Showing posts with label Grunge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grunge. Show all posts

Saturday, 3 October 2026

Stoned Jesus - Songs To Moon (Album Review)

Release Date: October 09th 2026. Record Label: Season Of Mist. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Songs To Moon- Tracklist

1.Under the Skin 

2.Velvet 

3.ZYX

4.Syzygy

5.Jackal 

6.Window in My Room

7.One More Empty Day


Recording Lineup


Igor Sydorenko - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards

Andrew Rodin - Bass, Backing Vocals

Yurii Ciel - Drums, Backing Vocals


Review


Doom/Stoner Metal legends Stoned Jesus return with Songs To Moon which is the second chapter within their ongoing “Songs To” trilogy which opened with the acclaimed 2025 release Songs To Sun. This chapter offers a darker and complex sound to emerge that blends influences as diverse as NIN, Type O Negative, NEUROSIS, Sisters Of Mercy, Depeche Mode, Black Sabbath and Led Zep. 


However, this is still Stoned Jesus’s main creative outlook with emotionally charged melodies that travel through the multi-layered world of Doom, Post-Metal and Sludge Metal with some haunting Psychedelic Stoner Metal environments being the main creative glue that holds everything together.


The vocals are a mixture of clean vocals and harsh growls which shows the different ethereal sides of Songs To Moon compared to Songs To Sun. The music is quite jagged and offers a cautionary style of Post-Rock and Post-Metal that really unsettles the emotional intensity the previous album superbly captured especially within the opening tracks of Under The Skin, Velvet and ZYX.


Everything feels so grounded though Stoned Jesus always return to the OVER THE TOP sound that’s made their previous albums feel like such massive events that you constantly feel part of the action. There’s a sense of grounded reality when Stoned Jesus merges Industrial landscapes against a gloomy atmospheric level of grunge and murky prog metal grooves that always feel genuinely authentic. 


Stoned Jesus experimented with different styles of music throughout the album as you can hear acoustic movements and stripped back musical mechanics which never feel out of place even when the album could do add with that great style of pure heaviness. The lyrics are poetry in motion as Igor Sydorenko is really coming into his own as one of the best lyricists the Doom/Stoner Metal scene has to offer right now.


Every track has a beginning, middle and end with multiple different styles of Heavy Rock instrumental solos emerging from the darkness that transform into epic cinematic soundscapes on tracks such as ZYX, Jackal, Window In My Rooms and One More Empty Day.


The second half of the album reminds me mostly of Alice In Chains and Mastodon with how the progressive song structures are delivered that leave you astounded in what you’re actually hearing. I do wish the album was slightly longer than it’s forty one minutes as it does feel quite compact in places. 


However, Songs To Moon ends on an exciting finish and with the eagerly anticipated final chapter “Songs To Earth” being released next year, Stoned Jesus are perhaps in the most impressive part of their career to date and this album is another masterful record from them.


Brilliant. End Of.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Season Of Mist for the promo.


Songs To Sun is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist.


Links


LinkTree | BandCamp


Thursday, 1 October 2026

The Machine - Another Sun (Album Review)

Release Date: October 02nd 2026. Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Another Sun - Tracklist


1.Drop/See 

2.Evolver

3.In Search of Yellow

4.Swallow the Sun 

5.Echo Through


Members


David Eering : Guitars, vocals, sitar, synthesizers, theremin, percussion

Chris Both : Bass guitar

Klaas Dijkstra : Drums, percussion


Review


Another Sun is the eighth full length album from Psych/Space/Stoner Rock legends The Machine who have been creating their own unique style of sonic grooves for the best part of two decades. The Machine have perfected their own blend of Heavy Psychedelic music that’s seen them considered one of the leading lights of the European Stoner Rock/Metal scene. This record does have an aggressive and frenzied approach which allows the band to be less in control of their music compared to their previous albums.

That frantic, screeching edge pulls them into murky sludge territory, plunging the record into heavy metal waters without ever abandoning its expansive psychedelic core. Fans of heavy progressive acts like Elder and King Buffalo will find plenty to love, though The Machine carves out their own lane with a shadowy, progressive methodology.

Opening tracks "Drop/See" and "Evolver" set the stage by pairing soaring space-rock textures with an uplifting post-rock/post-doom drive. The narrative moves briskly through prog, desert rock, and full-blown cosmic jams, anchored by David Eering’s vocals and several surprisingly anthemic, stadium-sized hooks that carry an infectious accessibility.

The Machine once again provides epic soundscapes that allows some wonderful sonic experimentation to fully develop with an abstract Ambient Rock melody appearing on tracks In Search Of Yellow, Swallow The Sun and Echo Through. Some of the song structures are centred around a straightforward style of “RIFF CENTRIC” passages and catchy progressive beats that the epic rhythm section of Chris Both (Bass guitar) and Klaas Dijkstra (Drums, percussion) provide for David Eering create out of this world Spaced Out sounds.

By the latter half, Another Sun layers in thick fuzz and classic grunge bite, played with urgent, high-decibel energy. The Machine has maintained an enviable track record over the years, and Another Sun keeps that great record unbroken with a superbly produced, heavy psych journey that proves exactly why they remain legends of the underground scene.

Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo..


Another Sun is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via the band's own imprint Awe Records (Europe) as well as Blues Funeral Recordings (UK and North America).


Links


Thursday, 17 September 2026

The Well - ...And Flames Ran Like Living Animals (Album Review)

Release Date: September 14th 2026. Record Label: Spaceflight Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

...And Flames Ran Like Living Animals - Tracklist


1.Season Of The Flame 05:09

2.Love Cult (Xmas) 04:28

3.Between The Bodies 04:51

4.Mother Leeds 06:03

5.New Hallelujah For The Damned 03:54

6.Love Look This Way 04:52

7.Mystery Babylon 04:33

8.Dillinger's Requiem 01:07

9.Other Girls 04:33


Members


Ian Graham – Guitar and Vocals

Lisa Alley – Bass and Vocals

Jason Sullivan – Drums


Review


Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metallers The Well make a magnificent return with their new album ...And Flames Ran Like Living Animals which is their first record in six years. The band have always been known for their non-linear and cerebral approach to creating music and this record is no different but also perhaps being their most conventional in quite some time. The lyrics and vocals are wickedly subversive, touching upon both social and philosophical themes which gives the whole experience a trippy existence compared to their previous records.


The Well add a Space Rock objective to their music which allows the whole thing to be quite forward thinking but never losing focus of this grounded melodic rhythm the project within the opening stages of the excellent opening track Season Of The Flame. The music is made of different progressive sound structures with areas of Doom, Sludge, Stoner, Psych, Grunge and Alt Metal that is quite familiar but breathtakingly original at times. 


...And Flames Ran Like Living Animals never allows The Well to play it safe with some fuzz drenched guitars allowing Lisa Alley (Bass) and Jason Sullivan (Drums) to provide some deeply rich COSMIC instrumental passages for Ian Graham (Guitar) to provide a level of intense Sludge Rock surroundings.


The Well comment on the true important things going on in the world though also highlighting are too busy consumed with mundane things such as pop culture and social media that’s told within their superbly intelligent lyrics they’ve written for the album. Sometimes the record feels like a damning indictment of humanity in today’s modern age and I wholeheartedly agree with the message being projected here. Though, I could be looking way too much into things and coming up with a completely different message that the record actually holds.


Anyway, back to business. This record sees The Well create a wealth of different Psychedelic melodies and aggressive Sludge/Stoner Metal sounds that have a gloomy Occult and Proto-Metal pretence appearing. It’s quite hard to describe but it’s a method of music The Well have applied into their music on previous records. There’s some great musical influences that can be heard like BORIS, The Melvins and The Smashing Pumpkins but this is still The Well showing what they do so well.


The best parts of the record appear when The Well operate with a less is more approach and straightforward riff based delivery where the music becomes more restrained and fully contained. The mood is quite uplifting in parts before The Well once more explodes into a loud wall of pure Psychedelic noise. Sludgy rhythms dominate the musical landscape with fractured and disjointed Stoner Metal surroundings working superbly well with the great vocals delivered by Ian Graham and Lisa Alley.


Other standout tracks on the album are: Between The Bodies, Love Look This Way, Mystery Babylon and Other Girls. 


The later stages of ...And Flames Ran Like Living Animals sees The Well experimenting with surreal Ambient themes and sludgy Post-Rock soundscapes. There’s also a tough vocal exterior that appears out of nowhere which gives The Well a highly confrontational style which ultimately succeeds on every level that allows the album to end in quite a highly convincing fashion and leave you begging for more great music when everything is said and done.


...And Flames Ran Like Living Animals is a record that demands multiple listens to understand the whole message The Well have created with this album. The production values are off the scale with this being the best record The Well have produced to date. It can be quite challenging to listen to at times but the sheer volume of amazing grooves throughout make the whole journey worthwhile.


This is an incredible record and no doubt that will be lauded as one of the most essential records to own this year alone.


Words by Steve Howe


Links


Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram


Sunday, 13 September 2026

Matt C. White - The Flood (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: White Locust Records. Rising. Format: DD

The Flood - Tracklist

Three Hunters

Evil Wheel

Away

The Flood

Cold Water

Ursa

Evil Wheel (Instrumental)

Cold Water (Instrumental)

Ursa (Instrumental)


Members


Matt C. White - Everything


Review


Multi Instrumentalist Matt C. White returns with their latest offering The Flood which is another moody offering into the world of Classic Rock and Psych Rock sensibilities. The record follows a similar structure to the 2025 album A Cosmic Year with subtle flashes of Psych, Stoner Rock, Space Rock and KrautRock that allows Matt to embrace his love affair with the different levels of Hard Rock. 


There’s some hazy Blues Rock creative energy that’s heard throughout the album with Matt showing some musical influences by the likes of The Black Keys, Hawkwind, The Sword and Brant Bjork. The Proto-Metal and Classic Hard Rock delivery works exceptionally well from the start of the superb opening tracks of Three Hunters, Evil Wheel and Away. There’s a gloomy Garage Rock presence which moves into a slightly distorted Space Rock backdrop with small instances of Gloom & Doom holding everything back.


