Oscillotron - Axiom (Album Review)

Release Date: October 16th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Axiom - Tracklist

1.Epoch 01:16

2.Prime Neuron Disintegration 12:24

3.Nullification Sequence 09:32

4.Autogenic Kernel 02:54

5.Colossal Suspended Tensor Nexus 20:21

6.Archaic Cognitive Unit 11:14

7.Axiom 03:01

8.Miasma (2024 Demo - Bandcamp exclusive bonus track) 19:36

Members

D.A. Johansson - Everything

Review

Axiom is the latest release from Ambient/Doom/Drone Metal project Oscillotron which is the creative project from D.A. Johansson, who is also the main creative force behind the mighty Sludge Metal powerhouse known as KONGH. Oscillotron is a completely different beast to KONGH where the music is delivered through slowly played Distorted elements of Ambient, Doom, Drone, Psych and Industrial sounds. 

The record is quite mechanical and ice-cold with a wide arrangement of different sounds and gloomy textures being played against an electronic based environment. Oscillotron is quite cinematic and heavily soundtrack driven which you can appreciate throughout tracks such as Prime Neuron Disintegration and Nullification Sequence. 

The cautious and highly methodical sounds become quite spaced out when the music becomes more Ambient determined. The early stages of Axiom reminds me of films made by John Carpenter and James Cameron with the gloomy synths and electronic elements providing a cautionary style of delivery.

Axiom does feel heavily inspired by classic films of the early Eighties which I may be looking far too much into. Oscillotron is a surreal experience but once that’s quite grounded with that slow paced narrative adding that fractured Drone / Doom aspect that feels inspired by the likes of SUNN 0))), NIN and Author & Punisher but with that massive Electronic and Industrial theme bringing a sense of highly original mystery to the party.

The album lasts for around an hour with each track offering a different style of Eighties based paranoia into the mix. Oscillotron even starts to develop some excellent “video game” narratives into the record which fully sells that soundtrack narrative I mentioned earlier. It’s great to hear David bring some intense slabs of heavy distorted doom into the mix which gives the album a whole destructive energy with vicious electronic beats becoming quite central to how the album fully plays out.

The Progressive Musical environment is wonderfully subversive with David showcasing a wealth of different Electronic and Ambient Metal styles on tracks such as Autogenic Kernel, Colossal Suspended Tensor Nexus and Archaic Cognitive Unit. Axiom is quite forward thinking and superbly dystopian which is quite hard to pull off especially for an instrumental album such as this. However, Oscillotron prove they have a great creative insight by blending different areas of Ambient and Electronic based music that tells a truly captivating story.

Axiom is an absolute masterclass of Ambient Doom Metal and Instrumental Music. Everything is played amazingly throughout and I wanted to hear more when everything was said and done. It’s also quite cool that David has included the 2024 Demo Bonus track of Miasma which is where the idea for this album originally started from.

If you’re up for a challenging and highly experimental style of instrumental music then you’re going to have your mind blown with Axiom. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | BandCamp

American guitarist Jason Walker to issue Jason Walker's Gravity Amplifiers debut album (featuring Nick Oliveri and Mucho Drums) on Ripple Music this fall!

American heavy metal guitarist Jason Walker signs to Ripple Music for the release of his debut solo project JASON WALKER'S GRAVITY AMPLIFIERS — featuring drummer Mucho Drums and bassist Nick Oliveri — on November 20th, and presents the debut track today!

Stream debut single The Powerful Lie (featuring Nick Oliveri) 

Jason Walker has spent years channeling a singular obsession into sound: the unwavering belief that we are not alone in the universe. Long before the New York Times forced the Pentagon's UFO programs into the public eye in 2017, Walker was already a witness, and his debut solo album Disclosure Vol. 1 is his testimony.

Backed by Mucho Drums (El Perro, Great Electric Quest) and featuring guest bassist Nick Oliveri (Queens of the Stone Age, Mondo Generator) on half the record, Walker builds a heavy, layered guitar album that works on two levels. On the surface, these are songs about an incident, about humanity, about contact. Beneath it, they're work as allegories about a kid who never felt like he belonged, about instinct, about the strange isolation of seeing something the rest of the world wasn't ready to see. Equal parts riff-centric heavy metal and deeply personal reckoning, Disclosure Vol. 1 is a powerful concept release and a sonic statement all at once.

Debut album "Jason Walker's Gravity Amplifiers" 

Out November 20th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital) - PRE-ORDER

Jason Walker's musical journey began unusually early, with his first instrument being a makeshift drum kit built from coffee cans and welding rods. His first concert — Crosby, Stills and Nash — solidified his path toward guitar, and he began learning on his father's 12-string acoustic. By age 14, he was already being paid to play, armed with a late-'70s Marshall JMP and a Les Paul Standard. Walker joined the Gene Simmons Band after being recommended by drummer Brian Tichy and passing an audition. He has since toured extensively and established a strong on-stage presence throughout countless shows across North America.

Jason Walker's Gravity Amplifiers is:

Jason Walker — guitar & vocals
Mucho Drums — drums
Nick Oliveri — bass

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

KING BUFFALO Release Music Video for New Single "Vagabond" From Upcoming Studio Album Doomsayer, Out December 4th

[Photo credit: Mitch Kline]

King Buffalo have released “Vagabond”, the second single from their upcoming album, Doomsayer, out December 4th, 2026, as a self-release in North America and through Stickman Records in Europe. Preorders are available via http://kingbuffalo.bigcartel.com and https://www.stickman-records.com.

“’Vagabond’ was recorded in our new studio space, so it felt fitting to have the video take place there too,” drummer Scott Donaldson shares about the band’s newly constructed Rochester studio space. “It’s been a long road getting the space to where it is today, and there’s still plenty to do. From the beginning we have a vision of creating somewhere that functions as a proper recording studio while also being presentable and versatile enough for video. It feels great to finally share a glimpse of the new home we’ve built for ourselves, and to debut the second single from Doomsayer.”

The trio previously released “The Slick and The Dead,” a track Consequence said “merges classic desert rock a la Kyuss with Deep Purple-style organ accents and melodic flourishes.” The Obelisk also weighed in, saying the new songs “capture the dynamic chemistry between the three of them at its most vibrant, breathtaking and viscerally heavy.”

“Doomsayer originated in early 2026 out of many hours of jam sessions in our new studio space, playing around and seeing where it took us,” explains guitarist/vocalist Sean Roa, who also produced and mixed the album. “We didn’t really have an end goal in mind of what we were going for. We were simply exploring ideas and seeing what ended up speaking to us the most. So much has happened, both as a band and in our personal lives since our last record, that ended up becoming the inspiration to many of the lyrics on Doomsayer. I think as a result, this is some of our most upfront, direct and riff-driven work to date. We are incredibly proud of it and can’t wait for it to get out into the world.”

Four years on from Regenerator, King Buffalo returns with a record shaped by years of international touring and a deepening confidence in their own sound. Recorded in the new studio the band built themselves, Doomsayer finds the trio continuing to reach into the unknown, while bringing a greater sense of focus and intention to their sound. The experience they have gained on the road is evident throughout the album, both in the poise of the material and the confidence of their delivery. Like the pandemic trilogy that preceded it, Doomsayer was made at home, but the band’s new surroundings have given them the freedom to continue exploring and finding new ground, with a maturity they have earned one stage at a time.

Cover artwork by See Machine

Doomsayer Tracklist:

1. Battling The Mystagogues
2. The Slick and the Dead
3. Vagabond
4. Hell or High Water
5. Into the Foundry
6. Ether on the Dark Side
7. Doomsayer

The band launch their North American tour on Oct. 29 in Boulder with support from L.A. Witch (Oct. 29 to Nov. 21, except Los Angeles), Doom Gong (Dec. 3 to 5 and Dec. 18), and Handsome Jack (Dec. 8 to 12). A European trek was announced with Spirit Mother opening on all dates. Ticket links are available at Kingbuffalo.com/tour.

USA Tour Dates

10/29 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
10/30 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre - LOW TIX
10/31 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
11/2 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre - LOW TIX
11/3 Vancouver, BC - The Pearl - LOW TIX
11/4 Seattle, WA - Neumos
11/6 San Francisco, CA - The Independent - LOW TIX
11/7 Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room
11/9 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
11/10 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
11/11 Albuquerque, NM - Sister
11/13 Dallas, TX - AM/FM
11/14 Austin, TX - Mohawk
11/17 Houston, TX - Bad Astronaut
11/19 Nashville, TN - Basement East
11/20 Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle - LOW TIX
11/21 Cincinnati, OH - Woodward Theatre
12/3 Detroit, MI - El Club
12/4 Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
12/5 Cleveland, OH - The Roxy
12/8 Toronto, ON - The Mod Club - LOW TIX
12/9 Montreal, QC - Theatre Fairmount - LOW TIX
12/10 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall - LOW TIX
12/11 New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge - LOW TIX
12/12 Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
12/15 Richmond, VA - The Broadberry
12/16 Durham, NC - Motorco
12/17 Washington, DC - Black Cat
12/18 Columbus, OH - Skully’s

European TOUR DATES

02.03 Hamburg, DE - Grunspan
03.03 Antwerp, BE - Trix
04.03 Haarlem, NL - Patronaat
06.03 London, UK - Scala
07.03 Manchester, UK - Gorilla
09.03 Bristol, UK - Electric Bristol
11.03 Paris, FR - Petit Bain
12.03 Essen, DE - Zeche Carl
13.03 Cologne, DE - Kantine
14.03 Stuttgart, DE - Wizeman
15.03 Munich, DE - Backstage Halle
17.03 Berlin, DE - Festsaal
19.03 Copenhagen, DK - Pumpehuset
20.03 Gothenburg, SE - Monument
21.03 Oslo, NO - John Dee
22.03 - Stockholm, SE Debaser Nova

King Buffalo is:

Sean Roa - Guitar, Synth & Vocals

Dan Reynolds - Bass & Synth

Scott Donaldson - Drums & Percussion

Connect with King Buffalo:

http://kingbuffalo.com
http://kingbuffalo.bigcartel.com
For Socials: @kingbuffaloband

Thanks to All NOiR PR for the details.

Hexecutioner - Ascension Rock (Album Review)

Release Date: October 23rd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl

Ascension Rock - Tracklist

1. Shapeshifter (5:52) 2. Usurper (5:57) 3. Manifested (7:10) 4. Star and Stone (4:42) 5. Sink or Swim (5:22) 6. Billionaires (4:45)

Members

Erin Gravina - Guitar and Vocals

Daniel McManus - Bass Guitar

Bryce Hebner - Drums

Review

Ascension Rock is the third album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Hexecutioner with the band adding a grounded cosmic energy into their music. The record itself is quite grimy and stripped back which gives Hexecutioner a heavier approach compared to their previous albums. This allows Hexecutioner to align themselves closer to the likes of OM, SLEEP and Acid King throughout this album. 

There is also a killer Proto-Metal and Garage Rock delivery being used on huge parts of the record but it’s that COSMIC DOOM sound that makes the most lasting impression which is brought superbly into life within the excellent opening track of Shapeshifter. The sound is quite down-tuned and led by moments of amplified distortion which still forms an epic style of sludge melodies amongst the gritty atmosphere that develops in the background. 

Erin Gravina works creative overtime on this record by playing guitars, delivering vocals and writing the lyrics and music for this record alone. However, this feels like a real team effort with Daniel McManus (Bass) and Bryce Hebner (Drums) forming a powerful rhythm section that allows Erin to play some intense grooves that remind me of Acid King and Shrinebuilder.

Ascension Rock does allow Hexecutioner to move into areas of Progressive Rock and Spaced Out dimensions along the way on tracks such as Usurper, Manifested, Star And Stone and Billionaires. The stripped back production values work surprisingly well for the more COSMIC aspects of the album but Erin has written some great lyrics to keep the mood human and superbly real. I adored the Punk Rock aesthetic that the album delivers so well with this record, perhaps showing you how the band actually sound like in the real world.

There’s some great Post-Doom and Post-Punk elements that start to develop on the later stages on this record which Hexecutioner have used on previous albums but this is perhaps when they’re fully fleshed out and the music becomes a more thrilling experience because of how everything plays out.

Ascension Rock has allowed HEXECUTIONER to re-invent themselves for the better with an album that’s bound to become a firm favourite within the underground rock scene and allow the band to become more well known at the same time. 

This record is an absolute blast from start to finish with seedy FUZZED OUT grooves and psychedelic soundscapes that’s highly addictive with massive amounts of violent grooves emitting from your speakers that will leave you a shivering wreck!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Hexecutioner and Good Boy PR for the promo.

Ascension Rock is available to buy now on CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl.

Links:

Band website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook

Nightscape - The Great Beyond (Album Review)

Release Date: October 16th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

The Great Beyond - Tracklist

1.Tired Morning 07:20

2.Trembling Paradox 06:46

3.Floating Mind 07:30

4.Freedom of Knowledge 07:16

5.Polluted Crisis 07:44

6.Painted Stars 06:54

7.The Great Beyond 06:36

Members

Guglielmo Allegro - Everything

Review

Guglielmo Allegro aka Nightscape returns with The Great Beyond which is a more Droned Out affair compared to the last album Sakura with this record having a heavier and aggressive approach as well. There are similarities between The Great Beyond and Sakura though Nightscape relies heavily more on Psychedelic textures and Ambient sound effects with the music having a Post-Metal identity throughout the album.

The songs are quite long and very intense when Guglielmo applies massive amounts of Distorted Drone against a backdrop of fuzz, reverb and amplified textures which you can violently experience throughout the albums opening tracks of Tired Morning and Trembling Paradox. There’s a sense of isolation and detachment that I experienced with this album which  I never experienced with previous Nightscape records. I appreciate the creative energy and focus that Nightscape needed for this album but there are some great uplifting moments when the music shifts to a cerebral style of Ambient Rock, Cinematic Rock and Post-Rock.

However, the most exciting parts of the album is when Nightscape solely focuses upon creating and delivering those sudden bursts of Drone/Doom Metal exploration where the mood becomes bleak and aggressively violent which left me wanting to hear more. The majority of the tracks run near for around seven or eight minutes in length and if you’re accustomed to the works of SUNN 0))), BORIS, Bongripper and EARTH then you know what to expect but this is perhaps more riff-driven.

Standout tracks for me include: Tired Morning, Floating Mind, Freedom Of Knowledge and Polluted Crisis. These are the tracks I found myself most emotionally engaged with. The level of Psychedelic and Droned Out passages is quite euphoric despite the sense of isolation that I mentioned earlier in my review. Another great aspect of the album is the actual journey that Guglielmo takes you upon which he does on every Nightscape album but he manages to offer a different journey for each album. 

The journey may be slow and highly methodical but you can’t deny the huge talent and creative vision that’s behind The Great Beyond with Guglielmo once again showing why he’s one of the best “solo” instrumental artists the scene currently has right now. 

This is another masterful release from Nightscape and perhaps my favourite album yet from this creative project. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Clegane - Ocean Of Black Thoughts (Album Review)

Release Date: October 02nd 2026. Record Label: Almost Famous. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Ocean Of Black Thoughts - Tracklist

1.Abandoned Temple Fate 09:48

2.Luminose 06:31

3.Mutt 03:49

4.A Room Full of Strangers 08:12

5.Sun Decay 05:31

6.Ocean of Black Thoughts 08:24

Review

Ocean Of Black Thoughts is the third album from Doom/Grunge/Sludge Metallers Clegane and is my first experience with the band and I’m massively impressed from this record alone. As Clegane combines classic Grunge elements with a violent style of Doom, Sludge and Post-Metal which is superbly dark throughout the album. There is a bleak and unrelenting vision that appears from every angle of this record where the band’s intense vocals and violent lyrics pulls no punches to whoever listens to the album.

There are diverse influences such as Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Monolord and Melvins which you can hear but Clegane still maintain their own great identity within the album especially within the more grounded Grunge sounds and themes on tracks such as Abandoned Temple Fate, Luminose, Mutt and Sun Decay. I also admire how the band switched from playing long drawn out instrumental passages to a more direct riff-centric approach with an epic “DOOM & GLOOM” delivery holding everything together.

The vocals are another highlight where Clegane employs a wide array of different styles with clean vocals and harsh growls all being fully utilized for maximum potential. Clegane embraces a sinister Post-Punk and Post-Doom attitude within the more stripped back elements of the album where you fully appreciate the classic Nineties Heavy Rock/Heavy Metal attitude that appears at different times of the album. 

The record can be deliberately slow at times but this allows Clegane to experiment with different Post-Punk atmospherics that soon transform into a heavier style of Post-Metal that becomes quite relentless and highly unforgiving. Clegane also has a great way of creating SONIC based soundscapes which adds a layer of surreal level of psychedelic energy to make things slightly over the top at times but it works superbly well.

Ocean Of Black Thoughts is quite a dark and vicious album but one that is emotionally rewarding when everything is said and done. Clegane offers no apologies for delivering a highly uncomfortable record but it’s one that’s packed full of massive grooves of the highest order which can be quite jaw-dropping to hear at times. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Ocean Of Black Thoughts is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Almost Famous.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Doom/Stoner Metallers SON OF BOAR Sign To Pale Wizard. Announce Upcoming New Album And Release New Song EL JEFE

We’ve known these lads for years. Going back to the tour we did in 2022 for Sergeant Thunderhoof’s ‘This Sceptred Veil’ album…. these boys magically kept appearing on the bill! And we quickly developed a deep friendship and respect for them… partly due to the awesome noise that they made, but also due to the fact that they’re absolutely top lads. Hard working, loyal, respectful, appreciative and humble. Anyone who has met Son of Boar will know what we’re talking about.

So when they contacted us a few months back to say they had finished recording a new album, we really wanted to see what we could to help them. Well here it is…. The Hand That Reigns. A dark, brooding, heavy masterpiece of a record. Diving deep into the occult, witchcraft and terrible histories of the west.

We’re very proud to present to you this new album on Digital and CD. 

Check out the first track now and consider pre ordering your copy!

The Lowdown

Formed in 2018, Son Of Boar's powerful, groove-laden, riff-heavy sound has seen them share stages with the likes of Conjurer, Sergeant Thunderhoof, Desert Storm, Nebula, Conan and Fatso Jetson, whilst appearances at Bloodstock, Riffolution, Ruination, Hard Rock Hell Fest, Hammerfest, SOPHIE Fest and Masters Of The Riff have firmly established the band within the UK heavy-music circuit.

Their forthcoming second studio album 'The Hand That Reigns', recorded at Corner House Studios in Yorkshire with Kurt Wood and mastered by Dave Draper (Ginger Wildheart), emerged during a period in which each member was collectively navigating difficult times. As riffs developed into songs, it became clear that those experiences were influencing the writing, and something darker was taking shape. Each track is infused with a personal honesty that moves fluidly from groove-metal to blasted desert rock and the deepest, darkest doom, showcasing the wide range to the band's sound.

Lyrically, the album explores themes of alienation, judgement, personal struggles and reilience, examining the barriers people encounter, the frustration and anger that can emerge from them, and the strength required to move beyond them.

"Lyrically the album covers themes of being an outcast in various forms. Drawing on inspiration from world events, personal experiences, documentaries, and life in a band, the songs talk to the barriers we hit in life, how people judge each other, and the frustration and anger that can come from that, but also about drawing on personal strength and inner belief to get past that and try to live a better life," vocalist Luke Oliver says.

You can find the band online here:

Website: https://sonofboar.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonOBoar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/son_of_boar
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3MvIo59LEuFXrQ7U6AnuoO?si=pdeJaMjlQmOdqJneZJKtPw
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/son-of-boar/1490688507
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/artists/B082K9NRW1

Thanks to Pale Wizard and Memphia Music PR for the details.