US sludge-doom collective STAY DEAD! (with High Desert Queen members) to release debut LP on Ripple Music this July; stream first single featuring Matt Pike!

US sludge-doom metal collective STAY DEAD! (with members of High Desert Queen, Aiwass, Hollow Light) present their new single "Electric Mistress" featuring High On Fire frontman Matt Pike on guest vocals. The band is set to release their debut full-length "Beneath The Weight Of Worlds" this July 24th on Ripple Music. 

STAY DEAD! is a heavy, emotionally charged sludge-doom collective founded by U.S. Army veteran Christopher Borrelli as a means of survival, healing, and reclamation. Born from the realities of post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and decades of carrying the grief of fallen soldiers, friends, and family, Stay Dead began as a therapeutic outlet, an attempt to transform internal chaos into sound. What emerged was something far greater: a band capable of channeling crushing heaviness, meditative tension, and cinematic atmosphere into songs that confront the darkest corners of the human experience while searching for meaning beyond them. The result is music that is both devastatingly heavy and deeply human.

 Stream new single "Electric Mistress" (feat. Matt Pike) at this location

The band's lineup brings together musicians from across the heavy underground. Vocalist Ryan Garney (High Desert Queen) delivers a commanding performance that shifts effortlessly between introspective vulnerability and volcanic intensity. Founder Christopher Borrelli (Eternal Hope Records, Fear the Victor, Split 50, Chains of Aggression) provides the dense rhythmic foundation and emotional vision that drive the project. Drummer Kenny Shillingburg (Hollow Light, Unto Thee) anchors the music with a style that is simultaneously powerful, dynamic, and cinematic. Lead guitarist Rusty Miller (High Desert Queen) expands the band's sonic palette with expressive melodies, psychedelic textures, and soaring lead work. Guitarist and synthesist Blake Carrera (AIWASS) completes the lineup with cosmic ambience, immersive atmospherics, and otherworldly sound design.

In 2026, Stay Dead signed with Ripple Music to release their debut EP album, Beneath the Weight of Worlds, featuring guest appearances from Troy Sanders (Mastodon), Matt Pike (High on Fire, Sleep), Eryka Fir (Coma Hole) and AIWASS. This album will introduce the band's unique blend of emotional depth and overwhelming heaviness to audiences worldwide.

STAY DEAD! "Beneath The Weight Of Worlds"

Out July 24th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital) - Pre-order

TRACKLIST:

1. Empty Pages
2. White Noise (feat. Troy Sanders)
3. Electric Mistress (feat. Matt Pike)
4. Chrysalis (feat. Eryka Fir and Aiwass)
5. What Happened To Rock N' Roll
6. Fever Dog (Original cover)

Stay Dead lineup

Ryan Garney – Vocals
Rusty Miller – Lead guitar
Blake Carrera – Guitars & synths
Christopher Borrelli – Bass
Kenny Shillingburg – Drums

Stay Dead links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.