Stop the press: I’m officially part of the Combat Records family!
Somehow, the stars aligned and landed a strummer and slummer on a roster that has included legends like Megadeth, Mercyful Fate, Savatage, Exodus, and many more. I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb, and I plan to own every second of it.
We’re gearing up for my first Combat release in early 2027, with a wave of big announcements rolling out over the next few weeks and months.
A huge, heartfelt shoutout to the incredible team making this happen:
- Robert Dujmusic & Alex Stojak at Combat Records for believing in the noise. - Christian Lawrence at Mindsnap Music. - Doug Benson at Commodore Recording Studio for his brilliant mastering. - The fans across the pond who made enough noise at just the right time to get the right ears listening. - My wife, April - my rock, my cheerleader, and my love. I couldn't do any of this without you, darlin'.
Most of all, thank YOU. What started as a happy accident has become my forever home as a solo artist, and I’m beyond grateful to have you in my corner.
Finnish doom / heavy metal legends CARDINALS FOLLY have released a music video for the title track of their upcoming seventh full-length album "Let the Posers Fall!".
Marking a bold new chapter with the debut of a new guitarist, the album showcases a powerful shift toward traditional, riff-driven heavy metal songwriting while retaining the band's signature heavy footprint. Lyrically, “Let the Posers Fall!” delves deep into the macabre, drawing grim inspiration from notorious serial killers ("I Am The Zodiac"), the cosmic horror literature of H.P. Lovecraft ("Providence"), and vintage cult horror/exploitation cinema ("New York Ripper", “Hitch-Hike").
The band issued the following defiant statement regarding the upcoming release: "In a world where trends come and go and authenticity is drowning in depravity, CARDINALS FOLLY still rides the cultist highway, declaring the downfall of posers until the end. The Stallions Are Burning!"
"Let the Posers Fall!" is scheduled for October 9th 2026 via Cruz Del Sur Music.
Tracklist:
01. House of the Lords (Intro) 02. Hitch-Hike 03. Let The Posers Fall! 04. New York Ripper >>> Music Video: https://youtu.be/uH2rcs7Hics 05. I Am The Zodiac 06. Luchador 07. Your Stallions Are Burning 08. Cultist Highway 09. Chiusura Invernale 10. Providence
Release Date: October 01st 2026. Record Label Self Released. Format: DD
War Porn - Tracklist
War Porn
Members
Rowan Morrey Andy Morrison Adi Henderson Dara Monaghan Dave Boyd
Review
Northern Irish Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal destroyers MOLARBEAR return with their latest single WAR PORN which is their first new material since their last release Cognitive Dissident that was released back in March 2026. The song continues the band’s vicious blend of Noise Rock that’s wrapped around an aggressive style of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal.
MOLARBEAR are perhaps consumed on the Noise Rock and Sludge Metal dynamics of their music for this track which comments upon the bad things that Social and Modern media brings to the world. This is quite a cautionary song with something real to say as the band add a jagged Psychedelic sound into the mix with the music feeling inspired by the likes of MELVINS, WHORES, NIN and FAITH NO MORE along the way.
The music is quite violent in places but MOLARBEAR do add levels of warped melody into their music which sees the band add some classic Eighties Heavy Metal guitar shredding when you least expect this. WAR PORN feels quite short at four minutes in length where I feel an extra couple of minutes could have fleshed out the overall message that MOLARBEAR are trying to convey here.
However, this is a relentless song that has a lot of violent energy that’s brilliantly ferocious with harsh commentary that does indeed make you take notice of what the band are saying here.
Release Date: October 03rd 2026. Record Label: Pale Wizard Records. Format: CD/DD Mushroom Beard - Tracklist
1.March of the Shroom Elephant
2.Elden Beard
3.Bringer
4.Speech of Leaf and Beard
5.Fungal Haze
6.Khala-Shai
Members
Stig Chell – Guitar, Vocals
Gareth Harding – Bass
Norbert Hussey – Drums
Review
Doom/Stoner metallers Mushroom Beard share a lot of common ground with the amazing Sergeant Thunderhoof. They play a similar style of music, and the band is even signed to the same label. You even have Dan Flitcroft (lead vocals) from the HOOF providing guest vocals on the track "Speech Of Leaf And Beard." Band members are also part of stoner rock/metal collective Quiet The Thief, just to prove how much these guys mean business.
Mushroom Beard also shares creative ground with the likes of The Brothers Keg, delivering thunderous, fuzzed-out heaviness reminiscent of Sleep and High on Fire. The music is heavily Weedian-dominated, with a smoked-out influence giving the record a creepy blues-rock energy compounded by aggressive slabs of amplified heaviness. However, that only tells half the story—Mushroom Beard employs generous levels of psychedelia, post-doom, ambient textures, and sludge metal grooves throughout the album.
The first couple of tracks, "March Of The Shroom Elephant" and "Elden Beard," introduce a grounded yet fantastical element where lead vocalist Stig Chell sounds like he’s read plenty of classic sci-fi and fantasy along the way. That’s one of the strongest points of the album: it’s never afraid to embrace its over-the-top, otherworldly roots, delivering catchy psychedelic grooves and sludge metal melodies with a subtle progressive edge.
The production feels nicely stripped-back, placing Mushroom Beard firmly within the vibrant underground sludge/stoner metal scene. Still, you quickly appreciate the band’s hunger for something bigger, especially when channeling the catchy flow of King Buffalo and Howling Giant on tracks like Elden Beard, Bringer and Fungal Haze.
As stated previously, Dan Flitcroft makes a welcome appearance on the more grounded "Speech Of Leaf And Beard." While it feels like a Sergeant Thunderhoof track at times, Mushroom Beard injects a seedier, psychedelic quality that is entirely their own. The lyrics take that classic herbal approach the stoner metal world thrives on, but the band never wastes an opportunity to put their own creative spin on things, even as the music drifts further into space-rock territory.
Mushroom Beard makes great use of fuzz, resulting in finely tuned levels of distortion that build an atmospheric vibe bound to sound massive in a live setting.
The final two tracks, Fungal Haze and Shala-Shai are the clear standouts. Here, Mushroom Beard explores a spaced-out, heavy dominance that never feels overly flashy, yet hits hard enough to leave you on a high. The instrumental closer, Shala-Shai lets Stig Chell (guitar/vocals), Gareth Harding (bass), and Norbert Hussey (drums) lock into a dynamic back-and-forth clashing and coalescing into a destructive slice of modern doom/stoner metal that pulls the listener right into the journey.
Mushroom Beard’s debut is a superb release that makes an immediate statement, bound to be one of the underground’s favorite discoveries this year. Jam-packed with heavy grooves, it’s sure to impress heavy music fans and earn Mushroom Beard spots on prominent festival stages sooner rather than later.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Mushroom Beard and Pale Wizard Records for the promo.
Mushroom Beard is available to buy now on CD/DD via Pale Wizard Records.
With three previously released EPs, San Jose-based instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS will release their first full-length album, Chthonic Layer this coming October.
IN THE PONDS started during the pandemic lockdowns and California wildfires of 2020, with the newly wed duo staring out their windows at soot-filled skies wondering, “what the hell now?” They’ve kept to instrumental rock, mainly to give themselves (and their listeners) a breather from the barrage of concepts always trying to elbow into their headspace.
The best ideas live in a place beyond words, so they try to flood that place with as much light as possible. The Chthonic Layer is a realm beneath the surface where deities and demons live. There are lots of ways to get there, but music is the safest bet. It lets you explore dangerous places without getting stranded. This album is our way of diving into the abyss to meet its shadier characters, while staying tethered to terra firma.
Chthonic Layer was recorded and co-produced by guitarist David Perez and Dan Padilla.
The album was mixed by Art Bertik. The front cover artwork was created by bassist Jennifer Gigantino.
We're excited to premiere the new album in full thanks to the awesome IN THE PONDS which you can listen to below:
Julien Pras, the singer/guitarist of French Heavy Psych powerhouse Mars Red Sky.
Julien goes full singer-songwriter mode with his solo project, and returns after 9 years with a new album, Minor Fall, out on October 30th. There he reconnects with his folk-rock and indie-psych-pop roots (FFO: Elliott Smith, Sean Lennon, Arthur Satàn, Neil Young...), yet you can still feel a sense of heaviness in this.
This is a refreshing change of pace from Julien compared to this amazing work with Mars Red Sky and we're excited to premiere the new song "No Authority" which you can watch below:
Release Date: October 02nd 2026. Record Label: Entelodon Records. Format: CD/DD
Chthonic Layer - Tracklist
1.Tornado Alley
2.Last Rat Standing
3.Barnacles
4.Her Eyes Burn with Unholy Light
5.Old Shuck
6.The Young Falcon
7.Blackwood Sugar
8.Empty Victory
9.Sunset Waltz
Members
David Perez – guitar
Jennifer Gigantino – bass / mandolin
Review
Instrumental Post-Rockers In The Ponds awaken from a three year slumber with their spellbinding and superbly captivating debut album Chthonic Layer. In The Ponds have a more expressive and emotionally charged attitude appearing within their music as they blend Prog Rock themes against a backdrop of gloomy Instrumental Rock sounds that float cautiously into the Stoner Rock abyss. The band’s musical weapon of choice is Post-Rock and Ambient Rock which remains essentially grounded with a stripped back delivery that you can hear from within the excellent opening track Tornado Alley.
David Perez (Guitar) and Jennifer Gigantion (Bass/Mandolin) form a great musical partnership where they feel beautifully in sync with each other but still allow themselves the opportunity to do their own thing when the time calls for this. I was quite surprised at how aggressive In The Ponds have become compared to their previous releases with some fantastic sludgy grooves appearing within the bombastic second track Last Rat Standing. They’ve played strands of Heavy Rock before but with a certain Garage Rock angle but this has a more subtle Doomed Out quality with flashes of Nineties Grunge and Stoner Rock.
In The Ponds have always been a band willing to experiment and move their music along to something different that’s come before it. You appreciate the delicate Electronic sounds, beats, glitches and loops that appear within the onset of their sublime Prog Rock delivery. The album is purely instrumental with In The Ponds letting their music weave interesting stories that instantly draw you in especially when the mood is played at a gloomy slow-to-mid pace with a deceiving Post-Rock vibe once more moves into unexpected areas of Heavy Rock on tracks such as Barnacles, Her Eyes Burn With Unholy Light, The Young Falcon and Empty Victory being my favourite parts of the whole album.
There’s a lot of doom and gloom trickery emerging from these songs with In The Ponds combining elements of Drone, Shoegaze and Space Rock surroundings that almost give a cold sense of PARANOIA within the album. You can feel some great musical influences from the likes of EARTH, OM, Pelican and Russian Circles as In The Ponds create music that can easily be classed as Experimental Rock and Art Rock whilst having a great Stoner Rock movement to them.
In The Ponds are not the type of band to play fast-paced melodies as their music is cautiously slow but with steel cold determination that’s very hard to ignore even when they prefer a classical style of Post-Rock to do all the talking. Nothing is what it seems with Chthonic Layer as the record is quite bleak with minimal moments of uplifting sounds which gives this album quite a dangerous feeling when you least expect this.
The music is wonderfully played by David and Jennifer who once again exceed all expectations with this record alone. I once described In The Ponds as “one of the best Post-Rock bands currently out there” and I stand by that description. They more than prove that on this album which offers a haunting and emotionally rewarding experience that not many bands can provide especially for their debut album.
In The Ponds are the type of band within the underground scene you want to branch onto bigger and better things so as many people can experience what a great band they truly are. The way they blend different musical genres into something refreshing and wholly unique is a joy to listen to. There’s even some surprising developments within the album when In The Ponds add levels of Surf Rock and Cinematic Rock elements for a wholly different perspective to emerge on repeated listens.
This is an album with brains as well as brawn that makes it such an outstanding success on every level possible.
Prog metallers Momentary Masters have just released the latest video of their newest single "Body Tells" from the forthcoming album "Rheospect". Heavy, crunching riffs, ethereal vocals, and winding grooves are the name of the game for this crusher of a track.
Momentary Masters is a four piece Boston-based prog-lite rock band. Subtly weaving prog moves into a digestable, heavy riff-driven format, they are looking to share prog sensibility with the greater rock community throughout New England and beyond.
Their debut album, Rheospect, is a love letter to the album format as a narrative arc. In spirit it tells the story of the creative process from inception (“Prospect”), through the flow state of creation (“Rheospect”), and eventually to letting the product go (“Retrospect”).
Laid out in a palindromic structure, Rheospect plays straight through the roughly 70 minute run time and features big riffs, soaring choruses, dynamic instrumental shifts, and thematic easter eggs.
The band plans to support the record live in the Fall in the greater Boston area and is looking forward to digging into their sophomore record.
Momentary Masters - Rheospect
Album out Fall 2026 Self-released (Digital) Boston, Massachusetts, US FFO: Tool, Mastodon, Coheed and Cambria, and Karnivool
Momentary Masters is:
Peter Balogh - Guitar Corey Fyfe - Bass Jacob Josefsberg - Drums M Levesque - Vocals
Tracklist:
1. Prospect 2. Doom and Gloom 3. Turning 4. Ghost 5. Midnight Oil 6. Still Life 7. Rheospect 8. The Waves 9. Farsight 10. Everyone Knows 11. Body Tells 12. Through the Veil 13. Retrospect Links:
French instrumental progressive post-rock quartet COULD SEED have unveiled a new live video for “Orion,” another track taken from their forthcoming second album, Terminal, due out October 23 via Klonosphere Records.
Captured live at Studio de la Fuie, the performance showcases the band at their most dynamic, moving between delicate, atmospheric passages and towering crescendos while highlighting the dynamic interplay at the heart of their sound.
Following the previously released “Druids,” “Orion” offers another window into the powerful sonic world of Terminal, an album where progressive rock, post-rock and psychedelia collide with cinematic atmosphere and moments of crushing intensity.
After their critically acclaimed debut The Drop Crisis, Could Seed push their instrumental language further on Terminal, drawing from the cinematic grandeur of Pink Floyd and the progressive psychedelia of Elder to the emotional intensity of Caspian and Russian Circles.
Recorded and mixed by guitarist Jordan Jupin at Studio de la Fuie and mastered by Thibault Chaumont at Deviant Lab, Terminal captures the band's dynamic chemistry with remarkable warmth, depth, and clarity. The evocative artwork by Ana Mady Sun and photography by Régine Cadillac further enrich the album's visual identity.
Terminal will be released on October 23, pre-orders are available at this location.
Doom/Stoner Metallers HEXECUTIONER release the new song for SHAPESHIFTER from their excellent upcoming new album Ascension Rock due for release on October 23rd 2026 on CD, Download, Tape and Vinyl.
HEXECUTIONER say this about the album:
"Staring into the depths of the unknown, sensing the unseen forces at play. Energies of the dark and the light, of the old and new, are cloaked in secrecy. Wormholes to other dimensions, bending time and space, high strangeness surrounds Ascension Rock. The manifestations appear during the sound frequency ritual."
Following Nothing For None, Empty Cribs and Birdsong, GODZILLA IN THE KITCHEN release Humility on September 25, the fourth single from their upcoming album Termination Sequence. At its core is the idea of intellectual humility, the recognition that we can never know everything.
The song takes aim at bad journalism, “scientism” and a lack of critical source evaluation, at a reading culture where headlines become truth, half-knowledge becomes certainty and a short social media post becomes a substitute for expertise. Humility reminds us that authority does not guarantee truth, and that true wisdom begins with recognizing the limits of our own knowledge.
Musically, the song ranks among the most progressive and hardest-hitting tracks on the album. Odd time signatures, an unexpected interlude and a catchy chorus collide with Alternative Metal, Stoner and Progressive influences.
The music video brings the idea to life with a dark sense of humor: A three-man police team chases a banana. An absurd scene that becomes a metaphor for blind action and misplaced priorities.
Firebreather formed in Gothenburg in 2016, rooted in crushing, sludge-doused doom from the very beginning. Never wavering from that commitment across all three of their incendiary full-length releases, the trio has pursued weight with purpose, not as spectacle, nor as an exercise in excess, but as the only language broad enough to hold the emotional reach and sonic heft of their sound.
The music arrives in a way that writes itself with no distance between the words and the sound; they rise from the same cursed ground, and that honesty has become the band's defining force.
Firebreather is a band that never postures or asks to be admired for their heaviness- and to see them live is to experience exactly why. Their weight takes on another life entirely. The band’s towering tone and consuming grit don't fill a room so much as alter it. Volume presses against the body before the first lyric lands and riffs arrive like shifting earth. The drums don't drive the songs forward; they anchor them while the line between sound and physical force begins to disappear. Years spent crossing Europe and North America have only sharpened that purpose, and a decade on with a fourth album on the way via the notorious Heavy Psych Sounds Records, Firebreather remains exactly where it belongs.
Head down. Volume up.
Thanks to the great folks over at Purple Sage PR and Heavy Psych Sounds, we're happy to premiere the new song/video for ONLY IN THE EYES OF OTHERS which is from their forthcoming new album - Blood That I Spill Turns to Fire" out October 16 on Heavy Psych Sounds
As their epic sledgehammer riffs collide, massive grooves creep into your ears and the trio's unwavering sonic heft presses against your body before the first lyric lands, echoing like a primal call from another world. A treat for fans of High On Fire, Monolord, Conan, Mastodon!
The Lowdown
With the writing and recording of ”Blood That I Spill Turns To Fire”, the aim was to keep it raw, heavy and groovy. Expanding our musical trajectory. Adding a lil more melody to vocals as well. We recorded with Joona in Studio Underjord and we told him right away that we want to keep it raw and dirty.
For this record we brought in Tommy Hanning on drums, he was in FIREBREATHER at the time of the recording of our first album so we knew he was capable.
We were in between drummers when it was time to hit the studio for our fourth album and he was kind enough to learn the songs from his home, he lives way up north in Sweden. He flew down to jam with us for one weekend and after that we hit the studio. All in all we think we came out with a raw, heavy and to us, moving record. We hope it'll move other people too."
Release Date: October 16th 2026. Record Label: Master Kontrol Audio. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Demonstration - Tracklist
1.Poison 07:05
2.UDS 1 - Faces of Fire 02:32
3.UDS 2 - Liquid Maze 05:10
4.Farce of the Moon Landing 04:11
5.Joblin's Demise 07:24
6.Freddie Mercury Never Made a Fist 02:56
Members
Ian: Guitar, vocals
Huff: Drums
Miguel: Bass, vocals
Review
Demonstration is the underground classic Doom/Stoner Metal album from Ladies Of Leisure. Perhaps not getting the recognition it fully deserved back in 2014 when it was released upon the world. The album is getting a long overdue 7 inch and CD physical release.
The sound is powered by Seventies Proto-Doom, Hard Rock, Proto-Metal and aggressive Stoner Rock hooks. There is a meaty sideline of Blues Rock, Psych and Fuzz Rock energy which has a great Space Rock sound that is all the range these days so this is quite forward thinking especially on tracks such as Poison, UDS 2 - Liquid Maze and Joblin’s Demise.
Ladies Of Leisure provide filthy melodies and gritty sludgy grooves which feels like The Obsessed jamming with FU MANCHU but with a ferocious Punk Rock sound that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty when the music becomes way over distorted. The whole record feels part of the underground Stoner Rock scene that was perhaps on the rise back in 2014 and it’s a damn shame that Ladies Of Leisure never received the attention they truly deserved as this album is never afraid of its Heavy Metal heritage.
The music constantly feels over-done and quite rushed at times but that’s part of the charm with Ladies Of Leisure tapping right into their Punk Rock, Doom Metal and Stoner Rock identity with a REBELLIOUS and LONER attitude generating in some pretty intense Psychedelic instrumental passages along the way.
Demonstration is an underground classic of the Doom/Stoner Metal scene and it’s about time this album should get the love, respect and admiration it truly deserves. If you’re into the likes of The Obsessed, FU MANCHU, KYUSS and MONSTER MAGNET then you need to check out these seedy OUTLAW RIFFSTERS OF THE NIGHT.
France's rising doom phenomenon WITCHORIOUS step up and sign to heavy psych / doom record label MRS RED SOUND (Mars Red Sky, Witchfinder, Wormsand, Greyborn...) for the release of new material which they are still working on. Fresh sound should arrives quickly, let's stay tuned.
WITCHORIOUS craft hypnotic, possessed stoner rock: devastating rhythm section, aggressive guitars, combined with Antoine and Lucie’s incantations, chanted in a psalmody style or howled like cries of desperate witches. With the successful release of their self-titled debut album, they gained genuine recognition within the heavy doom scene. From Hellfest to Deserfest, their trademark sounding has built up a true and loyal following. The Doom Charts say about them: "here’s another French band who raised the stoner scene to a higher level!"
About their signing to Mrs Red Sound, the band comment:
"We are thrilled and incredibly proud to announce our signing to Mrs Red Sound Records, a label that passionately champions the stoner/doom scene. It is a real pleasure for Witchorious to embark on this adventure with them, alongside bands such as Mars Red Sky, Witchfinder and Wormsand. We thank them for their trust and can’t wait to share what’s next with you – a world of darkness, gritty riffs and incantations. The ritual has only just begun."
Hailing from Paris, France, doom metal trio WITCHORIOUS was created in the late 2019 by Lucie Gaget (bass, vocals), Paul Gaget (drums) and Antoine Auclair (guitar, vocals). The foundations are laid: a blend of modern doom and vintage fuzz, Black Sabbath’s blues roots combined with Electric Wizard’s creeper riffs and Amenra’s raw, blood-curdling screaming.
In 2023, the band enter the studio under the direction of Francis Caste at Sainte-Marthe Studio (Hangman’s Chair, Aqme, Rise of the Northstar...) to record their eponymous debut album on February 16th via the Italian label Argonauta Records. The album explores the duality of human nature and the inevitable fate of our planet, with the Witch always at its heart – an indomitable yet oppressed figure, a passionate voice for the wounds of our time.
WITCHORIOUS are playing more and more gigs, appearing as support acts for Bongzilla, Mars Red Sky, Hippie Death Cult and many more. Also performing reference festivals like Westill, Hellfest or DesertFest, both across France and Europe. Their shows are spellbinding, proving that the magic has only just begun.
In 2026, WITCHORIOUS ink a deal with French booking agency 3C and a few months later, with Mrs Red Sound Records. They are currently working on new material.
LINE-UP
Lucie Gaget: vocals, bass. Antoine Auclair: vocals, guitar. Paul Gaget: drums TOUR
29.10.2026 NIORT, FR - Rise & Fall Festival #8 10.10.2026 PARIS, FR - La Maroquinerie w/ Monolord and Dopelord 13.11.2026 ANTONY, FR - Espace Vasarely w/ Grandma's Ashes 18.12.2026 CLERMONT-FERRAND, FR - Lieu Dit 20.03.2027 GUYENCOURT, FR - La Batterie
Welsh doom metal trio GOAT MAJOR is set to return with their sophomore full-length "Death Comes Twice" this October 23rd on Ripple Music and unleash the title track from the outstanding new album today!
Thanks to the cool folks over at Purple Sage PR and Ripple Music we're excited to premiere the new song/video for Death Comes Twice from their upcoming new album of the same name.
Welsh heavy trio Goat Major are set to return with their crushing sophomore album, Death Comes Twice, the follow-up to their 2024 debut Ritual. The songwriting process ignited immediately after the last record, with guitarist Jammie Arnold channeling a relentless flow of riff demos that provided the foundation for Simon Bonwick (drums) and Tom Shortt (vocals/bass) to build upon. They comment, "When the three of us gathered in the jam room, that’s where the true magic happened. We threw ourselves into every riff, every groove, with no detail too small or too grand. This new record reveals a deeper, more melodic side of us, all the while remaining heavy and intense. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it!"
Recording once again with engineer Tom Chaloner in rural Pembrokeshire, the band captured the raw energy of their live chemistry by tracking together in a room without click tracks. The result is a record that delves deeper into melody while maintaining their signature heaviness, augmented by experimental layers of percussion, harmonies, and progressive synthesis soundscapes.
Lyrically, Death Comes Twice navigates the dark narrow passageways of belief, tradition, and existential crisis. Continuing the occult and cosmic themes of their debut, the album shifts between dark fantasy and internal turmoil, exploring themes of persecution under dogmatic rule, the spiritual toll of ancient rituals, and the clash between divine creation and modern technology.
About the new single "Wheels of Gold", the band says: "Wheels of Gold brings imagery of the biblical depictions of angels. Imagining them into our new technological age and asking if they would still serve their elemental ancient god, or revolt and destroy that god in order to serve new artificial machines of creation."
New album "Death Comes Twice" - Out October 23rd on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital) Emerging from the mystic landscapes of Pembrokeshire, Wales, Goat Major formed in 2020 as a strict DIY power trio. Drawing from the heaviness of Electric Wizard and the raw fury of Motörhead, their sound is a fuzz-drenched, controlled chaos that's both primal and profound. They shattered expectations with their 2024 debut Ritual via Ripple Music, a gothic romp through ancient secrets and dark whispers. Arnold's riffs swing between sludgy weight and punk urgency, Bonwick's drumming is relentless and dynamic, while Shortt's growling bass underpins hauntingly melodic vocals that push atmosphere and ambition without losing their doom-ridden core.
The band tore across the UK, sharing stages with Conan, Thunder Horse and many more, while leaving their doomy mark at Desertfest London and Stoomfest. Their blend of infectious melody and sinister atmosphere struck a deep chord, cementing them as one of the underground's most promising emerging forces. Now in 2026, they reunite with Ripple Music for their eagerly awaited second opus, Death Comes Twice. Digging deeper than Ritual, the new album weaves potent melodies and razor-sharp hooks through themes of death, medieval rituals, religious persecution, and generational hexes. It's a masterclass in inventive darkness—haunting, powerful, and daring you to climb in.
GOAT MAJOR is
Jammie Arnold - guitar Simon Bonwick - drums Tom Shortt - bass & vocals
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