Feel Worse - This Will Weigh Heavily On Your Annual Performance Appraisal (Album Review)

Release Date: November 28th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

This Will Weigh Heavily On Your Annual Performance Appraisal - Tracklisting

1.In Public 03:47

2.Elbow Party 04:31

3.Graves Upon Graves 06:17

4.Break the Ice 03:17

5.So You Die 04:58

6.The Giant Who Wanted Company 03:30

7.Storms 03:57

Review

This Will Weigh Heavily On Your Annual Performance Appraisal is the debut album from Noise/Post-Hardcore/Sludge Metallers Feel Worse and it’s a project made up of members from bands such as Sulaco, Sully and Burn Everything. Feel Worse play a wide range of different musical themes such as Post-Rock, Black Metal, Psych Metal and Industrial Rock within their main Post-Hardcore and Sludge Metal attitude. 

The band are perhaps closer to the likes of KOWLOON WALLED CITY and WHORES with the band creating sludgy anthemic grooves with a stirring social conscience appearing within the lyrics. The vocals are very much of the Post-Hardcore and Punk Rock variety as the music even has influences such as The Melvins, At The Drive-In and Converge to give this quite a highly experimental vibe. Feel Worse even find the time to play around with Psychedelic and Sonic movements which you can feel the full force on tracks such as In Public, Elbow Party and Graves Upon Graves.

With a twisted sense of melody allowing Feel Worse to move across different musical boundaries and even when the vocals move into Pitch-Black territory, the music is constantly melodic with a dark Psychedelic energy appearing within some of the more longer tracks of the record. There are some parts where the music is quite chaotic and Jazz focused in places but it’s quite refreshing to hear with Feel Worse always thinking ahead by creating complex rhythms and musical structures that also allow you to focus upon the lyrical content even more especially on tracks Graves Upon Graves, Break The Ice and The Giant Who Wanted Company.

Feel Worse has a harsh Nineties Alt-Metal attitude appearing on the later stages of the record with plenty of menacing beat-downs and progressive beats becoming more part of the action. This is a highly captivating slice of Noise Rock with a full on Sludge Metal attitude with the album also having quite a surreal experimental sound throughout.

This Will Weigh Heavily On Your Annual Performance Appraisal is a superbly entertaining record which dares to be quite different and still leaves you wanting to hear more with it’s great collection of individual songs that have BRAINS and BRAWN to match in equal measure.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | LinkTree

Teleost - ATAVISM (Album Review)

Release Date: December 01st 2025. Record Label: Inverted Grim Mill Recordings. Formats: CD/DD

ATAVISM - Tracklisting

1.Volcano 12:20

2.Bari 09:59

3.Life 08:21

4.Djinn 08:14

5.Canyon 11:48

Lineup

Leo Hancill - Baritone, Vocals, Guitars

Cat Redfern - Drums

Review

Doom/Stoner Metal Duo Teleost debut album ATAVISM is a heavy destructive style of music with the band forging a slightly industrial based sound set against a sludgy and droned out effect. The album has a distinctive NOISE ROCK aesthetic especially within the production techniques used to capture Teleost's intense musical delivery. The band are quite fond of creating AMPLIFIER FEEDBACK and heavy reverb which is used throughout the album. 

Teleost take influences from the likes of CONAN, THE MELVINS and BORIS but they also show their tender side which moves slightly into Post-Rock or Shoegaze territory which appears within the final stages of the brilliantly chaotic opening track of Volcano.Before that, Volcano allows Teleost to sharpen their Drone/Doom Metal landscapes with some great vocals from Leo Hancill appearing here and there. The song is quite slow at the best of times but Teleost do play a faster style of music for the majority of the track.

There’s some SONIC experimentation being added that allows the album to have a monolithic quality within the heaviest and harshest environments that Teleost deliver with on the other tracks such as Bari, Life and Djinn that all explores the more seedier and distorted levels of Doom/Stoner Metal. There’s an ice cold efficiency to how Teleost deliver their music which channels a classic style of Doom Metal with that epic INDUSTRIAL sound coming mostly from Cat Redfern’s excellent drumming. Though Leo provides some haunting and downright scary melodies on guitars with his vocals once again impressing me even further on the later stages of the album.

If you’re a dedicated follower of the LOW & SLOW style of music with an air of distorted progression then Teleost have delivered a record that will impress you from the very start. The sound and overall delivery of ATAISM can be quite fractured and violent in places but it’s the musical journey that Teleost takes you upon that make this such a standout album. The album can be beautifully melodic with long drawn out Psychedelic passages with hints of Space Rock making everything quite surreal but quite hopeful as well.

ATAVISM is a highly original album with Teleost developing their own great style of music that deserves to be heard by the widest audience possible within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy ATAVISM now on CD/Digital via Inverted Grim Mill Recordings.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp

DESERTFEST BERLIN reveals new wave of bands for 2026 adding RED FANG, HÅNDGEMENG, ROTOR & more; Day Splits now available!

Desertfest Berlin turns up the heat once more. After a string of early announcements, the festival now drops another heavy hit of news: Portland’s finest riff dealers RED FANG are back! They will be rolling into Desertfest Berlin 2026 with the full package - massive stoner-rock grooves, hook-loaded sludge anthems, and that unmistakable RED FANG swagger that’s carried them from DIY basements to global festival stages.

Please also welcome: from Oslo, HÅNDGEMENG. These dudes crash in with their explosive fusion of hardcore punk, stoner metal and icy Norwegian chaos – a band that turns every stage into a riot. Berlin’s ROTOR follow with their trademark instrumental powertrip of hypnotic grooves and desert-driven momentum. SKLOSS, Space gaze duo from Austin, Texas. UK desert-rock veterans STEAK with riffs thick as concrete and a catalogue that’s been shaking festival dust worldwide and THE DHARMA CHAIN - Psychedelic daydreamers spinning shimmering, sun-dazed jams that feel like drifting into a parallel universe.

The latest additions crank the line-up to the next level, joining a line-up that already boasts heavy-hitters like RUSSIAN CIRCLES, HERMANO ft. JOHN GARCIA, THE SWORD, KING BUFFALO, ACID KING, TRUCKFIGHTERS, NEBULA, EARTHLESS, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, FUZZ SAGRADO (ex Samsara Blues Expieriment), Thrash Metal powerhouse ZERRE and many more!

From May 14–16, 2026 at Columbiahalle & Columbia-Theater, DESERTFEST BERLIN will turn the German capital into a heavy riff sanctuary, with more names and special suprises to follow. Time to plan, the Day Splits, Tickets and Venue Sleep Over options are now available at: www.desertfest-tickets.de

[Artwork by Kuba Sokolski Illustration]

For More Info Visit:

https://www.desertfest.de
https://desertfest-tickets.de/produkte
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2135415456871801

Thanks to All Noir PR for the details.

THE MON - Songs Of Abandon (Album Review)

Release Date: November 07th 2025. Record Label: Supernatural Cat. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Songs Of Abandon - Tracklisting

1.Smiling Dog 02:18

2.Two Stones 03:54

3.The Hidden Ghost 05:08

4.Hourglass 03:22

5.The Moon And The Devil 03:25

6.Mayhem 03:22

7.Little Bird 03:33

8.The Fluorescent Sand 02:31

9.Beautiful Star 04:10

10.Your Eyes 03:26

Lineup

Urlo - Everything

Review

Drone/Doom/Ambient artist THE MON is back with their new album Songs Of Abandon which is the first part of "Embrace The Abandon" which is a two-chapter journey that explores loss and rebirth. For folks not in the know, THE MON is the solo project of Urlo (Bass/Vocals) from the legendary Doom Metallers UFOMAMMUT. This project is about as far as you can possibly get from UFOMAMMUT with Urlo exploring musical genres such as Drone, Ambient, Americana, Folk, Electronica and Alternative Sounds.

Songs Of Abandon is a gloomy experience with THE MON creating a minimal and solitary experience that’s full of emotional wonder with Urlo’s tender vocals set against his Post-Doom instrumental surroundings and subtle Ambient effects. There is a lovely and affectionate style of melody that develops very early on from the opening tracks of Smiling Dog and Two Stones which can be quite carefree and influenced by the dark sounds of the Sixties and Seventies rock scene.

This is quite a different affair compared to THE MON’s 2023 critically acclaimed album THE EYE as Urlo is doing everything himself here where THE EYE had major guest contributions from the likes of Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Colin H. Van Eeckhout (Amenra),Sarah Pendleton (Subrosa, The Otolith) and David W. (White Hills). Songs Of Abandon allows THE MON to go back closer to their earlier releases but still maintaining a similar style heard on THE EYE.

The music is quite experimental and brilliantly therapeutic especially within the standout third track The Hidden Ghost which has a grounded Country/Americana approach whilst adding Post-Doom and Drone based movements within the darker aspects of the track. Urlo’s vocals are earnest and superbly real that offer a stark contrast to his work with UFOMAMMUT. The song works best when the Drone aspect takes charge in the later stages as this album ventures briefly into the domain of Psych Rock and Space Rock soundscapes.

The haunting fourth track Hourglass explores that Space Rock angle for the first few seconds before settling upon an excellent style of Acoustic Doom groove with Urlo’s vocals being its most daring and remarkably honest with some experimental background vocals giving it an outlandish quality. The subtle flashes of semi-acoustic Psychedelic sounds once again twists the creative narrative where you begin to notice the smaller things being played in the background. As this is a superbly realized multi-layered track that will surprise you of how it ultimately plays out and changes the course for the rest of the album.

Songs Of Abandon flirts with a vivid assortment of different musical styles that are constantly evolving which makes this one of the most unique and engaging solo albums I’ve heard in quite some time and THE MON keeps on delivering songs of real beauty and quality especially on tracks such as The Moon And The Devil, Mayhem and Little Bird. However, THE MON still offers moments of intense DOOM & GLOOM quality which gives an unsettling feeling at times but the sheer cinematic and emotional scope that Urlo fully commits himself to is a joy to behold.

The songwriting on the album is simply magnificent and so is Urlo’s musical abilities which once again showcases a different side to his work on UFOMAMMUT. The album becomes quite adventurous with flashes of Post-Rock and Gothic Doom that surprised me in many different ways which appear on tracks Mayhem and Little Bird developing into hazy areas of trippy psychedelics that left me wanting more.

Songs Of Abandon is an absolutely exquisite record that shows how THE MON are at the top of their game with their most deeply rewarding and brilliantly engaging record to date. I can’t wait to hear part two to see where this extraordinary journey takes me. Until then, Songs Of Abandon is a record you all need to experience as soon as possible.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to THE MON for the promo.

Songs Of Abandon is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Supernatural Cat.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Doomherre - Plaguelords (Album Review)

Release Date: November 25th 2025. Record Label: Skatbo Recoreds / Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Plagurelords - Tracklisting

1.Serpent Shrine 04:18

2.Stormfather 03:37

3.Wrath of a Mountain God 03:52

4.Hymn for Helios 04:57

5.Blodregn (Sabbatsberg II) 03:26

6.Dark Hand 04:21

7.Dead Ship Bay 05:29

8.Plaguelords 05:13

9.This Burning Guilt 06:23

Lineup

Max Coljin - Bass

Daniel Strachal - Drums

Victor Takala - Vocals/Guitar 

Review

Traditional Doom/Stoner Metallers Doomherre return with their second album Plaguelords which sets the scene for a record of epic grooves branching out into areas of Classic Doom Metal and modern day Stoner Metal. The record is inspired by the likes of Trouble, Candlemass, Saint Vitus and The Obsessed but with a great style of modern sounds keeping everything moving along at a sublime fast pace. Plaguelords also has an incredible reliance on NWOBHM and classic HEAVY METAL themes which makes this album never afraid to go way OVER THE TOP and still feel incredibly grounded at the same time.

With the excellent vocals from Victor Takala tapping right into the top tier of classic Hard Rock showmanship throughout, Doomherre are dead serious about their musical craft which has elements of fantasy appearing within their lyrics. Each song has a different story to tell but still having similar musical themes that allows Doomherre to fully explore their DOOM METAL surroundings to the best of their technical and musical ability which results into some intense melodic passages being performed from the very start.

Plaguelords is mostly delivered with Classic Doom and Proto-Metal efficiency but the record still relies on a ton of modern Stoner Metal grooves that fans of ORANGE GOBLIN and THE SWORD can wholly appreciate on tracks such as Serpent Shrine, Stormfather and Hymn For Helios. With Doomherre being a Swedish band, they’re never afraid to move behind a WALL of classic HEAVY METAL themes and tropes that sound re-imagined for today’s musical generation. The music can be stripped back at times which is perhaps down to the excellent production values that Plaguelords contains. 

Other standout tracks on the album includes: Blodregn (Sabbatsberg II), Dark Hand, Plaguelords and This Burning Guilt. I could be completely wrong with this assumption but I believe the record leans quite heavily into NORDIC folklore for certain aspects that gives this a more fantastical quality where Doomherre deliver some of the heaviest and freshest melodies on the whole album. There’s some wicked interplay between classic NWOBHM and Post-Doom elements that appear out of nowhere. 

Plaguelords never plays out that you initially expect so you can easily put this album under the banner “EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED”. The album is packed full of wonderful cinematic themes and incredible musical passages that Victor, Max and Daniel brilliantly deliver from start to finish. 

