The Wyldewood Green - Tales of The Wyldewood Green (Album Review)

Release Date: August 07th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Tales of The Wyldewood Green - Tracklist

1.Spires

2.The Mindsplitter 03:11

3.Carnaby Nights 02:18

4.Smith & Strange

5.Souvenirs

6.Maldedo

7.Tangerine Whiskey

8.The Queenmaker

9.Rude Britannia

10.Cadoi

11.Murder In The Electric Cathedral

Lineup

Marco Scarsone: Hammond A-100, Mini Farfisa, piano, guitar, bass, tambourine, maracas and shakers

Jonathan Yang: Drums

Mike Davis: Congas and bongos

Review

Tales Of The Wyldewood Green is the debut album of Heavy Psych Instrumental Rockers The Wyldewood Green and it’s one of the freakiest, psychedelic and far-out records I’ve had the pleasure to listen to this year. This record fully explores the legendary sounds of the Sixties and Seventies Rock scene where the band play music built upon the rhythms of Surf Rock, Heavy Psych, Funk, Punk Rock, Garage Rock, Blues Rock, Classic Rock, Proto-Rock and shades of Stoner Rock.

The Wyldewood Green music is driven by a funk driven Hammond and Organ instrumental score which allows the other areas of Heavy Psych to perfectly drift into your subconscious where the mood even transforms into pure JAZZ ROCK and LIZARD LOUNGE music. Though, the real musical weapon of choice that The Wyldewood Green band explores is classic movie soundtracks. As this record has a classic hipster sound with the jazzy beats and cool intricate psychedelic melodies that wouldn’t go amiss from a Sixties Heist Movie or even a kitschy rom-com. Though, the record does show it’s more dangerous side by employing a Classic Hard Rock style inspired by the likes of The Who, Deep Purple, The Doors and The Byrds. 

With some distorted Stoner-ish guitars appearing along the way, it’s good to see The Wyldewood Green are still keen to add small snippets of modern Stoner Rock soundwaves which gives Tales Of The Wyldewood Green a heightened sense of trippy realism. The album may not be for everyone but if you’re in the mood for some great Heavy Psychedelic beats and sounds that will leave your mind feeling the effects of one of the most glorious LCD trips you’ll ever take without the need for taking that powerful hallucinogenic drug.

The songs are brilliantly written with their own highly individual identity which adds a dreamlike effect on the later stages of the record with The Wyldewood Green even deploying into calmer and soulful Post-Rock swagger. The songwriting is on another level even for an instrumental record as this album does do something different with the whole Instrumental Rock template.

Standout tracks on the album are: Spires, The Mindsplitter, Carnaby Nights, Maldedo, Tangerine Whiskey, The Queenmaker and Murder In The Electric Cathedral. These are the tracks that I found the most engaging on a personal level and which impressed how daringly heavy the record becomes despite this being quite a laid back album for the most part.

Tales Of The Wyldewood Green is an absolute revelation from start to finish with the band creating and playing sounds that shouldn’t really work so well. However, here we are with a debut album that has a great MAVERICK attitude where you can really say that The Wyldewood are true originals which their debut album proves time and time again.

Words by Steve Howe

Tales Of The Wyldewood Green is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Kosmo Kraut Trio HIJSS shares new "s.w.a.n." video; new album "hijss" out September 18th on Heavy Psych Sounds!

Genre-splicing northern Italian power trio hijss teams up with The Sleeping Shaman to present their new video "s.w.a.n", taken from their forthcoming sophomore album "hijss" landing this September 18th on Heavy Psych Sounds.

Watch new video "s.w.a.n." at this location or below

"A high-octane collision of fuzzy grunge riffs, motorik rhythms, post-punk grit, and dizzying space-rock atmosphere." — The Sleeping Shaman

From Northern Italy summits through clouds and airplanes comes hijss. Stimulated by the musical instinct of band leader Lois Lane (guitar & vocals), drummer Maurice's ferocious hits and bassist and keyboardist Pan’s catchy scales, their fearless sonic explorations does not only scratch the surface but goes deep under your skin.

