Earthlore - Within The Earth (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Within The Earth- Tracklist

1.Within The Earth 04:55

2.All 04:32

3.Epitaph 01:27

4.Tempest Skies 04:28

5.Blinding Star 07:00

6.Centuries 06:12

7.In Spring 05:12

 

Members

Drew Pelrine: Rhythm Guitar / Vocals / Bass / Synths

Gabe Haydar: Lead Guitar

Troy Welling: Drums

Review

Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers Earthlore’s second album Within The Earth shares some common themes with the likes of Elder, King Buffalo and Howling Giant but they add a Grunge attitude into their music which allows the sound to become more dominated by Sludge Rock and Post-Metal themes. Earthlore has some Mastodon / Baroness levels of heaviness that emerges from behind the scenes that gives the whole album an aggressive Fuzz Rock drive with a sublime creative outlook developing.

The opening two songs Within The Earth and All sees Earthlore combine Spaced Out Synths with their grounded Sludge Rock/Stoner Metal based melodies having quite a distorted area of heaviness with flashes of Ambient Rock making an appearance. The vocals from Drew Pelrine have the hallmarks of being delivered from the classic Grunge era with Earthlore developing a faster and aggressive style of music.

Within The Earth does allow Earthlore to play different  styles of Doomed Out Stoner Metal with each track having their own individual themes especially on All, Terminal Skies, Blinding Star and Centuries. The music feels superbly real despite the constant shift into Cosmic Doom with a grounded logic being applied to Earthlore’s great use of Progressive music throughout the album.

There are some Post-Doom, Post-Stoner and Post-Rock instrumental passages that slows the mood way down but this allows Earthlore to show what great musicians they actually are. Though, the band go all in with their intense progressive attack within the standout tracks of Terminal Skies and Blinding Star that offers some violent Heavy Metal movements and down-tuned sludgy instrumental passages which still remains to be wonderfully melodic from start to finish.

The album is superbly produced and allows Earthlore to create their own great style of Doom/Stoner Metal that’s bursting with epic strands of Psych, Sludge and Space Rock music allowing the listener to become fully part of this outstanding cinematic journey.

Within The Earth is a must have album and is most definitely be a worthwhile addition to anyone’s record collection if you’re a true believer / follower of the Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

30,000 Monkies - Super Rebound (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: FVN KULT RECORDS. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Super Rebound - Tracklist

1.THE GUMS

2.PRISM BREAK 

3.[HORNS WAILING]

4.MOUNTAINESQUE 4

5.UNSOUND HERO

6.[SIREN SINGING]

7.SUPER REBOUND 

8.SWERVER

9.[BELLS RINGING, TALE MELTING]

 

Members

Ruben Savelkoul (Guitar, Vocals, Programming)

Michiel De Naegel (Guitar, Vocals)

Cyril Beerten (Bass, Vocals)

Mattias Jonniaux (Drums)

Review

Doom/Sludge/Noise/Sonic Terrorists 30,000 Monkies return with their sixth album Super Rebound and it’s equally weird and brilliantly fucked as their previous albums. However, this is the band’s most heaviest, creative, riff-centric and dare I say hopefully optimistic despite the harsh and bleak savagery the band put the listener through. Taking the classic Post-Metal template used by the likes of NEUROSIS, ISIS and CULT OF LUNA before applying an experimental vibe that reminds of BORIS and THE MELVINS. 

The added use of Psych Metal, Industrial Metal, Punk Metal and Stoner Metal make drastic appearances throughout the album where 30,000 Monkies not only come to terms with their own musical legacy but also redefining and reinventing everything for the better. This album does have a warped schizophrenic vision but there’s a gloomy sense of rhythm and melody holding everything together with the bombastic vocals being sung violently but with real purpose. 

You can see the band applying a nightmarish delivery to their music but it’s superbly real and grounded even with 30,000 Monkies applying a scattered approach to the overlapping areas of music being played like their lives dependent on it. The Blackened Sludge melodies does remind me of KVELERTAK on certain parts of the album with 30,000 Monkikes developing a non-stop array of grooves, riffs and musical hooks to entice the listener with. 

30,000 Monkies perhaps over do things with the SONIC passages and feedback loops where the music could have a great “LESS IS MORE” delivery but I would be lying to myself if I don’t own up to the fact that the album works best when the band unleash a torrent of fucked up grooves that venture into the Experimental Metal spectrum. 

Super Rebound does feel too long at times but it’s never boring with 30,000 Monkies creating a non-stop symphony of chaotic violence on tracks such as The Gums, Prism Break, Mountainesque 4, Unsound Hero, Super Rebound and [Bells Ringing, Tales Melting]. You will probably need a few listens to fully understand the message that 30,000 Monkies are trying to deliver with Super Rebound. However, it’s worth doing this as I missed quite a lot during my first listen of the album. That’s mostly down to how many different areas of music that 30,000 continues to develop throughout the album.

The whole experience is wonderfully offbeat to the very end but 30,000 Monkies never lose sight on how to have fun with the record even if they’re confronting their own musical legacy and creative mortality within the main themes of Super Rebound. The multi-faceted approach of the album is absolutely groundbreaking in the grand scheme of things as you don’t experience this style of Doom, Sludge and Post-metal very often.

This was a very hard album to review where I must have written about five different versions before settling on this one. I apologise to everyone if I didn’t manage to capture the unique presence of this album but that’s what to expect for such a true original that allows 30,000 Monkies to be one of the most daring and highly original bands within the underground Doom/Sludge Metal scene today.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the promo.

Super Rebound is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via FVN KULT RECORDS.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Instrumental Doom/Drone/Sludge Collective VOID SINKER Announce New EP - PITCH BLACK SUN

Void Sinker is proud to present the newest release of 2026.

A terrible omen hangs over us: a pitch-black sun radiating the earth with its restless heat. Seeking shelter in the shade is futile; its might reaches even where it cannot see you.

Recorded at home during this cursed summer heat—which grows increasingly oppressive—the EP was crafted to capture the sense of suffocation and faintness felt beneath the scorching sun of a season that is becoming ever more unbearable for humankind.

Are we perhaps destined to live by night? Only time will tell...

Release date: 09/04/2026

Format: Digital (Bandcamp)

https://voidsinker.bandcamp.com/music

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Rust Lords - Suffer Eternal (EP Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Suffer Eternal - Tracklist

1. LOUIS (3:57)

2. BUBBA (3:00)

3. JACK (3:09)

4. OTIS (2:27)

5. ADRIAN (4:57)

6. GLEN (2:18)

 

Members

Daniel Rastatter - Guitar / Backing Vocals

Phil McNuss - Bass

Evan Capella - Drums

Kyle Roy - Vocals

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Rust Lords bring a Hardcore Punk flavour to their latest EP - Suffer Eternal. There’s even a healthy dose of Crossover Thrash that gives Rust Lords a vibrant and seedy energy with their blend of lo-fi heavy grooves. The EP is superbly aggressive from the start with the Hardcore Punk vocals from Kyle Roy which has a classic Crossover influence running throughout. The music itself is superbly technical when the fast-paced melodies appear on different sections of the record.

Rust Lords like to play around with the rules and conventions of the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scenes they closely align themselves to. As the music goes through many different transformations which gives Suffer Eternal quite a highly original approach with that great Hardcore Punk and Doom Metal sound that reminds me of Saint Vitus and Corrosion Of Conformity on tracks such as Louis, Bubba, Jack and Adrian. 

The EP lasts for around twenty minutes but Rust Lords employ a great style of Doom Metal and Stoner Metal that manages to be quite playful and superbly hard-hitting along the way. When the band find their Psychedelic swagger, the EP becomes very trippy and self aware with a delicious level of FUZZ METAL that really makes the record really standout. You start to notice the fast-paced riffs even more with some fast-paced Thrash Metal beats that should appeal to fans of Motorhead and High On Fire with some great riff-centric passages moving into areas of Distorted based heaviness.

Suffer Eternal could have easily done with another song as everything suddenly ends once Rust Lords are fully in their musical element but the guys show a lot of promise here which should allow them to build a loyal following within the underground scene. Check this superb EP when you have the time and be prepared for a highly unapologetic style of aggressive Doom/Stoner Metal that takes no prisoners when everything is said and done.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin Announce First New Music Since 2020 With Details Of Upcoming New Album

Photo by Cara Justice

On October 2, 2026 Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin return with “ Bash ” , the first single from their self-titled sophomore album, due December 18, 2026  through Black Throne Productions. The new material brings the band’s reverb-heavy guitars and desert-road songwriting back into focus after more than five years away from their debut album “Misty Woman”.

Pre-orders for both the new album and the third repress of “Misty Woman” will open alongside the single.

The band’s sound sits somewhere between the open-road guitar work of The Ventures, the heavier side of Dead Meadow and the blues-inspired approach of All Them Witches. Spring reverb, roomy drums and guitars that leave some air around the notes are central to ACC’s formula. The surf-inspired songs are built for long drives, empty roads and getting away from town for a while.

Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin was formed in 2017 by Brennan Justice, Anthony DeFreitas and Jeremy Luvaas. After releasing Misty Woman, the three members dispersed and did not see each other face-to-face for more than five years. The band returned in late 2025 with their first repressing of “ Misty Woman”  through Black Throne Productions. The first repress sold out, leading to two additional vinyl runs and the first ever pressing of Mud Room #13 which included a previously unreleased bonus track “Narwhal”.

The new album was recorded and mixed by Brennan Justice at Camp Verde, Arizona, with mastering handled by JJ Golden. Its Southwestern setting is fitting for a band whose music has always been tied to California coastlines, desert roads, mountains and summer heat.

The band has already taken its music well outside Southern California. Their catalog has appeared in Shameless, Thrasher and Flip Skateboards projects, Vans-related events, several mountain-bike films and a placement in commercials for Indian Motorcycles. Additionally, Mud Room #13 was named one of El Coyote’s top EPs of 2019.

“ Bash “ arrives October 2, 2026 along with both pre-orders for the self-titled album and the third pressing of “ Misty Woman”.

For fans of: All Them Witches, The Ventures, Dead Meadow
Recorded/mixed by: Brennan Justice, Camp Verde, Arizona
Mastered by: JJ Golden
Label: Black Throne Productions

BIO:

Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin is a San Diego-based psychedelic desert rock trio whose music blends reverb-soaked guitars, haunting melodies, and heavy blues-driven rhythms into a sound that evokes the dark California desert on a warm summer night. Formed in 2017 by Brennan Justice (guitar, lead vocals), Anthony DeFreitas (bass, vocals), and Jeremy Luvaas (drums, percussion), the band creates cinematic rock inspired by dusty highways, coastal sunsets, and the surreal landscapes of the American Southwest. Their name originated from a fictional 1970s murder mystery imagined during a late-night conversation, capturing the strange, mysterious, and heavy character that continues to define the band.

Emerging from the remnants of a surf-rock project, Justice and DeFreitas began recording in a San Diego garage with minimal equipment and a raw, lo-fi approach that prioritized creativity over polished production. Early releases including Cabin Fever and Mud Room #13 helped establish a sound influenced by Dead Meadow, The Ventures, and All Them Witches. With Luvaas joining on drums, the band's sound expanded into what would become its debut full-length, Misty Woman, recorded in Austin, Texas at Electric Deluxe Recorders with producer Adrian Quesada.

Now, Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin returns with its self-titled sophomore full-length album - the band's first full release of new music since Misty Woman in February 2020. Self-recorded by Brennan Justice in Camp Verde, Arizona and mastered by JJ Golden, the album is deeply rooted in the band's desert-rock identity while showcasing the melodic, cinematic, surf-influenced qualities that give Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin an audience beyond traditional heavy psych. The new record marks a long-awaited return fueled by continued demand from the band's worldwide fanbase.

Find Aunt Cynthia’s Cabin Here:

Spotify: https://spotify.link/OHhzUB1gOXb
BandCamp: https://auntcynthiascabin.bandcamp.com
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/aunt-cynthias-cabin/1351437121
Qobuz: https://open.qobuz.com/artist/9849997
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auntcynthiascabin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auntcynthiascabin/
Merch: https://auntcynthiascabin.printful.me
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC61wjDcx2Jiqs_Hsds4trPw

Thanks to Black Throne Productions for the details.

Brūte - How To Build A Mountain (EP Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

How To Build A Mountain - Tracklist

1.Peacemule 05:30

2.Stone & Silence 07:09

3.How To Build A Mountain 07:39

Review

How To Build A Mountain is the latest EP from Brūte which sees the band develop a AMPLIFIER DISTORTED style of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal. The level of distortion is one of the main strengths that allows Brūte to develop a great style of riff-driven music that has vast amounts of Grunge, Psych and Fuzz moving in the background. The vocals are quite gruff and matches the seedy grunge atmosphere that’s played throughout the whole EP.

The music seems to be influenced by the likes of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, FU MANCHU, Red Fang, KYUSS and SLEEP which you can hear within the superb opening track Peacemule. The melodies and messy reverb sounds all play a strong part for Brūte to play a mean sound which develops into heavier strands of Desert/Fuzz Rock with an epic Sludge Rock delivery. 

Though, the band really start to impress within the standout second track of Stone & Silence which starts off with a deceiving stripped back delivery with a haunting Grunge mix allowing Brūte to add a brooding Alt-Rock theme into the mix. The song does start off cautiously slow with eerie vocals that have a certain classic Nineties dominant energy to them. Brūte feels more comfortable when playing that great style of sludgy “DOOM & GLOOM” instrumental passages. If you ever wondered what Truckfighters would sound like if they become part of the Doom Metal world then Stone & Silence is the answer to that question. 

Brūte continue to develop their slightly progressive sound to a more destructive environment which fully leads the way into the stunning final title track How To Build A Mountain. Though, the song starts off quite slow paced yet again which allows Brūte more than enough time to build solid foundations of DOOM & GLOOM based rhythms that does push this EP into destructive areas of reverb and fuzzy feedback. 

This is Brūte’s first release in over four years and it’s definitely been worth the wait as this feels like a different band compared to their superb 2022 debut EP. If you want an EP that’s full of distorted grooves that branch off into a violent style of Desert Rock/Metal with all of the trappings of Sludge/Stoner Metal then How To Build A Mountain has all the answers that you’re currently looking for. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Psych/Space Rockers SKYJOGGERS Release Official Video for “Ancient Steel” From Upcoming Album Frag Nicht Nach Sonnenschein

Finnish psychedelic space rock trio SKYJOGGERS has released an official video for “Ancient Steel,” the first single taken from their upcoming sixth studio album, Frag Nicht Nach Sonnenschein, due out 13 November 2026 via Sound Of Liberation Records.

Following the recent release of “Ancient Steel,” the new video adds a visual dimension to the first taste of the band’s forthcoming record and marks another step towards the next chapter of SKYJOGGERS.

A relentless blast of fuzz-drenched riffs, cosmic energy and driving grooves, “Ancient Steel” presents the trio’s original brew of fast-paced Plutonic space rock at its finest. At the same time, the track arrives as SKYJOGGERS celebrate a decade as a band, kicking off what promises to be an exciting new era for the Finnish trio.

Watch the official video for “Ancient Steel” here:

Stream “Ancient Steel” on all major platforms: https://orcd.co/9wpereb

Pre-order Frag Nicht Nach Sonnenschein here: https://shop.soundofliberation.com/collections/skyjoggers

Written during an intense period of touring across Europe, Frag Nicht Nach Sonnenschein continues the darker and heavier sonic direction established on the band’s previous album, 12021: Post-Electric Apocalypse. The record sees SKYJOGGERS pushing further into their own universe of psychedelic riffs, deep-space grooves and uncompromising sonic destruction.

Recorded in February 2026 at the band’s own studio in Tampere, Finland, Frag Nicht Nach Sonnenschein was recorded and produced by SKYJOGGERS, mixed by Anssi Vättö and mastered by Janne Hakanen.

For More Info Visit:

https://linktr.ee/skyjoggers
https://www.facebook.com/Skyjoggers
https://www.instagram.com/skyjoggers
https://www.youtube.com/@skyjoggers
https://skyjoggers.bandcamp.com
https://www.soundofliberation.com/label

Thanks to All Noir PR for the details.