Doomherre are a band that everyone within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene should know about right now. It’s as simple as that!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Plaguelords is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Skatbo Records and Majestic Mountain Records.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

TEKARRA - Great Divide (Album Review)

Release Date: November 20th 2025. Record Label: Psychedelic Salad Records / Interstellar Smoke Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Great Divide - Tracklisting

1.Great Divide 19:26

2.Endless Winter 16:09

Review

Drone/Doom Metal collective TEKARRA return with their third full length album Great Divide which continues their grand sonic excursion into the heavier depths of AMPLIFIER WORSHIP and LOW & SLOW musical passages. This is the same type of attitude they created on their previous two albums but this time the sound is more desolate, aggressive and emotionally detached from reality with a sense of sludge metal mechanics appearing.

The music is deliberately and purposely slow-paced with echoes of SUNN O))) appearing for an ice-cold Progressive style of melody and warped effects allowing the psychedelic kinetic energy fusing to the bleakest parts of the album. The album contains two tracks with a final running time near thirty six minutes in length. TEKARRA wisely take their time building up a LOUD VOLUME of noise for the opening epic title track of The Great Divide.

There are vocals within the record but they only appear when they’re fully needed and they’re brutally harsh and minimal but one full of profound aggression that moves the record further into Post-Black Metal territory. There are shades of BORIS experimentation on the title track but TEKARRA keep everything close to their chests that gives The Great Divide a highly mysterious quality even when the most violent moments appear to FUCK UP your peaceful and tranquil state of mind.

The second track Endless Winter is less abrasive and aggressive compared to the opening track but one that never turns away from its Post-Black Metal surroundings. Perhaps more Ambient and Drone driven which shows a different side to TEKARRA. The mood is still full of violent promise with a sense of distorted melody being delivered from all corners of the DRONE METAL spectrum.

Another cool aspect of the record to admire is TEKARRA’s wicked interpretation and deconstruction of the LOW & SLOW and AMPLIFIER DISTORTION themes that feels quite different. As they create their own unique take on that part of the Drone/Doom Metal movement. This record isn’t going to be for everyone but if you’re a fan of music where playing SLOW MUSIC is key then you’ll find this album very hard to beat.

Great Divide is another mind-expanding journey from one of the best Doom/Drone Metal bands that the Canadian underground scene has offered recently. I recommend you check this masterful release at earliest opportunity and be prepared for a first-rate DRONED OUT release of the highest order.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Stone Nomads - Empires Of Stone (Album Review)

Release Date: November 21st 2025. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Empires Of Stone - Tracklisting

1.Lost in the Storm 06:03

2.Eyehatesociety 05:24

3.Valley of Souls 01:01

4.Empires of Stone 06:37

5.Mount Aras 05:18

6.Desolate Sands 06:58

7.Death Adder 03:51

8.The Devil Lives in Texas 05:40

Lineup

Jon Cosky - Guitar/Vocals

Jude Sisk - Bass/Vocals

Ben Wozniak - Drums

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Stone Nomads return with their triumphant third full length album Empires Of Stone which continues the same creative journey heard on their 2024 EP - Beyond The Gates. I would say the band have moved even further into the Groove, NOLA and Thrash Metal arena especially when you hear the dark and grimy tone of the excellent opening tracks of Lost In The Storm and Eyehatesociety.

The music is brutally dark with some classic shades of Heavy Metal intertwined with their brooding Doom and Stoner Metal framework. Everything is played at a ridiculously fast pace with Stone Nomads adding great musical instrumental solos along the way that screams EIGHTIES HEAVY METAL RIFF-FEST.

Though, expect moments of music inspired by the likes of Thin Lizzy, The Obsessed, Saint Vitus and Motorhead. There’s some sudden flashes of OCCULT METAL imagery appearing with certain sound effects appearing throughout which gives this record a gloomier sound. Stone Nomads impress the most when they venture fully into the NOLA and SWAMPEDELIC sound as a vast Psychedelic awareness appears. 

The vocals from Jon Cosky and Jude SIsk offer a similar contrast to each other but own delivering their great melodic style. With a vast array of different vocal styles that feels inspired by Phil Anselmo the best of time. Stone Nomads have developed into first-rate storytellers by adding some great lyrics into their mix that manages to avoid the usual cliches of Doom and Stoner Metal with some hard-hitting themes being drawn into the mix.

Empires Of Stone may have an aggressive and muscular delivery but Stone Nomads aren’t afraid to show delicate moments of instrumental music with the excellent third track Valley Of Souls being an instrumental number lasting around one minute with a cool sounding semi-acoustic Doomed out track. 

The band return to their usual HEAVY METAL guise with the thundering fourth track Empires Of Stone which combines Post-Doom and Post-Stoner exploration with good old fashioned HEAVY METAL grooves forming at the very heart of the song. There’s a deceptive identity to this song with Stone Nomads showing outbursts of Groove, Thrash and Sludge Metal for one of the catchiest and standout tracks on the album.

Stone Nomads continue their creative journey with even more thrilling and warped moments of Psychedelic insanity merged with heavier instances of Doom, Sludge, Groove and Classic Rock with other standout moments appearing on tracks such as Mount Aras, Desolate Sands and The Devil Lies In Texas. 

The second half of the album proves without a doubt how masterful Stone Nomads have become making first-rate modern day Doom/Stoner Metal sounds of the highest order with great songwriting skills to match. The album offers the perfect balance of classic HEAVY METAL sounds that are matched against a brilliant modern day Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal landscape. 

Yeah, I absolutely adored this record and I can see this only enhancing Stone Nomads reputation even further within the global Doom/Stoner Metal scene. With the power and backing of the mighty Ripple Music behind them, Stone Nomads deserve all the plaudits an rewards hopefully coming their way.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR and Stone Nomads for the promo.

Empires Of Stone is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

MOUNT PALATINE Announce Full Album Details and New Single with Videoclip

Finnish heavy psych metal trio Mount Palatine reveal full details of their upcoming album Wormholy World, to be released on February 6th 2026 through Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital formats. Preorders will follow soon. Along with the announcement, the band presents their new single and official videoclip Newborn Sun.

“Newborn Sun is the closing song of Wormholy World. This massive hypnotic piece is more than ten minutes long and is living proof of how creativity can strike at the perfect moment. By spring 2024 the recording date for the rhythm tracks was already set, yet one song was still missing. In the middle of a jamming session, the missing piece appeared almost naturally, and two songs took shape. Newborn Sun flowed out nearly in the same form it appears on the album. The lyrics came just as effortlessly with the chorus calling for mantra like channelling. At its core, Newborn Sun proclaims a universal vision of the eternal cycle of life while carrying a deeply personal resonance.”

Founded in Helsinki, Mount Palatine grew from long term musical chemistry and years of playing together. What started as casual jamming in 2020 soon evolved into a powerful creative force driven by improvisation and instinct. The trio features Jean the Baron on guitar and vocals, Count Boogie on bass, and Lord of the Groove on drums. Their sound moves from crushing sludge charged riffs to hypnotic psychedelic atmospheres, from fierce screams to ethereal clean passages. Every song becomes an immersive journey shaped by groove, weight and transcendental moods.

Drawing inspiration from doom, stoner, sludge, progressive metal and psychedelic rock, Mount Palatine create a signature blend that is intense yet fluid, spiritual yet grounded. Operating first under the name The Paladin, they released their debut album Cockroach Crusade in 2024. As their identity grew clearer, the band embraced their new name as a symbol of expansion and artistic rebirth.

Lyrically and thematically, Wormholy World explores cosmic and spiritual domains, reflecting on existence, creation, decay and the mysteries of the universe. Their music resonates on visceral and contemplative levels, inviting listeners to drift between the physical and the infinite. Fans of Elder, Stoned Jesus, Mastodon and Down may find familiar elements, though the band remain unmistakably their own.

The band says:

“Wormholy World is an ultimate trip through destruction and recreation, the chaos of life and the universe itself. Musically, the album builds on the psychedelic heavy jams that define our sound. Through years of ensemble playing we have developed our own style of heavy psych metal, combining doom, stoner, sludge, psychedelic rock and progressive metal. These chaotic trips form a cosmic dance where fragile melodies break under crushing riffs only to reform into triumphant harmony. The vocals shift from ethereal choirs to harsh growls.

Like our debut Cockroach Crusade, the album was born from intense jam sessions. All songs were created and arranged through continuous riffs and live interplay in our own rehearsal space and home studio at Saarni Music. After the main tracks were captured, we added many layers of guitars, synths, effects and vocals until the songs reached their final cosmic form. The final touch came from Mactus the Magemaster at Saarni Music, bringing clarity and life to the recordings. While the debut explored many influences, this album brings a stronger sense of cohesion and focuses clearly on the artistic vision we want to pursue.”

Mount Palatine, with their combination of visionary songwriting, cosmic heaviness and raw energy, are now ready to open the next chapter of their journey and invite listeners into the depths of Wormholy World.

Tracklist

1 The Sands 10:32
2 Whispers of the Holy Land 07:59
3 The Dreaming 08:40
4 Panther Eyes 06:08
5 Ethereal 09:28
6 Newborn Sun 10:38

Links

https://mountpalatine.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mountpalatine/
https://www.youtube.com/@mountpalatine
https://mountpalatine.com
https://linktr.ee/mountpalatine

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion and MOUNT PALATINE for the details.