SageNESS - Inner Empires (Album Review)

Release Date: August 01st 2025. Record Label: Vista Lagarto Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Inner Empires - Tracklisting

1.Lokomotive 09:32

2.Olimpo 10:12

3.Hazy Dawn 06:39

4.Espejismo 06:32

5.Solve et Coagula 08:45

Members

David: Guitar.

Aitor : Bass.

Fran : Drums

Review

Inner Empires is the fourth full length album from Instrumental Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers SageNESS who continue with their JAM based approach exploring different sonic and cosmic based territories which they’ve been perfecting way back with their acclaimed debut album back in 2017. SageNESS offer a more daring, heavier and gloomier sound with the band tou

ching upon areas of Sludge Rock and Post-Metal on this record. 

SageNESS overall sound is way more daring and experimental that I originally anticipated compared to their previous records with the band drawing upon similar soundscapes used by the likes of PELICAN, RUSSIAN CIRCLES and MONO but keeping within their own dramatic style of creative sense. The music has quite an epic approach with SageNESS using different kinds of Psychedelic loops and freakish COSMIC sounds which builds upto exciting levels of heaviness throughout though you’re given a crash course right away within the superb opening track Lokomotive.

The record draws mostly upon its Space Rock and Progressive Rock themes to outline an excellent creative narrative which has some subdued PINK FLOYD melodies on the more reflective parts of the album which appear on tracks such as Olimpo, Hazy Dawn and Solve et Coagula. The level of musicianship being performed here by David (Guitar), Aitor (Bass) and Fran (Drums) is nothing short of brilliance with SageNESS playing a highly proficient and technical style of Instrumental Rock/Metal that can only be described as “INCREDIBLE” on the more challenging parts of the record.

I admire how SageNESS keeps everything grounded despite the fantastical and science fiction based journey the record takes the listener upon. There’s also the excellent use of Drone, Space Rock, Ambient sounds, feedback loops and Amplifier Distorted passages that appear constantly but only at a minimal level which builds into something more daring on the heavier instrumental soundscapes.

Inner Empires is a superbly constructed record boosted by stunning production values, complex musical melodies and a fully realised storyline that will instantly captivate anyone who listens to this record. The record feels like a grand musical adventure into the far reaches of Space Rock were the listener can easily lose themselves in with the SageNESS being your constant companion into a greater world of neverending musical possibilities.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sageness for the promo.

Inner Empires is available to buy now on CD, Digital Download and Vinyl from Vista Lagarto Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Ever Age - Ever Age (Album Review)

Release Date: August 01st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Ever Age - Tracklisting

1.Coldera 03:31

2.Psychlone 03:39

3.The Great Beyond 05:38

4.Black Suede 03:06

5.Radiant Figure 04:54

6.RAMP 05:23

7.Everlanche 08:13

8.Memory Carve 00:54

9.Anytime 08:02

Members

Neil Snyder - Drums

Eli Saltzberg - Bass

Aiden Snyder - Guitar & Vox

Review

Ever Age's debut album is a heavy mix of Psych Rock, Blues Rock, Doom Rock and Stoner Rock where the band adds an ice cold blast of Mountain / Appalachian melodies throughout. The sound is always heavy with a refreshing Classic Rock approach which allows the record to be quite soulful with the heavy amount of Blues grooves that Ever Age lay down on the early stages of the record. 

There’s quite a heavy BASS HEAVY attitude being played by Eli Saltzberg’s dynamic and powerful presence which allows Neil Snyder (Drums) and Aiden Snyder (Guitar / Vocals) to perform a sublime Stoner Rock based sound which brings a refreshing Seventies RAWK & ROLL vibe on tracks such as Coldera and Psyclone.

The record becomes quite heavy with Ever Age frequently moving into DOOMIER pastures from the exquisite third track The Great Beyond with its subtle Blues Rock/Proto-Doom swagger which sees a slight variance of Sludge Rock appearing. Though, Ever Age keeps everything grounded with perhaps the first standout track of the album developing right here. 

The band marches fully into their POWER TRIO stance with Ever Age being influenced by the bands of the Sixties and Seventies era of Hard Rock. If you’re a fan of ALL THEM WITCHES then you’ll be right at home here as Ever Era taps into that superb aura of music which always feels fully fleshed out with hard-hitting melodies and supreme levels of intricate storytelling.

Other standout tracks to check out include: Black Suede, Radiant Figure, RAMP, Everlanche and Anytime. There’s an unexpected switchover to Prog Rock passages on the majority of tracks with Ever Age keeping in with their Blues Rock / Mountain Rock ideals whilst still playing superb levels of straight out Heavy Rock which results in some top-notch instrumental solos being delivered.

Ever Age is a winning combination of great melodies, fantastic vocals and excellent lyrics that allows Ever Age to release quite an original record that has a haunting emotional quality to it all.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Santa Cruz Heavy Rockers DUSTED ANGEL share "Little Lizzy" video; new album out September 19th on Heavy Psych Sounds.

Santa Cruz, California's heavy rock and metal pruveyors DUSTED ANGEL (with Bl'ast frontman Clifford Dinsmore) unleash a new video off their upcoming album "This Side Of The Dirt", to be issued on September 19th through Heavy Psych Sounds.

Says frontman Clifford Dinsmore: “It seems like songs always start with a working title and sometimes it sticks. I guess maybe at some point this song was going to be about someone named Lizzy. Then my Doom instinct takes over, and things detour into darkness. I think it's kind of inspired by the heavy hand of oppression that sometimes suffocates us all. I sometimes feel so bad for kids growing up in this era of social media and ridiculous cancel culture shenanigans. The rate of teen suicide is piking as people feel obligated to try to fit in and tow the line under the weight of AI and technology that has left the human element in the dust. Sometimes it's all we can do to try to crawl out from under it and try to breathe."

Watch Dusted Angel perform "Little Lizzy" on below

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Dusted Angel is a band that likes to keep it in the family. Made up of a group of close friends who have known each other since the early 80s — stemming from playing in various intertwined bands, engraved in the extended Santa Cruz scene — the band features Clifford Dinsmore on vocals (Bl'ast!, Seized Up, Spaceboy), Ed Gregor on guitar (Hedgehog, No Use For A Name), Eric "Dog" Fieber on guitar (Mock, Creature, Fire Sermon) Steve Ilse on drums (Creature, Herbert, Automatic Animal) and Eliot Young (Lost in Line, Seance) on bass.

Fifteen years after their debut LP "Earth-Sick Mind", the sleeping giant awakens to delight the masses with their crushing blend of stoner rock, doom, and desert riff worship, topped with Dunsmore’s commanding vocals. Whether slow-burning or full-throttle, their music is built for volume, leaving audiences battered, blissed-out, and begging for more. Don't miss their latest single Death Crushed Hope!

New album "This Side Of The Dirt" - Out September 19th on Heavy Psych Sounds

Dusted Angel’s journey is one of passion, perseverance, and reinvention. Frontman Clifford Dunsmore reflects on the band’s history, from its explosive beginnings to its triumphant resurgence. "It all started in 2008 when I heard Bill Torgerson (Bl’ast!), Eric Dog Feiber, Eliot Young, and Scott Stevens were jamming," says Dunsmore. "When mutual friend Kieth Meek told me they wanted me to join, I was intrigued. Hearing The Thorn and Seeking The Dawn for the first time blew my mind—I had to be part of it." After Dunsmore penned the song Dusted Angel, the band adopted the name as their own.

The early years were marked by relentless gigging, a 7” release, and their debut album, Earthsick Mind. But tragedy struck with the loss of Bill Torgerson. "Losing Bill was devastating—he was irreplaceable," Dunsmore admits. "The only hope was Steve Ilse, who reluctantly joined part-time." Challenges mounted when Scott Stevens faced nerve damage, slowing the band’s momentum. Still, they shared stages with Fu Manchu, High on Fire, and Melvins, keeping the fire alive.

Personal battles followed—Dunsmore survived two cancers, a bone marrow transplant, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, Dusted Angel endured, playing sparse shows as a four-piece before finding new life with guitarist Eddie Gregor. "When Eddie joined, everything clicked," says Dunsmore. "For the first time in years, we felt like a real band again."

Now, with a new album, a deal with Heavy Psych Sounds, and global ambitions, Dusted Angel is charging forward. "The momentum is unstoppable, and we’re ready for whatever comes next."

DUSTED ANGEL is

Elliot Young - Bass
Eric Fieber - Guitars
Clifford Dinsmore - Vocals
Steve Ilse - Drums
Eddie Gregor - Guitars

DUSTED ANGEL links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Alt-Rock/Stoner Metallers Sisters new single “Home Is Where The Heart Is” delivers heavy and melodic rock

Sisters have been carving out their own heavy, melodic world since the release of their debut album Leecheater in 2023 — a record that laid the foundation for their signature sound: raw, riff-driven rock with an unflinching honesty. Now, the duo Jason Blackmore (vocals / guitar / bass / keyboards ) and Mario Quintero (vocals / drums / guitar / keyboards), return with Wings of Deliverance, a darker, more experimental follow-up that examines Blackmore’s fascination with cults, religion, and power structures led through a conceptual exploration of the Jonestown Massacre.

Having set the stage with title track and album opener “Wings of Deliverance,” the duo now enter the next phase with single “Home Is Where The Heart Is.” The track emphasizes Sisters balance of heavy and melodic, as soaring vocals ride over heavy riffs. The track centers on the propaganda and comfort cult leader Jim Jones amplified to his followers, as Blackmore expands:

“Belonging. Unity. Joy. Jim builds a devoted following at his church. These people trust him and feel as if they have finally found a place that they feel safe in. A place they identify with. Home.”

You can listen to “Home Is Where The Heart Is” below:

Wings of Deliverance will release on August 29th through Spartan Records and is available for preorder now.

Both Jason Blackmore and Mario Quintero have a wealth of experience that feeds into Sisters’ unique approach. Blackmore, a founding member of Molly McGuire, a band known for its heavy, emotionally-charged sound, brings years of songwriting experience to the table. Quintero, best known as the guitarist and vocalist for Spotlights, has contributed his technical prowess and musical vision to a band that’s been recognized for its atmospheric, heavy tones. Together, their combined experience in crafting songs for bands with distinct and powerful sounds has shaped Sisters into what it is today.

Wings Of Deliverance tells a chilling narrative about the cult of personality and the horrors of Jim Jones and the Jonestown tragedy. The record explores the devastating consequences of blind faith and how easily minds can be swayed by egomaniacal leaders. Sonically it enacts the floaty heart of Deftones with the experimental energy of Nine Inch Nails, boasting through a combination of alternative metal, industrial, and noise rock. Recorded in Quintero’s basement, the production is raw and exclusive. The album packs depth in both sound and concept, digging deep into the darker corners of the human psyche and delivering Sisters most true to form body of work yet.

Wings Of Deliverance Tracklist:

1. Wings of Deliverance
2. Home Is Where The Heart Is
3. Peoples Temple
4. The Angels of Violence
5. Golden Sunbeams
6. The Planning Commission
7. White Night
8. Death Is A Friend

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to Wordless PR for the details.

Psych Post-Metallers Psychonaut share expansive new track 'Stargazer' from upcoming new album World Maker

Belgian psychedelic post-metal collective Psychonaut return with 'Stargazer', a sprawling, emotionally charged new single and video, taken from their forthcoming album World Maker, out 24th October via Pelagic Records. Known for weaving together towering riffs, polyrhythmic precision and deep philosophical themes, the trio now turn inward, navigating the shifting terrain of fatherhood, grief and hope.

Watch the video for 'Stargazer' here: 

Pre-order World Maker and stream 'Stargazer' here: https://orcd.co/psychonaut-worldmaker

Propelled by a hypnotic momentum, 'Stargazer', named after frontman Stefan De Graef’s son, born in the rare and poetic “stargazer” position, marks a bold evolution in Psychonaut’s ever-shifting sound. Marrying delicate, folk-tinged guitar passages with towering, thunderous breakdowns, the track captures the band at their most exploratory and emotionally resonant. Beneath its weight and dynamic scope lies a quiet introspection, asking urgent questions about what lies ahead. As the second track revealed from World Maker, 'Stargazer' offers a glimpse into an album shaped by new life, profound loss and the raw search for meaning in between.

The traditional, three-piece line up of Belgian, psychedelic post-metal collective Psychonaut has long belied the compositional prowess, captivating narrative depth and crushing live presence of a band now operating at the forefront of forward-thinking, contemporary heavy music.

A record born of insurmountable joy and simultaneous profound loss; World Maker marks a time of great change for Psychonaut, both personally and musically, as the band burn away the philosophical narrative complexities of previous offerings with a searing, panoramic clarity that implores us to savour the beauty of the now as a means of leaving a legacy for the future.

The seed of World Maker took shape just as the campaign for previous record Violate Consensus Reality came to a close, with the news that guitarist/vocalist Stefan De Graef was to become a father. This tilting of life’s axis led De Graef, like most fathers-to-be, to re-assess what was really important. As such, the music he was inspired to write felt free of the band’s previous philosophical and spiritual foundations and instead took the form of life lessons for his unborn son, a legacy of love in case something were ever to happen.

This hopeful euphoria shines keenly throughout World Maker as an uncharacteristically optimistic warmth; from the reverberating Rhodes organ on the titular opening track and the meandering, free-jazz inspired guitar solo that introduces ‘Everything Else is Just The Weather’ to elements of world music, electronica and the otherworldly voice of Dutch multi-instrumentalist and old friend Anthe Huybrechts (Anthe/Helion Creek) most notably on tracks like ‘Origins’ which also features tabla, a pair of indian hand drums, as its propulsive heartbeat.

Whilst Psychonaut’s giant riffs, punishing polyrhythms and guttural vocal rage are more resplendent than ever, there is a wider dynamic spectrum to World Maker that sees the band proudly exploring their more delicate, intimate extremes as well as their most aggressive and abrasive. Not long after the birth of De Graef’s son came the devastating news that both his own father and Psychonaut bassist/vocalist Thomas Michiels’ father had been diagnosed with advanced cancers. Living day-to-day and torn between joy and grief, the band found themselves shedding the grand scope and world-shattering agenda of Violate Consensus Reality to focus on the here and now.

Amidst such turbulent times, the band found strength and support within their post-metal community. The album was recorded and produced by the band alongside their long-time collaborator and close friend Chiaran Verheyden (Hippotraktor) with help and advice from Psychonaut’s live engineer Victor, who will no doubt make this album sound just as awesome on stage. Even the artwork for World Maker was a family affair, being designed by close friend Sam Coussens of Belgian cosmic sludge metallers Pothamus.

In the face of life’s soaring highs and desolate lows, World Maker is direct and brave without sacrificing any of Psychonaut’s raw power, creative innovation or inimitable musical depth. Where their previous full-length offerings have charted grand introspective courses through time and space, World Maker is breathtaking in its uncompromising clarity: a father singing to his newborn son as a son bids his own father farewell.

Having sent a shockwave through the post-metal and prog scenes with their three times repressed Pelagic Records debut Unfold The God Man in 2020 before following it up with the transformative metaphysical complexities of 2022’s Violate Consensus Reality, Psychonaut have played prestigious Belgian open-air festivals like Alcatraz, Rock Herk and Boomtown Festival as well as boutique events such as Soulcrusher, Roadburn Redux and A Colossal Weekend whilst sharing stages across Europe with the likes of Amenra, Brutus and Pelagic labelmates The Ocean and PG.Lost.

Psychonaut are:

Stefan de Graef - Guitars/Vocals
Thomas Michiels - Bass/Vocals
Harm Peters – Drums

For more information:

INSTAGRAM • FACEBOOK • SPOTIFY • BANDCAMP • PELAGIC ARTIST PAGE

Thanks to Hold Tight PR for the details.