Release Date: December 04th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD
These Edibles Ain’t Shit - Tracklisting
1.The Escapist 05:18
2.Cleanse The Cur 03:13
3.Meet Your Noisemaker 03:27
4.Uncle Cid 05:52
5.The Cycle 07:06
Review
Stormtoker returns with another outlandish slice of Progressive and Experimental Sludge/Stoner Metal that has moments of freakouts, jazzy instrumental passages and classic heavy metal surroundings. Inspired by the likes of High On Fire, Mastodon and The Melvins but offering a more fucked up and experimental approach that reminds me of PRIMUS dabbling into areas of the Occult especially within the opening track The Escapist.
Stormtoker throws everything but the kitchen sink into this song to see what actually sticks where they just run riot with multiple different styles of Heavy Metal being delivered. The song does feel like you’re coming down from a very bad trip and wondering WHAT THE FUCK is happening with trippy jams, weird vocals and experimental sounds all colliding to scare the hell out of you. The song is quite progressive and leans into the weirdly demented sound that The Melvins and PRIMUS developed back in the day.
Second song Cleanse The Cur feels like it was inspired by Mastodon, PRIMUS and Frank Zappa with violent vocals that don’t make a whole lot of sense at first but Stormtoker manages to make everything work. Harsh and death growls emerge from the harsh Psychedelic Sludge Metal and Jazz Metal grooves for a discerning attack on the senses. So expect lots of different styles of thrash beats and subtle musical changes at the drop of a hat.
Third song Meet Your Noisemaker sees Stormtoker change musical direction yet again with a nightmarish journey into the band’s creative and fucked up psyche. There’s echoes of SYSTEM OF A DOWN at play here with the band perhaps adding too many different elements that the song loses momentum towards the end but for the most part this is a solid track to lose yourself in.
The final two tracks of Uncle Cid and The Cycle allow Stormtoker continue their musical and creative journey into demented and spiritual madness with some epic progressive soundscapes being delivered throughout. This is perhaps the strongest part of the EP as the band play with a “LESS IS MORE” approach and let their music finally dictate the action with some marvellous technical skills being shown by the band.
The Cycle is perhaps the standout track on These Edibles Ain’t Shit with Stormtoker perhaps delivering one of the most offbeat, oddball and superbly confusing releases to emerge this year from the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal underground scene. This won’t be for everyone but if you’re in the mood for something refreshingly different then Stormtoker are the band for you.
Words by Steve Howe
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