Problem With Dragons - Permian (Album Review)

Release Date: September 11th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Permian - Tracklist

1.Deeply Divided 02:34

2.The Age of Sin

3.And All Are Anointed by God

4.Suspended

5.Lone Rider

6.Permian 06:32

7.Thine Right Eye

8.This Will Not End Peacefully

9.Reset The Future

Review

Problem With Dragons offer another warped slice of modern Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal with Prog Metal movements on their latest record Permian. This gives the band the freedom to do whatever they want as they continue that great run of developing slightly off-beat fractured songs that have a killer FAITH NO MORE influence to them. The band add a heavier downbeat style to their music with freaky psychedelic grooves that transform into a sublime Industrial Doomed Out theme which has been a major aspect of their music for the last decade or so.

Problem WIth Dragons adds free-flowing sonic and ambient beats along the way as Permian taps right into a classic Science Fiction feel compared to their previous albums. The sludgy sounds are quite anthemic with a frightening real life focus coming into play on tracks such as Deeply Divided, The Age Of Sin and And All Are Anointed by God setting the scene for a sudden shift into real Apocalyptic surroundings.

Some sections of the album once again sees Problem With Dragons merge Prog Metal ideology against the modern Sludge/Stoner Metal melodies where things feel quite disjointed and switched off from the modern day world. The whole thing is wonderfully fucking weird which isn’t a big shock to me but it’s how dark Problem With Dragons have become with some of the yrics contained on the album and also how experimental they are with certain sound effects.

There is a frenzied and pissed off approach with how the band deliver their music as well by applying a fuzz metal structure to the album with a violent COSMIC DOOM story line becoming more real with each passing moment. However, the guys always allow the listener to be fully part of the whole experience which becomes more powerful within the down-tuned, stripped back and droned out soundscapes that offer a trippy nightmarish presence to fully emerge from behind the scenes.

The ELECTRONIC and GLITCHY beats can be quite jarring and unsettling but that’s possibly the point why they’ve been included here as Problem With Dragons create a disturbing experience within the intense riff-centric Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves that appear here. There’s also some wicked DOOM-POP and RADIO FRIENDLY METAL sounding parts included on this record which is one of my favourite aspects on the whole album.

Permian feels like a message is being sent into the COSMOS from humanity after it’s completely destroyed itself with each song telling the listener what happened. The end result is very non-linear and is perhaps down to the listener’s imagination to fully piece everything together. If you’re only here for the music itself then Problem With Dragons never disappoint in that score especially if you’re a fan of the likes of MASTODON, BARONESS, SOUNDGARDEN, FAITH NO MORE and MONSTER MAGNET.

The record is an extraordinary “AUDIO” experience as there’s not many bands like Problem With Dragons who can create different PSYCHEDELIC and SPACED OUT frequencies that are set against a backdrop of classic WEEDIAN grooves. The lyrics and vocals are equally inventive which once again has been a major part of the band’s success over the years especially on tracks Suspended, Lone Rider, Permian, Thine Right Eye and Reset The Future.

Some folks may be put off by the sheer schizophrenic nature of how the music is delivered but that's a great thing about Problem With Dragons, as they're always thinking outside the box where not many bands can possibly create or fully touch.

Problem With Dragons have delivered the goods yet again with another first rate and classic sounding record that’s full of brilliant songs from start to finish that manages to bring something cool and unique to the party.

Words by Steve Howe

Permian is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links

Linktree | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Danish Doom Metal quintet SONIC MOON returns with new album "In Lack Of Clarity" on Ripple Music this November; stream first single "Weightlessness"!

Danish melodic doom metal merchants SONIC MOON have inked a worldwide deal with US label Ripple Music for the November 6th release of their sophomore full-length "In Lack Of Clarity", with its crushing debut single available now on all streaming platforms!

Stream Sonic Moon's towering new single Weightlessness 

Denmark's up-and-coming heavy doom merchants Sonic Moon are set to return with their sophomore effort and Ripple Music debut: In Lack of Clarity. The new material pushes toward heavier and darker territory — menacing stoner doom riffs wrapped in hazy psychedelia, cathedral-sized grooves and soaring vocals. Like their 2023 debut album, it was recorded and produced by the band in their own studio, with mixing and mastering by Haldor Grunberg at Satanic Audio (Behemoth, Weedpecker, Dopelord). 

"The album emerged from a more personal introspective view. We felt inspired to explore the heavier side of the genre on this album, and it certainly has a doom-feel to it. We spent a lot of time experimenting in the studio and tried out a lot of ideas, making it DIY in our own way. With our combined creativity and, at times, ingenuity we have created an album that resembles us as individuals all while diving head first into the deep end of doom," says Sonic Moon.

SONIC MOON "In Lack Of Clarity" - Out November 6th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Formed in the fall of 2016 in the suburbs of Aarhus, Denmark, Sonic Moon came together around a shared love for heavy, hypnotic rock. The original lineup spent their early days writing in a cold, rundown house, drawing from the likes of Electric Wizard, Kyuss, All Them Witches or Colour Haze. In 2021, new bassist Niclas Fritz Sørensen joined the band, rounding out the current lineup.

After several EPs and a steady run of live shows, the band honed their sound in their own studio and issued their debut full-length Return Without Any Memory in 2023 via Olde Magick Records. The album found its audience in the stoner and doom underground, picking up favorable reviews from major scene tastemakers such as The Obelisk or Doomed & Stoned, while reaching #7 on the monthly Doom Charts and appearing on multiple year-end lists. Described by The Sleeping Shaman as “incredibly difficult to pigeonhole”, the record leaned into fuzz-heavy guitars, slow-burning grooves, and a melancholic, psychedelic atmosphere.

To support the album, Sonic Moon played shows across Denmark with acts like Weedpecker and 1000mods, and took their first trip outside the country in the spring of 2024 for dates in Germany and the Netherlands. Since then, the band has been writing and recording their sophomore effort, In Lack of Clarity, marking their debut release on Ripple Music, the California-based label known for work with The Obsessed, Hermano, Wo Fat, Colour Haze and countless stoner and doom acts of the international scene.

Sonic Moon is

Oliver Lyngkilde - Vocals
Jeppe Rasmussen - Guitar
Emil Damgaard Andersen - Guitar
Niclas Fritz Sørensen - Bass
Emil Gam Klinkby - Drums

Sonic Moon links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Exclusive Song/Video Premiere For Psych/Noise/Space Rockers DEAD SEA APES New Song SEVERANCE From Upcoming New Album

Dead Sea Apes are back with a fierce new album Psychic Tension – an urgent soundtrack for the nerve-shredding times we live in. Our collective psyche is under attack, reeling from the chaos of a modern world under siege: from war, death, destruction and climate catastrophe to political decay, media manipulation, growing inequality and the rank depravity of the so-called elite. Do we overload ourselves with anxiety, vent our frustration at others, make token gestures to ease our conscience, or just try to carry on regardless? Dead Sea Apes have wrestled these dilemmas – this Psychic Tension – into sonic/musical form, creating catharsis from the chaos.

Psychic Tension picks up where the previous album Rewilding left off, carrying forward the momentum of massive riffs, juggernaut rhythms and squalling sonic overload. Noise-rock, Japanese psych, minimal dub and Electric-era Miles are all part of the mix: each member of Dead Sea Apes brings decades of musical exploration to bear on the music. The iterative repetition of Can meets the telepathic mind-meld of the power trio; the deceptive simplicity of Crazy Horse is pulled through the sonics of PSF Records; the live-in-the-practice-room energy is bolstered by layered landscapes of sound - from ethereal echoes to feedback drones to transistor-torturing lead lines.

Dead Sea Apes have always followed their own path, the music instinctively wired into the world around them. On Psychic Tension, they have once again cooked up a sound that is wholly their own, speaking directly to the turmoil within us and surrounding us in these wild times.

Thanks to the cool folks over at Shamedia, we're excited to premiere the new song/video for Severance from their upcoming new album Psychic Tension

Brett Savage from Dead Sea Apes says this about the song:

"Severance’ is one of the heaviest songs we've written - and one that we really love playing live. It's like a guided missile - I know that when we get to that part of the show, ‘Severance’ just pulls us through to the end. The title isn't a reference to the TV show BTW (which I've

since watched), it's just a word that we felt was as heavy as the song."

Biography

Dead Sea Apes are a Manchester-based three-piece psych-noise band. Taking influences from across the full spectrum of psychedelic rock, noise-rock, krautrock, Japanese psych, dub, and elsewhere, they create a sound that is wholly their own. A vital fixture of the UK rock underground, Dead Sea Apes have shared stages with seminal acts such as The Heads, Part Chimp, Carlton Melton, and Acid Mothers Temple.

Formed in 2009, the band have become a cornerstone of the independent scene, releasing over 10 albums – including collaborations with artists such as The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol and Black Tempest. Much of their catalogue has found a home on the widely celebrated UK psychedelic label Cardinal Fuzz, alongside stateside partnerships with the legendary Feeding Tube Records.

Psychic Tension Tracklist:

01. Damn Your Eyes
02. Psychic Tension
03. Severance
04. Ursa Minor
05. Deathless

Photo by Lee Edwards

Dead Sea Apes is:

Brett Savage - Guitars
Jack Toker - Bass, Guitars
Chris Hardman - Drums

Dead Sea Apes new album Psychic Tension releases 18th September 2026. Pre-sales will start imminently via Cardinal Fuzz in the UK and Feeding Tube Records in the USA.

Links

Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook

Thanks tot Lee Edwards at Shamedia for the details

Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metallers CHIMPGRINDER Announce Upcoming New Album Chimpgrinder (Remixed & Remastered) To Be Released Via ANIMAL WING RECORDS

Animal Wing Records to share our debut release (AWR-001): a fully remixed and remastered reissue of the long-out-of-print demo from heavy sludge/stoner outfit Chimpgrinder, dropping October 2 for Bandcamp Friday.

The EP’s origins are as bleak as its sound. It was recorded inside an 11x11 concrete cell in the decommissioned animal testing wing of the Johnsville Naval Air Development Center. Practicing among floor tie-downs, an inactive incinerator, and abandoned cages, the band captured this foundational session through a spiderweb of ambient mics and unrefined DIY tracking.

Featuring vocalist Aaron Gerwer, the record delivers a dark, allegorical narrative voiced by "Oliver"—a figure whose plight mirrors real-world struggle and existential isolation, anchored by punishing riffs and raw noise. This new master restores the lost low-end weight while preserving the cold, claustrophobic atmosphere of the original room.

Release Details:

Artist: Chimpgrinder
Title: Chimpgrinder (Remixed & Remastered)
Release Date: October 2, 2026 (Lead single “Parachute Malfunction” drops Sept 4)
Formats: Ultra-limited Lathe-Cut Vinyl, Cassette, CD, Digital
FFO: Melvins, Acid Bath, EYEHATEGOD, '90s noise rock

Here's a short video for the excellent new single Parachute Malfunciton:

You can pre-order Chimpgrinder (Remixed & Remastered) now on CD, Cassette, Digital and Vinyl from Animal Wing Records

Chimpgrinder Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Thanks to Animal Wing Records and Chimpgrinder for the details.

Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree - In Between Strides (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

In Between Strides - Tracklist

1. Departure

2. Respite

3. Clutching at Straws

4. Elisa

5. Return, Precipice

Members

Simon Weinrich – guitar, vocals, Rhodes piano

Marc Dreher – drums, vocals, Rhodes piano

Lucas Dreher – guitar

Christopher Popowitsch – bass

Review

Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree return with their exquisite fourth album In Between Strides which will surely establish them once and for all as one of the most refreshing and essential modern day Psychedelic Doom/Post-Metal outfits the scene currently has right now. The band perhaps rely on a refreshing style of Ambient Metal unlike ever before with this release which allows them to construct the perfect musical gateway in delivering their sublime Post-Rock vs Post-Metal based structures. 

Though, the band still build those Post-Metal foundations on a solid level of Psychedelic Doom Metal with moody Stoner Rock based measures which comes superbly well within the opening tracks of Departure and Respite. Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree construct an epic cinematic narrative with their lyrical content and the haunting vocals that appear with a dedicated Alternative melody allowing the band to deliver sludgier instrumental sounds.

Some of the songs are quite fractured which reminds me of Pelican and Russian Circles in places but it’s the winning meditative energy that brings everything back together. With a free-flowing creativity matched only by the likes of ELDER and YOB, there’s always something unique, heavy and emotionally rewarding being played within every track.

In Between Strides allows Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree to experiment with areas of Drone Rock, Shoegaze and Prog Rock which arrives on different parts of the album. The band even experimented with haunting piano melodies with both Simon Weinrich and Marc Dreher playing superb instrumental pieces on the Rhodes Piano. 

The second track Respite is more of a Jazzy Post-Rock interlude which showcases a more caring and tender side of the band which is beautifully played and layered with small movements of Psych Rock and Spaced Out sounds. There’s a small glimmer of Drone appearing within the closing stages which allows the band to add a brief sense of gloom and hopefulness into the mix.

Third track Clutching At Straws sees the band return to that heavy Doomgaze world with echoes of Psychedelic Doom being the main focus with distorted sludgy rhythms developing into a modern Post-Metal sound. This is layered with choppy instances of Sludge and Drone with a harsh backdrop of Stoner Metal which is the heaviest part of the album and perhaps the band’s career to date. Everything feels like it is being destroyed before being rebuilt in a more peaceful and hopeful image when the uplifting Ambient Post-Rock melodies appear within the final moments. 

The final two tracks of Elisa and Return, Precipice is a great combination of cinematic based surroundings which sees Bees Made Honey in The Vein Tree to further explore different areas of Doomed Out Heaviness with Elisa really hitting some hard-hitting emotionally charged movements. The vocals are excellent once more but it’s the progressive themes and technical sounds that capture the imagination especially from Marc Dreher (Drums) and Christopher Popowitsch (Bass) as they form a great understanding with that epic rhythm section.

This allows Lucas Dreher (Guitar) and Simon Weinrich (Guitar) to create world-expanding Cosmic based guitar passages which becomes more Space Rock dominated though still holding the band’s core instrumental sound. The vocals do become more depressing, bleak and ultimately destructive within the final track of Return, Precipice with music even transforming into a heavier blend of Blackened Post-Metal but with that sublime Post-Doom momentum still being heard within the background.

This is another album of the year from Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree, as In Between Strides is the band’s heaviest, aggressive and most unique sounding record yet. The music is wonderfully precise, beautifully sweet and equally as destructive the next. The whole journey feels like one grand musical adventure which instantly draws you in with its sweeping romantic Doomed Out measures that will leave you in a tranquil state of being.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to All Noir and Magnetic Eye Records for the details.

In Between Strides is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records.

Links

https://beesmadehoneyintheveintree.com
www.facebook.com/beesmadehoneyintheveintree
www.instagram.com/beesmadehoneyintheveintree

Exclusive Premiere Of Psych/Stoner/Space/Kraut-Rockers HIJSS New Song/Video for DOPAMINE From Upcoming Self Titled Album

From northern Italy's summits, through clouds and airplanes, a wall of sound spirals downhill as hijss marks it's birth. Stimulated by the musical instinct of the band's mastermind Lois Lane (guitar, vocals, electronics), Maurice's (drums) ferocious hits and Pan’s (bass & synth) catchy scales the music does not only scratch the surface but goes deep under your skin. The band puts genres in the background zapping from punk over wave to space and psychedelic rock. The outcome is a melting pot called: kosmo kraut. That means whatever you want it to mean...

Thanks to the amazing folks over at Purple Sage PR and Heavy Psych Sounds we're excited to premiere the new song/video for DOPAMINE from the upcoming new self-titled album due for release on September 18th 2026.

New album "hijss" - Out September 18th on Heavy Psych Sounds

HIJSS links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

STUIK - In Sanity (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

In Sanity - Tracklist

All The Fuzz

Feel Alive

Foolishness

Roots

Stilted

Loosen The Noose

Laughter

In Sanity We Trust

Lucid Haze

Alone and Alive

Members

Jana Dutohlav on bass and vocals

Pieter Houben (ex-Splendidula) on guitar and vocals

David Vandegoor (ex-Moshlim, ex-Splendidula) on guitar

Patrick Vanderhenst (ex-Solenoid, ex-Splendidula) on drums.

Review

In Sanity is the debut album from Doom/Sludge Stoner Metallers STUIK who are formed with ex-members of Splendidula and Solenoid with the band influenced by the likes of Red Fang, Mastodon and KYUSS but with a gloomier Alt Rock sound. The mood is quite different to Splendidula and Solenoid but they do keep similar gloomier themes on their debut album but with more focus on a great way of delivering intense and stripped back riffs. 

STUIK employ similar Progressive melodies used by the likes of Mastodon and Baroness but break out into different Psychedelic passages with KYUSS being a great influence for the band to weave that gloomy Desert/Stoner Rock sound into the mix. The use of subtle Hard Rock, Punk and Sludge Rock dimensions is applied very early on within the album on tracks such as All The Fuzz, Feel Alive and Foolishness.

There are moments of DOOM & GLOOM and Shoegaze vibes emerging within the emotionally charged vocals that are delivered by Pieter Houben and Jana Dutohlav that form a winning combination when they both appear on the same track(s) contained on the album.

With a melodic backdrop of slow-paced grooves being used sparingly and to great effect before STUIK channel that modern day Progressive Sludge/Stoner Rock into a faster style of music that gives complete focus for the band to play heavier sounds and write emotionally charged vocals to match. The whole thing never feels forced and STUIK never outstay their welcome as they develop some intriguing and well-constructed songs throughout which allows them to play aggressive soundscapes with a thumping metallic energy.

STUIK becomes ever more confident with each passing track as the harsh Desert Rock environment allows the listener to front and centre of the action on tracks such as Roots, Stilted, Loosen The Noose, In Sanity We Trust and ‘Alone and Alive’. There’s a great style of Post-Doom and Psychedelic heaviness that appear within these tracks that makes you feel that STUIK have been around for yours and not delivering their debut album.

The later stages of In Sanity does have a distinct Grunge appearance that gives this album a seedy tone whilst elevating the FUZZIER and PUNK sounds to become the most soulful of the record. STUIK could have played some faster based grooves and melodies within the quieter moments of the album. However, I understand why they took this creative choice and it does perhaps give the album a more satisfying and emotional conclusion.

STUIK have still managed to deliver a superbly realized debut album that should no doubt allow them to make a great impression within the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene. In Sanity is an unexpected sludgy and doomed out delight from beginning to end.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music