Fuzz Evil - Smear Merchants (Album Review)

Release Date: March 21st 2025. Record Label: Desert Records. Formats: CD/DD

Smear Merchants - Tracklisting

1.The Fraile Mourning of Eternity 00:16

2.Wanderer's Wake 04:54

3.Doomsayer's Lament 02:23

4.The Juice is Loosh 04:56

5.Sermons of the Defiant 01:50

6.Smear Merchants 06:15

7.Progression of the Black Sun 08:02

8.Under the Starlit Grave 04:30

9.How to Vibe Alone 07:01

10.Whispers from the Abyss 05:11

Members

Vocals/Guitar: Wayne Rudell: 

Bass: Joseph Rudell 

Baritone Guitars: Preston Jennings 

Drums: Cajun Adams

Review

Doom/Stoner Rockers Fuzz Evil always embraced the “FUZZ” part of their name with only slight and brief excursions into the “EVIL” part of their name. However, that creative stance has changed with their new album Smear Merchants with the band a fully fledged four piece with Cajun Adams being added to drums. Smear Merchants is a gloomy and angst based journey into Fuzz Evil’s psyche where the melodic harmonies of their previous albums being replaced by an obsessive Black ‘N’ Roll sound that still allows Fuzz Evil to be part of the ever growing fabric of the Stoner Rock/Metal scene.

There’s an evil aspect that comes shining throughout Fuzz Evil’s music with some certain commercial poppier aspects being possessed by an evil spirit with some catchy vocals and no-fucks-given based lyrics thats used superbly on early tracks such as Wanderer’s Wake, Doomsayer’s Lament and The Juice Is Loosh. Fuzz Evil don’t lose sight of their offbeat humour which made their earlier albums such an absolute blast to listen to. 

Smear Merchants has harsh vocals, sludge metal grooves and distorted passages which I never thought I would hear from the band. This record feels like it’s been conjured by Fuzz Evil making a deal with the devil as they project some gloomy atmospherics that taps right into the 1970’s Occult Horror scene at times which feels inspired by Electric Wizard and dare I say Mastodon at times with the progressive sludge angle that appears.

This does feel like early-era QOTSA jamming with Black Sabbath especially with the more riff-fuelled parts of the album on Doomsayer’s Lament and The Juice Is Loosh. There is a deep sense of fear, dread and paranoia being included on the record which only adds the devilish sense of fun that Fuzz Evil brings to their overall sound. 

The vocals are handled primarily by lead singer/guitarist Wayne Ruddell and he’s superbly backed up by his brother Joseph Rudell who handles bass duties. However, the added inclusion of Cajun Adams on drums is the real surprise as he adds a violent and disruptive influence to Fuzz Evil’s music with his wonderful harsh growls and primal drumming.

He’s given Fuzz Evil a more muscular and progressive energy that becomes ever more domineering as times goes on especially on tracks such as: Smear Merchants, Progression Of The Black Sun and How To Vibe Alone being some of the heaviest and meanest tracks on the whole album. Plus I have to give credit to Preston Jennings (Guitars) as he adds some epic Psychedelic and Space Rock textures that showcase a fine style of cinematic storytelling to the album.

However, Fuzz Evil still offer plenty of moments where they relive their early formative years and play a classic style of Hard Rock, Stoner Rock and Fuzz Rock before it’s transformed into their new found style of nightmare fuel and I mean that as a huge compliment. 

Smear Merchants is without doubt Fuzz Evil’s best record to date though it could be hard sell for some of their established fanbase to embrace their new found style of Doom Metal creative energy. However,  that could be offset by the band gaining a potentially bigger audience with this record allowing them a chance to join the ranks of Doom Metal Overlords in the years to come. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Smear Merchants is available to buy on CD/DD via Desert Records.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Brand new Drone Metal band, DRONI EYE OMI to release debut album ‘Liminal Mass’ via Desert Records on March 7th, 2025

Photo by S. Seibert

Two guitars, one from Brad Frye (Red Mesa and Desert Records founder) and a second one from Ronaldo Baca (renowned New Mexican gypsy jazz band Swing Magique and flamemco guitarist) bring you a dense electric guitar drone mixed with psych and space minimalism, and meditative heaviness.

However, desert/stoner rock or gypsy jazz/flameco this is not!!

This is true drone and minimalism inspired by Lamonte Young's "Composition 1960 No. 7" and Earth's "Earth 2"

Droni Eye Omi take these influences as a base starting point and send them straight into the cosmos.

“The band name came from a text between myself and Michael DiMartino of Fowl Sounds. We were conceptualizing a drone pedal for guitar/bass (coming soon?) and he sent me two words: Droni Iommi. I laughed and said that would be a perfect name for a drone band. Well, a few months later I pitched this meditative drone project to Ronaldo Baca, and we got together and immediately found a connection with this style of music. The album was done live, all in one take. We recorded ourselves with a ton of mics on many amps with a psychedelic digital light show projecting on us. Enjoy melting your brains on this music.” -Brad Frye

Album cover by Diogo Soares

Links

Facebook | Instagram | BandCamp

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for all of the details.

Legends of the Desert: Volume 4 featuring Eagle Twin & The Otolith (Album Review)

Release Date: September 20th 2024. Record Label: Desert Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Legends of the Desert: Volume 4 featuring Eagle Twin & The Otolith - Track Listing:

1. Eagle Twin - Horn Vs. Halo 11:39 video

2. Eagle Twin - Qasida of The Dark Doves 08:28

3. The Otolith - Crossway 08:53

4. The Otolith - Phosphene Dream 10:49

Review

Legends of the Desert: Volume 4 is the next exciting installment from Desert Records series of joint albums this time featuring Eagle Twin & The Otolith. This chapter sees both bands bring their own stylish and acclaimed take of Drone, Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal that’s quite different to each other. Both sets of tracks from each band lasts around twenty minutes with Eagle Twin being up first with their two tracks of Horn VS Halo and Qasida Of The Dark Doves.

Eagle Twin have been playing their down-tuned slice of Droned Out Americana since 2007 across acclaimed multiple releases and this sees the band get straight down to business of laying down pulsating progressive leaning Droned Out Fuzzed Up Sounds with their gruff trademark vocals to match. 

Their two tracks are the heaviest of the split and personally my favourite part of the album. As it has a heavy sludgy monolithic beat throughout both tracks where the music is vividly melodic with the down-tuned aggressive pastures that results in heavy destructive grooves with quite an organic delivery as well. 

The Psychedelic Fuzzy Instrumental passages have a more dramatic Post-Metal sound compared to their previous releases but it’s the grizzled and gruffy vocals that is quintessential Eagle Twin territory and overlapping instrumental passages with a mighty air of distorted progressive metal holding everything together.

I have to admit that Qasida Of The Dark Doves has a more straightforward riff-centric style from Eagle Twin for the most part and I loved the screeching guitars that has similar themes to bands such as The Melvins and Mastodon in places but this is still classic EAGLE TWIN through and through.

Up next is The Otolith and they are more than capable for the challenge by delivering their own sublime tracks of Atmospheric Doom/Stoner Metal based folklore which has a more experimental delivery compared to Eagle Twin. I was blown away by their 2022 debut album Folium Limina and their two offerings of Crossway and Phosphene Dream carries on with a similar vivid sound with more emphasis on the folkier aspects of their lyrics with a brilliantly intense vocal performance from everyone involved.

The interplay between the sludgy instrumental sounds and traditional instruments such as Violin and Piano is a joy to behold that appears within Crossway leaving me quite dumbfounded once again at how spectacularly heavy The Otolith can be whilst bringing a Classical Music element to their overall sound. There are echoes of Drone and Ambient delivery within the hidden Post-Rock flow which allows their music to have a more dramatic and progressive feeling compared to Eagle Twin.

Legends of the Desert: Volume 4 is going from strength-to-strength with each passing release but this is perhaps their heaviest and finest release to date with two bands at the top of their creative powers. This is forty one minutes of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal perfection which showcases two highly different bands to each other but delivering a split record of the highest order. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Legends of the Desert: Volume 4 is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Desert Records.

Eagle Twin Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

The Otolith Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Doom/Desert/Stoner Rockers Fuzz Evil have released their lead single with Desert Records

"Wanderer’s Wake” is the first single from Fuzz Evil’s fourth studio record "Smear Merchants" to be released in late 2024 on Desert Records.

"We are always trying to evolve our music each record and with "Smear Merchants" it will be our take on more doom metal/stoner.” -FUZZ EVIL

Streaming Links

As purveyors of chug-heavy, fuzz-laden riffs, this heavy rock ensemble unleashes a monolithic fuzzpocalypse that reverberates through your ears and straight to your soul. With raw, gritty Fuzz and unique tones, FUZZ EVIL combines baritone fuzz, extraordinary riffs, and heavy bass tones to create a sound that's as soulful as it is earth-shattering.  

Fuzz Evil is: 

Vocals: Wayne Rudell 

Guitar: Wayne Rudell 

Bass: Joseph Rudell 

Backing Vocals: Joseph Rudell 

Baritone Guitars: Preston Jennings 

Drums: Cajun Adams 

Song written by Fuzz Evil 

Song Recorded, Produced, and Mixed by: Joseph Rudell 

Art by: Joseph Rudell 

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR and Fuzz Evil for all of the details

Red Mesa - Partial Distortions (Album Review)

Release Date: April 19th 2024. Record Label: Desert Records / Majestic Mountain Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Partial Distortions - Tracklisting

1.Óðr

2.The Assertion

3.Dying in the Cold Sun 

4.12 Volt Shaman

5.Desert March

6.Witching Hour 

Members

 

Brad Frye - Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Lead and Backing Vocals

Roman Barham - Drums, Lead and Backing Vocals

Alex Cantwell - Bass Guitar, Lead and Backing Vocals, Additional Rhythm Guitars

Review

Partial Distortions is the fourth full length album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Red Mesa who have gone from strength to strength with each passing record they’ve released since their acclaimed 2014 debut self titled album. This time round sees Red Mesa adding music from the NOLA Sludge scene with their music being reminiscent of bands such as Crowbar and DOWN with their trademark Stoner grooves being the main dominant part of this album.

With each member vying for “LEAD VOCALIST” and “LEAD INSTRUMENTALIST” on different stages of the album, this is a great collection of tracks full of harsh atmospherics and free-flowing Sludge/Stoner Metal movements that feel quite different to their previous releases which you’ll hear within the epic opening track of Óðr.

The song Óðr is highly volatile and feels like a powder keg waiting to explode with Red Mesa’s heavy down-tuned grooves acting as the riff fuelled ignition that allows the album to fully branch out into other areas of Doom/Stoner Metal. The vocals are quite aggressive which once again feels fuelled by the NOLA scene which becomes a recurring style played throughout the album. The music can be deliberately slow, which allows Red Mesa to play a more seedy FUZZED out style of Sludgy atmospherics.

Second song The Assertion has a subtle Blues Rock and Psyched Out energy which gives way to a more powerful Post-Doom or Post-Sludge flavour of instrumental jams that sees the music become more fast-paced. There’s a deft Post-Metal sound starting to emerge with the subtle Psychedelic moments with harsh vocals and growls leading the creative charge and narrative of the whole album.

Third song Dying In The Cold Sun is perhaps one of the best tracks that Red Mesa have written yet with a raw sounding atmosphere allowing the band to branch out into other areas of music such as Progressive Sludge Metal and bringing a fresh take on the classic NOLA sound. The wicked instrumental solos show you how far Red Mesa has progressed as musicians since their last album. The song can be quite bleak and highly solitary at times with its icy cold musical demeanour that left me quite emotional in places especially when the heartfelt lyrics start to take hold. 

The second half of the album sees Red Mesa take a step back from that NOLA sound and focus upon playing their classic blend of Doom/Stoner Metal with a “less is more” style appearing within the remainder of the tracks: 12 Volt Shaman, Desert March and Witching Hour. The music is always highly volatile full of vigorous Psychedelic energy and stripped back Sludge Metal aggression especially on tracks 12 Volt Shaman and Witching Hour.

Red Mesa have outdone themselves with Partial Distortions and even though the album can be quite outlandish in places, the record is full of magical WEEDIAN moments that sees the band become masters of their own creative domain and release an album full of classic sounding Doom/Stoner Metal tracks that any band would be proud to call their own.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR and Red Mesa for the promo.

Partial Distortions will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl from Desert Records (US) and Majestic Mountain Records (UK/Europe)

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Brad Frye From Psych Stoner Rockers RED MESA and Owner Of DESERT RECORDS and DESERT BLOOM PR: Favourite Albums Of 2023

Desert Records/Desert Bloom PR Head Honcho Brad Frye chooses his favourite albums of 2023. Brad is also part of Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers RED MESA as well. I wanted to see which albums impressed Bard the most and his list doesn't disappoint. 

Check out Brad's choices below:

"In no particular order, here's my top 2023 picks. Busy year for me with the label, Red Mesa, and the first year of running Desert Bloom PR... so I know I missed a bunch of great albums. I love the combination of heavy albums that are brutal and beautiful."

Tinariwen - Amatassou

Dhyana - Dzogchen

Bell Witch - Futures Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate

Wolves In The Throne Room - Crypt Of Ancestral Knowledge

Dorothia Cottrell - Death Folk Country

Panopticon - The Rime Of Memory

Yawning Man - Long Walk Of The Navajo

Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

 

Legends of the Desert: Volume 3 FATSO JETSON & DALI'S LLAMA

 

Sorcia - Lost Season

Wayfarer - American Gothic

Desert Records Links

Official | Facebook | Instagram

Desert Bloom PR Links

Official | Facebook | Twitter

Red Mesa Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Nebula Drag - Western Death (Album Review)

Release Date: December 08th 2023. Record Label: Desert Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Western Death- Tracklisting

1.Crosses 04:49

2.Sleazy Tapestry 03:45

3.Failure 08:46

4.Kneecap 03:48

5.Side By Side 03:37

6.Tell No One 04:59

7.Western Death 04:18

Members

Corey Quintana - Guitar/Vocals

Stephen Varns - Drums

Garrett Gallagher - Bass

Review

Western Death is the new album Psych Fuzz/Space/Stoner Rockers Nebula Drag who return with a sound that’s fresh, buoyant and vital for today’s modern scene. With a throwback style of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal allowing Nebula Drag to bring a heavier Fuzzed Up sound of Psychedelic Spaced Out Stoner Grooves with flashes of Speed Metal momentum which is used early on within the thrilling opening track Crosses.

Crosses feels like a mixture of Motorhead aggressive speedy hooks and the classic doomed out heaviness of Black Sabbath with the 1980’s Hard Rock swagger which lends itself to a mighty fine display of catchy guitar solos which builds into heavier areas of Psychedelic/Fuzz Rock strands of Doom/Stoner Metal. Nebula Drag play a pitch perfect style of Old-School sounds with that aggressive modern day attitude which allows the album to be adventurous within the heaviest parts of the track.

Second song Sleazy Tapestry combines the opening track creative themes with a more Punk Rock attitude with a thunderous Space Rock attitude with Corey’s vocals being more restrained in places with a playful Blues Rock attitude. The song does have eerie tones of early-era Monster Magnet but with that Sleaze Rock attitude allowing Nebula Drag to play their own intense blend of Punk fuelled Spaced Out Stoner Rock with a throwback MC5 attitude within the stop-start moments of the later stages of the song.

Third song Failure sees Nebula Drag drift into Progressive territory and more reliance on Psychedelic grooves and Sonic trickery with moments of classic Spaced Out elements which comes mostly within the exquisite rhythm section handled by Stephen and Garrett on Drums and Bass respectively. Corey’s vocals have a more shamanic performance to them which works superbly well for this track alone. The guitar solos fly at you from every angle with distorted effects, trippy pedals and ambient sounds makes this the standout track of the album. 

Nebula Drag play a more sinister style of Psychedelic Stoner Metal for the second half of the album which allows their music to become more groovier, seedier and more outrageous whilst retaining a classical hard rock and WEEDIAN edge on tracks such as Kneecap, Tell No One and Western Death. 

These songs capture Nebula Drag playing a more dramatic style of music with rich storytelling that instantly draws you with its kaleidoscopic freakout Psychedelic and Spaced Out Sounds where the mood can be slightly distorted and very DOOMED OUT. However, the RIFFS are plentiful with Nebula Drag playing these with purpose and paying homage to the legendary Doom/Stoner Metal bands past and present whilst forging their own formidable reputation.

Western Death is the type of album that can offer Nebula Drag exciting opportunities to play on the bigger and better stages within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene. This album is the real deal and another late release that deserves to be included on the inevitable and incoming ALBUM OF THE YEAR articles. It’s already gained a place on mine.

Words by Steve Howe 

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Western Death is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Desert Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Book Of Wyrms - Storm Warning (Single Review)

Release Date: September 13th 2023. Record Label: Desert Records. Formats: DD

Storm Warning - Tracklisting

Storm Warning

Members

Sarah Moore-Lindsey - Vocals

Jake Lindsey - Bass

Bobby Hufnell - Drums

Kyle Lewis - Guitar

Review:

One of Richmond, Virginia’s best underground Psych Stoner Rock bands Book Of Wyrms return with their new single Storm Warning. The song allows Book Of Wyrms to explore the world of the 1970’s Psych/Space Rock scene with the wild reckless and hedonistic abandonment of the 1980’s Heavy Metal scene but keeping with their Stoner Rock roots.

The vocals from Sarah are bewitching and rebellious as ever with a darker presence around them compared to previous Book Of Wyrms releases. The grooves are more rooted within the flashier aspects of the 80’s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal arena with the band showcasing with an impressive array of classic guitar solos that leaves the Psych Rock sound that the band are known for becoming more restrained in places. However, everything works as it should with Space Rock sounds moving into heavier areas of Psych Stoner Rock that remain constantly forceful within the background.

Storm Warning shows a new sense of maturity to Book Of Wyrms and if this is the new creative direction where the band is heading then the band’s next full length record could be quite an exciting prospect indeed.

However, allow Book Of Wyrms entertain the sheer hell out of you with this excellent track that ranks as one of their best songs to date.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Book Of Wyrms is available to buy on all digital stockists now via Desert Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Sorcia - Lost Season (Album Review)

Release Date: July 21st 2023. Record Label: Desert Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Lost Season: Tracklisting

1.Miss Ann Thrope 08:20

2.An Axe Named Otis 06:58 

3.Faded Dune 06:54

4.Dusty 08:35

5.Entering the Eight House 09:29

Members

Neal De Atley – Guitars/Vocals

Jessica Brasch – Bass/Vocals

Bryson Marcey – Drums

Review:

Lost Season is the new album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Sorcia who bring a much more vibrant Sludgy melodic mix into this record compared to their 2020 debut album. Sorcia have a gloomier Blues and Doomed Out sound with the band exploring their hometown of Seattle grunge roots and pair this off with subtle flashes of The Doors Psychedelic Rock which perhaps comes through mostly with Neal De Atley’s vocals on the opening stages of the album.

Opening track Miss Ann Thorpe conveys a dark message with the Heavy Sludge Rock attitude and lo-fi distorted grooves. Add some classic Soundgarden and TAD based energy with Sorcia moving between the finer moments of trippy Doom/Stoner Metal extended jams. Teaming up with Seattle and Grunge legend Tad Doyle yet again for mixing and mastering duties, the album is a seedy and psychedelic nightmarish journey which this track shows amazingly well. Sorica employs a wide array of different Stoner based themes which gives more volume and weight compared to their debut album.

Second track An Axe Named Otis continues with the hybrid style of Doom, Sludge, Stoner and Grunge based heaviness. This song has a more PUNK RAWK attitude with raw sounding grooves and vocals allowing Sorcia to play a more violent and distorted style of music than we’re used to. The vocals from both Neal and Jessica are superbly different from each other. Neal’s delivery is perhaps slightly chaotic with Jessica’s style being more calm. There’s an extended drone based groove towards the end of the song which impressed me highly. As it calmed the mood down for a few moments before Sorica returned to their heavier Doomed Out roots. 

Third song Faded Dune has a vibrant High On Fire energy within the instrumental sounds Sorcia plays on this track. The song has a deliciously heavy and evil sounding level of FUZZ which is quite subdued whilst still behind freakishly heavy. The vocals are perhaps more Doom Metal based but the grooves are most definitely Stoner based with flashes of epic Blues Rock jams and first rate Classic Hard Rock energy. 

The final two tracks of Dusty and Entering The Eight House is my favourite parts of the album as Sorcia operate with a more Psychedelic energy and the influence of The Doors, Black Sabbath and Soundgarden reign supreme here mostly on Dusty but The Eight House offers a few creative surprises of its own. Sorcia do experiment more with their music on this part of the album with the heaviest moments appearing on The Eight House

Lost Season is a refreshing change of pace from Sorcia and one that sees them avoid the “sophomore slump” triumphantly. This is a wonderfully addictive album with exquisite production values that ranks as another first rate album from Sorcia.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.

Lost Season is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Desert Records.

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram