Release Date: December 05th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Sky Eater - Tracklisting
Haunting Time
Diamond Darya
Sky Eater
Review
Psych Doom/Stoner Metallers King Cruel return with their latest EP - Sky Eater and one that follows their 2023 debut EP Creeper. That EP allowed King Cruel to play a stylish mix of Doom, Psych, Stoner, Proto-Metal and Occult Rock themes. The band still play that sound within Sky Eater but they’ve added an unforgiving style of Grunge and Post-Stoner grittiness to their music which I can hear within the excellent opening track of Haunting Time. This is where the band develops a highly melodic sense with emotionally engaging lyrics to match.
The vocals are delivered with a sense of gloomy optimism and eternal dread which keeps in with the Post-Doom and Occult Rock aspect of their previous EP Creeper. The musical landscapes are quite progressive and leans quite heavily into some intense moments of flashy Hard Rock solos along the way.
Second track Diamond Darya is a stirring mix of Eighties Hard Rock excess with a burgeoning modern Psych Rock and Stoner Metal with King Cruel offering bombastic lyrics and over the top themes that still feel remarkably grounded thanks to the excellent vocals and superb musical solos that each band member provides. The Post-Stoner attitude fully takes over towards the end of the song with King Cruel offering some of the standout melodies within the whole EP.
The final track Sky Eater is where King Cruel makes everything count with a classic Grunge attitude forming behind the scenes and you can hear influences as diverse as Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and Velvet Revolver with the sound still being quite DOOM & GLOOM obsessive in the best possible way. This allows King Cruel to fully develop their own intriguing style of music where the RIFF IS KING.
My only complaint is that I would have enjoyed another track to finish off the EP as it’s quite short, running around thirteen minutes in length. However, it’s always best to leave the audience wanting more and King Cruel has succeeded on every level with Sky Eater. I'm hoping King Cruel has more great music to impress us with in the near future as Sky Eater is an absolute joy to listen to from start to finish.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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