Tuesday, 18 August 2026

DOMKRAFT reveal music video 'Void Runner' & details of forthcoming new album "Night Songs

Photo by Fredrick Francke

DOMKRAFT present the first advance single, 'Void Runner', taken from their forthcoming new full-length "Night Songs". The fifth album from the heavy psychedelic rockers from Sweden is slated for release on November 20, 2026, via Magnetic Eye Records. The album is available for pre-order at THIS LOCATION.

Watch the video for "Void Runner" here:


DOMKRAFT comment: "You know the feeling when you think that from here on things can only get better?", vocalist and bass player Martin Wegeland asks rhetorically. "The idea that you’ve finally reached rock bottom? Well, the state of the world always proves you wrong. This song is basically saying: 'give us your best shot, fuckers!' At this stage, we are prepared for almost everything. We are done believing and have fully switched to brace yourself mode. Yet, this song is definitely not about resigning or giving up. In fact, it rather deals with amassing enough power to cope without cracking, and possibly even dance while doing so."


Tracklist

1. Unnamed
2. Lights On
3. Aurora
4. Void Runner
5. Eclipse (Outlast the Night)
6. Dead Rocket
7. Tunnels

Personal experience of any kind has always inspired artists. It is therefore hardly surprising that the traumatic medical crisis which DOMKRAFT guitarist Martin Widholm faced in 2025 has found an echo on the Swedes' fifth album "Night Songs". Although his band mates didn’t have to undergo several complicated surgeries as he did, they were of course also affected as bystanders in less threatening but nonetheless meaningful ways.

Their collective outlook on life and what is truly important shifted during this period of terror. When the band started working on new songs during Widholm’s long phase of recovery, many contradictory feelings surfaced in both the music and the lyrics. From fear bordering on panic, the pendulum swung to cautious relief. And through sadness and joy, hope and despair, they went all the way to finally arrive at the humbling realisation that they were still able to do what they dearly love: creating music.

The album title, "Night Songs", partly stems from the Swedes' experiences during the past year, but also crosses into the broad idea of darkness versus light. This can mean personal hardships, the present state of the world, or the concept of actual night itself. The night may turn into a time of regret, solitude and insomnia but also into the opposite, as a calm phase of relief, relaxation, and even debauchery. All of this happens at night. And just maybe, these "Night Songs" could foremost deal with resilience.

Nordic trio DOMKRAFT have always been true to their musical course, but also grew audibly in maturity with each new release, honing their considerable songwriting skills on each outing. Gradually and through determination and small tweaks and nuances, their stylistic range shifted from towering doom anthems towards heavy rock with psychedelic influences.

DOMKRAFT sprung into being when singer and bass player Martin Wegeland, guitarist Martin Widholm, and drummer Anders Dahlgren realised that they had firmly bonded over a mutual love of bands such as SPACEMEN 3, MONSTER MAGNET, SLEEP, and HAWKWIND.

DOMKRAFT's monolithic 2016 debut album, "The End of Electricity", drew equally from the heaviness, psychedelia, and hypnotic minimalism of their influences. Building on this foundation and with a curious lust for experimentation, the trio explored different sonic angles and musical avenues while building an ever-growing audience and continued critical acclaim with each following release: "Flood" (2018), "Seeds" (2021), and "Sonic Moons" (2023).

DOMKRAFT furthermore established an excellent reputation as a considerable live force and audience magnet on both sides of the Atlantic. The trio performed at such prestigious festivals as four Desertfests (BE, DE, UK & US), Psycho Las Vegas (US), Blow Up (FI), Sonic Whip (NL), Høstsabbat (NO) ArcTanGent (UK), and many more.

"Night Songs" was recorded at the renowned Studio Gröndahl in Stockholm by David Castillo (OPETH, CANDLEMASS, KATATONIA et al.). Karl Daniel Lidén (GREENLEAF, LOWRIDER, BREACH) was asked to maintain DOMKRAFT's sonic identity by again mixing and mastering the album.

"Night Songs" should be enjoyed like a feverish, dream-like cocktail that is expertly mixed from equal parts deafening quiet and soothing loud noises, then sprinkled with insomnia, relief, contemplation, and a dash of red-hot anger for raw spice.

Line-up

Martin Wegeland – vocals, bass
Martin Widholm – guitars
Anders Dahlgren – drums

Recording by David Castillo at Studio Gröndahl, Stockholm (SE)
Mix & mastering by Karl Daniel Lidén

Artwork & layout by Björn Atldax

Live

23/24 OCT 2026 Oslo (NO) Kulturkirken Jakob, Høstsabbat
8-10 JUL 2027 Erfurt (DE) Stoned from the Underground Fest

Links



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

Heathen Tongues - Neurogenesis (EP Review)

Release Date: July 22nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Neurogenesis - Tracklist


1. Revelation (3:42)

2. Firefight (6:42)


Members


Devin Mendoza - Guitar

Shane Falkenhart - Drums


Review


Neurogeneisis is the debut EP from Progressive Sludge Metallers Heathen Tongues who add a Crust Punk attitude amongst the Grunge, Doom, Post-Metal and Stoner Metal surroundings which changes aggressive attitude throughout the short eleven minutes runtime of the EP. The band have the legendary talents of Brad Boatright on mastering duties and Matt Bayles on mixing duties who have perhaps both help to build and shape the modern day Sludge/Post-Metal scene over the last twenty five years.

This serves Heathen Tongues brilliantly well who forge close sonic alliances to the likes of Pelican, YOB, SLEEP and Red Fang. The EP is purely instrumental with both tracks of Revelation and Firefight having a wide assortment of Crust Punk and Post-Metal grooves with that biting Progressive Sludge Metal environment bringing surprising elements of Psych, Grunge and Stoner Rock into the foray. 

Each song has a great metallic narrative which allows this hugely talented two piece sound like a bigger band with more members than the core duo of Devin Mendoza (Guitar) and Shane Falkenhart (Drums). The gloomy use of the speech from the classic Charlie Chaplin film The Dictator gives a harsh and unsettling reality which comes mostly into focus on Firelight. 

Neurogenesis is one of the strongest debut EP’s I’ve heard in quite some time with Heathen Tongues having some great things to say and without the use of vocals makes it even more emotionally powerful. If you’re here for the grooves and bleak melodies then Heathen Tongues have you covered but only for eleven minutes but it does keep you wanting to hear more and that’ only a good thing.

Heathen Tongues will be releasing their debut album in February 2027 in which both of these tracks will appear and I can’t wait to hear the complete narrative of what they form. As these guys have real potential to release something special and definitely a band to really look out for next year.

Words by Steve Howe


Links


Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram


Fuzz Voyage - Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) (Single Review)

Release Date: August 24th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) - Tracklist


Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo)


Members


Guitar: Dar Stellabotta

Drums: Diego Cartulin

Bass: Boris Baltodano


Review


Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) is the latest single from FUZZ VOYAGE which is also a collaborative piece from Heavy Haze Audio Lab in Trujilo, Peru and Carcass John Fossum Art. This is explained below by the band themselves:

This release is a collaboration with Heavy Haze Audio Lab in Trujilo, Peru and Carcass John Fossum Art. Without these guys this track would have never came to life and for them I am grateful to tell you of this new release.

The track itself is an almost ten minute journey into the fuzzier and spaced out side of the Doom/Stoner Rock landscape. The song is purely instrumental but still offers an engaging and highly psychedelic experience with FUZZ VOYAGE including elements of Space Rock, Fuzz and Desert Rock. The song has a great balance of HEAVY vs QUIET dynamics which sees the song dramatically shift into heavier areas of Stoner Rock/Metal.

You can hear echoes and sounds from the likes of Yawning Man, Karma To Burn, Earthless and Monkey3 but with FUZZ VOYAGE adding that layer of distorted Doomed Out attitude especially within the first half of the song. The later stages of the song stays are perhaps more subdued with a great style of Post-Rock and Ambient Rock still allowing FUZZ VOYAGE to develop an eerie style of cinematic music.

Volts = Amps x Ohms (Demo) is an exquisite song and I’m hoping there’s more to come from FUZZ VOYAGE as this track feels like the band have some unfinished business but you can’t deny how great the excellent grooves and fuzzy spaced out soundscapes that are played here. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe


Links


BandCamp | Instagram


Sly & The Family Drone - With Love (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/Vinyl

With Love - Tracklist


1.Psychic Surgery

2.The Guts Of Albion

3.Under The Rainbow

4.In The Oils

5.Snagged On Frowns

6.Cloth Control


Members


James Allsopp – tenor saxophone

Kaz Buckland – drums, electronics

Matt Cargill – electronics, voice, percussion

Ed Dudley – electronics, voice

Will Glaser – drums, electronics


Review


Sly & The Family Drone return with their latest offering With Love and it’s equally weird and brilliantly inventive as their previous records. The band have always been quite hard to fully describe or categorize which is down to the endless amount of sounds they create within their music. The band call themselves a “Neo Jazz Wrecking Crew” and that’s a great way to describe them but that only tells half of the story.


Jazz plays a bit part of Sly & The Family Drone’s musical identity but they play movements of Psych, Folk, Doom, Drone, Sludge, Prog and massive freak-ish beats. The sound is wonderfully tribal and quite cosmic which feels like what a Psych/Jazz album would sound like if it was being conducted by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The record has been quite difficult for me to review as I haven’t listened to the band in a long time and how they add so many different musical instruments into the mix makes it even harder.


However, I’m not complaining as With Love is a hugely enjoyable of fucked up moments which kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s best to describe it as a singular album that’s been broken down into individual segments with each song allowing Sly & The Family Drone to experiment with different musical themes, sounds and eerie emotional templates. Any band that plays their own warped and noise rock version of the classic track Over The Rainbow deserves to be heard.


Most readers may know I’m not the biggest fan of Saxophone based music but it’s gloriously heavy and freakishly powerful throughout this album. The opening tracks of Psychic Surgery and The Guts Of Albion are down beat, gloomy and distorted with Sly & The Family Drone adding glitchy sound effects along the way. The Post-Rock, Drone and Psychedelic soundscapes have a dark hallucinogenic effect which allows the Industrial Rock/Metal and Neo-Jazz surroundings to fully take over. 


With Love can be quite demented with the slow paced music forging new creative openings for the band to overlap with an abstract Space Rock theme on tracks such as The Guts Of Albion, Over The Rainbow, In The Oils and Snagged Out Frowns. There’s some massive KrautRock and Japanese Psychedelic Freakout influences with the band applying that epic Jazzy attitude which becomes even more daring and brilliantly surreal which feels like you’re coming down from the most massive WEEDIAN trip possible. 


Even with the intense experimentation, Sly & The Family Drone still offer a grounded approach to their music which does become quite schizophrenic along the way. These guys have been around for the best part of two decades now and know a thing or two about experimenting with finely tuned SONIC based passages which even have a heavier presence than you initially expect.


The vocals drift into existence only when they’re really needed but it’s still sometimes confusing to listen to at first so expect to have multiple listens to fully understand the story of With Love. I’ve listened to the album about four or five times now and I'm even finding new sounds to fully explore with every listen.


With Love is a great album with first rate production values allowing Sly & The Family Drone showing why they’re one of the finest Progressive bands we have in the UK scene. This won’t be for everyone and is perhaps suited for their established fan base. However, I would recommend you give this record a chance as With Love will surprise the hell out of you.


Words by Steve Howe


Links


Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram


Saturday, 15 August 2026

Observers - The Emerald (Album Review)

Release Date: August 13th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Emerald - Tracklist

1.The Emerald 04:56

2.The Eye Tree 03:05 

3.Forest of Doom 05:57

4.Asterophora 03:07

5.The Word for Forest is World 01:42

6.Predestination 05:40

7.Boreal World 05:27

8.Voices Within 06:11

9.After Us 01:21

10.The Door (Outtake) 03:21


Members


Martin Kennedy - guitars, synths & soundscapes.

Chris Bohm - drums.

Rich Gray - Bass

Additional musicians: Joao Corceiro, Martin Arroyou, German Maldonado


Review


Instrumental Doom/Post-Metal collective Observers return with their second album The Emerald which continues the great work laid down on their acclaimed debut album The Age Of The Machine Entities. The record is an effortless blend of Doom, Post-Metal, Heavy Metal, Prog Metal, Ambient Metal and Stoner Metal for a journey that has complex cinematic quality throughout. Observers channel “Video Game” narrative for this record but allow the true Heavy Metal dynamics to do their thing with surreal moments of intense Post-Metal quality.


The whole sound aligns more closely to a grounded level compared to the COSMIC surroundings of their debut album. The music is more frantic and action packed with Observers delving into a frenzied style Prog Metal with an intense Heavy Metal presence emerging from the stunning opening tracks of The Emerald, The Eye Tree and Forest Of Doom. Sometimes the mood can be too flashy but it works for the overall story of the album.


The instrumental work is dominated by a great “DOOM & GLOOM” atmosphere with flashes of Ambient Metal allowing Observers to bring in other areas of the ROCK/METAL spectrum. Adding small pockets of Folk Rock and Post-Rock gives a more emotional sound especially within the haunting third track of Forest Of Doom that has elements of OPETH and Animal As Leaders transforming the Post-Metal energy quite suddenly.


The Emerald relies heavily on synths and dramatic soundscapes which expertly builds up the tension but also allows the record to breathe and grow naturally for the story to move onto its highly dramatic conclusion. Observers hit upon every corner of the Doom, Post-Rock and Post-Metal landscape throughout the album with gloomy passages having a deeply emotional core when moving the different time frames of Eighties Heavy Metal and modern day instrumental music.


Other standout tracks on the album to check out are: Asterophora, Predestination, Boreal World and Voices Within which contain the heaviest, gloomiest and epic guitar shredding moments on the entire record.  


Observers have released another standout collection of tracks that does something wholly original and superbly cinematic with the Instrumental Doom Metal scene. 


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

The Emerald is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.


Links


Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram


Bleeding Antlers - Songs Of Praise (Album Review)

Release Date: August 22nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Songs Of Praise - Tracklist

1.The Devil of Mariazell

2.Meet me in the woods at midnight

3.Blue Jeans

4.When the Sun Bursts

5.The ghost of Oliver Reed

6.Fimbulwinter

7.Crooked Lines


Members


Simon Bismarck (Vocals)

Good Luke (Guitar)

Prince Ben (Bass)

Ghost Pete (Drums, BV)

Ren Ashlea (BV, Blue. Jeans)


Review


Songs Of Praise is the second album from Psychedelic Doom Metallers Bleeding Antlers and it’s not what I expected at all with the band adding levels of Stoner Metal, Groove Metal, Sleaze Rock and some unorthodox Alternative melodies into their music. Bleeding Antlers feel inspired mostly by the likes of Candlemass, Pallbearer and Type O Negative but that only tells a brief part of the story they develop throughout the album.


There’s some highly dramatic, over the top and superbly epic that comes across with each individual track that allows Bleeding Antlers to forge a classic Traditional Doom Metal sound before applying modern day soundscapes into the mix. The record is deliciously dark with the lyrics and excellent vocals delivered by Simon Bismarck with great backing vocals appearing from Ghost Pete and Ren Ashlea.


The Post-Gothic dynamics becomes one of the album's main strengths especially within the standout tracks of Meet Me In The Woods At Midnight and Blues Jeans which have an obsessive Folk Rock trajectory dominating almost everything being played. You can hear the Type O Negative influence taking hold as the DOOM & GLOOM sound becomes quite emotional with some sinister lyrics emerging from the darkness. The album is quite leftfield with the gloomy atmospherics and frenzied grooves that can be quite distorted which was another cool surprise when listening to the album.


Bleeding Antlers experiment with their sound once more with traces of Alt Metal, Industrial Rock, Gothic Rock and Post-Punk appearing which just adds a whole layer of SLEAZE on tracks such as: When The Sun Bursts, The Ghost Of Oliver Reed and Crooked Lines. There is also a great style of subversive humour that’s been added to this record despite the serious tone of the record. It's good to see Bleeding Antlers having fun and letting the listener in on the joke especially with the album title.


For folks not in the know. Songs Of Praise is a long running British TV Show which is best described below from Wikipedia:

A religious programme that presents Christian hymns, worship songs and inspirational performances in churches of varying denominations from around the UK alongside interviews and stories reflecting how Christian faith is lived out.


However, Bleeding Antlers are quite serious with their music and they deliver some intense and highly majestic Doom Metal melodies that bridges the gap between Classic, Traditional and Modern Day themes with first rate delivery. This allows Songs Of Praise to be a thrilling record that offers a high momentum of great grooves and spellbinding sounds from start to finish. 


Bleeding Antlers are the real deal and this record only proves this point time and time again.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Bleeding Antlers and Metal Devastation Radio PR for the promo.


Songs Of Praise is available to buy now on Digital Download.


Links


Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

ZEMETRAS - ZEMETRAS (Album Review)

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

ZEMETRAS - Tracklist

1.Kto Vie Viac o Smrti 05:40

2.Misky Váh 05:27

 3.Ruky od Krvi 06:36

4.Skús Nezabudnúť 05:44

5.Beda Mi 01:50

6.Soľ a Prach 05:03

7.Súd 05:38


Members


Lukas - guitar / founder

Miyia – bass guitar

Adela – vocals

Vanes – drums

Martin – second guitar


Review


ZEMETRAS self titled debut album is drenched in fuzz, distortion and grimy Psychedelic energy which channels an epic style of modern Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal sounds that have a haunting and tortured delivery to them. Taking inspiration from the likes of Windhand, Electric Wizard, Monolord and YOB this record has ZEMETRAS singing in their native Slovak language which doesn’t diminish the whole emotionally charged journey of the album at all.


ZEMETRAS have added the English Song Titles and lyrics over on their BandCamp Page which I read whilst listening to the album. That was quite a surreal experience as the lyrics gives you a deeper and personal insight into what the band are actually saying especially within the excellent opening track Kto Vie Viac o Smrti (Who Knows More Of Death). The music is superb with ZEMETRAS developing and playing aggressive slabs of FUZZED OUT DOOM with that massive wall of Amplified Sound that cause minor damage to your hearing.


ZEMETRAS play their music with a committed style of LOW & SLOW based delivery which allows an aggressive level of melody of rhythm to be played with small areas of progressive attitude to form in the background. The excellent vocals from Adela are very full on with a dedicated gritty performance throughout the whole journey.


There’s a violent sense of distorted sounds being broken down into individual pieces of psychedelic energy which has a sudden shift into Sludge Rock/Metal which allows ZEMETRAS to experiment with their music multiple times and still sound remarkably fresh on tracks such as: Misky Váh, Ruky od Krvi, Skús Nezabudnúť, Soľ a Prach and Súd.


ZEMETRAS are not afraid to apply Post-Doom and Psychedelic soundscapes into their music that offers a cerebral Spaced Out attitude on the later stages of the record. There’s some excellent instrumental solos where you feel ZEMETRAS have studied the modern Heavy Rock underground scene thoroughly and taken the best aspects before changing into their own musical image. It’s a bold strategy that pays off huge dividends for ZEMETRAS as there’s some wonderful cinematic sounding grooves where the music becomes even deceptively heavier which left me mightily impressed. 


This is a must have record for the committed Doom/Stoner Metal fan who love their music full of FUZZED OUT attitude with violent outbursts of DISTORTED energy dictating the whole musical journey that will leave you wholly satisfied and brilliantly at peace with the world.


Words by Steve Howe


Links


BandCamp | Instagram