Release Date: May 10th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Bending Light - Tracklisting
1.Split Infinity 03:58
2.Strangeland 05:24
3.Kill Joy 04:54
4.The Spaniard 01:26
5.Faded 06:09
6.Salo 06:00
7.Distant Past 03:46
8.Euphrates 06:35
Members
Drums: Jeffrey Ruoss
Bass: Damon Deluca
Vocals / Guitar: Ethan Parr
Guitar: Patrick Hogg
Keys: Jonathon (Coop) Cooper
Review
Bending Light’s debut album is an interesting record with the band feeling like they belong to the same Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal realm as such bands as ELDER, King Buffalo, Howling Giant and Weedpecker. However, Bending Light added a different mix to that equation with the band adding areas of Occult Rock and Doom Metal imagery into their music. There’s a provocative sound that emerges that sees a later of Prog Rock appearing to give Bending Light a soulful style of Seventies Hard Rock that’s merged fully within the modern day surroundings of their main Stoner Metal narrative they create on the whole album.
The record is beautifully insightful and wonderfully melodic with great levels of Post-Stoner passages with some upbeat Post-Rock, Space Rock and Ambient sounds that often play tricks with the listeners imagination on tracks such as Split Infinity, Strangeland and Kill Joy. Bending Light fuses Alt Rock and Grunge sensibilities that gives another aura of superb creativity to their music. The lyrics are quite insightful and the excellent vocals from Ethan Parr are quite sweet-natured and warm-hearted which fully sells that Heavy Psychedelic element that the band fully become part of before the record reaches its natural conclusion.
Production values are expertly delivered that allows Bending Light to have a commanding presence throughout the album which allows them to move quite convincingly through the whole Doom/Stoner Metal spectrum with an epic sideline of MASSIVE GROOVES dictating the whole action. There is a subtle Sludge Rock atmosphere that develops on tracks such as Kill Joy, Faded, Salo and Euphrates with Bending Light perhaps leaning into the more commercial aspects of Stadium Rock which is one of the main strengths of the album.
I also love the wonderful interplay of the keyboards that Jonathon (Coop) Cooper brings to the band as it’s quite gloomy, eerie and superbly optimistic at times though everyone puts in a first rate musical performance on the album. The music is EPIC and downright CINEMATIC in places especially on the later stages of the record. There is some clever sonic manipulation and distortion at play which fully sells the Occult Rock and Doom Metal aspect of this album
Bending Light's debut album is an excellent and brilliantly observed record that demands your full attention. This is the type of album that could easily allow Bending Light to aim high for bigger and better things. They have the songs and creative vision to back up their undeniable talent which should see them go a long way within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
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