Atmospheric Doomsters LȲKAA sign to Octopus Rising and unveil first single “Izome”

Saxony, Germany-based heavy doom outfit LȲKAA have signed with Octopus Rising, the (un)parallel label of Argonauta Records. The band celebrate the signing with the release of “Izome”, their first single and the first glimpse into their forthcoming debut album “Light Eater”.

Formed during the pandemic winter of 2022 inside an old Cold War bunker, LȲKAA emerged from isolation, tension and decay, turning the atmosphere of their surroundings into a dark and immersive form of heavy music.

The band's sound sits somewhere between doom-laden heavy metal, dark melodicism and post-punk-infused melancholy, creating a dense and emotionally charged atmosphere without relying on occult aesthetics or theatrical imagery. Instead, LȲKAA focus on the darker side of human experience, delivering songs that feel equally haunting, heavy and deeply personal.

“Izome” is the first statement from LȲKAA's new chapter with Octopus Rising, introducing a band whose music draws on the legacy of dark and melodic heavy metal while pushing it into a more atmospheric and contemporary territory.

Watch the official “Izome” visualizer: 

Between 2023 and 2025, LȲKAA took their music to the stage across a series of intense live shows, including appearances alongside Messa and Zhaat, developing an immersive live presence that matches the darkness of their recordings.

With “Light Eater”, their fully produced debut album, now ready for release, LȲKAA join the Octopus Rising roster and open a new chapter for a band built on atmosphere, tension and uncompromising heavy music.

For fans of: Messa, DOOL, In Solitude, The Night Eternal, The Devil's Blood, Jex Thoth, Sonja.

LȲKAA are:

Elly Preussner – lead vocals
Johannes Werner – guitars, keys, vocals
Rasmus Korn – guitars
Đenan Muratagić – bass
Christoph Weilbach – drums

All drums on “Light Eater” were performed by Johannes Ivandic.

“Light Eater” will be released via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records. Further details coming soon.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/lykaa.band​
​https://www.instagram.com/lykaa.band​
​`https://www.argonautarecords.com/

​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Teiger - Bloodwork (Single Review)

Release Date: June 26th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Bloodwork - Tracklist

Bloodwork

Members

Talie Rose Eigeland: vocals, guitar, piano, percussion

Phillip Eldridge-Smith: bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals, Moog

Jon Steele: drums, percussion

Review

Bloodwork is the latest single from Atmospheric Heavy Rock collective Teiger who released their widely acclaimed debut album back in 2023. Teiger traverses within the heavier and darker side of Desert Rock with the band touching upon areas of Prog Rock, Psych, Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Grunge and Alt-Rock themes. The band have quite a dreamy melodic sound for the most part but don't let that side of their music fool you. As they know when to transform into a heavier creative unit where their heavy volumes know no bounds.

Bloodwork sees the band explore a more emotionally charged sound with a subtle sideline in Nineties Alt Rock influences shining through such as Portishead. However, there’s more to Teiger's sound which is brilliantly centered on Talie Rose England’s spellbinding vocals which have influences ranging from Beth Gibbons, Dorthia Cottrell and I even get where the Grace Slick comparisons come from. This lady has amazing vocal range and it allows Teiger to have a deeper aggressive sound when the need calls for it.

Teiger's members are excellent musicians with the members playing multiple different instruments on this track alone. The band have also called upon the amazing talents of Jo Quall on cello which adds a subtle Post-Doom and Shoegaze sound towards the later stages of the track. There is a hidden seductive energy that instantly draws the listener in with dreamy psychedelics that shows a darker style of Desert Rock that you don’t experience much these days. 

If you dig the likes of Portishead, Yawning Man, SOM, Slow Crush and Windhand then Teiger will blow you away with this stunning track that makes me quite excited to hear their upcoming second album.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

SISTERS - Leecheater (Album Review)

Release Date: August 25th 2023. Record Label: Spartan Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Leecheater: Tracklisting

1.Born Again 02:39

2.Dead to the World 03:28

3.Black Stars 01:42

4.Through the Cracks 04:28

5.The Wick Effect 05:28

6.Windows 07:23

7.Feet on the Ground 05:15

8.Leecheater 08:44

Members

Jason Blackmore (guitar, bass, vox)

Mario Quintero (drums, guitar, vox)

Review:

Leecheater is the debut album from Noise Rock/Grunge/Post-Punk/Post-Rock/Stoner Rock outfit SISTERS. A band that features Jason Blackmore (Molly McGuire) and Mario Quintero (Spotlights) and it’s an absolute delight with SISTERS fusing so many different styles of music into a distorted and heavenly sound which should appeal to fans of bands such as QOTSA, HUM, Failure, Torche and the own members respective bands. 

There is a subtle “DARK POP” energy within the album which shines through on the excellent opening track Born Again with its highly energetic style of Atmospheric Rock which has a subtle Stadium Rock quality to it. The mood does become more DISTORTED and DRONE based which shows that SISTERS aren’t afraid to get down and dirty when the sludgy grooves finally appear.

Second song Dead To The World opens with a breakneck classic sounding QOTSA groove with that AMPLIFIER DISTORTED swagger allowing SISTERS to keep moving forward with their highly original hybrid sound. The vocals have a real Alternative Rock quality and feeling to them with the lyrics having a STONER edge to them. The droned out guitars are just the icing on the cake for me when the sounds become more glitch based with a thrilling Post-Punk sound leading the way. 

Third song Black Stars is a blistering Noise Rock/Punk Rock number with Psychedelic guitars and slightly aggressive vocals that feels like the best track that QOTSA has never written whilst still being a truly breathtaking and highly original composition in its own right. The song feels twice as long despite the song clocking under one minute and forty seconds.

Fourth song Through The Cracks is a track that could have easily come from Spotlights and Molly McGuire themselves. With a gloomy Noise Rock creative core, SISTERS bring a slight Industrial feel to the album. The vocals are easily the best part of the track as they showcase a more daring presence to SISTERS though the melodic sounds aren’t too far behind. SISTERS employ that grungy Alt Rock attitude that allows the band to become more Psychedelic with heavy Post-Rock flourishes.

The second half of the album sees SISTERS continue with their Atmospheric blend of different musical styles but with perhaps a Progressive Rock and Experimental style on this part of the album. This is perhaps where SISTERS offer the most interesting styles of music with thick Noise Rock/Sludgy guitars and outstanding drumming being heard on tracks such as: The Wick Effect, Windows and the brilliantly cinematic final title track of Leecheater.

Leecheater is a gloriously hip and richly satisfying album to listen to. Backed up by first rate production values, the album is wholly original with SISTERS creating an album that defies the rules of the multiple genres they play on this album. The album is at it’s best when SISTERS play  that intense style of Atmospheric Rock where the grooves change creative directions and when the distorted elements appear then Leecheater becomes one of the best debut albums you’ll hear this year.

Words by Steve Howe

Leecheater is available to buy on DD/Vinyl now via Spartan Records.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

OCEANLORD reveal video single '2340' and details of the forthcoming new album "Kingdom Cold"!

Australian doom cultists OCEANLORD release the eerie video clip for '2340', the first track taken from their forthcoming new album "Kingdom Cold". The unfathomable debut is slated for release on May 26, 2023 via Magnetic Eye Records. "Kingdom Cold" will be available as a translucent blue vinyl LP and on blue and white marble vinyl, and as Digisleeve CD, the album pre-sale is now available at THIS LOCATION!

The clip for '2340' is now streaming below:

OCEANLORD comment: "The song '2340' is our dirge of treachery named for the hour the Titanic hit the iceberg, written to capture the sense of unreal calm that comes before despair and darkness consumes all", guitarist and vocalist Peter Willmott writes. "We follow a captain in the throes of occult ecstasy who sinks his ship and abandons its passengers to the depths."

Tracklist
1. Kingdom
2. 2340
3. Siren
4. Isle of the Dead
5. So Cold
6. Come Home

Behold! Hark! From the dark depths of the southern oceans, Australian doom trio OCEANLORD have conjured an eldritch monster of an album with their tentacled debut "Kingdom Cold".

Frying guitars with an extra helping of thick fuzz and a crusty top deliver a tasty doom sound. Songs that range from very slow via slow to mid-tempo with occasional outbursts of energy also stand firmly on the rock solid ground of this classic metal genre. OCEANLORD display traces of the American, British and Swedish schools of thought with the clean vocals slightly tilting towards the latter.

Yet below the surface of all the time-honoured elements traditionally associated with doom, there is an extra layer of darkness lurking in these tracks. A foreboding sense of dread, madness, and unspeakable horrors is creeping in to replace the well-worn theme of melancholia usually accompanying the style. This sets OCEANLORD clearly apart from most of their peers. This is no accident, as the Australians are very openly inspired by the horror genre and the writings of New England author Howard Phillips Lovecraft in particular.

OCEANLORD came into being in Melbourne in 2019 when bass-player Jason Ker joined guitarist and singer Peter Willmott for a serious drink to ponder work, family, mortality, and the hellscape of corporate existence. When the conversation turned to music,  the connoisseur of black, death, and progressive metal, Peter, found common ground with Jason, an acolyte of alt-rock and grunge in early heavy metal and doom. Jon May, with his history of punk and rockabilly in Perth followed by country-folk and swamp-blues in Melbourne, did not appear the most obvious choice for the drum-stool, but he brought a secret passion for everything slow and heavy, not to mention a van and good gear.

In the rehearsal room, the initial sound was primal and ponderous, with a glimpse of melody under thick, sludgy riffs. Stoner doom was the answer to save their souls from the slow soul-death of the modern corporate drone. Basement writing sessions began, riffs started flowing, and in 2020, the trio released a demo that caused a stir throughout the doom-underground.

During Melbourne’s dramatic 263 days of pandemic lockdown, Peter built a home studio and in 2022, OCEANLORD tracked their debut release. So beware of this monstrous record: "Kingdom Cold" takes doom to even darker depths than ever explored before!

 

For More Info Visit:

www.facebook.com/oceanlordau  
www.instagram.com/oceanlordau
http://lnk.spkr.media/oceanlord-kingdom-cold

 

OCEANLORD is:

Peter Willmott – guitar, vocals
Jason Ker – bass
Jon May – drums

Atmospheric Rockers AMPACITY Release New Song EDISONADE From Upcoming New Album IV

Polish space rock act AMPACITY are back on the stage after 7-years of hiatus and have just released a new single "Edisonade", from their upcoming full-length album called "IV". The record will be released on 31st of March via independent polish label Piranha Music.

LISTEN TO THE SINGLE:

Influenced by Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, Ampacity, is a musical collective, dedicated to exploring the regions of regressive rock, with stoner and space vibes. After they released their amazing debut album "Encounter One", followed by "Superluminal" and "The Sum Of All Flaws" EP, the band disbanded. In the beginning of 2023 Ampacity announced their return on stage as a 4-piece band and signed to Piranha Music to release their new album called "IV". 

Photo by Bartosz Hervy

PREORDER THE ALBUM: https://www.piranha-music.com/

FOLLOW BAND HERE:

www.facebook.com/ampacityband

www.instagram.com/_ampacity_/

https://ampacity.bandcamp.com/

Moonstone - 1904 (EP Review)

Release Date: December 03rd 2021. Record Label: Galactic SmokeHouse / Interstellar Smoke Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl/Cassette

1904 - Tracklisting

1.Magma 14:55

2.Spores 13:48

Review

Poland’s Heavy Atmospheric Doomsters Moonstone come back after a two year absence with their latest EP - 1904. An EP that explores the heavy and fuzzier side of Atmospheric Doom with the music bringing plenty of Psychedelic and Progressive Muscle that has elements of Sludge and Stoner Metal to bury listeners expectations with.

The music draws influence from the usual suspects of Black Sabbath, SLEEP and Electric Wizard but Moonstone add a more Progressive creative flavour to their sound that even may see people hear other bands such as Pallbearer and Bongripper. 1904 feels like a band trying to make their own way into the Sludge/Stoner Metal world on their own creative merits which Moonstone ultimately succeed at doing.

I feel the band takes direct influences from the Polish and Swedish Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scenes on this, especially with the Psychedelic and Swirling Atmospheric moments that appear on both songs of Magma and Spores. Both tracks run for almost fifteen minutes and fourteen minutes respectively. The vocals/chants that appear are kept down to a bare minimum and it’s the music that’s the real star here. With Moonstone playing a very cool style of slow paced and fast paced grooves that expand the entire modern day Doom/Stoner Metal box of musical tricks.

The slow parts are quite majestic and often goes into Post-Rock territory but still retaining a heavy sound that can be quite heavy and distracting but in a good way. There is also a lot of sonic experimentation and the AMPLIFIER RIFF worship that is becoming quite popular recently. 

The production is excellent with Moonstone giving every chance to shine with the heavy gloomy RIFFS that ultimately make this EP such a winner. I can see why this release is getting a multiple format release. It’s bound to sound great on the whole range of releases that 1904 is getting now and in the future.

1904 is another gloriously EPIC release from Moonstone and showcases another quality band from the Polish Heavy Rock Scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

1904 is available to buy on Various Formats from Galactic SmokeHouse / Interstellar Smoke Records

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

An Interview With Crystal Spiders

Atmospheric Doom/Stoner Rockers Crystal Spiders released their 2nd album Morieris recently via Ripple Music. The record continues the journey first heard on their acclaimed debut album Molt but with a more Heavier and Atmospheric Sound.

The band have convinced C.O.C. legend Mike Dean to play guitars on this release but this still remains Crystal Spiders show. Mike is part of Brenna Leath's other band Lightning Born where we will discuss later on this interview.

I caught up with Brenna Leath (Bass/Vocals) and Tradd Yancey (Drums) to discuss pretty much everything with the band and how they're coping in these uncertain COVID-19 times.

Read on for more info. You can read my review of the album here.

Hi Crystal Spiders. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today?

BL: Things are good! Happy to see tours and indoor shows slowly coming back to life, which is great news for everyone. We’re looking forward to hitting the ground running in a few months.

For people not in the know can you give a brief history of your band and where it's today?

BL: Crystal Spiders kicked things off in 2019, so we’re still a ‘new band’ all things considered. We formed with the initial goal of a “fuzzed out rock n’ roll” band, to which I think we’ve stayed pretty true. We have our second full length out on Ripple Music out on Friday, October 1.

What style of music do you play in your own words?

TY: We like to think of our sound as “heavy music”, whether we trend more toward blues on some tracks or straight up rockers on others, crushing tone and catchy riffs are always at the forefront.

BL: Nasty fuzzy bass, thunder drums, wailing vocals, the occasional shredding guitar solo. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast. A little bit punk, a little bit doom, a little bit heavy metal and rock n’ roll… but most closely the genre is probably heavy rock / stoner rock.

Why did you choose your name Crystal Spiders for your band and what does it have any meaning to you all?

BL: Crystal Spiders is one of our favorite Uncle Acid tracks.

You're about to release your new album Morieris. Great record. What is the album about and what can people expect from this record?

TY: This album is more “classic” than our debut, both in theme and direction. We were swapping out and trying different things up until the last second on our first record; but with this one, we really had a cohesive vision of the whole thing pretty early on.

BL: Thematically, most of the songs are loose metaphors based on classical mythology - the title track “Morieris” references Narcissus and Echo; “Harness” is loosely based on the fall of Phaethon, “En Medias Res” follows the labyrinth and the Minotaur; “Maelstrom” is Scylla and Charybdis; “Pandora” is a modern take on Pandora’s box; “Offering” is a sacrifice to Dionysus; “Golden Paw” is Orpheus entreating to Cerberus. I think “Septix” is the only one that doesn’t fit into that schema. As far as what people can expect… I think the record is a journey (not necessarily Odyssian, haha), but we have some songs with a lot of bite and some with a more meandering feel. Solid grooves throughout, we hope!

A much darker and heavier record compared to your debut album?

TY: Definitely. We wanted to accentuate and elaborate on the parts that everyone enjoyed on the last one. Specifically, we tried to make the spooky parts spookier, the faster parts faster, and the doomier sections even more crushing.

BL: I think most of us can agree there was a much different mood and tone to 2020 than2019… and I would consider this a much “moodier” record overall.

What influenced or inspired you when making the album?

TY: We were inspired by a lot of classic art (Greco-Roman stuff, Memento Mori, Dali, still lifes, etc.) early on. As the album developed, we pulled some of the themes back to be less on-the-nose and more ambiguous while still retaining their proto/classic vibe.

BL: The aim was for a more “atmospheric” record than the debut. Since we had a lot more free time without gigs and tours, we were able to experiment with a few more creative elements in the studio to add a few extra melodies and effects to that end.

Did you do anything differently when recording this album compared to your debut album?

TY: We didn’t use any click tracks on this record, which was a major change from the debut. Still did a lot the same, though: Straight-to-tape, having Brenna and I lay down our tracks together to start, etc. We went in with more open sections for guitars and extra instrumentation as well this time around. Having that extra melodic space allowed Brenna to layer her vocals and provided opportunities for fun cameos and added pieces during the recording process, which weren’t as available when making the first one.

BL: This time, I tried to do a few more demos at home ahead of time in Ableton, which I was able to give to Mike (our producer) to reference for some of the extra parts and pieces we added after we did our takes to tape. Sort of like doing outlines and a “rough draft” approach, rather than just having a straight up live feel to the tracks, which I think is one of the strong suits of the debut.

Did COVID-19 have a big impact on how you decided to make the new album. Did you have to change the creative process and recording process for this?

TY: At this point, it all seems like part of the routine. We finished the debut right as COVID was ramping up last year, even laying down the last track, “Fog” in our own separate home studios; so doing things with the pandemic in mind was simply a continuation of what we were used to. Having Mike Dean’s studio down the hall from our practice space was handy as well to minimize our exposure and keep our bubbles as small as possible.

BL: I think so. It’s different to write and record a record that you’ve never played live, versus a record that you’ve honed by playing the songs repeatedly onstage. It’s a more flexible attitude during recording - since none of the tracks had been played live before, we didn’t have that ‘set in stone’ mindset and were able to embellish or streamline some structural elements during engineering that we might not have thought to do if we’d been attached to a certain presentation of the songs that usually results from disciplined repetition in prep for gigging. That’s an asset when working with a producer, too; if you haven’t drilled the songs so many times that you’re committed to one particular vision, you’re much more open to experimentation. Obviously, having studio musicians can introduce more unknowns - which is an adventure in itself. The mixed product can still surprise you.

You have Mike Dean (COC and Brenna's Lightning Bolt bandmate) appearing on this album. Was Mike easy to convince to play guitars and how was that recording with Mike during COVID-19.

TY: (twists arm) “Okay, I’ll do it!”. No, it wasn’t like that at all. When Brenna and I discussed making a follow-up soon after we were done with Molt, Dean offered to do the guitar work off the rip, and that’s not an offer we would ever turn down. He was fastidious with keeping the studio clean and ensuring that everybody stayed safe throughout the whole thing. 10/10 would recommend.

BL: Mike is one of my favorite people to work with, hands down. He’s always up for a challenge and this was no exception. He played some guitar on the closing track “Fog” on Molt, and we had a good time working on that, so it was a natural fit when it came time to discuss what we wanted to do for guitar on Morieris. It wasn’t too bizarre to record during COVID - I’d already been working from home full time since March 2020, so my bubble was pretty much limited to like… three people. Plus working remotely made it easy to just take my laptop into the studio and multi-task; we could workshop guitar tracks and experiment with parts while I knocked out some work for my day job.

You also have High Priestess Nighthawk from Heavy Temple appearing on the record. Making your new album a real team affair. How was recording with the delightful High Priestess.

BL: HP Nighthawk is a good friend of mine - we actually met in a metal group called the Doom Hag and hit it off a few years back. Turns out, we have a lot in common! She’s a very talented multi-instrumentalist, so when we were thinking about adding some orchestral elements to “En Medias res,” she immediately came to mind. I sent her the demo and after listening a couple times, she knocked her parts out of the park. What a pro. One big bummer of 2020 was having to cancel a run of Heavy Temple / Crystal Spiders dates, so I am hoping we get to reschedule those!

COVID-19 has pretty much put a stop to all life as we know it for the time being. How big of an impact has it affected the band? And how are you surviving in this stressful time?

TY: Now that we’re waiting for the record to come out, we’ve both been keeping busy doing our own things until the world settles back into some semblance of normalcy and we can get on the road again. Brenna recently had a baby and a big promotion at her work and I’ve been doing more philanthropy while we ride this thing out. Both of us are always writing, so we have no worries about being ready when the world is.

BL: I try to look at the glass half full - even though all of our live music plans had to go on the backburner, we spent a lot of time in 2020 writing and recording an album we could be proud of, and I decided that if touring and traveling were out of the picture for the time being, I could probably best put the time to use doing things that touring and traveling would otherwise disrupt, like growing / birthing a small human and knocking out some professional certifications.

After everything is back to some sort of normality, what does the future hold for the band?

TY: We’d love to get back to touring and playing these tracks live for people. It’s something  we’ve really missed during the past year and change.

Will you be anxious, scared or excited when performing on the live stage again?

TY: Both of us are always playing in some capacity so, minus the first few hiccups that always occur on your first couple shows back after a long hiatus, I expect we’ll pick right back up where we left off and find that groove pretty quick.

BL: Well, I’m excited, but I’ve also already had like three nightmares about forgetting all my lyrics, all my cables failing, and my pedalboard falling apart onstage. Gah.

Ripple Music are releasing the album. Great that you have continued that relationship. Perhaps one of the best labels out there with a real family attitude. How important was it for you to continue working with Ripple and how has their support been like during the pandemic.

TY: We love being a part of the Ripple family! Todd, Matt, and the rest of the crew have been nothing but supportive and helpful throughout the entire process of making Morieris and have put us in contact with an excellent PR team (Purple Sage) as well. We’re most excited to see how the limited edition color vinyl turns out!

BL: Ripple is awesome. They took a chance on us when we were a brand new band and they’ve been nothing but supportive, especially during the pandemic when we haven’t been able to gig or tour. They have a loyal fan base and keep it close - check out the “Waveriders Unite” group on Facebook if you haven’t already.

Who are the band’s main musical influences? Any artists that may surprise your fans at all?

TY: Well, it will be a surprise to no one that we both dig legends like Motorhead, Judas Priest, Uncle Acid, Misfits, Sabbath, Kyuss, Sleep, etc. but we also listen to a lot of blues artists (Howlin’ Wolf, Samantha Fish, Robert Johnson, Freight Train Rabbit Killer) as well. There’s always another great artist to discover when you begin to investigate your influences’ influences.

BL: My first influences were ‘77 punk rock and some street punk, which I think is still in there sometimes, along with power metal and NWOBHM. I don’t know if there’s anything that would really SURPRISE anybody, but a few bands off the top of my head that have influenced me along the way are 999, The Saints, X, The Damned, Diamondhead, Doro… I also really like dark wave and new wave; I’m always bopping that stuff. Lately Drab Majesty and She Past Away are in regular rotation.

What got you all to start being involved with music and playing musical instruments. Was it a band, song, or album that ignited your passion for all things heavy music.

TY: For me, it was the first time I heard Children of the Grave on a tape that one of my parents’ friends put on. Upon hearing the layered drums and overall epicness of the track, I was hooked.

BL: I liked to sing ever since I was young, but I think the Buzzcocks were the first band that made me actually want to learn guitar and start a band. “Ever Fallen in Love” was one of the first tunes I learned to play.

Thanks for doing this interview. Before you go, do you have any words of wisdom that you want to say to your fans?

TY: Thank y’all for being patient with us while all of this COVID stuff settles down. We can’t wait to play these for you in person and get to know all of you, hopefully soon.

BL: Words of wisdom… hmm. I guess what I try to remember is to practice gratitude - it’s easy to get bogged down by all the things that are wrong with the world and wrong with your life, but everyone’s got something or someone to be thankful for.

Words by Steve Howe & Crystal Spiders

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for arranging this interview and for Crystal Spiders to doing the interview.

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

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Crystal Spiders - Morieris (Album Review)

Release Date: October 1st 2021. Record Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Morieris - Tracklisting

1.Morieris 06:19

2.Septix 05:36

3.Harness 05:47

4.Offering 05:35

5.Pandora 02:12

6.En Medias Res 08:20

7.Maelstrom 06:25

8.Golden Paw 05:14

Members

Brenna Leath - Bass/Vocals

Tradd Yancey - Drums

Mike Dean - Guitar

Review

Morieris is the 2nd full album from Stoner/Doom Rockers Crystal Spiders who come back quite quickly after releasing their 2020 debut album Molt. This record carries on the same themes and ideas heard on that record but there is a different style of heaviness and gloomy Occult Rock delivery on this album. It was also a wonderful decision to have Brenna’s bandmate from Lightning Bolt and C.O.C. legend Mike Dean.

Mike doesn’t allow his formidable talent to overshadow what is essentially Crystal Spider’s show. This record is a masterclass in Occult Doom/Stoner Rock with Brenna’s vocals being superbly earnest, bewitching, captivating and oozing Classic Doom Rock bravado. Brenna can sure hit those high notes when the album calls for them but it’s the Heavy Blues Rock parts where Brenna impresses the most. A mixture of different vocal styles of the last 60 years of Hard Rock genres will keep listeners on their toes.

Tradd also gets his chance to shine on this album as well, providing the “true” heartbeat of the album for everything to happen from the ground up. Tradd is also part of Doomsday Profit who will be releasing their excellent debut album next month. So look out for that one when it drops.

There are 8 songs on the album with Crystal Spiders offering an Occult Rock based adventure on all of the songs that still take a lot of creative risks that will surprise you along the way. Mostly inspired by 60s and 70s Hard Rock and Classic Doom but it’s good seeing Crystal Spiders using modern day sounds such as Drone Rock, Psych Rock, Stoner Rock and even Distorted Grooves come into play on this album.

Standout songs include: Morieris, Septic, Harness, En Media Res and Maelstrom.

Crystal Spiders also managed to include High Priestess NIghthawk of HEAVY TEMPLE with a fantastic guest cello appearance on the album.

This all builds up to a more exciting, richer, heavier, bolder and more daring release compared to their celebrated debut release and it’s good seeing the band continue their relationship with Ripple Music. With this being a Ripple Music release then you know this is going to be a quality sounding release. Ripple Music always releases high quality sounding albums and Morieris is no different.

Morieris is a turbo-charged and adrenaline fuelled slice of Psych Doom/Occult/Stoner Rock that leaves you wanting more. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo.

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

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

(EchO) Release New Video For New Single - The Ferryman - from their upcoming new album Below The Cover Of Clouds

We're more than happy to introduce you the first single of our new album "Below the Cover of Clouds", that will be released worldwide by BadMoodMan Records (Solitude Productions) on September the 13th, 2019.

This song is called "The Ferryman", one of the best songs that we've ever written.
The lyrics of this track were inspired by the movie "Stalker", the famous Tarkovskij masterpiece.

The video was made by Razvan Alexandru, guitarist and founder of the Romanian doom metal band Abigail.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/echoband.official
https://www.instagram.com/echodoom_official/
https://echodoom.bandcamp.com/

(EchO) Announce New Album Details - Below the Cover of Clouds

Italian Atmospheric Doom Metal band - (Echo) - are thrilled to announce the details about “Below the Cover of Clouds” their third full length album.

The album will be released worldwide by BadMoodMan Records (Solitude Productions) on September the 13th, 2019.

Tracklist:

-(Y)our Warmth
-Glimpses and Fear
-Culmine 2:18
-Blind Snow
-My Burden
-The Ferryman
-Awakening

It was produced between September and December 2018, recorded by Francesco Genduso (ONDA, Plateau Sigma) and mixed and mastered by Greg Chandler (Priory Recording Studios, Esoteric), while the artwork was done by Costin Chioreanu (Arch Enemy, At The Gates, Enslaved, Leprous, Voivod, Primordial and many more).

It also features musical contribution from (EchO) good friends Nino Zuppardo, Manuel Vicari and Francesco Genduso from Plateau Sigma and Eduardo P. Ocampo from Mourning Sun.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/echoband.official
https://www.instagram.com/echodoom_official/
https://echodoom.bandcamp.com/