Tuesday, 13 January 2026

Gavran - Dutch Post-Doom Collective Return With New Album "The One Who Propels" & New Video For "Zora" Out Now!


In the aftermath of deeply uncertain times marked by serious illness, Dutch post-doom collective Gavran return with The One Who Propels, a powerful new chapter that follows their critically acclaimed dunk!records release Indistinct Beacon.

Re-emerging as a renewed four-piece, the band have once again collaborated with Marius Prins (Throwing Bricks) and Tim de Gieter (Amenra, Doodseskader), resulting in their most expansive and emotionally charged work to date.

Drawing fluidly from doom, sludge, shoegaze, and post-rock, The One Who Propels unfolds as a massive yet intimate wall of sound, heavy and deeply reflective and is set to be released on January 30 once again via dunk!records.

Alongside the album announcement, Gavran have unveiled a new video for the striking track “Zora”, offering a first, immersive glimpse into the emotional and sonic essence of The One Who Propels.

Watch the video for "Zora" below:


Gavran was conceived in the fall of 2017 during a period of personal struggle, when guitarist Freek van Rooyen and drummer/vocalist Jamie Kobić were searching for something to hold on to. With the addition of bassist Ritsaart Vetter in October 2018, the band’s first solid lineup took shape.

Their debut album Still Unavailing (2020) was met with strong acclaim. Inspired by the spiritual intensity of Neurosis, YOB, and Amenra, and mixed and produced by Tim de Gieter, the record delivered a sound that was massive, heavy, and emotionally charged. Released during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Still Unavailing became an unintentional soundtrack for isolation and introspection, earning a nomination for Album of the Year in their hometown of Rotterdam.

Gavran followed with Indistinct Beacon, again working with de Gieter and adding a final mastering touch from Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker). The album revealed a more melodic and spacious side of the band, while retaining their crushing core.

After a prolonged period of uncertainty caused by the guitarist’s serious illness, Gavran now return with The One Who Propels, a record that is both emotionally vulnerable and sonically intense. Reuniting with Marius Prins and Tim de Gieter, the band deliver a record that is both emotionally vulnerable and sonically intense.

The release also marks a major lineup evolution. Drummer/vocalist Jamie Kobić transitioned to guitar and vocals, joined by Tinus Kardolus on bass and Roy Zwinkels on drums. The addition of a second guitar has expanded the band’s sonic depth, resulting in their biggest, most layered sound yet.

“Gavran is our vessel to look life and death straight in the eye. It allows us to observe our shared consciousness and embrace despair, doubt, desire, grief, pain, and anger with absolute attention and without distraction. Join us in this visceral journey toward the timeless space of inner silence.” Says Jamie Kobić.

While Gavran’s earlier work leaned toward hope as a guiding force, The One Who Propels shifts its focus toward necessity, the inner energy required to initiate real change, beginning not outwardly, but from within.


Links:


Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the details.

New Mexican Doom Cult - Ziggurat (Album Review)

Release Date: January 23rd 2026. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: DD

Ziggurat - Tracklisting

1.The Church of Starry Wisdom

2.Metatron

3.Cloudrider 

4.Return to Babylon

5.Criosphinx

6.Sungod

7.I Stand Alone


Members


Nils - Guitars/Vocals

Fredrik - Bass

David - Guitars

Magnus - Drums


Review


Ziggarut is the sophomore album from Doom/Stoner Metallers New Mexican Doom Cult who impressed me greatly with their 2023 debut album Necropolis. I’m not sure if I have the correct line-up in the review as the PR blurb I received states different members to the ones listed on BandCamp so apologies to the band if that is the case. Anyway, this record oozes Proto-Metal appeal with the band touching upon areas of Doom, Psych, Stoner, Fuzz and Occult Rock overtones.


Aligning themselves closely to the likes of Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus and The Obsessed for this record. The whole tone and sound is quite filthy that has HUGE levels of destructive FUZZ and AMPLIFIER HEAVINESS along the seedy journey which allows New Mexican Death Cult to play with a meaty cosmic style of sludgy surroundings. 


The vocals are delivered with expert precision by Nils who channels his inner WINO and JUS OSBORNE for a record that’s never afraid to get down and dirty with the fuzzy instrumental movements that can be quite PROTO-DOOM obsessed. This sees them play with a passionate Psychedelic energy throughout the excellent opening tracks of The Church Of Starry Wisdom, Metatron and Cloudrider.


