Temple King - Temple King (Album Review)

Release Date: July 10th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Released. Formats: DD

Temple King - Tracklist

1.Necromancer 05:54

2.When Darkness Comes 04:28

3.The Sleeper Awakens 05:10

4.Goeita 08:54

5.Morgwar 03:20

6.War Messiah 05:56

7.Temple King 04:23

8.Barsoom 14:56

Members

LWV: Vocals, Guitar, and Synth

Samhain: Vocals, Guitar, and Bass

Ozzy (Oscar Clitheroe): Drums and Backing Vocals

Review

Temple King are a fairly new band who only formed back in January 2026 and they’ve already decided to release their debut album. Temple King plays a sludgy mix of Doom, Psych, Stoner, Heavy Metal and a vicious Desert Rock sound. The album has a lo-fi and stripped back flow appearing within the production and recording process the record ultimately contains. There’s a frenzied and distorted attitude that appears very early on within the record with opening tracks Necromancer and When Darkness Comes. 

The songs are perhaps more Doom/Sludge Metal with small outbursts of Stoner Rock/Metal attitude appearing but Temple King becomes more part of the WEEDIAN culture when everything is finished. It’s not the best sounding record but this allows Temple King to rely on pure BRUTE FORCE to get their music across with influences such as CONAN, ELECTRIC WIZARD and HIGH ON FIRE being used to great effect.

The LOW & SLOW and DISTORTED musical surroundings can be quite long drawn out with a slow-paced delivery that only adds to the menacing attitude of Temple King especially with the gruff, grizzled and muscular vocals that are provided by LWV, Samhain and Ozzy along the way. The music is a different story with Temple King drawing a wide range of different musical styles that will satisfy the most jaded of underground metal fans. Things can be quite grimy, seedy and with the amplified heaviness being too much to listen to at times which proves how Temple King knows how to write, form, play and deliver a violent FUZZY groove when you least expect it.

It’s also great to hear Temple King playing classic Heavy Metal and Doomed Out themes which adds a gloomy sense of scorched earth heaviness on tracks such as: The Sleeper Awakens, Goeita, War Messiah and the epic standout track of Barsoom. These tracks allow Temple King to forge new sounds powered by a great style of Prog Metal with a MASTODON element fully taking charge. You can still expect to hear some classic Heavy Metal and Stoner Metal sounds which results in some epic instrumental solos being played from everyone involved.

The rough and ready approach from Temple King gives this a highly undeniable charm which could come from the underground Rock/Metal scene. Temple King even adds some cool sounding Post-Doom and Synth heavy soundscapes amongst the frenzied atmospherics that fully sells their own great story from start to finish. 

This is a deliriously warped and fuzzed up musical adventure with Temple King never being afraid of being absolutely outrageous on certain sections of the record whilst also conjuring up superb riffs that you can’t help but violently head-bang to in absolute full agreement.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

YAAK - YAAK (EP Review)

Release Date: January 01st 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

YAAK - Tracklisting

1.The Witch 06:12

2.Sing me to sleep 04:07

3.Parasites 05:07

4.WAR WAR WAR 03:34

5.Surrounded 05:39

Members

Arni Lundberg - vocals

Daniel Grzegorczyk - guitar

Przemysław Gomuła - guitar, backing vocals

Zuza Klauda - bass

Miłosz Czerwonka - drums

Review

Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers YAAK release their self-titled EP which features a sludgy aspect of Punk Rock into the mix. The record starts with an outlandish attitude with the music having a weird stop/start aspect and the vocals moving from clean vocals to harsh DEATH based growls. I will admit the whole sound does take a few moments to fully get used to especially within the opening track The Witch. I even expected a straightforward style of Doom/Stoner Metal with YAAK coming from the infamous Polish underground metal scene. 

So it’s to YAAK’s credit for delivering their own great blend of music to release as their debut EP. Their record does have a twisted DESERT METAL sound which allows the band to move between the more extreme aspects of the underground STONER scene. There’s some great levels of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION and FUZZY REVERB along the way with YAAK offering a demented audio experience along the way.

YAAK take influence from the likes of WEEDEATER, BONGZILLA, HIGH ON FIRE, KYUSS and FU MANCHU when the blackened Desert Rock themes fully start to arrive within the excellent second track of Sing Me To Sleep, though only if KYUSS or FU MANCHU sold their souls to LUCIFER themselves. It’s an intriguing concept and YAAK fully sells that premise superbly well and to the best of their ability.

The remaining three tracks of the EP allows YAAK to travel further along the Stoner Metal highway with deafening levels of deceptive BLACKENED FUZZ and DOOM METAL only amplifying their overall sound. The vocals become even more pissed off on tracks such as Parasites and WAR WAR WAR. The production values are great for the most part with a few raw sounding moments but I feel those aspects are intentional to allow YAAK to hammer home the heaviest and aggressive grooves for the listener to fully experience. 

YAAK’s debut EP  is a wicked interpretation of the modern Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene that does want me to hear more as when the band focuses on a more riff-centric sound they play some truly great sounds of their own making.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram