Release Date: November 07th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl
High Anxiety - Tracklisting
1.High Anxiety
2.Two Sticks Left
3.To Some Soft False Place
4.Mind the Teeth
5.Fast Crash
6.Smoke Break
7.New Song
Member
Sean Forlenza: Guitar/Vocals
Anthony Mendolia: Bass
Eli Pizzuto: Drums
Review
Stoner Rockers River Cult return after a five year absence with their latest sonic expedition of High Anxiety where the band employs a varied and vivid style of Heavy Psych, Garage Rock, Punk Rock and Space Rock melodies. The music is deeply rooted within the creative themes, ideals and styles of Sixties, Seventies and Nineties Heavy Rock with River Cult blending everything together within a stylish and aggressive musical adventure.
There’s a cool reliance on subtle Psychedelic, Ambient and Spaced Out sounds that adds a cautionary energy to their music which is explored quite heavily within the opening tracks of High Anxiety and Two Sticks Left. The vocals from Sean Forlenza have an earnest and truthful approach which lends themselves to classic Garage Rock and Street Rock attitude with the excellent lyrics the band have written for this record alone. The album may not be as flashy, heavy or progressive as their previous albums but there’s something more honest here which allows River Cult to explore different musical avenues such as Sludge Rock, Fuzz and Distorted Amplified soundscapes.
There is a sense of true grittiness to River Cult’s style with the band bridging the gap from Classic Rock to modern day Sludge Rock rebellion as the album progresses through the remaining tracks on the album. With a classic Power Trio stance being employed, each member has their own chance to impress brilliantly on a technical and musical level. You have Sean Forlenza on Guitar/Vocals, Anthony Medlia on Bass and the latest member to their ranks of Eli Pizzuto on Drums. Eli's outstanding performance brings a different style of drumming to his predecessor (Tav Palumbo) for this record whilst still retaining to the core River Cult sound.
You can hear echoes of The Rolling Stones, Led Zepp, The Who, Blue Cheer, Truckfighters, KYUSS and FU MANCHU playing throughout this record but this also a band adding a modern day Doom/Stoner Metal groove into their overall sound. Everything fully comes together in a big way within the standout third track To Some Soft False Place with River Cult adding a grimy psychedelic influence into the mix that results in the heaviest and destructive instrumental parts of the album forming.
Fourth track Mind The Teeth adds a subversive Blues Rock and Punk Rock energy with flashes of Post-Hardcore surroundings being felt within the lyrics and certain vocal arrangements being dominated by the Post-Hardcare landscape. Maybe that’s just my own observations but River Cult play with genre conventions here and come out on top time and time again. The end of the track has moments of major instrumental freak-outs which only adds to the surreal paranoia of the whole album.
The remaining three tracks of Fast Crash, Smoke Break and New Song continue with that style of music with RIver Cult becoming more and more Punk Rock obsessive with their socially aware lyrics. However, the music is always edging closely to the world of distorted and twisted Fuzzy Stoner Rock surroundings with the odd outburst of other musical genres with River Cult always offering a damn good time.
High Anxiety is a record that never outstays it’s welcome and it’s good to see River Cult expanding their own musical and creative horizons for a record that’s absolutely mind=blowing entertainment from start to finish.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram