DRUIDESS announces UK tour with Morag Tong

Following their performances on the Sunday of this year's Masters of the Riff festival, two of the UK Doom Underground's standouts are going on tour together this October.

Morag Tong have been staples of the heavy music scene for a decade now, with their latest album released through Majestic Mountain Records. Drawing on a wealth of influences across the psych, sludge and doom landscapes with lyrical themes of existential wonder and the natural world.

Support for this run comes from fast-rising Newcastle Proto-metal quartet DRUIDESS, whose debut album 'Trip Meadow' has garnered strong reviews from the likes of Metal Hammer and Classic Rock.

Morag Tong + DRUIDESS

September 2026

30th LONDON – Black Heart

October 2026

1st BRIGHTON – Prine Albert
2nd BIRMINGHAM – Scruffy Murphys
3rd BRISTOL – Moor Beer
8th NEWCASTLE – Lubber Fiend
9th DUNDEE – Hidden
10th GLASGOW – La Chunky Studio

Tickets to all shows are on sale now.

DRUIDESS released their critically acclaimed fuzz-drenched debut album, Trip Meadow, arriving on June 26th 2026

Forged in Newcastle upon Tyne, home of Venom, Shearer and Greggs, Trip Meadow is an unashamed and self-proclaimed Iommi-worship with nods to the psychedelic-drenched Organ of The Doors and brief forays of Cocktail-Lounge Sax. Recorded by producer Chris Taylor at NoiseBoy Studio, the album captures the band’s live energy that has seen them make waves in the UK doom underground with appearances at Masters of the Riff, Byker Grave Festival, Tonehenge and Cosmic Vibration Festival.

Get it HERE: www.druidess.co.uk

Watch “The Forest Witch’s Daughter” Official Music Video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKl4ZAxmSM8

And “Knightingales” Official Music Video HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgeZ7jro1ho

Photo credit: Idene Roozbayani

Find Druidess at

www.druidess.co.uk
www.druidessuk.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/druidessuk
www.facebook.com/druidessuk

Thanks to Palmer Turner Overdrive for the details.

Druidess - Trip Meadow (Album Review)

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

The Meadow - Tracklisting

1.The Hermit of Druid's Temple

2.Trip Meadow

3.Knightingales 

4.Mandragora

5.Descended from Giants

6.A Witches' Sabbath

7.The Forest Witch's Daughter

Members

Daniel Downing - Guitars, Saxophone

Shonagh Brown - Vocals / Bass

James Hill - Keyboards

Sam Armstrong - Drums

Review

Druidess have already built a fearsome and well deserved reputation supporting the likes of Castle Rat, Slomatics, Dopethrone, Margarita Witch Cult, Josiah and Saint Karloff over the years. They released their debut EP Hermits and Mandrakes back in 2024 which I rated quite highly. Fast forward to 2026 and Druidess have completely reworked their debut EP which makes up the crux of their album. However, this is no mere cash grab with Druidess re-working almost every aspect into a completely different sound with a clearer creative vision and heavier grooves being applied for the album.

Trip Meadow which only expands their heavy blend of Psychedelic, Doom and Stoner Metal. Druidess play areas of Blues Rock, Occult Rock, Proto-Metal and Prog Rock into their music with a slight Sludge Rock undercurrent coming from the excellent guitars supplied by Daniel Downing.

Front and centre of all the action is the highly talented and extremely versatile lead vocalist Shonagh Brown who brings a classic style of Doom Rock merged with a soulful Blues Rock attitude. The vocals are at the forefront of the record for the majority of the record with the rest of Druidess building an epic Doomed Out platform for Shonagh to perform on. The band play closely to the likes of Black Sabbath, Windhand, Hippie Death Cult, The Doors, Green Lung and Monolord. 

Druidess aren’t afraid to go for an OVER THE TOP sound that allows other great instrumental sounds to appear such as Organs, Keyboards and Saxophone. I’ve said before but I’m not the biggest fan of Saxophones being included within Doom and Stoner Metal music. but Daniel Downing puts in a great performance which even I admired leaving me wanting to hear more.

Trip Meadow can be quite TRIPPY and SPACE ROCK heavy where Druidess leave their “Retro Rock” surroundings for a heavier modern day sound with that gloomy Post-Doom sound holding everything together. Though, the sounds of Seventies Proto-Doom and Hard Rock is never too far behind which allows the record to be so damn original throughout. 

Shonagh also provides Bass which she puts in a commanding and aggressive performance with Sam Armstrong helping out on drumming duties where they combine for a massive rhythm section for Druidess to fully operate from. James Hill on keyboards feels like he’s been fed a steady diet of Seventies Prog Rock and Proto Doom albums with the amount of different directions his keyboards actually move into. 

The lyrics have a great classic theme which fully sells the DOOMED OUT aspect of the record especially on tracks such as The Hermit Of Druid’s Temple, Trip Meadow, Knightingales and Witches Sabbath being the main highlights. With a neverending supply of gloomy sound effects and superbly played organs, Druidess have delivered a record that should easily allow them to receive widespread attention that the mighty Green Lung achieved with their first couple of albums.

Trip Meadow is a quality sounding album that is not afraid to move into the darker depths of Classic Doom and modern day Stoner Metal that will leave you completely satisfied when everything is said and done.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Palmer Turner Overdrive  PR for the promo.

Trip Meadow is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Druidess - Hermits & Mandrakes (EP Review)

Release Date: March 20th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Hermits & Mandrakes - Tracklisting

1.Intro 00:40

2.Witches' Sabbath 05:56

3.Mandragora 03:41

4.Knightingales 06:12

5.The Hermit of Druid's Temple 04:14

6.The Forest Witches' Daughter 05:51

Members

 

Vocals by Shonagh Brown

Guitars Performed by Daniel Downing

Bass Guitar Performed by Daniel Downing

Drum Programming by Daniel Downing

Additional Keyboards by Daniel Downing

Review

Hermits & Mandrakes is the debut release from Heavy Psych/Doom/Stoner Rocker Druidess who hail from my hometown of Newcastle Upon Tyne. I saw the band open recently for Saint Karloff / JOSIAH on their recent UK tour. I was impressed by the band’s subtle style of IOMMI Riff Worship and Sabbath inspired take on the Heavy Psych sound. Their debut EP is quite a bewitching OCCULT affair with a massive sludgy down-tuned sound. If you dig bands such as Green Lung, LOWEN, Alunah and Black Sabbath then Druidess offer a drug induced and Proto-Doom sound within the EP with standout tracks as Witches’ Sabbath, Knightingales and The Forest Witches’ Daughter.

There is a surreal dreamlike Psychedelic energy when matching with the heavier DOOMED OUT aspects of the music which is first heard on Witches’ Sabbath and that is amplified for a more sinister creative style heard within Shonagh’s excellent vocals and intense lyrics that appear on the record. The music is quite FUZZY and SEEDY even when the mood becomes more Blues Rock based. Druidess have a fine ear for conjuring up extended instrumental passages that pays HOMAGE to the classic AMPLIFIER WORSHIP sound that Black Sabbath created back in the day.

Druidess work best when they let their Heavy Psych attitude merge with the Occult Rock overtones which gives way to some of the best grooves on the whole EP. 

Overall, Hermits & Mandrakes is a superbly produced record which allows Druidess to cast a bewitching spell within the Doom/Stoner Rock community and I’m excited to hear what the band can deliver on a full length record. Don’t let this EP pass you by as it’s seriously good with Druidess having the potential to go a long way within the UK Doom/Stoner Metal scene and perhaps perform on some of the biggest stages currently out there.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram