Lair Of The Minotaur - I HAIL I (Album Review)

Release Date: May 01st 2026. Record Label: The Grind-House Records. Formats: DD

I HAIL I - Tracklisting

1.Emperor of Dis

2.I HAIL I 

3.Enthroned in Violence

4.Fucked Inside Out

5.Deepest Hell

6.Saturnus Reign

7.Prowler Twin Sister 

8.Family Tree

9.Vulture Worship

10.Tartarus Apocalypse

Members

Steven Rathbone - Guitar, Vocals, Synth

Chris Wozniak - Drums

Sanford Parker - Bass

Review

I-HAIL-I marks the triumphant return of Thrash/Sludge Metal heavyweights Lair Of The Minotaur with this being their first album in sixteen years and they’ve lost none of their fucked up aggression which was captured perfectly with their landmark 2010 album Evil Power. Nothing much has changed with how the band playing their classic trademark and pissed off HEAVY METAL sound. Lair Of The Minotaur have added metal legend Sanford Parker joining their ranks on bass. Sanford also recorded and mixed the album which you can tell from the very start after all the amazing albums and records he’s been involved with over the years.

This record is pure CARNAGE from start to finish with Lair Of The Minotaur perfecting their highly aggressive blend and fast paced Thrash and Sludge Metal which also adds strands of Grind, Doom, Psych, Punk and Speed Metal. The mood is quite nihilistic with a dark sludgy environment which is laid down with a dominating HARDCORE METALLIC ferocity which comes across brilliantly well on tracks such as Emperor Of Dis, I-HAIL-I and Enthroned In Violence.

There are some great influences which you can’t help but notice from bands such as MOTORHEAD, HIGH ON FIRE, SLAYER and METALLICA but Lair Of The Minotaur always manage to create their own menacing blend of extreme magic which relies heavily on the extreme side of heavy metal. The band love to GRIND, GRIND and GRIND some more on the whole album which results in some brilliantly heavy THRASH based madness with superb vocals to match.

I HAIL I only lasts around thirty minutes spread across ten great tracks with the majority of them only running under a few minutes or so. Lair Of The Minotaur comes flying out of the gate with this perhaps being their most direct, extreme, aggressive and riff-fuelled record to date.

The album thrives on perfecting it’s “PULL NO PUNCHES” and “TAKE NO PRISONERS” approach on other tracks such as Fucked Inside Out, Deepest Hell and Prowler Twin Sister. These tracks are the pure embodiment of Extreme Doom/Sludge Metal with Lair Of The Minotaur allowing themselves to move themselves closer to a more straightforward riff-driven style of music.

There’s even a great surprise with the band performing a cover of Alt Rock/Indie Rock artist Ethel Cain’s stunning track “Family Tree”. This is one of the best tracks on the album as it’s so left-field for Lair Of The Minotaur to choose to cover. Their version of the song is vastly different with the band keeping with the Doom, Sludge and Thrash Metal narrative of the whole album though it pays great respect to the original version which I recommend you comparing them against each other when you have the time. Lair Of The Minotaur does start showing a Post-Thrash and Post-Sludge environment within Family Tree and I would love to see them explore that style more often on future releases if possible.

The final track Tartarus Apocalypse is the longest track on the album running for almost eight minutes which allows the band to stretch their musical boundaries by adding a slight Progressive edge to their music. The sound is grounded, bombastic and even psychedelic charged at times with Lair Of The Minotaur exploring different creative avenues whilst bringing a thunderous and destructive appetite to the actual musical journey.

I HAIL I could be considered a "comeback" album for Lair Of The Minotaur and it’s a major success on every level. The record is extremely brutal and is never afraid to explore a more violent and extreme sound which the band have always delivered throughout their celebrated career. However, there’s more to discover with I HAIL I with Lair Of The Minotaur delivering an epic album that’s packed full of intense grooves and wicked melodies that could easily be classed as some of the best music of their entire career.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.

I HAIL I is available to buy now digitally via The Grind-House Records with physical formats being released at a later date.

Links 

BandCamp | Instagram

Introduce Yourselves: The Almost Dead

What Is the Name of Your Band?

The Almost Dead based in Paris, France

What Is the genre of music you play?

Heavy Stoner

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

The Almost Dead was formed in April 2024 with four experienced members from the French hard rock/metal scene.

The band spent its first year composing the initial tracks for its repertoire. The result was the release of a 3-track demo in January 2025.

In June 2025, The Almost Dead played their first concert and then returned to the studio to compose and record new tracks.

A self-produced 5-track EP was released in December 2025.

The year 2026 is dedicated to concerts promoting this EP.

What can people expect from your music?

The heavy rock of the late 1960's and early 1970's is the starting point for our stoner-oriented musical project, with strong influences from psychedelic rock and doom metal.

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

First EP named Almost Dead released in December 2025 and available on Bandcamp.

https://thealmostdead1.bandcamp.com/album/almost-dead-ep

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://linktr.ee/thealmostdeadband

Introduce Yourselves: McMurdo Sound Agreement

What Is the Name of Your Band?

We are McMurdo Sound Agreement

What Is the genre of music you play?

We play hard rock/ stoner metal. Inspired by the stoner metal scene of the early 00s, we take the influences of band like Clutch, Fu Manchu and Unida and use them to forge our own identity. We love blending super heavy riffs with cool melodies and weird chord progressions.

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

Sean (Guitar) and Lindsey (Drums) have been playing together in bands across the Northeast of England since 2010. The idea with McMurdo was that we wanted to really focus on creating concept albums with a cool overarching narrative, which we tell through the lyrics and artwork. We gig around the region but we’re predominately a studio-based outfit and we’ve just released our first album Second Spine.

What can people expect from your music?

We wanted to create a sound that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Small Stone records compilation from the 2000s, and I think we succeeded. Super heavy fuzziness balanced with strong melody and massive choruses.

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

Our new album Second Spine came out a couple of weeks ago, and we’re super proud of it. We self-produced and released this, it really has been a labour of love.

Bandcamp: https://mcmurdosoundagreement.bandcamp.com/album/second-spine
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/second-spine/1891856065
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1RlCWnJqXdLjLXUfNaymHZ?si=ZKCSyp1cSa-H5GGEi_I45g

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://www.instagram.com/mcmurdosoundagreement

Swedish Doom Merchants GODDESS (Formerly Goatess) Announce New Album Ritual of the Cloven And Reveal Lead Single “Blood Fever”

Rising from the ashes of Goatess, Swedish doom merchants reborn as Goddess will release their debut album on May 22 via Majestic Mountain Records, and today offer a first glimpse with the release of lead single “Blood Fever.”

Emerging from the ashes of Goatess, Goddess usher in a new chapter for the Stockholm-based band following the departure of founding guitarist Niklas. While the name has changed, the essence remains intact, a towering blend of crushing, riff-driven doom, thick stoner grooves, soaring vocals, and a dark, psychedelic edge.

Drawing from the legacy of Goatess’s acclaimed releases, Goatess (2013), II: Purgatory Under New Management (2016), and Blood and Wine (2019), Goddess push that unmistakable Swedish doom sound forward, tighter, sharper, and more driven than ever.

The new single “Blood Fever” offers the first glimpse into this next phase: slow-burning, monolithic, and steeped in atmosphere, channeling the spirit of Electric Wizard, Sleep, Saint Vitus, Count Raven, and classic Black Sabbath, while carving its own path forward.

Now signed to Majestic Mountain Records, Goddess are set to deliver a record that captures both the legacy of their past and the vision of what comes next, heavy, hypnotic, and uncompromising. Pre-orders will be announced this Friday.

Follow Goddess

https://www.facebook.com/baldersounds
https://www.instagram.com/goddessbandofficial

Follow Majestic Mountain Records

https://www.majesticmountainrecords.com
https://majesticmountainrecords.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords
https://www.facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the details.

Demons My Friends - Survive/Yourself (Album Review)

Release Date: April 17th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl.

Survive/Yourself - Tracklisting

1.The Theory of Change 06:05

2.Last Dance 06:19

3.Star Child 04:47

4.Kalorama 04:55

5.We All End Up Here 06:21

6.Brain Holographics 06:28

7.Smile 03:20

8.The Isolate 04:58

Members

Pablo Anton – Guitars and vocals

Lu Salinas – Bass and vocals

Tarro Martinez – Drums

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metallers Demons My Friends find themselves in a much bolder place and destination compared to when their acclaimed debut album “Demons Seems To Gather” was released back in September 2023. For a start, the band are now signed to one of the biggest Heavy Rock labels around with Ripple Music being their new home for their new album. And it seems the band have developed a heavier and progressive style of music on their sophomore album Survive/Yourself. This time round, Demons My Friends are closer to the Post-Metal world with a haunting Post-Doom theme running throughout the album.

The band still show instances of that modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal themes that made their debut album such a standout record of 2023. The melodies are quite emotionally engaging with Demons My Friends demonstrating different musical styles with influences such as Neurosis, Mastodon, Baroness, King Buffalo, Howling Giant and REZN. There is still a slight off-beat charm hidden with how the band deliver their vocals and prog rock attitudes which are superbly built up on tracks such as The Theory Of Change, Last Dance, Star Child and Kalorama.

Survive/Yourself can be quite emotionally wrought and too fragile compared to Demons Seem To Gather which may take some of their fan base out of the enjoyment loop when they first listen to the album. However, this is Demons My Friends creating something different and perhaps more personally important to the band themselves. You can tell how the vocals are delivered by Pablo Anton and Lu Salinas on different stages of the album. The lyrics have an emotional gravitas and sensibility to them which allows the Psychedelic and Prog Metal environments to fully solidify the whole creative intent that Demons My Friends achieve on this record alone.

There’s still some wicked fun to be experienced along the way with Demons My Friends employing a thuggish metallic route that has echoes of HIGH ON FIRE and TORCHE appearing in the most unexpected of places. That’s what made their debut album such an absolute joy though the later stages of the record does embrace a Post-Grunge and Post-Hardcore energy which once again brings a sense of trippy weirdness to the whole album.

One of Survive/Yourself main strengths is how Demons My Friends just create music with a raw, vicious and honest attitude which can be off the scale and down right outlandish but it’s done with great intent especially on some of the other standout tracks of: We All End Up Here, Brain Holographics and The Isolate. These tracks will perhaps become real fan favourites within time especially We All End Up Here and The Isolate. As Demons My Friends show a vivid way of changing musical structures with progressive dynamics that manifests into some of the most grounded and highly melodic instrumental passages on the whole record. 

Everyone plays to their creative strengths and I’ve already mentioned Pablo Anton and Lu Salinas stellar work on vocals but they impress even further on Guitars and Bass respectively. Tarro Martinez on drums brings a grounded perspective to Demons My Friends with some crowd-pleasing moments that allows this great Power-Trio to fully come to life especially within the quieter and more reflective sounds they conjure up out of thin air.

Survive/Yourself is an exquisite and emotionally charged album that sees Demons My Friends brilliantly avoid the dreaded “sophomore slump” and deliver a record that leaves you in quite an euphoric state of mind. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Survive/Yourself is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Links 

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Tusoc - Monolito (Album Review)

Release Date: April 15th 2026. Record Label: Self Released.. Formats: DD

Monolito - Tracklisting

1.Monolito 05:23

2.Alud 05:41

3.Peregrino I. Olvido 03:08

4.Peregrino II. Lamento 02:53

5.Peregrino III. Redencion 03:53

6.(Interludio) 01:28

7.Tu ley 05:25

8.Rebenque 06:32

9.Volver 06:49

10.(Coda) 00:45

Members

Fabián Lugones: Bass

Guillermo Lambrisca: Guitar

Alberto Lugones: Drums

Fernando Morelli: Vocals

Review

Argentinian Post-Rock/Post-Stoner Rock collective Tusoc return with their new album Monolito which further expands their own Stoner Rock ideas compared to their 2023 album Éter. The sound is quite Sludge Rock orientated with Tusoc exploring a thrilling Alt Rock identity with a thunderous rhythm section (Fabián Lugones: Bass and Alberto Lugones: Drums) providing some intense Spaced Out dimensions very early on within the stunning tracks of Alud and the blistering three part epic of Peregrino I. Olvido, Peregrino II. Lamento and Peregrino III. Redencion.

These tracks alone allow Tusoc to align themselves closely to the likes of ELDER and WEEDPECKER with that South American flair being quite jazzy and progressively aware throughout. The excellent vocals from Fernando Morelli feels like they are opening the gateway to another dimension with haunting Post-Rock themes being played within the background. 

Guillermo Lambrisca on guitars creates some stellar Post-Stoner and Post-Doom melodies which remind me of Yawning Man in places especially within the quieter, sombre and most reflective parts of the album. Monolito does become more Prog Rock obsessed with how the vocals and instrumental passages slowly build up. However, Tusoc always conjures up some outstanding Space Rock and free flowing Desert Rock interludes which transports the listener into some unknown far out musical vortex.

Some sections of the album do transform into areas of Grunge, Hard Rock and Alt Rock which Tusoc fully embraces on other tracks such as: Tu ley, Rebenque and Volver. The vocals are in Spanish and I can’t comment on that aspect but that shouldn’t stop you enjoying this great album with Tusoc exploring many different musical avenues you least expect. Monolito isn’t afraid to embrace a heavier Stoner Metal sound towards the end but Tusoc always knows when to bring the mood right back and let the Ambient, Post-Rock and Desert Rock themes do the talking. 

Monolito is an absolute gem to be released from the South American Psych/Stoner Rock scene which shows you a different side you might not experience from the mainstream Stoner Rock/Metal scene. The album can be quite low-key but when Tusoc are firing on all cylinders they truly deliver some outstanding aggressive Stoner Rock/Metal sounds of their own making.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

SIGNO ROJO UNLEASHES CRUSHING NEW SINGLE “GROWTH” OUT NOW VIA MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS

Karlshamn, Sweden’s underground heavyweights Signo Rojo return with a thunderous new statement in the form of their latest single, “Growth,” set for release on April 17, 2026 via Majestic Mountain Records .

For over fifteen years, Signo Rojo have been grinding their way through the depths of the Swedish underground, forging a sound that refuses to sit still. Blending the oppressive weight of sludge and doom with the raw urgency of hardcore and punk, the band has built a reputation the old-fashioned way: DIY, no shortcuts, no compromises. Their output may come slow, but when it lands, it hits like a collapsing glacier.

With “Growth,” Signo Rojo deliver exactly what you’d expect and then some. This is a mammoth, riff-driven assault packed with spine-rattling low end, towering melodies, and the kind of atmosphere that sticks to your ribs. Fans of Neurosis , Big Business , and Baroness will feel right at home, but make no mistake, Signo Rojo aren’t chasing anyone’s shadow. They’ve carved out their own lane and they’re driving straight through it.

Lyrically, “Growth” takes a hard look at modern society’s obsession with self-improvement. Instead of buying into the glossy, instant-gratification version being sold everywhere, the band flips the script. The track digs into how personal development has been commodified, turned into something people think they can purchase, hack, or shortcut. The result? More often than not, people end up stuck, misled, or worse, exploited by systems that prey on vulnerability.

In the band’s own words:

“‘Growth’ is a mammoth-stomping slab of doom-infused sludge that delivers spine-shaking riffs and soaring choruses.”

Behind the scenes, the band kept things tight and true to their roots. The single was produced by Signo Rojo themselves, with mixing and mastering handled by Elias Mellberg, giving the track a raw but massive sonic punch that feels both deliberate and unfiltered.

This release marks the beginning of a heavy onslaught from the band in 2026, with more material locked, loaded, and ready to fire. If “Growth” is any indication, Signo Rojo aren’t easing into anything, they’re kicking the door clean off the hinges.

Release Date: April 17, 2026
Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal, Hardcore

Links

Website: https://signorojo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/signorojo/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/signorojo/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SignoRojoswe

Bandcamp: https://signorojo.bandcamp.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5NDCT0LD3UWaTNEBoGC4er

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/signo-rojo/1449415688