TarLung - Axis Mundi (Album Review)

Release Date: January 30th 2026. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Axis Mundi - Tracklisting

1.Static Noise 

2.The Valley Of Nowhere

3.Burning Out

4.Sea Of Drowned Souls

5.Swans

6.Full Circle

7.Between Earth And Moon

8.Axis Mundi

Members

Rotten – guitars

Philipp Seiler – guitars & vocals

Marian Waibl – drums

Review

Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metallers TARLUNG return after a four year absence with Axis Mundi which sees the band develop a thuggish, heavier and progressive style of music compared to their 2021 debut album Architect. With the backing of Italian Powerhouse label Argonauta Records fully behind for this release, TARLUNG have included new areas of music such as Post-Metal, Prog and Psychedelic mystery for a sound that promises high amounts of mysterious Sludgy surroundings. TARLUNG still play their familiar blend of Doom, Thrash, Sludge and Stoner Metal grooves that was contained within Architect but this time round the album has a more violent and free-flowing attitude.

You can hear influences from the likes of HIGH ON FIRE, MASTODON, YOB and WEEDEATER on the album which allows TARLUNG to move away from the GRIME and FILTH ridden worlds they originally made their names with. The opening two tracks of Static Noise and The Valley Of Nowhere is business as usual for the band with bleak sounding passages and those downbeat Groove Metal melodies that’s intertwined with Philipp Seiler’s harsh grunts, gruffs and growls. TARLUNG demonstrates brief glimpses of their new found delivery of SONIC EXPERIMENTATION which comes fully into play within the next track that is perhaps one of the most outstanding tracks on the record.

Third track Burning Out sees TARLUNG settle for a YOB-esque melodic delivery with the music perhaps moving fully closer to the Post-Doom and Post-Stoner environments which you can see influences ranging from ACID KING, KING BUFFALO and UFOMAMMUT developing. However, this new-found uplifting change only lasts for a short period of time as the violent Doom/Sludge Metal undercurrents of the record take centre stage and deliver some of the most exciting sounds on the whole album. However, there are still plenty of surprises to be had on this track and the rest of the album when the Psychedelic Rock and Post-Whatever creative flow suddenly appears.

TARLUNG have weaved a superb record showcasing the different sides of the HARSH and MELLOW sides of the Psychedelic Metal underground scene. Axis Mundi is jam-packed with first rate musical solos that allows Phillip (Guitars) Rotten (Guitars) and Marian (Drums) to show off their superb technical ability and creative vision on the whole record.

The band continue developing their new style of Psychedelic and Progressive heaviness throughout tracks such as Sea Of Drowned Souls, Swans, Full Circle and Axis Mundi being the other highlights of the album. TARLUNG combine brutal vocal passages and an eerie Folk influence into their main storyline of the record which does take a few moments to get used to. However, the THUGGISH and PROGRESSIVE attitude of TARLUNG keeps everything moving along at a great pace that creates a ton of genuinely exciting moments to make themselves more known with.

Axis Mundi is a much better and superbly constructed record compared to their debut album as TARLUNG always allow themselves the perfect time and opportunity to branch out into new areas to destroy the musical landscape with. This has the perfect combination of violent Sludge Metal passages and modern sounding Psychedelic passages with TARLUNG showcasing what a great FUCKING BAND they are in their own right. 

TARLUNG have delivered one of the first truly memorable, heaviest and unmissable albums to own this year.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Axis Mundi is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records.

Links 

https://www.facebook.com/tarlungband
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

https://tarlung.bandcamp.com/track/static-noise-2

Kaleikia - Makali (Album Review)

Release Date: December 25th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Makali - Tracklisting

1.Foxos 02:27

2.Ons 04:58

3.Makali 07:23

4.Klopeiner See 02:46

5.Es Vedrá 06:34

6.Zagreb 06:02

7.Toyama 07:41

Members

Pilar Fdez Yuste: Piano & Celtic Arp.

Manuel Kölmel Rodríguez: Drums.

Pablo Senra: Bass.

Manu Méndez: Guitars.

Review

Experimental Rock collective Kaleikia releases their latest record Makali and it’s a stunning fusion of Post-Rock, Psych, Stoner, Prog and Alt Rock that’s played through the creative lens of Instrumental Rock. The sound is quite operatic and superbly haunting with Kaleikia’s delicate use of orchestral instruments and songwriting dynamic which comes through superbly well within the excellent opening track Foxos. This track gives you a brief glimpse on what to expect throughout the album.

