Celestial Haze - Celestial Haze (EP Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Suwereen Records. Format: DD

Celestial Haze - Tracklist

1.The Ruin 11:50

2.The Mending 11:46

Members

Darek Luja - Everything

Review

Celestial Haze debut EP is a twenty four minute release spread over two epic musical compositions which draws influences from the likes of ELDER and WEEDPECKER. However, Celestial Haze relies on a grounded Spaced Out attitude with a sludgy and bass heavy Progressive sound that allows everything to form within the Stoner Rock landscape.

The sound is quite vivid with its stripped back recording methods that have been applied to this EP. The vocals are slightly reminiscent of ELDER’s Nick DiSalvo in places with a deeply committed performance from Darek Luja. Derek started this project as a one-man project back in his home country of Finland before he relocated to Austria and now Celestial Haze is in the process of becoming a fully formed band.

There’s a lovely sense of warmth and belonging emitting from the speakers with Celestial Haze creating a great style of Post-Rock, Space Rock, Heavy Psych and Stoner Rock surroundings with sublime deft touches of Ambient themes that appear throughout the whole record. The record could have done with one more song just to develop the eerie mood that appears on the later stages of both songs. 

However, Celestial Haze are fully committed in creating heavy monolithic soundscapes with plenty of Sludge Rock aggression when it’s needed most especially within the standout opening track The Ruin. The sound is quite raw and superbly honest which feels like this is how Celestial Haze would sound like in the real world. 

If you miss the early days of ELDER (ELDER and Dead Roots Stirring) then Celestial Haze are the closest thing to reach that level but adding their own great sound into the mix which they apply on the excellent final track of The Mending. The sweeping Sludge Rock landscapes that develop transform into massive waves of Classic Rock, Desert Rock and Prog Rock grooves. The song can be calm and melodic but also unruly disruptive which gives Celestial Haze a rebellious edge that should serve them well if the guys are in this for the long haul.

I know it’s early days but I’m feeling within time that Celestial Haze will explore other creative avenues within the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Rock scene which will make them a force to be reckoned with. I have it on good authority the band are already working hard on their next chapter and I’m absolutely excited to hear what Celestial Haze come up with next as this is an unmissable release.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp

Ken Wohlrob - Forgotten Music (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Obsidian Sky Records. Format: CD/DD

Forgotten Music - Tracklist

1.Snowdrift 07:51

2.William 11:37

3.Simulacrum 06:24

4.The Naked Floor 07:28

5.Rorschach 513 06:18

Members

Ken Wohlrob - Everything

Review

Forgotten Music is the latest record from Ken Wohlrob who is best known for his work with bands such as Eternal Black and Northern Heretic. This time round Ken is flying solo with his latest collection of experimental tracks that are superbly experiential but also have a personal energy attached to them. The whole record operates within a gloomy cinematic and soundtrack landscape with echoes of music created in the Seventies and Eighties with that instrumental approach having a dramatic slow-to-mid paced delivery throughout the whole thing.

The songs are quite hard to categorize as Ken moves between areas of Post-Rock, Ambient, Drone, Doom, Electronica, Movie Soundtracks and Progressive Rock with the exquisite opening track Snowdrift being painfully slow to listen to at first, However, by the end of that track you do feel quite quite refreshed listening to the heavily slow played Droned aspect of the whole musical journey. There’s a creeping sense of Psychedelic doubt appearing which thrusts the song further into video game / movie soundtrack territory.

Second track William is cautiously slow once more but Ken adds fractured instrumental passages with hazy guitars, keys and synths which remain unapologetically in the same musical lane with a low-key melody appearing. The song does have layers of distorted drone and blues doom sounds emerging but the highly unconventional tone makes this even more emotionally rewarding. 

Third track Simulacrum is mostly from the Ambient/Post-Rock world with Ken feeling influenced by the likes of MONO, Russian Circles and SUNN 0))) in places. Though, the music is beautifully slow with strands of melodic Post-Doom and Psychedelic melodies forging an ice-cold alliance that's quite ethereal. The sound does become slightly aggressive and louder when some Shoegaze guitars enter the equation. This is perhaps where Ken shows a few tricks learnt for his other great bands for a great style of heaviness to appear but without being too heavy at the same time. 

The final two tracks of The Naked Floor and Rorschach 513 doesn’t change course with the music becoming more withdrawn but also showing another level of uplifting Ambient soundscapes to emerge from the musical catacombs. Trippy Electronic sound effects and weird Psychedelic glitches offer a chilling emotional insight that’s quite hard to ignore with the music diving right into it’s creative core of Experimental music. 

There’s some musical interludes inspired by the likes of John Carpenter, Vangelis and GOBLIN but that’s my own observations with the great music that Ken has written and played here. Forgotten Music isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s superbly stubborn with the music only changing creative course when the time actually demands this.

Forgotten Music offers a highly peaceful and meditative journey into the more experimental side of Ambient Metal and Post-Rock which shows a totally different side to Ken Wohlrob. This is the type of album that you can easily find “inner peace” with but one that does offer a challenging experience along the way. That's the sign of a great “solo” record for me.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp

Pale Wizard Records Announce Signing Of Psych Stoner Rockers MUSHROOM BEARD And Details Of Upcoming Debut Album

We’ve been keeping this one a secret for a while, but we’re delighted to finally announce the debut self titled album from Mushroom Beard! These guys have been great friends and supporters of ours for a long time, so we were naturally inclined to want to help them out with the release of their album. But holy smokes, we were absolutely blown away when we heard it!

If you like psychedelic, progressive, other-wordly concept albums, you’re going to absolutely fall in love with this! The album was mixed and mastered by Josh Gallop (Sergeant Thunderhoof, Phoxjaw, Urzah) and also features a guest vocal from Dan from the Hoof.

Support fantastic, underground British music and check this one out if you get a chance!!

PRE ORDER HERE

Band Bio

Hailing from Stoke-on-Trent, Mushroom Beard are a psychedelic stoner doom trio forging colossal riffs from fuzz, groove, and cosmic haze. Formed by three members of Quiet the Thief, the band marks a deliberate shift into heavier territory—slower, thicker, and unapologetically immersive.

Blending crushing doom with swirling psychedelic textures, Mushroom Beard create a dense sound built on down tuned guitars, thunderous low-end, and hypnotic rhythms. Their music draws listeners into a tripped-out atmosphere where melody and distortion collide.

In 2026, Mushroom Beard bring their fuzz-fuelled ritual to stages including Idlefest (Bradford) and Smoke on Trent VI, while preparing to unleash their self-titled debut album.

Album Overview

Mushroom Beard was born from a desire to explore heavier, slower, and more immersive sounds. The self-titled debut concept album is rooted in colossal riffs, psychedelic atmospheres, and a fascination with mythology, nature, transformation, and escapism.

Across six tracks, the band weave stories of ancient beings, cosmic journeys, woodland spirits, and strange encounters. The album balances crushing heaviness with moments of reflection and wonder, creating a listening experience that feels both primal and otherworldly.

The record also features a special guest appearance from Dan Flitcroft (Sergeant Thunderhoof), whose vocal performance, vocal melody and arrangement on Speech of Leaf and Beard adds another dimension to the album's woodland mysticism.

At its heart, Mushroom Beard is an invitation to get lost in the groove and emerge somewhere unexpected.

Track Listing

March of the Shroom Elephant
Elden Beard
Bringer
Speech of Leaf and Beard
Fungal Haze
Khala-Shai (Instrumental)

Songwriting Credits

All songs written by: Stig Chell, Gareth Harding, Norbert Hussey

SPECIAL GUEST

Dan Flitcroft (Sergeant Thunderhoof) - Guest vocals on: Speech of Leaf and Beard

Personnel

Stig Chell – Guitar, Vocals
Gareth Harding – Bass
Norbert Hussey – Drums

Production Credits

Recorded by: Paladin Studio’s, Stig Chell
Label: Pale Wizard
Mixed by: Josh Gallop (Pale Wizard)
Mastered by: Josh Gallop (Pale Wizard)
Album Artwork: Vic Silverchild
Video: March of the Shroom Elephant courtesy of Very Metal Art

Social Media & Contact

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

Thanks to Pale Wizard Records for the details.

Sundowner - Australian Sludge-Metal Outfit Announce New Album Cesspool Release "Intoxication Blues" Visualizer Video

Adelaide sludge merchants Sundowner are back, and things haven’t gotten any prettier.

Three years after Lysergic Ritual dragged listeners through a feedback-soaked wasteland of nihilism and decay, the Australian quartet have announced their third full-length, Cesspool, due out October 15 via Melbourne’s Disdain Records.

The band are offering the first taste of the album with “Intoxication Blues”, a filthy, swaggering slab of NOLA-inspired sludge accompanied by a brand-new visualizer.

Built around poisoned blues riffs, suffocating grooves, walls of feedback and a thick layer of distortion, “Intoxication Blues” provides an appropriately nasty introduction to an album designed to soundtrack a world going up in flames.

Cesspool sees Sundowner take the caustic, slow-burning sludge that has defined them since their 2021 debut Guns, Knives and Tyre Irons and push it into even more punishing territory across ten new tracks.

The band explain: ‘"Cesspool’ continues on with our brand of sludge, further melding influences from the classic ’90s pioneers of the genre through our own lens out of Adelaide, South Australia.”

For Sundowner, that lineage has always been clear. The poisoned blues of Eyehategod, the ugliness of Iron Monkey and Buzzov-en, and the smoke-filled grooves of Weedeater remain embedded in their DNA. But Cesspool isn’t interested in simply recreating the past. Instead, those influences are fed through Sundowner’s own distinctly Australian strain of hostility.

The album also sees Sundowner reunite with the production team behind Lysergic Ritual. After handling virtually everything themselves during the band’s early years, Sundowner brought Jason Fuller of Goatsound Studios into the fold to mix their second album, with Dav Byrne of Iridium Audio handling mastering.

“We went with the same production team as our last album, but pushed everything further for a more punishing and abrasive sound.” Says the band.

Across its ten tracks, Cesspool doubles down on everything Sundowner do best: filthy blues, crushing grooves, abrasive riffs and pure sludge-soaked hostility. It’s heavier, nastier and more punishing, without straying from the band’s uncompromising roots.

Cesspool will be released October 15, 2026 via Disdain Records, pre-orders for the vinyl release are now available at this location. Digital copies are available here.

Sundowner Links:

https://sundownersludge.bandcamp.com
https://instagram.com/sundownersludge
https://facebook.com/sundownersludge

Disdain Records Links:

https://www.disdain-records.com
https://www.facebook.com/Disdainrecords
https://www.instagram.com/disdainrecords666

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR for all of the details.

Heavy Psych Metallers EMPATH announces self-titled debut album and releases first single 'Lyca's Lost'

EMPATH - Photo by Martin Goltermann

Listen to EMPATH's debut single 'Lyca's Lost' HERE

The Copenhagen, Denmark based heavy rock band Empath makes their debut with the self-titled album set for a release on November 13th 2026 through Indisciplinarian. Empath finds its creative core in the songwriting duo of vocalist Morten Grønnegaard and guitarist Jacob Krogholt who share a past in the metal band Rising. But with the new constellation completed on the debut album by bass player KB Larsen (Volbeat, Anti Ritual), and drummer Jeppe Munk Aakeson (Knytnæve, Iota), a new unique artistic path has been carved out.

Today, Empath shares the first single of the album with the psychedelic heavy rock anthem ‘Lyca’s Lost’ - a song that touches on the alienation between generations imagined in the sci-fi theme of parallel worlds and different dimensions.

‘Empath’ is produced by KB Larsen and Empath, mastered by Brad Boatright and has artwork from lead singer Morten Grønnegaard. The album will be released on vinyl in two editions with 100 transparent blue copies and 100 black copies as well as all digital formats. All editions and formats can be pre-ordered and pre-saved HERE.

Also, Empath announces their debut show at A Colossal Kind of X-mas at Hotel Cecil in Copenhagen on December 11th alongside a string of prominent heavy Danish artists - tickets can be purchased HERE.

‘Empath’ consists of eight songs of great variety shaping an album that carries itself with focused musical narrative throughout its 38 minutes. Musically, EMPATH has its roots in heavy, progressive and psychedelic rock and metal of the 70’s and 80’s. A contemporary, organic production serves the intricate and melodic song material well and with the addition of synths reminiscent of old sci-fi soundtracks, the band delivers a heavy, rich and atmospheric sound, thus carrying the virtuous torch of their musical heroes into the future.

Thematically ‘Empath’ deals with the nature of man, the consequences of our ambition and dreams, as laid bare in our present capitalistic society with escalating climate change, inequality, isolation and conflict on the horizon. Inspired by sci-fi literature from the last century and experimental poetry works from the romantic era, the lyrics of Morten Grønnegaard dig into various ideas that gripped writers and thinkers such as Arthur C. Clarke, William Blake and Thomas De Quincey. Even though the subjects often dwelled into the fever dreams and far away futures of humankind, they resonate very well with where and what we are as humans today.

EMPATH - Empath - Album artwork by Morten Grønnegaard

Track list:

1. New Dawn
2. Lyca’s Lost
3. Sisters of Sorrow
4. Deceiver
5. Childhood’s End
6. Solace
7. The Tower
8. Only The Dead

Online:

www.facebook.com/empathdk
www.instagram.com/empathdk 

Thanks to INDISCIPLINARIAN for all of the details

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Doom/Psych/Stoner Rockers PARANOID REVERB Stunning New Album RED RIVER BLACK ROOTS

Following the announcement of their signing with Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records and the release of their first new single "Red River", Greek heavy psych / stoner rock outfit Paranoid Reverb will now release their second full length album Red River Black Roots.

The album will be released on September 18, 2026 via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital. 

Thanks to the cool folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion and Argonauta Records, you can listen to this great album in full with this exclusive premiere.

Following their 2020 debut Billion Drops, Red River Black Roots marks a more deliberate and mature phase for Paranoid Reverb. The album expands their heavy psych / stoner rock foundations through denser rhythmic structures, darker tonal shades and atmospheric layers, while retaining the raw, performance-driven energy of their live sound.

Recorded in April 2025 at Shellac Recording Studios in Thessaloniki and completed the following month at producer Paris Parasidis' studio, the album places dynamics and authenticity at its core. Organic percussion, metallic objects and ambient textures become part of a sound that moves between heavy eruptions and hypnotic passages, creating a distinctly live-oriented feel without sacrificing weight or atmosphere.

Thematically, Red River Black Roots explores pressure, introspection, renewal and the tension between decay and transformation. Its title reflects this journey: the "river" represents a descent into chaos, while the "roots" suggest a return to origin. Together, they form the central metaphor connecting the album's narrative and sonic progression.

With new vocalist Manos Gotsis and a renewed creative direction, Paranoid Reverb enter this new chapter with their most focused and personal work to date.

Red River Black Roots tracklist

Acantha – 06:19
0315 – 04:30
Da Capo – 06:07
F.U. – 05:01
Red River – 04:51
Come Undone – 06:19
QuickSand – 07:15

Red River Black Roots will be released on September 18, 2026 via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/ParanoidReverb​
​https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Red River Black Roots is available to buy now on CD/Digital Download via Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records).

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Doom/Stoner Metallers TERRA BLACK Stunning New Album MIRAGE

Following their acclaimed debut and recent signing to Bonebag Records, Gothenburg occult rock collective Terra Black return with their new album, Mirage.

Written and recorded over the course of three years, Mirage is Terra Black's most ambitious and immersive work to date. Travelling from roots buried deep beneath the earth, through the ruins of forgotten civilizations and into the silence of space, the album explores shifting states of existence where reality, memory and illusion become increasingly difficult to separate.

Recorded live by the band in Gothenburg, Mirage captures the raw immediacy of Terra Black's performances. Rather than polishing away imperfections, the band embraced natural room ambience and microphone bleed, allowing the recording to retain an honest, organic character that mirrors the weight and intensity of the music itself.

Drawing from atmospheric doom, occult rock and stoner traditions, Terra Black combines towering riffs with haunting vocals, powerful choral arrangements and primal darkness. Inspired by nature, mythology, ancient beliefs and the mysterious corners of human imagination, the album moves effortlessly between the familiar and the unknowable. Like the illusion from which it takes its name, the album constantly shifts perspective, inviting listeners ever deeper into its enigmatic world.

Since forming in 2020, Terra Black have steadily built a reputation for immersive songwriting and commanding live performances. With Mirage, the band expands both its sonic scope and artistic vision, delivering its most confident and fully realised work to date.

We're truly excited to premiere their outstanding new album in full thanks to the amazing folks over at Sheltered Life PR.

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the details.

Mirage is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Bonebag Records.

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Apple Music