Mushroom Beard - Mushroom Beard (Album Review)

Release Date: October 03rd 2026. Record Label: Pale Wizard Records. Format: CD/DD

Mushroom Beard - Tracklist

1.March of the Shroom Elephant 

2.Elden Beard

3.Bringer

4.Speech of Leaf and Beard

5.Fungal Haze

6.Khala-Shai

Members

Stig Chell – Guitar, Vocals

Gareth Harding – Bass

Norbert Hussey – Drums

Review

Doom/Stoner metallers Mushroom Beard share a lot of common ground with the amazing Sergeant Thunderhoof. They play a similar style of music, and the band is even signed to the same label. You even have Dan Flitcroft (lead vocals) from the HOOF providing guest vocals on the track "Speech Of Leaf And Beard." Band members are also part of stoner rock/metal collective Quiet The Thief, just to prove how much these guys mean business.

Mushroom Beard also shares creative ground with the likes of The Brothers Keg, delivering thunderous, fuzzed-out heaviness reminiscent of Sleep and High on Fire. The music is heavily Weedian-dominated, with a smoked-out influence giving the record a creepy blues-rock energy compounded by aggressive slabs of amplified heaviness. However, that only tells half the story—Mushroom Beard employs generous levels of psychedelia, post-doom, ambient textures, and sludge metal grooves throughout the album.

The first couple of tracks, "March Of The Shroom Elephant" and "Elden Beard," introduce a grounded yet fantastical element where lead vocalist Stig Chell sounds like he’s read plenty of classic sci-fi and fantasy along the way. That’s one of the strongest points of the album: it’s never afraid to embrace its over-the-top, otherworldly roots, delivering catchy psychedelic grooves and sludge metal melodies with a subtle progressive edge.

The production feels nicely stripped-back, placing Mushroom Beard firmly within the vibrant underground sludge/stoner metal scene. Still, you quickly appreciate the band’s hunger for something bigger, especially when channeling the catchy flow of King Buffalo and Howling Giant on tracks like Elden Beard, Bringer and Fungal Haze.

As stated previously, Dan Flitcroft makes a welcome appearance on the more grounded "Speech Of Leaf And Beard." While it feels like a Sergeant Thunderhoof track at times, Mushroom Beard injects a seedier, psychedelic quality that is entirely their own. The lyrics take that classic herbal approach the stoner metal world thrives on, but the band never wastes an opportunity to put their own creative spin on things, even as the music drifts further into space-rock territory.

Mushroom Beard makes great use of fuzz, resulting in finely tuned levels of distortion that build an atmospheric vibe bound to sound massive in a live setting.

The final two tracks, Fungal Haze and Shala-Shai are the clear standouts. Here, Mushroom Beard explores a spaced-out, heavy dominance that never feels overly flashy, yet hits hard enough to leave you on a high. The instrumental closer, Shala-Shai lets Stig Chell (guitar/vocals), Gareth Harding (bass), and Norbert Hussey (drums) lock into a dynamic back-and-forth clashing and coalescing into a destructive slice of modern doom/stoner metal that pulls the listener right into the journey.

Mushroom Beard’s debut is a superb release that makes an immediate statement, bound to be one of the underground’s favorite discoveries this year. Jam-packed with heavy grooves, it’s sure to impress heavy music fans and earn Mushroom Beard spots on prominent festival stages sooner rather than later.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mushroom Beard and Pale Wizard Records for the promo.

Mushroom Beard is available to buy now on CD/DD via Pale Wizard Records.

Links

Facebook: Facebook
Instagram: Instagram
Bandcamp: Music | Mushroom Beard
Spotify: Spotify
Website: mushroombeard.com

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Instrumental Post Rockers IN THE PONDS New Album CHTHONIC LAYER

With three previously released EPs, San Jose-based instrumental post-rock duo IN THE PONDS will release their first full-length album, Chthonic Layer this coming October. 

IN THE PONDS started during the pandemic lockdowns and California wildfires of 2020, with the newly wed duo staring out their windows at soot-filled skies wondering, “what the hell now?” They’ve kept to instrumental rock, mainly to give themselves (and their listeners) a breather from the barrage of concepts always trying to elbow into their headspace. 

The best ideas live in a place beyond words, so they try to flood that place with as much light as possible. The Chthonic Layer is a realm beneath the surface where deities and demons live. There are lots of ways to get there, but music is the safest bet. It lets you explore dangerous places without getting stranded. This album is our way of diving into the abyss to meet its shadier characters, while staying tethered to terra firma. 

Chthonic Layer was recorded and co-produced by guitarist David Perez and Dan Padilla. 

The album was mixed by Art Bertik. The front cover artwork was created by bassist Jennifer Gigantino. 

We're excited to premiere the new album in full thanks to the awesome IN THE PONDS which you can listen to below:

 

In The Ponds · Chthonic Layer

Thanks to In The Ponds for the promo.

Chthonic Layer is available to buy now on CD/Digital Download via Entelodon Records

Links

https://intheponds.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/inthepondsmusic

https://www.facebook.com/inthepondsmusic/

https://x.com/inthepondsmusic

Exclusive Song/Video Premiere For Psych/Folk/Indie Rock Artist JULIEN PRAS New Song NO AUTHORITY From Upcoming New Album "MINOR FALL"

Julien Pras, the singer/guitarist of French Heavy Psych powerhouse Mars Red Sky.

Julien goes full singer-songwriter mode with his solo project, and returns after 9 years with a new album, Minor Fall, out on October 30th. There he reconnects with his folk-rock and indie-psych-pop roots (FFO: Elliott Smith, Sean Lennon, Arthur Satàn, Neil Young...), yet you can still feel a sense of heaviness in this. 

This is a refreshing change of pace from Julien compared to this amazing work with Mars Red Sky and we're excited to premiere the new song "No Authority" which you can watch below:

JULIEN PRAS new album 'Minor Fall' Out October 30th 2026 on LP, CD and Digital via Les Disques Du Paradis & Mrs Red Sound. 

Thanks to Vous Connaissez PR for the details.

In The Ponds - Chthonic Layer (Album Review)

Release Date: October 02nd 2026. Record Label: Entelodon Records. Format: CD/DD

Chthonic Layer - Tracklist

1.Tornado Alley 

2.Last Rat Standing 

3.Barnacles 

4.Her Eyes Burn with Unholy Light

5.Old Shuck

6.The Young Falcon

7.Blackwood Sugar

8.Empty Victory

9.Sunset Waltz

Members

David Perez – guitar

Jennifer Gigantino – bass / mandolin

Review

Instrumental Post-Rockers In The Ponds awaken from a three year slumber with their spellbinding and superbly captivating debut album Chthonic Layer. In The Ponds have a more expressive and emotionally charged attitude appearing within their music as they blend Prog Rock themes against a backdrop of gloomy Instrumental Rock sounds that float cautiously into the Stoner Rock abyss. The band’s musical weapon of choice is Post-Rock and Ambient Rock which remains essentially grounded with a stripped back delivery that you can hear from within the excellent opening track Tornado Alley.

David Perez (Guitar) and Jennifer Gigantion (Bass/Mandolin) form a great musical partnership where they feel beautifully in sync with each other but still allow themselves the opportunity to do their own thing when the time calls for this. I was quite surprised at how aggressive In The Ponds have become compared to their previous releases with some fantastic sludgy grooves appearing within the bombastic second track Last Rat Standing. They’ve played strands of Heavy Rock before but with a certain Garage Rock angle but this has a more subtle Doomed Out quality with flashes of Nineties Grunge and Stoner Rock.

In The Ponds have always been a band willing to experiment and move their music along to something different that’s come before it. You appreciate the delicate Electronic sounds, beats, glitches and loops that appear within the onset of their sublime Prog Rock delivery. The album is purely instrumental with In The Ponds letting their music weave interesting stories that instantly draw you in especially when the mood is played at a gloomy slow-to-mid pace with a deceiving Post-Rock vibe once more moves into unexpected areas of Heavy Rock on tracks such as Barnacles, Her Eyes Burn With Unholy Light, The Young Falcon and Empty Victory being my favourite parts of the whole album.

There’s a lot of doom and gloom trickery emerging from these songs with In The Ponds combining elements of Drone, Shoegaze and Space Rock surroundings that almost give a cold sense of PARANOIA within the album. You can feel some great musical influences from the likes of EARTH, OM, Pelican and Russian Circles as In The Ponds create music that can easily be classed as Experimental Rock and Art Rock whilst having a great Stoner Rock movement to them.

In The Ponds are not the type of band to play fast-paced melodies as their music is cautiously slow but with steel cold determination that’s very hard to ignore even when they prefer a classical style of Post-Rock to do all the talking. Nothing is what it seems with Chthonic Layer as the record is quite bleak with minimal moments of uplifting sounds which gives this album quite a dangerous feeling when you least expect this.

The music is wonderfully played by David and Jennifer who once again exceed all expectations with this record alone. I once described In The Ponds as “one of the best Post-Rock bands currently out there” and I stand by that description. They more than prove that on this album which offers a haunting and emotionally rewarding experience that not many bands can provide especially for their debut album.

In The Ponds are the type of band within the underground scene you want to branch onto bigger and better things so as many people can experience what a great band they truly are. The way they blend different musical genres into something refreshing and wholly unique is a joy to listen to. There’s even some surprising developments within the album when In The Ponds add levels of Surf Rock and Cinematic Rock elements for a wholly different perspective to emerge on repeated listens.

This is an album with brains as well as brawn that makes it such an outstanding success on every level possible.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to In The Ponds for the promo.

Chthonic Layer is available to buy now on CD/Digital Download via Entelodon Records

Links

https://intheponds.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/inthepondsmusic

https://www.facebook.com/inthepondsmusic/

https://x.com/inthepondsmusic

Boston Prog Metallers Momentary Masters Release New Video For Their Superb New Single "Body Tells" from their forthcoming new album

Prog metallers Momentary Masters have just released the latest video of their newest single "Body Tells" from the forthcoming album "Rheospect". Heavy, crunching riffs, ethereal vocals, and winding grooves are the name of the game for this crusher of a track.

Momentary Masters is a four piece Boston-based prog-lite rock band. Subtly weaving prog moves into a digestable, heavy riff-driven format, they are looking to share prog sensibility with the greater rock community throughout New England and beyond.

Their debut album, Rheospect, is a love letter to the album format as a narrative arc. In spirit it tells the story of the creative process from inception (“Prospect”), through the flow state of creation (“Rheospect”), and eventually to letting the product go (“Retrospect”).

Laid out in a palindromic structure, Rheospect plays straight through the roughly 70 minute run time and features big riffs, soaring choruses, dynamic instrumental shifts, and thematic easter eggs.

The band plans to support the record live in the Fall in the greater Boston area and is looking forward to digging into their sophomore record.

Momentary Masters - Rheospect

Album out Fall 2026
Self-released (Digital)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
FFO: Tool, Mastodon, Coheed and Cambria, and Karnivool

Momentary Masters is:

Peter Balogh - Guitar
Corey Fyfe - Bass
Jacob Josefsberg - Drums
M Levesque - Vocals

Tracklist:

1. Prospect
2. Doom and Gloom
3. Turning
4. Ghost
5. Midnight Oil
6. Still Life
7. Rheospect
8. The Waves
9. Farsight
10. Everyone Knows
11. Body Tells
12. Through the Veil
13. Retrospect

Links:

Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

Could Seed - French Prog-Rock Collective Unveil Live Video For New Track "Orion"

French instrumental progressive post-rock quartet COULD SEED have unveiled a new live video for “Orion,” another track taken from their forthcoming second album, Terminal, due out October 23 via Klonosphere Records.

Captured live at Studio de la Fuie, the performance showcases the band at their most dynamic, moving between delicate, atmospheric passages and towering crescendos while highlighting the dynamic interplay at the heart of their sound.

Following the previously released “Druids,” “Orion” offers another window into the powerful sonic world of Terminal, an album where progressive rock, post-rock and psychedelia collide with cinematic atmosphere and moments of crushing intensity.

After their critically acclaimed debut The Drop Crisis, Could Seed push their instrumental language further on Terminal, drawing from the cinematic grandeur of Pink Floyd and the progressive psychedelia of Elder to the emotional intensity of Caspian and Russian Circles.

Recorded and mixed by guitarist Jordan Jupin at Studio de la Fuie and mastered by Thibault Chaumont at Deviant Lab, Terminal captures the band's dynamic chemistry with remarkable warmth, depth, and clarity. The evocative artwork by Ana Mady Sun and photography by Régine Cadillac further enrich the album's visual identity.

Terminal will be released on October 23, pre-orders are available at this location.

Links:

https://linktr.ee/couldseed
http://www.klonosphere.com
https://www.facebook.com/KLONOSPHEREPR

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for the details.

Doom/Stoner Metallers HEXECUTIONER Announce Details Of New Album ASCENSION ROCK And Release New Single SHAPESHIFTER

Doom/Stoner Metallers HEXECUTIONER release the new song for SHAPESHIFTER from their excellent upcoming new album Ascension Rock due for release on October 23rd 2026 on CD, Download, Tape and Vinyl.

HEXECUTIONER say this about the album:

"Staring into the depths of the unknown, sensing the unseen forces at play. Energies of the dark and the light, of the old and new, are cloaked in secrecy. Wormholes to other dimensions, bending time and space, high strangeness surrounds Ascension Rock. The manifestations appear during the sound frequency ritual."

Band Members

Guitar and Vocals - Erin Gravina

Bass Guitar - Daniel McManus

Drums - Bryce Hebner

Links:

Band website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook