Clouds Taste Satanic - Berlin 2023 (Album Review)

Release Date: March 06th 2026. Record Label: Kinda Like Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Berlin 2023 - Tracklisting

1.Second Sight 21:05

2.Sun Death Ritual (Parts I-III) 10:39

3.Spirits of the Green Desert (Part IV) 04:15

4.Beast From the Sea 05:14

Review

Instrumental Doom/Psych/Stoner Metallers Clouds Taste Satanic offer a new “LIVE” record with Berlin 2023, though this time round this performance was captured live in a studio performance which the PR blurb below provides all of the necessary info:

“Recorded at Big Snuff Studios in Berlin in May 2023, the album is a no-overdub, live-in-the-room document of the band’s European tour setlist from that year, capturing their sound at its most raw, direct, and immediate.”

The whole performance is undeniably raw and is perhaps the closest you’ll likely experience hearing Clouds Taste Satanic on the live stage. The band is super focused performing four classic tracks sourced over the last eleven years or so of their legendary back catalogue. Clouds Taste Satanic put in a very committed performance which can be quite frightening at times especially when they start adding gloomy sound effects that offer a real APOCALYPTIC vibe into the whole performance and that’s only within the first five minutes of the stunning opening track Second Sight. 

With there being no overdubs being used for this performance, the whole sound is very stripped back and quite solitary which allows the listener to become fully immersed with the whole record. The band feel like their channelling fellow instrumental heavyweights PELICAN, EARTH, BONGRIPPER, KARMA TO BURN and OM whilst keeping their own original sound highly intact.

The music can be quite slow-paced and highly methodical at times especially within Second Sight and Sun Death Ritual where they feel quite different to their studio counterparts whilst keeping a similar sound at the same time. Clouds Taste Satanic try changing certain themes and technical aspects of each track which adds a new sense of creative freedom with this musical performance which takes you ever so closely to achieving the legendary mindset of “INTER-DIMENSIONAL SPACE GOAT”.  

Berlin 2023 does see Clouds Taste Satanic show once again why they’re one of the best storytellers within the whole Doom/Stoner Metal scene where they weave COSMIC energy into a transcendent and meditative style of music that very few bands can achieve such as YOB. You feel this COSMIC energy throughout the whole album which mostly comes through within Second Sight and Sun Death Ritual (Parts I-III).

The final two tracks Spirits of the Green Desert (Part IV) and Beast From the Sea allows the band to concentrate on playing compact grooves and a more straightforward style of riff-centric songs. Though, they are in full-on deconstruction mode with some sections broken down into distorted passages and violent psychedelic soundscapes that leave you questioning what is real. However, along the way they will still show you how the band are great at combining Doom, Stoner, Sludge, Psych and Post-Rock with a highly articulate style of free-form melodies being used at the same time. 

Clouds Taste Satanic have nothing left to prove but continue to explore different musical ideas that most bands dare come up with even with tracks that fans already know, love and admire. Berlin 2023 is another classic “LIVE ALBUM” from Clouds Taste Satanic which proves once again why they’re considered “LEGENDS” and “HEROES” to so many within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Viral Propaganda PR and Clouds Taste Satanic for the promo.

Berlin 2023 is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links 

Linktree | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Progressive Stoner Metallers Pharm to Unleash Blistering New Single, "Crackhead Arachnid," on March 31st

KELOWNA, BC –– The three mystical scientifical mad lads are back at it again!

Pharm, the mongers of mind melting prog infused stoner metal, have announced the release of the first single, "Crackhead Arachnid", off their highly anticipated second album. The track is clambering out and busting speakers on March 31st, 2026

Infamous for their twisting riffs, psychedelic time changes, and unhinged drum work, Pharm returns from the road, bringing their wild flair into the studio for their most blistering work yet. "Crackhead Arachnid" promises to be an absolutely filthy addition to their catalogue, offering fans a bone-jarring blend of relentless drumming, precision riffery, sci-fi theremin, and menacing keyboard and guitar work that conjures the specter of ritualistic doom.

The single was recorded deep in the heart of the Okanagan at Archouse Studios, capturing a raw, uncompromising energy that has become the band's signature. It is a sonic journey that will appeal to fans of Black Sabbath, Rush and Mastodon.

Accompanying the track is their crazy guerilla style video which blends live footage, signature greasiness and the phellas' unmistakable energy.

"Crackhead Arachid" will be available for streaming on all major streaming platforms on March 31st, 2026. The video will be released the same day.

About Pharm:

Pharm was forged in the early days of 2019. Their debut album "Vortex" took the fellas on a 52-day tour in the summer of 2023. The 3 fellas’ whacky antics on and off the stage precedes their reputation for their delicious musical blend of proggy rock and stoner metal. 2023 saw the release of their critically acclaimed, raucous EP, “The Tower”.

Since then, they've been featured at Massif Festival, Loud As Hell, Mosh the Rock, Pharmphest, Psychfest,Electric Highway Festival, Wacken Metal Battle, Armstrong Metal Fest and Canadian Music Week in Toronto. Album number 2 is far underway and will bring old and new fans alike into an uncharted and nutty territory.  

They're coming to make heads bang and change up the timing faster than Einstein's microwave!

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

FANGUS - Emerald Dreams (Album Review)

Release Date: March 13th 2026. Record Label: From The Urn Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Emerald Dream - Tracklisting

I - Howling Hammer

II - Pyre Of Love

III - Psychoïd Telepath

IV - Quest For Fire

V - Emerald Dream

VI - Time Gambler

VII - Shapeshifter

VIII - Stardust Regulator

Members

Alex Bigras - Guitars

Snake St-Louis - Drums

Vick Trigger - Bass

Chub - Synths/Organ/Backing Vocals

Jim Laflamme - Lead Vocals/Tambourine

Review

FANGUS debut album Emerald Dream is an intoxicating mix of Psych, Acid Rock, Doom Rock, Proto-Metal, Occult Rock, Blues Rock and Stoner Rock. The album is quite wild and wickedly vivid with how FANGUS blend different genre conventions with an outlandish premise that pushes the boundaries of Heavy Psychedelic music.

The music is mostly sourced from the legendary sounds of the Sixties and Seventies scenes with the band never venturing into modern day themes. This makes the album quite a cool sounding and hip leaning slice of RETRO ROCK with a great attitude to match.

The record starts off spectacularly heavy and fast paced through the opening tracks of Howling Hammer, Pyre Of Love and Psychoïd Telepath which relies quite heavily on the extraordinary talents of Chub who provides an amazing array of Synths, Organs and sublime backing vocals along the way. His performance was what instantly drew me in at first though the rest of the band are amazing musicians as well with all them putting in first rate performances. Though, it took me a few listens to actually listen to each individual performance on certain sections of the album.

The lead vocals from Jim Laflamme feels like he was brought up on a steady diet of The Doors, Black Sabbath, Led Zepp, Alice Cooper, MC5 and The Who with his vocals having a slightly grizzled Classic Rock and Heavy Rock feel. The album does lean into early Seventies Proto-Doom metal records with a sudden outburst of Heavy Psych and Garage Rock making the album sound quite heavier and vindictive at times. The Occult Doom themes become the most interesting aspect on the later stages with FANGUS feel like they’re developing a soundtrack for a lost classic horror movie that’s being discovered for the very first time.

Everything is bloody OVER THE TOP and insanely dramatic but you can’t deny how beautifully melodic and insanely addictive the album is at the same time. The record moves to more demented areas of Occult Rock with some amazing FREAK-OUT instrumental passages courtesy of some wonderful guitars laid down by Alex Brigas. 

There’s also a slightly Ritual and Tribal aspect to Emerald Dreams that starts to break through on tracks such as Quest For Fire, Emerald Dreams, Shapeshifter and Stardust Regulator where the album does have a minor Space Rock aspect starting to form which allows the album to become ever more unpredictable.

The production values are outstanding which allows FANGUS to transport not only themselves but also the listener to another forbidden dimension told through the power of music.

Emerald Dreams doesn’t feel like a debut album. This feels like a greatest hits collection with FANGUS providing their best musical output for a new legion of followers to discover for the very first time in the present day. That’s the best way I can describe Emerald Dreams and I’m have no doubt that FANGUS will start to build quite a loyal cult following within the underground scene thanks to this superb album. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Emerald Dreams  is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via From The Urn Records.

Links 

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Stoner/Sludge Trio STALEMATE OF WILLS Announce Debut Album - Existence Denied

Pittsburgh-based three-piece wrecking ball STALEMATE OF WILLS is set to drop their debut full-length album, Existence Denied.

Following a string of singles, STALEMATE OF WILLS is ready to unleash an 8-track rager that embodies the American rust belt blight that surrounds them. True to the band's mantra of "heavy riffs for a withering world," Existence Denied is an amalgamation of doom metal, hardcore, New Orleans-style sludge metal, with flourishes of traditional 90s death metal.

Listeners can expect down-tuned, groove inflicted "meat and potatoes" riffing and drumming, that easily pivots into creepier and mellower territory. Lyrically, STALEMATE OF WILLS concentrates on the endless frustrations created by the hopelessness experienced throughout life, and the inability to change it but still survive.

Check out the album's first single, "Two Worlds" at below:

FFTC Records will release Existence Denied on April 26.

Tracklist:

1) Visibility
2) Maximum Amounts of Woe
3) Existence Denied
4) Two Worlds
5) Let It Be Known
6) High Above
7) Unusual Character Profile
8) Light the Way

Stream more from STALEMATE OF WILLS on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Bio:

STALEMATE OF WILLS was formed in 2023 by guitarist/ vocalist Derek Kovacs as a one man studio project releasing the singles "Corrode" followed then by "Subside", but it soon became clear that Stalemate of Wills needed to become a full band. Not long after, scene veterans Jake Morris (Bass) and Bob McSherry (drums) were quickly recruited to fill the voids. STALEMATE OF WILLS embraces an ethos of self-reliance, releasing and recording their own music and began working on an 8-song full length entitled Existence Denied, to be released in Spring of 2026 on FFTC Records, an independent label run by Kovacs.

STALEMATE OF WILLS is:

Derek Kovcas - guitar / vocals
Jake Morris - bass
Bob McSherry - drums

Links

Website | Facebook |YouTube | Instagram | www.facebook.com/fftcrecords

Prophets Of Thwaites - Vulnerant Omnes Ultima Necat (EP Review)

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

Vulnerant Omnes Ultima Necat - Tracklisting

A Deadlock

Vulnerant Omnes Ultima Necat

Members

Nico Beemster - Drums

Ferry Vermeeren - Bass

Esma Larabi - Guitar & Vocals

Review

Doomgaze/Stoner Metallers Prophets Of Thwaites return with their crushing new EP Vulnerant Omnes Ultima Necat which offers two tracks running around thirteen minutes in length. This EP sees the band offer a heavier style of Doom, Psych, and Atmospheric Rock with the band ready to embrace a different sound compared to their previous releases.

The sound is mighty thick with Esma Larabi’s guitars opening musical gateways into the psychedelic landscapes. There’s also a deft touch of nineties Alt Rock and Grunge surroundings starting to emerge within the excellent opening track of A Deadlock with small influences of Alice In Chains, Deftones and Soundgarden starting to form.

Prophets Of Thwaites don’t leave their earlier “Doomgaze” creative energy behind first heard on their previous records as they combine their early sound with a more aggressive and direct tone that transforms into some epic fast-paced instrumental grooves with a richer Stoner Rock/Metal attitude developing. The vocals from Esma are excellent as ever but it’s the music that impressed me the most with the band adding huge chunks of aggressive Hard Rock into the mix. The band have really stepped up their game since their last song Tharlab.

Imagine if WINDHAND decided to go full on Doom/Stoner Metal with shades of THE OBSESSED leading the way then this is the best possible result. Though, Prophets Of Thwaites keep with the “Post-Doom” and “Gothic” outlook with their creative outlook within the lyrics and the slight vibes of Atmospheric Rock that starts to drift into the standout final title track of Vulnerant Omnes Ultima Necat.

This is where Nico Beemster (Drums) and Ferry Vermeeren (Bass) take their chance to fully shine with a pulsating performance within the rhythm section. It’s quite understated at times where they allow Esma to provide an emotionally charged vocal performance. The music is beautifully intricate and highly volatile with Prophets Of Thwaites delicately moving between all the different musical elements they have at their disposal and construct a highly original style of Post-Doom, Shoegaze and Stoner Metal with real emotional intensity.

Vulnerant Omnes Ultima Necat is another masterful release from Prophets Of Thwaites who are really starting to make waves within the underground Doom/Stoner Metal scene. Their next record can’t come soon enough as I’m really excited to hear what the band come up with next.

Outstanding. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

BandCamp | Instagram

Indian Post-Metal Quintet DIRGE Return with Doom Laden Video for ‘ENDLESS NIGHT’

This month, Dirge return with a brand-new single, the monolithic ‘Endless Night’ – the first taste of new material from their forthcoming album, set for release later this year.

Since forming in 2014, the band have continually pushed the sonic envelope. Fusing doom rock, metal and psychedelic sludge, they’ve become a formidable presence in India’s underground scene, touring alongside contemporaries such as Primitiv, Shepherd, Bevar Sea and Djinn & Miskatonic, opening for major international acts like Ulcerate and Defiled, and appearing at festivals including Bangalore Open Air and Control Alt Delete in Mumbai.

Using their post-pandemic downtime to write and record the follow-up to 2018’s Ah Puch, their critically acclaimed 2023 self-titled album marked a striking evolution. Where their debut drew on the sweeping imagery of Mayan myths and South American jungles, Dirge looked inward and offered a devastatingly personal statement while still reflecting on the world at large.

Their new single, ‘Endless Night’, traces a slow psychological descent into despair, where emotional erosion and existential weight shape a suffocating inner world. As rich in atmosphere as it is in riffs, the track sees Dirge pushing beyond the boundaries of their established sound into darker, more immersive territory. It was once again produced by the band alongside long-time collaborator Apurv Agrawal (Pacifist, Cowboy & Sailor Man, Honey’s Dead) at Island City and Blue Cassette Studios.

Watch the video for ‘Endless Night’ below and keep your eyes and ears peeled for news about their new album very soon!

Video Credits:

 

Directed & Edited by Smriti Thakur

DOP – Purab Mukherjee

Colour Correction and Grading – Sahil Satish Amin

Artwork & Logo – Anoop Bhat

 

Audio Credits:

 

Produced by Dirge & Apurv Agrawal Recorded at Island City & Blue Cassette studios

Mixed by Apurv Agrawal

Mastered by Brad Boatright (Audiosiege)

Dirge on Bandcamp | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the details.

Californian Sludge Veterans -(16)- release noisy Scorpions cover off upcoming "Forgeries Vol 1, (1972-1984)" album on Heavy Psych Sounds; European & UK tour announced!

Santa Ana, California sludge metal veterans -(16)- drag the anthemic metal of Scorpions through the mud with their raucous cover of "Can't Get Enough", premiering now on Metalsucks. Their upcoming 11th album "Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984" will be released on May 1st via Heavy Psych Sounds, followed by an extensive European and UK tour.

 Hear their sludgy Scorpions cover with Can't Get Enough

There comes a point in every band’s life when originality stops being a virtue and honesty takes the wheel. On their 11th long-playing record: Forgeries 1972-1984, -(16)- return to the impulse that first dragged them into loud rooms and bad ideas: the urge to steal what we love and make it semi-unrecognizable through devotion. "We have partnered with Heavy Psych Sounds Records to release a collection of covers that function less as homage and more as a possession to be given away," says the band. The artwork, rendered by the ever-amazing Marald van Haasteren, completes the ritual, iconic, unsettling, and unafraid.

"We’ve always believed that a great cover is not mimicry but revelation. It’s finding a song that's already lived inside you since youth and letting it crawl out, bruised and changed." From the early ’90s onward, -(16)- have treated covers as translations rather than as replicas, acts of tribute and emulation, filtered through distortion, fatigue, and lived experience. "These are songs that taught us how to stand, how to fall, and how to keep going," they add. "In our collective head, this album exists because these songs demanded it. Because they screamed copy me, and we listened. In the end, Forgeries 1972-1984 stands as both a thank you note and a theft, a reminder that all music worth a damn is borrowed, broken, and passed on between friends."

The selections on Forgeries 1972-1984 span eras and attitudes, unified not by genre but by necessity. Each track is a document of obsession, of influence absorbed and re-expressed without permission. The first volume will be issued on LP, CD and digital on May 1st, with preorders available via Heavy Psych Sounds.

*** -(16)- - European Tour 2026 ***

01.05 PT Barroselas - SWR Metalfest
02.05 IT Torino - HPS Fest
03.05 IT Bologna - HPS Fest
04.05 IT Genova - Trinità Live Club
05.05 IT Milano - Legend Club
06.05 IT Pescara - Scumm
07.05 IT Roma - Traffic Live Club
08.05 NO Oslo - Deserfest
09.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
10.05 FR Marseille - Le Molotov
12.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
13.05 DE Göppingen - Gaststätte Zille
14.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
15.05 CH Winterthur - HPS FEST
16.05 UK London - Desertfest
17.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
18.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
19.05 NL Amsterdam - Toekomst muziek
20.05 DE Bielefeld - Forum
21.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
22.05 DE Dürrröhrsdorf - GockelScream
23.05 CZ Brno - Kabinet Muz
24.05 ***OPEN SLOT***

New album "Forgeries Vol 1, 1972 - 1984" - Out May 1st on Heavy Psych Sounds - Pre-order

TRACKLIST:

1. Can't Get Enough – Scorpions
2. Nausea – X
3. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll – Blue Öyster Cult
4. Rotten to the Core – Rudimentary Peni
5. Mother Mary – UFO
6. Tragedy – Bee Gees
7. Bloodstains – Agent Orange
8. Beat My Head Against the Wall – Black Flag
9. St. Vitus Dance – Black Sabbath
10. Foreign Policy – Fear

Formed in 1991 in Santa Ana, California, 16 stylized as -(16)- emerged from the Southern California skate scene. The original lineup featured Bobby Ferry (guitar), Cris Jerue (vocals), Ben Clark (bass), and Jason Corley (drums). Initially called *15*, the band quickly rebranded after discovering another group with the same name. Drawing influence from 7 Seconds, Bad Brains, Metallica, and the Amphetamine Reptile roster, -(16)- developed a sound that helped define both their early years and the sludge subgenre itself.

Their 1993 debut, Curves That Kick, arrived on Pushead’s Bacteria Sour and was followed by a Japanese tour and shows with Slayer. Drop Out (1996) and Blaze of Incompetence (1997) followed, with Phil Vera joining on guitar. After a 1998 U.S. tour with Grief and the 2002 release Zoloft Smile, the band toured the U.S., U.K., and Japan before entering a hiatus in 2004 amid personal struggles.

Reforming in 2007, -(16)- signed to Relapse Records for Bridges to Burn (2009), followed by Deep Cuts from Dark Clouds (2012). With Bobby Ferry now on vocals, the San Diego–based lineup of Alex Shuster (lead guitar), Barney Firks (bass), Dion Thurman (drums) released Lifespan of a Moth (2016), Dream Squasher (2020) and Into Dust (2022) to critical acclaim. Heavy touring across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe, plus major festival slots, cemented their reputation for intense, connecting live performances.

In 2025, -(16)- released Guides for the Misguided on Relapse Records, which was named one of Decibel Magazine’s Top 40 Albums of the Year. That same year, the band headlined a three-week European tour and later performed select shows in California with Acid Bath, High on Fire and Fu Manchu.

In 2026, the band partnered with Heavy Psych Sounds to release Forgeries 1972–1984, a covers album spanning influences from Black Flag to the Bee Gees. That May, they return to Europe for a tour that includes Desertfest Oslo and London, as well as the Italian and Swiss Heavy Psych Sounds Festivals. With a legacy built on resilience and constant reinvention, -(16)- continue to evolve and captivate audiences, affirming their lasting relevance in heavy music.

-(16)- is

Bobby Ferry - Guitars / Vocals
Alex Shuster - Lead Guitar
Barney Firks - Bass
Dion Thurman - Drums / Percussion

-(16)- links

Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp

Heavy Psych Sounds links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.