Scandinavian Cosmic Rockers KAL-EL announce first-ever US tour this fall; new album out on Majestic Mountain Records and Blues Funeral Recordings.

Norwegian stargazers KAL-EL are set to embark on their first-ever US tour this fall, bringing the heavy cosmic rock anthems of their new album "Astral Voyager Vol. 1" stateside. Joining them as support will be Atlanta post-doom unit Insomniac, promising night after night of fuzz-laden riffs and interstellar grooves.

Fresh off the release of their latest album "Astral Voyager Vol. 1" earlier this spring, KAL-EL continues to ride a wave of critical acclaim, blending doom, stoner, and space rock into a sound that’s both massive and mesmerizing. Don’t miss your chance to witness their otherworldly riffs live in a town ear you!

About hitting North America for the first time, the band enthuses: "We are looking forward to meeting you all on this astral voyage through the USA! We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and now it happens at last. See you at your local spaceport soon!"

US tour 2025 with Insomniac — TICKETS

10/16 Asheville, NC @ The Odd
10/17 Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House
10/18 Brooklyn, NY @ TV Eye
10/19 Cambridge, MA @ Sonia
10/21 Philadelphia, PA @ Milk Boy
10/22 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
10/23 Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl
10/24 Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary
10/25 Chicago, IL @ Reggies Music Joint
10/26 Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
10/28 Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
10/29 Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
10/30 Austin, TX @ The Lost Well
110/31 New Orleans, LA @ Holy Diver
11/1 Panama City, FL @ Mosey's
11/2 Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social

“A storming, red-hot hunk of stoner-psych straight from the outer reaches of the universe.” - Powerplay
“They are already one of Norway's best stoner rock bands and with this album,
they are fighting for the title of kings.” - Norway Rock Magazine
“An astral voyage jam-packed with riffs.” - Metal Injection
“Every song on this album is a banger!” - Monster Riff

Formed in Stavanger, Norway in 2012, KAL-EL established as a unique force in the international stoner and doom metal community by blending hard rock, heavy metal, psychedelic, and doom elements with science fiction themes. Their journey began with the release of "Dark Moon Voyage" EP in 2013, quickly gaining recognition as the top new rock act on NRK Urørt, Norway's platform for emerging music.

The band's evolution has seen them release multiple acclaimed albums through various labels, including their debut "Pakal" (2014, Wormhole Death Records), "Ecosphere" (2015, Setalight Records), "Astrodoomeda" (2017, Argonauta Records), and the breakthrough "Witches of Mars" (2019). 2021's "Dark Majesty" through Majestic Mountain Records marked a significant milestone in their cosmic journey, followed by 2023's "Moon People" EP.

KAL-EL's signature sound, characterized by bass-heavy grooves, downtuned guitars, and mind-expanding lyrics, is deeply rooted in the sci-fi narratives penned by vocalist "The Captain" himself. Having toured extensively across Europe and the United States, they continue to push genre boundaries while maintaining their commitment to vintage sci-fi aesthetics and thundering stoner metal. Stamped with their rocket-fueled scandi-stoner power, their new album "Astral Voyager Vol.1" is six tracks of pure sci-fi stoner fuzz and a must-hear for fans of Dozer, Lowrider, Truckfighters, Domkraft!

New album "Astral Voyager Vol. 1" is available now on Majestic Mountain Records (Europe) and Blues Funeral Recordings (North America).

KAL-EL links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Stoner and Doom festival HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST LONDON reveals first names for fall 2025 edition; tickets on sale now!

Europe's long-running stoner and doom festival Heavy Psych Sounds Fest London reveals the first batch of bands to hit the stage at Hackney Bridge this October 31st and November 1st. Tickets on sale now!

Get ready for a night of earth-shaking riffs, fuzzed-out grooves, and mind-bending psychedelia as Heavy Psych Sounds Fest returns to London this fall at Hackney Bridge! This stacked lineup brings together some of the heaviest and most hypnotic acts from the stoner, doom, and psych realms.

Witness the desert rock royalty of Brant Bjork Trio, the crushing low-end sorcery of Belzebong, and the devilish grooves of Mephistofeles. Italian psych explorers Giöbia will transport you to another dimension, while Komatsu will deliver seismic sludge with Dutch precision. Ananda Mida bring hypnotic heaviness and Fvzz Popvli ignite the stage with their fuzz-drenched fury. Don’t miss this full-throttle celebration of all things heavy—grab your tickets before they’re gone!

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest London October 31st and November 1st @ Hackney Bridge - Get your tickets now 

Bands Appearing Now Confirmed

Brant Bjork Trio
Belzebong
Mephistofeles
Giöbia
Komatsu
Ananda Mida
Fvzz Popvli
+ more TBA!

About Heavy Psych Sounds Records

Headquartered in Rome, Italy, Heavy Psych Sounds is the home to some of the most revered artists of the international stoner, doom, sludge and heavy rock scene such as Brant Bjork, Witchcraft, Conan, Nick Oliveri, Bongzilla, Nebula, Mondo Generator, Black Rainbows, Acid Mammoth, Duel and many more. The underground cult label is not only the place for all heavy rock record collectors, but also an essential part of the live scene with its mini-festival series gathering heavy music fans worldwide. 

The festival has hosted some of the biggest names in the scene, presenting an electric blend of HPS bands alongside them top-tier acts from the heavy scene such as High On Fire, Red Fang, Elder, Monolord, 1000mods, Messa and more have set the festivals stage ablaze.

Heavy Psych Sounds links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details.

Aganoor - Doomerism (Album Review)

Release Date: June 06th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Doomerism - Tracklisting

1.Bury my soul 06:13

2.Icarus 05:43

3.Nadir 05:59

4.Emerald lake 07:43

5.Morbid skin 06:10

6.Mind shadowing 07:34

Members

Dan Ghostrider - Vocals

Anth Maelstrom - Guitars

Stephen Drive - Bass

Alex Leonov - Drums

Review

Doomerism is the debut album from Doom Rockers Aganoor who play a seedier, fuzzier and acid-tinged take on the standard Grunge/Stoner sound that builds up a wild assortment of distorted movements and eerie melodies throughout the album. You can hear influences from the likes of Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, The Obsessed and Goatsnake at times. However, Aganoor truly come into their own sound when they develop their music with a sublime Psychedelic and Acid Rock flavour with down-tuned moments of Sludge Rock swagger on the excellent and downright catchy opening track Bury My Soul. 

There’s a certain Proto-Doom or Devil-Worshipping flavour to Aganoor at first but their dominant Grunge sound keeps everything in check which also allows the Psychedelic grooves being direct and downright effective when the music is playing to higher levels of distorted hysteria. The vocals from Dan Ghostrider have the perfect balance of 1980’s Hard Rock EXCESS and 1990’s Stoner/Grunge magic which also have a certain “LONER” aspect to them. 

Aganoor plays a great style of distorted FUZZ sounds against a seedier backdrop of Sludge Rock that develops on the following tracks of Icarus and Nadir which feels like BLACK SABBATH jamming with SOUNDGARDEN at times. Doomerism captures the 1990’s underground rock scene perfectly and transforms it with Acid Rock and Psych Rock landscapes which gives the record a soulful and dangerous quality at times. The music is always memorable with Aganoor writing intense lyrics that taps right into the DOOM & GLOOM movement which also adds a sense of OCCULT ROCK when the time calls for this.

Other great tracks to immerse yourself with include Nadir, Emerald Lake and Mind Shadowing which sees Aganoor experiment with that monolithic hybrid Grunge/Doom sound that becomes quite original before the album finishes. The band will keep the listener on their toes with the many different directions and diversions the album throws their way. This is one of the main strengths of Aganoor’s music. They’re willing to take risks and FUCK AROUND with genre rules and conventions. It’s perhaps the main reason why I absolutely adore Doomerism as it dares to be different whilst offering a great musical journey along the way.

With excellent production values throughout, Aganoor is a band that deserves wider recognition within the underground scene as Doomerism is an unmissable record that demands your full and undivided attention now!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Vinnum Sabbathi - Intersatelital (EP Review)

Release Date: June 17th 2025. Record Label: Stolen Body Records / Teschio Dischi. Formats: Cassette/DD/Vinyl

Intersatelital - Tracklisting

1.Centro de Control Espacial 01:40

2.Sistema de Satélites Morelos

3.Rodolfo Neri Vela

Members

Samuel García - Bass

Alberto Tamayo - Guitars

Roman Tamayo - Samples

Gerardo Arias - Drums

Review

One of the finest Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal bands from the underground scene Vinnum Sabbathi return with Intersatelital which focuses upon the following:

Back in 1985, two satellites (Morelos I & II) were put in orbit under the NASA missions STS-51-G and STS-61-B. These satellites became crucial for advancing communications in Mexican territory and were controlled and monitored by Mexican engineers in the heart of Mexico City.

Mission STS-61-B also featured the first-ever Mexican astronaut, Dr Rodolfo Neri, who set several experiments in orbit as well as taking photo documentation of the country from space, and, with all of this, Mexico entered a new era of technology and communications.

A sonic testament of the intricate human-machine comradeship from the last century.

The EP itself once again sees Vinnum Sabbathi explore the heaviest areas of Spaced Out Doom but always bringing a sense of harsh reality to the mix which allows their music to be classed as Science Fact rather than Science Fiction. This hugely talented collective delve into realistic possibilities and craft an entire WORLD full of intense melodies that holds the right amount of Doom, Sludge, Stoner and Psychedelic passages which has seen them as perhaps one of the most dominant and important Cosmic Doom bands within the underground scene.

The music is constantly evolving and changing the way of the underground Instrumental Rock/Metal music for the better as Vinnum Sabbathi injects a highly original way of playing synths, sound effects and sludgy rhythms into the greater Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal vortex. Intersatelital is a genuine work of art especially on the standout lengthier tracks of Sistema de Satélites Morelo and Rodolfo Neri Vela. 

This release allows Vinnum Sabbathi to create a more reflective and stripped back sound which is also perhaps their most personal record to date with them focusing upon their beloved homeland of Mexico as its main focus. 

Vinnum Sabbathi once again conjures up intense Psychedelic rhythms and Cosmic surroundings that’s fuelled by a highly intelligent use of modern day of Progressive Stoner Metal which is an absolute joy to listen to. The EP is superbly produced and despite its short running time offers more action packed moments than some full length albums I’ve heard recently. 

After all is said and done, Intersatelital sees Vinnum Sabbathi at the top of their creative game and cement their reputation as one of the true greats of the underground scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Vinnum Sabbathi for the promo.

Intersatelital is available to buy on 10" vinyl via Stolen Body Records (UK) and Limited cassette via Teschio Dischi (Italy)

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Transcendent Post-Doom Unit INSOMNIAC: new album + single announced on Blues Funeral Recordings

Transcendent post-doom unit INSOMNIAC to release debut album "Om Moksha Ritam" on Blues Funeral Recordings this fall; first single "Mountain" streaming!

Atlanta, Georgia's transcendent post-doom architects INSOMNIAC (with members of Zoroaster, Deceased and Avedissian Pickups) have signed to Blues Funeral Recordings for the release of their debut album "Om Moksha Ritam" on September 5th and reveal entrancing first single "Mountain". The band also announce an extensive fall tour in support of Scandinavian cosmic doom unit Kal-El on their first official US run.

Get entranced with Insomniac's new video Mountain + listen to the single on all streaming platforms

Insomniac coalesce onto our plane like a third eye opening into the beyond. A bouncing ball on the rhythm of the universe. An aural guide past the edges of perception. The band took form in Atlanta, Georgia, like-minded explorers of sound and mind writing songs in the frequency of the earth. Featuring members of Zoroaster, Deceased, and Avedissian Pickups, the quintet’s transcendent, mind-expanding psychedelic heaviness casts light on the magic and strange beauty balanced between unconsciousness and dreams.

Debut record "Om Moksha Ritam" takes its name from a Buddhist mantra, in which Om is the universal heartbeat, Moksha is freedom, and Ritam is the rhythm of the universe. It’s a brooding and enlightening journey, physical and abstract, towering and transcendent. Insomniac drift between this world and the next, hovering at the periphery of consciousness. REZN, King Buffalo and Dead Meadow are names that arise if trying to fit them into familiar confines, though it’s clear that fitting within confines isn’t really what they do.

"Om Moksha Ritam" is an album which needed to exist, made by a band formed through trust in cosmic harmony. Every trip is different. Every spin reveals another layer. Something new, unique, and incomparable resides here, and Insomniac, calibrated to the rhythm of the universe, release themselves into the ether, spilling back transportingly heavy brilliance in their wake.

Insomniac US tour 2025 with Kal-El:

10/16 Thu - Asheville, NC @ The Odd
10/17 Fri - Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House
10/18 Sat - Brooklyn, NY @ TV Eye
10/19 Sun - Cambridge, MA @ Sonia
10/21 Tue - Philadelphia, PA @ Milk Boy
10/22 Wed - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
10/23 Thu - Youngstown, OH @ Westside Bowl
10/24 Fri - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary
10/25 Sat - Chicago, IL @ Reggies Music Joint
10/26 Sun - Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
10/28 Tue - Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
10/29 Wed - Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
10/30 Thu - Austin, TX @ The Lost Well
10/31 Fri - New Orleans, LA @ Holy Diver
11/1 Sat - Panama City, FL @ Mosey's
11/2 Sun - Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social

New album "Om Moksha Ritam" - Out September 5th on Blues Funeral Recordings

TRACKLIST:

1. Meditation
2. Mountain
3. Snow and Ice
4. Forest
5. Sea
6. Desert
7. Awakening

You’ve got it all wrong. The Insomniac isn’t unable to sleep, the Insomniac chooses to evade sleep. We all fall down at some point, but between the waking world and our dreams exists the surreal.

In pursuit of that space between, some of history’s most prominent visionaries would hold a physical object, like a spoon or a ball, while sitting in a chair, and allow themselves to succumb to sleep. As they drifted off, the object would fall, and the sound would awaken them at the periphery of unconsciousness. Now more alert than ever, their work could begin.

Such is Insomniac. A band that exists between this world and the next. A bouncing ball on the sound and rhythm of the universe. An aural guide. Writing their songs in the frequency of the earth, the Atlanta-based quintet's sound casts light on the magic and strange beauty in the balance between unconsciousness and dreams.

On their debut record "Om Moksha Ritam", to be released September 2025 via Blues Funeral Recordings, Insomniac delivers a brooding, heavy, and psychedelic journey, both physical and abstract. The duality of the experience is for you to experience. Every trip is different. Every spin reveals another layer.

Here exists something new, unique, and incomparable. A band that made the music they wanted to hear because it needed to exist. What you choose to do with this information is your choice alone – but don’t sleep on it.

INSOMNIAC is

Alex Avedissian - Guitar
Van Bassman - Vocals
Juan Garcia - Bass
Mike Morris - Guitar, Vocals
Amos Rifkin - Percussion, Vocals

INSOMNIAC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

BLUES FUNERAL RECORDINGS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the details.

WoodHawk - Love Finds A Way (Album Review)

Release Date: June 06th 2025. Record Label: Grand Hand Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Love Finds A Way - Tracklisting

1.Grave Shaker

2.Strangers Ever After 04:24

3.Truth Be Told

4.White Crosses

5.The Unholy Hand

6.No Place For Hate

7.Love Finds a Way

8.Relapser

9.Killing Time

Members

Kevin Nelson (Drums)

Turner Midzain (Vocals/ Guitar)

Mike Badmington (Bass/ Vocals)

Review

One of Canada’s best Stoner Rock bands WoodHawk make a welcome return with Love Finds A Way where the band play a more amplified style of Heavy Rock music with focus primarily on melody and aggression. Taking up the LOUD RAWK mantle of bands such as THIN LIZZY, THE SWORD, BLACK SABBATH and LED ZEPP. WoodHawk bring a soulful and highly energetic style of Classic Blues Rock into the mix.

The record relies heavily on old-school 1970’s Blues Rock and Hard Rock dynamics when bringing a catchier and aggressive style of Stoner Rock/Metal which allows WoodHawk to put fresh spin on the classic THIN LIZZY blazing solos. The vocals from Turner Midzain and Mike Badmington compliment each other superbly well with the music being quite DOOMED OUT and HEAVY METAL focused within the first opening exchanges of the album on tracks such as: Grave Shaker, Strangers Ever After and Truth Be Told.

WoodHawk allow themselves to play a few subtle Classic Hard Rock passages where the aggressive Stoner Rock/Metal energy is swapped for a good old fashioned Blues Rock sound. However, for the most part, Love Finds A Way is all about the mighty “GROOVE” and dominates the musical landscape with frenzied guitars and an intense rhythm section from Mike on Bass and Kevin Nelson on Drums. 

Love Finds A Way maybe a bit too long in some places but WoodHawk ultimately rules on the album and releases their most impressive album to date. The lyrics have a certain Classic Rock vibe to them which is given a modern Stoner Rock makeover when the distorted passages thrusts the whole album into Doom Rock/Metal territory especially on the following tracks:  White Crosses, The Unholy Kind, Relapser and Killing Time.

The surroundings of Proto-Metal and Blues Rock adds an eerie touch with WoodHawk unashamedly creating a superb RETRO atmosphere which ultimately becomes thoroughly modern when a Sludge Rock element appears out of nowhere. Throw in a fine amount of NWOBHM energy on the heavier parts of the record and WoodHawk are on absolute FIRE with their intense sound being delivered with an ice-cold technical proficiency.

Love Finds A Way sees WoodHawk deliver their most mature creative and mature effort to date with the band moving away from the FANTASTICAL setting of their earlier albums and settle upon a more warm-hearted and emotionally charged record. 

WoodHawk impresses on every level with Love Finds A Way which allows this record to be their best album yet which you will be listening to for a very long time to come. Add this record to your collection and if you’re a fan of Old School Heavy Rock then this is the place to be.

Outstanding. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Asher Media PR for the promo.

Love Finds A Way is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Grand Hand Records

Links

​

https://www.woodhawkriffs.com​
​https://www.instagram.com/woodhawkriffs​
​https://www.facebook.com/woodhawkriffs

​

Exclusive Song / Video Premiere For Progressive Stoner Metallers SHEEV New Song KING MUSTARD II

Belgian Progressive Stoner Metallers SHEEV will be releasing their new album "Ate's Alchemist" out July 11th on Ripple Music.

We're excited to premiere the excellent new song / video for KING MUSTARD II from the upcoming new album which you can watch below:

The Lowdown

The name of the album is Ate’s Alchemist. Ate, the goddess of mischief, is known for planting dark emotions in people’s minds:fear, delusion, anxiety.Ate’s Alchemist tells the story of her servant, the Alchemist, who crafts the very demons she later in stills in humanity.The album cover depicts the Alchemist deep in his craft, surrounded by the dark creations he forges for Ate. 

The songs all loosely tie into that theme, exploring the darker emotions in people’s minds.From the fear of dying or being forgotten, to a pyromaniac on the edge, or a guy so arrogant he thinks he’s unstoppable, each track dives into a different kind of madness.

“As a band, we don’t really think about genre when we write. We just go with what feels right.That’s why not all the songs sound like they belong to the same genre, and we’re totally fine with that. What ties them together is our love for experimenting with time signatures and pushing ourselves as musicians, while still keeping things groovy and fun to listen to. 

That’s how we landed on calling our style Progressive Stoner Metal—it felt like the best way to sum it up.Our sound is inspired by progressive metal bands like Opeth, Gojira, and Mastodon, mixed with our love for grunge and groove bands like Alice in Chains, Down, Soundgarden, The Sword, and Crowbar.”

Sheev is

Guitar / Vocals - Nitzan Sheps

Drums - Philipp Vogt

Bass - Joshan Chaudhary

Links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the info.

Proto-Metallers CERTAIN DEATH Release New Song TO THE SEA From Upcoming New EP - Here Lies Certain Death

Certain Death is a love letter to an era of amp towers, flashy guitars, long hair, and the almighty LP. Born in the darkest depths of the pandemic in mid-2020, Certain Death was, initially, simply an outlet for lead singer and guitar player Henry Black to express individual loss at a time of generational trauma and personal disarray.

Today Certain Death’s stage show has the earned expectations of gratuitous guitar harmonies, dueling guitar solos, and multiple layers of satire to go along with a front line of matching white guitars and basses. The band has shared bills with The Thing, The Gories, and The Black Lips, to name a few. In October 2024, Certain Death released their debut LP, Strange Garden, to widespread industry acclaim, and have spent the time since writing and recordinghttps://www.instagram.com/certaindeathnyc/?hl=en-gb their upcoming EP, “Here Lies Certain Death”.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

HolyRoller - Rat King (Album Review)

Release Date: June 06th 2025. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Rat King - Tracklisting

1. Crunch Riff Supreme

2. Titan

3. Forbidden Things

4. Rat King Side

5. Buried Alone

6. Heave Ho

7. Radiating Sacred Light

8. Drift Into The Sun

Members

Adam Cody – rhythm guitar & vocals

Jay Ovittore- drums & gang vox

Steve Poe – lead guitar

Jason Kincaid- bass guitar & backing vocals

Review

Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers HolyRoller return with their latest album Rat King which takes a heavier, swampedelic and psychedelic approach to their celebrated 2022 debut album Swimming Witches. That album was released by the highly respected Black Doomba Records label, this time HolyRoller has landed at the doorstep of the mighty RIPPLE MUSIC for the release of Rat King and it’s not hard to see why.

HolyRoller have become a heavier and riff-centric unit compared to their previous record whilst keeping their seedy and sludgier underground vibe. The band added Steve Poe on lead guitar in 2023 where his Psychedelic grooves have taken the band on an action-packed Sonic based journey. This record is quite direct with its groove oriented sound which evokes a huge likeability factor within the whole album. Taking influences from the likes of The Sword, ASG, WO FAT and RED FANG. Dedicated followers of the Doom/Stoner Metal Underground Scene and longtime fans of Ripple Music will find much to enjoy here.

The record has that classic and stripped back underground sound allowing HolyRoller demonstrating a seedy melodic style that is trippy, aggressive and full of trippy hallucinations based imagery hiding behind the murky progressive sludgy surroundings. The lyrics are excellent and bring a socially aware message that can be quite hard-hitting on tracks such as Titan, Forbidden Things, Buried Alone and Drift Into The Sun. 

HolyRoller stated that Rat King is about the following “Lyrically, our themes revolve around navigating mental health as Adam Cody’s sings about suicidal thoughts and finding peace in being an atheist, substance abuse, political ideologies, aging in the music industry and more”. 

So the record might be triggering for some and it made me think of certain things that’s happened in my life over the years which is quite a powerful thing to do in the world of Stoner Rock/Metal. 

HolyRoller’s music is always aggressive and in your face with its stripped back production values but it’s delivered from a good emotional place from the band. The instrumental melodies capture a certain unrestrained quality to the whole creative journey that Rat King takes you upon. With a mixture of classic Stoner Metal grooves and murky Swamp Rock/Metal expeditions into areas of distorted FUZZ elements, HolyRoller offers an unflinching journey when everything is said and done.

The music is constantly evolving with HolyRoller fully exploring their creative ideas on a HUGE CINEMATIC scale which brings a sense of true quality to the album itself. HolyRoller blend classic sounding Doom/Stoner Metal where the FUZZ attitude comes aggressively shining through when the music is matched against a backdrop of modern day Post-Doom and Atmospheric Sludge Rock landscapes which last long in the memory.

The production values are surprisingly stripped back and with a raw LO-FI edge leading the way especially with this being released by Ripple Music. However, this was the right decision for HolyRoller to take as the bleak subject matter contained within the majority of the tracks would sound completely different if it had that “PROFESSIONAL STUDIO QUALITY” vibe added to the whole album. 

Rat King is a thought provoking, bleak and aggressive record which is offset by some stunning and uplifting instrumental grooves that leave you in a tranquil state at times that reminds me of KING BUFFALO at times. So expect to hear a different kind of Psychedelic Stoner Metal record which dares to be different and leaves you wanting to hear more.

HolyRoller have no doubt delivered a potential ALBUM OF THE YEAR contender right here. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Rat King is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp |  Instagram | Spotify

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Sludge/Stoner Metallers MOLDERA Stunning New Album COLONIZE

MoldEra is a symbiotic organism born in 2018 in the post-industrial wastelands of Liège, Belgium, formed by four anthropomorphic mold spores with a mutual fascination for deep, slow, and hypnotic heavy sounds. Navigating between the fertile grounds of stoner and progressive rock, and venturing into the murky territories of doom and sludge, the band cultivated their sonic identity through lockdown-era experimentation. Their debut album Waste Pile Dunes (2022) marked the first fruit of their efforts and laid the foundation for an intense live campaign.

Two years of sonic evolution on stage led to the emergence of Colonize, their second full-length effort, recorded in 2024. With this record, MoldEra further deepens their blend of heavy riffs, atmospheric layering, and socially charged themes.

ABOUT THE ALBUM – COLONIZE

Colonize is a conceptually rich and musically immersive album, composed collectively by the full MoldEra lineup. It merges classic stoner doom foundations with textured post-metal passages, evoking the slow burn of Yob and the immersive depth of Isis, while also nodding to '90s grunge influences such as Alice in Chains and Deftones.

Lyrically, frontman Florian Zanatta delves into themes of industrialized exploitation of nature, ecological collapse, land degradation, and growing societal unrest. The album critiques the techno-optimism promoted by military-industrial and media-entertainment complexes, while also portraying resilience and the possibility of renewal. In the ruins of late capitalism, mold may represent both a threat and a symbol of survival.

You can hear the whole album in full with this exclusive album premiere thanks to the great folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion.

TRACKLIST

Full Machete – 06:01
Falling Through The Ashes – 08:03
The Dawn – 05:58
Electric Brain in The Mirror of Doom – 06:00
Third Space part 1 (Wander) – 05:31
Third Space part 2 (No Return) – 06:01

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for all of the details.

Colonize is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records

Links

Facebook | BandCamp