King Potenaz - Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 2 (Album Review)

Release Date: June 12th 2026. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: DD

Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 2 - Tracklisting

1.Sumerian Nights

2.Lord Of The Rust

3.The Nothingness

4.A Crack In The Void (The Empty Hand pt. 2)

Members

 

Vocals/Guitars: Giuseppe Guarini

Bass: Francesco Pensato

Drums/Synths: Piero Schiavone

Special Guest:

Anna Carla Del Prete: cello on “Sumerian Nights” intro

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers King Potenaz returns with Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. Two which is being released a year after the critically acclaimed first volume was released to the world. That record showed how King Potenaz leaned heavily into the Cosmic, Occult and Space Rock vortex of the Doom/Stoner Metal world. Volume 2 takes up a similar journey with King Potenaz playing even more lucid and strange Psychedelic sounds with a fine level of distorted paranoia appearing within the epic opening track of Sumerian Nights.

There’s a sense of mystery that builds up behind the scenes which allows the band to be more focused and perhaps leaning into the Sludge Rock aspects of their overall sound. The music can be slightly fractured and disjointed compared to Volume One but there’s a familiar distorted flow that holds everything together. Sometimes the atmosphere can be cautiously slow with long drawn out instrumental passages especially with the intense down tuned FUZZ based grooves. 

King Potenaz dictate their music with real doomed out precision with a chainsaw effect developing within the thrilling and highly cinematic second track Lord Of The Rust. Taking small inspiration from the likes of KYUSS, SLEEP, MONOLORD and BLACK SABBATH for small parts of the record, there’s a subtle Punk Rock ethic appearing with how the vocals and melodies are fully delivered. The amplified movements have a classic Seventies and Nineties feeling that manifests into some epic bursts of Doom, Stoner and Cosmic Metal that pull no punches with how HEAVY the whole record becomes. 

The album has an infinite amount of different sounds and trippy effects that constantly overlap each other which remind me of SLOMATICS and UFOMAMMUT in places. The final two tracks of The Nothingness and A Crack In The Void (The Empty Hand pt. 2) once again sees King Potenaz bring a heavier, violent and apocalyptic sound to the party with areas of Progressive themes becoming quite dominant and perhaps at the forefront of how the band deliver their music.

With the band willing to experiment with melody, tones and textures on Volume Two, there’s some excellent use of Post-Doom, Post-Stoner and Ambient structures which really transports the listener into the far reaches of the Occult World and even beyond into the Cosmic domain. With rich storytelling aspects appearing within the lyrics, the vocals are delivered superbly by Giuseppe Guarini once again. The later stages of Volume Two can be quite “out there” with Giuseppe sounding like he’s been possessed by an evil entity but the Space Rock themes allows everything to be quite over the top and brilliantly outlandish. Though, there’s a sense of grounded realism that still manages to be one of the albums main strengths.

There’s plenty of outstanding riffs, grooves and instrumental sounds for listeners to sit back and enjoy the wild cinematic ride that Volume Two contains. Once again the album has been recorded by Stefano Manca and with Marc Urselli handling mixing and mastering duties. It was this winning combination that made Volume One such a great record to listen to and they pull off the same incredible work here.

Majestic Mountain Records are once again on board by releasing the album and once again proving why they’re one of the best labels currently out there alongside the likes of Ripple Music, Heavy Psych Sounds, Argonauta Records, Blues Funeral Recordings and Magnetic Eye Records. 

Arcane Desert Rituals Vol.2 is an absolute triumph and closes this magnificent two part musical adventure on a complete high. What more could you possibly want!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo.

Arcane Desert Rituals Vol.2  is available to buy now on Digital Download via Majestic Mountain Records.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/KingPotenaz666
https://www.instagram.com/kingpotenaz666
https://kingpotenaz.bandcamp.com

Bantoriak - Vol II (Album Review)

Release Date: June 19th 2026. Record Label: Argounata Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Vol II - Tracklisting

Vol II

Blu Bus feat. Sergio Ch.

Ritualism feat. Dome La Muerte

Liquid Brain

Kairot

La Muerte feat. Dome La Muerte

Amanita

Karpura

Members

 

Izio Orsini

Special Guests & Contributors

Dome La Muerte, Sergio Ch. (Los Natas), Marco Gambicorti (Rancho Bizzarro), Toto Barbato (The Cage, Snaporaz), Omar Tognotti, Giacomo Cerri (Vesta), Rosy Ninivaggi (Profanal), Valentina Erre, Jacopo Pannokkia, Filippo Del Bimbo (Supernaughty), Andrea Appino (Zen Circus), Mattia Cominotto (Green Fog Studio), Giacomo Vaccai.

Review

Psych/Desert Rock/Stoner Rock collective Bantoriak returns after an eleven year absence with their second imaginatively titled album “Vol II”. The record has a spectacular roster of guest musicians to help Izio Orsini, the creative mastermind behind Bantoriak, fully come to life. The album has a wonderfully rich and meaningful Space Rock and Cosmic attitude that acts as the main launchpad for Bantoriak to create music that spreads the vast Desert Rock sounds that come right at you from the very start.

Vol II has a free flowing narrative where the majority of the tracks follow their own creative path which isn’t surprising with the wide range of guest musicians contributing to the album. If you’re a fan of KYUSS, Yawning Man, Monster Magnet, Karma To Burn and Monkey3 then this album will have you fully covered with its trance induced extended instrumental jams. There is a deep Eastern mythology and folklore within the music which gives this record a very unique sound especially within the Ambient and Post-Rock elements that appear within the quieter stages of the record.

Bantoriak does play fast and loose with the rules of Heavy Psych and Stoner Rock with certain songs not following a straight forward narrative as such. However, this is one of the albums main strengths with the non-stop SONIC experimentation reminding me of the classic Monster Magnet record TAB. There’s similarities between TAB and VOL II with warped psychedelics and distorted Space Rock environments combining for a minor battle of SONIC WARFARE within the heaviest moments on the album. 

There’s a layer of Prog Rock that allows the listener to immerse themselves even further as Bantoriak starts using Progressive themes and gloomy Droned Out melodies which is also deeply rooted in Seventies Psychedelic Rock surroundings. Sometimes the record can feel a bit overloaded but Bantoriak wisely takes a break to play a more stripped back style of Heavy Psych and Ambient Rock. 

Standout tracks on the record for me are: Vol II, Blu Bus, Ritualism, Liquid Brain, Amanita and Karpura. As these tracks are the most focused with heaviest, trippiest and riff-centric on the whole album. Obviously SONIC EXPERIMENTATION and Psychedelic Distortion are the key elements that make this record really standout. There are vocals along the way and they only appear when they’re really needed. When they do appear, they’re mostly based on shamanic chants but it does give an air of mystery to the whole journey of Vol II. 

Vol II does have a neverending supply of superb instrumental spaced out jams from start to finish which overlaps with other areas of the whole Desert Rock/Stoner Rock scene. There is a certain Tribal and Ritual presence which makes the whole journey richly rewarding and when Bantoriak is in his creative element then Vol II is in a league of it’s own especially when the sludgy guitars fully take control for brief moments of the album.

It may have been a long wait for Bantoriak to return with Vol II but this album has definitely been worth the wait which will no doubt go down a storm with the wider Stoner Rock community. This is another contender for Album Of The Year especially if you like your music that takes you on a massive journey across the COSMOS!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Vol II is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records.

Links 

https://www.facebook.com/bantoriakDoom
https://www.instagram.com/bantoriak.ii/

https://bantoriak.bandcamp.com/

Swiss Spheric Rock Trio BIRDLORD Release New Single “En Donde Me Perdí”

Swiss spheric rock trio BIRDLORD continue the ascent toward their highly anticipated debut album with the release of the new single “En Donde Me Perdí”, available now via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records. 

Stream the track here: https://tidal.com/track/526315361/u

Taken from the upcoming full-length album Dreams Lie In The Eagle’s Eye, set for release on September 25th, 2026, “En Donde Me Perdí” shows one of the heaviest and most direct sides of the band so far. Built around thick fuzz guitars, driving bass lines and an infectious groove, the track combines psychedelic rock with raw alternative energy and a strong sense of movement.

Rather than turning inward, the song reflects on frustration with a cruel society and the feeling of losing yourself inside systems, numbness and the constant struggle between ethics and profit. Sung in Spanish, "En Donde Me Perdí" balances catchy hooks with dense walls of sound, shifting between hypnotic passages and explosive instrumental moments.

Since forming in Bern in late 2023, BIRDLORD have rapidly evolved from an ambitious underground project into one of the most compelling new names in the European psychedelic and progressive rock scene. The current lineup featuring Lily Lord, Gaia Giacomelli and Köbi Ferber has refined the band’s sound into something sharper, heavier and emotionally layered, balancing explosive energy with atmospheric depth.

With “En Donde Me Perdí”, BIRDLORD offer another immersive preview of an album destined to push their artistic vision even further. More details about Dreams Lie In The Eagle’s Eye will be revealed soon.

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/birdlordband
https://www.instagram.com/birdlord_band
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.