Sonic Moon - In Lack Of Clarity (Album Review)

Release Date: November 06th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

In Lack Of Clarity - Tracklist 

1.Weightlessness 05:51

2.Stay Behind 05:17

3.Remembrance 05:53

4.Stasis 05:12

5.Beneath You 08:38

6.What Doesn't Bloom 04:21

7.Eyes Wide Open 08:09

Members

Oliver Lyngkilde - Vocals

Jeppe Rasmussen - Guitar

Emil Damgaard Andersen - Guitar

Niclas Fritz Sørensen - Bass

Emil Gam Klinkby - Drums

Review

Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers Sonic Moon return with their second album In Lack Of Clarity with the band transforming into a more meditative and melodic style of music compared to their 2023 debut album. The band bring a foreboding style of Grunge, Shoegaze, Post-Rock and Alternative Rock energy into the record which gives them a heavier and expressive sound that results in some intense bursts of Prog Rock melodies forming. 

The record feels inspired by the likes of YOB, Monolord, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and HUM with Sonic Moon still developing their own gloomy destructive path which comes out to play on the excellent opening tracks of Weightlessness, Stay Behind and Remembrance. The eerie ambient themes are quite heavy on the mind with Sonic Moon developing some long drawn out Psychedelic and Post-Doom sounds which have a great level of distorted measurement hiding in the background.

The vocals by Oliver Lyngkilde have that great mix of Grunge, Doom and Alt-Rock based styles that superbly changes to match the emotionally wrought mood that appears within the superbly written lyrics. The music from the rest of Sonic Moon is exquisite with its perfectly played slow-to-mid pace that has a grounded sense of realism.

There’s a great Gothic and Romantic element you can hear within Sonic Moon’s music from time-to-time which allows the album to be quite different at the same time. They even add traces of forceful Sludge Rock into the mix that results in some truly powerful AMPLIFIED and DISTORTED fuzzy soundscapes to appear right throughout the album.

There are some parts of In Lack Of Clarity where the guys remind me of DOMKRAFT with similar themes developing thanks to the Cosmic Doom element that’s used masterfully within the darker aspects of the album. Layers of SONIC distortion continue to be developed within tracks Stay Behind, Remembrance, Beneath You and Eyes Wide Open. 

I fully admire Sonic Moon’s commitment into slowly building up their music for richer, fuller and heavier sound. This allows the listener to find common ground with Sonic Moon and equally become part of this great Post-Doom / Post-Stoner journey that has some surprising twists and turns along the way.

In Lack Of Clarity brilliantly utilizes the Space Rock and Shoegaze atmospherics within the most rewarding and highly intimate passages from start to finish whilst still delivering first rate aggressive Stoner Rock/Metal grooves that never feel out of place. 

Sonic Moon are a band destined for bigger and greater things which they may ultimately deliver with this album alone. They have the backing of the mighty RIPPLE MUSIC behind them who are releasing the album and they release amazing records. Though, this is SONIC MOON’s show where they’ve created a record that shows real intelligence and emotional depth throughout.

In Lack Of Clarity is an absolutely wonderful album that I can’t recommend highly enough. It's as simple as that.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

In Lack Of Clarity is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

The Headless - Digging My Feet In The Earth (Single Review)

Release Date: October 04th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Digging My Feet In The Earth - Tracklist

Digging My Feet In The Earth

Members

Andy Lenox — vocals, guitar, keys, production, visuals

Gary Behling — guitar, vocals, keys

Phil Danne — bass

Jay Gauthier — drums, photography, video

Review

Shoegaze/Alt-Metallers The Headless release their latest single Digging My Feet In The Earth is their strongest track yet and this is their song they’ve already released this year. Taking the core setup they created within the previous track Cast into the Firmament and adding a Prog Rock and Classic Rock attitude that calls upon the likes of Mastodon, Baroness and Thin Lizzy with the epic style of twin guitar shredding that accompanies this track.

The lyrics have a grounded Grunge and Hard Rock appeal with some emotionally charged lyrics that allows the song to bring a brooding Eighties Rock sensibility with a classic Shoegaze style forged over the last thirty years of heavy underground music. One of the main strengths here on this track is the vocal arrangements which offer a different style compared to The Headless previous two tracks. 

