KEVIN - It Is What It Is (Album Review)

Release Date: July 24th 2026. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

It is What It Is - Tracklist

1.Wood Grain 07:47

2.Point 03:02

3.Potter's Wheel 06:02

4.Murphy Is Buried 08:49

5.It Is What It Is 06:20

6.Yagura 04:08

Members

Yutaro Umemoto (guitar/vocals) 

Yuichi Umemoto (drums).

Review

Experimental Psych Kraut-Rockers KEVIN release their second album It Is What It Is and it’s quite a vivid collection of tracks that have quite a fractured and disjointed approach to them. The record isn’t the easiest thing to listen to but I was expecting this challenge as the record is being released by the equally weird and amazing record label Riot Season Records. KEVIN bring an aggressive Post-Punk and Noise Rock delivery to their music which is quite different to their 2022 debut album Aftermath since the band are now a duo instead of a dedicated power trio. 

The sound is very lo-fi and quite surreal within the excellent opening track of Wood Grain. This is the type of track I could easily be playing in the background of a David Lynch, Gus Van Sant or Steven Sodenbergh film. The song is definitely it’s own thing with warped instrumental passages that bursts into sudden scenes of intense screeching violent guitars that remind me of The Melvins and BORIS at their most experimental. The vocals can only be described as WTF but they’re brilliantly addictive that draw you into KEVIN’s dark world

The atmosphere is quite hallucinogenic with KEVIN blurring the lines between fantasy and reality with sludgy psychedelics and warped noise rock sounds that are surrounded by that delicious Krautrock delivery and intense experimental vibes. KEVIN apply that same experimental and creative logic to the rest of the album where everything once again becomes freakishly weird and demented with experimental Jazz sounds moving straight back into Krautrock territory on tracks such as: Point, Potter’s Wheel, Murphy Is Buried and Yagura. 

The album does have a sense of isolation as one of its most dominant themes which gives KEVIN a unique and perspective take within the psychedelic movement. The whole record really comes alive when KEVIN play a more straight forward style of conventional Rock and Roll whilst keeping true to their core Experimental sound which allows some areas of Garage Rock and Industrial sounds to emerge from the darkness.

This is a record that has its own dark moral code which allows the music to be quite deliriously seductive and threatening at the same time which you can ultimately feel on the standout track of Murphy Is Buried. The lo-fi production values once again add a menacing attitude which KEVIN run amok with until the dying seconds of the whole album.

It Is What It Is can be considered an offbeat and hip record which manages to be completely original and superbly different in its own right. KEVIN are another great band to discover from the Japanese Rock underground scene.  

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy It Is What It Is on CD/DD/Vinyl now via Riot Season Records

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Veilcaste - Hellward (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Wise Blood Records. Format: CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl

Hellward - Tracklist

1.Embedded 

2.Chains 

3.Altar of Ecstasy 

4.Vore

5.Anchored

6.Hellward

7.Worn in Stone

8.I am the Guillotine

Members

Chris Cruz - Drums

Dustin Mendel - Vocals

T Garrett O’Sha - Guitar

John Rau - Guitar & Vocals

Gabe Whitcomb - Bass

Additional Instrumentation

Carl Byers - Keys on Altar of Ecstasy, 12 String & Feedback on Vore

Chris Cruz - Guitar Solo on Embedded

John Rau - Keys & 12 String on Anchored, Shaker on Hellward, Classical on I am the Guillotine

Review

Doom/Sludge Metallers Veilcaste return with their new album Hellward and allows the band to be closer aligned to the likes of Mastodon, High On Fire, Neurosis, YOB, Monolord and Motorhead. These are bands that allow the band to solidify their intense style of Progressive Sludge Metal which has the great style of Psych, Doom, Ambient Metal and Stoner Metal compounds for perhaps their most aggressive and catchiest album yet. 

Hellward allows Velicaste to offer a heavier style of SONIC fuelled melodies with a sprinkling of Thrash Metal madness within the first half of the record on tracks such as Hellward, Chains and Altar Of Ecstasy. The vocals from Dustin Mendel and John Rau have a great contrast to each other especially when the chanting based vocals appear. This gives Veilcaste a slight Space Rock edge with the rest of the band instantly becoming Spaced Out Riff Wizards but with an intense gloomy delivery that’s played throughout your speakers.

The lyrics are quite aggressive and have that classic HIGH ON FIRE and MASTODON energy to them with a real grounded sense to them. The use of LOW & SLOW mechanics is another great aspect that Veilcaste have been using more and more on their last few releases. This elevates their Psych Metal aspect of their sound to a heavier level of ambient awareness as Veilcaste’s music becomes more Post-Doom and Spaced Out obsessive right up to the very end.

Hellward once again undergoes a minor creative shift with a harsh Post-Metallic within the excellent standout tracks of Altar Of Ecstasy and Vore with intricate Sludge Metal rhythms being quite direct though it’s the brutality of the lyrics that make the real impression. Veilcaste pull no punches with their lyrics as you feel you’re getting knocked out by those alone and I loved when the band ventured into Post-Rock surroundings but still maintaining their Heavy Metal composure.

The second half of the album has a frenzied Post-Metal atmosphere with a real end of the world quality as Veilcaste offer a bleaker narrative with faster grooves and violent fuzzier sonic melodies with hidden distorted guitars being demonstrated on tracks: Anchored and Hellward. 

The record does become quite fantastical but it works to Veilcaste’s advantage as they bring a real classic Science Fiction and Horror aspect to the record which makes the album really standout. The duelling vocals from Duston and John feel like they’re completely battling each other for complete control on where the album is meant to go. This is thrilling and violently loud spectacle to experience with Velicaste unexpectedly adding layers of Drone and Distortion to their sound which gives Hellward quite an unpredictable quality.

Credit must also got to the other band members of Veilcaste (Chris Cruz - Drums, T Garrett O’Sha - Guitar and Gabe Whitcomb - Bass) as they also play their part in creating an absolute masterclass of modern day Doom/Sludge Metal that has a classic Post-Metal attitude bringing massive waves of destructive grooves to annihilate everything in Veilcaste’s wake.

Hellward is perhaps the album that finally allows Veilcaste to get noticed outside the confinements of the underground Heavy Metal scene and propel them onto greater things. The guys deserve this as they have delivered with their best record to date which leaves you wholly satisfied even if you are left emotionally drained and a shivering wreck when listening to this amazing album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Third House Communications and Blood Wisdom PR for the promo.

Hellward is available to buy now on CD, Digital Download, Tape and Vinyl via Third House Communications.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp

The Spacelords - Uranus Omnibus Sanctus (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Tonzonen Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus - Tracklist

1.Uranus Omnibus Sanctus 09:56

2.Survive To Win

3.Whales

4.On The Verge Of Delirium

Members

Matthias “HAZI” Wettstein on guitar,

Marcus “MUDGE” Schnitzler on drums and

Ekhard “AKEE” Kazmaier on bass

Review

Legendary Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers The Spacelords return with their ninth album Uranus Omnibus Sanctus and it’s gloriously trippy and progressive as their previous albums. The Spacelords explore aquatic themes amongst their spaced out musical adventures with a precise technical level of prog rock running throughout the album. The organs and synths have a life of their own set against the thunderous Stoner Rock melodies which oozes vivid Seventies Rock creativity which you can hear from the very onset of the stunning opening title track.

The Spacelords add deft touches of Ambient Rock and Post-Rock into their music which gives their sound quite a spicy mix of aggression. The music flows at its own pace with sudden outbursts of sludgy melodies and classic rock structures developing with a great storytelling narrative leading the way once more. Uranus Omnibus Sanctus feels like that The Spacelords have been reborn in some both musically and creatively speaking as this is the most confident and heaviest I’ve heard from them in quite some time.

Second track Survive To Win opens with a stripped back low-key sound which is very abstract and flirts between Seventies Rock and Eighties Synth driven scores which does offer quite a cinematic based energy.The music settles down for that classic sound The Spacelords are known for with Blues Rock and Space Rock themes combining for a mammoth instrumental jamming session where the band only offer the listener a few seconds here and there to catch their breath. The song is quite jagged on the later stages with some small areas of distorted grooves transforming into a complex maze of Stoner Rock passages.

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus allows The Spacelords to include elements of Eastern Soundscapes into their music which makes the whole thing even psychedelic with a great laid back atmosphere appearing when you least expect this. The jazzy interludes allow The Spacelords to showcase their awesome  technical ability which you can’t help be amazed by.

The final two tracks Whales and On The Verge Of Delirium are some of the best music that The Spacelords have written in years with some of freshest jams, intense and heaviest psychedelic surroundings you’ll hear this year. The record brings in a gloomy Drone and Doomed Out Post-Rock direction within the opening stages on Whales which slowly builds up that eerie aquatic atmosphere before exploring the different levels of Psychedelics before exploding into different strands of Heavy Rock. 

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus is a masterclass of modern day psychedelic music and is about as close to perfection you can possibly get if you’re a die-hard follower of the Space Rock scene and The Spacelord themselves. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Creative Eclipse PR for the promo.

Uranus Omnibus Sanctus is available to buy now via Tonzonen Records on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links

Official: https://thespacelords.de
Bandcamp: https://thespacelords1.bandcamp.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TheSpacelords1
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thespacelordsgermany
Facebook: https://facebook.com/the.spacelords

DRUIDESS announces UK tour with Morag Tong

Following their performances on the Sunday of this year's Masters of the Riff festival, two of the UK Doom Underground's standouts are going on tour together this October.

Morag Tong have been staples of the heavy music scene for a decade now, with their latest album released through Majestic Mountain Records. Drawing on a wealth of influences across the psych, sludge and doom landscapes with lyrical themes of existential wonder and the natural world.

Support for this run comes from fast-rising Newcastle Proto-metal quartet DRUIDESS, whose debut album 'Trip Meadow' has garnered strong reviews from the likes of Metal Hammer and Classic Rock.

Morag Tong + DRUIDESS

September 2026

30th LONDON – Black Heart

October 2026

1st BRIGHTON – Prine Albert
2nd BIRMINGHAM – Scruffy Murphys
3rd BRISTOL – Moor Beer
8th NEWCASTLE – Lubber Fiend
9th DUNDEE – Hidden
10th GLASGOW – La Chunky Studio

Tickets to all shows are on sale now.

DRUIDESS released their critically acclaimed fuzz-drenched debut album, Trip Meadow, arriving on June 26th 2026

Forged in Newcastle upon Tyne, home of Venom, Shearer and Greggs, Trip Meadow is an unashamed and self-proclaimed Iommi-worship with nods to the psychedelic-drenched Organ of The Doors and brief forays of Cocktail-Lounge Sax. Recorded by producer Chris Taylor at NoiseBoy Studio, the album captures the band’s live energy that has seen them make waves in the UK doom underground with appearances at Masters of the Riff, Byker Grave Festival, Tonehenge and Cosmic Vibration Festival.

Get it HERE: www.druidess.co.uk

Watch “The Forest Witch’s Daughter” Official Music Video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKl4ZAxmSM8

And “Knightingales” Official Music Video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgeZ7jro1ho

Photo credit: Idene Roozbayani

Find Druidess at

www.druidess.co.uk
www.druidessuk.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/druidessuk
www.facebook.com/druidessuk

Thanks to Palmer Turner Overdrive for the details.

Moon Destroys - OMNI (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings. Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

OMNI - Tracklist

1.Invasion

2.Flowers 

3.My Eyes 

4.Motion Sickness

5.Kingdom

6.After

7.Sowing Stars

8.Missing Wish 

9.Nocturne

10.Lost Hearts

11.She Cried

Members

Juan Montoya - Guitar

Evan Diprima - Drums/Bass/Synth

Zachary Amster - Vocals/Guitar

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metallers Moon Destroys make a welcome return with their powerful new album OMNI which also sees a change behind the scenes with their last vocalist Charlie Suárez being replaced with Zachary Amster from the mighty ABRAMS. OMNI does see a small dramatic shift for Moon Destroys as they explore a more emotional journey with their music which reflects how the music is played throughout and the excellent lyrics that can be quite hard-hitting at times.

You can feel all the members' experiences of performing with the likes of TORCHE, FLOOR, Royal Thunder and Abrams being used to great effect on this record whilst creating their own great distinctive style of music. The band explore areas of Psych, Doom, Sludge, Shoegaze, Alt-Rock, Post-Rock and Stoner Metal with an equally satisfying “DOOM-POP” melodic sound that has a thrilling cinematic energy to it all.

The best part of the record for me is the multi-layered synths played by Evan Diprima and Zachary Amaster which allows Juan Montoya to create some of his best sludgy grooves in years whilst demonstrating why he’s one of the seminal musicians to emerge from the legendary Florida underground Heavy Rock/Heavy Metal scene.

There is a similar tone and shift that was developed for their celebrated debut album She Walks By Moonlight but Moon Destroys add a frenzied Sludge Rock sound that soon disappears into the Alt Rock landscape with a similar strategy that’s been used on the last few Abrams records. The whole Psychedelic energy can be quite dark and gloomy when you least expect this with Moon Destroys shifting from that Doom-Pop vibe to an aggressive metallic appearance which appears through the majority of the tracks.

From the very opening track of invasion that instantly pulls you into a sweet natured distorted environment with highly atmospheric sounds, upbeat melodies and stirring vocals which Moon Destroys keep that massive amplified wall of sound going to the very end. The songs go under small changes of transformation with the lyrics adding deeper levels of personal meaning and growth for the band which they use to their own great advantage. 

The hooks, melodies and swirling ambient grooves become quite daring on tracks such as: Flowers, My Eyes, Kingdom, Sowing Stars, Lost Hearts and the standout track of She Cried. These songs are where Moon Destroys impress the most by combining intelligent lyrics with real grounded appeal whilst playing music that allows each member to impress with their own sublime technical ability. 

OMNI offers quite a darker and fascinating narrative compared to She Walks By Midnight with Moon Destroys perhaps more confident with themselves and developing areas of music that could move them closer to become “breakout” stars of the underground scene. As I stated before, the main standout here for me is the synths which drift you into a different world but with the rest of Moon Destroy developing and playing riffs that keeps everything grounded especially within the haunting final track She Cries. 

OMNI is a beautifully realised record that’s brilliantly produced Moon Destroys definitely showing their “true” potential and showcasing their own great style of Heavy Psych and Doomed Out music for the underground masses to fall in love with.

Amazing. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

OMIN is now available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Blues Funeral Recordings.

MOON DESTROYS links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Fallen Letters - A Familiar Absence (Single Review)

Release Date: July 09th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Released. Format: DD

A Familiar Absence - Tracklist

A Familiar Absence

Members

Vocals / Guitars / Synths – Vishal Naidu

Guitars – Aditya Ramesh

Bass – Abhay

Drums – Mukund

Review

Progressive Metallers Fallen Letters blend Prog, Psych, Post-Metal and Alt-Metal into a myriad of different styles that calls upon the likes of OPETH, KATATONIA and Deftones. The band originate from Bangalore, India but on their latest track A Familiar Absence you would think they’re from the Scandinavian or American Metal scenes. As they have quite a highly polished and superbly realized sound that marries the Extreme Metal and Underground Metal worlds superbly well.

The vocals move between Death Growls and Doom Metal surroundings with a violent undercurrent of Thrash and Death Metal appearing the background. The subtle switch to different areas of rock and metal serves Fallen Letters amazingly well. Their 2025 album Mindfractures has a different sound to this track which perhaps allows the band to be quite grounded and progressive with their music. Their sound is quite abstract with small waves of Prog Rock, Psych Rock and modern day Doom transforming into fast-paced and intense instrumental melodies. 

The majority of music that I’ve experienced from the Indian Heavy Metal underground scene has been limited down to a great mix of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal bands but I was mighty impressed from what I’ve heard from Fallen Letters with their recent album and their latest track A Fallen Absence. It may take a few listens to fully get accustomed to Fallen Letters' way of delivering pounding grooves but it’s a journey worth taking time and time again. 

A Familiar Absence is a great track for the band to introduce themselves with that ultimately leaves you wanting to hear more.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Mississippi Bones - Maladroit Blues For The Colorblind (Album Review)

Release Date: September 08th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Maladroit Blues for the Colorblind - Tracklist

1.Elvis Stressly: The King Of Rock And Woe

2.If Failure Is A Learning Experience, I Should Be A Genius 03:50

3.The Owls Asked Me, “Who?”

4.Hornswaggled By Consumer Culture, Again

5.Void, Holy Night

6.A Penny For My Thoughts, And Other Common Investment Blunders

7.Thoughts On The Finer Points Of Lesser Things

8.The Feral Philosophers

9.Is That A Wunderkammer In Your Foyer, Or Are You Just Haughty To See Me?

10.Expect Disappointment And I’ll Never Let You Down

11.This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Members

Jared Collins

Dusty Donley

Review

Blues/Doom/Stoner Rockers Mississippi Bones return with their eighth album Maladroit Blues For The Colorbllind and it sees the band return to their creative roots whilst forging an exciting chapter for themselves at the same time. The record has a stripped back attitude with Mississippi Bones going back to basics with how the music has been produced, recorded and ultimately delivered here on the final product. 

The end result is a high voltage and hard rocking affair where the guys play a great style of Delta Blues, Grunge, Southern Rock, Psych, Doom and Stoner Rock passion which has a deceptive Americana quality way of life appearing within the lyrics. This is Mississippi Bones at their most daring and brutally honest than we’ve ever heard them. However, they’re also brilliantly funny with some laugh out lyrics appearing to lighten the mood. Look at the song titles which has always been one of the great things the band have shown over the extent of their impressive career.

The songs have a great organic sound and energy to them with a murky Grunge vibe being quite deceiving where the music suddenly changes from full on Heavy Rock to Semi Acoustic instrumental passages. Sometimes this feels like Mississippi Bones have been listening to the records they grew up with and this is perhaps why you can hear influences such as Johnny Cash, Alice In Chains Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, KISS, Clutch, Cactus and Led Zepp but I could be overthinking things there. 

You’ll be surprised at how freaky, fuzzy, psychedelic and distorted that Maladroit Blues For The Colorblind can actually be as Mississippi Bones play different styles of Heavy Rock/Metal and Delta Blues for different songs contained on the album. Though, each played with the same level of great talent throughout. Sure, it can be way over the top but that doesn’t stop Mississippi Bones allowing the listener to have such a damn good time where they play some Classic Hard Rock and Heavy Metal sounds that will have you headbanging in time at all.

I wanted to do a song-by-song review for this album but there’s a lot to cover with this record and I would have been here for days on end. If you want a record that goes through multiple and different genres of the Heavy Rock spectrum whilst keeping that core “Blues Rock” sound that can be even full on Doom Rock then transforming into a sullen Country Rock number then Maladroit Blues For The Colorblind is the album for you.

The lyrics are constantly engaging which shows the band’s emotional thoughts and playful humour with that masterful storytelling element that’s only become one of the best things to fully emerge from Mississippi Bones over the last few albums of late. 

Here are my favourite tracks from the album: Elvis Stressly: The King Of Rock And Woe, ‘If Failure Is A Learning Experience, I Should Be A Genius’, ‘Hornswaggled By Consumer Culture, Again’, ‘Void, Holy Night’, The Feral Philosophers and Expect Disappointment And I’ll Never Let You Down.

Yeah, the song titles can be a mouthful at times but each one tells you the type of track what to expect but it’s the epic creativity that’s hidden behind the song titles that make the journey so highly unexpected. The musical playing is first rate with Mississippi Bones playing instrumental passages with a real “whirlwind” / “tornado” quality. It’s quite hard to explain but you’ll fully understand when you listen to the whole album.

Maladroit Blues For The Colorblind is a superbly entertaining record that you can listen to all day long and still find something new you missed the first time round.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Maldaroit Blues For The Colorblind is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram