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

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Red Sun - Songs From Hidden Places (Album Review)

Release Date: June 19th 2026. Record Label: Subsound Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Songs From Hidden Places - Tracklisting

1.. Hidden Places

2. Details from the Past

3. Sleeping Brainqui

4. The Hidden Truth

5. All Things Are Written There

6. A Hidden Bond

7. The Secret Dope

Members

Stefano "Eno" Dusi (guitar)

Mirco Dugaria (bass)

Federico Rivoli (drums, synth)

Elisa Brusati (vocals)

Review

Psych/Space/Stoner Rock collective Red Sun take a major creative risk with their latest album Songs From Hidden Places by moving from their core instrumental sound and adding a vocalist to the mix. Elisa Brusati has joined the band and this gives Red Sun a more mystical and ethereal progressive quality to their music which aligns them more closely to the likes of TOOL and A Perfect Circle from a musical perspective at times.

Elisa’s vocals are quite grounded which gives Red Sun quite a Spaced Out energy compared to their previous albums. Their trademark style of Acid Rock, Psych and Jam based melodies are fully intact but with a heavier presence which fully comes to life very early on within the excellent opening track Hidden Places. There’s some trippy sounds building up behind the scenes as different layers of musical themes overlap each other whilst still being quite low-key and remarkably subdued.

Songs From Hidden Places does take time to find it’s emotional core but it’s a journey worth taking with the lyrics inspired by the likes of WINDHAND which is powered by some epic gloomy soundbytes being played from the instrumental melodies that accompany each track. There are some interesting themes developing within the hard-hitting tracks of Details From The Past. Sleeping Brain and The Hidden Truth.

The album does have a kaleidoscopic sound that’s developed throughout the album where the music constantly evolves with different hooks, riffs and progressive sounds allowing Red Sun fully reinventing themselves for the better. Red Sun perhaps had to change their music to form around Elisa’s superb vocals which can be quite direct one moment and beautifully sincere the next which left me impressed on an emotional level.

The second half of the album does allow Red Sun to play heavier grooves and wonderful ambient synths which can be considered Doomgaze in some aspects with the most powerful moments appearing on tracks such as All Things Are Written There and The Hidden Dope. 

Songs From Hidden Places is an emotionally charged record that allows Red Sun to open a highly exciting new chapter for themselves. The record is quite daring but one that offers the listener a highly rewarding experience that you will remember for a very long to come.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Metaversus PR for the promo.

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Plaindrifter - Gestalt (Album Review)

Release Date: June 19th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Gestalt - Tracklisting

1. Moth Murmuration
2. Eternal Season
3. Hyborian Age
4. Respite
5. In Anima
6. Debaser

Members

André Tinibel - bass guitar
Nils Stecker - guitar
Marcel "Uwe" Kloß - drms, vocals
Ryan Garney – vocals on ‘In Anima'

Review

This trio from Gelsenkirchen, Germany has moved in my periphery for a few years but for some reason I never paid close attention...until now, that is. They have just released their second full-length, 'Gestalt', the first for Ripple Music and they completely blew my mind! What these guys bring to the table is ethereal, headtripping and mind bending music. Unrestrained with no boundaries, Plaindrifter simply let the music flow. The end result is them playing on a whole different level. Excellent, indeed.

'Moth Murmuration' is dreamy like what I imagine floating in a super nova is like. It does erupt once the singing begins and when the brilliant guitar solo takes off the band mix that dreamlike state with crushing parts like no one else. Then, about halfway through they drop back to gliding through outer space. 'Eternal Season' retains the feel of its predecessor but is slightly more heavy. It brings to mind a blend of Elder and Howling Giant and it builds up gradually, something Plaindrifter are experts at. 'Hyborian Age' is mid-tempo burrowing into the mind letting you free. Kind of repetitive in the best possible way which enhances the band's transcendental traits.

'Respite' is a short, soft and beautiful instrumental segue which offers a breather in between Plaindrifter's mind bending brilliance. 'In Anima' sees the band crush at first. Drops back once Ryan Garney from High Desert Queen joins in. The floodgates open again after the verse allowing for a great solo. About halfway through the bass guitar takes over and leads us through a trippy segment. Eventually everything erupts taking the song to a brilliant ending. 'Debaser' is the longest and is the perfect closer to Plaindrifter's sophomore album. After a heavier mid-tempo beginning the band switch path with some off-the-wall spaced out playing. Gradually builds up while offering some disjointed guitar playing before the singing enters the fold and the space floating Plaindrifter are so great at conjuring takes over again.

Hoping not repeat myself but I do love it when a band appears basically out of nowhere and completely floors me. And that's exactly what Plaindrifter has done, and then some. 'Gestalt' is one of those recordings I keep on constant repeat for different reasons. One because it is so damned good; another high quality is the calming effect the album has on me. And that's very rare these days. Put it on, get the headphones in place and close your eyes. You won't regret it, in fact your life will be better, trust me.

Words by Håkan Nyman

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Gestalt is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music

Links

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SISTERS - Wings Of Deliverance (Album Review)

Release Date: August 29th 2025. Record Label: Spartan Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Wings Of Deliverance - Tracklisting

1.Wings of Deliverance 01:55 

2.Home Is Where The Heart Is 02:58

3.Peoples Temple 02:22

4.The Angels of Violence 05:02

5.Golden Sunbeams 03:28

6.The Planning Commission 04:29

7.White Night 05:58

8.Death Is A Friend 08:56

Members

Jason Blackmore (Molly McGuire)

Mario Quintero (Spotlights)

Review

Wings Of Deliverance is the second album from Noise/Grunge/Sludge/Post-Punk/Stoner Rock outfit SISTERS who return after a two year absence with a more abrasive, aggressive and sludge based offering. This feels like a different band compared to their 2023 acclaimed debut album Leecheater. SISTERS features Jason Blackmore from Molly McGuire and Mario Quintero from Spotlights with this band featuring many similarities to those great bands but also carving up their own heavy riff driven sound. SISTERS still offer a deep sense of Melodic Rock though you wouldn’t expect this after you experience the delightfully violent and pissed off title track of Wings Of Deliverance. 

This is the nastiest and heaviest track that SISTERS have delivered yet with a highly ambitious take on Industrial Metal with flashes of Post-Punk, Noise Rock and deeply rooted Electronica Beats. The vocals are harsh with a mid nineties/early noughties influence lingering in the background. The instrumental beats move from glitches to full on Electronica beats with a sudden shift into Heavy Power Mechanical Doom that feels like NIN crossing swords with Author & Punisher.

Second track Home Is Where The Heart is continues with the warped Industrial/Sludge grooves but added a melodic Sludge/Stoner Rock flavour that has similarities to TORCHE and RED FANG in places but with SISTERS adding their own distorted level of streetwise attitude and full-on catchy melodies. The vocals from both Jason and Mario are both clean based and in a stark contrast to the opening track. This is the type of music they brilliantly excel at but you’ll still be treated to outbursts of violent  Sludge Metal when the time calls for this.

Third track People’s Temple is another sonic odyssey with SISTERS employing a cool sounding melodic vibe that doesn’t necessarily play it safe with the COMMERCIAL ASPECTS that appear within the whole creative flow of the album. There is an epic nineties Alt Rock attitude with the swirling grunge based guitars and stunning rhythm sections that Mario and Jason equally contribute to. This is where SISTERS start to really hit their creative stride with subtle Psychedelic and Fuzzed mid-tempo changes which lasts the course for the rest of the album.

Songs such as The Angels Of Violence, Golden Sunbeams and The Planning Commission offer a classic Post-Punk attitude with flashes of Post-Rock and Doomed Out passages with SISTERS demonstrating their own great style of music. The lyrics are quite deceptive and observant which adds a mysterious edge to the whole album. I forgot to mention this album is about the following: 

“Wings Of Deliverance tells a chilling narrative about the cult of personality and the horrors of Jim Jones and the Jonestown tragedy”

Despite the harsh subject matter that SISTERS deal with on the record there’s still some uplifting moments told through the groovy melodies that once again remind me of TORCHE in places. However, SISTERS are never too far away to bring the mood to a slightly depressing Post-Punk and Sludge Rock vibe especially on the final two tracks of the record White Night and Death Is A Friend.which brings some moments of Progressive Metal attitude into the mix. 

These two tracks offer the heaviest, hard-hitting and bleakest parts of the album with challenging lyrics and vocal harmonies being added to complicate matters. Though, SISTERS once again play outside of the rules of HEAVY MUSIC to craft something brilliantly original and in their own aggressive image. This allows Wings Of Deliverance to be one of the most thought-provoking and sonically original records within the Alternative Rock/Metal scene (next to MOON DESTROYS and MUSEUM OF LIGHT) you’ll hear this year.

Simply unmissable!!!

Words by Steve Howe

 

Links

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Lorquin’s Admiral - Lorquin’s Admiral (Album Review)

Release Date: June 27th 2025. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Lorquin’s Admiral - Tracklisting

My Blue Wife

Inexplicable Things

Could Have Been Forever

Black Water

My Blue Husband

Aren't We

Burn and Heal

These Lovely Things

To Temptation

Members

Marlon King

Nick Hannon

Dandy Brown

Dawn Brown

Steve Earle

Review

Lorquin’s Admiral is a Psych/Desert/Stoner Rock “Supergroup” of sorts featuring members of Afghan Whigs, the Fizz Fuzz, Hermano, Luna Sol, Orquesta del Desierto, Sons of Alpha Centauri and Yawning Sons. Some real heavy hitters and just look at the members of the band with guest contributions from David Angstrom and Country Mark Engel on their exquisite and riff-fuelled debut album.

Lorquin’s Admiral debut album is full of hooks, grooves, riffs and extended instrumental Stoner Rock passages that defines the current scene with focus on songwriting, storytelling, vocal harmonies and superb melodies that drift into areas of Post-Rock, Grunge and Shoegaze which gives the band an ethereal sound you don’t initially expect. There’s an easy going attitude forming from the songs which has a cerebral 1990’s quality when the band dive right into the classic Stoner Rock and Alt Rock scene.

The band aren’t afraid to merge into the more “METAL” side of life especially on the early tracks of Inexplicable Things and Could Have Been Forever. Though things start rather differently with the anthemic opening track My Blue Wife with Lorquin’s Admiral showcasing a Post-Rock based Desert Rock swagger which soon transforms into a classic style of Stoner melody the members have made themselves known with their respective bands. 

With a free-flowing Heavy Rock sound developing from the very onset you can hear influences from the likes of Tom Petty, Alice In Chains, The Who and Led Zepp which gives this record a more grounded flow with genuine warm-hearted lyrics that pull you into Lorquin’s Admiral’s deliciously heavy world. Frenzied FUZZY guitars overlap with sludgy environments with the Blues Rock influence coming more and more into play on tracks such as Black Water, My Blue Husband and Aren’t We with the band fully committed and selling the excessive HARD ROCK instrumental solos along the way.

The later stages of the album taps into the 1990’s Nostalgic scene perfectly with fully formed songs that leave you wanting to hear more of their highly energetic sounds that would be considered “STONE COLD CLASSICS” if they were released back in the day especially with the songs Burn And Heal and These Lovely Things.

With brilliantly observed production values, Lorquin’s Admiral debut album is an absolute must have and is perhaps the perfect soundtrack to the summer season. This is an album that can easily be described as “ALL KILLER and NO FILLER” where all tracks are considered definite HOME RUNS throughout.

Add this album to your collection now and you’ll be in STONER ROCK HEAVEN….

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Lorquin’s Admiral is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records

INFO:

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

HolyRoller - Rat King (Album Review)

Release Date: June 06th 2025. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Rat King - Tracklisting

1. Crunch Riff Supreme

2. Titan

3. Forbidden Things

4. Rat King Side

5. Buried Alone

6. Heave Ho

7. Radiating Sacred Light

8. Drift Into The Sun

Members

Adam Cody – rhythm guitar & vocals

Jay Ovittore- drums & gang vox

Steve Poe – lead guitar

Jason Kincaid- bass guitar & backing vocals

Review

Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers HolyRoller return with their latest album Rat King which takes a heavier, swampedelic and psychedelic approach to their celebrated 2022 debut album Swimming Witches. That album was released by the highly respected Black Doomba Records label, this time HolyRoller has landed at the doorstep of the mighty RIPPLE MUSIC for the release of Rat King and it’s not hard to see why.

HolyRoller have become a heavier and riff-centric unit compared to their previous record whilst keeping their seedy and sludgier underground vibe. The band added Steve Poe on lead guitar in 2023 where his Psychedelic grooves have taken the band on an action-packed Sonic based journey. This record is quite direct with its groove oriented sound which evokes a huge likeability factor within the whole album. Taking influences from the likes of The Sword, ASG, WO FAT and RED FANG. Dedicated followers of the Doom/Stoner Metal Underground Scene and longtime fans of Ripple Music will find much to enjoy here.

The record has that classic and stripped back underground sound allowing HolyRoller demonstrating a seedy melodic style that is trippy, aggressive and full of trippy hallucinations based imagery hiding behind the murky progressive sludgy surroundings. The lyrics are excellent and bring a socially aware message that can be quite hard-hitting on tracks such as Titan, Forbidden Things, Buried Alone and Drift Into The Sun. 

HolyRoller stated that Rat King is about the following “Lyrically, our themes revolve around navigating mental health as Adam Cody’s sings about suicidal thoughts and finding peace in being an atheist, substance abuse, political ideologies, aging in the music industry and more”. 

So the record might be triggering for some and it made me think of certain things that’s happened in my life over the years which is quite a powerful thing to do in the world of Stoner Rock/Metal. 

HolyRoller’s music is always aggressive and in your face with its stripped back production values but it’s delivered from a good emotional place from the band. The instrumental melodies capture a certain unrestrained quality to the whole creative journey that Rat King takes you upon. With a mixture of classic Stoner Metal grooves and murky Swamp Rock/Metal expeditions into areas of distorted FUZZ elements, HolyRoller offers an unflinching journey when everything is said and done.

The music is constantly evolving with HolyRoller fully exploring their creative ideas on a HUGE CINEMATIC scale which brings a sense of true quality to the album itself. HolyRoller blend classic sounding Doom/Stoner Metal where the FUZZ attitude comes aggressively shining through when the music is matched against a backdrop of modern day Post-Doom and Atmospheric Sludge Rock landscapes which last long in the memory.

The production values are surprisingly stripped back and with a raw LO-FI edge leading the way especially with this being released by Ripple Music. However, this was the right decision for HolyRoller to take as the bleak subject matter contained within the majority of the tracks would sound completely different if it had that “PROFESSIONAL STUDIO QUALITY” vibe added to the whole album. 

Rat King is a thought provoking, bleak and aggressive record which is offset by some stunning and uplifting instrumental grooves that leave you in a tranquil state at times that reminds me of KING BUFFALO at times. So expect to hear a different kind of Psychedelic Stoner Metal record which dares to be different and leaves you wanting to hear more.

HolyRoller have no doubt delivered a potential ALBUM OF THE YEAR contender right here. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Rat King is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Links

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AAWKS - On Through The Sky Maze (Album Review)

Release Date: May 02nd 2025. Record Label: Black Throne Productions. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

On Through The Sky Maze - Tracklisting

1.Celestial Magick

2.Death Trip

3.Lost Dwellers

4.Caerdroia

5.The Figure

6.Wandering Supergiants

7.Drifting Upward

8.Cursed Soul

9.Sky Maze

Members:

Kris Dzierzbicki - Vocals/Guitar/Synth

Randylin Babic - Drums

Paraiso - Guitar/Violin/Synth

Ryan “GrimePup” Mailman -Bass/Vocals

Review

On Through The Sky Maze is the second full length album from Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers AAWKS where they blend dark tales of the Occult that’s merged with Psychedelic and Spaced Out folklore. This is an intriguing and quite original concept of how AAWKS have approached the album with. At one moment the album is a full on Occult Doom record and the next it’s a trippy Space Rock adventure with AAWKS taking influence from the likes of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Electric Wizard and FU MANCHU whilst keeping to their own creative narrative.

The sludgy guitars are powered by a dirty and seedy avalanche of FUZZED UP guitars which has a slight Swamp Rock attitude. Vocals switch between SHAMANIC CHANTS and SATANIC GROWLS with a heavy emphasis on both clean vocals and distorted growls courtesy of Kris Dzierzbicki and Ryan “Grimepup” Mailman. 

WIth a non-stop style of distorted Doom/Stoner Metal paranoia running amok through the album with AAWKS thriving upon their heavy distorted loops, spectacular amounts of reverb and amplifier feedback that adds a unhealthy level of SONIC aggression into the whole VOLUME department of the record. The songs themselves all have their own exciting story to tell with dark tales of the night and the far reaches of the COSMOS which is brought very early on tracks such as: Celestial Magick, Death Trip and Lost Dwellers.

AAWKS undergo a sudden shift into Psychedelic and Space Rock tendencies on the excellent second track Second Trip with the opening track of Celestial Magick having a classic ELECTRIC WIZARD vibe. 

Things get ever more serious and creepy with the great use of classic soundbytes on the stunning fourth track of Caerdroia which opens with a brilliant vocal clip which sets an unexpected scary tone for this track alone. The music is mostly Proto-Doom with AAWKS surrounding themselves with harsh Fuzz, Sludge and Stoner Rock passages. The lyrics are quite subversive with AAWKS fully selling their full-on hybrid OCCULT/SPACE ROCK musical odyssey.

AAWKS are at their absolute best when they embrace the heavier, primal and psychedelic tendencies of the record as that’s where the heaviest and unexpected violent melodies appear. The vocals can be disgustingly filthy but delivered with real purpose. The album becomes ever more creepy, disturbing and dare I say self obsessed which I mean as a huge compliment.

Other standout tracks include: The Figure, Wandering Supergiants, Cursed Soul and my absolute favourite track Sky Maze. 

This part of the album is where AAWKS explore Psychedelic Myths and technical methodology or should I say riffology which feels inspired by Mastodon at times mostly on the standout final track Sky Maze. This track alone makes the album worth the purchase alone. There’s some thrilling “INTERDIMENSIONAL SPACE GOAT” territory on the final parts of the record.

On Through The Sky Maze is an absolute crushing record that’s full of epic sounding grooves throughout that allows this record to quite an original album on its own merits and stand out as one of the definitive Doom/Stoner Metal records to be released this year. 

This is most definitely ALBUM OF THE YEAR material. No Question.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to C Squared Music for the promo.

On Through The Sky Maze is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Black Throne Productions.

Links

Official Website: https://www.aawks.ca/
Bandcamp: https://aawks.bandcamp.com/
E-Shop: https://blackthroneproductions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAWKSBAND
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aawksband/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/aawks666?t=