BORRACHO - Eternos (EP Review)

Release Date: February 20th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Eternos. - Tracklisting

Fang (Spirit Caravan) — in memory of Dave Sherman

Keep On Shoveling (Foghound) — in memory of Rev. Jim Forrester

Twenty Nine (Karma to Burn) — in memory of Will Mecum

Damyata (The Hidden Hand) — in memory of Bruce Falkinburg

A Heart Without a Home (The Hellacopters) — in memory of Robert “Strings” Dahlqvist

Members

Steve - Guitars, synths, keys & vocals

Mario - Drums & percussion

Tim - Bass & backing vocals

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers BORRACHO release their latest record Eternos which is a covers EP where the band pay homage honoring five beloved friends and musical influences who have passed on over the years. This is a great collection of tracks honouring Dave Sherman (Spirit Caravan), Rev. Jim Forrester (Foghound), Will Mecum (Karma To Burn), Bruce Falkinburg (The Hidden Hand) and Robert “Strings” Dahlqvist (The Hellacopters). BORRACHO bring their legendary style of Streetwise Doom/Stoner Metal to some classic tracks whilst remaining true to the original versions.

Sometimes the sound is more aggressive, heavier and more sludge obsessed compared to the originals especially with the excellent vocals as well. However, BORRACHO pulled off a masterclass performance on all of the tracks especially on Fang, Keep On Shovelling and Twenty Nine. The music is superbly contained with BORRACHO allowing each of the individual tracks to have their own sound and feel which perfectly captures the bands that they’re paying huge respect to with Damyata and A Heart Without A Home being actual new tracks that I haven’t had much experiences with. Though, I can see why the guys have picked these tracks. 

Eternos has excellent production values throughout with BORRACHO maintaining that seedy underground style which has served them well throughout their own epic career. After delivering a standout album in 2025 with OUROBOROS, it’s good to see the band trying something different with Eternos whilst giving something back to the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

BORRACHO links

Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Exclusive Premiere Of Doom/Stoner Metallers BORRACHO Stunning New EP: ETERNOS: A Tribute EP Celebrating Fallen Brothers of the Underground

Washington, D.C. — Veteran heavy rock trio Borracho is proud to announce the release of Eternos, a deeply personal EP of cover songs honoring five beloved friends and musical influences who have passed on, out February 19, 2026. The first single, “A Heart Without a Home,” is out now, with preorders and early access available at borracho.bandcamp.com.

Borracho — stalwarts of the stoner/doom and heavy rock scene who released one of Doom Charts 2025 top 15 records Ouroboros in August — take a heartfelt approach on Eternos, transforming five hand picked tracks into a collective tribute rooted in reverence, memory, and shared passion.

“These guys weren’t just friends, they were individuals we looked up to and inspired us.” writes the band in the Eternos liner notes. “We decided that the best way to pay homage to them is to let the music do the talking. So let’s all raise a glass and celebrate their contribution to the cosmos. And while these giants have left this plane their music is eternal.”

The five carefully curated tracks on Eternos are each dedicated to the memory of a departed artist whose work shaped the band’s musical journey:

Fang (Spirit Caravan) — in memory of Dave Sherman
Keep On Shoveling (Foghound) — in memory of Rev. Jim Forrester
Twenty Nine (Karma to Burn) — in memory of Will Mecum
Damyata (The Hidden Hand) — in memory of Bruce Falkinburg
A Heart Without a Home (The Hellacopters) — in memory of Robert “Strings” Dahlqvist

Eternos will be available worldwide across all streaming platforms, digital download, and in CD format. Preorders are now open via Borracho’s Bandcamp page (borracho.bandcamp.com).

However, thanks to the amazing BORRACHO, you can hear the whole record in full with this exclusive premiere.

Don’t miss Borracho on the road supporting the new record on the east and west coasts, including appearances at the Mojave Experience and Knights of Doom festivals.

Feb 21 - Lucky 13 Saloon, Brooklyn NY w/ Sun Voyager, Guts & The Crooked Skulls (EP Release show)
March 11 - Metro Gallery, Baltimore MD w/ The Obsessed & Foghound
March 18 - The Escondite, Los Angeles CA w/ Sonic Blossoms
March 19 - Tower Bar, San Diego CA, w/ Nebula Drag & Space Wax
March 20 - Mojave Gold, Yucca Valley CA for Mojave Experience
June 21 - Cafe 611, Frederick MD for Knights of Doom

BORRACHO links

Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to BORRACHO for all of the details.

