Phantom Logic - Salton Dust (Album Review)

Release Date: 27th April 2026. Record Label: Glory Or Death Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Salton Dust - Tracklisting

1.Salton Dust I 19:49

2.Salton Dust II 06:43

3.Glyphwave 05:13

4.A Sigil Bloom 09:06

Members

Matthew Glenn Meyer - Guitar

Kristofer Dawson - Bass

Kiran Sheshadri - Drums

Review

Salton Dust is the debut album from Instrumental Psychedelic Stoner Rockers Phantom Logic and it’s quite a highly captivating free-flowing affair that shows traces of Acid Rock, Space Rock and Post-Doom melodies along the way. Phantom Logic have a major secret weapon at their disposal on this record and that’s the extraordinary musical talents of a certain Isaiah Mitchell (EARTHLESS) appearing throughout the whole album. Sure, EARTHLESS is a massive influence on Phantom Logic but that’s only a small aspect with the band taking cues from the likes of YAWNING MAN, KARMA TO BURN, MONKEY3 and even heavier Doomed Out Bands.

The record has an epic free-flowing melody which allows Phantom Logic to tap right into the seedy heaviness of their Acid Rock creative persona with a lucid imagination exploring deeper Progressive musical themes especially within the epic opening track of Salton Dust I. There’s a rebellious slice of Classic Hard Rock that has an eerie style of Seventies Twin Guitar based action that reminds me of Thin Lizzy before the mood changes into one of Space Rock exploration with a gritty Stoner Rock undertone. 

There are many moments of all of the band's musical individuals trying to wrestle creative control from each other in order to impress Isaiah Mitchell and that musical direction brings out the absolute best of the core members of the band. The album really becomes more thrilling and interesting for me when they move firmly into the realm of Doom Rock and Stoner Metal heaviness where the music is quite frenzied. Sounds become disjointed and pushes the album into new musical areas of absolute heaviness where an unexpected sideline of Sludgy Psychedelics appear to filter out the jam-based aspect of the album from time to time.

The opening track Salton Dust I is the standout track and just whets the appetite for Phantom Logic to explore other areas of their Instrumental Heavy World for the remainder of the album. The other three tracks Salton Dust II, Glyphwave and A Sigil Bloom are equally as good with Phantom Logic; they're just as capable of creating and exploring massive cinematic worlds within shorter timescales but with a real sense of urgency and grounded reality being the main strengths of the whole album.

You have to admire the great use of Ambient sound effects, fuzzed out amplifiers and distorted reverb that’s added on various stages for the album that feels like a turning point for the listener to become more wonderfully engaged with this epic spaced out adventure. The atmosphere can be quite aggressive and wonderfully uplifting with the great use of Post-Stoner effects appearing towards the end of each song that leaves you wanting more of this sublime use of delivering music that can be quite subversive. 

Salton Dust is a record that deserves to be heard by the biggest audience possible. This is a record that has massive appeal and fans of Instrumental Rock Music should check this out when they possibly can. The production values are off the freaking scale that allows PHANTOM LOGIC to create HUGE SOUNDING GROOVES of their own making. This record has the potential to allow Phantom Logic become the “next big thing” within the Instrumental Stoner Rock scene in the years come if they keep making brilliant albums such as this.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

BandCamp | Instagram

Pesta - The Craft Of Pain (Album Review)

Release Date: October 15th 2025. Record Label: Glory Or Death / Gate Of Doom Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Craft Of Pain - Tracklisting

1.Rites of Enclosure 00:39

2.Masters of the Craft of Pain 05:18

3.Marked By Hate 05:38

4.Mirror Maze (Feat. Wino) 04:56

5.In the Drive's End 05:28

6.Thumbscrew 02:54

7.The Inquisitor, Pt.I 06:13

8.The Inquisitor, Pt.II 03:38

9.Canto XXI (Feat. Rodrigo Garcia) 03:12

10.Shadows of a Desire 05:41

Members

Thiago Cruz (Vocals)

Anderson Vaca (Bass)

Marcos Resende (Guitar)

Flávio Freitas (Drums)

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Pesta return with their third full length album The Craft Of Pain and they bring a classic sounding NWOBHM sensibility into their music. The mood is also heightened by a great style of Occult Rock and Proto-Doom grooves which adds an extra level of gloomy spiciness into their music. Pesta are quite content with having a classic HEAVY METAL creative energy throughout the whole album. 

You can hear influences from bands such as Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Iron Maiden and The Obsessed on certain parts of the record though you can still hear more modern surroundings especially when some unexpected sludgy moments appear. The majority of the record is deeply rooted in Eighties Heavy Metal with flashes of other musical eras appearing whenever the mood calls for this. Pesta are quite flashy with their music with a multitude of different musical solos flying about but it all fits in with the overall tone and sound the band demonstrate with The Craft Of Pain.

The vocals from Thiago Cruz are superb throughout as Thiago fully sells Pesta’s twisted Doom Metal vision with some help along the way from Doom Metal legend WINO on the standout third track of Mirror Maze which could easily be considered an actual track released by The Obsessed or Spirit Caravan. Though, before that Pesta blast their way through a few tracks that screams EIGHTIES HEAVY METAL EXCESS on Rites Of Enclosure, Masters Of The Crafts Of Pain and Marked By Hate. 

The album is constructed superbly well with excellent production values that manages to allow Pesta to play a multitude of different styles of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal whilst retaining their Doom/Stoner Metal identity within the other standout tracks of the record with In The Drive’s End, Thumbscrew, The Inquisitor Pt 1 and Shadows Of A Desire. The lyrics are quite outlandish but it allows Pesta to create a highly exciting and tense atmosphere within the whole record and by playing some top-notch musical passages along the way.

Pesta are a superb technical band which you don’t fully appreciate until after multiple listens as some of the music is highly progressive that moves into other areas of music that I didn’t expect to hear. So you have to give them credit for doing something different especially with the Psychedelic themes and sounds that suddenly appear out of nowhere. 

The Craft Of Pain is a marvellous record that will keep you entertained for a long time to come. If you want a Doom/Stoner Metal record that isn’t afraid to embrace the sounds of Classic Heavy Metal then you can’t go wrong with The Craft Of Pain. This is a winning record on every level possible.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy The Craft Of Pain from the links below:

Glory Or Death Records - Vinyl

Gate Of Doom Records - CD

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Exclusive Premiere Of Doom Metallers PESTA New Song For THE INQUISITOR, PT 1 From Upcoming New Album THE CRAFT OF PAIN

From the depths of Belo Horizonte’s underground, PESTA rises once again with their new single “The Inquisitor, Pt. I”, the first glimpse of the long-awaited album The Craft of Pain, arriving October 16th, 2025 on all digital platforms.

A deluxe vinyl edition will follow through Glory or Death Records, featuring ultra-limited handmade pressings by Wax Mage Records, scheduled for late October and November.

“The Inquisitor, Pt. I” opens the gates to an album that descends into the darkest horrors of human history. While the lyrics evoke the severity of the Inquisition, they also draw a parallel with current socio-political realities in Brazil, and beyond, where the intertwining of religion, politics, and economic power can awaken the worst in people, leading to the persecution of the different, the suppression of expression, and the imprisonment of minds.

Musically, the track unfolds with a powerful progression, channeling Doom Metal in its rawest, most classic form.

Heavy, deliberate riffs give way to moments flirting with proto-metal and heavy rock, creating a tension between crushing weight and ascending intensity, a sonic ritual that honors the genre’s roots while asserting PESTA’s unique voice.

The Craft of Pain is a plunge into the shadows of the human condition. Each track confronts episodes of violence, greed, and blind devotion that have shaped history, transforming tragedy into monumental sound. Musically, it reaffirms PESTA as a force carrying Doom’s tradition while daring to carve out their own voice, heavy, intense, and firmly rooted in their homeland.

Formed in Belo Horizonte, cradle of countless metal legacies, PESTA earned recognition with Faith Bathed in Blood (2019) and Bring Out Your Dead (2016),

both praised by specialized media in the Doom and Heavy Psych scenes. With these releases and standout singles, the band has surpassed 260,000 streams on Spotify and 30,000 plays on Bandcamp,

reaching listeners across more than 65 countries. Known for a commanding stage presence and ritualistic atmosphere, PESTA translates the weight and density of their albums into live performances at events such as Dopesmoker Fest in northeastern Brazil and BDCP, a festival that drew over 9,000 attendees in Belo Horizonte. A glimpse of this intensity can be seen in their live video for “Witches’ Sabbath”, an over 8-minute track played more than 14,000 times on YouTube, capturing what PESTA is truly about.

“The Inquisitor, Pt. I” is just the first blade of this sonic execution. The full album, The Craft of Pain, arrives this October to carve PESTA’s name even deeper into the global Doom Metal scene.

Social Networks and Streaming:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pestadoom

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pestadoom
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/pestadoom

Bandcamp: https://pestadoom.bandcamp.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/pestadoom

Thanks to Glory Or Death Records for all the details.

Exclusive Premiere Of Doom/Grunge/Stoner Rockers FISH HOOK SMILE New Song/Video For RATSTAR

"Ratstar”, the second single from Fish Hook Smile’s upcoming self-titled album, out August 20th via Glory or Death Records

On August 20, Fish Hook Smile returns with their second single, “Ratstar” - a track that refuses to look away from one of the harshest realities of our time: the humanitarian crisis of homelessness.

The single is part of the band’s forthcoming self-titled album, due out on September 5.

“‘Ratstar’ dives into the merciless world of homelessness, told through the eyes of someone society chooses not to see. It's a visceral cry for recognition and connection — a reminder that all of us are only one or two strokes of bad luck away from living the same fate.” - Fish Hook Smile

Built on suffocating atmosphere and unflinching lyrics, “Ratstar” captures the weight of marginalization — the empty pockets, the systemic neglect, the fight to maintain dignity. Sonically, the track delivers sharp distortion, a throbbing low end, and vocals that shift between anguish and restrained fury.

The track paints a bleak, brutally honest portrait of homelessness, told from the eyes of someone long ignored by society. With gritty textures and lyrics that ache with lived experience, “Ratstar” demands empathy - and warns how fragile the line is between stability and collapse.

This is not just a political message. It’s a deeply human one - one that demands to be heard.

Fish Hook Smile emerged from the vibrant alternative scene of St. Louis in the 1990s, blending influences from grunge, punk, and alternative rock with raw, biting lyricism. Known locally for their intense live shows and visceral sound, the band gained underground momentum before dissolving, without ever releasing a full-length record.

Fish Hook Smile was a St. Louis band that was originally formed in 1991 by Jason Busiek, Dan Policarpo(guitar) and Ken McCray(drums). In the Summer of 1991, Misha Avrushenko, Matt Lake and Bryan Pollard joined the band. Although he wasn't originally in the band, Matt Pekny was at damn near every practice and show in the 90’s and was a natural fit for 2nd guitar. These songs were written by Jason Busiek, Matt Lake, Misha Avrushenko, Bryan Pollard and Dan Policarpo. Although Dan is not on the recording, he was a major player in the formation, writing and the overall honing of this sound and we are forever grateful for his contributions

Decades later, members of the original lineup reunited, unearthing unreleased material and channeling the same urgency that defined their early years. Now spread across different cities but still driven by a shared creative fire, Fish Hook Smile returns with renewed purpose and sharpened vision.

This year, 2025, they joined forces with Glory or Death Records to release their long-awaited self-titled debut album digitally. Slated for release on September 5, the record is preceded by two blistering singles: “Shiver” and “Ratstar” - with lyrical manifestos confronting authoritarianism and the brutal realities of social invisibility.

Fish Hook Smile is not just a comeback. It’s a scream that never died.

Listen to the Track Now:

Follow the band:

https://www.instagram.com/fish_hook_smile
https://youtube.com/@fishhooksmile
https://fishhooksmile.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576620613811&mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr

Thanks to Glory Or Death Records for the details.

Madmess - The Third Coming (Album Review)

Release Date: May 09th 2025. Record Label: Glory or Death (USA), Kozmik Artifactz (EU), and gig.ROCKS! (PT). Formats: DD/Vinyl

The Thirds Coming - Tracklisting

1.Death by Astonishment

2.Widowmaker

3.Velvet Nebula 

4.Endless Cycles

5.Burnt!

6.Hazy Morning 

7.Sauerkraut

Members:

Electric guitar/vocals: Ricardo Sampaio

Bass guitar: Vasco Vasconcelos

Drums/percussion: Pedro Cruz

Keys/ Synths: Marco Lima

Review

Psych/Prog/Stoner Rockers Madmess return with their third full length album The Third Coming that combines old-school Hard Rock sounds with lush sounding Prog Rock melodies. There’s a sense of urgency to Madmess music especially where the 1970’s Proto-Metal and Blues Rock sound comes from. Pounding drumming and freaking instrumental jams are the main order of business for Madmess to deliver their heavy grooves upon the listener. With a subtle sideline in distorted Psych Rock attitude, the record is quite offbeat and devilishly off-beat when the record showcases a fine style of Retro Rock heaviness. 

Madness are not adverse to slowing the mood right down with a streetwise Blues Rock attitude which comes across with the almost DOOM & GLOOM inspired opening track Death By Astonishment. This is purely an instrumental number with Madmess showcasing an impressive array of different styles of music that evolves quite differently with the majority of the tracks contained on the album,

Second track Widowmaker has a vivid Proto-Doom energy whilst keeping with a groovy sideline in FUZZ and GUITAR PEDAL WORSHIP with Led Zepp and Black Sabbath instrumental power and riff wizardry being developed and fully delivered with superb vocals to match. The inclusion of distorted Space Rock flows once again allows Madmess to think outside the box and play with Prog Rock influences that gives them a wicked OLD SCHOOL vibe especially when the mood is slowed right down. There is a feeling of Post-Rock energy merged with Blues Rock attitude once again showcasing many different sides to Madmess.

Third track Velvet Nebula is built upon epic waves of Classic Rock, Space Rock, Psych Rock and modern day Stoner based movements. There’s a fuzzed up STOP / START process that comes mostly through the wicked rhythm section from Pedro Cruz (Drums / Percussion) and Vasco Vasconcelos (Bass). Marco Lima can only be classed as the resident ASTRONAUT in attendance with his sublime performance on Keys and Synth. Ricardo Sampaio impresses as well on Vocals and Electric Guitar duties where he shows a great style of Prog Rock and Blues Rock extended instrumental jams and complete psychedelic freakouts of the highest order

Madmess fully explore and develop their subtle Psych, Space and Prog Rock sound even further with subtle flashes of Stoner Rock, Ambient and Post-Rock environments coming into play mostly on Endless Cycles and Hazy Mornning. Though, the band offset this style of music against heavier areas of Hard Rock, Doom and Proto-Metal which sees Madmess playing different genre rules, tropes and conventions completely against each other with brilliantly inspired results.

The Third Coming is a soulful and brilliantly mysterious record that brings a whole lot of different thrills, spills and genuine excitement which impresses throughout from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Kozmik Artifactz PR for the promo.

Third Coming will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl from Saturday 09th May 2025 via the links below:

Kozmik Artifactz Records

Glory Or Death Records

Gig Rocks

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Idol Lord - The Other Side (Album Review)

Release Date: January 31st 2025. Record Label: Glory Or Death Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

The Other Side - Track Listing:

1.Disconnected 05:42

2.Caught Inside 04:23

3.Borrowed Time 07:51

4.Cyclops King 05:58

5.Last Gladiator 04:20

6.The Other Side 05:52

Review

Californian Desert/Stoner Rock Riffster Idol Lord new album The Other Side displays a level of distorted Fuzz/Space Rock heaviness on their excellent debut album The Other Side that should mark them out as future stars of the underground scene. Their album has echoes of FU MANCHU, KYUSS, TRUCKFIGHTERS and SLEEP within its creative domain. The record is quite aggressive and dominantly sleazy in all the right places which is played to great use and effect on the superb opening track of Disconnected.

Idol Lord demonstrates a great use of paranoia and distortion within their music which equates to some fantastic sludgy instrumental movements along the way. The vocals are quite Punk Rock obsessed in places  with a level of seriousness throughout the album. Idol Lord are always aggressive with their passionate use of abstract based sonic passages and melodic grooves that display an awareness of Grunge, Hard Rock, Doom and Sludge Rock structures. 

The music is boosted by the non-stop use of distorted and down-tuned sounds which transforms the classic Californian Desert/Stoner Rock music that Idol Lord employ here to a more desolate Doomed Out landscape where the Fuzz Rock element has a more destructive KINETIC energy which becomes more central to the album especially on tracks such as Caught Inside, Borrowed Time and Cyclops King.

The lyrics do appear quite fantastical at times but this still allows The Other Side to have quite a grounded appeal even when the record does become ever so more OTT and fantasy based at times. My advice is just to go with  it and lose yourself with the cerebral style of 1990’s Stoner Rock/Metal which builds upto some huge sounding GUITAR SOLOS along the way. 

The powerful rhythm section is definitely from the classic era of Fuzz Rock and Grunge which is the creative glue that holds everything together. The final two tracks of Last Gladiator and The Other Side delves deep into the heavier and murkier waters of down-tuned Stoner Rock/Metal with Idol Lord leaving a lasting impression which allows The Other Side to become a superbly entertaining and must have album to add to your collection right now. It’s seriously that good. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Glory Or Death Records for the promo,

The Other Side is available to buy on DD/Vinyl now via Glory Or Death Records.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Desert Suns - Edge Of The Sky (Album Review)

Release Date: December 18th 2024. Record Label: Glory Or Death Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Edge Of The Sky - Track Listing:

1.Sweet Sorrow 06:17

2.Luck of the Draw 05:26

3.Real Eyes 06:46

4.Daisy Chain 05:42

5.Fata Morgana 07:34

Review

Edge Of The Sky is the new album from Doom/Stoner Rockers Desert Suns who play with a gloomy and fuzzy aesthetic to their music with sludgy surroundings. There’s influences from bands such as QOTSA, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden at times on this record which allows Desert Suns to have a more mature outlook to their music especially with the lyrics written for the album.

The record can be quite foreboding at times with a sudden shift to GLOOM & DOOM melodies and down-tuned  grooves with the opening track Sweet Sorrow allowing Desert Suns to move from one distorted realm to the next. The psychedelic passages are quite forceful with a stunning mix of instrumental solos and highly DOOMEDELIC movements allowing the vocals to have a classic style of Grunge movements to them.

Desert Suns continue with the winning Grunge/Doom/Stoner hybrid formula crafted within Sweet Sorrow for the remainder of the record with the Alice In Chains influence being the main dominant theme on tracks such as Luck Of The Draw, Real Eyes and Daisy Chain. However, the band remain quite content exploring a seedy and spectacular style of Fuzzed Up AMPLIFIER FEEDBACK sounds that matches the ferocious Psychedelic and Cosmic energy that builds upto heavy amounts of guitar reverb whilst still being part of the Doom/Stoner Rock scene.

Edge Of The Sky lasts for around thirty minutes and it’s quite a compact record but it’s perhaps the perfect length with Desert Suns providing a great style of classic sounds and modern day atmospherics especially on the later stages of the album. With 2024 finally drawing to a close, it’s always great when a band makes a late challenge for grabbing a place on those inevitable Album Of The Year lists and Desert Suns have just done that for me with this superbly entertaining album.

If you’re in the mood for a record that explores the 1990’s Grunge, Doom and Stoner Rock scenes but adding a refreshing modern Sludge Rock swagger then Desert Suns are the band for you. Edge Of The Sky is an absolute blast from start to finish and quite easily considered Album Of The Year material.

Words by Steve Howe

Edge Of The Sky is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Glory Or Death Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Sea Of Snakes - Bow To No One (Album Review)

Release Date: November 04th 2024. Record Label: Glory Or Death Records. Format: DD/Vinyl

Bow Down To No One - Track Listing:

1.1313 04:20

2.Crack the Whip 03:42

3.Slo Failure 05:49

4.Kill Hate Love 04:04

5.Black Hymn 04:33

6.Below the Water 06:23

7.Martyr of the Son 04:48

8.Passenger 05:07

9.Tempest 05:52

10.Devil Inside You 04:41

Members

Jim McCloskey – Guitars

Greg Noriega – Bass

Chris Lowbridge – Drums

Jason Busiek – Vocals

Review

Bow To No One is the new album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Sea Of Snakes who also operate with an old school Alt Metal/Grunge creative philosophy within their music. As the album draws upon bands such as Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. With an aggressive and seedy style of AMPLIFIER FUZZ slowly creeping into the background on the excellent opening track 1313. The sound is built upon a highly atmospheric style of contemporary 1990’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with a sublime distorted Proto-Doom sound starting to appear.

The album allows Sea Of Snakes to forge their own unflinching style of Street Level based Doom/Stoner Metal where GRUNGE is just one of the best tools the band have at their disposal at creating heavy slabs of pure seediness throughout the album especially on tracks such as Crack The Whip, Slo Failure and Kill Hate Love. Sea Of Snakes have a deft touch at playing intense grunge based melodies with a subtle Alt Rock flavour appearing within the lyrics. However, the whole sound is filtered through a level of distorted sludgy grooves and amplified textures that bring a sense of paranoia to the album that I didn’t expect to hear.

Production values are superbly realized with a sense of dirt and grime coming through their music which allows Sea Of Snakes to become more closely aligned to the Grunge scene that you don’t fully expect. However, it’s the wicked and down-tuned sludgy guitars that gives Sea Of Snakes another level of  heaviness to play with as they bring a sinister PSYCHEDELIC movement to the album which becomes one of the standout parts of the entire album.

The standout tracks on the album are: Slo Failure, Kill Hate Love, Below The Water, Passenger and Tempest. These are the moments where Sea Of Snakes start paying homage to bands such as Soundgarden and Alice In Chains more and more. You can also hear other influences such as Faith No More, The Melvins and High On Fire heard on the record which Sea Of Snakes use to their own advantage by creating highly anthemic and original music of their own. 

Bow To No One is a superbly entertaining record that perfectly captures the seedier side of the Alt Metal/Grunge hybrid style of Doom/Stoner Metal that Sea Of Snakes are absolute masters at. Give this record a spin and you’ll be brilliantly surprised at the EPIC grooves that Sea Of Snakes bring to the party. I’m hoping Sea Of Snakes gain a loyal and dedicated following from the underground scene as they truly deserve every success with this album.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Bow To No One Is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Glory Or Death Records.

Links

LinkTree | BandCamp