Exclusive Album Premiere Of Doom/Sludge/Post-Metallers PALEGAZER Debut Album WHITE MOURNING

By mapping sonic landscapes that shift from immersive, melancholic passages to shuddering heaviness, Palegazer, a trio from Porto, Portugal, crafts their own reflection on humanity. 

Shifting between clean vocals and drawn-out guttural growls, from shimmering cymbal resonance to the snap of the snare, and from fragile melodic phrases to cavernous, weighty riffs, their sound inhabits a space between the atmospheric depth of post-metal and the crushing density of sludge and doom. About "White Mourning" album: 

The idea behind this project has always been to create something that feels deeply human, reaching out and allowing for connection through the most raw and yet ubiquitous of feelings, no matter what shape they may take within each of us. 

The album "White Mourning" explores the fragility of human nature, how we are vulnerable both to ourselves and to the world around us. It reflects on the imagined narratives we construct to comfort ourselves, and how our perceptions ultimately shape the realities we experience. "White Mourning" can symbolize freedom from loss, whether the loss of a life, of a burden, or of something deeply cherished, representing not only grief but also rebirth and self-discovery through the act of letting go. 

Influenced by bands such as YOB, Russian Circles, REZN, Deafheaven, Conan, Bölzer, Mastodon, Ahab and Bell Witch, as well as some early 2000s metal, the sound ranges from immersive, melancholic melodies to shuddering heaviness, drawing from sludge, post-metal, and doom. 

The album was recorded at our own studio over the course of several months, and it was mixed and mastered by Diogo Santana from Noise Portrait Recordings, who has worked with several Portuguese and international bands over the years. 

You can listen to the album in full thanks to the great folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion.

Tracklist

Imminence - 5:52

Searing Light - 6:52

As What Remains Drifts - 6:12

Ancient Twin - 5:39

White Mourning - 14:07

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

White Mourning is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Palegazer - White Mourning (Album Review)

Release Date: October 30th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Format: CD/DD

White Mourning - Tracklist 

Imminence - 5:52

Searing Light - 6:52

As What Remains Drifts - 6:12

Ancient Twin - 5:39

White Mourning - 14:07

Members

Francisco Malojo - Guitar and Vocals

Nuno Silva - Drums

Gil Pereira - Bass

Review

White Mourning is the debut album from Atmospheric Sludge Metallers Palegazer and is a crushing mix of Doom, Post-metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal and Ambient Metal for a record that’s viciously dark and emotionally engaging at the same time. The record has different styles of vocals leading the complex narrative with harsh growls that are quite easy to understand and the gloomy ambient themes allows the album to grow naturally. 

There’s a great build of LIGHT vs DARK elements throughout the album with some vibrant strands of Post-Rock that branch out into heavier forces of Post-Metal and Blackened Doom which you experience throughout the stunning opening tracks of Imminence and Searing Light. Palegazer are clearly influenced by the big hitters of the modern day Post-Metal scene but you can hear other great artists such as CONAN, Mastodon and Deafheaven. 

The level of Progressive Metal attitude is what fully sells Palegazer’s music as this allows their music to drift into different areas of music such as Heavy Psych and Cosmic Doom with great lyrics being written to accompany the music. Palegazer have a fine ear for detail where they blend harsh soundscapes against a calmer backdrop of Ambient Post-Rock before returning to that heavy Atmospheric Sludge Metal world they fully build their music upon. 

The songs are superbly technical and highly inventive with Palegazer adding a real emotional core to their music whilst adding some unexpected musical beatdowns and breakdowns on tracks such as Searing Light, As What Remains Drifts and the epic final track White Mourning that runs for fourteen minutes. The production values are handled superbly well with Palegazer demonstrating a fast-paced delivery within their music. Sometimes the band switches things up for a heavier and calmer vibe but it’s still within the rules of modern day Post-Metal. 

White Mourning is a superbly entertaining record that’s emotionally rewarding at the time which is sometimes quite hard to achieve for a debut album such as this. However, Palegazer have delivered a record that demands your undivided attention and offers a great musical experience every time you listen to the album.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

White Mourning is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

HYLKO Sign With Octopus Rising; Japanese Stoner Rockers Unveil New Single “Green Spa”

Japanese stoner rockers HYLKO have signed with Octopus Rising, the imprint of Argonauta Records dedicated to emerging and forward-thinking heavy music. To celebrate the signing, the band are now unveiling their brand-new single “Green Spa”, offering the first taste of their upcoming album Rusty Quadrupeds Still Work.

Listen to “Green Spa” here: https://lynkify.in/album/green-spa/75509745​

Formed in 2020 around bassist Nori, a huge fan of legendary desert-rock pioneers Kyuss, HYLKO have built their sound around an intriguing concept: bringing the spirit of desert rock to Japan, a country famously lacking any deserts of its own.

Driven by heavy riffs, thick bass lines, hypnotic grooves and a raw, earthy approach, HYLKO channel the essence of classic desert rock while filtering it through their own distinctly Japanese perspective. The result is a gritty and immersive take on stoner rock that pays tribute to the genre's foundations without simply retracing familiar paths.

The band's history is as unconventional as their sound. Current drummer TfuckG originally joined HYLKO as a bongo player, but eventually took over behind the drum kit after becoming dissatisfied with the abilities of the band's then-current drummer. To fill the void left by the bongo player, HYLKO invited Moock, a djembe player active in other bands, to join the group, and he readily accepted.

After initially focusing on instrumental music, HYLKO's approach began to evolve following the release of their full-length album The Man Comes Around. Moock felt that the music needed a vocal presence and began improvising vocals over the band's instrumental tracks. What started as spontaneous experimentation gradually became an essential part of HYLKO's identity.

For their upcoming album Rusty Quadrupeds Still Work, Moock has written the lyrics for all songs, giving HYLKO's heavy instrumental foundation a new vocal dimension while retaining the hypnotic, groove-oriented character at the heart of their music.

The newly released “Green Spa” offers a first glimpse into this next chapter, showcasing HYLKO's ability to combine crushing stoner-rock riffs with their own unconventional approach and increasingly distinctive vocal presence.

Further details on Rusty Quadrupeds Still Work will be announced soon.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/HYLKOstoner​
​https://www.instagram.com/hylko.stonerrock​
​https://www.argonautarecords.com

​Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

RISE ABOVE DEAD Unveil New Single and Video “Drowning Slowly”; Announce Full Album Details for Voidmass

Milan, Italy based post metal veterans RISE ABOVE DEAD have unveiled “Drowning Slowly”, the first single and official video taken from their forthcoming new album Voidmass, due out November 27, 2026 via Argonauta Records.

WATCH “DROWNING SLOWLY” HERE:

With Voidmass, Rise Above Dead open a new chapter in their story, bringing together the crushing weight, atmospheric depth and cinematic dimension that have shaped their music over the years with a renewed vocal intensity following the return of original singer Andrea Rondanini.

“Drowning Slowly” offers the first glimpse into this new incarnation of the band. Built around oppressive post metal dynamics, haunting atmospheres and a steadily intensifying sense of tension, the track captures the emotional and sonic weight at the core of Voidmass.

The accompanying video further expands the song's dark and immersive character, introducing listeners to the visual world surrounding the band's new album.

Voidmass features six tracks that move through crushing riffs, expansive atmospheres and emotionally charged passages, balancing the band's heavier instincts with a more vocal driven approach. From the opening impact of “Annihilation/Rebirth” to the closing “Through Zenith”, the album unfolds as a continuous journey through darkness, transformation and emotional disintegration.

Voidmass Tracklist:

01. Annihilation/Rebirth 7:10
​02. Drowning Slowly 5:05
​03. Voices Fade Away 5:45
​04. Fragile Ground 3:43
​05. Event Horizon 5:30
​06. Through Zenith feat. Emtu 6:28



RISE ABOVE DEAD | VOIDMASS​ | Out November 27, 2026 via Argonauta Records​ | ​CD + Digital

The album marks the band's first release with Argonauta Records and represents a significant new step for Rise Above Dead, reconnecting the band's early intensity with the expansive sonic language developed throughout their later work.

