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Release Date: 29th May 2026. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds.Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Volume Four - Tracklisting
A. Pyramid of Djoser (22:58)
B. Water Ritual (21:44)
Members
Gary Arce – guitar
Bob Balch – guitar
Mario Lalli – bass
Bill Stinson – drums
Review
Yawning Balch once again continue their seismic, hypnotic and dreamlike journey across the Californian Desert with echoes of Shoegaze, Psych, Stoner, Post-Rock and Ambient textures with Volume Four. This is their first release since January 2025 and the band get down straight down to business in crafting a free forming expedition into the murky sounds of the instrumental rock scene. This volume has a heavier and way more abstract based sound with Yawning Balch employing a hazy backdrop of surreal sounding progressive passages though keeping close by to their critically acclaimed Desert Rock sound.
The album contains two tracks running around forty five minutes in length with both volumes created as a direct result of a massive five hour jamming session. This gives the album a sense of urgency which is the similar vibe laid down on Volume Three but this one has a heavier and direct sound. Yawning Balch perhaps experimented more here with sonic environments doubling for the Desert Rock playing fields that the band use throughout the album. The sudden shift into Shoegaze and Post-Stoner dynamics with some epic Space Rock guitars courtesy of Gary Arce and Bob Balch allowing Mario Lalli (Bass) and Bill Stinson (Drums) to create a grounded rhythm section that opens the listeners mind to new spaced out experiences.
The opening track Pyramid Of Djoser is wonderfully opaque and superbly adventurous at the same time with Yawning Man playing their heaviest and aggressive track to date. The song is perhaps mostly dominated by the creative sounds of Yawning Man with Bob Balch’s creative input being more tenacious where he delivers the knockout blow of generating intense aggressive Stoner Rock surroundings. The level of Progressive environments is impressive yet again with a swirling vortex of Post-Rock and Ambient based attitudes holding everything together with a sense of melody that reminds me of Russian Circles and Pelican in places.
The final track Water Ritual continues with that surreal and trippy environment with haunting instrumental passages firming delving into the world of Spaced Out Desert Rock with flashes of uplifting Psychedelic movements that firmly embraces and rewrite the Stoner Rock folklore that all members have created throughout their legendary careers with their respective bands and musical projects.
Even though the album is purely instrumental yet again, Volume Four tells an intriguing and highly involving story that easily drops the listener right into of the legendary “Generator” parties that were all the range back in the day that firmly helped to establish the rules of the Stoner Rock scene that we all know and love today. The production values are excellent but they still allow Yawning Balch to offer a cautionary tale where the destination is just as important as the overall journey.
I’m hopeful once more for future chapters within the extraordinary and cinematic story that Yawning Balch has created so far. If this is the last chapter then the guys have ended the journey on a triumphant high where I’m completely satisfied especially after we’ve been treated to four classic individual albums over the years.
Volume Four is an exquisite and beautifully realised album that demands you full undivided attention.
Words by Steve Howe
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