Release Date: January 20th 2026. Record Label: Skullism Records. Formats: DD
Fundamental - Tracklisting
1.Fundamental 11:18
2.Nafas 03:14
3.War Has Begun 08:15
4.Ballad of the Thrills 07:51
5.Pitam Ft. Gusten 05:20
6.Raga 07:02
7.Rock Stoned 10:37
Members
Ricky - Bass
Mardangga - Drums
Gunggus - Guitars
Raidimas - Guitars
Jiva - Vocals
Review
Fundamental is the debut album from Indonesian Doom/Stoner Metallers Iron Head who I remember from releasing their excellent debut EP My Own War back in 2019. The band have taken a heavier and distorted cosmic route for this record with multiple waves of Spaced Out Doom merged with moments of Sludgy soundscapes. There’s also a wicked style of Sabbathian and Electric Wizard sounding AMPLIFIER based FUZZ moulding into areas of Psychedelic warfare and that’s all within the first few moments of the standout opening track of Fundamental.
The vocals from Jiva consist of growls, shamanic chants and violent gruffs which are all easily understandable when everything is said and done. The music itself is inspired by the likes of Monster Magnet, UFOMAMMUT, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and Church Of Misery. Though, Iron Head weaves their own wicked style of Progressive heaviness throughout the whole album. There’s a great use of trippy reverb effects, distorted movements and surreal cosmic drone passages that make this an absolutely thrilling Space Rock adventure and the first song hasn’t even finished yet.
The second track Nafas is a good old fashioned Doom/Stoner Metal number with Iron Head playing a classic style of Heavy Metal with a dose of speed metal to allow the music to be played at a great pace. The shamanic vocals once again feel like they’re trying to open the gateway to a parallel universe with the music using the classic CHURCH OF MISERY fuzzed up template with eerie instances of freaky psychedelic and spaced out laser beams coming out of nowhere. The song allows Iron Head to play a more direct style of music whilst keeping in line with their slightly OUT THERE attitude.
Third track War Has Begun is more closely aligned to the title track with a slight reliance on psychedelic and sonic manipulation with the slow-to-mid paced energy of the Doom/Stoner Metal surroundings allowing Iron Head to play a great style of different sounding musical passages. There’s a massive “OUT THERE” attitude forming within this track thanks to the outlandish vocals which makes you wonder what the song is really about. Though, my advice is to just go for the ride. As there’s a seedy style of Seventies Proto-Doom merging within the modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal aesthetic.
Fourth track Ballad Of The Thrills is where they start adding levels of Punk Rock and Garage Rock into the mix with the music having a sort of stripped back energy. The atmosphere isn’t as dynamic or action packed as the previous tracks but it does allow Iron Head to try different things with their music. Everything is played fast and loose with the Psych/Space Rock elements being mostly in the background but the added use of soundclips and frenzied Sludge Metal allows this perhaps to be the most menacing track on the album. There is also an excellent pitch black comedic humour arriving from time to time.
The second half of the album is just as outlandish and brilliantly surreal as the first half with Iron Head going into deeper and dangerous levels of FUZZED OUT insanity with the stripped back production values allowing Fundamental to have an essential quality of the underground scene. The vocals maybe an acquired taste at times but they match the seedy and grindhouse aesthetic that Iron Head fully aim for on tracks such as Pitam, Raga and Rock Stoned which is another one of the most surreal and standout tracks on the album.
Iron Head never plays it safe with Fundamental being quite straightforward and fucking off the scale in equal measure. However, when the music is this good you won’t really care. As Iron Head have delivered an absolutely outstanding debut album that has everything you want in a Doom/Stoner Metal album if you’re a dedicated follower of the scene.
There’s tons of LOW & SLOW and DISTORTED instrumental solos throughout the album with Iron Head using the Psychedelic and WEEDIAN grooves to the best of their own musical ability. And that’s one of the main reasons that make this such an unmissable record.
This is the type of album the underground Doom/Stoner Metal community needs to go absolutely crazy for. It’s seriously that good.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
LinkTree | BandCamp | Skullism Records BandCamp