With “Drowning Slowly” now available, the first chapter of Voidmass has been revealed.

Listen to “Drowning Slowly” and enter the world of Voidmass.

RISE ABOVE DEAD VOIDMASS RELEASE PARTY

Friday, December 4, 2026​
​ARCI Blob | Arcore, MB, Italy​
​with Baratro + Magnitudo​
​In collaboration with Striade Production

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/riseabovedead​
​https://www.instagram.com/riseabovedead​​
​​https://www.argonautarecords.com/​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Doom/Psych/Stoner Rockers PARANOID REVERB Stunning New Album RED RIVER BLACK ROOTS

Following the announcement of their signing with Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records and the release of their first new single "Red River", Greek heavy psych / stoner rock outfit Paranoid Reverb will now release their second full length album Red River Black Roots.

The album will be released on September 18, 2026 via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital. 

Thanks to the cool folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion and Argonauta Records, you can listen to this great album in full with this exclusive premiere.

Following their 2020 debut Billion Drops, Red River Black Roots marks a more deliberate and mature phase for Paranoid Reverb. The album expands their heavy psych / stoner rock foundations through denser rhythmic structures, darker tonal shades and atmospheric layers, while retaining the raw, performance-driven energy of their live sound.

Recorded in April 2025 at Shellac Recording Studios in Thessaloniki and completed the following month at producer Paris Parasidis' studio, the album places dynamics and authenticity at its core. Organic percussion, metallic objects and ambient textures become part of a sound that moves between heavy eruptions and hypnotic passages, creating a distinctly live-oriented feel without sacrificing weight or atmosphere.

Thematically, Red River Black Roots explores pressure, introspection, renewal and the tension between decay and transformation. Its title reflects this journey: the "river" represents a descent into chaos, while the "roots" suggest a return to origin. Together, they form the central metaphor connecting the album's narrative and sonic progression.

With new vocalist Manos Gotsis and a renewed creative direction, Paranoid Reverb enter this new chapter with their most focused and personal work to date.

Red River Black Roots tracklist

Acantha – 06:19
0315 – 04:30
Da Capo – 06:07
F.U. – 05:01
Red River – 04:51
Come Undone – 06:19
QuickSand – 07:15

Red River Black Roots will be released on September 18, 2026 via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/ParanoidReverb​
​https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Red River Black Roots is available to buy now on CD/Digital Download via Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records).

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Post-Rock/Post-Metal Collective Our Ceasing Voice Unveil New Single And Video “Wherever You Are”

A deeply personal song about loss, forgiveness and keeping a memory alive

Austrian post rock and post metal quartet Our Ceasing Voice return with “Wherever You Are”, the third single taken from their forthcoming album “The Origin of Everything”, due for release on October 2nd, 2026 via Argonauta Records.

Watch the official video for “Wherever You Are”:

Following the previously released singles “Diamond Eyes” and “The Man You Wanted Me To Be”, “Wherever You Are” reveals perhaps the most intimate side of Our Ceasing Voice. Written in the aftermath of a devastating personal loss, the song is a meditation on grief, guilt and the difficult path towards forgiveness.

Vocalist Dominik Dörfler explains:

“When I was faced with the loss of an especially close friend in 2005, something inside me broke and has still not healed to this day, leaving a huge void.”

For years, Dörfler carried the feeling that he could somehow have prevented his friend's death, a thought that became increasingly difficult to escape.

“This feeling haunted me for so many years and prevented me, in every way, from coming to terms with it.”

Fourteen years after the loss, in 2019, Dörfler finally sat down at the piano and wrote “Wherever You Are”. The song remained untouched for a long time, neither played nor listened to, before the band eventually returned to it while working on “The Origin of Everything”.

Reworking the composition and revisiting its lyrics ultimately became part of a deeply personal process of healing.

“Working on it really helped me cope with this loss, see it in a different light, replace that feeling of anger with a kind of forgiveness toward myself, and immortalize the memory of a beautiful person.”

That sense of emotional transformation lies at the heart of “The Origin of Everything”. While the album looks inward at identity, belonging, memory and the forces that shape who we become, “Wherever You Are” confronts the past directly, turning grief into remembrance and regret into acceptance.

Musically, the song showcases the band's ability to move between fragile intimacy and expansive post rock intensity, creating a space where melancholy and catharsis coexist. It is another glimpse into an album that sees Our Ceasing Voice pushing beyond their earlier sound while preserving the emotional depth that has defined them since their formation in Innsbruck in 2006.

“The Origin of Everything” will be released on October 2nd, 2026 via Argonauta Records and features eleven songs that trace different paths through memory, identity, longing and transformation.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/ourceasingvoicemusic​
​https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Paranoid Reverb - Red River Black Roots (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Format: CD/DD

Red River Black Roots - Tracklist

Acantha – 06:19

0315 – 04:30

Da Capo – 06:07

F.U. – 05:01

Red River – 04:51

Come Undone – 06:19

QuickSand – 07:15

Review

Psych Stoner Rockers Paranoid Reverb return in stunning fashion with their second album Red River Black Roots which builds upon the highly atmospheric grooves created on their acclaimed 2020 debut album. The record has a grittier and spaced out attitude with a massive wall of sound developing very early on within the album. Paranoid Reverb have a similar cosmic style of music next to the likes of ELDER, Weedpecker, King Buffalo and Howling Giant. Though, you hear classic Stoner Rock/Metal sounds influenced by the likes of KYUSS, Truckfighters and FU MANCHU.

There’s many different levels of Heavy Rock appearing with some cool switches to Doom and Sludge melodies. The whole thing has a gloomy progressive power that allows Paranoid Reverb venture into that classic Heavy Metal realm with some mighty guitar shredding appearing out of nowhere.

Perhaps it’s not as grounded as their debut album but there is a thrilling sense of musical adventure bursting out of the seams on tracks such as: Ancatha, 0315 and Da Capo which combines moody atmospherics with aggressive psychedelic landscapes. The vocals move from areas of Alt Rock, Grunge and Stoner Rock themes with a delicate Blues Rock touch that appear in the quieter and most emotionally charged parts of the album.

Paranoid Reverb even manage to find the time to perform a subtle moody Blues Rock environment where everything played a delicate slow-to-mid pace but they sprinkle some distorted Psychedelic Doom measures within the ice-cold atmosphere. The band really start to impress more when they start thinking outside the Heavy Psychedelic sandbox and deliver some gritty soundscapes within the second half of the album.

Everything becomes quite gloomy when a theatrical Post-Rock and Ambient soundscape appears in the background with Paranoid Reverb offering a more refined style of music.

Red River Black Roots fully becomes a more dangerous and aggressive record to listen to when Paranoid Reverb fully embrace that Sludge Rock vibe within their music that dominates the second half of the album on tracks such as F.U., Come Undone and Quicksand. The great mix of raw sounding Stoner Rock passages melts away at the Psychedelic landscape with a stripped back swagger that forms a heavy Cosmic Doom delivery. 

The lyrics aren’t as outlandish as you expect with Paranoid Reverb keeping everything real and never overthinking things. This allows the album to move along at a great pace with the whole album never overstaying itss welcome. Some parts can be brash with the raw-sounding production values but this is one of the albums main strengths with the record having a true honest feel to it all.

Red River Black Roots is an expertly produced record with Paranoid Reverb firing on all cylinders and delivering a superbly entertaining album from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Red River Black Roots is available to buy now on CD/Digital Download via Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records).

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Atmospheric Doomsters LȲKAA sign to Octopus Rising and unveil first single “Izome”

Saxony, Germany-based heavy doom outfit LȲKAA have signed with Octopus Rising, the (un)parallel label of Argonauta Records. The band celebrate the signing with the release of “Izome”, their first single and the first glimpse into their forthcoming debut album “Light Eater”.