The Headless have gone under another musical transformation when you hear influences such as iRON MAIDEN starting to break out behind the scenes on the later stages of the track. However, Digging My Feet In The Dirt is essentially a Doom/Stoner Rock song at heart that allows the listener to be swept away by The Headless great style of cinematic rock with a massive Stadium Rock attitude offering plenty of melodies and gorgeous riffs throughout. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Boston Prog Metallers Momentary Masters Release New Video For Their Superb New Single "Body Tells" from their forthcoming new album

Prog metallers Momentary Masters have just released the latest video of their newest single "Body Tells" from the forthcoming album "Rheospect". Heavy, crunching riffs, ethereal vocals, and winding grooves are the name of the game for this crusher of a track.

Momentary Masters is a four piece Boston-based prog-lite rock band. Subtly weaving prog moves into a digestable, heavy riff-driven format, they are looking to share prog sensibility with the greater rock community throughout New England and beyond.

Their debut album, Rheospect, is a love letter to the album format as a narrative arc. In spirit it tells the story of the creative process from inception (“Prospect”), through the flow state of creation (“Rheospect”), and eventually to letting the product go (“Retrospect”).

Laid out in a palindromic structure, Rheospect plays straight through the roughly 70 minute run time and features big riffs, soaring choruses, dynamic instrumental shifts, and thematic easter eggs.

The band plans to support the record live in the Fall in the greater Boston area and is looking forward to digging into their sophomore record.

Momentary Masters - Rheospect

Album out Fall 2026
Self-released (Digital)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
FFO: Tool, Mastodon, Coheed and Cambria, and Karnivool

Momentary Masters is:

Peter Balogh - Guitar
Corey Fyfe - Bass
Jacob Josefsberg - Drums
M Levesque - Vocals

Tracklist:

1. Prospect
2. Doom and Gloom
3. Turning
4. Ghost
5. Midnight Oil
6. Still Life
7. Rheospect
8. The Waves
9. Farsight
10. Everyone Knows
11. Body Tells
12. Through the Veil
13. Retrospect

Links:

Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

Boston Prog Metallers Momentary Masters releasing new single "Body Tells" September 25th

Out this Friday, September 25th, prog metallers Momentary Masters will release their newest single "Body Tells" from the forthcoming album "Rheospect". Heavy, crunching riffs, ethereal vocals, and winding grooves are the name of the game for this crusher of a track.

Momentary Masters is a four piece Boston-based prog-lite rock band. Subtly weaving prog moves into a digestable, heavy riff-driven format, they are looking to share prog sensibility with the greater rock community throughout New England and beyond.

Their debut album, Rheospect, is a love letter to the album format as a narrative arc. In spirit it tells the story of the creative process from inception (“Prospect”), through the flow state of creation (“Rheospect”), and eventually to letting the product go (“Retrospect”).

Laid out in a palindromic structure, Rheospect plays straight through the roughly 70 minute run time and features big riffs, soaring choruses, dynamic instrumental shifts, and thematic easter eggs.

The band plans to support the record live in the Fall in the greater Boston area and is looking forward to digging into their sophomore record.

Momentary Masters - Rheospect

Album out Fall 2026
Self-released (Digital)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
FFO: Tool, Mastodon, Coheed and Cambria, and Karnivool

Momentary Masters is:

Peter Balogh - Guitar
Corey Fyfe - Bass
Jacob Josefsberg - Drums
M Levesque - Vocals

Tracklist:

1. Prospect
2. Doom and Gloom
3. Turning
4. Ghost
5. Midnight Oil
6. Still Life
7. Rheospect
8. The Waves
9. Farsight
10. Everyone Knows
11. Body Tells
12. Through the Veil
13. Retrospect

Links:

Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

Chat Pile - Who Loves The Sun (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: The Flenser. Format: CD/DD/Tape/Vinyl

Who Loves The Sun - Tracklist

1.Creature
2.Deep Blue
3.Same Rules
4.PEN I S MALL
5.Shrine
6.Intruder
7.Christabel ‘26
8.Influence
9.Family Funeral
10.October All The Time

Members

Ray B. - Vocals
L. Manhole - Guitar
Stin - Bass
Drums - Cap’n Ron

Review

Noise/Sludge Metallers Chat Pile return with their highly anticipated third album Who Loves The Sun which once again highlights why they’re one of the most unpredictable, original and most important bands to emerge from the Heavy Metal scene in years. This record shows once again how the band incorporates new elements of music into their ever-growing sound such as Alt Rock, Indie Rock, Shoegaze and Trip-Hop.

Chat Pile demonstrates why they’re so highly thought of with ten tracks that captures the raw essence of the Sludge Metal scene with a grimy and seedy attitude most bands cannot capture. The moody Noise Rock theatrics keeps everything grounded and allows Chat Pile to reinvent themselves yet again with a mixture of Industrial Metal and Post-Punk beats which has a mighty Eighties Rock presence especially within the lyrics and the more somber parts of the record. There’s a great style of vicious melody and rhythm developing which is more focused compared to their previous two albums.

Who Loves The Sun even has brilliantly refined commercial aspects which can easily launch these guys further into the mainstream. The despairing Noise Rock quality reminds me of The Jesus Lizard jamming with the likes of The Melvins and Kowloon Walled City but with Chat Pile keeping their own unflinching approach with bleak lyrics holding everything together. The shift in minimalist Post-Rock, Post-Punk and Sludge Metal is quite refreshing with a subtle Grunge and Psychedelic flavour emerging which adds a real chameleon like effect to the whole journey.

The “Doom & Gloom” essence is stripped apart and rebuilt within the band’s image which they incorporate into almost every track with a filth ridden attitude that can be quite buoyant and gleefully upbeat at times. The raw sounding production values allows Chat Pile to play at their own destructive slow-to-mid paced grooves with a level of sheer heaviness only appearing when it’s really needed.

The first half of the album allows Chat Pile to explore a decaying style of Grunge, Noise and Alt Rock with songs Creature, Same Rules and PEN I S MALL adding a heap of Blackened Sludge themes for a subversive experience. This allows the lead vocals to demonstrate a politically charged energy that really does hammer the points home that Chat Pile are providing this album.

Chat Pile are fully committed to exploring different areas of music for this record on other tracks such as Shrine, Intruder, Family Funeral and October All The Time which have some of the most rewarding moments on the album. The whole mood is constantly engaging with intense progressive musical passages being quite hypnotic and brilliantly surreal. 

Who Loves The Sun isn’t an easy album to listen to but it’s one that offers a must have experience where Chat Pile doesn't even offer any easy answers or solutions. As they leave this up to the listener’s own conclusions. What is guaranteed is another masterful record from Chat Pile that once again cements their status as one of the most important Heavy Rock bands in the world currently playing today. 

This is an absolute masterpiece and is a record everyone needs to own right now!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Rarely Unable PR for the promo.

Who Loves The Sun is available to buy now on CD, Digital, Tape and Vinyl.

Links

Official | 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 Familiar 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

Pomroe - Heavy Drama (EP Review)

Release Date: August 15th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Heavy Drama - Tracklist

1.Tabby 05:05

2.Outside 03:58

3.Cover the whole 02:19

4.Slime 04:05

5.Center 04:29

Members

Maria Zgoda - guitar/bass, vocals

Paweł Zychowicz - guitar

Bartłomiej Czajkowski - drums

Review

Heavy Drama is the debut EP from Doom/Grunge/Sludge/Stoner Rockers Pomroe who have emerged from the Polish Heavy Rock underground scene and they have similar sounds to bands that have already made their presence known over the years. There’s a stubborn and aggressive attitude to Pomroe which makes their music have an uneasy atmosphere which is heard very early on within their debut release.

There’s an early Deftones presence which allows Pomroe build a determined level of intense murky sounds with a gloomy attitude appearing within tracks such as Tabby and Outside. There’s a slight Post-Punk and Alt-Metal movement heard within how the music is delivered. This has some disjointed and stripped back elements which gives the music a slight chaotic feel but the committed enthusiasm of Pomroe to deliver some great sounding Sludge/Stoner Metal ideas throughout..

The vocals from Maria Zgoda feel quite different to what I originally anticipated. As they’re quite grounded but perhaps best suited to a full on Alt-Metal or Post-Metal style of music and not music such as Pomroe ultimately deliver. However, this works to Pomroe’s advantage as it gives the band a great sullen vibe or energy of their own making where you can hear echoes of TOOL and A Perfect Circle emerging on tracks such as Tabby, Outside and Slime.

The music on the later stages of Heavy Drama has a great Post-Doom / Post-Sludge methodology appearing whilst exploring areas of Drone and Distortion which can only be described as pure paranoia in cases. There’s an underlying sense of dread developing which has the hallmarks of early-era Nine Inch Nails but fully contained within the world of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal.

Heavy Drama does feel unpolished at times but this only adds to the uncomfortable feeling you get from listening to the EP and makes it an even better audio experience as a result. It’s not perfect and is perhaps best described as a “WORK IN PROGRESS" but Pomroe have piqued my interest and I’m definitely interested to hear what they will be releasing next. 

Great stuff.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Sauros - Offense (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Offense - Tracklist

1.C2O 

2.Offense

3.The Doomsayers Are Right 

4.In The End

5.Grey Ignorance

6.A New Ego In Nihilism

7.Misanthropic Freedom

8.Unnatural Selection In The Age Of Crisis 

9.Nostalgic Anxiety

Members

Doc - Vocals

Nobbe - Guitar

Seb - Bass

Frank - Drums

Review

Doom Metallers Sauros debut album Offense is a great collection of slow-paced Doom/Sludge Metal. The music is played at a very cool slow pace which allows the band to create a highly atmospheric and destructive DOOMED OUT environment to play their music against. The vocals have that classic HEAVY METAL gruff exterior which brings the muscular lyrics to life which you can hear superbly well on the opening tracks of C2O, Offense and The Doomsayers Are Right.

Offense often plays it straight with Sauros never wandering into Prog Metal territory which makes this record feel more authentic. There are moments of Psychedelic and Alt-Metal themes that develop with hidden outbursts of Post-Doom and Atmospheric Sludge surroundings. Sometimes Sauros feels like they’re using bands such as Metallica and Type O Negative for certain sections of the record. There’s a gloomy Thrash based delivery which is quite noticeable especially with the sullen guitar tones and excellent vocals from Doc. 

The vocals remain clean throughout with some harsh tones being injected into the mix only when they’re really needed. The slowcore aspect of Sauros’s music is what makes it really standout as they never play fast-paced melodies which may perhaps disturb the equilibrium of what the band are trying to deliver with Offense. 

Everything is quite bleak with socially aware lyrics helping Sauros’s message in spreading much doom and gloom on this record that’s actually possible on tracks such as The Doomsayers Are Right, In The End, Grey Ignorance, A New Ego In Nihilism and Unnatural Selection In The Age Of Crisis. These songs show Sauros in complete control deploying their own nihilistic style of Doom Metal which feel more unsettling and violent with the epic LOW & SLOW delivery that surrounds everything being played on the whole album.

The album is superbly aggressive in the volume department even with the stripped back production values that’s been applied here. However, this all adds to the gloomy and solitary audio experience that’s being played throughout your speakers of choice. The instrumental work is outstanding with Sauros playing each note, riff and melody with supreme confidence. 

Offense is quite a subversive record where the bleak and moody songs offer a dramatic chilling experience that even has a few nods to classic ELECTRIC WIZARD amplifier distortion which only adds a more menacing quality to the whole experience. 

Sauros really deliver on all fronts with Offense which I’m hoping allows them to become more well known within the underground Doom/Sludge Metal scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Bleeding Antlers - Songs Of Praise (Album Review)

Release Date: August 22nd 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Songs Of Praise - Tracklist

1.The Devil of Mariazell

2.Meet me in the woods at midnight

3.Blue Jeans

4.When the Sun Bursts

5.The ghost of Oliver Reed

6.Fimbulwinter

7.Crooked Lines

Members

Simon Bismarck (Vocals)

Good Luke (Guitar)

Prince Ben (Bass)

Ghost Pete (Drums, BV)

Ren Ashlea (BV, Blue. Jeans)

Review

Songs Of Praise is the second album from Psychedelic Doom Metallers Bleeding Antlers and it’s not what I expected at all with the band adding levels of Stoner Metal, Groove Metal, Sleaze Rock and some unorthodox Alternative melodies into their music. Bleeding Antlers feel inspired mostly by the likes of Candlemass, Pallbearer and Type O Negative but that only tells a brief part of the story they develop throughout the album.

There’s some highly dramatic, over the top and superbly epic that comes across with each individual track that allows Bleeding Antlers to forge a classic Traditional Doom Metal sound before applying modern day soundscapes into the mix. The record is deliciously dark with the lyrics and excellent vocals delivered by Simon Bismarck with great backing vocals appearing from Ghost Pete and Ren Ashlea.

The Post-Gothic dynamics becomes one of the album's main strengths especially within the standout tracks of Meet Me In The Woods At Midnight and Blues Jeans which have an obsessive Folk Rock trajectory dominating almost everything being played. You can hear the Type O Negative influence taking hold as the DOOM & GLOOM sound becomes quite emotional with some sinister lyrics emerging from the darkness. The album is quite leftfield with the gloomy atmospherics and frenzied grooves that can be quite distorted which was another cool surprise when listening to the album.

Bleeding Antlers experiment with their sound once more with traces of Alt Metal, Industrial Rock, Gothic Rock and Post-Punk appearing which just adds a whole layer of SLEAZE on tracks such as: When The Sun Bursts, The Ghost Of Oliver Reed and Crooked Lines. There is also a great style of subversive humour that’s been added to this record despite the serious tone of the record. It's good to see Bleeding Antlers having fun and letting the listener in on the joke especially with the album title.

For folks not in the know. Songs Of Praise is a long running British TV Show which is best described below from Wikipedia:

“A religious programme that presents Christian hymns, worship songs and inspirational performances in churches of varying denominations from around the UK alongside interviews and stories reflecting how Christian faith is lived out.”

However, Bleeding Antlers are quite serious with their music and they deliver some intense and highly majestic Doom Metal melodies that bridges the gap between Classic, Traditional and Modern Day themes with first rate delivery. This allows Songs Of Praise to be a thrilling record that offers a high momentum of great grooves and spellbinding sounds from start to finish. 

Bleeding Antlers are the real deal and this record only proves this point time and time again.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Bleeding Antlers and Metal Devastation Radio PR for the promo.

Songs Of Praise is available to buy now on Digital Download.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

The Headless - Cast Into The Firmament (Single Review)

Release Date: August 11th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Cast into the Firmament - Tracklist

Cast Into The Firmament

Members

Andy Lenox — vocals, guitar, keys, production, visuals

Gary Behling — guitar, vocals, keys

Phil Danne — bass

Jay Gauthier — drums, photography, video

Review

Cast Into The Firmament is the latest single from Alt-Metal/Shoegaze Metallers The Headless who make music similar to the likes of HUM, SOM, Failure and Superheaven. However, there’s a lot more depth to The Headless as they channel sounds inspired by Faith No More and Baroness. The music is quite euphoric with a gloomy Grunge and Space Rock aspect emerging when you least expect it.

Joining The Headless on this cosmic journey is Madison McConnell of War on the Horizon fame who provides excellent low-key and emotionally engaging vocals. The Headless have said there’s a hidden easter egg hidden within their music the band are leaving for the listeners to fully decode. Well, I can’t say what the Easter Egg is and that’s perhaps a mystery unsolved by myself though I’m happy to be told what this is. As this gives the song quite a clever and mysterious quality which you don’t really come across.

The Headless transform into Post-Doom explorers on the later stages of the track which feels like HUM jamming with THE CURE. The song is mostly melodic with it’s ethereal Post-Rock sound but when The Headless move over into their aggressive Alt-Metal identity then some heavy grooves are played out of nowhere which has a slight Sludge Rock menace to them.

Cast Into The Firmament is a great track bursting with real progressive ability which fans of the Grunge, Doomgaze and Alt Metal communities will absolutely adore. I’m not sure if The Headless have an EP or full length album being prepped for future release but I’m highly intrigued and slightly a little bit excited on where they go from here.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

The Home - The Home (EP Review)

Release Date: August 15th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

The Home - Tracklist

1.Disguise 04:25

2.Beyond It All 04:25

3.Leech 04:50

Members

Vocals - LJ Brazil

Guitar + Additional Instruments - Lewis Barnes

Drums - John Mclean

Review

Alternative/Sludge/Stoner Metallers The Home self-titled debut EP is quite an intriguing record with the band playing stripped back sounds that merge modern day Sludge Rock/Metal grooves against a classic Fuzz, Doom and Proto-Metal energy. The vocals are quite different with lead vocalist LJ Brazil performing in areas of Classic Doom, Hard Rock, Stoner Metal and even a great experimental style which has a slight Mike Patton influence.

The EP lasts under fourteen minutes but The Home creates some stirring grooves powered by elements of Alt Metal within the flashier aspects that appear throughout. There’s even traces of Soul, Funk and Blues Rock hidden amongst the Doom & Gloom melodies which provides a brutal style of amplified Sludge Rock/Metal on tracks Disguise and Beyond It All.

They’re not the finished article by no means but they have a great sound of their own making which can be quite freaky, outlandish and superbly progressive. The final track Leech allows The Home to prove they have some unfinished business for their next release as it does feel open ended where you’re expecting a massive instrumental riff to power through.

This is a great record for The Home to introduce themselves with as they do generate some HEAVY SOUNDING moments throughout and the production values ain’t half bad either. Some of the musical ideas don’t fully succeed but I’m quite excited to see what The Home delivers next.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram