Bronco Forte share 1st single from upcoming album (All Hail the Yeti, Batillus); 90s Stoner Rock a la Kyuss, Alice In Chains, Man's Ruin label

After so many iterations of heavy, desert-inspired doom rock over past decades, it seems the essence of purely driving riffs, earworm harmonies and strong songwriting that defined a genre has been forsaken. Bronco Forte are a return to the stark blast that made bands like Kyuss, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden legends.

After years of creative toil and preparation, Los Angeles quartet Bronco Forte is stepping into the spotlight as a fully-formed heavy rock phenomenon, with roots in the classic heavy music of the 1970s, seasoned with a deeply modern sensibility and sonic approach. The songs on their debut full-length album, Lightning Scars, chronicle the uncertain lives of ordinary people in the cities and wildernesses of California and beyond, as the characters they depict strive to maintain their integrity in the face of a rapidly-changing world.

The band’s lyrics balance literary style and kitchen-sink realism. Their riffs are deep and dirty, conjuring up the kinds of swinging grooves that cause involuntary head-nodding. The song structures are clever without being cluttered, and the band’s judicious use of vocal harmonies brings a powerful pop sweetness that cuts like a ray of light through the deep swampy stomp of their songs. It all adds up to a fresh yet familiar take on hard rock for a new era, as they draw inspiration and energy from their musical ancestors while casting aside the weary genre cliches of the past.

On Lightning Scars, guitarist and vocalist Chris Klepac’s focused songwriting and poignant lyrics meld seamlessly with guitarist Sako Injaian’s (All Hail the Yeti) energetic riffs to create a sonic tapestry that is somehow as catchy as it is heavy. Together, bassist Jen Glomboski (White Forest) and drummer Geoff Summers (Batillus, A Storm of Light) lay down a rhythmic foundation that is as solid and unwavering as the endless expanses of concrete and asphalt that blanket the band’s home of southern California.

Lightning Scars was tracked and mixed by engineer Kevin McCombs (Linkin Park, Story of the Year) at legendary North Hollywood studio The Steakhouse – the same studio where Queens of the Stone Age recorded Era Vulgaris. From there, the band took the audio to heavy rock mastering wizard Nick Townsend (Alice in Chains, Frankie and the Witch Fingers), who cut the resulting album to lacquer on his own personal lathe. Album art from Kevin “fetusK” Bernier (Prosthetic Records, Intronaut) completes the package.

Lightning Scars will be available on LP, CD and download on April 3rd, 2026. Pre-orders are available HERE.

BRONCO FORTE - LIVE 2026:

02/27 Los Angeles, CA - Permanent Records Roadhouse

Artist: Bronco Forte
Album: Lightning Scars
Label: self-released
Release Date: April 3, 2026

Tracklist

01. Emberwalker
02. Cultist Canyon
03. Goat Church
04. Towers
05. Hellascope
06. Scuffed Up
07. Dust Jacket
08. Lightning Scar
09. Obvious Alias
10. Sixteen Lanes

Links

linktr.ee/broncoforte
instagram.com/broncoforte
broncoforte.com
broncoforte.bandcamp.com

SNAKEDRIVERS - Kicks (EP Review)

Release Date: January 30th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Kicks - Tracklisting

1.Snakedriver 05:28

2.Cod'ine 05:28

3.The Future 04:51

4.Kicks 08:06

Members

Chi Lameo - Everything

Review

Kicks is the debut EP from Drone/Doom/Stoner Rock collective snakedrivers which is the new creative project from Spider Kitten’s very own Chi Lemeo. This time round Chi is focusing on playing upon a stylish blend of Drone, Blues, Psych and Stoner Rock and adding a sludgy shoegaze twist to this release. 

The features contains four tracks with the first three of them being actual covers with snakedrivers performing Snakedriver by The Jesus & Mary Chain, Cod'ine Cod'ine by Buffy Sainte-Marie and The Future by Leonard Cohen. The songs have been slowed right down and put through a DOOM-POP makeover with Chi adding trippy Shoegaze and Psychedelic effects which adds a level of Space Rock heaviness to the party. The vocals are quite different from what I’ve heard from Chi’s work with Spider Kitten but still offering a sense of seedy realism into the mix with shades of Grunge appearing.

