Destroy My Brains - Wilt (Album Review)

Release Date: August 14th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Wilt - Tracklist

1.OCI (obsessive compulsive imploder) 

2.Burn the Virgin

3.Decontribute 

4.Avulsion

5.Downgrade 

6.Spill

7.Wilt

 

Members

Jarret - Guitar, Vocals

Jadan - Drums, Samples

Chase - Guitar

Rob - Bass

Review

Wilt is the final chapter of music from Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers Destroy My Brains that started the journey way back in 2018 with their astonishing record Worthless. The band followed this release with the following albums InsignifiCan't, Lifeless and Tormented. When you join the first initial of those albums it spells WILT. So, this is the end of the journey of a five planned saga for Destroy My Brains where they punish the listener with brutal Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal sounds inspired by the likes of DOWN, CROWBAR, GRIEF and ACID BATH with some intense sonic interplay being added throughout.

The record does touch upon some hard-hitting and emotionally charged themes just like the previous albums and as before Destroy My Brains offer no easy answers but just their own personal experiences which you can feel every intense sudden thrash and sludge beat knocking you out senseless. Though, the record is sometimes brilliantly melodic despite the dark creative energy being played throughout this album. The vocals from Jarret once again portray a tortured soul coming to terms with their own existence but also learning from their own mistakes. 

Destroy My Brains records have always been quite forward thinking in how they deliver their music though told through bleak and nihilistic tales which actually show there's light at the end of the tunnel no matter how badly things actually become. The progressive sounds have a realistic approach to them especially with the thumping rhythm section (Jadon on Drums/Samples and Rob on Bass) that moves between areas of Thrash Metal and Extreme Metal that allows Jarret and Chase on Guitars to solidify the modern Doom/Sludge Metal sound to continue to be played naturally.

The great use of different samples, vocals and psychedelic beats from Jadon adds a horrifying true life vibe along the way which makes the record even more daring and wholly uncomfortable. However, Destroy My Brains play a non-stop amount of outstanding riffs and instrumental passages you’ll instantly rock the fuck out to.

The majority of the songs held on WILT are simply epic in their own right that all offer different musical perspectives of real human emotion with small amounts of uplifting Psych Doomed Out melodies appearing along this violent journey. 

If I have to pick out standout tracks from the album then I would choose: Burn The Virgin, Decontribute, Downgrade and WILT as I can hear other daring musical influences such as NEUROSIS, Mastodon and YOB but with a more depressing outlook on the world. It’s the music that continues to impress with the band exploring a bolder style of Prog Metal and Stoner Metal that reminds me of the mighty ANCIIENTS. They may have different styles but they both have the same creative outlook by blending extreme metal sounds with a modern day Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal aesthetic. 

WILT is the perfect end to a massive and sprawling five part album saga which may allow Destroy My Brains to try different musical avenues in the future. You gotta say the guys ultimately deserve that. As they’ve spent a long time bleeding their emotions dry for their “ART” and providing their dedicated fan base with records of amazing quality which will leave you broken down, beaten, physically and mentally exhausted. 

However, you’ll be glad you’ve listened, survived and experienced a brutal audio experience such as this. As Destroy My Brains have solidified their status as one of the best bands to emerge from the Canadian Heavy Metal underground scene of recent years. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Asher Media for the details.

WILT is available to buy now on CD/Digital Download.

Links

LinkTree | BandCamp

Hostile Tides - Dead Man Talking (EP Review)

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

Dead Man Talking - Tracklist

1.Sands 02:34

2.Rumour 03:06

3.Adrift 03:08

4.Pyramids 03:51

5.Peaks 05:06

 

Members

Marf - Guitars

Mafro - Guitars

Luke - Bass

Matt - Drums

Review

Dead Man Talking is the debut EP from Post-Rock/Stoner Rock instrumentalists Hostile Tides where the band are influenced by the likes of QOTSA, Long Distance Calling and Russian Circles which gives this band a whole lot of different attitude throughout their debut EP. The music is action packed and superbly played throughout with Hostile Tides developing a classic bouncy Stoner Rock sound that’s levelled out by a solid Progressive Post-Rock theme.

There’s even shades of KYUSS developing within the heavier and fast-paced surroundings of the superb opening track of Sands. This is a very short little number but it moves along at a great speed with the band laying down their creative building blocks very early on with the music having the right amount of Post-Rock aggression with even subtle moments of jazzy movements.

Second song Rumour feels like a stripped back Post-Rock track with little shades of Desert/Stoner Rock melodies bursting from the seams. There’s some Punk-ish sounds that develop within the later stages of the track and off-beat chants appearing along the way. This is quite an experimental song in many ways but it contains an intriguing way of playing a solid Instrumental sound that moves quietly and confidently throughout the Stoner Rock and Post-Rock passages that appear here.

Third track Adrift allows Hostile Tides to drift further into the Alt-Rock persona with dreamy passages of intricate Psychedelic Rock emerging with the song having a sludgy bassline courtesy of Luke’s great bass playing. The ambient delivery is razor sharp without being heavy but the band once again wander into different shades of Heavy Stoner Rock with that heavy jazzy sound appearing once more. The song is perhaps the most daring that’s contained on the EP.

The final two tracks of Pyramids and Peaks offer the most experimental and progressive moments on the record with Hostile Tides showcasing a great way of playing through the “QUIET vs HEAVY” and “SLOW vs FAST” dynamics of their music. The song is actually quite fun despite the gloomy Post-Rock pretence that holds things together.

Peaks is the longest track which allows Hostile Tides to let out all their freaky aggression for the standout track on the EP which taps right into the QOTSA influence right from the very start where you can feel a soundtrack quality emerging from the catacombs which I would like to hear more of in future releases from the band.

Dead Man Talking is a great introduction from Hostile Tides to introduce themselves to the underground heavy rock scene with. There’s some great sonic creativity at play here and the stripped back production values are handled expertly well with some heavy outbursts of Stoner Rock/Metal developing when you least expect it.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

POLYMOON push psychedelic post-gaze to new horizons with Mariposa Magic!

Photo credit: Paulie Moore

Finnish psychedelic rock visionaries Polymoon return with Mariposa Magic!, their third album and most immersive work to date. Set for release on 4th September via Vesperian, the album starts an exciting new chapter for the band, accompanied by the release of a powerful new single.

'Glass House, Mortal Rooms' is the second glimpse of Mariposa Magic! and a true showcase of Polymoon pushing their creative boundaries. Spanning more than seven minutes, the track surges through waves of intensity, radiant textures and constantly shifting movements, balancing fearless experimentation with overwhelming melodic pull. Expansive yet emotionally direct, it demonstrates just how far the band can push their sound without sacrificing the accessibility at its heart. Accompanying the single is a striking new video created in collaboration with acclaimed filmaker Ilona Lehtonen.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/GVN4dFbOqPA

Pre-order Mariposa Magic! here: https://linktr.ee/vesperian

The Finnish quartet inhabit a realm they’ve helped define: psychedelic post-gaze that shimmers, swells and dissolves at the edges. It may sound like an impossible genre to define until the first notes of Mariposa Magic! make everything click into place. Expanding on the foundations laid by Caterpillars of Creation (2020) and Chrysalis (2023), the new album ventures deeper into uncharted territory, where luminous guitar work, fluid rhythms and slowly unfurling melodies merge into vast, iridescent soundscapes. It's music that rewards surrender as much as attention, drawing listeners deeper with every return.

Produced by Juho Vanhanen, best known as the frontman of Oranssi Pazuzu, Mariposa Magic! was recorded and mixed by Valtteri Väänänen at Lammaskallion Audio before being mastered by Jaakko Viitalähde. To preserve the richness and dynamic range of the performances, the record was cut directly to lacquer and sent straight to the pressing plant, ensuring the vinyl master retains the warmth and depth of the original recordings.

The album's striking cover photography comes courtesy of Elizaveta Porodina, the Munich-based visual artist celebrated for her dreamlike, painterly aesthetic. Her work has featured in campaigns for Dior, Louis Vuitton and Chanel, while her portraits of Zendaya, Brad Pitt and Bella Hadid have appeared in multiple international editions of Vogue.

POLYMOON - Glass House, Mortal Rooms

On Mariposa Magic!, songs dissolve into shifting states of consciousness. Melodies emerge from swirling textures, rhythms pulse like living organisms and each composition seems to transform in real time, pulling the listener through an ever-changing landscape where atmosphere and emotion become inseparable. Every passage feels alive, as though the music is quietly evolving beneath your feet.

Beneath its dreamlike exterior lies extraordinary craftsmanship. Every transition, every swell and every fleeting detail has been meticulously shaped, yet nothing ever feels constrained. Instead, the album moves with effortless momentum, balancing technical precision with an intoxicating sense of curiosity, freedom and wonder. It drifts, blooms and erupts in equal measure, dissolving the boundaries between structure and spontaneity.

Mariposa Magic! is more than an album, it's a place to inhabit. Psychedelic, cinematic and endlessly absorbing, it reveals fresh colours, hidden textures and unexpected emotional depths with every listen, lingering long after the final note fades like the memory of an extraordinary dream.

Watch previous single 'I End, You Begin' here. 

Polymoon are:

Kalle-Erik Kosonen - Vocals
Jesse Jaksola - Guitar, synthesizers
Otto Kontio - Guitar
Marco Menestrina - Bass
Tuomas Heikura – Drums

Polymoon online:

Website: https://polymoonofficial.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2lQxgCe12tX0YDtoKzFpz5
Bandcamp: https://polymoon.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polymooooon/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/polymooooon
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@polymooooon
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@polymoonofficial

Vesperian online:

www.vesperian.world
www.instagram.com/vesperian.world/

Thanks to Hold Tight PR for all of the details.

UK Heavy Rock Pillars STEAK to release new self-titled album on Ripple Music and Stickman Records this October 9th; new singles available now!

UK progressive stoner rock spearhead STEAK have announced the release of their fourth studio full-length "Steak" this October 9th, in collaboration with Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe & UK). Stream the first two singles "Cometh" and "Luxury Junk" now!

London-based heavy rock heroes STEAK have recently released their new single Luxury Junk, the latest track from their forthcoming self-titled studio album, due this fall through Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe/UK).

Following the badass, comic-inspired first single Cometh (designed by Schoph and animated by director Samuel Smith), "Luxury Junk" offers another glimpse into the band's next chapter, expanding on STEAK's unmistakable blend of crushing riffs, desert rock grooves and immersive sonic weight. Equal parts hypnotic and hard-hitting, the track explores themes of escapism, excess and emotional detachment, wrapped in a hazy atmosphere that balances raw heaviness with an almost otherworldly sense of longing.

One track after another, the UK quintet continues to showcase the depth and diversity of their upcoming album, further building anticipation for what promises to be one of the band's most ambitious and powerful releases to date.

 
New album "Steak" - Out October 9th on Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe/UK) - Preorder coming soon

Hailing from London, STEAK have established themselves as a key force within the global desert rock and stoner scene. Known for their relentless riffs, hypnotic grooves, and high-energy live performances, the band has built a strong following across Europe and beyond.

Blending elements of classic heavy rock with modern fuzz-drenched intensity, STEAK continue to push their sound into darker and heavier territories while staying rooted in the spirit of the desert rock movement. Self-described as a “shit kickin’ band”, their ethos reflects the raw, no-frills energy that defines both their recordings and their explosive live shows. Earlier this summer, the band joined Nashville heavy rock giants All Them Witches as special guests on selected tour dates, further cementing their reputation as a must-see act within the heavy underground scene.

Steak links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Stickman Records links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the detials.

Stoned Jesus Announce New Album 'Songs to Moon' And Release New Song/Video For VELVET

After 15 years of trailblazing across doom metal, grunge, psychedelic and art rock, no height is too steep a climb for Stoned Jesus. The heavy progressive rockers are reaching a new creative peak with their forthcoming album trilogy. Its opening chapter, Songs to Sun, rose atop best of 2025 lists at Doom Charts, Rock Hard, The Obelisk and other critical institutions. 

Now, frontman Igor Sydorenko and his two bandmates are cycling into the darkest, most daring and deeply moving territory of their career with Songs To Moon.

 "We started The Songs trilogy last year with Songs to Sun, which is a loud and heavy album that's big on choruses and meaty riffs" Sydorenko says. 

"While still heavy and catchy, Songs to Moon follows a similar trajectory to Led Zeppelin III, Opeth's Damnation or Jar of Flies by Alice In Chains. The songs are recognizably Stoned Jesus, but they are bolder, more haunting and introspective than anything we've done before". 

Today, Stoned Jesus are announcing Songs to Moon with a '90s-style music video for the album's lead single. While floating endlessly amidst uncertainty, the doomgaze of "Velvet" hits hard with one of the band's biggest hooks. 

"This song answers the question: What if Nirvana was shoegaze?", Sydorenko teases. 

Watch the music video for "Velvet" below:

Recording Lineup:

Igor Sydorenko — Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Andrew Rodin — Bass, Backing Vocals
Yurii Ciel — Drums, Backing Vocals

Guest Musicians:

Renie Fiske (Dungen) - Guitar Solo on "Syzgy"

Live Lineup:

Igor Sydorenko — Vocals, Guitar
Andrew Rodin — Bass, Backing Vocals
Ihor Biriuchenko — Drums, Percussion

Production Credits:

Producer — Igor Sydorenko
Sound Engineer — Andy Rosczyk
Mixing and Mastering Engineer — Karl Daniel Lidén
Recording Studio — Goblin Sound Studio in Cologne, Germany
Mixing and Mastering Studio — StudioTri-Lamb, Sweden

Cover Art:

Vadym "Karaska" Karasiov

Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/stonedjesussongstomoon

Available Formats:

CD Digipak
12” Vinyl Jacket (Black)
12” Vinyl Jacket (Turquoise vinyl)
12” Vinyl Jacket (Blood moon marbled)
12” Vinyl Jacket (Natural transparent, green and purple marbled)

Follow Stoned Jesus:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/stonedjesusband
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/stoned-jesus/396799004
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/23lyMLxYNPS15hpVvFNptR
Instagram: instagram.com/stonedjesusband
Facebook: http://facebook.com/stonedjesusband
Twitter: twitter.com/stonedjesusband
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stonedjesusband
YouTube: youtube.com/c/StonedJesus
Bandcamp: stonedjesus.bandcamp.com

Thanks to Season Of Mist for the details. 

Faerie Ring - Faerie Ring (Album Review)

Release Date: August 21st 2026. Record Label: King Volume Records. Formats: CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl

Faerie Ring - Tracklist

1.NEW GODS

2.FATTEST WITCH

3.BIGGIEST HIT

4.LOST BOY

5.FLAIL

6.DRAGGIN

7.HOWLING AT THE MISTY MOON

8.GARGOYLE

9.NO SURRENDER

10.CHAMPION

Members

James Wallwork - Electric Guitar/Vocals

Kyle Hulgus - Electric Guitar

Alex Wallwork - Electric Bass Guitar/Vocals

Matt McGuyer - Drums & Cymbals

Review

Faerie Ring made quite a name for themselves with their first two records which showed the band had a mighty promise for all things Doom, Sludge and Stoner Rock that was lovingly wrapped in a cocoon of distorted slice of psychedelic heaviness. However, it feels the band have gone back to basics for their third album and went straight back to the drawing board. For a start, this is a self-titled album which opens a new chapter for the band. They’ve stripped their music down to the bare essentials and you’re left with a quintessential vintage sounding record that’s main creative strengths lies within its great use of modern day technicolour melodies and cinematic flair.

The album sees Faerie Ring use elements of Seventies Hard Rock, Proto-Doom and Heavy Metal whilst adding a backdrop of modern day Prog Metal, Sludge Rock, Stoner Rock and Fuzz Rock grooves. There’s a wicked style of Garage Rock ferocity that’s used for the creepy level of distortion that’s hidden in the background and pulling all the strings for when the heavy sounds fully appear.

Taking cues from the likes of The Sword, Mastodon, Thin Lizzy, The Obsessed, King Buffalo and ELDER whilst creating an album solely in your own image is no small feat but Faerie Ring pulls this off magnificently. The band opens up with the stunning opening tracks of New Gods and Fattest Witch which allows them to lay down their new found creative credentials with a massive melting pot of WEEDIAN SMOKE buried amongst those vintage burning amps and distorted sludge metal surroundings. 

They add a great fantastical style of storytelling into their lyrics which is epic in scale with massive amounts of OVER THE TOP themes just allowing the listener to fully go along with the whole record. Faerie Ring slowly start changing their music through every track with a stubborn musical energy being played that makes them simply unbeatable on the day on tracks such as Biggest Hit, Flail, Draggin, Howling At The Misty Moon, Champion and No Surrender.

Faerie Ring aligned themselves more to the burgeoning modern day Psych Stoner Rock scene championed by the likes of ELDER, King Buffalo and Howling Giant on the later stages of the record. However, I also noticed instances of TORCHE based Doom Pop atmospherics which isn’t surprising with Jonathan Nunez on mastering duties on this record which I only discovered until very recently. 

This is the type of album that I wanted The Sword to continue making to this day instead of some of the more mainstream efforts they actually released. This record is going to be a game changer as it’s heartfelt when it matters and DOOM AS HELL when that heavy slab of DOOMED OUT aggression is needed. 

As I stated previously in this review, this record has a core Seventies Heavy Rock aesthetic embedded within its whole DNA and the way how the music is played and wholly delivered, this record feels like it was recorded over fifty years ago but finally being discovered in the modern age for the very first time. The album has that huge vintage feeling but with a superb modern based delivery at the same time.

Faerie Ring’s self-titled album is an absolute breathtaking record from beginning to end and one that’s packed full of classic sounding tracks throughout. This could actually be a game changer for the band and even elevate them to the same status as King Buffalo and Howling Giant in the next eighteen months or so. 

This is another ALBUM OF THE YEAR contender. Add this record to your collection now. END OF!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Pat at Poetica Marketing for the promo.

Faerie Ring is available to buy now on CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Mean Green - Castle (Album Review)

Release Date: August 14th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Castle - Tracklist

1. Castle (3:45)

2. Sludge Puppy (4:33)

3. Employee Of The Month (6:23)

4. Wild Bill (4:30)

5. Slack Jaw (5:26)

6. Cyclone (5:01)

7. Wasteland (5:16)

Members

Jake Helms - Guitar, Vocals

Alex Wierback - Bass

James Matthews - Drums

Review

Castle is the sophomore album of WEEDIAN Metallers Mean Green and sees the band expand their heavy filthy hallucinogenic sound even further compared to their acclaimed 2023 self-titled debut album. Mean Green have always leaned more heavily into the Sludge Metal camp with sludgy passages influenced by the likes of HIGH ON FIRE, WEEDEATER and BONGZILLA. 

The added layers of Doomed Out FUZZ allows a slight Electric Wizard and Church Of Misery vibe to slowly creep in. Mean Green allows some trippy SONIC experimentation flow through their music with shades of Classic Rock Legends such as Cactus, Blue Cheer and Saint Vitus spliced throughout this vicious sounding record. The LOW & SLOW grooves have a calculated and methodical delivery to them which sees some of the heaviest AMPLIFIED surrounding melodies developing on the album thanks to tracks such as Castle, Sludge Puppy, Employee Of The Month and Cyclone.

Mean Green have really improved their technical ability in handling their Psychedelic and Space Rock creative themes as this record is more definitely more drugged out with trippier sonic passages emerging from the down tuned catacombs that the band expertly construct. With a thrilling progressive sound allowing Mean Green to move into the Southern Metal arena with epic outbursts of NOLA aggression changing the album into a faster style of delivery which is where the real magic happens. 

The vocals from Jake Helms haven’t changed much from the band’s acclaimed debut album but they have grown up with a violent delivery that oozes confidence from start to finish. Jake feels more comfortable here and he fully owns the demented front-man role he plays with absolute demented relish here. Add his intense guitar performance which allows Alex Wierback on Bass and James Matthews on Drums to fully commit to their violent rhythm section for some of the meanest, thickest and violent sounds that they brilliantly deliver.

Castle becomes a more violent Sludge Metal based journey with continuous levels of filth keeping everything brutally real with some of the thickest sonic passages you ever want to lose yourself in. The lyrics show a real violent flair which are quite close to the likes of WEEDZILLA and CHURCH OF MISERY but it fully sells the twisted vision of Castle that even allows Mean Green to indulge some mighty fine Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal musical solos along the way that would make MASTODON green with envy!!!

Mean Green have expertly avoided the dreaded sophomore / second album curse with Castle. As this record alone feels like a statement of intent from the band that they mean business and they’re going to be around for a very long time to come. With a non-stop supply of WEEDIAN grooves to drown your hearing with, Mean Green have come of age with this outstanding record. Accept no substitute, these guys are the real fucking deal.  

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Castle is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl.

Links

Facebook | Instagram | BandCamp