The Lumberjack Feedback return with “Sword of the Sun”, a crushing new single-track digital EP

Argonauta Records proudly welcomes back French instrumental post-metal force The Lumberjack Feedback with “Sword of the Sun”, a new EP built around a single, monumental track, available exclusively in digital format.

Listen now: https://tidal.com/album/511312900/u

Designed as a focused and uncompromising sonic statement, “Sword of the Sun” pushes the band further into darker and heavier territories. Massive riffs, oppressive rhythms and relentless intensity drive a composition that unfolds like a slow, inevitable confrontation. Stripping away excess, the band channels everything into one powerful piece, delivering a short yet deeply impactful experience.

The EP embodies the idea of standing alone against adversity, where the “Sword of the Sun” becomes a symbol of raw strength and survival, cutting through chaos with determination.

This new release follows “The Stronghold”, released via Argonauta Records in April 2024, which showcased the band’s signature blend of crushing heaviness, dual drumming and hypnotic atmospheres, further establishing their place in the international post-metal scene.

Formed in France in 2008, The Lumberjack Feedback have built a strong identity through instrumental compositions that merge sludge, doom and post-rock influences into immersive and emotionally charged soundscapes.

For fans of: Pelican, Boris, Monkey3, Gojira, Caspian, Neurosis, Russian Circles

Cover art by Francois Andries https://www.instagram.com/fr_andries

INFO:

https://www.facebook.com/thelumberjackfeedbackband
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Cult Of Occult - I Have No Name (Album Review)

Release Date: March 31st 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl/Tape

I Have No Name - Tracklisting

1.I Have No Heart 13:18

2.I Have No Limbs 15:05

3.I Have No Companion 05:56

4.I Have No Tongue 03:56

5.I Have No Soul 15:44

6.I Have No End 16:51

Review

I Have No Name is the fifth album from Doom/Sludge/Post-Metallers Cult Of Occult and this is the first time I’ve featured them on the blog in over a decade or so. I honestly thought I reviewed their other albums since then as I’m a huge fan of their droned out and nihilistic vision. This time round the band offer an epic and bleak slice of Blackened Doom Metal that’s merged with Drone, Sludge and Post-Metal sensibilities.

The album lasts over seventy minutes across six tracks where Cult Of Occult perfect a violent style of twisted SONIC precision that brings a dark violent style of music that pays homage to the likes of EYEHATEGOD, THOU, SUNN 0))), SUMAC and NEURORIS. 

There feels like a neverending sense of filth and decay that’s set against a violent style of Progressive Metal which appears throughout the whole record. The brutal vocals move between sick growls and harsh delivery though they’re quite easy to understand for the most part.

All of the tracks start with the term “I Have No” which allows Cult Of Occult to show their complete hatred and distrust with almost everything around them in the modern world. The music is constantly moving to new levels of distorted hysteria which is pitched perfectly within the two epic opening tracks of I Have No Heart and I Have No Limbs.

These two tracks set out the whole mission statement for the album where everything is played with soul crushing melodies and bleak oppression appearing within the psychedelic and droned out surroundings the band wisely use a weapon of choice to power the message home to everyone who is brave enough to listen to the album

The LOW & SLOW creative movement allows Cult Of Cult to transform into a Blackened Post-Metal monster on tracks such as I Have No Limbs, I Have No Compassion, I Have No Tongue and I Have No End. The sheer level of misery and pure violent carnage that Cult Of Occult constructs with each singular track is quite a technical marvel. As they bring a highly original style of Extreme Metal to their music that solidifies the band as one of the best and heaviest metal bands to emerge from the French underground scene over the last fifteen years or so.

If you’re expecting moments of uplifting musical passages or cinematic surroundings then you’ll surely be disappointed as that’s not Cult Of Occult’s style. The lyrics are quite shocking at times with the violent vocals adding a layer of sheer brutality that will haunt your nightmares for a long time to come. Though, the best part of the album is how the band merges different areas of Sludge, Doom, Post-Metal, Psych and Prog Metal and transforms them into a violent apocalyptic style of pure BLACK METAL CHAOS that leaves you begging for more punishment. 

Sure, the music can be very long and drawn out at times but it’s done with real intent and purpose which allows I Have No Name to become a highly unmissable record especially if you're a dedicated follower of the EXTREME METAL scene. Cult Of Occult have once again delivered the goods with a spectacular record that can only be described as “ESSENTIAL LISTENING”.

Epic. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Gjenferd - BLISS (Single Review)

Release Date: April 10th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

BLISS - Tracklisting

BLISS

Members

Vegard Bachmann Strand, guitars, vocals

Jakob Særvoll, keys, vocals

Samuel Robson Gardner, bass guitar

Sivert Kleiven Larsen, drums

Review

Proto Doom/Stoner Rockers Gjenferd have just recently released their acclaimed second album Black Smoke Rising and a month later they’re releasing their latest single BLISS which doesn’t even appear on the album. The track itself could have easily appeared anywhere on that great record with Gjenferd employing a classic style of Blues Rock, Hard Rock and Proto-Doom sensibilities with some KICK-ASS organs levelling the musical playing field for the band to impress listeners with.

Maybe, it’s just me but I can easily hear traces of the “MISSION IMPOSSIBLE” theme tune appearing from time to time. That could be down to the new medication I’m currently on but that vibe is still there. However, back to serious business, Gjenferd once again feel like they're inspired by the likes of The Who, Led Zepp, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer for this track which is set against some classic Proto-Metal melodies and certain prog rock structures.

The lyrics and vocals are quite “OCCULT ROCK” obsessive once more which was a major part of Black Smoke Rising. Gjenferd plays a very fast-paced and highly aggressive style of music which even allows strands of Post-Stoner and Heavy Psych to appear from time to time. BLISS is an all out assault on the CLASSIC ROCK SENSES with Gjenferd taking a NO HOLDS BARRED approach with their music that should instantly satisfy their fan base until they release some other new material in the near future.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy BLISS from the following link: https://orcd.co/gjenferdbliss

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

PSYCH/SPACE/STONER ROCKERS ROBOT GOD ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM "ONTO THE AFTERLIFE " - OUT MAY 1ST

Sydney heavy psychedelic rock force Robot God announce the release of their long awaited new album Onto the Afterlife, arriving May 1st. This album channels towering riffs, hypnotic rhythms, and expansive atmospheres into a journey that explores mortality, rebirth, and the mysteries that lies beyond the unknown.

Recorded at The Grove Studios in September 2025, Onto the Afterlife captures the band at their most focused and ferocious, blending crushing riffs, hypnotic grooves, and cosmic atmosphere into a powerful statement of intent, with a sound that sits comfortably alongside the modern heavy psychedelic and doom underground while pushing the band’s evolving identity forward. Onto the Afterlife is an album designed to be experienced from start to finish, a full ritual, immersive, emotional, and unapologetically loud.

Onto the Afterlife” will be released on vinyl through Kozmik Artifactz, renowned for championing underground heavy music worldwide, with distribution in the US via Glory or Death Records and Canada handled by Black Throne Productions, ensuring the record reaches listeners across the international stoner, doom, and psychedelic rock community.

In the lead-up to the release, Robot God have released two singles that offer a glimpse into the album’s scope and energy. The title track Onto the Afterlife sets the tone with a slow burning, cinematic rise into massive, immersive heaviness, while follow up single Soldier of Love reveals another dimension of the record, blending emotional intensity with massive riffs and anthemic power.

With growing momentum from recent releases and an expanding audience across streaming platforms and live shows, Robot God are positioning Onto the Afterlife as their most ambitious and fully realised work to date. Fuelled by relentless creativity, Robot God will also unleash a second album titled Curse of the Driven, in the second half of 2026. Two new albums, one year, Robot God are firing on all cylinders.

Artist: Robot God
Album: Onto the Afterlife
Release Date: May 1st, 2026
Formats: Vinyl and Digital
Vinyl: Kozmik Artifactz & Black Throne Productions
Genre: Heavy / Psychedelic / Doom Rock

Tracklist:

A1 Soldier Of Love – 6:40
A2 Onto The Afterlife – 6:03
A3 Cerebral Annihilation – 8:56
B1 I Am The Night – 11:14
B2 Long Goodbye – 8:19

Robot God are:

Matt Allen - Bass,Vocals & Synth
Raff Iacurto - Guitar, Vocals & Synth
Tim Pritchard - Drums & Synth

Robot God Links:

Bandcamp | Youtube | Facebook | Spotify

Thanks to Robot God and Kozmik Artifactz for the details.

Masheena - Let The Spiders In (Album Review)

Release Date: April 10th 2026. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records / Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Let The Spiders In - Tracklisting

1.Been Waiting 

2.Going To The Mountain 

3.One Eye

4.A Game You Don't Want To Lose

5.Life Is But A Sin

6.Sara Lost Her Way 

7.In Her Eyes

8.Don't Tell Her

9.Riffy 

10.You Owe Me

Members

Luis-Alberto Salomon — Guitars & Vocals

Tarjei A Heggernes — Bass

Bård Heavy Nordvik — Drums and percussion

Review

Hard Rock/Stoner Rockers Masheena return in bold, brash and highly confident form with their stunning new record Let The Spiders In. The band go all in with their sophomore album with a super sized STADIUM ROCK energy which partially down to the awesome work by the legendary MACHINE who produces and engineers the whole album. So you know Masheena are the real deal if they can command the talents of someone like MACHINE.

The record is a powder keg of classic Stoner Rock anthems with Masheena not skimping on other areas of the Hard Rock spectrum with moments of Southern Rock, Blues Rock, Psych Rock, Classic Rock and small traces of Boogie Rock appearing. With influences such as CLUTCH, FOO FIGHTERS, KYUSS, VELVET REVOLVER, LED ZEPP and BLACK SABBATH being heard throughout the album then Let The Spiders In has more than enough vicious BITE to strip back to the Stadium Rock/Pop Sensibilities that Masheena add into the mix.

The opening batch of songs of Been Waiting, Going To The Mountain and One Eye allows Masheena expertly demonstrate a great ear for melody and musical composition that showcases what made music so great over the last thirty six years or so. The vocals are superb which taps right into the commercial mainstream and underground rock movement that allows the listener to instantly join in or singalong with the excellent lyrics that Masheena have wrote here. The music itself can be quite “feel good” in places but the lyrics are quite subversive in places that you don’t really hear or truly appreciate enough these days. 

Let The Spiders In can be quite HEAVY and DOOM ROCK obsessive which shows that Masheena aren’t afraid to employ a darker and heavier style of music amongst the STADIUM sized grooves that ultimately holds everything together. The album is best described as “ALL KILLER and NO FILLER” with every track feeling like a musical home run that left a huge smile on my face throughout on tracks such as:  A Game You Don’t Want To Lose, Life Is But A Sin, In Her Eyes Don’t Tell Her and You Owe Me.

Masheena create their own highly energetic style of RETRO ROCK and blend this with a stunning modern day Doom/Stoner Rock flow which even allows the band to add that classic style of “NORDIC/SCANDANAVIAN” aggressive melody that reminds of DOZER in places. Those parts maybe small in the grand scheme of things but you can definitely hear them being played within the later stages of the record.

There’s some wonderful tender Classic Rock and Blues Rock surroundings which allows Masheena to show a more caring side to their music but sometimes it’s wrapped in some slight cynicism that transforms into an explosion of dominant Psychedelic and Stoner Rock/Metal soundscapes. 

My final thoughts on Let The Spiders In is that Masheena has released a warm-hearted, highly energetic and brilliantly entertaining record that will have you coming back for more. If you want a record packed full of potential classic tracks that transports you back to times when music matters then Let The Spiders In is the place you really need to be.

Outstanding. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Let The Spiders In is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Majestic Mountain Records and Ripple Music.

Majestic Mountain Records - Masheena - Let The Spiders In

https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/let-the-spiders-in

Links 

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Witch Ripper - Through The Hourglass (Album Review)

Release Date: April 10th 2026. Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Through The Hourglass - Tracklisting

1.Odyssey in Retrograde

2.The Portal 

3.Symmetry of the Hourglass

4.Echoes and Dust

5.The Clock Queen 

6.Proxima Centauri

7.The Spiral Eye

Members

Chad Fox – guitar, vocals

Brian Kim – bass, vocals

Curtis Parker – guitar, vocals

Joe Eck – drums

Review

Through The Hourglass is the third full length album from Sludge/Stoner Metallers Witch Ripper which fully builds upon the progressive themes they laid down on their acclaimed 2023 album The Flight After The Fall. As they blend highly melodic grooves with a real underground intensity which branches out into different areas of music you least expect. Witch Ripper are inspired once again by the likes of Baroness, Mastodon and High On Fire on this record with other bands such as Queen and Thin Lizzy making a highly unexpected appearance. 

The album is quite classic rock sounding with a haunting Seventies Hard Rock approach whilst keeping that aggressive modern day energy appearing within tracks such as Odyssey In Retrograde, The Portal and Symmetry Of The Hourglass. The vocals are quite eerie like Brann Dallor in places which I’m always down for as he’s perhaps one of my favourite all time vocalists.

Though, the vocals change direction quite frequently which allows Chad, Brian and Curtis to share equal duties when the need calls for them throughout the album. The music itself is a mixture of Psych, Sludge, Stoner and Progressive sounds that demonstrate how Witch Ripper have become better musicians, songwriters and storytellers since their last album. 

If you dig the last few Mastodon records where the emotionally engaging lyrics take you into a dark area before transforming into an uplifting movement then this record does this time and time again within the epic first half of the record. Ambient textures form amongst the Psychedelic wastelands with Witch Ripper lying down impressive technically charged melodies that have a “THRASH” underscore to them. Though, when Witch Ripper delves into areas of Classic Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is where the real magic happens. 

The music can be quite frantic and jagged in places but there’s a sense of real adventure being played on tracks such as Symmetry Of The Hourglass, Echoes And Dust, The Clock Queen and The Spiral Eye. Witch Ripper transforms themselves into a real Post-Metal collective force to be reckoned with. Harsh and clean vocals combine for a soulful journey into the unknown with the music providing outstanding instrumental solos from everyone. Sometimes the whole band are trying to out do each other and claim full creative control for themselves especially on the faster and aggressive parts of the record. 

The real highlight and perhaps MVP of the whole performance is Joe Eck on drums. Joe puts in an intense and highly methodical performance that perhaps is where everything comes from. They are quite understated but delivered with a sense of real purpose and supreme intelligence. Credit still goes to Chad (Guitars), Brian (Bass) and Curtis (Guitars) who all bring their “A” Game to the album with excellent musical performances throughout this album. 

Dare I call this album perhaps the “BEST ALBUM THAT MASTODON HAS NEVER MADE” with Witch Ripper playing a deeper style of Prog Metal with a sudden shift into psychedelic surroundings just for good measure. I mean that as a huge compliment as this record is still quite original within its own right.

There’s a more grounded aspect which allows Witch Ripper to breathe new life into the underground Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. The production values are off the scale which isn’t surprising when you have heavy hitters such as Matt Bayles (Recording and Mixing) and Brad Boatright (Mastering) helping Witch Ripper to achieve true greatness with this record. 

My favourite track has to be the final song The Spiral Eye which features stunning guest vocals/chants by Irene Barber from Alternative/Shoegaze collective Dust Moth. The song is quite different and very familiar from Witch Ripper as they blend Shoegaze dynamics with their usual blend of Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal.

There’s a hidden Ambient/Drone score within the song which allows the vocals to take a commanding performance even when they transform to a meditative and laid back style. The music has a haunting Post-Rock aspect which doesn’t affect the heaviness of the album in any way possible. This is a great way to close the album as it will leave the listener wholly satisfied with what they’ve fully experienced from start to finish.

Through The Hourglass is Witch Ripper’s best album to date which should propel them on to bigger and better things within the whole Sludge/Stoner Metal scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to All Noir PR and Magnetic Eye Records for the promo.

Through The Hourglass is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records.

Links 

www.facebook.com/witchripper
www.instagram.com/witch_ripper

https://witchripper.bandcamp.com/album/through-the-hourglass

Doom/Stoner Metal Legends SOLACE Reveal First Advance Single 'Beyond Below' & details of forthcoming new album "Fading Failing Ruin"

In the heat of summer, SOLACE will return with their massively anticipated fifth full-length "Fading Failing Ruin" on July 3, 2026, via Magnetic Eye Records. The iconic self-styled dirt metal act from New Jersey, USA begin by revealing the single 'Beyond Below' as a first welcome taste of the album to come. Pre-orders are now available HERE

In advance of the album release, SOLACE will pack new songs and classics into their flight cases and embark on a European tour starting on May 7, 2026 in the French capital city of Paris. Please find the album details of "Fading Falling Ruin" and all currently confirmed live dates below.

Watch the video for 'Beyond Below' here:

SOLACE comment on 'Beyond Below': "When we released our last record 'The Brink', I swore it wouldn't take another nine years till the next one", guitarist Tommy Southard admits. "Well, it took us six and a half, which for Solace is pretty good! About the first single, I had a couple of riffs that Timmy and I used to play years and years ago in the pre-Godspeed days. Last year at a Solace practice, I started jamming one of the riffs as a goof to Timmy and Justin heard it and asked me: 'What the hell is that man? That needs to go on the new record!' At first, I laughed it off, because I had been a 14-year old metalhead when I wrote this tune, but once we tweaked it a bit – Mikey threw a part in the middle and we worked it into a complete song – it was obvious that it was going to turn into a monster. The track came out pretty amazing considering how far back in the archive it went, but that's the perks of doing this your whole damn life. I can hardly believe it's been 30 years since I started this band. Yet Solace is still here somehow, and 'Fading Failing Ruin' is the best thing we've ever musically done. Literally everybody in this band played and worked their asses off for this record!"

Tracklist

1. Spiral Will
2. Fettered to a Stone

3. A God Changes His Plans
4. Wrath's Object (The Big Fall)
5. Culling the Herd
6. Beyond Below
7. Malengine (The Scaffold)
8. Every Day Is a Loaded Gun
9. Ridden

SOLACE deliver their fifth studio album "Fading Failing Ruin" just in time to celebrate the anniversary of their 30th year as a band. And all the heaviness, experience, and obvious maturity of their songwriting across three decades is perfectly reflected in the seeming ease with which these master craftsmen hammer out one captivating and crushing track after the other.

Revolving around apocalyptic, infernal, and end time themes that easily fit this day and age, "Fading Failing Ruin" nails the current global mood by taking a strong dose of inspiration from the earliest days of metal and blending it with contemporary heaviness.

A direct link goes back to 1996, when SOLACE rose from the ashes of GODSPEED, who made their name on Headbanger's Ball and Beavis & Butthead, appeared on the "Nativity in Black" tribute backing Bruce Dickinson, and toured with CATHEDRAL and BLACK SABBATH. Emerging at the dawn of the internet and the burgeoning stoner rock scene, SOLACE were driven by hardcore-infused metal, captivating vocals, and a dark doom underbelly.

The New Jersey band hit the scene with their ferocious debut "Further" in 2000. Its tracks remain as contemporary and relevant as in those early days, and an extended and re-mastered 25th anniversary edition became an unplanned but much deserved tribute to brilliant yet tortured original SOLACE vocalist Jason L., who had sadly passed away in January 2025.

SOLACE continued to build on a solid foundation of classic metal, early doom, and punk ethic into which the four-piece infused a healthy dose of hardcore fury and groovy, grinding sludge.

Three years after the worldwide success of "Further", SOLACE returned with the sophomore album "13" (2003), which highlighted the epic side of their songwriting. In the wake of this album, the band was invited twice to perform at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in 2006 and 2009.

The shoremen returned with their highly praised third album "A.D." in 2010. Despite the band's growing acclaim, SOLACE took an informal hiatus to revamp their lineup, returning even stronger with full-length number four, "The Brink", in 2019.

SOLACE have called their amalgamation of doom and heavy metal with hardcore elements dirt metal, while elsewhere it has been somewhat tongue-in-cheekily dubbed shorecore. Others file the New Jersey five-piece under stoner metal – and in truth, all these descriptions have and still fit the band to an extent.

With "Fading Failing Ruin", SOLACE erect a new milestone of US heavy metal that respects traditions from both sides of the Atlantic while churning toward a chaotic future. Time to bang those heads!

Line-up

Justin Skyler Daniels – guitar
Justin Goins – keyboard, vocals
Tim Schoenleber – drums
Mike Sica – bass
Tommy Southard – guitar

Guest musicians

Pelle Andersson (LOWRIDER) – various keyboards
Eric Rachel – additional keyboards
Duane Hutter – slide guitar

Recording by Eric Rachel at Bulletproof Music Studio, Hazlet, NJ (US) & The Pussycat Club, Milford, NJ (US)

Produced by Eric Rachel & Solace
Mix & mastering by Eric Rachel at Trax East, South River, NJ (US)
Cover art & layout by Paul Vismara

Links

www.facebook.com/solaceband
www.instagram.com/solace_nj

SOLACE "Fading Failing Ruin" European Tour Dates 2026

07 MAY 2026 Paris (FR) La Maroquinerie (Supporting Hermano)
08 MAY 2026 Utrecht (NL) Tivoli (Supporting Hermano)
09 MAY 2026 Köln (DE) Luxor (Supporting Hermano
10 MAY 2026 Dresden (DE) Chemiefabrik
11 MAY 2026 Wien (AT) Arena (Supporting Hermano)
12 MAY 2026 München (DE) Backstage (Supporting Hermano)
13 MAY 2026 Hagen (DE) Werkhof Hohenlimburg
15 MAY 2026 London (UK) Desertfest London
16 MAY 2026 Bridgewater (UK) Cobblestones
17 MAY 2026 Bristol (UK) The Gryphon
18 MAY 2026 Bournemouth (UK) Bear Cave
20 MAY 2026 Hildesheim (DE) Club VEB
21 MAY 2026 Göttingen (DE) Vinyl-Reservat
22 MAY 2026 Hamburg (DE) Stellwerk

SOLACE US Live Dates 2026

06 JUN 2026 Atlantic City, NJ (US) Anchor Rock Club
19 SEP 2026 Austin, TX (US) Ripplefest Texas
10 OCT 2026 Youngstown, OH (US) Emissions from the Monolith

Thanks to All Noir PR and Magnetic Eye Records for the detials.