Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Atom Juice is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.
Links
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Atom Juice is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.
Links
Release Date: July 11th 2025. Record Label: Interstellar Smoke Records / Three Moon Records. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD
ACIDSLOTH - Tracklisting
1.Float 05:43
2.Hole 08:58
3.Free 05:31
4.Sin 09:39
5.Puke 06:28
6.Satan 08:09
Members
- Drums: Adam Gajeski (*Hyad*)
- Bass: Wiktor Kozak (*Moonstone*, *Minor God*)
- Guitar: Patryk Kozera (*Cosmic Carnage*)
- Vocals: Julia Markiewicz (*Float*), Jan Gajewski (*Hole*), Radosław Bury (*Free*, *Puke*), Mateusz Zborowski (*Satan*), Patryk Kozera (*Sin*)
Review
Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Acidsloth release their new album ACIDSLOTH which sees the band move firmly away from their Psych Stoner Rock sound they delivered on their previous records. This time round the band have adapted into a heavier and primal creative unit with a firm reliance on Post-Metal that allows a destructive COSMIC energy to breathe new life into the band.
Acidsloth take similar DOOM themes from bands such as Electric Wizard, CONAN, EYEHATEGOD and UFOMAMMUT for a mind expanding style of brutality which comes across with the five different vocalists that appear throughout the album. The majority of these vocals are harsh and quite extreme with the music being primarily the COSMIC and PSYCHEDELIC force which is one of the best parts of the record. As Acidsloth blend mind-expanding grooves and subtle changes into a straightforward style of Stoner Rock/Metal in the more mellow parts of the record.
There’s a lot to take in with this album as Acidsloth uses different creative methods and vocal methods for each track that makes it feel quite disjointed in places. However, everything works superbly well with Acidsloth constructing a different type of modern day underground Sludge/Stoner Metal record. Standout tracks for me are Float, Hole, Free and Sin with the band showcasing a great style of musical styles that pays to the likes of PELICAN, ISIS and NEUROSIS when the band move briefly into the Post-Metal stratosphere. However, everything still sounds highly original especially when the extended instrumental passages take complete control.
The use of different vocalists for the tracks is an inspired choice especially with all of them projecting HARSH/SCREAM based vocals. This may put some folks off but this gives the album a truly exciting vibe as you don’t know what to expect next. Some of the songs are perhaps a bit too long but Acidsloth always conjures up a GIGANTIC groove or riff where you can’t help but HEADBANG or ROCK OUT fully too.
ACIDSLOTH is a demanding, brooding and brilliantly aggressive record with flashes of top-notch COSMIC DOOM and DOOMGAZE energy shining throughout. If you want to experience a different style of Sludge/Stoner Metal from the famed Polish Underground Scene then Acidsloth are the band for you.
This is top-notch stuff from start to finish.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
Release Date: July 11th 2025. Record Label: Olde Magick Records. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl
Obsidian Eye - Tracklisting
1.Engorge Behemoth 07:56
2.Venatic Rite 07:54
3.Pestiferous 06:54
4.Obsidian Eye 08:10
5.Revenants 08:33
6.Beset 07:51
Members
Dave Jones - Guitar and Vocals
Zach Hatsis - Drums
Josh Dupree - Bass
Matt Miller - Guitar
Review
Psych Sludge/Stoner Metallers Hibernaut return with their sophomore album Obsidian Eye which is a concept album of sorts with the band explaining about the whole concept below:
“Obsidian Eye tells a harrowing tale of infection, resurrection, and the unknowable will of an alien intelligence. Set in a pre-industrial world teetering on the edge of understanding, the album explores the question: Who decides when to die?”
Hibernate constructs a decaying style of Progressive Metal to build their creative landscape upon with moments of Psych, Sludge, Doom and Stoner Metal roaming free to play an unforgiving style of music. The sound is quite apocalyptic with flashes of fast paced Progressive Sludge grooves that hide a haunting Post-Doom and Post-Metal quality. Hibernaut channels the likes of Neurosis, GOJIRA, Mastodon, Black Sabbath, YOB and Cult Of Luna through this sordid and nightmarish world that has a downbeat attitude especially with the lyrics written for the album.
The vocals from Dave Jones are perfectly pitched for an album about the END OF THE WORLD with a despairing and NO FUCKS GIVEN attitude hidden behind his frontman persona. The progressive melodies and harsh Post-Metal environments lead into some intense musical tempos and instrumental passages with a sudden shift to different types of METAL such as Groove, Thrash and Industrial can be heard especially within the highly destructive tracks of Engorge Behemoth and Venatic Rice.
HIbernaut operate with a fast and loose approach that gives the record a more honest vibe where the music becomes more destructive and aggressively violent as a result but still holding a quite an earnest melodic quality. The FUZZED up sounds lend a helping hand of keeping things quite grounded when the story of the album becomes slightly CHAOTIC and downright CINEMATIC on tracks such as Pestiferous, Obsidian Eye and Revenants. The songs are quite long with Hibernaut playing through a TON of different genres but everything is played with great originality and the songs are constructed superbly well to hold the listeners attention throughout.
This is the type of album that the RELAPSE RECORDS crowd would have loved around fifteen to twenty years ago when they were the go to Sludge/Stoner Metal label to be signed to back in the day. So if you miss those good old days when Relapse Records had High On Fire, Mastodon, Baroness, Black Tusk and Neurosis signed to their label then Obsidian Eye is perhaps the closest record you’ll hear to capture that legendary era of music.
Obsidian Eye is played at such a fast and breakneck speed that the forty nine minute run-time just flies by with Hibernaut playing huge classic riffs over, over and over again. The album can be quite unforgiving and bleak with its whole APOCALYPTIC theme holding everything together but that only adds to the overall effect of the musical journey that Hibernaut takes you upon.
Hibernaut have released another exciting and unmissable record with Obsidian Eye with superb production values to match. Add this one to your collection and embrace the perfect Sludge/Stoner Metal soundtrack to the end of the world.
Words by Steve Howe
Obsidian Eye is available to buy on Cassette, Digital, CD and Vinyl
Links
Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
Release Date: July 04th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
High Tide - Tracklisting
1.Bloody Ground 06:33
2.Sign of the Times 04:59
3.High Tide 05:00
4.Erosion 04:51
5.Mass Production 06:36
6.Misanthromation 10:14
7.Hand of Fate 05:25
Members
Ben House - Vocals
Justin Morgan - Guitars
Jay Erbe - Drums
Dylan Wills - Bass
Review
High Tide is the second full length album from Doom/Grunge/Stoner Metallers SkullDozer who have expanded to a four piece with the addition of Dylan Wills on bass since their 2019 debut full length album. Their music has a lot more power with those extra bone-crunching bass lines being provided by Dylan adding a solid line of frenzied heaviness which adds a subtle Grunge sound starting to form.
Justin Morgan on Guitars and Jay Erbe on Drums return with a refreshing style of Groove, Thrash, Sludge and Fuzz being constructed and bounced around with supreme enthusiasm. Rounding the lineup is Ben House on vocal duties which has its roots in almost every corner of the Doom, Grunge and Stoner Metal stratosphere. There’s even a 1980’s Classic Hard Rock energy appearing when Ben reaches those grizzled high notes which he does spectacularly throughout the whole album.
The opening tracks of Bloody Ground and Sign Of The Times are highly influenced by the likes of Metallica, Crowbar, Pantera and Corrosion Of Conformity with that classic Portland, Oregon based Stoner Metal grit where the band are originally from. The sound is quite aggressive, distorted and ultimately melodic with the thrashy guitars working superbly well with the Psych Doomed Out moments that almost lead into areas of Prog Stoner Metal on the later stages of the album.
SkullDozer takes influence from the likes of DOZER, MASTODON, THE SWORD and BLACK SABBATH throughout this intense musical journey. The band do allow themselves the time to put their own highly confident and creative stamp with a sludge based DOWN-TUNED environment on tracks such as High Tide, Erosion, Mass Production and Misanthromation. The later stages of High Tide take elements of heavier sounds such as Prog Metal and Drone which gives this record quite an unforgiving atmosphere.
The production values are OFF THE SCALE with massive amounts of HEAVY VOLUME filling upto the brim as SkullDozer firmly move confidently over into the realm of LOW & SLOW and AMPLIFIER DISTORTION before the album closes on an exciting finish. High Tide have used their time away superbly well and have returned with a BIGGER, HEAVIER, AGGRESSIVE and more THREATENING sound that demolishes everything that’s put right in front of them.
High Tide is an absolute thrill ride with EPIC GROOVES to match. This is the type of album you play at the LOUDEST VOLUME possible and to piss off your family, friends and neighbours with. What more could you possibly want!!!
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Release Date: July 15th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
In Darkness… Have Mercy - Tracklisting
1.MISERY
2.MESSIAH
3.VALUE THE SUFFERING
4.BLESSED ARE THE CURSED’ 25
Members
Jon "Fro" Torres - Vocals/Bass
Carlos Martinez - Guitar
Ian Henneforth - Drums
Review
Doom/Stoner Metallers Psalm return after a four year absence and with a revised line-up with Jon”Fro” Torres being the only member left from their excellent 2021 EP - Blessed Are The Cursed. Jon is joined by Carlos Martinez on Guitar and Ian Henneforth on Drums. This version of Psalm is a heavier, doomier and groovier unit compared to previous one especially on their new EP - In Darkness… Have Mercy.
In Darkness… Have Mercy sees Psalm conjure up visions of the golden era of Proto-Doom with influences such as Trouble, Pentagram, Saint Vitus and The Obsessed starting to appear. However, there’s a sense of Groove Metal surroundings that you can hear as well. Though, Psalm most definitely believes in the power of the ALMIGHTY RIFF and puts their authoritative stamp on proceedings. I can hear other old school influences such as Black Sabbath, Led Zepp and Pantera being thrown about. Psalm play their own great sound which moves from Old School Heavy Metal to modern day Stoner/Sludge Rock with a ton of FUZZY guitars being added.
Opening track Misery is a throwback to the good old days of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with Psalm bridging the gap between both eras with relevant ease with a great sense of melody and catchy aggressive melodies which the Groove Metal era of music becomes quite dominant on the later stages of the track. Jon “Fro” Torres vocals are excellent and he fully commits to the role which has a deep emotional range throughout.
Second song Messiah is a Groove, Sludge and Proto-Metal driven sound with Psalm adding layers of Post-Doom atmospherics within the lyrics and vocals used for the song. The song is mostly inspired by Pantera and Alice In Chains at times with Psalm never losing their true Proto-Doom creative energy. Perhaps the most emotionally engaging track on the EP which offers serious firepower in the VOLUME department where Psalm gets down and dirty playing a grizzled style of Doom/Stoner Metal.
The final two tracks of Value The Suffering and Blessed Are The Cursed is where Psalm use a destructive HEAVY METAL approach with a great style of bravado and muscular sounds being quite realistic and grounded. Psalm always allow themselves ample opportunities to prove what great musicians they really are with Carlos Martinez intense guitars, Ian Henneforth bombastic drumming and Jon’s epic bass sounds creating a whole destructive instrumental force that never goes out of fashion whatever style of music you’re playing or currently listening to.
There’s something for everyone who is a true fan and dedicated follower of HEAVY METAL within In Darkness… Have Mercy. This is a first rate EP from Psalm and I’m looking forward to their next creative chapter.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.
In Darkness… Have Mercy is available to buy from all good digital stockists now. Cassette, CD and Vinyl releases will be released at a later date.
Links