BORRACHO - Ouroboros (Album Review)

Release Date: August 08th 2025. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Ouroboros - Tracklisting

1. Vegas Baby

2. Succubus

3. Lord of Suffering

4. Vale of Tears

5. Machine is the Master

6. Freakshow

7. Broken Man

Members

Steve - Guitars, synths, keys & vocals

Mario - Drums & percussion

Tim - Bass & backing vocals

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Borracho have hit a rich vein of creative form for their last few records and that shows no sign of stopping or slowing down with their viciously dark new album Ouroboros. The record still sees the band hitting upon dark and politically charged themes but this is their most “fun” and “riffiest” record in years. The band take a small step back from the heavy Psychedelic sounds of their last album Blurring The Lines Of Reality and focus upon a classic Doom Rock and Fuzz Rock sound.

There are moments of Classic Hard Rock vying for musical domination here which comes across within the opening track of Vegas Baby which shows Borracho’s sense of demented fun whilst showing some cool personal lyrics along the way. Steve’s vocals and gloomy guitars are commanding as ever with Mario excelling on Drums and Tim providing a muscular bass sound that has echoes of Black Sabbath, Truckfighters and FU MANCHU along the way.

Ouroboros becomes a FUZZ ROCK and SURREAL musical odyssey throughout the sublime second track of Succubus which embraces a Post-Doom and Occult Rock mentality with strands of Psychedelic Sludge Rock dynamics which goes into full overdrive within the first few moments. There is a desolate style of dystopian Americana running through the vocals superbly delivered by Steve and Tim. This is one of the gloomiest sounding numbers on the number with a highly inspired take on ELECTRIC WIZARD bleak riffology appearing throughout. With a shift into Grunge, NOLA and SWAMP Metal atmospherics in the second half, this is my favourite track on the whole album. As it’s quite a diverse number with Borracho thinking outside of the box and creating stunning aggressive grooves leave you wanting to hear more.

Third track Lord Of Suffering is another Post-Doom, Psych Rock and Proto-Metal offering with a classic BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and THE OBSESSED influence being heard from the very start. The vocals from Steve and Tim can be quite PUNK ROCK obsessive at the best of times which gives this song a LESS IS MORE approach with how the music is ultimately played and delivered. Borracho are being quite rebellious here with the switching of Sludge Rock vibes  to Doomed Out melodies that brings a free-flowing style of Blues Rock and Desert Rock to the party. 

Fourth track Vale Of Tears is the shortest track on the album running under three minutes with Borracho playing a Blues Rock driven instrumental number which is quite slow-paced for the start before a loud vortex of Stoner Metal riffs burst right through and transforms into a heavy SWAMP METAL delivery. The song then changes once more into a meditative Blues Rock swagger before bringing one final round of heavy RAWK to close the song on a sublime finish.

The final stages of Ouroboros keeps up with the DOOM & GLOOM attitude that Borracho has conjured up throughout with some hard hitting themes appearing within the final tracks of Machine Is the Master, Freakshow and Broken Man. When the band hit upon topical and social themes then you begin to realize how great BORRACHO actually are by incorporating real life politics into their music whilst keeping up with the whole WEEDIAN soundscape they project here especially on Machine Is The Master and Broken Man.

Ouroboros is another exciting chapter from one of the scene’s most uncompromising bands with BORRACHO once again showing their true worth to the scene and who should now be considered one of the greats of the modern day Doom/Stoner Metal movement. BORRACHO have the power of RIPPLE MUSIC behind them for this great album and that's all you need to know at how richly observed and sublime the album sounds within the production side of things. As RIPPLE MUSIC always delivers the goods and OUROBOROS is no different.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

BORRACHO links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

RIPPLE MUSIC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Doom/Stoner Rockers BORRACHO Premiere New Song/Video For SUCCUBUS From Upcoming Album OUROBOROS

Stoner Rockers Borracho are set to deliver yet another sonic journey with the release of the upcoming LP Ouroboros. Thematically, as the title suggests, the band’s sixth album explores the ancient alchemist concept of continuous transformation as applied to contemporary social ills. Track by track, Borracho take up consequential issues like mental illness, authoritarian brutality, automation, and the corruption of culture and paint a picture of humanity eating itself. And luckily for everyone, these tales are told with the kind of blistering, face-melting riffs the band has become known for. After the last two albums’ musical exploration into psychedelia, on Ouroboros, Borracho are saying it's time to rock!

Thanks to the great folks over at Purple Sage PR and Ripple Music we're beyond excited to premiere the new song/video for SUCCUBUS which you can watch below:

Ouroboros" was produced by Borracho and Frank “The Punisher” Marchand, and recorded and mixed by Frank at Waterford Digital in Pasadena, MD. Mastered by Kent Stump at Crystal Clear Sound.

New album "Ouroboros" - Out August 8th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

The Lowdown

BORRACHO is a veteran heavy rock trio from Washington, D.C. Over 15 years of consistently strong releases and live appearances have solidified the band as a staple of the stoner/doom scene and earned them a large international following. With five critically acclaimed LPs, a compilation of non-album releases, and numerous single and split releases, the band has sold thousands of records all over the word, and shared stages with some of the genre’s most popular and influential acts.

BORRACHO is

Steve - Guitars, synths, keys & vocals
Mario - Drums & percussion
Tim - Bass & backing vocals

BORRACHO links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

RIPPLE MUSIC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

US Heavy Rock Machine BORRACHO to release new album "Ouroboros" on August 8th via Ripple Music. Stream "Vegas, Baby" video now!

Washington, DC heavy rock stalwarts BORRACHO return with their sixth album "Ouroboros" on Ripple Music this summer, and unleash a first track with the fierce and fuzz-laden "Vegas, Baby" video today!

Watch Borracho's blast forth with new video Vegas, Baby 

In 2025, Borracho are set to deliver yet another sonic journey with the release of their upcoming sixth studio album LP "Ouroboros". This new offering from the mighty trio explores the ancient alchemist concept of continuous transformation as applied to contemporary social ills. Track by track, Borracho take up consequential issues like mental illness, authoritarian brutality, automation, and the corruption of culture and paint a picture of humanity eating itself. And luckily for everyone, these tales are told with the kind of blistering, face-melting riffs the band has become known for. After the last two albums’ musical exploration into psychedelia, on "Ouroboros", Borracho are saying it's time to rock.

About the new single "Vegas, Baby", the band comments: "Sin City could only be created by America. Where else is there a place dedicated to fostering addiction? Addiction to gambling and sex for hire but also to the very American materialistic lifestyle make people want to risk it all for a shot at the American Dream. But the house always wins. Inspired by our trip to Vegas last year, I observed so many different aspects of the human condition. So I decided to write the story of someone who wins big and lets it go to his head, because of his arrogance, he ends up losing everything and winds up on the street having to sell his body. It’s really a story of arrogance, ego and downfall."

"Ouroboros" was produced by Borracho and Frank “The Punisher” Marchand, and recorded and mixed by Frank at Waterford Digital in Pasadena, MD. Mastered by Kent Stump at Crystal Clear Sound.

New album "Ouroboros" - Out August 8th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

BORRACHO is a veteran heavy rock trio from Washington, D.C. Over 15 years of consistently strong releases and live appearances have solidified the band as a staple of the stoner/doom scene and earned them a large international following. With five critically acclaimed LPs, a compilation of non-album releases, and numerous single and split releases, the band has sold thousands of records all over the word, and shared stages with some of the genre’s most popular and influential acts.

BORRACHO is

Steve - Guitars, synths, keys & vocals
Mario - Drums & percussion
Tim - Bass & backing vocals

BORRACHO links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

RIPPLE MUSIC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Mario Trubiano from Doom/Stoner Metal Heavyweights BORRACHO - Favourite Albums Of 2023

Mario Trubiano from Doom/Stoner Metal Heavyweights BORRACHO chooses his Favourite Albums Of The Year. BORRACHO have released one of my favourite albums of the year with their latest release Blurring The Lines of Reality.

Check out Mario's awesome selection of great albums below:

Dozer - Drifting In The Endless Void

Howling Giant - Glass Future

Gozu - Remedy

Hippie Death Cult - Helichrysum

Fire Down Below - Low Desert Surf Club

Blackwulf - Thieves And Liars

Formula 400 - Divination

Kind - Close Encounters

Danava - Nothing But Nothing

Golden Grass - Life Is Much Stranger

Church of Misery - Born Under A Mad Sign

Saint Karloff - Paleolithic War Crimes

Black Rainbows - Superskull

Thunder Horse - After The Fall

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Borracho - Blurring The Lines Of Reality (Album Review)

Release Date: August 18th 2023. Record Label: Kozmik Artifactz. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Blurring The Lines Of Reality: Tracklisting

Architects Of Chaos I

Architects Of Chaos II

Architects Of Chaos III

Loaded

The Great War

Burning The Goddess

Members

Steve - Lead Guitar/Vocals

Tim - Bass

Mario - Drums

Review:

Blurring The Lines Of Reality is the new album from Washington DC based Doom/Stoner Metal heavyweights Borracho and it's a less politically charged record compared to their 2021 album Pound Of Flesh though there are subtle hints of political themes on the album. The album is more WEEDIAN based compared to their other albums and even with a more Psychedelic sound allowing Borracho to hit similar grooves to bands such as WO FAT, Monster Magnet and FU MANCHU. 

Borracho open the the album with a three part song called Architects Of Chaos I, Architects Of Chaos II and Architects Of Chaos III with the band playing their usual bombastic style of Doom/Stoner Metal with grounded levels of FUZZ ROCK though it's the Trippy Eastern sounds that impressed me the most which is brought to life on the excellent first track- Architects Of Chaos I. Borracho haven't played that style of music much but it's a more surreal style of Desert/Stoner Rock with shades of vintage 90's based Stoner/Spaced Out Psychedelics appearing more and more on tracks Architects Of Chaos II and Architects Of Chaos III. The instrumental work is excellent with the band fusing extended gloomy jams with hard hitting social commentary that comes through the kick-ass vocals throughout this part of the album.

The tone of the album does become more atmospheric with Borracho playing with a more free-flowing narrative especially on the excellent instrumental offering on the first half of Architects Of Chaos II. Borracho move further into the Post-Stoner or Post-Doom abyss with sludgy guitars having a more daring sound but it's business as usual on the second half of the track with the biting social commentary contained within the lyrics. Though, that doesn't delve away from the classic sounding guitar solos that make up this great track. 

Architects Of Chaos III operates with a more Drone Rock appetite especially with the vocals being more Shaman based. However, the music is still the great style of Psychedelic and Droned out sounds that Borracho are pure masters at. 

The final three songs of the album Loaded, The Great War and Burning The Goddess do become more fantastical narratively speaking but Borracho know how to whip up a crazed frenzy with epic Doom/Stoner instrumental jams yet again that defy the rules of the genre. There's a healthy destructive appetite for AMPLIFIER DISTORTION on this part of the album with The Great War and Burning The Goddess perhaps being my favourite parts of the album. There's an understated Blues Rock/Metal sound on this record which comes shining through mostly on Loaded. If you're a fan of free-flowing Space Rock and Psychedelic movements then Borracho also have you covered on that angle within The Great War with the superb vocals impressing yet again.

With richly observed production values, Borracho are ON FIRE with this release that allows Blurring The Lines Of Reality to be one of Borracho's hippest and freshest albums to date. Sounding vastly different to Pound Of Flesh with Borracho once again changing their musical style and creative direction for the better. The record oozes style from every angle with a non-stop journey of epic progressive grooves that once again cements Borracho as one of the most original and brilliantly entertaining bands within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene.

This is another AOTY contender from Borracho which they've been doing with every album that they've released. So expect nothing but the best from Borracho. And on that score, Blurring The Lines Of Reality delivers that from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the promo.

BLurring The Lines Of Reality will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Kozmik Artifactz from August 18th 2023.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

DC Heavyweights BORRACHO Return with New Single and Highly Anticipated Album BLURRING THE LINES OF REALITY

The revered heavy rock trio will unleash their fifth full-length studio album on 18th August 2023 on underground label, Kozmik Artifactz!

This Summer, Washington DC’s steadfast heavyweight stalwarts Borracho return to shake up the underground and blur your reality.

 

Creating a sonic tapestry that transcend boundaries, the band combines elements of classic, doom, and progressive rock to form a signature sound that has resonated with fans since their formation over fifteen years ago.

 

Drawing on influences spanning decades, they combine soaring musicality with subterranean propulsion, encompassing the hard-driven strut of bands like Black Sabbath and Mountain, stoner jams of Clutch and Fu Manchu, and the unmistakable energetic sensibilities of Mastodon and High on Fire.

 

Adding to an already impressive discography, their highly anticipated fifth studio album – Blurring the Lines of Reality – will get an official release this August on German label, Kozmik Artifactz, and cement their rightful place at the centre of the US underground stoner rock scene.

 

"We couldn't be more excited about the release. It really pulls together so many elements of our sound and reflects the emotions and challenges of the period it was written during a global pandemic. We think we’ve crafted a truly immersive and powerful listening experience that fans, and newcomers will really enjoy," explains drummer, Mario Trubiano.

 

Their lead single, ‘Architects of Chaos I’, is the first of three connected tracks that make up an entire side of the album. Full of Eastern influence the song unfolds into a dissection of the socio-political issues that have shaped the world we live in. A theme that carries through much of the album. One of the ways the band indulged in this exploration was by using AI in the creation of both the album art and the video for the single. As you’ll see, technology is both powerful and scary in equal measure, highlighting the potential for its use and its misuse.

 

Borracho's Blurring the Lines of Reality will be officially released on 18th August 2023 on Kozmik Artifactz.

 

Watch their AI generated video for new single 'Architects of Chaos I' below

BORRACHO:

Steve Fisher – Guitar, Vocals
Mario Trubiano – Drums, Percussion
Tim Martin – Bass, Backing Vocals

DISCOGRAPHY:

Pound of Flesh (Album, Kozmik Artifactz) 2021
Riffography (Compilation, Ripple Music/Kozmik Artifactz) 2017
Atacama (Album, Kozmik Artifactz) 2016
The Second Coming of Heavy, Vol. 1 (Split Album, Ripple Music) 2015
Oculus (Album, Strange Magic Records/No Balls Records, AM Records) 2013
Splitting Sky (Album, No Balls Records/Cursed Tongue Records) 2011

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Borracho on Facebook – facebook.com/BorrachoDC
Instagram – instagram.com/borrachomusic
Bandcamp – borracho.bandcamp.com
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Borracho_DC

Kozmik Artifactz on Bandcamp – kozmik-artifactz.bandcamp.com
Facebook – facebook.com/kozmikartifactz
Instagram – instagram.com/kozmikartifactz

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for all of the details.

Borracho - Pound Of Flesh (Album Review)

Release Date: August 06th 2021. Record Label: Kozmik Artifactz. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Pound Of Flesh - Tracklisting

1.Holy Roller

2.It Came From the Sky 06:26

3.Caravan

4.Dreamer

5.Judgement Day

6.Dirty Money

7.Year of the Swine

8.Burn it Down

9.Foaming at the Mouth

Members:

Steve - Lead Guitar & Vocals

Tim - Bass

Mario - Drums

Review

Washington, DC based Stoner Rockers Borracho return with their 4th album Pound Of Flesh and they take aim at global politics in a big way this release. It may make for uncomfortable listening at times but Borracho, make sure you’ll take notice and listen. Though this done in such an addictive way with the band playing their nonstop style of Fuzz driven Psychedelic Stoner Metal with a funkier rhythm compared to their previous albums.

Borracho excel on all levels with this album with political commentary bang-on point but with the music keeping in with the rules of Desert Rock, Fuzz Rock and Psych Stoner Metal. The album clocks in at near 55 minutes and the album can be quite experimental. It may seem like your usual Borracho album but listen deep enough and the band change creative musical course with snippets of Blues Rock and Soul Music towards the end of the record.

The opening two tracks - Holy Roller and It Came From The Sky - are classic sounding Borracho grooves with political themes coming through. Most folks will be here for the music and Borracho doesn't disappoint with their flamboyant style of hard-hitting Stoner Metal grooves and boisterous vocals to match. There is a delicious FUZZ ROCK energy on this record not heard since their acclaimed debut album Splitting Sky.

Pound Of Flesh is the type of album that allows Borracho to pay respects to their own creative musical pasts whilst embracing a more aggressive stance but still writing fantastic songs that all have a lot to say. Take 3rd song Caravan for example. A song that perhaps falls into the Progressive Rock category and is more experimental that we’ve heard from the band. The vocals and lyrics are major highlights with Borracho still bringing an element of fun to their music.

The second half of the album is where Borracho go “off the range” and explore their more experimental side with touches of Blues Rock, Sound Effects and Soundclips being added. The following songs are perhaps some of the best material that Borracho have written to date: Dirty Money, Burning Down, Year Of The Swine and Foaming At The Mouth.

Some of it plays quite uncomfortable when you first listen to the album. I loved every twisted minute of this and it was good seeing Borracho being more daring with their music whilst offering memorable high quality Stoner grooves.

Is this their best album. That’s hard to say at this point but it’s up there with Atacama. Pound Of Flesh is a wonderfully made album. Top-notch production values which perhaps allow this album to be the best that Borracho have sounded to date.

What we do have here though is another “Album Of The Year” contender and Pound Of Flesh will no doubt end up with similar plaudits within the Stoner Metal community.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Kozmik Artifactz for the promo.

Pound of Flesh is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Kozmik Artifactz from Friday August 06th 2021.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Getting Their Pound Of Flesh - An Interview With BORRACHO

USA Stoner Metallers Borracho return with their new album POUND OF FLESH this Friday and as the title suggests, Borracho mean business and are willing to take a pound of flesh from the USA and Global Political Scene. 

The band formed in 2007 and features the same core members of Tim, Mario and Steve. This highly dedicated Power-Trio have impressed with each album but Pound Of Flesh (their 4th album) is their most aggressive, boldest and funkiest album to date.

I last interviewed the band back in 2017 and it was good catching up with them to discuss the making of the album. 

Read on for more about the making of the album and how the guys have been coping during the Global Pandemic.

Hi Borracho. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you today.

Everything is cool here, Steve, thanks. Trying to get back to normal. Hope things are going OK over in the UK

We may as well get down straight to business with your brilliant new album - Pound Of Flesh. What people can expect from this album.

This record by and large is a rocker. It’s got a good amount of energy throughout, but we do get a chance to touch on a bit of ground over its course. A lot of it was written while Mario was living in Peru, and we would get together every couple of months to jam and write. So each song had a spontaneity to it, but we also got to live with them and fine tune them over time. Lyrically it’s very much in response to the period we were living in, and is probably the most directly political of any of our albums.

I have to say on this record, you guys aren't FUCKING AROUND on this one. This is quite a bold and politically charged album. Your last album had a few Political Overtones but this one feels like it's ready to explode. Was this an easy decision to make.

Pound of Flesh is definitely continuing in a direction we were exploring on Atacama and there’s no question the completely fucked up environment we were writing in helped amplify or, in a sense, make more critical, the ideas we wanted to get across. Maybe we’re holding up a mirror to our society and saying “see what you are?” but more so we’re just expressing ourselves honestly about what’s going on. It’s not a protest record but it is definitely calling out a bunch of bullshit. Borracho doesn’t really hold punches.

I feel a few folks from the Doom/Stoner Metal community might be upset or uncomfortable listening to this album. Are you guys ready for criticism from long-time fans of the band and how will you deal with that.

We aren’t really overly concerned about that. We hold our principles, and feel absolutely confident in how we express that in our music. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and we have ours. But mainly, we let the riffs do the talking.

Did you start making this album during the Pandemic or before the Pandemic. I felt this album was a direct reference to the Donald Trump Presidency and what came during his presidency and what is coming after that. Though there's a lot of other politically charged references that's perhaps being going on everywhere but America for the last 100 years or so, Or have I looked way too much in to the album.

Almost all of the music, lyrics and vocals were written and recorded before the pandemic hit. That period was just headscratchingly stupid and yes, we felt compelled to address it. But to be fair, we were singing about this stuff back in 2016 before Trump was even elected. The political industrial complex in the US and around the world is rigged in a way that there’s no getting out of. So we try to cleverly point these things out in response to what we see.

Did you guys know you had a powerful and politically charged album on your hands before you started recording this.

Most of the music of the album was written before any lyrics were added, but It Came From the Sky is a track we had completed and performed live before we recorded it. But I think once we get going on a theme, the ideas just build upon each other, and the politically charged vibes just kept growing. Let’s face it, there’s no lack of inspiration out there.

Though the album does contain the usual Borracho style of Heavy Stoner Riffs but with a more a funky and blues based experimental vibe. Compared against your previous records, Felt like a soulful blues rock revival in places. Was that part of the original plan as well.

We have always had the approach of writing what we like to play, and not trying to be confined by our history or any expectations. So I think it’s another facet of our jamminess that came through in places. Including some swing in there helps keep the songs energetic and grooving. But going back 10 years to Splitting Sky, we got plenty of reviews that characterized some of our sound as being Southern Metal, or having an Allman Brothers vibe, so I’d say it’s been a facet of our sound since the beginning.

Was this a hard album to write and record for. Especially during COVID-19 still being around us all.

We got hung up in the recording process right before we were about to finish vocals and start mixing in March 2020. It was October before we made it back to the studio to finish recording vocals, and December before we completed mixing and mastering. So logistical and public health concerns delayed things for more than a year, and the scheduling delays at the vinyl pressing plants delayed it even longer. But we’ve been around a long time, and tried to be zen about it and took it in stride. We’re excited things are opening up now that the record is coming out, and trying to focus on the return to the stage.

What influenced or inspired you when making this album.

I think musically we pretty much wear our influences on our sleeves. No one would argue that Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Mountain, and loads of the original heavy classics are absolute inspirations. It sounds corny but musically I don’t make a conscious effort to go in any one direction. I don’t really know how to explain it but the riffs just seem to come out of nowhere. We go into rehearsal, plug in and my hands just start playing something that I’ve never thought about. Must be the cosmos, man.

Lyrically we’re training a very skeptical eye on what we see. A lot of the lyrics were written while watching the news. I really don’t know how to write about things that don’t have an impact on me. Maybe on previous records it was okay to do one or two tunes on social issues and sort of keep focusing on more of the fantasy imagery stoner rock and doom is better known for. Now, that’s impossible. Reality is so fantastically fucked up that there’s no need to make it up, you just comment on what’s around you in the present. Some of the sound effects added to this record are actual politicians making actual political statements in real time. That’s not so much an inspiration as something to react to but it does get the job done.

After everything is back to some sort of normality. What does the future hold for the band. Will you be touring the record if possible?

We’re just about to start playing shows again in August, and are starting to look at more further out. But we’re still a bit cautious about booking given the ongoing volatility with COVID. But the plan is to try to resume a normal gigging schedule and play these songs wherever they’ll take us.

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

A bit of all of those, really. I think where and when we play will matter. Our first show back is at an outdoor festival with strict COVID precautions being enforced, and we feel pretty comfortable with that. Small venues with packed crowds are going to take some getting used to again.

Kozmik Artifactz are releasing the new album again like they did with your last studio album, Though you worked with Ripple Music a few years back as well, I thought Ripple Music would release this album instead of Kozmik Artifactz. Or was Kozmik the only choice for you guys,

We’ve had a great relationship with KA for years and really just went straight to them with this one. Kai was so stoked to hear the early mixes and was on board minute one. Before even starting to think about art or packaging, we always know it’s going to be a great product, and they really position us well with the European audience, who have been key for us since the first record.

What was the label's verdict when they first heard the album, Did they ask you to make any changes to the record.

When we first sent over the early mixes a couple songs still didn’t have vocals, but they absolutely gave us full creative license on this record. From the music to the art. They really are amazing to work with, even through all of the COVID challenges.

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

Mainly we just want to thank everyone who has supported us over the past year and a half. We appreciate every fan who picked up some records or merch, the bloggers and podcasters who have shared our music with their audiences, and our brothers and sisters in arms from bands around the world who have kept pushing forward despite all the challenges. We can’t wait for you all to hear the record. And, get vaccinated! YouTube conspiracy theories are not real. Science is. Cheers and heavy jams to you all!.

Words by Steve Howe and Borracho

Thanks to Borracho for doing this interview.

Pound of Flesh is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Kozmik Artifactz from Friday August 06th 2021.

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