Majestic Mountain Records (Europe) and Blues Funeral Recordings (North America)

Formed in Stavanger, Norway in 2012, KAL-EL established as a unique force in the international stoner and doom metal community by blending hard rock, heavy metal, psychedelic, and doom elements with science fiction themes. Their journey began with the release of "Dark Moon Voyage" EP in 2013, quickly gaining recognition as the top new rock act on NRK Urørt, Norway's platform for emerging music.

The band's evolution has seen them release multiple acclaimed albums through various labels, including their debut "Pakal" (2014, Wormhole Death Records), "Ecosphere" (2015, Setalight Records), "Astrodoomeda" (2017, Argonauta Records), and the breakthrough "Witches of Mars" (2019). 2021's "Dark Majesty" through Majestic Mountain Records marked a significant milestone in their cosmic journey, followed by 2023's "Moon People" EP.

KAL-EL's signature sound, characterized by bass-heavy grooves, downtuned guitars, and mind-expanding lyrics, is deeply rooted in the sci-fi narratives penned by vocalist "The Captain" himself. Having toured extensively across Europe and the United States, they continue to push genre boundaries while maintaining their commitment to vintage sci-fi aesthetics and thundering stoner metal.

KAL-EL links

Website ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Bandcamp ⎮ Instagram ⎮ Spotify

MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS links

Website ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Bandcamp ⎮ Instagram

BLUES FUNERAL RECORDINGS links

Website ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Bandcamp ⎮ Instagram ⎮ Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the info.