Release Date: January 23rd 2026. Record Label: Sycophantastic Records. Formats: DD
Leaves - Tracklisting
1.Roots and Canopy 03:50
2.Mycelium March 02:33
3.Heart of the Woods 16:22
4.Leaves EP (Continuous Mix) 22:47
Members
Emil Moen (guitar, vocals)
Melvin Treider (drums)
Per Semb (guitar)
Sindre Haugen (bass)
Review
Leaves is the next chapter from Prog Rock/Stoner Rock collective Sykofant who released their celebrated debut EP Red Sun in 2025. These two EP’s were meant to be released as one full length album but was split into individual chapters. Just to make this even more confusing, the band have also released the actual full album of both EP’s as one individual album called Red Sun Leaves which you can listen to here and buy on CD, DD and Vinyl.
I’m focusing upon the Leaves EP as I reviewed Red Sun last year. The EP continues the same creative themes heard on that great record but with perhaps more Prog Rock and Ambient experimentation. There’s some deft “Jazz Rock” interplay between all of the three tracks contained on the release with sudden shifts into Post-Rock landscapes which gives this record a richer and fuller sound especially on tracks such as “Roots and Canopy” and Mycelium March. The sound can be quite understated with a classical sense of melody shifting quite suddenly into areas of Prog Rock which have a certain PINK FLOYD twist with echoes of ELDER along the way.
The lyrics flirt between folk rock and art rock sensibility before an aggressive Post-Stoner melody forms throughout the epic sixteen minutes final track of Embers. This is where the real magic happens with strands of Seventies Hard Rock allowing Sykofant to explore the Eighties Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scenes with absolute creative freedom which they play with real zest and musical originality of their own making.
As with the previous release, the final track is a full and continuous version of the whole EP which folks may want to delve into once in a while.
Leaves is an exquisite release from Sykofant and I maybe cheating not reviewing both EP’s as the full album it’s intended to be.
Leaves EP
If folks want my overall verdict of the album Red Sun Leaves then here it is:
Red Sun Leaves (Mini Album Review)
“Red Sun Leaves bring two extraordinary EP’s from Sykofant within one glorious package where you can some of the most inventive Prog Rock, Psych and Post-Rock melodies forming under the banner of Stoner Rock. There’s some freak-ish and jazzy musical interludes which sees Sykofant clearing aiming for bigger and better things with some epic storytelling forming within their lyrics and sublime vocal passages.
WIth superb production values, Sykofant’s debut album shouldn’t be as good as this. I may enjoy the EP’s more as individual releases but at least the band are housing everything together as one complete album that’s a highly sophisticated release when everything is said and done.”
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
Red Sun Leaves
