ACID THRONE - The Demo (EP Review)

Date Released: April 16th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: Cassette/DD

The Demo: Tracklisting

1.Confess Your Sins 06:55

2.Forgotten Realms 06:16

3.Altars 05:32

Review

I missed this EP from UK Doom/Stoner Rockers ACID THRONE when it was released back in April 2022. The band have just taken the Introduce Yourselves feature challenge which you can read here and I was intrigued to check out their recent release and I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard with The Demo.

This is a nineteen minute ride into the darker and fuzzier side of Doom/Stoner Metal. The EP isn’t the best produced but for a debut release it’s quite decent with the band playing a straightforward style of modern day Doom/Stoner Metal with more aggressive vocals. I can hear influences from Black Sabbath, Faith No More and bands from the NOLA scene. There’s some twinges of Groove Metal which you can hear in the superb opening song Confess Your Sins. 

The song merges fast-paced WEEDIAN grooves with a sublime Psychedelic Rock afterthought towards the later stages of the song. An excellent quieter Ambient and Sonic journey that drifts between Post-Doom and Psych Stoner vibes.

ACID THRONE continues this way of creative thinking on the remaining two tracks on the EP with Forgotten Realms being the standout track here. Though, Altars isn’t too far behind either. 

I wish I had checked out this band when it came out originally but better late than never. If you’re looking for a great band from the UK Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene that has a lot of VICIOUS BITE and PSYCHEDELIC ENERGY then ACID THRONE is the band for you. 

The band are currently working on their full length album hopefully to be released next year and I’m for one excited to hear what ACID THRONE has in store for us.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | BigCartel

Introduce Yourselves: ACID THRONE

What is the name of your band?

We are Acid Throne.

What is the genre of music that you play?

A lot of people have difficulty pin-pointing our sound - somewhere between stoner, doom & metal - but I guess the main reason for that is that none of us come from a traditional heavy metal background. All four of us spent many years playing in punk rock & hardcore bands, & those are two genres that have orbited the wider heavy metal scene for decades. We all grew up in small towns with small music scenes, so it was normal to go to shows where you'd see a punk band supporting a black metal band, & the exposure to such a broad range of guitar music at an early age definitely rubbed off on our song-writing influences. It's fair to say that we take inspiration from the whole spectrum of rock & metal.

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

We actually started out as a hardcore punk band in the year or so before the pandemic happened. We struggled for a long time to find a lineup & a sound we liked, & eventually decided to change direction entirely. Our vocalist/guitarist had a few riffs in his back pocket so we hit the rehearsal room with them & never looked back!

What can people expect from your music?

Our music sounds like monster trucks colliding, with Charles Manson & Anton Lavey at the wheel. Expect to have your ear drums pummelled by loud, heavy, occult-themed doom. If you like to bang your head, you’ll dig our shit.

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

We have a three-track demo that's available on all good streaming platforms right now, but we're busy writing our first full-length with a view to putting that out in the middle of 2023.

Where can people find you on Social Media?

Instagram: @acidthroneband
Twitter: @acidthroneband
Facebook.com/acidthroneband

Boisterous psych-prog act GONDHAWA to deliver peppy new video today; new EP "Mäanthagorī" out now via Stolen Body Records

Boisterous psych-prog act GONDHAWA to deliver peppy new video today; new EP "Mäanthagorī" out now via Stolen Body Records

Photo Matthias Eyer.

Amazing ethnic and futuristic psych-prog trio GONDHAWA open the doors to their boundless imagination by sharing their wacky and endearing new video. The footage reveals the two tracks of their new EP "Mäanthagorī" - out today through Stolen Body Records. Embark now on a journey to the planet Gondhawa, heading to "Go ! Go! Sinay" and "Toko Mieko"!

French psych-prog three-piece GONDHAWA are an eclectic sonic tumult that ignore geographical and genre limitations. Their imagination ends where the impossible begins! Straddling the line between psychedelic and progressive rock, they write songs in their very own language: Gondhawii. Lulled by science-fiction literature, Gondhawa's luminous and high-spirited universe rubs shoulders with afrobeat, oriental rhythms and the rock'n'roll frenzy. They unveil their new EP 'Mäanthagorī' in full thanks to an off-the-wall astounding new video directed by Matthias Eyer.

GONDHAWA's new EP 'Mäanthagorī' is a successful synthesis of revisited folk music and space rock. Hypnotic loops a la Moon Duo tickle with exuberant and futuristic ethnic elements. The two-track EP was recorded and mixed by Elliot & Stew at La Cuve studio (Angers, France) and mastered by Thibault Chaumont of Deviant Lab. Artwork by Léo Zedinn. The EP is coming out today.

Artwork by Leo Zedinn

GONDHAWA were born in 2018, following the musical wanderings of their three members who met a year before. Evolving in a garage rock direction until then, the three musicians from Angers, France, decided to break out of the mould and set off on a hallucinatory journey inspired by science fiction literature. From psychedelia to oriental music, passing through afrobeat and progressive rock, Gondhawa draw inspiration from all over the World. All of this converge towards an eclectic and singular musical universe, with lyrics written in their very own language : Gondhawii.

On stage, the power trio takes on a whole new dimension by introducing traditional Chinese instruments (sanxian), Malian instruments (n'goni) or a micro-tonal guitar, always seeking to expand their sound spectrum. Their performances are peppered with improvisations, immersing the audience into unique journeys around this rich blend of influences.

Gondhawa's debut album 'Käampâla' was released on October 2021 on Bristol-based record label Stolen Body (Yo No Se, Slift, Karkara, Bad Pelican). Through the micro-tonal groove of "Raba Dishka", the afrobeat stoner power of "Käampâla", or the softness of "Djoliko" - a beautiful ballad lulled by the melancholy of acoustic strings from all around the World - Gondhawa deliver the soundtrack of an interstellar road-movie. Six tracks of electric tornado with a bunch of rhythms and textures.
Gondhawa's new EP 'Mäanthagorī' arrives on November 25th 2022 through Stolen Body Records.

LINE-UP:

Idriss Besselievre: vocals, guitar, sanxian
Paul Adamczuk: bass
Clément Pineau: drums

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | Stolen Body Records

Godless Suns - S/T (Album Review)

Date Released: November 25th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Godless Suns - S/T: Tracklisting

1.One Spark of Lilllith 07:23 2.Death of the Wise 04:22 3.Fury 06:31 4.Purgation 05:41 5.Bones 04:54 6.Godless Suns 08:29

Members

Dan Swann - Drums

Pete Humphries - Guitars

Sarah Humphries - Vocals, Bass

Review

UK Doom/Stoner Metallers Godless Suns self-titled debut album is a stirring mix of Progressive Metal, Stoner Metal, Blues Rock and Doom Metal. Full of heavy FUZZED out grooves which remind me of Black Sabbath, Pallbearer, early-era ALUNAH and High Fighter in places especially with the melodic vocals from Sarah Humphries but Godless Suns move into many other areas of Doom/Stoner Metal underground with this release.

The music has an experimental nature without being actually experimental which you can feel on the excellent opening track One Spark Of Lillith. The song has a gloomy style of Doom/Stoner Rock with it's cautiously slow Doom/Fuzz grooves with the WEEDIAN atmospherics merging into more Shoegaze territory with a Post-Rock flow to the actual song. Extended guitar jams with intricate drumming lead the way towards the end of the song.

Second song Death Of The Wise carries on the opening song's style of music but with a faster and Blues Rock approach. Soulful vocals from Sarah have genuine warmth even when set against the heavier Fuzz/Stoner Rock sounds the rest of the band play within the track. There's a jagged approach to this track with the excellent DIY production values allowing the band plenty of opportunities to impress with their style of Classic Hard Rock and Modern day Doom/Stoner grooves.

Third song Fury is the standout track for me. As the band brings a more Psychedelic and Spaced Out sound to the album which do take time to fully form and appear on the album. The song is the gloomiest and emotionally charged track on the album but there's still fun to be had with this song when the heavier riffs appear. 

The second half of the album may not be as strong as the first half but Godless Suns still impress with their excellent creative choices with the many different styles of music they use on songs such as Purgation, Bones and Godless Suns. Strands of melodic Doom and Stoner Metal are played at their own pace with other elements of Psych Rock with Sarah's fantastic vocals shining through yet again.

Even with this album having a DIY feel to it all, this is still a superbly produced album that allows Godless Suns to finish the album in highly confident fashion. There's a superb Shoegaze element to Godless Suns that allows the band to play some of the most interesting and intense sounds on the album.

Give yourself a chance with this album and you will be mightily impressed like I was.This is a sublime release that should allow Godless Suns make themselves more known within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Introduce Yourselves: Jaded Truth

What is the name of your band?

Our band is called Jaded Truth. We are from St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada and we have Kyle Woodland on guitar & vocals, Aaron Jones on bass, & Michael Small on Drums,

What is the genre of music that you play?

We play a mixture of Punk & Heavy Metal. We are very influenced by the 1990’s Grunge bands such as Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden. 

Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

We formed in 2019. We got together after all our previous bands had pretty much parted ways. We knew we were all into similar music like the 90’s alternative stuff but also heavily into punk & metal.

Since then we have recorded 3 full length albums. Our newest one is take a seat released Nov 2022

What can people expect from your music?

Our music is heavy, energetic, brooding at times, aggressive. We try to incorporate all these different styles of music into one. From alternative, to metal, to punk.

What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

Our newest album Take a Seat is probably our strongest album to date. Its has a lot of heavy songs, real mixture of metal & punk, and also a few melodic shoegaze style songs In there

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://jadedtruth.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/Jadedtruthofficial/

https://instagram.com/jadedtruthofficial

MERLOCK Announce New Album Onward Strives Colossus

MERLOCK Announce New Album Onward Strives Colossus

Exploring gloomy realms, MERLOCK produce imposing soundscapes that embrace the murky depths. Seeing multiple genres converge, MERLOCK manifest a compelling doom, psychedelic and stoner mix in the new record. Onward Strives Colossus will be released on February 24th, 2023.

"Onward Strides Colossus is a sort of “hero's journey” set in a posthuman, postdoom atmosphere. Sonically and lyrically, it explores cycles of death and rebirth, notions of hell, and of self-actualization. Seeking truth is the primary urge of the album, and that urge becomes, at times, colossal, which is where the name comes from. Heady pretension aside, the album is also very much about the three of us building this monstrosity that is Merlock. Writing albums, touring, failure & victory — all of those intense experiences that continually shape and reshape us as people. We all had to grow into new, more powerful versions of ourselves to create this album. We know the Colossus doesn’t stop here." — Taylor D. Waring

Introducing the release is "Sovereign Throne", a groove rhythm powered track with a bluesy side. Lead guitars emerge out of the shadows with bright intricate solos that interweave. An injection of energy sees the pace increase and elevates the music as the vocals soar above. "Behold the Sword of Lock" brings an aggressive onslaught seeing harsh vocals combined with noisy guitar tones to unleash a fully immersive sound. MERLOCK pull out all the stops with the album's title track. Eerie, droning fuzz and wandering vocals evoke a haunting, otherworldly air. Playing with dynamics, the tracks builds up into explosive rhythmic guitars and percussion — "Onward Strides Colossus" delivers a powerful and impressive impact.

About MERLOCK:

Described by critics as “gloomy and semi-mystical”, “shadowy and mysterious”, and “epic and ever-climbing”, MERLOCK melds stoner doom with heavy psychedelic sounds to create heavy post-doom atmospheres. Formed in 2017 in Spokane, Washington, MERLOCK has self-released 2 EPs and toured the West Coast while continuously demonstrating their willingness to evolve a songwriters and performers. Having weathered line-up changes and the ever-evolving music scene in the post-COVID world, MERLOCK continues to look for new paths forward.

MERLOCK is:

 
Taylor D. Waring - Guitar / Vox
Andrew Backes - Bass
Lucas Barrey - Drums

Album Credits:

 
Album Art - Leoncio Harmr
Album Layout - Taylor D. Waring
Engineering and Mixing - Nic Wilbur
Mastering - Adam Tucker

Track Listing: 

1. Sovereign Throne 

2. Sunnbarren

3. Behold! The Sword of Lock

4. Where No One Goes

5. Somniloquy

6. Onward Strides Colossus

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merlocklives

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merlocklives/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/merlocklives

Bandcamp: https://merlock.bandcamp.com/

Website: https://www.merlocklives.com/

Eye Of Doom - The Sapient (Album Review)

Date Released: November 11th 2022. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

The Sapient: Tracklisting

1.224.7 01:55

2.Eye of Doom Part I 10:57

3.Dead Void 05:29

4.Return to Descension 06:36

5.The Sapient 09:33

6.Eye of Doom Part II 12:44

Members

Adam Mattsson - Guitar

Alex Kadhim - Bass

Derrick Staines - Drums

Review

The Sapient is the debut full length album from Canadian/Swedish Heavy Doom/Spaced Out Stoners Eye Of Doom. Taking cues from bands from the Swedish Doom/Stoner Metal scene and perhaps some cues from Monolord, YOB and Slomatics along the way. Eye Of Doom brings elements of the occult, classic heavy metal sounds within a warped style of Modern Doom/Stoner Metal with a huge reliance on AMPLIFIER RIFF WORSHIP and FUZZ ROCK.

The music is LOUD, SEEDY and elements of Distorted Fuzz along the way. Echoes of Progressive Doom are heard within the early stages of the album through songs such as Eye Of Doom Part 1 and Dead Void. The instrumental work has echoes of Black Sabbath and early Black Sabbath with the vocals not what I initially expected but still doing a damn fine job in amplifying the Occult Rock atmosphere. The music is quite melodic despite the heavy seediness of it all. 

Throw in 70’s and 80’s Classic Hard Rock and Heavy Metal guitars that merge into extended jams with the delicious down-tuned aggressive Fuzz Rock grooves then Eye Of Doom are doing something exciting to the normal Doom/Stoner Metal template. The Psychedelic and Space Rock parts of the album keep things current and super-fresh.

The whole album has a vibrant DIY approach with rich production values with perhaps Monolord’s Esben Willems having a major hand with on Mixing and Mastering duties at his famed Berserker Audio studio. 

The Sapient becomes even gloomier and heavier on the later stages on the album especially on tracks such as Return To Descension, The Sapient and the outstanding final track Eye Of Doom Part 2. The music perhaps drowns out the excellent vocals on this part of the album but that’s perhaps the desired effect with the HEAVY GROOVES being a statement of intent from Eye Of Doom rather to show their sublime creative and musical skills which is shown throughout the album.

With the power of famed underground label Majestic Mountain Records behind Eye Of Doom for releasing this album though the vinyl is now sold out. Wonder if a vinyl repress will be announced in the future. Let's hope so. 

The Sapient is a deeply engaging and brilliantly FUZZ-TASTIC release that will appeal to the wider majority of the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene. With that added first class Spaced Out and Psychedelic Rock sound, The Sapient is an album that really does deliver on all fronts.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp