Her Name Was Fire - Obsidian Light (EP Review)

 

Release Date: 08th May 2026. Record Label: Self Released.Formats: DD

Obsidian Light - Tracklisting

00:00 Electrify

04:24 Facekicker

07:21 Head on the wall

11:16 Better Days

16:23 Steamed

Review

Obsidian Light is the latest EP from Psych/Stoner Rockers Her Name Was Fire. The band add a very cool sounding Alternative Rock and Grunge based attitude into their music. The EP lasts around twenty minutes across five tracks with the music being quite commercially friendly with influences such as Foo Fighters, QOTSA and Alice In Chains appearing within the whole EP. 

There are certain sections with Her Name Was Fire applying a solid Post-Doom and Post-Stoner melody within the progressive elements of the EP especially on tracks such as Electrify and Firecracker. It does take time for Her Name Was Fire to fully move over into the Heavy Stoner Rock spectrum but when they achieve that level then the EP takes a wonderful creative energy of its own which appears through the later stages of the second standout track Firecracker. The band continues that great momentum on the other tracks with Better Days and Steamed being the other standout tracks on the EP.

Her Name Was Fire are a super-tight unit as they demonstrate a very keen ear for tone, aggression and melody which should keep fans of Nineties Heavy Rock very happy indeed. The EP has some great production values which allows the band explore the heavier aspects of the Stoner Rock underground scene whilst keeping allowing their own great style of highly energetic Stadium Rock sound to become a major aspect of the record.

Obsidian Light is a great EP with plenty of aggressive and highly anthemic moments that transports the listener to a simpler time where the message of the record means as much as the music itself. The sound can be quite off-kilter as Her Name Was Fire aligning themselves more closely to the “HIPPER” style of Stoner Rock that QOTSA are more known for playing today on the final moments of the EP.

Her Name Was Fire have released a superbly realised and quite grounded record that offers spectacular entertainment throughout.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Psych/Stoner Rockers ORB Release New Song/Video For REFLECTIONS

Formed in Lithuania in 2011, ORB is a force of nature. Their sound is highly influenced by classic heavy metal bands, the stoner metal movement and general blasphemy.

Heavy grooves, catchy riffs and forbidden rituals of magick.

ORB have just released their stunningly heavy new song REFLECTIONS which has a classic looking and very trippy new video to accompany the song which you can watch below:

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | LinkTree

Italian Desert Rock Psychonauts Bantoriak Announce New Album “Vol. II”; First Single “Blu Bus” Feat. Sergio Ch. Out Now

Italian desert cult rock psychonauts BANTORIAK return to unveil their long-awaited new album “Vol. II”, set for release on June 19th, 2026 via CD, colored vinyl and digital formats on Argonauta Records. Seven years after their acclaimed debut Weedooism, the band opens a new sonic chapter, expanding their vision into a deeper and more immersive psychedelic experience.

Conceived as the solo vision of Izio Orsini (Rancho Bizzarro), BANTORIAK evolves on this new chapter into a collective ritual, bringing together longtime collaborators and fresh contributors. The result is a hypnotic blend of psychedelic doom, drenched in a warm, vintage 70s-inspired sound, where desert winds meet humid, mystic atmospheres and hard blues inflections.

To mark the announcement, the band unveils the first single “Blu Bus”, featuring the legendary Sergio Ch. of Los Natas and Soldati on lead guitar. The track stands as a manifesto of the album’s spirit: expansive, gritty and deeply evocative, channelling the raw essence of desert rock through swirling jams and magnetic grooves.

LISTEN HERE https://tidal.com/track/517988755/u

“Vol. II” is a shared experience shaped by a remarkable cast of musicians, including:
Dome La Muerte, Sergio Ch. (Los Natas), Marco Gambicorti (Rancho Bizzarro), Toto Barbato (The Cage, Snaporaz), Omar Tognotti, Giacomo Cerri (Vesta), Rosy Ninivaggi (Profanal), Valentina Erre, Jacopo Pannokkia, Filippo Del Bimbo (Supernaughty), Andrea Appino (Zen Circus), Mattia Cominotto (Green Fog Studio), Giacomo Vaccai.

From the scorching deserts of California to the dense, humid echoes of India, “Vol. II” unfolds through hypnotic jams, heavy riffs and a timeless psychedelic aura, confirming BANTORIAK as a unique voice within the European underground.

Tracklist

Vol II
Blu Bus
Ritualism
Liquid Brain
Kairot
La Muerte
Amanita
Karpura

Stay tuned for more music, pre-orders and upcoming announcements.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/bantoriakDoom
https://www.instagram.com/bantoriak.ii/
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Solar Mantra - State of Joyful Lightness (Album Review)

Release Date: 8th May 2026. Record Label: Argonauta Records.Formats: CD/DD

State Of Joyful Lightness - Tracklisting

Dynamite -5:15

Avetrana - 2:30

Appaloosa - 5:53

A Brand New Grave - 3:42

Holy Water - 4:59

Lucky Mia - 5:13

Morning Glory - 5:03

Shelter - 5:07

Piñacolada - 4:17

Raging River Of Fear (Captain Beyond cover) - 3:50

Review

Five years have passed since Psych/Stoner Rockers Solar Mantra released their debut album Away which established as them an exciting force of nature with their own blend of Stoner Rock sounds with Classic Hard Rock influences being used to superb effect. The band have returned with their latest album State Of Joyful Lightness which has a more sullen blend of Grunge, Psych, Alt-Rock, Doom and Post-Punk themes. With an ever growing display of diverse musical influences, Solar Mantra aim for a heavier and gloomier sound whilst keeping within the Stoner Rock groundwork they delivered on their debut album.

The sound of the album can be dominated by Stoner, Psych and Alt-Rock influences before changing into a Punk Rock aesthetic which you can hear within the first two opening tracks of Dynamite and Avetrana. These two tracks alone lay down the musical rules that Solar Mantra applies for the whole album. There’s a great style of Stoner Rock/Metal passages inspired by the likes of KYUSS, DOZER, CLUTCH, TRUCKFIGHTERS and FU MANCHU with that spicy Post-Punk and Punk Rock delivery that Solar Manta conjures up for a subversive style of music. 

The lyrics are quite off-kilter and rebellious at the best of times with the band employing a sudden shift into sonic passages and cinematic Doom Rock surroundings on certain stages of the album. State Of Joyful Lightness isn’t the most easy going of albums which is down to the excellent lyrics and experimental vocals that are added along the way. The record is never straightforward at the best of times with the different themes and gloomy atmospherics that adds a layer of mystery to the album on tracks such as Appaloosa, A Brand New Grave, Lucky Mia, Morning Glory and Shelter being some of the best, heaviest and action packed sounds on the album.

Solar Mantra does include a cover of the classic Captain Beyond track Raging River Of Fear and I’m not the biggest fan of the band and I hope the band aren’t too upset when I say this is the weakest track on the album. Solar Mantra’s performance itself is excellent but I just don’t like this song at all. Though, fans of both Solar Mantra and Captain Beyond will think I’m perhaps some out of touch underground hipster who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Apart from that minor complaint, State Of Joyful Lightness is a stunning sophomore record from Solar Mantra which sees them transform into a heavier and exciting entity compared to their debut album. The record never plays out like a traditional Stoner Rock/Metal album with the band being bold and brave enough to inject some levels of surrealism and grounded reality into their music.

State Of Joyful Lightness is an absolutely great record that Solar Mantra should rightly be proud of.

Words by Steve Howe

Solar Mantra,Doom Rock,Desert Rock,Fuzz Rock,Psych Rock,Stoner Rock,Album Reviews,Steve Howe,Argonauta Records,Grand Sounds Promotion,

Bird - Mondo Occvlto (Album Review)

Release Date: 04th March  2026. Record Label: Olde Magick Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Mondo Occvlto - Tracklisting

1.Fright 04:43

2.Yehudit 04:51

3.The Fall Of The House Of Horus 05:28

4.Sebeth 06:13

5.Queen Of The Mountain 05:39

6.The Saint 04:20

Members

Simone Pennucci - lead vocals and guitars;

Pietro La Tegola  - backing vocals, bass, synthesizers, and theremin

Johnny the Snake - drums

Review

Mondo Occvlto is the latest album from Psych Stoner Rockers Bird who are formed from the ashes and musical legacy of Italian cult rockers Whiskeycold Winter. This time round they explore their musical horizon to play a mixture of Psych, Prog, Doom, Stoner and Folk Rock which is lovingly wrapped up in Seventies Hard Rock aesthetics. On their latest record, the band play a riffier and free-flowing sound compared to their previous records. There’s some epic levels of amplifier distortion and screeching guitars played against an out of control THERMIN and SYNTHS combo for certain sections of the album.

For the most part Bird are quite happy playing closer to the classic style of SABBATHIAN heavy metal with brief trips in to Eighties Heavy Metal excess which allows Simone Pennucci on lead vocals to fully embrace that “WILD MAN OF ROCK” persona that he pulls of brilliantly on the album. Sure, it’s outlandish and way over the top but it works for the context of this album. 

Johnny The Snake on drums is a pure enigma at times. One moment he’s calm as hell and the next he’s playing like a madman which gives a whole unexpected frantic energy to the album. However, the real MVP has to be Pietro La Tegola who provides backing vocals, bass, synths and theremin. Though, together as a collective unit, Bird are brilliantly impressive which allows them to have an unpredictable quality to them on how they play their music. 

Mondo Occvlto is pure rock and roll theatre with Bird tapping into that classic style of Proto-Doom and Occult Metal on tracks such as Fright, The Fall Of The House Of Horus, Sebeth and Queen Of The Mountain. However, the album does have some real emotionally charged moments where the mood becomes quite reflective when Bird plays a cooler style of Classic Hard Rock with areas of modern day Psychedelic movements appearing.

Overall, Bird has delivered an album that’s quite different and eerily familiar at the same time. The record may take a few listens to get the multitude of different sounds and flavours that Bird has committed to record but it’s a journey worth taking over and over again. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp

Portland, OR Heavy Psych Rockers Slow Goat announce debut album "Where the Wisest Fear to Tread", out July 10th

Gamy riffs cut from the flank of the Pacific Northwest. Portland, Oregon's Slow Goat peddles in the heavy and the psychedelic, with fuzzed-out jams thick enough to chew on, all anchored by clear and commanding vocals that drift between ethereal and feral.

In the band's own words:

"Debut album Where the Wisest Fear to Tread took shape over nearly four years, growing with us as we pushed and refined the ideas behind it. The music is close to our hearts, and we’re excited to share it with listeners.

There are no heroes or triumphant victories in these songs. Yet there is persistence in the face of inevitability, endurance through futility, and an embrace of that which evokes suffering. Where the Wisest Fear to Tread explores darkness and realms beyond, from the terror within waking nightmare, to the stark reality reflected back in the mirror. The album title itself, a line from the track “Fell Ritual,” serves equally as a warning and invitation to bear anguish. And while many of the album’s themes draw on personal experience and a compulsion to look inward, we encourage the listener to derive their own meaning, or simply none at all. The record does not offer resolution so much as it documents the act of pressing forward despite it

Sonically, we wanted the album to have real weight and gravity without sacrificing the raw edge of our live experience. One of our main songwriting philosophies is to approach the music live-first; It needs to feel full and complete on stage as one vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer. To that end, we didn’t rely heavily on studio magic to make the music something it’s not, rather, we used things like overdubs or effects to embellish on an already-strong core. Anecdotally, at least one of the long guitar solos on the record came from an early scratch take during the first session."

Where the Wisest Fear to Tread drops July 10th.

Slow Goat - Where the Wisest Fear to Tread

Album out July 10th, 2026
Self-released (Digital, Vinyl)
Portland, Oregon, US
Engineered & mixed by Eddie Brnabic (Hippie Death Cult)
Mastered by Jack Endino
FFO: Black Sabbath, Trouble, Kyuss, Judas Priest, Acid King, Windhand

Slow Goat is:

Rosie Peterson - Vocals
Danel Black - Guitar
Adam Carter - Bass
Eric Bloombaum - Drums

Tracklist:

1. Downward (0:57)
2. Fallen Child (4:23)
3. Visions / Fell Ritual (10:52)
4. Love Like Water (4:21)
5. Dark Procession (7:42)
6. Wilting (6:40)
7. Sisyphus (4:43)
8. Under the Glass (6:38)

Links:

Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Linktree

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the dteails.

Restless Spirit - Restless Spirit (Album Review)

Release Date: 08th May 2026. Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Restless Spirit - Tracklisting

1.The Burning Need 

2.Hallowed

3.Red In Tooth and Claw 

4.Desire Lines

5.Desolation's Wake

6.Ember

7.Time And Distance

8.Phantom Pain

Members

Paul Aloisio – guitar, vocals

Jon Gusman – drums

Marc Morello – bass

Review

Doom/Psych/Stoner Metallers Restless Spirit have vastly become one of my favourite bands within the heavy rock underground scene over the last seven years or so with a collection of great albums to their name. The band never disappoint with their hard-hitting blend of Psych, Sludge, Stoner, Doom and Progressive sounds that cut right down to the bone almost every time. Restless Spirit return with their fourth album and it’s their first self-titled release which perhaps shows the band releasing their most honest and truthful record to date.

Restless Spirit have gone under a slight reinvention on this record with the Progressive themes being slightly dialled back for a more Heavy Metal and Post-Doom flavoured sound which still keeps with the bands stunning backdrop of Psychedelic and Sonic based passages. The music here has a tighter and more proficient technical ability compared to their previous records which still allows them to develop intense Sludge Metal passages that opens the door to more transcendent areas of Heavy Psychedelic music.

You could say that Restless Spirit are the heavier versions of ELDER, HOWLING GIANT and KING BUFFALO combined with the free flowing progressive energy of Mastodon and Baroness whilst superbly developing their own original sound. The album is quite cinematic with grounded realism appearing within the lyrics and how the vocals are delivered by the ever present Paul Aloisio (Vocals/Guitar) who excels throughout.

The album is made up of eight tracks that explores the far reaches of modern day Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal with a gritty emphasis on HEAVY METAL. There’s a great creative development of Ambient sounds and Post-Doom structures that appear from the opening track of The Burning Need that allows Restless Spirit to lay down the groundwork for further expeditions into heavier musical waters compared to their previous records. 

There’s also an emotional and human quality to the music with Restless Spirit using moments of Shoegaze and Post-Rock in the quieter moments which leave you on the edge of your seat. However, Restless Spirit changes direction for the better where they unleash a torrent of aggressive Sludge/Stoner Metal passages that are absolutely breathtaking to experience.  

The standout tracks on the record for me are: The Burning Need, Hallowed, Red In Tooth And Claw, Desolation’s Wake, Ember and Phantom Pain. These are the tracks that offer the heaviest, cleverest, freshest and highly melodic sounds on the whole album with Paul’s intense proggy guitars, Jon Gusman’s ferocious drumming and Marc Morello’s free-flowing bass all joining forces and playing the best music they’ve ever created to date.

The album can be pure carnage and destruction at times but it’s also one that isn’t afraid to show real human emotion which is perhaps its greatest strength. It’s a record that genuinely has something to say but told through the power of music with an understated determination that results in non-stop epic outbursts of dominant Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves of the highest order.

Restless Spirit have once again delivered an ALBUM OF THE YEAR contender with this record which should become essential listening from everyone who is a dedicated follower of the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal community.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to All Noir PR and Magnetic Eye Records for the promo.

"Restless Spirit" is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records at THIS LOCATION

Links 

www.facebook.com/restlessspiritny
www.instagram.com/restlessspirit_

https://restlessspirit.bandcamp.com/album/restless-spirit