The standout covers are most definitely Snakedrive and The Future. I wasn’t too familiar with Cod’ine but that’s still a wicked interpretation with snakedrivers playing a distorted and droned out Blues Rock sound with echoes of Grunge and Sludgy surroundings which gives a different flavour compared to the original. The same goes for Snakedriver and The Future but you can still hear slight resemblances to the original version.

I was more impressed by the final title track Kicks as it showcases what snakedrivers are really all about. The sound is played at a cautiously slow-to-mid pace with thunderous guitars guiding the listener into a darker Post-Punk and slightly industrial sound. The echoes of Blues Rock allows this track to have similar themes that Spider Kitten have played in the past but the sudden rush of Sludge/Stoner Rock passages aligns the music closer to acts such as Alice In Chains, QOTSA, FLOOR, HUM and TORCHE.

Kicks is a great EP for snakedrivers to release as their debut release. As it showcases a great style of Droned Out Stoner Rock that can easily allow snakedrivers to build up a loyal and dedicated following within the underground scene. I’m hoping Chi has more plans for snakedrivers and release more original music such as Kicks as that’s the standout track contained here. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

LinkTree | BandCamp | Instagram

DevilsHarvest - est.IV:XX (Album Review)

Release Date: January 02nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

est.IV:XX - Tracklisting

1.魔煙の奥底で散れ w. Hiroyuki Takano & Hyo Kagawa 12:27
2.Tombstone Tourist 07:30
3.On the Devils Playground w. Fight Lintner & Hyo Kagawa 04:43
4.Daughter of Horror w. Emanuel Portelli 14:47
5.AsMadAsHell 10:05
6.Indica//Sativa (CD Bonus Track) 10:15
7.Frequently (CD Bonus Track) 03:32

Members

All songs written and recorded by Johnny Rumble.
Except guest parts, those are written and recorded by the perfoming artist.
All Songs mixed and mastered by Johnny Rumble.

Emanuel Portelli (Hemplifier, Thy Legion)
Hiroyuki Takano (Sithter, ex-Church of Misery)
Hyo Kagawa (Sithter)
Fight Lintner (Hollowed)

Review

DevilsHarvest releases their latest twisted and violent creation est.IV:XX which is a fusion of evil sounding Doom, Drone, Sludge, Black Metal, Crust and Stoner Metal sounds. The main creative force behind Devil Harvest is Johnny Rumble is joined by some of his famous friends from the underground scene with the likes of Emanuel Portelli (Hemplifier, Thy Legion), Hiroyuki Takano (Sithter, ex-Church of Misery), Hyo Kagawa (Sithter) and Fight Lintner (Hollowed) who all lend a helping hand creating violent fucked up sounds throughout.

The album opens up with the epic first track 魔煙の奥底で散れwith Hiroyuki Takano and Hyo Kagawa and this is slow-to-mid played track that focus upon the more Blackened style of Drone, Doom and Crust Punk with the eerie distorted levels of amplified heaviness giving a more sinister vocal style throughout the song. The song can be quite slow-paced and brutally stubborn but you have to admire the bleak atmospherics that Johnny, Hiroyuki and Hyo have created here. This is perhaps my favourite track on the album as it showcases the most demonic themes on the whole album. There is also a blistering Stoner Metal riff-driven sound that appears towards the final stages of the track which showcases a different musical philosophy without losing all the nastiness or violent sounds that’s been built up previously.

Second track Tombstone Tourist is Johnny Rumble left to his own creative devices and this is a less aggressive and violent approach compared to the previous track. The song is still dominated by a violent Droned Out Fuzz attitude which aims for the top level of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION and MULTI-LEVEL FEEDBACK. The song is quite slow-paced yet again which does take time to fully find its groove. However, this is still a highly intriguing song to cause listeners nightmares with. DevilsHarvest conjures up an oppressive environment with overlapping droned instrumental passages that have a powerful “CHAINSAW!” and “INDUSTRIAL” effect.

Third song On the Devils Playground features Johnny joining forces with Fight Lintner & Hyo Kagawa for another round of crust punk aggression. The violent HARSH vocals appear once more for a song that has a slightly more chaotic and fast-paced direction with traces of Thrash Metal and Speed Metal appearing. This is a song built on nightmarish visions and distorted melodies with the whole journey becoming superbly evil with each passing second. There’s not much sense of melody on this track with DevilsHarvest focusing upon a sense of BLUNT WOUND TRAUMA style musical delivery.

Fourth track Daughter of Horror sees Emanuel Portelli joining the creative ranks of DevilsHarvest which opens with an Occult Doom soundbyte before settling down for an original style of Crust Punk, Doom Metal and Sludge Metal surroundings. This is quite an intriguing concept with the OCCULT and HORROR influence with DevilsHarvest playing different styles for Drone and Doom which makes this another of the standout tracks on the album. The song is slightly long at almost fifteen minutes in length but when the HEAVIER DISTORTED grooves take complete control then there is not stopping Johnny and Emanuel generating another FUCKED UP slice of ugly melodies of the highest order.

The final three tracks of AsMadAsHell, Indica//Sativa and Frequently sees Johnny Rumble on his own without his famous musical brotherhood to help him out and he pulls this off violent charm especially on tracks AsMadAsHell and Indica//Sativa. The PISSED OFF soundclips and depressive DRONE sounds just pushes the EVIL menacing instrumental passages into a surreal level of extreme darkness for the listener to fully survive from.

DevilsHarvest have released an exquisite record that is a brutally violent and surreal musical adventure that will SCARE you for a long time to come.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Chaykin Oleg - Ember (EP Review)

Release Date: December 11th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Ember - Tracklisting

1.Waters 03:39

2.Dirt 02:57

3.Void 06:26

4.Tuman 04:43

5.Candle 04:25

Members

Oleg Chaykin - Everything

Review

Ember is the debut EP from Chaykin Oleg who uses his love of bands such as Mastodon, GOJIRA and Norma Jean as the main influence and creative reference for his debut EP. The songs vary in different styles with Oleg focusing upon a modern style of Doom, Sludge, Post-Metal, Metalcore and Stoner Metal. The EP moves along at a cracking pace with Oleg playing some mighty fine slabs of modern day Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal especially on the excellent tracks of Waters, Void and Candle being my favourite aspects of the whole EP.

Oleg does try his hand at many different styles of Psych Metal along the way that does feel inspired by the classic Sludge/Stoner Metal era of Relapse Records which does add a massive cool sounding THROWBACK element into the mix. However, Oleg also excels with his vocals with a great style that makes his vocals quite easy to understand and even quite engaging along the way. The music is very fast-paced throughout with a subtle thuggish and thrash paced attitude dominating and controlling things behind the scenes.

Ember has been mixed and mastered by the legendary Sanford Parker known for working with bands such as YOB and EYEHATEGOD. So the record sounds superb from start to finish whilst maintaining a cool underground METAL vibe especially within the more psychedelic movements that appear on the latest stages of the EP.

Oleg does feel mostly inspired by the 2006 and 2009 era of Mastodon with some of the progressive sludge metal sounds that appear quite fittingly within the standout moments of the whole EP. Though, Oleg does inject his own great musical personality into the mix with his excellent musical skills and superb lyrics written for EMBER.

If you’re looking for an excellent “throwback” release to the classic years of the modern day Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal scene then Oleg has all bases fully covered with this outstanding EP. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

LinkTree | BandCamp | Instagram

Italian Psych Doomsters L'IRA DEL BACCANO unleashes new track "The Praise of Folly (Part.1)" from upcoming new album "The Praise of Folly"

Italian psych-doom instrumentalist quartet L'IRA DEL BACCANO unleashes new track "The Praise of Folly (Part.1)"; new album "The Praise of Folly" out February 20th 2026 on Subsound Records!

Check Out and Pre-order from the links below

STREAM || PRE-ORDER || SPOTIFY: 

RELEASED IN:

- 5 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS
- 300 12" LP BLACK
- 200 12" LP RIPPLE LIMITED
- CD DIGIPAK
-  Digital Download

The Band says:

" The Praise of Folly part1 is the first of a two chapters, 21 minutes long ,composition inspired by Erasmus of Rotterdam essay Morie Encomium. It's a one-way journey through what we imagined could be the various representations of folly — from its visionary aspect to anger, but also irony and lightness in facing life. The entire song has been recorded live in one, continuous passage for three times and then we decided wich one had the best vibe as a whole, no comping between takes to chase perfection for each section of the song. We wanted to keep the performance and general sound of the main intruments as "real" and LIVE as possible. Then we added some layers to emphasize some passages"

Tracklist :

Side A

-The Praise of Folly -part 1 & 2 (21 min)

Side B

-Stigma (13 min)
-Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead (8:44 min)

Production & Mix: Alessandro Santori
Main Instruments recorded LIVE in one take
Music by: A. Santori & R. Malerba
Arrangements: Santori with Malerba, Giannasso & Montemara'
Mastering by Claudio Gruer at Pisi Mastering Studio
Artwork by Michele Carnielli

The band will begin the live promotion of the album immediately after its release with an
initial series of concerts across Germany and Austria:

The Road to Folly 2026 Tour

25/02 Salzburg - Rockhouse
26/02 Wien - Venster 99
27/02 Bayreuth - Glashaus
28/02 Berlin - Neue Zukunft - Blues Bumps Fest
01/03 Dresden - Chemiefabrik
03/03 Weimar - C. keller
04/03 Nuremberg - Kunstverein
05/03 Recklinghausen - Backyard Club
06/03 Würzburg - Immerhin
07/03 Erlangen - Transfer
27/03 Rome - Defrag
More TBA

The Lowdown

Rome based L'IRA DEL BACCANO melt doom & stoner rock influences such as Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Monster Magnet; the psychedelia of Pink Floyd & Hawkwind; the heavy-prog vibes of early Rush; modern bands like Motorpsycho, Elder, Monolord and the italian progressive heritage.

Since 2014, the collaboration with the Italian label Subsound Records has led to the release of four full-lengths and one split album: Terra 42 (2014), Paradox Hourglass (2017), Si non
Sedes is Live (2018), Cosmic Evoked Potentials (2023) & Tempus Deorum (2025). In 2026, the fifth album, The Praise of Folly, will be released.

L'IRA DEL BACCANO has toured intensely Europe and participated in festivals as Dome Of Rock , Psychedelic Network Festival, Pietrasonica Fest.

Thanks to the broad and heterogeneous kind of listeners, who goes from metalheads to progressive rock fanatics and Stoner-Doom fan the band played in different kinds of venues and shared the stage also with different types of bands. (Church of Misery, Ozric Tentacles, Ufomammut, Zu, Nebula, Orange Goblin, Samsara Blues Experiment and more). Power, dynamics, psychedelic sounds layers and a love for improvisation are the defining features of the Italian combo’s live shows. The long tracks that have always characterized

L’Ira Del Baccano are in constant evolution and motion during every concert.

L'IRA DEL BACCANO is:

Alessandro Santori- Guitars, Loops, Synths
Roberto Maldera- Guitars, Fx, Slide Guit, Synths

Gabriele Montemara'- Bass
Gianluca Giannasso - Drums

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Damndest - What Did We Expect? (Album Review)

Release Date: January 15th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

What Did We Expect? - Tracklisting

Intro

Noise Means Nothing

Games

Realism

Home (FB)

Capsaicin Sea

Escapism

Force of Habit

Anytime, Anyplace

Many Yous

Members

Tim O’Keefe

Michael Taggart

Review

What Did We Expect? is the debut album from Post-Punk/New Wave/Shoegaze Rockers Damndest and it’s slightly different from our usual scheduled underground Doom/Stoner based programming. However, I’ve gotten back into the whole Shoegaze scene quite a bit over the last eighteen months or so and I was majorly impressed by what Damndest have achieved here for their debut album. 

The whole record is one of reflection, moody surroundings and emotionally charged soundscapes that delves into areas of dark thematic themes. However the record can be superbly uplifting throughout the whole cinematic journey that Damndest takes the listener upon. The record does move into areas of Alt Rock, Indie Rock and even Psych Rock in places. Though, for the most part, Damndest takes influences from the likes of New Order, HUM, Slowdive, NOTHING and The Cure. The music is deeply rooted in the eighties and nineties Shoegaze environment with a Post-Punk attitude being projected through the lyrics and stunning vocals that accompany the music.

What Did We Expect? starts off in an exceptional way with the opening tracks of Intro, Noise Means Nothing and Games outlining Damndest’s main creative themes. Everything is played very low-key with Damndest keeping close to their Shoegaze narrative with the music not being overtly heavy but still demonstrating a wealth of Alt Rock and Shoegaze melodies.

There’s a Post-Rock element that starts to develop within the stunning tracks Games and Realism which gives the album a real grounded dimension that can be quite reflective especially when Damndest start experimenting with Ambient Sounds and trippy themes. This style of music becomes more part of the action as Damndest feels inspired by the likes of The Cure, HUM and REM on tracks such as HOME (FB) and Capsaicin Sea. 

There is a sudden shift to gloomy atmospherics for the later stages of the record which allows that sullen and emotionally charged style of Post-Punk and Shoegaze to combine for some of the most engaging sounds on the whole record. Most of the tracks run under four minutes in length with Damndest staying away from the Prog Rock world for the whole record. This allows the music to be ALL KILLER and NO FILLER with Damndest superbly using every single second to their advantage in delivering a haunting musical experience. 

Some folks may think some heavier dynamics are required but What Did We Expect? perfectly captures Damndest’s wicked sense of LO-FI blend of sonic exploration which shows a different side of Shoegaze. Sure, it doesn’t reach the dazzling and heavier heights of recent Shoegaze records from SOM and SLOW CRUSH but the musical impact is just the same. As this record is a first rate release for Shoegaze fans to fully get behind and truly get excited about.

Words by Steve Howe

What Did We Expect? will be available to buy digitally on all digital platforms from Thursday 15th January 2026.

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Hrmülja - Dream Horizons (EP Review)

Release Date: January 09th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Dream Horizons - Tracklisting

Dream Horizons

Disturbance

If You Allow

Moonlight Solar

Members

Baja – Vocals and Bass

Kukec – Rhythm Guitar

Iggy – Lead Guitar

Kekez – Drums

Review

Croatian Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers Hrmülja make a welcome return after a seven year absence with their latest EP  - Dream Horizons. I remember listening to Hrmülja’s self titled debut album back in 2019 and being majorly impressed by their great style of Psych Stoner Metal that was inspired by the likes of SLEEP, King Buffalo, ELDER and Monolord. Though, what impressed me the most was Hrmülja’s great use of Progressive Rock/Metal themes that give their music a more destructive quality and for the most part Dream Horizons keeps with a similar style of music heard on their debut album.

However, Dream Horizons has a more mature Post-Metal sound with TOOL-esque cinematic soundscapes, burgeoning sludgy atmospherics and a harsh GRUNGE aspect that calls upon the likes of Alice In Chains and Soundgarden within the bombastic opening tracks of Dream Horizons and Disturbance. The whole record is moody, unflinching and the Doomed Out instrumental passages having a destructive quality with Hrmülja writing hard-hitting lyrics to keep everything real with the Psychedelic environment being quite trippy and fantastical at times.

The vocals from Baja are predominantly inspired by the Doom, Grunge and Sludge Rock worlds with his vocals tapping into the best aspects of each genre and delivering a brilliant and wholly committed performance. Dream Horizons works best when Hrmülja moves into areas of Post-Rock, Shoegaze and Post-Doom as the music is more intricate and emotionally engaging. There feels like a never-ending supply of trippy modern instrumental sounds that have the power to do some actual good in the real world.

The final two tracks If You Allow and Moonlight Solar offer more musical and sonic exploration with Hrmülja channelling the likes of YOB, Mastodon and Pallbearer that results with some of the best melodies and heavy riffs on the whole EP. 

Dream Horizons lasts for around nineteen minutes but feels longer and that’s a great thing as Hrmülja leaves you fully satisfied with every repeated listen. This is a great record for Hrmülja to come back with and I’m hoping we don’t have another long wait for their next release. As Hrmülja are onto something special with this highly magnificent release. Plain and Simple.

Words by Steve Howe

Dream Horizons  will be available to buy digitally on all digital platforms from Friday 09th January 2026.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram