RISPERIDRONE Announce Debut Album Black Shuck and Deliver Their Most Ambitious Statement Yet

Cardiff heavy rock quartet RISPERIDRONE have announced their long awaited debut album, Black Shuck, due for release this Summer 2026.

Six years in the making, Black Shuck is the culmination of years of growth, experimentation and unwavering dedication from one of Wales' most exciting emerging heavy bands. Blending crushing groove metal, monolithic doom, sludge drenched riffs and soaring melodies, the album captures RISPERIDRONE at their most ambitious, delivering a collection of songs that is heavier, darker and more emotionally resonant than anything they have released before.

Formed in Cardiff during the summer of 2020 by former Junk DNA members Wigg Grant and Rob Edwards, RISPERIDRONE reunited with drummer Tom Kirkby before completing the line up in 2023 with vocalist Giac Fiderio. Emerging during the uncertainty of the global pandemic, the band channelled adversity into creativity, forging a sound that seamlessly blends groove metal, stoner rock, sludge and doom into a powerful and immersive listening experience.

Since their formation, RISPERIDRONE have steadily built a formidable reputation across the Welsh heavy music scene through the acclaimed Revenant EP and a string of increasingly ambitious singles including Lost to the Sea, Grimace, The Embalmed, Dirge, Wizard Weed and Anvil. Each release has showcased the band's evolution, laying the foundations for their defining statement.

Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by guitarist Wigg Grant at WG Audio, Black Shuck is a testament to the band's fiercely independent ethos. Every towering riff, thunderous groove and haunting vocal has been meticulously crafted to balance crushing heaviness with genuine emotional depth, resulting in an album that is both sonically devastating and richly atmospheric.

Rather than following the path of a traditional concept album, Black Shuck embraces creative freedom. Inspired by the lyrical approaches of Kurt Cobain, Thom Yorke and Chino Moreno, the songs move effortlessly between deeply personal reflection and vivid storytelling. Themes of anxiety, resilience, hope and self discovery intertwine with folklore, mythology and horror, drawing listeners into a world inhabited by wandering spirits, cryptids, vampires and the darkness that exists within us all.

Musically, the album showcases every facet of RISPERIDRONE's identity. Colossal doom riffs collide with groove laden hooks, suffocating sludge gives way to soaring melodies, and moments of eerie restraint erupt into overwhelming walls of sound. The result is a record that feels cinematic in scope while remaining relentlessly heavy from beginning to end.

Musicpedia of Metal described the band as delivering "a haunting fusion of doom, groove and metal... long, slow distorted riffs, abridged by moments of clarity that create atmospheres before crashing down again." Black Shuck builds on that reputation with the band's most confident, expansive and accomplished work to date.

Momentum has continued to gather around RISPERIDRONE following performances alongside Froglord, Bokassa and The Wildhearts, while their selection for the Creative Wales funded Ascension Project further cemented their reputation as one of Wales' rising heavy acts. A powerful new live show, fresh merchandise and an expanding presence across the UK live circuit all signal a band entering an exciting new chapter.

With Black Shuck, RISPERIDRONE are not simply releasing their debut album. They are announcing themselves as one of the UK's most compelling new voices in modern heavy music. Combining the weight of doom, the groove of stoner metal and the aggression of contemporary heavy rock, Black Shuck is a bold, uncompromising debut that demands attention.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

UK Occult Doom Trio GOAT MAJOR to release new album "Death Comes Twice" on Ripple Music this fall; stream new video "Wheels of Gold"

Welsh doom metal trio GOAT MAJOR is set to return with their sophomore full-length "Death Comes Twice" this October 23rd on Ripple Music and unleash their new single "Wheels of Gold" today!

 Watch new Goat Major video Wheels of Gold + listen to the song on all streaming services

Welsh heavy trio Goat Major are set to return with their crushing sophomore album, Death Comes Twice, the follow-up to their 2024 debut Ritual. The songwriting process ignited immediately after the last record, with guitarist Jammie Arnold channeling a relentless flow of riff demos that provided the foundation for Simon Bonwick (drums) and Tom Shortt (vocals/bass) to build upon. They comment, "When the three of us gathered in the jam room, that’s where the true magic happened. We threw ourselves into every riff, every groove, with no detail too small or too grand. This new record reveals a deeper, more melodic side of us, all the while remaining heavy and intense. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it!"