Drawing from grunge rock and post-punk as much as modern space rock, this boundary-free unit propels itself into the stratosphere in a giant blaze of crunch and groove. hijss hit with a fierce punk attitude, seamlessly combining their gritty riffs, pulsating basslines and kraut-infused madness with frontman Lois Lane's Wyndorf-esque croon. The outcome is their own melting pot called "kosmo kraut". Watch their latest video for vicious cycle!

New album "hijss" - Out September 18th on Heavy Psych Sounds

All three band members come from a wide musical background, yet their common denominator is without a doubt their punk attitude. hijss puts genres in the background zapping from punk over blues to space and psychedelic rock. The outcome is a melting pot called "cosmic grunge". That means whatever you want it to mean. Their debut album "stuck on common ground" was released in the spring of 2024 through Heavy Psych Sounds.

HIJSS links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Sergeant Thunderhoof - Kickstarter JUST LAUNCHED!

The clock is now ticking! We have just 30 days to raise £10,000 to get the new album recorded and released. In the time it’s taken me to write this email, we’ve already surpassed 20% of the goal which is just incredible.

It goes without saying that we always appreciate your support, we truly have the best friends and supporters in this business. As many will know, we’ve done many of these Kickstarters in the past and we have always delivered on time. We will not let you down.

ST

GET INVOLVED HERE!

Links

Website: https://sergeantthunderhoof.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sergeantthunderhoof
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sergeantthunderhoof/

Introduce Yourselves: Nominal Anomaly

What Is the Name of Your Band?

The band is Nominal Anomaly, a single individual passion project

What Is the genre of music you play?

The genre is difficult to pinpoint. Best I could offer is Grunge Metal, as their is some of that old 90's song structure with blues / rock influence. Some songs blend more into Punk Metal. I'm a conglomeration of the 90's mostly.

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

A buddy and myself had a band of 2 back in the late 90's early 2000s called Ark of Kaos. Never made much more than a demo tape, and ended there as people do. I quit drinking about 3 years ago, got bored with the typical drinking hobbies, and picked the guitar back up after a near 20 year hiatus. Started recording about a year later, and releasing music soon thereafter. Early 2026, released the first full album Swamp after several EP's and singles. Currently working on next year's album. Mostly just studio stuff, but a long term dream would be to play live with a band.

What can people expect from your music?

I try to write the songs with catchy rhythms, grooves, or melodies. It's fun in a metal type of way. The lyrical content is a bit here and there, building an odd background of weird lore, but mostly metaphoric to point at reality and be critical or bring emphasis to something. Swamp itself was built during a time of transition personally, so leans deeper into mental health

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

The album Swamp. BTW, Oblique, Therapy are a couple tracks from Swamp as a personal favorite

Where can people find you on Social Media?

www.nominalanomaly.com
https://www.facebook.com/NominalAnomaly
Nominalanomaly.bsky.social
https://www.instagram.com/thenominalanomaly/
https://mastodon.social/@NominalAnomaly

Nominal Anomaly - Swamp (Album Review)

Release Date: May 22nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Swamp - Tracklist

1.Headcold 03:08

2.BULLfrog 03:19

3.BTW 03:42

4.Crowded 03:05

5.Carnated 03:01

6.Night Sweats 04:07

7.Oblique Mass of Foundation 03:10

8.Sleepwalker 03:54

9.Soulless Shoe Sale 03:45

10.Suits 03:56

11.Therapy 03:48

12.Andone 03:16

Lineup

All music, vocals, visuals, art are done by Nominal Anomaly (NO AI)

Review

Swamp is the debut album from Punk/Grunge/Metal solo artist Nominal Anomaly who play a schizophrenic type of Heavy Rock with a distorted and frenzied underground element holding everything together. The record is most definitely a product of living through the Nineties Rock/Metal scene. The best way to describe what’s in store for you on this record is to read the recent “Introduce Yourselves” feature the band kindly contributed to.

This is quite a hard record to describe but from the Introduce Yourselves article the band state the following how to describe their music.

“The genre is difficult to pinpoint. Best I could offer is Grunge Metal, as their is some of that old 90's song structure with blues / rock influence.  Some songs blend more into Punk Metal.  I'm a conglomeration of the 90's mostly.”

The overall sound is one of pure mayhem and fucked off carnage with Nominal Anomaly inspired by the likes of PRIMUS and FAITH NO MORE as the record does go into multiple different directions. However, there’s some excellent Post-Grunge and Alt-Rock sounds along the way which reminds me of The Melvins jamming with The Pixies. The vocals are quite hardcore based with outbursts of manic punk energy which could easily be considered as the perfect soundtrack trying to escape from a mental asylum.

However, this brilliantly works with Nominal Anomaly even allowing brutal outbursts ofExtreme Metal and Grind Metal grooves to appear. One moment you’re treated to a vicious blast of Hardcore Punk spliced with Sludge, Thrash and Grind passages before the record transforms into a subtle Heavy Psychedelic and spiky Grunge Rock attitude.

Swamp does feel a bit too long at times but the sheer fun and outrageous creative momentum that’s played here on this record does have a warped sense of humour developing from the very start. The lyrics are completely off the wall and brilliantly surreal which matches the madcap energy the Nineties Metal scene used to throw at an unsuspecting audience back in the day.

The Funk Rock and Prog Metal aspects that appear on the record does become a bit overbearing in places but that won’t stop your enjoyment of this weird, wonderful and violently wacky journey that Nominal Anomaly takes you upon. You could consider an experimental record and there are moments even I don’t know what the fuck is happening but I couldn’t stop listening to this especially on tracks: Headcold, BULLfrog, Carnated, Night Sweats, Oblique Mass Of Foundation, Suits and Therapy.

These tracks are the ones I found the most enjoyment from as Nominal Anomaly does play their heart out on this release and they’re a fantastically talented individual where the music is just so bat-shit crazy and brilliantly original at the same time.

Swamp won’t appeal to everyone but if you’re a fan of the Nineties Rock/Metal scene and not adverse for this album to take you into some pretty unexpected areas of HEAVY METAL then NOMINAL ANOMALY will speak volumes to you.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

www.nominalanomaly.com
https://www.facebook.com/NominalAnomaly
Nominalanomaly.bsky.social
https://www.instagram.com/thenominalanomaly/
https://mastodon.social/@NominalAnomaly

Hämnd - Bortom (Album Review)

Release Date: July 17th 2026. Record Label: Superlord Recordings. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Bortom - Tracklist

1.Mörk Vind 09:13

2.Faller och Förvittrar 09:33

3.Orkan 12:14

4.Bortom 05:34

Lineup

Craig Murphy - Vocals

Marcelo Varge - Guitars

Sebastian Sparr - Bass

Jason Hodgkins - Drums

Review

Bortom is the second full length album Post-Metallers Hämnd which sometimes operates with an instrumental sound as its main creative drive. There are great vocals that appear when only they’re really needed as Hämnd demonstrate their own hard-hitting style of emotionally cruising Post-Metal sounds that mixes the technical merits of Progressive Metal with elements of Ambient based Post-Rock. The record does have an “Ice-cold” vibe that all great Post-Metal records continuously strive for where you can hear influences from the likes of NEUROSIS, PELICAN, ISIS and CULT OF LUNA.

There is an element of surprise with Hämnd as they ultimately turn off the heavy Post-Metal grooves when you least expect it and transform into a meditative style of Post-Doom and Post-Rock which you fully experience within the epic opening track of Mörk Vind. The vocals continuously hold your attention even whilst they’re sung in the band’s native tongue. Though, it’s the music that’s the main attraction here with Hämnd developing an aggressive journey of different Post-Rock and Post-Metal themes throughout the album.

Hämnd plays perfectly constructed and very lengthy instrumental passages which becomes more emotionally charged with each passing track as that thrilling Sludge Metal mentality allows Hämnd to become even more brutal with their music especially on tracks such as Faller och Förvittrar and Orkan. These tracks alone allows the band to add levels of cinematic “DOOM & GLOOM” into their music whilst once again transforming their music into that classic style of instrumental Post-Metal which does remind me of Russian Circles and Pelican at the peak of their creative powers. 

Sometimes there’s an undeniable “APOCALYPTIC” or “END OF THE WORLD” presence that’s holding everything together where Hämnd do offer brief moments of hope before returning to their highly destructive and brutal style of Post-Metal. The “HARDCORE” vocals become more demanding and quite unforgiving which makes the later stages of the album truly stand out.

The added use of clever sonic experimentation which delves into further areas of Ambient Sounds and Psychedelic textures gives Borton a vivid and destructive atmosphere which allows the listener to be emotionally involved with the whole musical journey that Hämnd has created here. To make the album even more part of the Post-Metal world, the whole thing was mastered by the legendary Magnus Lindberg (CULT OF LUNA) which is only a small winning part of why this record sounds incredible from start to finish.

Hämnd have delivered a truly exceptional record which no self-respecting Post-Metal fan should be without. This album pays homage to the legendary sounds first played by the great bands of the era whilst allowing Hämnd the perfect opportunity to create highly original Sludge/Post-Metal sounds of their own making.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Bandcamp: https://hamndband.bandcamp.com/album/bortom
Youtube full album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXFAzuekAJg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5UAYC8EJi7OZ84qIz7sxNZ?si=sqbctwX2R3mltHlCpVMe2Q
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamndband
Instagram.com https://www.instagram.com/hamndofficial

Prepare for a cosmic journey with Sight of Theia's The Great Dreamer

Atlanta progressive metal outfit Sight of Theia is set to unleash their highly anticipated debut full-length album, The Great Dreamer, on September 4, 2026. This self-released masterpiece is packed with crushing riffs, intricate musicianship, and an immersive science fiction narrative that takes listeners on a cinematic journey through the depths of space, where humanity encounters an ancient nightmare beyond comprehension.

Originally founded by guitarist and primary songwriter Alex Buhlig, Sight of Theia has evolved through several lineup changes before solidifying its current roster with drummer Ricky Shenkman, guitarist Charles Von Kanel, and bassist Bill Pritchard. The band built a strong reputation across the Atlanta metal scene with their energetic live performances and their previous release, the Lighthouse EP. With The Great Dreamer, they embark on an ambitious new project, creating a concept album that intertwines the technical precision of progressive metal with emotional intensity. The addition of vocalist Haden Rider proved to be the missing piece, as he brought the record's story to life with his commanding vocal performance.

The result is a progressive metal experience that intricately balances technical musicianship with gripping storytelling, drawing inspiration from cosmic horror. As described by the band, “The Great Dreamer is Sight of Theia's cosmic horror themed debut album telling the story of astronauts that find Cthulhu in space.” Fans of Mastodon, Leprous, and Meshuggah will find plenty to sink their teeth into, as the band blends thunderous grooves, progressive arrangements, atmospheric textures, and haunting melodies into an unforgettable listening experience.

The tracklist showcases the exceptional talents of:

- Alex Buhlig – Guitars, Synths, Backing Vocals
- Charles Von Kanel – Guitars
- Haden Rider – Lead Vocals
- Bill Pritchard – Bass
- Ricky Shenkman – Drums, Backing Vocals

The album also features an impressive production team including:

- Mixed and Mastered by: Christoffer Borg
- Drum Engineering: John Douglass
- Guitar & Bass Editing / Bass Engineering: Alex Parra
- Vocal Editing: Corey Bautista
- Artwork: Sara Slick

With its compelling concept, towering musicianship, and expansive sonic landscapes, The Great Dreamer marks a bold first full-length statement from a band poised to make waves in the progressive metal underground. The album will be available worldwide on September 4, 2026.

Pre-Save the album here: Pre-Save
Bandcamp Pre-Order: Bandcamp

For fans of:

- Mastodon
- Leprous
- Meshuggah

About Sight of Theia:

Sight of Theia is an Atlanta-based progressive metal band that has been making waves in the underground scene with their energetic performances and intricate music. With a vision to explore cosmic horror through their sound, they have created a unique niche that resonates with fans of the genre.

Follow Sight of Theia:

Apple Music: Apple Music
Facebook: Facebook
Instagram: Instagram
Spotify: Spotify
YouTube: YouTube
Bandcamp: Bandcamp

Thanks to Metal Devastation Radio PR for the details.