Smoke Rites - Eager Eyes Of Talon (Album Review)

Release Date: January 06th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Eager Eyes Of Talon - Tracklisting

1.Golden Road 06:59

2.Eager Eyes of Talion 05:43

3.Nothing Never 04:28

4.10ft Dread 05:31

5.Death is a Five Letter Word 06:17

6.Charas Drift 01:27

7.Devil's Advocate 06:07

8.Wind of Most Cruel Kind 04:33

Members

Tomasz Mielnik - Vocal

Łukasz Borawski - Guitars

Adam Ziółkowski - Bass

Michał Kamiński - Drums

Monika Adamska-Guzikowska - Guest Vocal - Death is a Five Letter Word

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metallers Smoke Rites return with their second album Eager Eyes Of Talion and sees the band conjuring up similar smoked out themes heard on their 2022 debut album Total Lung Capacity. There’s an ever increasing style of Southern Metal, NOLA and Occult Metal sounds appearing which gives the record quite a classic seedy sound.

The sound can be quite abstract and very direct at times with Smoke Rites feeling like they grew up within the legendary NOLA scene and not from their native Poland. Though, Poland has a legendary Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene of their own with Smoke Rites flirting between Polish underground heaviness and full on American WEEDIAN surroundings throughout the album.

Opening track Golden Read bridges the gap between these two powerhouse scenes with Smoke Rites conjuring up a dominant Southern Metal style of music with an aggressive backdrop of Fuzzy and Seedy Stoner Metal melodies. The OCCULT DOOM energy appears in small flashes of the song which gives the band a great excuse to delve even further into the SABBATHIAN and ELECTRIC WIZARD influences that decimates and levels the whole drugged out playing field.

The vocals from Tomasz Borawski draw upon from a wide range of different vocalists which he uses to great advantage as Tomasz offers a superb style of his very own making that is delivered with a mixture of harsh, violent and full on Doom Metal vocal passages. Eager Eyes Of Talon is packed full of long drawn out and fuzzed up distorted movements with the raw-sounding aesthetics keeping Smoke Rites closely linked to the underground scene on tracks such as Eager Eyes Of Talion, Nothing Never and 10ft Dread.

These tracks see Smoke Rites venture into a more fantastical and over the top style of Doomed Out Metal with a slight psychological warfare being created through the heavy rhythm section of Adam Ziółkowski on Bass and Michał Kamiński on Drums that adds a mighty violent level of distorted terror in the background. Łukasz Borawski offers a non-stop onslaught of powerful Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves which should appeal to fans from the likes of Black Sabbath, DOWN, HIGH ON FIRE and Electric Wizard.

Some parts of the record almost transform into areas of Blackened Doom or Blackened Sludge Metal but Smoke Rites keep that seedy and drug influenced attitude as the “main glue” that holds everything together which becomes more dominant on tracks such as Death Is A Five Letter Word, Devi’s Advocate and Wind Of Most Cruel Kind.

Eager Eyes Of Talion offers bleak and intense HEAVY METAL entertainment from start to finish with stripped back production values allowing Smoke Rites to play to the best of their technical ability and with a ferocious and primal creative theme being one of the main strengths of the whole album. This is the type of album why the Polish underground HEAVY METAL scene is so highly regarded and for that reason I can’t recommend this album highly enough.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

US Heavy Rock Trio TEMPTRESS shares magnetic second single off new album "hear" on Blues Funeral Recordings. Full US Tour Starts Soon!

Dallas, Texas hybrid power trio TEMPTRESS share a magnetic new track and video taken from their upcoming sophomore full-length "hear", to be issued on January 23rd through Blues Funeral Recordings and supported by an extensive US winter tour.

 
️ Watch new Temptress video "Edge" below️ + listen to the single on all streaming services

About "Edge", the band comments, "the video gives a parallel to the song theme while showcasing the women of Temptress. It's a psychedelic trip with a style reminiscent of nostalgic era music videos and a fun look at what a night of getting ready in a greenroom could entail."

Bombastic yet delicate, crushing yet ethereal, driving yet dark, Temptress is a jigsaw of sonic touchstones with no audible seams. Fusing doom, post-rock, grunge and post-hardcore, their molten sonic blend flows and obliterates like a liquid metal assassin. "This album as a whole is deeply personal, with all of us equally putting our hearts and souls into the songs. It has a different feel than our priors and shows our growth and different influences, tripolar if you will," the band comments.With 200+ shows played in their relatively short tenure, their endless ideas and nuances slide perfectly into place thanks to its three members' vast live experience. Their upcoming sophomore album "hear" churns with searing riffs and dissonant grooves in an irresistible confluence of ideas, all materializing in their compelling male/female vocal trio and taking us on a journey through light and shadow. Fans of hybrid rock crushers such as Helms Alee, The Well, Heavy Temple should love this. Don't miss their previous single These Walls!


New album "hear" Out January 23rd on Blues Funeral Recordings
Preorder via Bandcamp / Bluesfuneral.com / SPKR shop

Temptress is a heavy trio founded in Dallas, Texas who fuse drone, doom, post-rock, noise, grunge and classic metal into an unexpected blend that sounds at times like each yet is also entirely unique. Comprised of veteran touring musicians Andi Cuba (drums/vocals), Kelsey Wilson (guitar/vocals) and Christian Wright (bass/vocals), Temptress began their musical journey in 2019. Within just five months, these experienced players went from jamming for fun to writing and recording their first potent songs, self-releasing the self-titled "Temptress" EP that year and immediately launching into live performances.

Recording their debut album "see" with Kent Stump (Wo Fat) at Crystal Clear Sound Studio and releasing the record in 2023 through Metal Assault Records, Temptress toured extensively to present their hybrid heaviness in the most natural and impactful setting. In their relatively short tenure, Temptress has played over 200 shows across the USA and Canada, sharing stages with bands like Khemmis, Royal Thunder, Eyehategod and Black Tusk, and performing at events like Ripplefest Texas, Grim Reefer Fest in Baltimore, Atlanta Doom Fest and the early days of Austin’s Gravitoyd Doom Fest.

Now signed to US independent powerhouse Blues Funeral Recordings, Temptress is ready to harness their relentless work ethic and explosive live presence to incinerate new stages and make instant new fans with their ambitious, genre-warping heaviness worldwide in support of their new album "hear" in 2026.

US West Coast shows:

1/23 Fri - Dallas, TX - Puzzles
1/24 Sat - Corpus Christi, TX - House of Rock
1/25 Sun - Austin, TX - The Lost Well
1/27 Tue - Tucson, AZ - Surly Wench Pub
1/28 Wed - San Diego, CA - Tower Bar
1/29 Thu - Yucca Valley, CA - Mojave Gold
1/30 Fri - Los Angeles, CA - The Moroccan Lounge
1/31 Sat - Sacramento, CA - Cafe Colonial
2/1 Sun - Eureka, CA - Siren's Song Tavern
2/3 Tue - Redding, CA - The Dip
2/4 Wed - San Francisco, CA - Neck Of The Woods
2/5 Thu - San Luis Obispo, CA - Dark Nectar
2/6 Fri - Palmdale, CA - Transplants Brewing
2/7 Sat - Las Vegas, NV - The Griffin
2/8 Sun - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room
2/10 Tue - El Paso, TX - Bye Bye Dear
2/11 Wed - Santa Fe, NM -Desert Dogs
2/12 Thu - Colorado Springs, CO -What's Left Records
2/13 Fri - Taos, NM - Goathead Collective Gallery
2/14 Sat - Tulsa, OK - Whittier Bar

Southeast shows w/ Friendship Commander:

2/18 Wed - Houston, TX - Black Magic Social Club
2/19 Thu - Baton Rouge, LA - Mid City Ballroom
2/20 Fri New Orleans, LA - Siberia
2/21 Sat - Mobile, AL - Alabama Music Box
2/22 Sun - Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic
2/24 Tue - Tampa, FL - Deviant Libation
2/25 Wed - Jensen Beach, FL - Dark Riff Records
2/26 Thu - Orlando, FL - Will's Pub
2/27 Fri - Jacksonville, FL - Hard Love
2/28 Sat - Savannah, GA - Totally Awesome Bar
3/1 Sun - Athens, GA - The World Famous
3/3 Tue - Atlanta, GA - Boggs Social
3/4 Wed - Asheville, NC - The Odd
3/5 Thu - Richmond, VA - Cobra Cabana
3/6 Fri - Durham, NC - Pinhook
3/7 Sat - Charlotte, NC - Snug Harbor
3/8 Sun - Chattanooga, TN - JJ's Bohemia
3/10 Tue - Birmingham, AL - Firehouse*
3/12 Thu - San Antonio, TX - Faust Tavern*
3/13 Fri - Harlingen, TX - Hop Shop*
3/14 Sat - Austin, TX - Stoner Jam SXSW*
*no Friendship Commanders

Temptress is

Andi Cuba – Drums & Vocals
Kelsey Wilson – Guitar & Vocals
Christian Wright – Bass & Vocals

Temptress links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Blues Funeral Recordings links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Matador - The House Always Wins (Single Review)

Release Date: January 06th 2026. Record Label: Church Road Records. Formats: DD

The House Always Wins - Tracklisting

The House Always Wins

Members

Scott Stronach - Drums

James Kirk - Guitar/Vox

Mark Ainsworth - Bass

Review

The House Always Wins is the lead single from Atmospheric Doom/Post-Metallers Matador upcoming new album Above, Below And So due for release in February 2026. The sound is a blazing mix of Post-Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, Stoner and Post-Rock with the band offering a multi-layered style of music with some outbursts of classic METALLIC energy. This is the first track from Matador to include vocals as the band have made the brave decision to move away from the instrumental scene they first made their names with.

The song is brilliantly authentic with plenty of Stadium Rock sized movements that sees Matador venture into Alternative Metal territory with intense Psychedelic passages appearing here and there. The vocals from James Kirk are a mixture of harsh screams and clean vocals which feels quite emotionally charged at the best of times. The music has a certain Progressive energy to them with a heavy “STOP/START” thuggish delivery being added within the later stages of the song. 

There are brief Post-Rock surroundings however Matador keeps everything within the Post-Metal world with small flashes of Ambient Rock that gives this song a more grounded atmosphere. This is a great song to open the album with and I’m quite excited to hear the rest of the album when it’s actually released.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Church Road Records for the details.

Above, Below and So is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl from Church Road Records.

Links 

LinkTree | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Exclusive Song/Video Premiere For DOOMGAZE Colletive Kæry Ann New Song TODESLIED From Upcoming New Album MOONSTONE

Photo by Giovanni Bocchi

"Moonstone”, the second studio album by Kæry Ann, nickname of the Italian singer-songwriter and guitarist Erika Azzini, is set for release on vinyl, CD and digital formats on 23 January 2026 via Subsound Records. Rooted in the ethereal dark folk and psychedelic essence of her debut album “Songs of Grace and Ruin”, this new work explores heavier territories, embracing doom and stoner influences. Through crushing riffs and haunting vocals, it reflects on loss, the forces of nature, and existential struggle. The production balances raw intensity with a deep, immersive atmosphere, enhancing the album’s emotional depth.

You can watch the new video for the stunning new single "Todeslied" from the upcoming new album Moonstone due for release via Subsound Records on CD/DD/Vinyl from 23rd January 2026 which oyu can pre-order from the following link below:

https://subsoundrecords.bigcartel.com/artist/kaery-ann

Rooted in the essence of psych/dark folk of her debut, Kæry Ann’s artistic journey expands as it embraces doom and stoner influences, exploring deeper and more immersive sonic landscapes. Her music delves into introspection, where emotions take shape through dreamlike and symbolic imagery. Her debut album, “Songs of Grace and Ruin”, was released in 2023 by the Berlin-based label Anomic Records. The record was well received by radio stations and music magazines, earning praise from Cvlt Nation, Post-Punk, Visions, and Rumore. Two of its tracks were selected for the soundtrack of the American film “Birth/Rebirth”, a Sundance Film Festival nominee, and the Italian crime series “Brenner”o. After the release, she toured across Europe with her band.

The new album will be presented on a European tour in the following cities:

TOUR 2026

22/01/2026 Brescia (IT) - Carmen Town
05/02/2026 Budapest (HU) - A38
06/02/2026 Wien (AU) - Arena (3Raum)
07/02/2026 Viechtach (DE) - Altes Spital
08/02/2026 Kusel (DE) - Kinett
09/02/2026 Karlsruhe (DE) - Z10
10/02/2026 Dortmund (DE) - FZW
11/02/2026 Siegen (DE) - Beautiful Noise
12/02/2026 Freiburg (DE) - Slow Club
13/02/2026 Berlin (DE) - BLO-Ateliers
14/02/2026 Copenhagen (DK) - Rahuset
15/02/2026 Hamburg (DE) - Deichdiele
18/02/2026 Nantes (FR) - Black Shelter
20/02/2026 Baden (CH) - Royal Baden
21/02/2026 Milan (IT) - CIQ

Moonstone due for release via Subsound Records on CD/DD/Vinyl from 23rd January 2026 which oyu can pre-order from the following link below:

https://subsoundrecords.bigcartel.com/artist/kaery-ann

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify | Youtube

Thanks to Samantha Stella for all of the details.

Mount Palatine - Wormholy World (Album Review)

Release Date: February 06th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records). Formats: CD/DD

Wormholy World - Tracklisting

1.The Sands 

2.Whispers of the Holy Land

3.The Dreaming

4.Panther Eyes

5.Ethereal

6.Newborn Sun

Members

Jean the Baron (guitar & vocals)

Count Boogie (bass)

Lord of the Groove (drums)

Review

Heavy Psych/Stoner Metallers Mount Palatine release their sophomore album Wormholy World and to make matters slightly confusing, the guys actually released their debut album Cockroach Conquest back in 2024 under their original name of The Paladin. This time round the band offer a more vibrant, progressive and surreal Psychedelic journey compared to their celebrated debut album. The echoes of that band still remain slightly with Mount Palatine playing areas of Psych Stoner Metal influenced by the likes of Mars Red Sky, Alice In Chains, King Buffalo and ELDER.

Wormholy World allows Mount Palatine to draw upon influences from the likes of YOB, UFOMAMMUT, OM and Mastodon with the music being more mature with explosive melodic themes traversing with heavy sludgier grooves which comes across the epic opening track of The Sands. Cockroach Conquest had a surreal sense of humour running within the main storyline but the band played everything seriously with the lyrics, vocals and instrumental passages offering a more grown-up creative theme. The vocals change from chants, harsh vocals and to a grizzled clean vocal delivery which adds a sense of gritty realism to Mount Palatine. With elements of Grunge, Doom and Space Rock attitude appearing towards the end of the song, this gives Wormholy World a truly cinematic and adventurous environment throughout.

Second song Whispers Of The Holy Land offers Meditative Doom movements and sludgy surroundings for a song that has an abstract Ambient and Post-Rock quality. The song is quite slow at first with the moody instrumental sounds giving time to breathe and expand into a heavier MASTODON-ian vibe with a haunting Cosmic Rock flavour never dominating the musical landscape. The vocals can be quite raw-sounding in places within the reflective parts of the song. Lead vocalist Jean The Baron moves between areas of Grunge, Psych and Stoner Metal dynamics which can be quite considered as SHAMANIC in places. Mount Palatine are quite philosophical with their lyrics that offer an endearing and highly engaging vibe into the record.

Third track The Dreaming sees Mount Palatine move into a chaotic style of Heavy Psych with flashes of distorted Progressive passages and experimental themes which do take time to fully settle down within the thrilling Post-Doom backdrop pushing the album further down the Space Rock vortex. There’s some heavy Ambient and Sonic distortion that can be slightly disjointed and fractured from reality but this is one of the standout tracks of the record. As Mount Palatine chop and change their musical direction with real dramatic flair that allows the PROG METAL flow to fully take control for the rest of the song. 

For the second half of the album, Mount Palatine pays homage to the likes of TOOL, SOUNDGARDEN and LOWFLYINGHAWKS where the record fully sees the band hit their creative and cinematic stride where everything becomes heavier, bolder, grander and more adventurous. The final three tracks of Panther Eyes, Ethereal and Newborn Son easily matches to the genuine of Psychedelic excitement and bombastic heaviness the first half of the album achieved with perhaps even more outlandish melodies and highly intense grooves that leave you wanting more throughout.

Wormholy World perhaps feels like the “real” or “true” debut album from Mount Palatine as this record is on another level compared to their previous album. With better production values and a brilliantly fleshed out vision, this album is an unmissable experience that will leave you breathless. This will easily be considered one of the year’s best albums when the year is finally over.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mount Palatine and Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Wormholy World is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records).

Links:

https://mountpalatine.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mountpalatine/
https://www.youtube.com/@mountpalatine
https://mountpalatine.com
https://linktr.ee/mountpalatine

A new chapter begins for Ruff Majik with the release of latest single Can Of Wyrms

South African heavy rock outfit Ruff Majik return with Can Of Wyrms, a stark and emotionally unguarded single that confronts suicide from the perspective of those left behind.

Rather than romanticizing loss or framing it through spectacle, Can Of Wyrms documents grief as an ongoing presence — unresolved, heavy, and communal. The song was written years ago, but only now finds its moment, arriving as the band re-emerge after a period marked by silence, distance, and personal reckoning.

Frontman Johni Holiday has previously spoken openly about PTSD, agoraphobia, and cycles of dependency formed while touring — struggles that ultimately led to Ruff Majik stepping away before the weight became fatal. That pause, and the clarity it forced, directly informs the song’s restraint. Can Of Wyrms does not seek answers. It acknowledges absence, as well as the battle waged by those in the thick of it.

Musically, the track balances Ruff Majik’s stoner-punk urgency with a raw yet anthemic vulnerability. Gang vocals — recorded with friends and members of the South African underground music community — form the emotional core of the song, reinforcing its central idea: this grief is shared, not isolated.

The single also features guest vocals by Ben from Slomosa, adding a further layer of communal voice and international solidarity to a deeply personal release.

All proceeds from Can Of Wyrms, including associated merchandise, will be directed toward mental-health support initiatives.

Buy / Stream Can Of Wyrms on BandCamp

The release coincides with Ruff Majik’s first live performance (31 January, Pretoria, South Africa) , since their hiatus — not framed as a victory lap, but as a statement of intent. In the band's own words: "There is work to be done."

 

Can Of Wyrms is not a eulogy. It is a warning, a remembrance, and a refusal to buckle under the pressures of the world.

This single is currently available on BandCamp only, and will be released on all other platforms on 16 January 2026. The band will take no requests for press until the first phase is complete.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

Thanks to Plug Music Agency for the details.

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST ITALY announces first wave of bands for May 2-3 edition in Torino and Bologna; tickets on sale now!

European stoner, doom and psych rock festival series Heavy Psych Sounds Fest reveals the first bands to play their Italian edition, taking place on May 2-3 at El Barrio in Torino and TPO in Bologna. Tickets are on sale now!

Get ready for another seismic weekend of riffs and fuzz as Heavy Psych Sounds Fest once again brings the heat to Bologna and Torino this May 2nd and 3rd, with another colossal lineup that will make both cities tremble! At the top of the bill, two forces of nature from the opposite ends of the heavy rock spectrum are ready to melt all faces in equal ways: time to soak in the sun-drenched, hypnotic jams of Greece’s hard psych-prog rock pillars Naxatras, and get instantly crushed by the smoked-out sludgy spells of Polish weed metal heroes Belzebong.

Coming straight from the United States, The Lords of Altamont will unleash their high-octane garage-punk fury, while -(16)- will trample upon all ears with their abrasive brand of sludge metal. Haunting as ever, psychedelic doom newcomers Litania will unfurl their entrancing spells in the most cathartic of ways, as Finnish stoner rock stalwarts Monsternaut will return to the stages for another demonstration of pure fuzzy power. Don't miss this dual-city celebration of all things stoner, doom and psych, and grab your weekend tickets while you can!

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Italy - Bologna @ TPO // Torino @ El Barrio
- May 2nd and 3rd, 2026 - Bologna tickets / Torino tickets 

About Heavy Psych Sounds

Headquartered in Rome, Heavy Psych Sounds Records is one of Europe's leading stoner, doom and heavy rock labels and the home to some of the most revered artists in the scene, such as Brant Bjork, Nick Oliveri, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Conan, Bongzilla, Yawning Man or Black Rainbows.

The underground cult label is not only a place for all heavy rock record collectors, but also an essential part of the live scene with its mini-festival series Heavy Psych Sounds Fest, gathering heavy music fans worldwide. Since its inception in 2015, the festival has taken over all major European cities, from London and Berlin to Paris, while also spreading its wings across the United States with events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Baltimore.

The festival has hosted some of the biggest names in the scene, consistently presenting an electric blend of HPS bands alongside top-tier acts from the international heavy scene such as High On Fire, Red Fang, Elder, Monolord, 1000mods, Messa, and many more over the years.

Heavy Psych Sounds links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.