Kaleikia do perhaps operate with a Post-Rock/Jazz Rock perspective for the main part of this record but there’s some wicked Post-Stoner melodies bursting out of the seams that gives Makali its HEAVY creative heartbeat. The sound can be quite STOP/START in places but there’s some deep philosophical movements going within the record and that’s told primarily through the excellent instrumental work by Pilar Fdez Yuste who plays Piano and Celtic Harp. This allows the freedom for other members of the bandManuel Kölmel Rodríguez (Drums), Pablo Senra (Bass) and Manu Méndez (Guitars) to focus on the heavier Stoner Rock melodies that do pack quite the meaningful PUNCH that allows the music to drift over into heavier waters such as Doom and Shoegaze.

Makali can be quite thoughtful and melancholic with its reliance on classical music and ethereal strands of Post-Rock appearing on tracks such as Makali, Es Vedrá, Zagreb and Toyama being some of the most original and heaviest compositions written for the whole album. Kaleikia plays an almost free-form and cinematic style of Post-Stoner Rock which is quite grounded and original at the same time.

The album dares you to let yourself go and just enjoy the beautiful music that Kaleikia has written here. The band takes influences from a wide range of different musical artists which will ultimately surprise you. There’s a lot of haunting musical landscapes and ambient soundscapes that delve into emotionally troubled waters that always ends up in a more hopeful and uplifting place before everything is said and done.

Makali is a deeply engaging record and one that offers a more subversive style of Instrumental Rock you may be currently used to. However, give this record a try and this is a superb listen from start to finish that’s filled with highly original instrumental passages that demand your full attention.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

BandCamp | Instagram

LORD ELEPHANT - Ultra Soul (Album Review)

Release Date: January 30th 2026. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Ultra Soul - Tracklisting

1.Electric Dunes

2.Gigantia

3.Smoke Tower

4.Black River Blues

5.Astral Crypt

6.MindNight

7.Leave This World With Me

Members

Leandro Gaccione – Guitar

Edoardo De Nardi – Bass

Tommaso Urzino – Drums

Review

Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metallers LORD ELEPHANT made a huge impression with their acclaimed 2022 debut album Cosmic Awakening. The band return with ULTRA SOUL and this continues  their Doomed Out Blend of Instrumental WEEDIAN and PSYCHEDELIC bliss that further develops the sonically mind inducing grooves first heard on their debut release. This time round LORD ELEPHANT plays with a heavier, richer and fuller sound that’s packed with melodic focus and COSMIC aggression which also sees a subtle style of Sludge, Prog, Ambient and Shoegaze energy.

The music can be quite forceful and solitary in places which LORD ELEPHANT develops superbly throughout the whole record with the opening songs of Electric Dunes and Gigantia playing similar strands of music to the likes of fellow instrumental doomsters BELZEBONG. The stunning mix of Sludge Metal soundscapes merging with Ambient Rock that brings a thunderous sound to the record that makes you feel you’re listening to music that’s opening the portal or gateway into a different dimension.

LORD ELEPHANT has an expert delivery by creating Post-Rock / Ambient Rock themes before expanding this into a more thrilling way of creative storytelling on tracks such as Smoke Tower, Black River Blues and Astral Crypt. The music feels more grounded and even quite fantastical at the same time with the band taking minor instrumental influences from the likes of SLEEP, HIGH ON FIRE and MASTODON but allowing themselves the opportunity to play their own highly original sound. 

Strands of eerie Post-Rock and Shoegaze appear momentarily with the subtle shadows of Psychedelic Rock and Space Rock holding everything together. The second half of ULTRA SOUL is where Lord Elephant become more daring with their music and even CINEMATIC as the whole atmosphere is moody, catchy and brilliantly EPIC on the final two tracks of MindNight and Leave This World With Me. With a sudden appearance of DRONE and DISTORTED surroundings, Lord Elephant really pulls out all of the stops within the final stages of the whole record.

With a neverending supply of FUZZED OUT AMPLIFIERS, LORD ELEPHANT, have released an album that’s better in every department compared to their debut album. Ultra Soul is everything you want, fully deserve and could possibly wish for an Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal album that will no doubt go down a storm within the underground community and allow LORD ELEPHANT the opportunity to play on some of the most prestigious FESTIVAL slots within the scene.

Mind-blowing. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Ultra Soul is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Holy Slumber - Holy Slumber (Single Release)

Release Date: December 23rd 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Holy Slumber - Tracklisting

1.Holy Slumber 03:39

2.Where Demons Crawl 04:43

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Holy Slumber release their self-titled debut single and it’s a glorious mix of Doom, Stoner and Heavy Metal with the band firing on all cylinders from the very start. The song has a certain CLASSIC HARD ROCK approach which soon moves into areas of pure HEAVY METAL EXCESS. It’s not the most original of sounds but Holy Slumber creates some fantastic grooves inspired by the likes of SAINT VITUS and The Obsessed with a dash of NWOBHM outlandish melodies holding everything together.