Recording once again with engineer Tom Chaloner in rural Pembrokeshire, the band captured the raw energy of their live chemistry by tracking together in a room without click tracks. The result is a record that delves deeper into melody while maintaining their signature heaviness, augmented by experimental layers of percussion, harmonies, and progressive synthesis soundscapes.

Lyrically, Death Comes Twice navigates the dark narrow passageways of belief, tradition, and existential crisis. Continuing the occult and cosmic themes of their debut, the album shifts between dark fantasy and internal turmoil, exploring themes of persecution under dogmatic rule, the spiritual toll of ancient rituals, and the clash between divine creation and modern technology.

About the new single "Wheels of Gold", the band says: "Wheels of Gold brings imagery of the biblical depictions of angels. Imagining them into our new technological age and asking if they would still serve their elemental ancient god, or revolt and destroy that god in order to serve new artificial machines of creation."

New album "Death Comes Twice" - Out October 23rd on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Emerging from the mystic landscapes of Pembrokeshire, Wales, Goat Major formed in 2020 as a strict DIY power trio. Drawing from the heaviness of Electric Wizard and the raw fury of Motörhead, their sound is a fuzz-drenched, controlled chaos that's both primal and profound. They shattered expectations with their 2024 debut Ritual via Ripple Music, a gothic romp through ancient secrets and dark whispers. Arnold's riffs swing between sludgy weight and punk urgency, Bonwick's drumming is relentless and dynamic, while Shortt's growling bass underpins hauntingly melodic vocals that push atmosphere and ambition without losing their doom-ridden core.

The band tore across the UK, sharing stages with Conan, Thunder Horse and many more, while leaving their doomy mark at Desertfest London and Stoomfest. Their blend of infectious melody and sinister atmosphere struck a deep chord, cementing them as one of the underground's most promising emerging forces. Now in 2026, they reunite with Ripple Music for their eagerly awaited second opus, Death Comes Twice. Digging deeper than Ritual, the new album weaves potent melodies and razor-sharp hooks through themes of death, medieval rituals, religious persecution, and generational hexes. It's a masterclass in inventive darkness—haunting, powerful, and daring you to climb in.

GOAT MAJOR is

Jammie Arnold - guitar
Simon Bonwick - drums
Tom Shortt - bass & vocals

GOAT MAJOR links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

RIPPLE MUSIC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Godzilla In The Kitchen - Empty Cribs (Single Review)

Release Date: July 24th 2026. Record Label: Tonzonen RecorsReleased. Formats: DD

Empty Cribs - Tracklist

Empty Cribs

Members

Simon Ulm (vocals, bass)

Eric Patzschke (guitar)

Thiago Presto (drums)

Review

Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers Godzilla In The Kitchen return with their latest single Empty Cribs and this track feels like a great homage to the mighty TOOL. The progressive rhythms, sounds, warped melodies and vocals are TOOL through and through. The song is excellent throughout with Godzilla In The Kitchen still adding their own great sound into the mix with swirling Psychedelic Stoner Metal grooves aligning perfectly to the dark complex themes that TOOL are known for.

The vocals follow the template that Maynard James Keenan uses quite closely but Simon Ulm still delivers his own great style. The song is quite catchy and eerie demonic in the heaviest parts but still offers some uplifting Psychedelic passages before the sudden onslaught of brooding Prog Metal energy which ultimately powers the track to its natural conclusion.

I would love to say the song is quite original but it follows TOOL too closely but I applaud Godzilla In The Kitchen for doing something vastly different that they’re mainly known for.  This is still a fantastic track with lots of great things going for it and will no doubt go down a storm with the band’s fan base and even the wider underground Stoner Rock scene in general. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

https://www.godzillainthekitchen.de/
https://linktr.ee/godzillainthekitchen

Thanks to Broken Music for all of the details.

Solothurn - High Priestess (EP Review)

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

High Priestess - Tracklist

High Priestess

Burning Decay

Hollow

Members

Ryan Adair - Vocals 

Dee Cleland - Rhythm Guitars 

Jamie Wright - Lead Guitars 

Ross Hunter - Bass 

Marty Elley - Drums 

Review

Grunge/Alt Metallers Solothurn latest EP - High Priestess  - continues the great work they achieved with their previous single Hollow that was released last year. This time round Solothurn brings a heavier Progressive attitude to their music with some great melodies inspired by the Nineties Grunge, Alt-Metal and Stoner Metal scenes. The music is quite melodic with a hard hitting attitude with some intricate Psychedelic passages coming out to play which you can instantly feel within the excellent opening title track.

If you’re a fan of Alice In Chains, Deftones, Soundgarden, TOOL and Mastodon then Solothurn conjures similar sounds of those amazing bands whilst putting their own creative ideas into the mix. THe EP lasts twenty minutes with Solothurn moving their music into the Alternative Metal arena with each passing moment. There are small echoes of Doom Rock and Stoner Metal grooves appearing along the way but it’s mostly of that classic Grunge and Alt Metal dynamic that has the most lasting impact. The lyrics are superb which adds real emotional weight to the whole record.

The vocals from lead vocalist Ryan Adair are spectacular which he taps right into the Post-Metal and Prog Metal dynamic which works superbly well within the Grunge aesthetic which goes for a gloom and doom outlook on the other two tracks of Burning Decay and Hollow. The final track of Hollow was released last year but this version has been slightly revised which gives it extra weight from beginning to end. 

High Priestess is an outstanding EP that allows Solothurn to make a real name for themselves with a record that delivers on all fronts with some great musical instrumental passages that leave you wanting more. I loved the transformation from Solothurn when they venture into more extreme levels of Heavy Metal. I hope they use that style of music greatly within their next release as they pull that off with great style and adds a more menacing presence to their music. 

Check this out when you can.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

ROBOT GOD RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE "CURSE OF THE DRIVEN" Out July 17. Announce New album on the horizon, with East Coast and Japan tour dates announced!!!

Sydney psychedelic heavy rock trio Robot God return with their powerful new single "Curse of the Driven", available on all major streaming platforms from July 17.

Serving as the title track from the band's forthcoming album of the same name, Curse of the Driven is the next chapter following the acclaimed release of Onto the Afterlife. The new single pushes Robot God's signature blend of crushing stoner grooves, expansive psychedelic textures and hypnotic riffs into even darker territory, exploring the restless pursuit that drives us forward even when the road ahead is uncertain.

Accompanying the release is an official studio performance video, filmed during the band's recording sessions at The Grove Studios in September 2025. Rather than a traditional music video, the footage captures Robot God in their natural habitat, documenting the energy, chemistry and raw power behind the creation of the track.

To celebrate the release, Robot God will take the new single on the road for a quick run of east coast shows, followed by a tour in Japan before heading home for a bunch of shows in Sydney/Wollongong and Melbourne.

Socials and gig ticket link https://linktr.ee/RobotGod

"Curse of the Driven" streams everywhere from July 17, with the official studio video now premiering on YouTube, via link below. Turn it up. Hit the road. Stay driven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utxiuO1r5v8

About Robot God

Hailing from Sydney, Robot God have become one of Australia's leading psychedelic heavy rock bands, earning a devoted following across Australia, Europe and the United States. Their blend of stoner rock, doom, blues and expansive psychedelic jams has seen their releases embraced by the international underground, with vinyl editions released through German label Kozmik Artifactz and Black Throne Productions. Their latest album, Onto the Afterlife, has further cemented the band's reputation for massive riffs, soaring melodies and immersive songwriting.

On the live front Robot God have shared the stage with some legendary local and international acts such as Slomosa (Norway), Greenleaf (Sweden), YOB (US), Sasquatch (US), Deville (Sweden), Brant Bjork (US), Yawning Man (US), Rollerball (AUS), Seedy Jeezus (Aus), Khan (Aus) and Witchskull (Aus) to name a few. If you live for fuzz, volume, hypnotic grooves and cosmic exploration, getting along to a Robot God gig is where you'll want to be.

Links

Bandcamp | Youtube | Facebook | Spotify

Pharm - Proton Blizzard (Single Review)

Release Date: July 17th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Proton Blizzard - Tracklist

Proton Blizzard

Review

Experimental Stoner Rockers Pharm release their latest single Proton Blizzard which is a fusion of Psych Rock, Sludge Rock, Punk Rock, Doom and Alternative Metal. Imagine PRIMUS decided to solely focus on weird Sludge, Stoner and Doom Metal anthems with a slight skittish Mutoid Man influence lurking behind the scenes. Well, that’s what you get with Proton Blizzard and it's a great song that lives upto to it’s GONZO delivery with freakish beats and a massive Funk Rock attitude. 

Pharm have been on the blog before when I reviewed their previous releases and it’s always good to have them back on here as they always deliver a manic slice of crazy heaviness. The four minutes on offer here veers into different areas of Heavy Rock with a fast-paced narrative that’s delivered through off-kilter melodic vocals, warped lyrics and some thrilling bass lines holding everything together.

The song does feel like it’s been left off a Mutoid Man record but Pharm add their own great style of humour with some subversive moments being played along the way. It’s not the easiest track to fully understand what’s going on but with multiple listens Pharm offers brief glimpses into what is actually going on with this track. Adding some intense Psychedelic beats also thrusts the song into full blown over the top theatrics especially when they change their musical style to a frenzied Thrash Metal delivery towards the end of the track. 

For the uninitiated, Pharm is a breath of fresh air and a creative force of nature where everything goes and a whole lot of things don't make complete sense. If you’re already part of the PHARM program then be prepared for a wild and manic ride that shows brief glimpses where their future releases may be heading!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | All My Links

Italian Stoner Psych Trio HUMULUS to issue new album “Smuggler’s Cave” on Ripple Music this fall; first track streaming now!

Ripple Music welcomes Italian psychedelic stoner rockers HUMULUS to their roster for the release of their new album "Smuggler's Cave" this October 9th!

Stream new Humulus single "Rise and Fall" at this location

Smuggler’s Cave marks HUMULUS’ fifth LP and their second outing with vocalist/guitarist Thomas Mascheroni. Following 2023's Flowers Of Death, the band spent two years traversing Europe’s stages, and it was in the cracks between tours that the improvisations for this record took root. True to form, the band returned to the rehearsal room for marathon sessions, capturing hours of raw interplay, isolating the sparks and forging new songs from the embers.

On this album, those riffs hit harder and land with greater certainty than before, yet HUMULUS’s sonic hallmark remains intact: a deft pivot from rhythmic, classic stoner crunch into more psychedelic and introspective depths. As always, lyrics arrived after the music, with the title track served as a thread for the rest of the record, leading the listener through mysterious settings, tales of wizards, cemetery dreams, damned souls and the shade of dark forests. A record that's heavy, haunted and more than ever unapologetically HUMULUS. 

It will be released on October 9th on LP, CD and digital, with preorders available now from Ripple Music.

New album "Smuggler's Cave" - Out October 9th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Humulus is an Italian psych-stoner power trio formed in Brescia, Italy in 2009. Born from the heavy lineage of Kyuss, Karma to Burn and Orange Goblin, they quickly built a reputation across southern Europe with their crushing debut on Go Down Records.

A lineup shift in 2015 flipped the script. New frontman Andrea Bellicini pushed the band into trippier, more dynamic territory through longer songs, richer atmospheres and a sound that outgrew stoner orthodoxy. The years that followed saw Humulus touring non-stop with European festival runs (Freak Valley, Desertfest Belgium, Up In Smoke), and a string of acclaimed LPs that veered from doom-laced riffage to sprawling psychedelic meditation. Another mutation came in late 2022 with the arrival of Thomas Mascheroni, reigniting the band’s chemistry and leading to a fresh creative burst. They hit the road again, sharing stages with heavyweights like Colour Haze and Monkey3, while steadily forging new material.

When founder Giorgio Bonacorsi stepped back in 2026, the remaining core members enlisted Fabio Giacomini to complete the lineup and write their most ambitious work yet, to be released in the fall 2026 on Ripple Music.

Humulus links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.