New Mexican Doom Cult are quite adept at switching musical gears for a breathtaking style of melody which can be quite fast-paced at times but also adding layers of distorted Doomed Out heaviness. There is the added use of freak-ish musical solos with the guitars reminding me of Acid Mammoth and Green Lung in places. The lyrics are quite subversive which taps right into the Occult Rock philosophy but the mood is always grounded in reality. 


You have to give credit where it’s due with New Mexican Doom Cult adding areas of Grunge and Ritualistic elements which just elevates this album onto an entirety different Cosmic Plane of existence altogether on tracks such as Cloudrider, Return To Babylon, Sungod and I Stand Alone being my favourite tracks on the album. As the sound becomes way progressive with even areas of Darkened Post-Whatever holding those heavy melodies and extended instrumental solos together. 


There’s an eerie sense of DOOM & GLOOM becoming more dominant as the record progresses to its natural conclusion. This is a powerful record that sees New Mexican Doom Cult bringing a murky and creepy sense of evil OCCULT terror into the famed Swedish Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene. The production values have an intense “vintage” flow built into the whole record which allows the band to offer an album that has a “timeless” feeling but still sounding refreshingly modern at the same time.


Ziggurat is jam-packed full of great grooves and riffs that will leave you on the edge of your seat time and time again. New Mexican Doom Cult may well become your “favourite new band” to discover right now. As this is a first rate album you cannot possibly ignore. Jaw-dropping stuff. End Of.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the details.


Ziggurat is available to buy now digitally from all good digital stockists thanks to Majestic Mountain Records.


Links 


Stonerhenge - Hecto Fuzz (Album Review)

Release Date: December 31st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Hecto Fuzz - Tracklisting

1.Dust To Dust 12:06

2.Closed Labyrinth 08:00

3.Disturbing Dreams 09:27

4.Space Comics Hero 05:42

5.Hecto Fuzz 07:17

6.Interstellar Racing 09:20


Members


ŹMICIER ŁUKJANČYK (vocal)

SERGE «SKRYPA» SKRYPNIČENKA (guitars, synthesizers, bass guitar, vocal)

TIMUR REIZIS (synthesizer)


Review


Hecto Fuzz is the latest album from Psych Stoner Rockers Stonerhenge who are made up of members from several famous Belarusian Rock Bands. The main theme of the record is human existence and evolution told through six separate tracks that incorporates a style of Psych, Stoner, Fuzz and Prog themes. The album is quite expansive with Stonerhenge touching upon a lot of topical themes.


The vocals are mostly sung in the band’s native language which may be hard for some listeners to find a real emotional connection with. I will admit I’m mostly here for the music and I can’t really comment on the album's creative theme or lyrical content though the vocals are delivered superbly well. Huge parts of the album are mostly instrumental with the vocals appearing only when they're actually needed.


The music is your classic style of Stoner Rock/Metal with Stonerhenge touching upon areas of the heavy rock underground scene. It can be quite experimental and outlandish in places but Stonerhenge shows a great eye for different musical progression with the music always delivering within the riffs department.


You can hear influences from the likes of KYUSS, MONSTER MAGNET, FU MANCHU and TRUCKFIGHTERS within the music within the opening tracks of Dust To Dust, Closed Labyrinth and Disturbing Dreams. There’s a great use of synths, sound effects and trippy soundclips which pushes Stonerhenge further into the realm of Science Fiction but with a grounded approach.


Sometimes Stonerhenge adopts a Post-Stoner and Electronica creative attitude which gives Hecto Fuzz a more cerebral sound which is quite hypnotic at the same time. There is also a surreal style of Seventies Prog Rock that comes into play before Stonerhenge experiments with their sound yet again on tracks Space Comics Hero, Hecto Fuzz and Interstellar Racing. There is a lot to admire and fully recommend on this album and that’s the neverending style of powerful grooves and extended instrumental passages that the band play to the best of their ability. 


If you want a challenging and interesting blend of Progressive Stoner Rock then Hecto Fuzz is the album for you. With excellent production values, Stonerhenge have delivered the goods with this record that dares to be different and still offer a real cinematic adventure at the same time.


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Links 


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Monday, 12 January 2026

Cosmic Doom/Stoner Rock Entity REDWOOD Releases new single & music video "TIME TO LOSE" out now! Album out January 30th


Hot off the heels of 2025's full-length CLOUD COLONY, California’s heavy psych cosmonaut REDWOOD is back to kick off the new year with a brand new album.

TIME TO LOSE is an evolution of the REDWOOD you know and love. Atop the bedrock of fuzzed out stoner and space rock, tireless mastermind Sheafer McComber expands his craft to new vistas and sounds.

Twists and turns abound to add new elements to the REDWOOD sound as well, not least of which is the rough turn of vocals on bruiser of a track “HIGHWAY IS MY WAY”, possibly the heaviest slab of REDWOOD riffage to date. Track “TITAN” sees McComber work some cosmic wizardry with synth pedals, creating a space oasis for listeners to float upon into the album’s epic 11-minute-plus finale “BLUE MASS”.

TIME TO LOSE is a milestone in the REDWOOD catalogue, a triumph of pushing limits, exploring new dimensions, and of course laying down an avalanche of heavy rock righteousnes.


REDWOOD - TIME TO LOSE

Out January 30th, 2026 (Digital)
Self-released
Northern California
Mastered by Erik Hayhurst at Petaluma Pinebox Studio
Album art by Mirkow Gastow
FFO: Kadabra, Asteroid, Hawkwind, Turbonegro, Astroqueen, Howling Giant

Tracklist:

1. WORMHOLE (6:29)
2. CONGREGATION (3:27)
3. KING BID (4:36)
4. HIGHWAY IS MY WAY (3:08)
5. TIME TO LOSE (6:42)
6. CONTACT (6:26)
7. TITAN (3:21)
8. BLUE MASS (11:47)


Links


Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

DeadFire - Big Mountain (Single Review)

Release Date: January 29th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Big Mountain - Tracklisting


Big Mountain


Review


Big Mountain is the latest single from Scottish Stoner Rockers DeadFire and it’s full of good old fashioned sounds inspired by the likes of CLUTCH and ORANGE GOBLIN. The whole song demonstrates a Classic Heavy Rock sound which briefly goes into the realms of Heavy Metal with some massive sounding grooves that’s perhaps not the most original but DeadFire are very good at what they do. 


DeadFire offers brief moments of Doom, Blues and Grunge melodies into their music which allows the song to move along at a superb pace. If you’re in the mood for a Stoner Rock song that gets straight back to basics where it’s the music that counts then Big Mountain is one hell of a ride from start to finish. The riffs are MASSIVE and ACTION PACKED. The vocals flirt between Classic Hard Rock and Nineties Stoner Rock delivery which only adds to the overall enjoyment of the whole track.


This is the first track from DeadFire in almost two years and with a revised lineup since their last song and they have got a great dynamic with everyone who performs here. Let’s hope a longer release such as an EP isn’t too far away. 


Overall, this is a damn good track that shows how DeadFire have a lot of promise here and perhaps releasing their best song to date.


Words by Steve Howe


Links 


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Saturday, 10 January 2026

Blanket - True Blue (Album Review)

Release Date: January 16th 2026. Record Label: Adventure Cat Records. Formats: DD

True Blue - Tracklisting


The Swallows reflecting In The Water

Hole In My Head

Levitate

Bind (feat. Wayside)

Leaning On You

Summer Skin (feat. Lynsey Ward)

Wallflower

True Blue


Members


Bobby Pook - Guitar / vox

Simon Morgan - Guitar

Ash Betton - Bass

Lucas Fletcher - Drums


Review


Post-Rock/Shoegaze collective Blanket offer their fourth full length album with True Blue and it sees the highly talented band with their most honest, raw and emotionally charged record yet. There are still moments of Post-Metal, Doomgaze, Grunge, Psych and Alt Rock melodies which have been used to superb effect on their previous excellent albums of Ceremonia and Modern Escapism. This time round, Blanket feel more retrospective and willing to let their Post-Rock and Shoegaze aspect of their music to be the deciding creative factor of how the album ultimately sounds.


With the heavy instrumental sounds being closer to the likes of HUM, NOTHING, SLOWDIVE, HUM and SLOW CRUSH this doesn’t stop the band creating their own highly original dreamlike soundscapes of their own within the excellent batch of opening tracks of The Swallows Reflecting In The Water, Hole In My Head and Levitate. The guitars from Bobby Pook and Simon Morgan consist of a Grunge / Shoegaze dynamic with Ash Betton On Bass and Lucas Fletcher on Drums providing a more cerebral and progressive rhythm section for the melodies to become quite heavy along the way.


The lyrics are beautifully poetic and simply magical that offer a sense of realism and uplifting melodies which comes from the classic era of the Shoegaze scene most notably the eighties and nineties scene. There’s a cool level of psychedelic distortion being used along the way which lets a more gloomy atmosphere slowly make itself known with Blanket still keeping close to their Post-Rock and Shoegaze roots. The music can be furiously fast-paced with a soulful Post-Metal energy emitting from those intense guitars throughout the album.


Blanket does experiment with ambient sounds, samples and trippy soundtrack effects within the more reflective parts of the album. This allows True Blue to feel highly inspired by the Post-Punk scene with its experimental approach whilst still remaining within the core creative themes on tracks such as Bind, Summer Skin and Wallflower. 


The album does feature contributions from Australian Alt Rock/Indie Rockers Wayside on Bind and Lynsey Ward (Exploring Birdsong) on Summer Skin. These two tracks feature the most interesting vocal arrangements and musical delivery on the whole record. As this allows Blanket to transform their musical perspective to allow these guest artists to fully thrive in a slightly different musical environment. 


The final two tracks of Wallflower and True Blue sees Blanket undergo a minor Progressive Rock transformation with longer time frames to work upon. The music evolves into a heavier and more emotionally engaging style of Post-Metal and Post-Doom landscapes which is perhaps my favourite part of the entire record. There’s more precise aggression within their music but the superb vocals from Bobby Pook keep things real and grounded.


True Blue is a refreshingly real, honest and beautifully played album that allows Blanket to offer their most grown up, mature and gritty record to date. Blanket are going from strength to strength which seems them vastly becoming one of the best Post-Rock/Shoegaze bands the UK scene currently has to offer right now.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Since Always Press for the promo.


Links 


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YAAK - YAAK (EP Review)

Release Date: January 01st 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

YAAK - Tracklisting


1.The Witch 06:12

2.Sing me to sleep 04:07

3.Parasites 05:07

4.WAR WAR WAR 03:34

5.Surrounded 05:39


Members


Arni Lundberg - vocals

Daniel Grzegorczyk - guitar

Przemysław Gomuła - guitar, backing vocals

Zuza Klauda - bass

Miłosz Czerwonka - drums


Review


Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers YAAK release their self-titled EP which features a sludgy aspect of Punk Rock into the mix. The record starts with an outlandish attitude with the music having a weird stop/start aspect and the vocals moving from clean vocals to harsh DEATH based growls. I will admit the whole sound does take a few moments to fully get used to especially within the opening track The Witch. I even expected a straightforward style of Doom/Stoner Metal with YAAK coming from the infamous Polish underground metal scene. 


So it’s to YAAK’s credit for delivering their own great blend of music to release as their debut EP. Their record does have a twisted DESERT METAL sound which allows the band to move between the more extreme aspects of the underground STONER scene. There’s some great levels of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION and FUZZY REVERB along the way with YAAK offering a demented audio experience along the way.


YAAK take influence from the likes of WEEDEATER, BONGZILLA, HIGH ON FIRE, KYUSS and FU MANCHU when the blackened Desert Rock themes fully start to arrive within the excellent second track of Sing Me To Sleep, though only if KYUSS or FU MANCHU sold their souls to LUCIFER themselves. It’s an intriguing concept and YAAK fully sells that premise superbly well and to the best of their ability.


The remaining three tracks of the EP allows YAAK to travel further along the Stoner Metal highway with deafening levels of deceptive BLACKENED FUZZ and DOOM METAL only amplifying their overall sound. The vocals become even more pissed off on tracks such as Parasites and WAR WAR WAR. The production values are great for the most part with a few raw sounding moments but I feel those aspects are intentional to allow YAAK to hammer home the heaviest and aggressive grooves for the listener to fully experience. 


YAAK’s debut EP  is a wicked interpretation of the modern Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene that does want me to hear more as when the band focuses on a more riff-centric sound they play some truly great sounds of their own making.


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Links 


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