The Heavy Crawls - EP (EP Review)

Release Date: August 07th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

EP - Tracklist

1.Fuel 03:54

2.Dearest Mother Of Mine 06:02

3.Who Do You Want Me To Be 03:04

4.Heart Turned Cold 05:02

5.Worried Blues 03:32

Members

Max Tovstyi - Everything

Guest Appearances

Backing vocals on Track 3 by Valeriy Vitomsky and bass by Jake Melius on Track 5

Review

The Heavy Crawls return with their latest release originally titled EP. This is the project from hugely talented multi-instrumentalist Max Tovstyi as he explores his passionate love affair with all things Classic Rock sounding. Though, there’s a healthy mix of Psych, Garage and Stoner Rock melodies for a record that’s both heavy and laid-back at the same time. 

The EP is mostly expressed through a great style of Seventies Hard Rock with an easy-going attitude but Max does show his Heavy Rock credentials throughout the stunning opening track on tracks such as Fuel. Exploring musical themes that have a real emotional quality to them .Max even delves into his Ukrainian heritage with the Folk Rock based second track Dearest Mother Of Mine. It’s quite a sombre Blues Rock number with Max honouring his roots with a splendid vocal performance being played throughout. 

However, it’s back to business with the toe-tapping third track Who Do You Want Me To Be which offers a rebellious slice of music with Max operating with a cool sounding Americana vibe. The sound is quite grounded and fast-paced with The Heavy Crawls expanding that cool sounding Blues Rock swagger.

The final two tracks of Heart Turned Cold and Worried Blues delves even further into the Blues Rock atmosphere with small vibes of Psych Rock appearing with some frenzied screeching Blues based guitars showcasing some intense instrumental solos which really adds some gloomy atmospherics into the mix. 

The Heavy Crawls have released a quietly confident and superbly understated release that has some excellent vintage production values to bring everything to life. It’s not the heaviest thing you’ll hear but The Heavy Crawls have crafted a hugely enjoyable slice of music that brings some mighty fine cool sounding Blues Rock, Psych, Classic and Stoner Rock grooves that will leave you with a huge smile on your face and leave you wholly refreshed.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | BandCamp

CADAVER DE CABRA - CADAVER DE CABRA (Album Review)

Release Date: September 01st 2026. Record Label: Various. Format: DD/Vinyl

CADAVER DE CABRA - Tracklist

1.No Rules Only Sludge

2.Ketamine Zombie

3.Satan Blues

4.Aquelarre

5.Cadaver De Cabra

6.Cheddar Brain

Review

Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Cadaver de Cabra release their debut self-titled album which provides a filth ridden style of music populated by the likes of COUGH, Electric Wizard, Weedeater, Bongzilla and EYEHATEGOD. The music is violently heavy from the very start ith Cadaver de Cabra excelling laying down the rules for listeners to follow within the superbly titled No Rules Only Sludge. Though, the band aren’t adverse into playing down-tuned passages filled with Doom/Stoner Metal aggression. The vocals are mostly delivered by groans, grunts and chants which is part of the course for an album such as this.

Cadaver de Cabra are not shy bringing a forceful distorted FUZZ METAL attitude with a superb Psychedelic effect which comes mostly through the powerful down-tuned sludgy guitars. There’s a subtle WEEDIAN sense of humour shining through within the song titles that’s perhaps inspired by the great word play of Electric Wizard and Church Of Misery. Songs such as Ketamine Zombie, Satan Blues and Cheddar Brain also offer the loudest and classic sounding Stoner based moments on the album. Though, that doesn’t stop Cadaver de Cabra employing a wealth of different musical song structures including surprising Ambient sounds and Post-Doom effects. 

The violent vocals add a vicious Progressive attitude with the band switching up their different styles of music that results in some fantastic instrumental Sludge/Stoner Guitar passages. The music can be quite frenzied with Cadaver de Cabra developing fantastic down-tuned rhythms that can be quite melodic especially on the later stages of No Rules Only Sludge and Ketamine Zombie. 

Another thing to notice is that the album was recorded live in one actual take and Cadaver de Cabra hardly put a foot wrong. As the band say about the recording of the album below:

“No overdubs, no quantization, just the band playing live, all at once. Rather than chasing perfection, we wanted to capture the feeling of four people in a room pushing their amps to the limit.”

The record is superbly realized and has a massive grime and filth based aspect which only adds to the hypnotic and gloomy experience with Cadaver de Cabra creating massive volumes of destructive FUZZ. This soon transforms into areas of trippy Psychedelic Rock and Distorted Spaced Out sounds within the other great standout tracks on the album on: Satan Blues, Cadaver de Cabra and Cheddar Brain.

I wasn’t expecting the amount of Blues Rock or Doomed Out Blues that Cadaver de Cabra include on the album which allows them to develop seedy levels of violent AMPLIFIER based distortion which fully sells the whole LIVE RECORDING aspect even further onto greater heights. WIth a fearless attitude being perhaps their “secret” weapon to entice listeners with. As when Cadaver de Cabra decided to let fly with that filth ridden style of Sludge/Stoner Metal superiority then there is no stopping them releasing drugged out sounds, grooves and riffs of the highest order.

Cadaver de Cabra’s debut album is a one creepy hallucinogenic trip worth taking with its great mix of different Sludge/Stoner Metal themes that can be quite highly atmospheric along the way. This is a great band who I hope get the most exposure they fully deserve from within the underground scene as they have real potential to become more well known in the near future.

Superb. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

The album is available to buy digitally from all good stockists now.

The Vinyl edition will be co-released by the following labels

:

La Rubia Producciones, Burial Records, Discos Marginales, MinoRobscuR, Quebranta Records, Nooirax Producciones, Ruido y Pasión and Doomawaits.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Instrumental Stoner Rockers Motorik Road Trip sign to Octopus Rising and unveil new single “Prism Cascade”

Bristol, UK instrumental stoner rock trio Motorik Road Trip join the Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records family, celebrating the signing with the release of their brand-new single and official video “Prism Cascade”.

Formed in 2022, Motorik Road Trip have carved out their own instrumental take on stoner rock, psychedelic rock and doom, combining heavy, groove-driven riffs with hypnotic atmospheres, psychedelic melodies and a strong sense of sonic exploration. By consciously choosing to remain fully instrumental, the Bristol three-piece have created a sound free from lyrical boundaries, allowing their music to travel wherever the riffs take it.

Since their formation, Motorik Road Trip have independently released a series of singles and EPs, including Orange Zilla EP, Hobo Sorcerer / Magic Fang, Arch / Future Primate and Champa Moon / Astral GTX. In January 2025, they released their debut longform album, V, recorded with engineer Ben Scott Turner at Axe & Trap Studios in Somerset, UK. Turner has previously worked with acclaimed acts including Black Helium, Hey Colossus and Part Chimp.

Now signed to Octopus Rising, Motorik Road Trip celebrate the beginning of this new chapter with “Prism Cascade”, a brand-new track accompanied by an official music video.

Watch “Prism Cascade”: 

The single offers the first taste of the band’s evolving sonic universe, bringing together muscular stoner riffs, psychedelic textures and a spacious, hypnotic atmosphere. It also hints at the broader musical territory Motorik Road Trip have been exploring since their debut, where crushing doom passages can meet sparkling psychedelic melodies, eastern-inflected ideas and more progressive forms of instrumental heavy rock.

Their sound draws inspiration from the likes of Monkey3, Karma to Burn, SLIFT and Elder, while maintaining a distinctly British character and an identity of its own.

Motorik Road Trip are:

Jason Tovey – bass
​Ben Garner – guitar
​Nat White – drums

With “Prism Cascade”, Motorik Road Trip open a new chapter alongside Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records, bringing their instrumental blend of stoner, psychedelic rock and doom to a wider audience. More details on the band’s upcoming release will be revealed in due course.

Links

​Facebook​ | Instagram​ | ​BandCamp​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the detials.

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Psych/Desert/Doom/Stoner Rockers PETROSA Stunning New Album ROADBURN CHRONICLES

Founded in 2019 by guitarist Antonio Buonocore, PETROSA are an Italian stoner/doom band driven by a passion for massive riffs, immersive atmospheres and emotionally charged songwriting. What began as a personal vision soon evolved into a fully realized band with the arrival of drummer Giorgio Monza, followed by vocalist Aldo Colciago and bassist Andrea Vignati, completing the lineup that would shape the group's distinctive identity.

Describing their sound as "Doom Carved in Stone(r)", PETROSA seamlessly blend the expansive groove of stoner rock with the crushing weight of classic doom metal. Drawing inspiration from genre pioneers while forging a voice of their own, the band crafts songs that balance heaviness and melody, raw power and introspection, creating an immersive listening experience rooted in authenticity.

PETROSA's music explores the complexities of the human condition through themes of inner conflict, self-destruction, redemption and the search for meaning in an increasingly chaotic world. Their compositions are built upon thunderous riffs, dynamic arrangements and evocative atmospheres, offering moments of both crushing intensity and reflective calm.

In 2026, PETROSA signed with Octopus Rising, the Argonauta Records imprint dedicated to emerging heavy acts, marking a significant milestone in the band's journey. Their debut full-length album, Roadburn Chronicles, was produced by Carlo Altobelli at Toxic Basement Studio and captures the band's uncompromising artistic vision in its purest form. Conceived as a raw and introspective journey, the record explores darkness without losing sight of hope, celebrating resilience, freedom and the enduring spirit of the open road.

With their powerful live energy and a songwriting approach that values substance over excess, PETROSA continue to establish themselves as one of the most promising new names in the Italian heavy underground, delivering music that resonates far beyond genre boundaries.

We're excited to host this exclusive album premiere of this superb album thanks to the great folks at Grand Sounds Promotion.

Tracklist

S.U.R.E.

The Sinner
Turning Point
I For An I
Rusty Blues
Viper
Revenant
Dreamer's Sunsets
Monsters' Conceal
An Old Van And A Couple Of Beers

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Roadburn Chronicles is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising.

Links

Instagram

KEVIN - It Is What It Is (Album Review)

Release Date: July 24th 2026. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

It is What It Is - Tracklist

1.Wood Grain 07:47

2.Point 03:02

3.Potter's Wheel 06:02

4.Murphy Is Buried 08:49

5.It Is What It Is 06:20

6.Yagura 04:08

Members

Yutaro Umemoto (guitar/vocals) 

Yuichi Umemoto (drums).

Review

Experimental Psych Kraut-Rockers KEVIN release their second album It Is What It Is and it’s quite a vivid collection of tracks that have quite a fractured and disjointed approach to them. The record isn’t the easiest thing to listen to but I was expecting this challenge as the record is being released by the equally weird and amazing record label Riot Season Records. KEVIN bring an aggressive Post-Punk and Noise Rock delivery to their music which is quite different to their 2022 debut album Aftermath since the band are now a duo instead of a dedicated power trio. 

The sound is very lo-fi and quite surreal within the excellent opening track of Wood Grain. This is the type of track I could easily be playing in the background of a David Lynch, Gus Van Sant or Steven Sodenbergh film. The song is definitely it’s own thing with warped instrumental passages that bursts into sudden scenes of intense screeching violent guitars that remind me of The Melvins and BORIS at their most experimental. The vocals can only be described as WTF but they’re brilliantly addictive that draw you into KEVIN’s dark world

The atmosphere is quite hallucinogenic with KEVIN blurring the lines between fantasy and reality with sludgy psychedelics and warped noise rock sounds that are surrounded by that delicious Krautrock delivery and intense experimental vibes. KEVIN apply that same experimental and creative logic to the rest of the album where everything once again becomes freakishly weird and demented with experimental Jazz sounds moving straight back into Krautrock territory on tracks such as: Point, Potter’s Wheel, Murphy Is Buried and Yagura. 

The album does have a sense of isolation as one of its most dominant themes which gives KEVIN a unique and perspective take within the psychedelic movement. The whole record really comes alive when KEVIN play a more straight forward style of conventional Rock and Roll whilst keeping true to their core Experimental sound which allows some areas of Garage Rock and Industrial sounds to emerge from the darkness.

This is a record that has its own dark moral code which allows the music to be quite deliriously seductive and threatening at the same time which you can ultimately feel on the standout track of Murphy Is Buried. The lo-fi production values once again add a menacing attitude which KEVIN run amok with until the dying seconds of the whole album.

It Is What It Is can be considered an offbeat and hip record which manages to be completely original and superbly different in its own right. KEVIN are another great band to discover from the Japanese Rock underground scene.  

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy It Is What It Is on CD/DD/Vinyl now via Riot Season Records

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Veilcaste - Hellward (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Third House Communication. Format: CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl

Hellward - Tracklist

1.Embedded 

2.Chains 

3.Altar of Ecstasy 

4.Vore

5.Anchored

6.Hellward

7.Worn in Stone

8.I am the Guillotine

Members

Chris Cruz - Drums

Dustin Mendel - Vocals

T Garrett O’Sha - Guitar

John Rau - Guitar & Vocals

Gabe Whitcomb - Bass

Additional Instrumentation

Carl Byers - Keys on Altar of Ecstasy, 12 String & Feedback on Vore

Chris Cruz - Guitar Solo on Embedded

John Rau - Keys & 12 String on Anchored, Shaker on Hellward, Classical on I am the Guillotine

Review

Doom/Sludge Metallers Veilcaste return with their new album Hellward and allows the band to be closer aligned to the likes of Mastodon, High On Fire, Neurosis, YOB, Monolord and Motorhead. These are bands that allow the band to solidify their intense style of Progressive Sludge Metal which has the great style of Psych, Doom, Ambient Metal and Stoner Metal compounds for perhaps their most aggressive and catchiest album yet. 

Hellward allows Velicaste to offer a heavier style of SONIC fuelled melodies with a sprinkling of Thrash Metal madness within the first half of the record on tracks such as Hellward, Chains and Altar Of Ecstasy. The vocals from Dustin Mendel and John Rau have a great contrast to each other especially when the chanting based vocals appear. This gives Veilcaste a slight Space Rock edge with the rest of the band instantly becoming Spaced Out Riff Wizards but with an intense gloomy delivery that’s played throughout your speakers.

The lyrics are quite aggressive and have that classic HIGH ON FIRE and MASTODON energy to them with a real grounded sense to them. The use of LOW & SLOW mechanics is another great aspect that Veilcaste have been using more and more on their last few releases. This elevates their Psych Metal aspect of their sound to a heavier level of ambient awareness as Veilcaste’s music becomes more Post-Doom and Spaced Out obsessive right up to the very end.

Hellward once again undergoes a minor creative shift with a harsh Post-Metallic within the excellent standout tracks of Altar Of Ecstasy and Vore with intricate Sludge Metal rhythms being quite direct though it’s the brutality of the lyrics that make the real impression. Veilcaste pull no punches with their lyrics as you feel you’re getting knocked out by those alone and I loved when the band ventured into Post-Rock surroundings but still maintaining their Heavy Metal composure.

The second half of the album has a frenzied Post-Metal atmosphere with a real end of the world quality as Veilcaste offer a bleaker narrative with faster grooves and violent fuzzier sonic melodies with hidden distorted guitars being demonstrated on tracks: Anchored and Hellward. 

The record does become quite fantastical but it works to Veilcaste’s advantage as they bring a real classic Science Fiction and Horror aspect to the record which makes the album really standout. The duelling vocals from Duston and John feel like they’re completely battling each other for complete control on where the album is meant to go. This is thrilling and violently loud spectacle to experience with Velicaste unexpectedly adding layers of Drone and Distortion to their sound which gives Hellward quite an unpredictable quality.

Credit must also got to the other band members of Veilcaste (Chris Cruz - Drums, T Garrett O’Sha - Guitar and Gabe Whitcomb - Bass) as they also play their part in creating an absolute masterclass of modern day Doom/Sludge Metal that has a classic Post-Metal attitude bringing massive waves of destructive grooves to annihilate everything in Veilcaste’s wake.

Hellward is perhaps the album that finally allows Veilcaste to get noticed outside the confinements of the underground Heavy Metal scene and propel them onto greater things. The guys deserve this as they have delivered with their best record to date which leaves you wholly satisfied even if you are left emotionally drained and a shivering wreck when listening to this amazing album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Third House Communications and Blood Wisdom PR for the promo.

Hellward is available to buy now on CD, Digital Download, Tape and Vinyl via Third House Communications.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

The Spacelords - Uranus Omnibus Sanctus (Album Review)

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

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus - Tracklist

1.Uranus Omnibus Sanctus 09:56

2.Survive To Win

3.Whales

4.On The Verge Of Delirium

Members

Matthias “HAZI” Wettstein on guitar,

Marcus “MUDGE” Schnitzler on drums and

Ekhard “AKEE” Kazmaier on bass

Review

Legendary Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers The Spacelords return with their ninth album Uranus Omnibus Sanctus and it’s gloriously trippy and progressive as their previous albums. The Spacelords explore aquatic themes amongst their spaced out musical adventures with a precise technical level of prog rock running throughout the album. The organs and synths have a life of their own set against the thunderous Stoner Rock melodies which oozes vivid Seventies Rock creativity which you can hear from the very onset of the stunning opening title track.

The Spacelords add deft touches of Ambient Rock and Post-Rock into their music which gives their sound quite a spicy mix of aggression. The music flows at its own pace with sudden outbursts of sludgy melodies and classic rock structures developing with a great storytelling narrative leading the way once more. Uranus Omnibus Sanctus feels like that The Spacelords have been reborn in some both musically and creatively speaking as this is the most confident and heaviest I’ve heard from them in quite some time.

Second track Survive To Win opens with a stripped back low-key sound which is very abstract and flirts between Seventies Rock and Eighties Synth driven scores which does offer quite a cinematic based energy.The music settles down for that classic sound The Spacelords are known for with Blues Rock and Space Rock themes combining for a mammoth instrumental jamming session where the band only offer the listener a few seconds here and there to catch their breath. The song is quite jagged on the later stages with some small areas of distorted grooves transforming into a complex maze of Stoner Rock passages.

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus allows The Spacelords to include elements of Eastern Soundscapes into their music which makes the whole thing even psychedelic with a great laid back atmosphere appearing when you least expect this. The jazzy interludes allow The Spacelords to showcase their awesome  technical ability which you can’t help be amazed by.

The final two tracks Whales and On The Verge Of Delirium are some of the best music that The Spacelords have written in years with some of freshest jams, intense and heaviest psychedelic surroundings you’ll hear this year. The record brings in a gloomy Drone and Doomed Out Post-Rock direction within the opening stages on Whales which slowly builds up that eerie aquatic atmosphere before exploring the different levels of Psychedelics before exploding into different strands of Heavy Rock. 

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus is a masterclass of modern day psychedelic music and is about as close to perfection you can possibly get if you’re a die-hard follower of the Space Rock scene and The Spacelord themselves. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Creative Eclipse PR for the promo.

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus is available to buy now via Tonzonen Records on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links

Official: https://thespacelords.de
Bandcamp: https://thespacelords1.bandcamp.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheSpacelords1
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thespacelordsgermany
Facebook: https://facebook.com/the.spacelords