Formed during the pandemic winter of 2022 inside an old Cold War bunker, LȲKAA emerged from isolation, tension and decay, turning the atmosphere of their surroundings into a dark and immersive form of heavy music.

The band's sound sits somewhere between doom-laden heavy metal, dark melodicism and post-punk-infused melancholy, creating a dense and emotionally charged atmosphere without relying on occult aesthetics or theatrical imagery. Instead, LȲKAA focus on the darker side of human experience, delivering songs that feel equally haunting, heavy and deeply personal.

“Izome” is the first statement from LȲKAA's new chapter with Octopus Rising, introducing a band whose music draws on the legacy of dark and melodic heavy metal while pushing it into a more atmospheric and contemporary territory.

Watch the official “Izome” visualizer: 

Between 2023 and 2025, LȲKAA took their music to the stage across a series of intense live shows, including appearances alongside Messa and Zhaat, developing an immersive live presence that matches the darkness of their recordings.

With “Light Eater”, their fully produced debut album, now ready for release, LȲKAA join the Octopus Rising roster and open a new chapter for a band built on atmosphere, tension and uncompromising heavy music.

For fans of: Messa, DOOL, In Solitude, The Night Eternal, The Devil's Blood, Jex Thoth, Sonja.

LȲKAA are:

Elly Preussner – lead vocals
Johannes Werner – guitars, keys, vocals
Rasmus Korn – guitars
Đenan Muratagić – bass
Christoph Weilbach – drums

All drums on “Light Eater” were performed by Johannes Ivandic.

“Light Eater” will be released via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records. Further details coming soon.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/lykaa.band​
​https://www.instagram.com/lykaa.band​
​`https://www.argonautarecords.com/

​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Instrumental Stoner Rockers Motorik Road Trip sign to Octopus Rising and unveil new single “Prism Cascade”

Bristol, UK instrumental stoner rock trio Motorik Road Trip join the Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records family, celebrating the signing with the release of their brand-new single and official video “Prism Cascade”.

Formed in 2022, Motorik Road Trip have carved out their own instrumental take on stoner rock, psychedelic rock and doom, combining heavy, groove-driven riffs with hypnotic atmospheres, psychedelic melodies and a strong sense of sonic exploration. By consciously choosing to remain fully instrumental, the Bristol three-piece have created a sound free from lyrical boundaries, allowing their music to travel wherever the riffs take it.

Since their formation, Motorik Road Trip have independently released a series of singles and EPs, including Orange Zilla EP, Hobo Sorcerer / Magic Fang, Arch / Future Primate and Champa Moon / Astral GTX. In January 2025, they released their debut longform album, V, recorded with engineer Ben Scott Turner at Axe & Trap Studios in Somerset, UK. Turner has previously worked with acclaimed acts including Black Helium, Hey Colossus and Part Chimp.

Now signed to Octopus Rising, Motorik Road Trip celebrate the beginning of this new chapter with “Prism Cascade”, a brand-new track accompanied by an official music video.

Watch “Prism Cascade”: 

The single offers the first taste of the band’s evolving sonic universe, bringing together muscular stoner riffs, psychedelic textures and a spacious, hypnotic atmosphere. It also hints at the broader musical territory Motorik Road Trip have been exploring since their debut, where crushing doom passages can meet sparkling psychedelic melodies, eastern-inflected ideas and more progressive forms of instrumental heavy rock.

Their sound draws inspiration from the likes of Monkey3, Karma to Burn, SLIFT and Elder, while maintaining a distinctly British character and an identity of its own.

Motorik Road Trip are:

Jason Tovey – bass
​Ben Garner – guitar
​Nat White – drums

With “Prism Cascade”, Motorik Road Trip open a new chapter alongside Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records, bringing their instrumental blend of stoner, psychedelic rock and doom to a wider audience. More details on the band’s upcoming release will be revealed in due course.

Links

​Facebook​ | Instagram​ | ​BandCamp​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the detials.

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Psych/Desert/Doom/Stoner Rockers PETROSA Stunning New Album ROADBURN CHRONICLES

Founded in 2019 by guitarist Antonio Buonocore, PETROSA are an Italian stoner/doom band driven by a passion for massive riffs, immersive atmospheres and emotionally charged songwriting. What began as a personal vision soon evolved into a fully realized band with the arrival of drummer Giorgio Monza, followed by vocalist Aldo Colciago and bassist Andrea Vignati, completing the lineup that would shape the group's distinctive identity.

Describing their sound as "Doom Carved in Stone(r)", PETROSA seamlessly blend the expansive groove of stoner rock with the crushing weight of classic doom metal. Drawing inspiration from genre pioneers while forging a voice of their own, the band crafts songs that balance heaviness and melody, raw power and introspection, creating an immersive listening experience rooted in authenticity.

PETROSA's music explores the complexities of the human condition through themes of inner conflict, self-destruction, redemption and the search for meaning in an increasingly chaotic world. Their compositions are built upon thunderous riffs, dynamic arrangements and evocative atmospheres, offering moments of both crushing intensity and reflective calm.

In 2026, PETROSA signed with Octopus Rising, the Argonauta Records imprint dedicated to emerging heavy acts, marking a significant milestone in the band's journey. Their debut full-length album, Roadburn Chronicles, was produced by Carlo Altobelli at Toxic Basement Studio and captures the band's uncompromising artistic vision in its purest form. Conceived as a raw and introspective journey, the record explores darkness without losing sight of hope, celebrating resilience, freedom and the enduring spirit of the open road.

With their powerful live energy and a songwriting approach that values substance over excess, PETROSA continue to establish themselves as one of the most promising new names in the Italian heavy underground, delivering music that resonates far beyond genre boundaries.

We're excited to host this exclusive album premiere of this superb album thanks to the great folks at Grand Sounds Promotion.

Tracklist

S.U.R.E.

The Sinner
Turning Point
I For An I
Rusty Blues
Viper
Revenant
Dreamer's Sunsets
Monsters' Conceal
An Old Van And A Couple Of Beers

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Roadburn Chronicles is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising.

Links

Instagram

Italian Heavy Rockers SBARCO Unveil New Single and Video “The Divorce”

Italian heavy rockers SBARCO continue the journey toward their highly anticipated second studio album with the release of their powerful new single and official video, “The Divorce.”
​
Watch the official video below: 

Following the release of “Get to Know Me,” the new track further showcases the band's renewed artistic direction, blending heavy rock intensity with emotionally charged songwriting and the expressive power of their dual vocal approach.
​
“The Divorce” is an intense introspective journey through loss, vulnerability, and rebirth. The song portrays a protagonist facing a profound existential crisis, where every certainty begins to collapse and identity itself seems to dissolve. Images of lost skin and a shattered shield reflect the fragility of confronting pain without defenses, while the narrative gradually evolves into one of transformation and hope.
​
Speaking about the song, the band comments:

​“The Divorce is about finding the strength to rebuild after everything seems lost. From the deepest darkness comes the possibility of change, and faith becomes the force that allows us to trust ourselves, the people we love, and the future. It is ultimately a song about healing, resilience, and embracing a new beginning.”​
​
Currently working on their sophomore album with producer Simone “L'Architetto” Colombo, SBARCO continue to refine a sound that combines crushing heavy rock with deeply personal and introspective storytelling, setting the stage for what promises to be their most mature and compelling work to date.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/sbarcomusic​
​https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.​

FANE - Armageddon Scars (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Formats: DD

Armageddon Scars - Tracklist

1.Flatline

2.Dead Shepherd 

3.Poisoned Crown

4.The Mariner

5.Passages 

Members

Ryan Ashmore - Vocals

Trey Porche - Instruments, Programming

Review

Doom/Sludge Metal duo FANE debut album Armageddon Scars creates a brutal and emotionally engaging style of music that ventures into similar waters of bands such as THOU, Primitive Man, YOB and Neurosis. The brooding atmospherics has plenty of heavy progressive weight that powers the DRONED OUT dimension that is added at different stages of the record. There are hidden traces of Punk, Black Metal and some small instances of Death Metal which gives Armageddon Scars quite a violent and hypnotic sound from the very start.

The opening track Flatline allows FANE to demonstrate some subversive levels of Doom Metal that allows the listener to fully lose themselves within the Sludge Metal textures that become more accustomed to the Post-Metal world. The vocals from Ryan Ashmore are delivered with a grim extreme and menacing style that has a solid HARSH and THUGGISH energy to them. FANE are never afraid to explore the dominant Black Metal environments which offer crushing, violent and destructive instrumental grooves that last the course and where any uplifting soundscapes are wisely banished from existence here.

Second track Dead Shepherd only solidifies the eternal DOOM & GLOOM message that FANE project throughout the album with punishing Post-Metal sounds and some brief Psychedelic interludes that offer a dramatic feeling to emerge from the darkness. Trey Porche has his work cut out providing all the Instrumental and Programming aspect for FANE to devour everyone’s soul with. This is a great counterbalance with Ryan’s vocals, perhaps opening the gateway for that brutal and monolithic style of music to explore the darkest corners of the whole album.

Third track Poisoned Crown follows a similar path to the previous track but operates with a simpler riff based structure without compromising the violent progressive sounds that have already been set out from the start. FANE delivers the most straightforward grooves that have that classic YOB influence behind them. The extra layer of Psych Metal just pushes the album into different sonic based arenas whilst keeping that Blackened Post-Metal atmosphere fully intact.

The final two tracks The Mariner and Passages bring a different aura of darkness from FANE with that Progressive sound adding abstract soundscapes and Ambient sound effects for perhaps the best part of the album. FANE feel more determined to forge their own identity with these two tracks with tighter vocals and better instrumental control whilst punishing the listeners yet again with an intense blast of pure Doom/Sludge Metal brutality. 

Armageddon Scars is quite subversive and superbly inventive with the Ambient Sounds and Psych Metal effects which allows FANE to never lose focus on releasing an epic sounding debut album that will leave you an emotional shivering wreck when everything is said and done.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Armageddon Scars is available to buy now on DD via Octopus Rising.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

PETROSA - Roadburn Chronicles (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Formats: CD/DD

Roadburn Chronicles - Tracklist

S.U.R.E.

The Sinner

Turning Point

I For An I

Rusty Blues

Viper

Revenant

Dreamer's Sunsets

Monsters' Conceal

An Old Van And A Couple Of Beers

 

Members

Antonio Buonocore - Guitar

Giorgio Monza - Drums

Aldo Colciago - Vocals

Andrea Vignati - Bass

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers PETROSA come out fighting with their intense debut album “Roadburn Chronicles” that perhaps focuses on the DOOMED OUT part of their music which gives them a very unhealthy destructive appetite. Influenced by the likes of KYUSS, Orange Goblin and Dozer, there’s a gritty realism to PETROSA’s music that brings an aggressive level of Fuzz, Psych and Desert Rock with a destructive Nineties Alt-Metal attitude.

The album wastes no time in getting straight down to business of playing classic Stoner Metal grooves with that Doom & Gloom atmosphere allowing PETROSA adding some Monster Magnet spaced out heaviness along the way. The lyrics are quite seedy and fits right in with the WEEDIAN lifestyle that PETROSA approach with loving care and perhaps play about with the general misconceptions of the actual scene by playing some classic HEAVY ROCK melodic structures throughout.

Lead vocalist Aldo Calciago has a determined and gritty approach in how the vocals are delivered with flashes of solid Fuzz Rock groundwork which has some FU MANCHU and ORANGE GOBLIN elements to them on tracks such as S.U.R.E., The Sinner and Turning Point setting the scene for the rest of the album to follow. 

PETROSA never tries to reinvent the wheel or add progressive movements to their music. As this music is classic DOOM/STONER METAL through and through but there are some epic sounding cinematic Desert Rock soundscapes that lurk in the background to add a great style of Post-Doom and Psych Metal level of awareness.

The album really starts hitting its own creative and musical stride when the outstanding third track Turning Point appears which has the right amount of “QUIET vs LOUD” musical dynamics where a thrilling sludgy atmosphere develops into music with more meaning. From this point on PETROSA feel in their musical element with a great sounding Punk Rock energy being added within the sublime fourth track I For An I. The instrumental sounds are more fast-paced that feel completely dominated by a Fuzzed Out aspect that moves quite confidently into full on Doom/Stoner Metal.

Fifth track Rusty Blues allows PETROSA to slow the mood right down to a laid back gloomy Blues Rock number which is stripped of all it’s WEEDIAN essence with small pockets of Desert Rock soulful melodies that shows you a different side to PETROSA.

The second half of Roadburn Chronicles starts off in low-key fashion with the stunning sixth track Viper that explores that Desert Rock landscape with Post-Doom aesthetics fully moving back into their usual Heavy Rock delivery. The sound is influenced by modern day and alt-rock musical structures that leads the band into developing the heaviest sounds on the whole album. 

PETROSA move from strength-to-strength on the remaining tracks of the album with powerful strands of Doom/Stoner Metal once again allowing the band to develop their own great style of music with a gritty determination within the excellent tracks of Revenant, Dreamer’s Sunsets and An Old Van And A Couple Of Beers closing the album on a wonderful and exciting finish.

Roadburn Chronicles never plays out the way you expect as PETROSA have something special about their music where you feel this is a band who have lived the ROCK & ROLL lifestyle well perhaps within the underground scene at least. 

PETROSA will hopefully make a name for themselves with this great album and I can see them playing some of the more prestigious stages of the Doom/Stoner Metal festival circuit in no time at all.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Roadburn Chronicles is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising.

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PETROSA reveal new single "Viper" and announce debut album Roadburn Chronicles, out August 28 via Octopus Rising

Following the release of their first single "Revenant" and the announcement of their signing with Octopus Rising, Italian stoner/doom outfit PETROSA are back to unveil "Viper", the second single taken from their upcoming debut album Roadburn Chronicles, set for release on August 28th, 2026 in CD and Digital format via Octopus Rising, the Argonauta Records imprint dedicated to emerging heavy acts.

"Viper" is available now: https://tidal.com/album/544988885/u

Speaking about the new single, the band comment:

"'Viper' embodies one of the darkest sides of the album. It's about the poisonous relationships and destructive instincts that slowly infiltrate our lives, often without us even realizing it. Musically, we wanted the song to feel relentless yet hypnotic, balancing crushing heaviness with an atmosphere that gradually pulls the listener deeper into its world."

With Roadburn Chronicles, PETROSA deliver the definitive statement of the band's identity. Produced by Carlo Altobelli at Toxic Basement Studio in Carate Brianza, the album was recorded during an intense eight-day session between November 2024 and January 2025, preserving the raw energy and uncompromising spirit that have become central to the band's sound.

The record unfolds as an introspective journey through the human condition, exploring themes of sin, self-destruction, personal conflict, disillusionment and the constant tension between darkness and redemption. While deeply rooted in heavy, riff-driven landscapes, Roadburn Chronicles also leaves room for hope, freedom and fleeting moments of light, reflected in the album's evocative "open road" atmosphere.

Faithful to their self-defined philosophy of "Doom Carved in Stone(r)", PETROSA merge the expansive groove of stoner rock with the crushing weight of classic doom, crafting songs that are equally immersive, emotional and powerful.

Fans with a keen eye will also discover a hidden detail within the album artwork: the license plate of the blue van featured on the cover bears the exact date of the band's final day in the recording studio, a subtle tribute to the completion of this important chapter.

For fans of: Kyuss, Black Sabbath, Orange Goblin, The Sword, Dozer

Tracklist

S.U.R.E.

The Sinner
Turning Point
I For An I
Rusty Blues
Viper
Revenant
Dreamer's Sunsets
Monsters' Conceal
An Old Van And A Couple Of Beers

Roadburn Chronicles will be released on August 28th, 2026 via Octopus Rising on CD and Digital. More news will be revealed in the coming weeks.

https://www.instagram.com/petrosa_band

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