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Release Date: January 30th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl.
Near Falll - Tracklisting
1.Vimana Swamp 07:27
2.Black Weed 06:01
3.Ironbound 04:30
Near Fall Credits
Billy Konkel Guitar/Vocals
Brian Ricks Drums
Jerimy McNeil Bass (Black Weed/Ironbound)
Dan Giampietro Bass (Vimana Swamp)
HOT RAM (2026) Line-up
Billy Konkel - Guitar/Vocals
Jerimy McNeil - Bass
Dwayne Jones - Drums
Review
Near Fall is the latest EP from Stoner Metallers HOT RAM which contains a bevy of outstanding grooves from the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal world. There’s a heavy reliance of DOWN-TUNED and FUZZ METAL riffology inspired by the likes of High On Fire, The Melvins, Acid King and Black Sabbath, However, Near Fall has its own distinctive sound with HOT RAM playing a deliberate slow paced sound to maximise the full “VIOLENT” musical energy that only becomes seedier, heavier and more violent with each passing moment.
The EP only lasts for nineteen minutes across three superbly played tracks with HOT RAM even developing a delicious Blues Rock and Classic Hard Rock sound that is played to great levels of distorted melody within the standout opening track of Vimana Swamp. There’s a sudden shift to NOLA and Southern Metal on the later stages especially when Billy Konkel’s vocals adds a gloomy Americana and Post-Punk delivery which reminds me of the legendary Neil Fallon at times.
It’s good to see HOT RAM delivering a different slice of Stoner Metal within each individual track but including the classic WEEDIAN framework within both the lyrics and music that’s contained throughout. There are some moments when the Blues Rock and Psych Rock aspects have a grizzled and distorted effect which allows some classic Acid King / Melvins riff-worship to appear mostly on the tracks Black Weed and Ironbound.
HOT RAM employs a certain Prog Metal style to form behind the scenes with a free flowing style of Sludge Rock overlapping with that seedy Southern Metal landscape on different stages of the record. The music is always aggressive and beautifully LOUD which captures the classic era of Sludge/Stoner Metal down to a fine art.
It’s a shame the EP is only three tracks long as I was completely in my comfort zone before the EP suddenly ends but it’s always best leaving the audience wanting more. Let's hope a more substantial record isn’t too far behind as HOT RAM may have laid down the groundwork for a new exciting chapter of their careers with this EP.
This is first rate stuff. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo
Release Date: September 09th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
StormForged - Tracklisting
1.Aqua Tusk
2.Brother of the Storm
3.The Calm/The Fury
4.Hell-ene
Review
StormForged is the new EP from Southern Metallers Temptation’s Wings which offers four new tracks of classic HEAVY METAL riffage paired up with classic NOLA Metal energy which should appeal to fans of DOWN, Corrosion Of Conformity and Crowbar. The band add a great style of NWOBHM sounds to the EP with some fantastical lyrics that allows Temptation’s Wings to be quite PRIMAL and wholly AGGRESSIVE in the way they deliver their music.
Temptation’s WIngs are a super tight unit with a monstrous PROTO-METAL appetite being developed and played within the stunning opening track of Aqua Tusk. The Southern Metal influences are powerful, dynamic and played to perfection. The whole EP is full of classic Heavy Metal melodies and lyrics that veer slightly into “POWER METAL” domain but Temptation’s Wings have a great talent for keeping everything within the realm of Southern Metal and a haunting grounded vision at the same time.
Standout tracks are perhaps Brother Of The Storm and The Calm/The Fury with the band showing some fine Psychedelic energy within the instrumental passages and exquisite Heavy Metal melodies that you wouldn’t expect on an EP such as this. Sure, things can be over the top at times but it’s Temptation’s Wings talent for adding a sense of humanity and realism that makes this such an outstanding EP from start to finish.
StormForged is perhaps Temptation’s Wings best record in years and I hope they continue with this style of music especially with the stripped back production values that allows the band to have a more threatening, muscular and aggressive presence to their overall sound.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
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Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
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Release Date: July 18th 2025. Record Label: Hellbender Vinyl. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Natural Order - Tracklisting
1.It Hunts The Shadows
2.The Cosmic Egg
3.Assiduous Gnaw
4.Spine of Dusk
5.Tooth and Claw
6.The Liminal Flow
7.A Narrow Path
8.Pillar of Dawn
Members
Trevor Richards: Guitar
Allison Kacmar Richards: Bass
Mark Lyons: Drums
Review
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Release Date: April 11th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD
Mean Bone - Tracklisting
1.Darkness Wins 03:35
2.Crushing Burden of Despair 03:03
3.Murder in the White Barn 04:57
4.Primitive 03:54
5.Changeling 04:52
6.Ghost of Orphan James 04:26
7.Twisted Love 03:24
8.Gadarene Swine 05:11
9.Dunwich Farm 03:34
10.Flies, Mosquitoes, Rats, and Sparrows 05:33
11.Conclusions 03:57
12.Plight of the Planet 04:11
13.Ancient Ruins of the 21st Century 04:17
Members
Christopher Thomas Elliott - Everything
Review
Mean Bone is the latest sonic excursion of Doom Folk and Stoner Rock heavy grooves from one-man virtuoso Buzzard aka Christopher Thomas Elliott. The record feels like a protest and an essential call to arms to the crazed times happening within the United States Of America. Buzzard uses the creative weapons of Doom Metal and Stoner Metal at his disposal to get his essential message across which fuses Americana, Psych, Folk, Blues Rock, Grunge, Fuzz and Sludge for a record that feels more important than ever.
Imagine Neil Young fronting the likes of Saint Vitus, Trouble and Black Sabbath where you feel the creative intent that Buzzard ultimately strives for with Mean Bone. The lyrics take aim at the far right side of the political spectrum with real insight and highly articulate intelligence bringing themes such as AI, Religion, Political Ideology and the real evil of this GREED.
Christopher feels like he’s written a political thesis or downbeat political mission statement told through the power of Doom, Stoner and Folk Music. The music is semi-acoustic for the majority of the tracks and it’s quite sombre though Buzzard can be beautifully heavy that reminds me of Across Tundras at times.
The album has a loner attitude rebelling against the system on tracks such as Darkness Wins, Murder In The White Barn, Changeling and Ghost Of Orphan Jones that allows the first half of the album to quite therapeutic with the sudden transformation of AMERICANA to full on Doom/Stoner Rock rebellion.
The instrumental works are nothing short of technical brilliance with Christopher’s vocals giving a highly important political voice for a lost political generation. Buzzard even delves into Occult Rock imagery and Post-Punk attitude on the later stages of the record with the SHAMANIC attitude of Buzzard being very hard to describe. You can even hear moments of Space Rock and OTT fantasy themes which allows Mean Bone to be quite trippy and psychedelic as you can imagine.
Other standout tracks to check out are: Twisted Love, Dunwich Farm, “Flies, Mosquitoes, Rats and Sparrows” and Ancient Ruins Of The 21st Century where Buzzard adds a downbeat Apocalyptic attitude to end the album on quite a depressing ending. The music itself is quite revolutionary and forward thinking with Buzzard creating a whole original sound of his own making which could hopefully inspire or influence a whole generation of future musicians for years to come.
This is mind-blowing stuff and deserves to be heard by the biggest audience possible within the entire HARD ROCK and HEAVY METAL scene.
Words by Steve Howe
Release Date: May 02nd 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
Upon Whom The Last Light Descends II : Amnesia Island - Tracklisting
1.Concussion Dream 02:49
2.The End Of The Wide Awake Nightmare 04:04
3.Submerged By The Ghost Of A White Whale 15:22
4.The Doomsday Zealot Of Amnesia Island 04:08
5.Lysergic Liturgies Of A Schizo Messiah 02:29
6.D. I. E. Sect 08:53
7.The Science Of Slow Moving Monsters 06:52
8.Temple Of Thieves 05:16
Members:
Jason O'Donnell - Vocals, Guitar, Bass & Synth
Feederwire - Sound Design & Additional Guitars on Submerged...
Eric Plonka - Additional Guitars on Temple Of Thieves and D. I. E. Sect
Kellii Scott - Drums
Pete Grossmann - Synth on Submerged By The Ghost Of A White Whale
Review
Upon Whom The Last Light Descends II : Amnesia Island is the latest album from Progressive/Psych Doom Metallers BEWARE OF GODS and it’s beautifully weird as much as it is musically complex with the band creating a heavy and uncompromising style of music. BEWARE OF GODS is mainly the work of Jason O’Donnell who is joined on the record by the likes of Feederwire, Eric Plonka, Kellii Scott and Pete Grossmann on different parts of the album.
This has an experimental Post-Doom and Post-Metal theme at its creative core with foreboding Progressive instrumental passages that draw inspiration from the Industrial Rock/Metal world. There’s a mysterious Electronica and Sludgy guitar movement with Jason’s twisted vocals moving between clean vocals and harsh growls that come alive within the excellent second track The End Of The Wide Awake Nightmare. Surreal and nightmarish soundscapes blend Ambient textures and sullen heavy instrumental sounds that keep up with the Industrial and Electronic based sounds, glitches and beats that never feel out of place.
The standout track has to be the brilliantly titled third track Submerged By The Ghost Of A White Whale which feels inspired by the likes of NEUROSIS, ISIS and AUTHOR & PUNISHER. The Post-Doom surroundings transform into a progressive style of Post-Metal with massive amounts of gloomy Psychedelics allowing the band to align themselves closer to the DOOM & GLOOM world that TYPE O NEGATIVE made their names with. The song runs past the fifteen minutes mark with BEWARE OF GODS playing multiple different styles of Post-Doom and Sludge Metal where you can hear traces of Alt Metal and Grunge which I didn’t expect at all.
The rest of the album follows the same experimental narrative as Submerged By The Ghost Of A White Whale with moments of Post-Metal, Psych and Post-Doom methodology taking the record into heavier and twisted waters especially on tracks such as D.I.E. Sect and The Science Of Slow Moving Monsters.
Upon Whom The Last Light Descends II : Amnesia Island continues the bleak sonic vision that BEWARE OF GODS first started back in 2022 with their debut release Upon Whom The Last Light Descends PT I: I Am Named After Death. Both albums have similar themes and sounds to each other but both standout as highly original works with different stories to entice listeners with. You could consider both records different sides of the same coin with BEWARE OF GODS once again creating a complex, challenging and refreshing style of Post-Doom and Post-Metal that will haunt your very being for a long time to come.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe