Sauros - Offense (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Offense - Tracklist

1.C2O 

2.Offense

3.The Doomsayers Are Right 

4.In The End

5.Grey Ignorance

6.A New Ego In Nihilism

7.Misanthropic Freedom

8.Unnatural Selection In The Age Of Crisis 

9.Nostalgic Anxiety

Members

Doc - Vocals

Nobbe - Guitar

Seb - Bass

Frank - Drums

Review

Doom Metallers Sauros debut album Offense is a great collection of slow-paced Doom/Sludge Metal. The music is played at a very cool slow pace which allows the band to create a highly atmospheric and destructive DOOMED OUT environment to play their music against. The vocals have that classic HEAVY METAL gruff exterior which brings the muscular lyrics to life which you can hear superbly well on the opening tracks of C2O, Offense and The Doomsayers Are Right.

Offense often plays it straight with Sauros never wandering into Prog Metal territory which makes this record feel more authentic. There are moments of Psychedelic and Alt-Metal themes that develop with hidden outbursts of Post-Doom and Atmospheric Sludge surroundings. Sometimes Sauros feels like they’re using bands such as Metallica and Type O Negative for certain sections of the record. There’s a gloomy Thrash based delivery which is quite noticeable especially with the sullen guitar tones and excellent vocals from Doc. 

The vocals remain clean throughout with some harsh tones being injected into the mix only when they’re really needed. The slowcore aspect of Sauros’s music is what makes it really standout as they never play fast-paced melodies which may perhaps disturb the equilibrium of what the band are trying to deliver with Offense. 

Everything is quite bleak with socially aware lyrics helping Sauros’s message in spreading much doom and gloom on this record that’s actually possible on tracks such as The Doomsayers Are Right, In The End, Grey Ignorance, A New Ego In Nihilism and Unnatural Selection In The Age Of Crisis. These songs show Sauros in complete control deploying their own nihilistic style of Doom Metal which feel more unsettling and violent with the epic LOW & SLOW delivery that surrounds everything being played on the whole album.

The album is superbly aggressive in the volume department even with the stripped back production values that’s been applied here. However, this all adds to the gloomy and solitary audio experience that’s being played throughout your speakers of choice. The instrumental work is outstanding with Sauros playing each note, riff and melody with supreme confidence. 

Offense is quite a subversive record where the bleak and moody songs offer a dramatic chilling experience that even has a few nods to classic ELECTRIC WIZARD amplifier distortion which only adds a more menacing quality to the whole experience. 

Sauros really deliver on all fronts with Offense which I’m hoping allows them to become more well known within the underground Doom/Sludge Metal scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Heavy Rockers CARBELLION Break the Cage w/ new "I Don’t Want to Be Your Dog" music video & single

Southeastern Wisconsin heavy rock veterans Carbellion have officially unleashed their intense new music video for “I Don't Want To Be Your Dog”, directed by Kenny Boufadene of Studio Meltdown. Filmed on location at the Dogs 2 Dog Tags charity training facility in Plymouth, Wisconsin, the video delivers a striking visual metaphor for personal liberation, transformation, and breaking away from destructive habits. 

The song examines the exhaustion that comes with performing for others at the expense of self-respect. Kellenberger confronts the performative expectations often tied to the rock lifestyle, highlighting the exact moment an artist chooses self-preservation over cheap, reckless entertainment. “I Don’t Want to Be Your Dog” is the first of three music videos from the band’s upcoming full-length album This Is Our Style, which will be released on November 13, 2026 via rock and metal record label Eclipse Records.

Watch their “I Don’t Want to Be Your Dog” music video below:

Formed in 2004, Carbellion has built a durable legacy across the American underground through relentless touring, clearly raising them to the caliber of legendary acts like Corrosion of Conformity, Monster Magnet, and Clutch. Fresh off the heels of their 2023 album Weapons of Choice (also released via Eclipse Records), this new visual project reinforces why the Wisconsin quintet remains a vital, uncompromising force in modern heavy music.

"We felt that choosing this song as the first single was a great way to introduce the new album to everyone with our up-tempo rock n’ roll style and high energy delivery.” explains vocalist Cameron Kellenberger. "We’ve always liked the training facility at Dogs 2 Dog Tags as it’s a big room with a giant American flag displayed where they train rescued and donated dogs, giving them to veterans diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety. As most know, we herald our self-defined style as American Heavy Rock so it just felt right to be standing directly in front of a giant American flag. 

Also, filming myself in a manic state inside a dog cage serves as a visual nod to several themes that have long been part of the band's identity, while also tying metaphorically to the song itself. At a high level, the lyrics explore the idea of outgrowing the need to be the center of attention and entertainment for others through reckless, self-destructive behavior. To reinforce those themes visually, we used dramatic lighting to create deep shadows throughout many of the shots. Kenny from Studio Meltdown then applied heavy, dirt-style filters during the editing process, giving the video a gritty, raw atmosphere that perfectly complements the song's message and sound.”

This Is Our Style is the highly-anticipated new full-length album by Southeastern Wisconsin heavy rock veterans Carbellion, and it is set to drop on November 13, 2026. This massive eleven-track collection marks a bold new chapter for the band, delivering their signature blend of desert rock, stoner sludge, and traditional heavy rock. Following up on their acclaimed 2023 release Weapons of Choice through Eclipse Records, the group has spent over two decades forging an original path in the American underground music scene. The album structure consists of ten hard-hitting original compositions alongside a compelling cover of the classic track "Open Up Your Eyes" by alternative rock band Tonic. 

The first major standout is "I Don't Want to Be Your Dog," an introspective track that examines the dark side of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. The thunderous title track, "This Is Our Style," serves as an absolute sonic mission statement for the Wisconsin quintet, defining the core identity of the band, celebrating their mutual love for fast hot rods, loud amplification, and the adrenaline rush that comes from pushing both elements to the absolute limit. 

Finally, the aggressive track "Get Down" acts as a thematic spiritual successor to the song "Barfight" from their previous album, Weapons of Choice (2023, Eclipse Records). This Is Our Style was produced by Carbellion and Chris Djuricic (Nonpoint, Soil, Jungle Rot) at Belle City Sound, and mastered by Andy VanDette (Beastie Boys, Porcupine Tree, Rush) at Evolve Mastering, and the album cover art was created by Chris Schultz. It is scheduled for release on November 13, 2026.

Pre-Save or Pre-Order This Is Our Style at this location.

This Is Our Style track listing

01. I Don't Want To Be Your Dog
02. What You Want
03. This Is Our Style
04. Open Up Your Eyes
05. Get Down
06. Doom Cult
07. Seaworthy
08. Currency In Agony
09. Pound For Pound
10. Westerns
11. Dire Wolf Straights

About CARBELLION:

Carbellion is a heavy rock band hailing from Southeastern Wisconsin. Formed in 2004, the group performs a high-octane heavy rock sound that blends elements of heavy rock and desert stoner sludge metal into a distinct, radio-ready identity. 

Carbellion Lineup

Brandon Bauer (guitar)

Cameron Kellenberger (vocals)

Brent Nimz (drums)

Jamie Damrow (lead guitar)

Steve Sheppard (bass guitar)

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to Eclipse Records for the details.

Louse - Buyer's Remorse (Album Review)

Release Date: August 14th 2026. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Buyer’s Remorse - Tracklist

1.Best Laid Plans 03:44

2.Buyer's Remorse 02:39

3.Rags And Tatters 03:38

4.The Wastepipe Ripper 02:29

5.Comfort 03:43

6.Legal Loophole 03:01

7.Wheel 02:32

8.Meatslide 03:48

9.The Deer Caller 04:24

10.Potato Diet 03:20

Members

The Captain - Vocals

Septic Pete - Guitar

The King of Sting - Guitar

Uncle Brutus - Guitar

Mister P. - Drums

Dieta Di Patate - Slide Bass

Review

Buyer’s Remorse is the sophomore album from Noise/Sludge/Doom/Stoner Rockers LOUSE who call their music SCUM ROCK and they’re a band I haven’t come across before which is quite surprising since they are from my hometown of Newcastle Upon Tyne. The record itself is a Noise Rock offering with LOUSE adding filthy and highly mean strands of Sludge, Doom, Alt Rock, Psych and Stoner Rock melodies.

Louse do remind me of their fellow Geordie Noisemakers - PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS - though this record has a more warped and abstract Punk Rock energy which feels inspired by the likes of The Melvins and The Hives in the early stages of the record. There’s a gloomy Garage Rock sound that emerges from the seedy catacombs that have echoes of The Stooges, MC5 and even At The Drive-In being felt on tracks such as Best Laid Plans, Buyer’s Remorse and Rags And Tatters.

The sludgy and stripped back sounds have a grim “Kitchen Sink” effect especially with The Captain’s vocals battling against the epic rhythm section from Mister P on Drums and Dieta Di Patate on Slide Bass. Mister P and Dieta Di Patate have a great understanding amongst each other by building up the filthy rhythms from the ground up with the excellent guitar work played by Septic Pete, The King Of Sting and Uncle Brutus. 

As you can tell by their band names, LOUSE don’t take themselves too seriously and have a ton of fun especially with the bleakly charged lyrics which have some extra bite between them. Sometimes the record can go leftfield with disjointed grooves, fractured vocal passages and gloomy experimental noise effects allowing that subtle Noise Rock and Sludge Rock energy to have a killer Punk Rock swagger. 

Other great tracks to check out are: The Wastepipe Ripper, Legal Loophole, Meatslide and The Deer Caller which allows LOUSE to spread their filth ridden and downbeat message to even greater heights with that lo-fi energy allowing screeching guitars to reach massive levels of distorted volume. Buyer’s Remorse is seriously fucked up but you can’t help be swayed and mightly impressed by the sheer filth ridden danger that Louse will put you through. There is some great riffs to fully lose yourself in with that MELVINS influence being put to great use towards the end of the album.

Buyer’s Remorse is perhaps described as a “CULT ODDITY” which manages to fit alongside some of the more impressive Sludge/Noise/Doom Rock bands currently making a name for themselves. I seriously enjoyed this album and it becomes better with each repeated listen. Louse are a great band to discover for yourselves if you like something way more grimy and experimental with that dominant NOISE ROCK theme that will drive you absolutely insane at the same time.

Yeah, Buyer’s Remorse is an absolute slice of RIOTOUS FUN!!!

Superb. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Riot Season Records for the promo.

Buyer’s Remorse is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Riot Season Records.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Exclusive Premiere Of Sludge/Stoner Metallers FIREBREATHER New Song/Video For "SHRINES" From Forthcoming New Album

Firebreather formed in Gothenburg in 2016, rooted in crushing, sludge-doused doom from the very beginning. Never wavering from that commitment across all three of their incendiary full-length releases, the trio has pursued weight with purpose, not as spectacle, nor as an exercise in excess, but as the only language broad enough to hold the emotional reach and sonic heft of their sound.

The music arrives in a way that writes itself with no distance between the words and the sound; they rise from the same cursed ground, and that honesty has become the band's defining force.

Firebreather is a band that never postures or asks to be admired for their heaviness- and to see them live is to experience exactly why. Their weight takes on another life entirely. The band’s towering tone and consuming grit don't fill a room so much as alter it. Volume presses against the body before the first lyric lands and riffs arrive like shifting earth. The drums don't drive the songs forward; they anchor them while the line between sound and physical force begins to disappear. Years spent crossing Europe and North America have only sharpened that purpose, and a decade on with a fourth album on the way via the notorious Heavy Psych Sounds Records, Firebreather remains exactly where it belongs.

Head down. Volume up.

Thanks to the great folks over at Heavy Psych Sounds and Purple Sage PR, we're happy to premiere the new song/video for SHRINES which is from their forthcoming new album - Blood That I Spill Turns to Fire" out October 16 on Heavy Psych Sounds 

The Lowdown

With the writing and recording of ”Blood That I Spill Turns To Fire”, the aim was to keep it raw, heavy and groovy. Expanding our musical trajectory. Adding a lil more melody to vocals as well. We recorded with Joona in Studio Underjord and we told him right away that we want to keep it raw and dirty.

For this record we brought in Tommy Hanning on drums, he was in FIREBREATHER at the time of the recording of our first album so we knew he was capable.

We were in between drummers when it was time to hit the studio for our fourth album and he was kind enough to learn the songs from his home, he lives way up north in Sweden. He flew down to jam with us for one weekend and after that we hit the studio. All in all we think we came out with a raw, heavy and to us, moving record.

We hope it'll move other people too."

Line Up

Mattias Nööjd - Vox / guitar

Jacob Madetoja - Bass

Joakim Olsson - Drums

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Blood That I Spill Turns to Fire" is now available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Sludge/Stoner Metallers Rickshaw Billie's Burger Patrol Announce New Album - "Ca$h Grab" w/ title track from upcoming album now streaming.

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol further the sarcastic tone of their previous album’s title Big Dumb Riffs to double down with Ca$h Grab. The irony here — and perhaps the point — is that Ca$h Grab is the band’s most introspective and lyrically vulnerable songwriting to date.

Of course, the band still bludgeons with thunderous 8-string guitar, growling bass chords and pummeling drums throughout. But these songs are as bassist Aaron Metzdorf explains,“more pop song forward, while still in the idiom of heavy music.”

The album finds the trio — vocalist/guitarist Leo Lydon, drummer Sean St. Germain and bassist/vocalist Metzdorf — expanding their mastery of heavy, hook-filled riffs and rhythms couched in earworm melody that would make Green Album era Weezer jealous. Following the Spartan Primus-meets-Pantera rhythmic ruction in 2 minutes or less of Big Dumb Riffs, the band lets melodies lead the battlefront this time around. In so doing, the lyrics are more personal and revealing, juxtaposed with twisting notes that nod to influences from Built To Spill and Sugar style indie pop to early 90s-era Rush.

“The heavier parts are even heavier, but more fleshed out. And the heaviness is not just in a guitar riff, but heavy lyrics, heavy melody,” Metzdorf says. “Some of the heaviest parts of the whole album are Leo's vocals. While the poppier stuff has a more prominent role on this one.”

Ca$h Grab kicks off where the last album left off: The slow burn quiet/loud dynamic of “Freakshow”, seemingly the end result of the quasi-psychotic conceit of the previous disc’s “In a Jar,” both of which are sung by Metzdorf, who sings lead on 5 of the album’s 14 tracks. Vocalist/guitarist Leo Lydon really showcases the versatility in his singing, belting out high notes like never before on songs like “Fate Is”, “Peaches” and the title track. And while his vocals soar, Lydon’s 8-string guitar rumbles with menacing low end while intertwined with Metzdorf’s thick, heavily distorted bass chords. The band’s secret weapon, St. Germain pulls it all together with his innovative beat substitutions and explosive, syncopated hooks delivered with an effortless groove and fun loving smile.

In the two years since Big Dumb Riffs, the band toured relentlessly, both as a headliner and supporting The Sword, Death From Above 1979, Pigs x9, King Buffalo and more. Their meticulously curated annual Big Dumb Fest in Austin and headlining dates continue to sell out and the band’s ever growing rabid fanbase proves that RBBP’s iconic reign has just begun.

Ca$h Grab will be available on LP, CD, cassette and download on October 23rd, 2026 via Permanent Teeth / RBBP. - https://rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.myshopify.com/

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL - LIVE 2026:

09/05 Cookeville, TN - Muddy Roots Music Festival
10/01 Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades*
10/02 Berkeley, CA - UC Theater*
10/03 Monterey, CA - Golden State Theatre*
10/04 San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater*
10/06 Ventura, CA - Ventura Music Hall*
10/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco*
10/09 Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory OC*
10/10 San Diego, CA - The Observatory San Diego*
10/11 Tempe, AZ - The Marquee*
10/13 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre*

* w/ Death From Above 1979

Artist: Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol
Album: Ca$h Grab
Record label: RBBP / Permanent Teeth
Release Date: October 23, 2026

Tracklist

01. Freakshow
02. I Doubt It
03. Peaches
04. Fate Is
05. Punisher
06. Follow Through
07. Bury Me in Denver
08. Ca$h Grab
09. The Disappearing Man
10. No Juice
11. Bough Down
12. Talking To You
13. Couple Skate
14. Lush

Links:

www.rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.com
https://linktr.ee/rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol

https://rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.myshopify.com

Thanks to US/THEM PR Group for the details.

DOMKRAFT reveal music video 'Void Runner' & details of forthcoming new album "Night Songs

Photo by Fredrick Francke

DOMKRAFT present the first advance single, 'Void Runner', taken from their forthcoming new full-length "Night Songs". The fifth album from the heavy psychedelic rockers from Sweden is slated for release on November 20, 2026, via Magnetic Eye Records. The album is available for pre-order at THIS LOCATION.

Watch the video for "Void Runner" here:

DOMKRAFT comment: "You know the feeling when you think that from here on things can only get better?", vocalist and bass player Martin Wegeland asks rhetorically. "The idea that you’ve finally reached rock bottom? Well, the state of the world always proves you wrong. This song is basically saying: 'give us your best shot, fuckers!' At this stage, we are prepared for almost everything. We are done believing and have fully switched to brace yourself mode. Yet, this song is definitely not about resigning or giving up. In fact, it rather deals with amassing enough power to cope without cracking, and possibly even dance while doing so."

Tracklist

1. Unnamed
2. Lights On
3. Aurora
4. Void Runner
5. Eclipse (Outlast the Night)
6. Dead Rocket
7. Tunnels

Personal experience of any kind has always inspired artists. It is therefore hardly surprising that the traumatic medical crisis which DOMKRAFT guitarist Martin Widholm faced in 2025 has found an echo on the Swedes' fifth album "Night Songs". Although his band mates didn’t have to undergo several complicated surgeries as he did, they were of course also affected as bystanders in less threatening but nonetheless meaningful ways.

Their collective outlook on life and what is truly important shifted during this period of terror. When the band started working on new songs during Widholm’s long phase of recovery, many contradictory feelings surfaced in both the music and the lyrics. From fear bordering on panic, the pendulum swung to cautious relief. And through sadness and joy, hope and despair, they went all the way to finally arrive at the humbling realisation that they were still able to do what they dearly love: creating music.

The album title, "Night Songs", partly stems from the Swedes' experiences during the past year, but also crosses into the broad idea of darkness versus light. This can mean personal hardships, the present state of the world, or the concept of actual night itself. The night may turn into a time of regret, solitude and insomnia but also into the opposite, as a calm phase of relief, relaxation, and even debauchery. All of this happens at night. And just maybe, these "Night Songs" could foremost deal with resilience.

Nordic trio DOMKRAFT have always been true to their musical course, but also grew audibly in maturity with each new release, honing their considerable songwriting skills on each outing. Gradually and through determination and small tweaks and nuances, their stylistic range shifted from towering doom anthems towards heavy rock with psychedelic influences.

DOMKRAFT sprung into being when singer and bass player Martin Wegeland, guitarist Martin Widholm, and drummer Anders Dahlgren realised that they had firmly bonded over a mutual love of bands such as SPACEMEN 3, MONSTER MAGNET, SLEEP, and HAWKWIND.

DOMKRAFT's monolithic 2016 debut album, "The End of Electricity", drew equally from the heaviness, psychedelia, and hypnotic minimalism of their influences. Building on this foundation and with a curious lust for experimentation, the trio explored different sonic angles and musical avenues while building an ever-growing audience and continued critical acclaim with each following release: "Flood" (2018), "Seeds" (2021), and "Sonic Moons" (2023).

DOMKRAFT furthermore established an excellent reputation as a considerable live force and audience magnet on both sides of the Atlantic. The trio performed at such prestigious festivals as four Desertfests (BE, DE, UK & US), Psycho Las Vegas (US), Blow Up (FI), Sonic Whip (NL), Høstsabbat (NO) ArcTanGent (UK), and many more.

"Night Songs" was recorded at the renowned Studio Gröndahl in Stockholm by David Castillo (OPETH, CANDLEMASS, KATATONIA et al.). Karl Daniel Lidén (GREENLEAF, LOWRIDER, BREACH) was asked to maintain DOMKRAFT's sonic identity by again mixing and mastering the album.

"Night Songs" should be enjoyed like a feverish, dream-like cocktail that is expertly mixed from equal parts deafening quiet and soothing loud noises, then sprinkled with insomnia, relief, contemplation, and a dash of red-hot anger for raw spice.

Line-up

Martin Wegeland – vocals, bass
Martin Widholm – guitars
Anders Dahlgren – drums

Recording by David Castillo at Studio Gröndahl, Stockholm (SE)
Mix & mastering by Karl Daniel Lidén

Artwork & layout by Björn Atldax

Live

23/24 OCT 2026 Oslo (NO) Kulturkirken Jakob, Høstsabbat
8-10 JUL 2027 Erfurt (DE) Stoned from the Underground Fest

Links

Facebook | Instagram | BandCamp

Thanks to All Noir PR and Magnetic Eye Records for the details.

Heathen Tongues - Neurogenesis (EP Review)

Release Date: July 22nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Neurogenesis - Tracklist

1. Revelation (3:42)

2. Firefight (6:42)

Members

Devin Mendoza - Guitar

Shane Falkenhart - Drums

Review

Neurogeneisis is the debut EP from Progressive Sludge Metallers Heathen Tongues who add a Crust Punk attitude amongst the Grunge, Doom, Post-Metal and Stoner Metal surroundings which changes aggressive attitude throughout the short eleven minutes runtime of the EP. The band have the legendary talents of Brad Boatright on mastering duties and Matt Bayles on mixing duties who have perhaps both help to build and shape the modern day Sludge/Post-Metal scene over the last twenty five years.

This serves Heathen Tongues brilliantly well who forge close sonic alliances to the likes of Pelican, YOB, SLEEP and Red Fang. The EP is purely instrumental with both tracks of Revelation and Firefight having a wide assortment of Crust Punk and Post-Metal grooves with that biting Progressive Sludge Metal environment bringing surprising elements of Psych, Grunge and Stoner Rock into the foray. 

Each song has a great metallic narrative which allows this hugely talented two piece sound like a bigger band with more members than the core duo of Devin Mendoza (Guitar) and Shane Falkenhart (Drums). The gloomy use of the speech from the classic Charlie Chaplin film The Dictator gives a harsh and unsettling reality which comes mostly into focus on Firelight. 

Neurogenesis is one of the strongest debut EP’s I’ve heard in quite some time with Heathen Tongues having some great things to say and without the use of vocals makes it even more emotionally powerful. If you’re here for the grooves and bleak melodies then Heathen Tongues have you covered but only for eleven minutes but it does keep you wanting to hear more and that’ only a good thing.

Heathen Tongues will be releasing their debut album in February 2027 in which both of these tracks will appear and I can’t wait to hear the complete narrative of what they form. As these guys have real potential to release something special and definitely a band to really look out for next year.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Fuzz Voyage - Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) (Single Review)

Release Date: August 24th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) - Tracklist

Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo)

Members

Guitar: Dar Stellabotta

Drums: Diego Cartulin

Bass: Boris Baltodano

Review

Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) is the latest single from FUZZ VOYAGE which is also a collaborative piece from Heavy Haze Audio Lab in Trujilo, Peru and Carcass John Fossum Art. This is explained below by the band themselves:

“This release is a collaboration with Heavy Haze Audio Lab in Trujilo, Peru and Carcass John Fossum Art. Without these guys this track would have never came to life and for them I am grateful to tell you of this new release.”

The track itself is an almost ten minute journey into the fuzzier and spaced out side of the Doom/Stoner Rock landscape. The song is purely instrumental but still offers an engaging and highly psychedelic experience with FUZZ VOYAGE including elements of Space Rock, Fuzz and Desert Rock. The song has a great balance of HEAVY vs QUIET dynamics which sees the song dramatically shift into heavier areas of Stoner Rock/Metal.

You can hear echoes and sounds from the likes of Yawning Man, Karma To Burn, Earthless and Monkey3 but with FUZZ VOYAGE adding that layer of distorted Doomed Out attitude especially within the first half of the song. The later stages of the song stays are perhaps more subdued with a great style of Post-Rock and Ambient Rock still allowing FUZZ VOYAGE to develop an eerie style of cinematic music.

Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) is an exquisite song and I’m hoping there’s more to come from FUZZ VOYAGE as this track feels like the band have some unfinished business but you can’t deny how great the excellent grooves and fuzzy spaced out soundscapes that are played here. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Sly & The Family Drone - With Love (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/Vinyl

With Love - Tracklist

1.Psychic Surgery

2.The Guts Of Albion

3.Under The Rainbow

4.In The Oils

5.Snagged On Frowns

6.Cloth Control

Members

James Allsopp – tenor saxophone

Kaz Buckland – drums, electronics

Matt Cargill – electronics, voice, percussion

Ed Dudley – electronics, voice

Will Glaser – drums, electronics

Review

Sly & The Family Drone return with their latest offering With Love and it’s equally weird and brilliantly inventive as their previous records. The band have always been quite hard to fully describe or categorize which is down to the endless amount of sounds they create within their music. The band call themselves a “Neo Jazz Wrecking Crew” and that’s a great way to describe them but that only tells half of the story.

Jazz plays a bit part of Sly & The Family Drone’s musical identity but they play movements of Psych, Folk, Doom, Drone, Sludge, Prog and massive freak-ish beats. The sound is wonderfully tribal and quite cosmic which feels like what a Psych/Jazz album would sound like if it was being conducted by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The record has been quite difficult for me to review as I haven’t listened to the band in a long time and how they add so many different musical instruments into the mix makes it even harder.

However, I’m not complaining as With Love is a hugely enjoyable of fucked up moments which kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s best to describe it as a singular album that’s been broken down into individual segments with each song allowing Sly & The Family Drone to experiment with different musical themes, sounds and eerie emotional templates. Any band that plays their own warped and noise rock version of the classic track Over The Rainbow deserves to be heard.

Most readers may know I’m not the biggest fan of Saxophone based music but it’s gloriously heavy and freakishly powerful throughout this album. The opening tracks of Psychic Surgery and The Guts Of Albion are down beat, gloomy and distorted with Sly & The Family Drone adding glitchy sound effects along the way. The Post-Rock, Drone and Psychedelic soundscapes have a dark hallucinogenic effect which allows the Industrial Rock/Metal and Neo-Jazz surroundings to fully take over. 

With Love can be quite demented with the slow paced music forging new creative openings for the band to overlap with an abstract Space Rock theme on tracks such as The Guts Of Albion, Over The Rainbow, In The Oils and Snagged Out Frowns. There’s some massive KrautRock and Japanese Psychedelic Freakout influences with the band applying that epic Jazzy attitude which becomes even more daring and brilliantly surreal which feels like you’re coming down from the most massive WEEDIAN trip possible. 

Even with the intense experimentation, Sly & The Family Drone still offer a grounded approach to their music which does become quite schizophrenic along the way. These guys have been around for the best part of two decades now and know a thing or two about experimenting with finely tuned SONIC based passages which even have a heavier presence than you initially expect.

The vocals drift into existence only when they’re really needed but it’s still sometimes confusing to listen to at first so expect to have multiple listens to fully understand the story of With Love. I’ve listened to the album about four or five times now and I'm even finding new sounds to fully explore with every listen.

With Love is a great album with first rate production values allowing Sly & The Family Drone showing why they’re one of the finest Progressive bands we have in the UK scene. This won’t be for everyone and is perhaps suited for their established fan base. However, I would recommend you give this record a chance as With Love will surprise the hell out of you.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Observers - The Emerald (Album Review)

Release Date: August 13th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Emerald - Tracklist

1.The Emerald 04:56

2.The Eye Tree 03:05 

3.Forest of Doom 05:57

4.Asterophora 03:07

5.The Word for Forest is World 01:42

6.Predestination 05:40

7.Boreal World 05:27

8.Voices Within 06:11

9.After Us 01:21

10.The Door (Outtake) 03:21

Members

Martin Kennedy - guitars, synths & soundscapes.

Chris Bohm - drums.

Rich Gray - Bass

Additional musicians: Joao Corceiro, Martin Arroyou, German Maldonado

Review

Instrumental Doom/Post-Metal collective Observers return with their second album The Emerald which continues the great work laid down on their acclaimed debut album The Age Of The Machine Entities. The record is an effortless blend of Doom, Post-Metal, Heavy Metal, Prog Metal, Ambient Metal and Stoner Metal for a journey that has complex cinematic quality throughout. Observers channel “Video Game” narrative for this record but allow the true Heavy Metal dynamics to do their thing with surreal moments of intense Post-Metal quality.

The whole sound aligns more closely to a grounded level compared to the COSMIC surroundings of their debut album. The music is more frantic and action packed with Observers delving into a frenzied style Prog Metal with an intense Heavy Metal presence emerging from the stunning opening tracks of The Emerald, The Eye Tree and Forest Of Doom. Sometimes the mood can be too flashy but it works for the overall story of the album.

The instrumental work is dominated by a great “DOOM & GLOOM” atmosphere with flashes of Ambient Metal allowing Observers to bring in other areas of the ROCK/METAL spectrum. Adding small pockets of Folk Rock and Post-Rock gives a more emotional sound especially within the haunting third track of Forest Of Doom that has elements of OPETH and Animal As Leaders transforming the Post-Metal energy quite suddenly.

The Emerald relies heavily on synths and dramatic soundscapes which expertly builds up the tension but also allows the record to breathe and grow naturally for the story to move onto its highly dramatic conclusion. Observers hit upon every corner of the Doom, Post-Rock and Post-Metal landscape throughout the album with gloomy passages having a deeply emotional core when moving the different time frames of Eighties Heavy Metal and modern day instrumental music.

Other standout tracks on the album to check out are: Asterophora, Predestination, Boreal World and Voices Within which contain the heaviest, gloomiest and epic guitar shredding moments on the entire record.  

Observers have released another standout collection of tracks that does something wholly original and superbly cinematic with the Instrumental Doom Metal scene. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

The Emerald is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

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