Holy Slumber really finds their own identity on the excellent and standout bonus track Where Demons Crawl as they opt for a heavier and more thrilling OCCULT sound. The whole mood is quite seedy, violent and brilliantly over the top. The vocals are great to hear which only fully sells the OCCULT ROCK and DOOM METAL energy of the whole release. Sure, everything becomes way OVER THE TOP but the grooves are intense and deliver with real passion.

The production values offer a “LESS IS MORE” approach with Holy Slumber showcasing a great band to check out from the excellent Philippines Underground Heavy Metal scene. I would have loved to hear a couple of more tracks to see how HOLY SLUMBER develop their music within a longer release but maybe within their next release as I’m genuinely interested to hear what the guys will release next.

Check this out. As this is a great release from a band who deserve some much notice within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

BandCamp

Sky Valley Mistress - Luna Mausoleum (Album Review)

Release Date: January 26th 2026. Record Label: New Heavy Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Luna Mausoleum - Tracklisting

1.An Eagles Epitaph

2.The Exit List

3.Too Many Ghosts 

4.No Sleep

5.House Of The Moon

6.Live Past Life

7.White Night

8.Thundertaker

9.Blue Desert II

Members

Kayley "Hell Kitten" Davies - Full Vocalist / Half Drums

Max "Leather Messiah" Newsome - Full Guitarist / Half Drums

Review

Luna Mausoleum is second full length album from Psych/Garage/Stoner Rockers Sky Valley Mistress who were originally a four piece band before they were about to embark on a tour for their debut album near the start of 2020 COVID Lockdown which was ultimately cancelled. Two members left but Kayley and Max decided to continue as a two piece duo with Luna Mausoleum being their “first” record and the results are brilliantly outrageous from start to finish.

Sky Valley Mistress channels the same heavy sounds of bands such as Black Sabbath, QOTSA, The Hives, Portishead, Sneaker Pimps and Monster Magnet. The whole record offers some of the catchiest, trippiest and coolest sounds to get off 2026 rocking off to a great start with Kayley “Hell Kitten” Davies dynamic vocal performance. The grooves are tinged with Classic Stoner Rock grooves that hark back to the good old days of Nineties Heavy Rock but Sky Valley Mistress add a world-weary Indie Rock swagger to their music with moments of moody experimental beats hidden behind the shadows.

The record is full of catchy choruses, melodic hooks and subtle levels of ROCK AGGRESSION which allows Sky Valley Mistress to move to the more commercial and radio friendly style of Rock & Roll. However, the band keep themselves close to the Heavy Rock underground with the bombastic use of Garage Rock, Shoegaze and Stoner Grooves which does become outrageously METAL the best of times especially within the kick-ass tracks of The Exit List, Too Many Ghosts and No Sleep. The sound moves from QOTSA style instrumental passages before a sudden shift into music that feels like THE HIVES jamming with PORTISHEAD but with Sky Valley Mistress delivering their own great style of music.

The lyrics are feisty and mightily pissed off which gives the album a great destructive energy of its own making. The production values are excellent and offers a stripped back environment for Sky Valley Mistress to wreck havoc with and build everything up again only to repeat the entire creative process that brings some of the freshest and heaviest grooves on the record. 

Other standout tracks include: House Of Moon, Live Past Life, Thundertaker and the thrilling epic final track Blue Desert II. As these tracks allow Sky Valley Mistress to demonstrate new musical themes and ideas whilst offering emotionally charged vocals that you don’t really hear within the current Stoner Rock climate. 

Luna Masoulem is the type of album that’s bound to project Sky Valley Mistress onto bigger and better things. This is one of the first must have albums of 2026 you need to own right now and I have a feeling this will no doubt end up on a few best ALBUMS OF THE YEAR. Perhaps a tad too early but I stand by those words as Sky Valley Mistress have delivered the goods with this superb record.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to For THe LostPR for the promo.

Luna Mausoleum is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via New Heavy Sounds.

Links:

Instagram - @skyvalleymistress
Facebook - @skyvalleymistress
Website - skyvalleymistress.com
Bandcamp - skyvalleymistress.bandcamp.com

CULTOVAR - Forgotten Hymns For Lost Futures

Release Date: December 21st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Forgotten Hymns for Lost Futures - Tracklisting

1.I 27:24

2.II 22:27

Members

Cursus Elementum: Guitars and Bass

Ustus Terra: Vocals and Keyboards

Lore Ipsum: Vocals and Keyboards

Tempus Urna: Percussion and Piano

Review

CULTOVAR. A doom and synth forward project featuring members of HERON, MENDOZZA, and BORT and they have just released their debut album Forgotten Hymns For Lost Futures. The album is quite a conceptual record dealing in minimal surroundings whilst allowing the heavy Drone/Sludge Metal grooves to dominate the musical landscape. CULTOVAR call themselves a “DOOM AND SYNTH” project but there is so much more to them with areas of Doom, Sludge, Drone, Psych, Ambient and Stoner Metal sounds appearing throughout the whole record.

If you dig bands such as PRIMITIVE MAN, CONAN, HIGH ON FIRE, AUTHOR & PUNISHER and NEUROSIS then CULTOVAR should most definitely be your next musical destination as they bring a fresh musical perspective to the underground world. The music is aggressive, fast-paced and quite demonic with the twin use of harsh and clean vocals appearing on the record. The sound can be quite bleak and violent to listen to but CULTOVAR have a surreal experimental quality with their “DOOM & SYNTH” aspect coming into life at the right moment within the excellent opening track “I”. This propels the song and record to a more outlandish and fantastical setting compared to the opening ten minutes of the track. 

CULTOVAR wisely decides to switch up these musical elements for the remainder of the track which once again leans heavily into the Sludge Metal arena for the most part but there are still intense moments of DRONE and DOOM & GLOOM for people to fully embrace. There are deft touches of Post-Rock appearing within the more quieter aspects of the track but the darkness of CULTOVAR’s music is never too far away.

The second track “II” continues with the dark cinematic journey contained within the opening track and once again CULTOVAR transform into different musical and creative entities which gives their whole music a very brooding and mysterious quality. The record can be PITCH BLACK and wonderfully PROGRESSIVE but also quite tender within the quieter Ambient moments.

Forgotten Hymns For Lost Futures is an exciting and highly inventive debut record which will no doubt allow CULTOVAR to attain a loyal following within the underground scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

LinkTree | BandCamp | Instagram

Hostal Handshake - Stone Oracle (Album Review)

 

Release Date: January 02nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Stone Oracle - Tracklisting

1.The Oracle’s Awakening

2.This Is Not a Drill!

3.Smoking a Razor Blade

4.Building 58a

5.The Hostal Protocol

6.Skeletons in the Closet

7.Getting High on the Road 04:05

8.Queen of the Thorn Signal

9.The Lizard Sleeps in Oil 04:52

10.Your Mojo

11.Opium Haze 05:06

12.Throttle the Sun

13.Mirage Burnout

14.Into Morpheus

15.The Oracle’s Scream

16.Cathedral of Rust

Review

Cult Greek Stoner Rockers Hostal Handshake return after a lengthy eighteen year absence with their new album Stone Oracle. The end result is a record that moves throughout the whole Heavy Rock underground spectrum with moments of Doom, Psych, Blues, Grunge, Stoner and Desert Rock where the emphasis is truly on the power of the MIGHTY RIFF.

This is quite a long and spectacular record spread across sixteen tracks with Hostal Handshake having a lot to say against the modern world which gives them a truly outrageous PUNK ROCK spirit at times. The record never waives from musical experimentation with Jazz Rock beats merging with classic Doom Rock energy which comes out from the very start within the opening tracks of The Oracle’s Awakening, This is Not A Drill, Smoking A Razor Blade and Building 58A. There’s influences ranging from the likes of QOTSA, The Hives, Black Sabbath, CLUTCH and Soundgarden with that instantly recognizable Greek Stoner Rock sound making a cool demented appearance. 

Be prepared for a highly aggressive style of different musical melodies and instrumental passages that has a catchy “HIP” and “CLASSIC ROCK” energy especially with the different vocal styles employed throughout the record. Stone Oracle is perhaps stuck in a musical timewarp but that’s one of the album’s main strengths that it amplifies that type of MOOD and creative energy for some best tracks on the album.

Other great tracks to check out are The Hostal Protocol, Skeletons In The Closet and Getting High On The Road to wrap up a spectacular first half of the record. The music is always bouyant, groove orientated with Hostal Handshake never afraid to try something new even with moments of Progressive and Technical passages slowly emerging which becomes part of the musical landscape on the second half of the record.

The second part of the album allows Hostal Handshake to inject darker themes into their music for a more grown up and mature sound whilst keeping everything grounded on tracks such as The Lizard Sleeps In Oil, Your Mojo, Opium Haze, The Oracle’s Scream and Cathedral OF Rust all being dominated by outbursts of Occult Rock and Doom Metal surroundings. 

Hostal Handshake keeps within their Desert/Psych/Stoner Rock mandate for the majority of the record but they have a lot of time to play with as the album runs for around eighty five minutes in length. If you’re happy to put in the work and effort to listen to this album then you’ll be richly rewarded for a stunning tour-de-force of intense Stoner Rock/Metal.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | SoundCloud