The music is quite warped but with a great style of melodic rock forming within the freakish Progressive beats that align the musical landscape. Matt’s vocals have an outsider delivery to them with his vocal range bringing Seventies Hard Rock themes to a more modern day setting. The instrumental sounds are constantly evolving into a heavier style of Cosmic Doom and Stoner Rock landscape. 


This feels like THE SWORD (early era) jamming with MC5 and The Black Keys where there are riffs galore waiting to be found within the standout tracks of Away, Cold Water and Ursa. The Flood works best when Matt explores the Cosmic and Psychedelic themes of his music which transforms into some vibrant musical passages that superbly nail on the Post-Stoner and Post-Rock quality of the whole record. 


The Space Rock delivery is almost hopeful, content and brilliantly realistic when it goes for a more "exploratory" approach. The whole thing becomes laid back where Matt allows his SONIC EXPERIMENTATION skills do the heavy lifting especially within The Flood and Cold Water.


This is quite a short album lasting around twenty seven minutes of new material as the final three tracks are instrumental versions of Evil Wheel, Cold Water and Ursa. These are actually great versions to include as you begin to forge a more emotional connection to these tracks especially if you’re a fan of Instrumental Rock music. 


The Flood is mostly fuelled by Classic Rock structures with some slight detours into modern soundscapes which allows Matt C. White to deliver a worthy and outstanding follow up record to his acclaimed 2025 album A Cosmic Year. This record may not be as heavy as that album but it’s perhaps more vivid and dare I say more emotionally charged and superbly original. 


Matt C. White has taken his music into greater musical heights and has released a highly mature offering that gets the job done.


Excellent and Highly Recommended.

 

Words by Steve Howe


The Flood is available to buy now on Digital Download via White Locust Records.


Links


www.mattcwhite.com
www.Instagram.com/Matt_C_White

Shovelhead - A Place Of Dead Roads (Album Review)


Release Date: September 12th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Rising. Format: CD/DD

A Place Of Dead Roads - Tracklist

01. Witching Hour

02. Tempest

03. Dominion/Big Tex

04. Ghost in the Garden

05. Middle Man

06. White Stag Ghost

07. Bombers


Members


Jim LaPointe - Vocals, Guitar

Mike Scott - Drums

George Pierro - Bass


Review


Shovelhead may not be a name you’re familiar with but to a small and loyal dedicated following within the Stoner Rock/Metal underground community, these guys are almost legendary  especially around their hometown of New Jersey. This area is home to the likes of Stoner Rock/Metal legends Monster Magnet. SOLACE and The Atomic Bitchwax. Whilst Shovelhead didn’t reach the same towering heights of those legendary bands, their impact is just as meaningful.


The guys have returned with their first album “A Place Of Dead Roads” in nineteen years. The band helped form the style of Rock & Roll driven based Stoner Metal that’s so popular today and I’m pleased to say that almost two decades on that Shovelhead’s latest album makes them feel as important and vital as ever.


The record is powered by a classic style of “TURBO CHARGED” grooves with some great Garage Rock melodies with a burgeoning seedy Psychedelic attitude. Shovelhead don’t apply modern studio and recording techniques into their music. This is good old fashioned Stoner Rock/Metal music how it’s meant to sound and and superbly played. The end result is raw, uncompromising, gritty and highly unpredictable that allows Shovelhead to play with a fearless attitude which is applied throughout the whole album.


There are some moments of Grunge and Progressive momentums contained within the lengthier tracks of the album (Tempest, Dominion/Big Tex, Middle Man and White Stag Ghost) but there’s a multitude of different styles of Heavy Rock that’s being applied by Shovelhead that makes you just appreciate the fact how these guys are still around after thirty years making great music.


There’s a WILD MAN OF ROCK swagger that’s applied by Shovelhead to the fastest and heaviest parts of the record. There’s an out of control “JAM BASED” quality that you can hear within the fuzziest and sleaziest sounds of the album. The vocals by Jim LaPointe appear only when they’re fully needed which gives real weight to the whole record.


Only Jim LaPointe and Mike Scott remain from the original lineup with George Pierro replacing original bassist Sha Zaidi. George Pierro brings his own heavy bass sound to the part which is quite different to Sha Zaidi’s but still fully fantastic and fully becoming part of the Shovelhead creative framework.


A Place Of Dead Roads is quite a loose record and opts for a riff-centric / jam based delivery which has always been a staple of Shovelhead ever since their formative years. However, everything works as it should with the band delivering an intense musical performance that upcoming Stoner Rock bands should study and appreciate having great bands such as Shovelhead on how to create, write and perform a classic sounding Stoner Rock track.


As I stated previously, the production values are very raw and highly unapologetic but it’s one of the main strengths that allows A Place Of Dead Roads to fully stand out from the crowd. Shovelhead have released a first rate “COMEBACK” record that I’m hoping gives the band further appreciation from the whole Stoner Rock/Metal community. As this is as good as it gets.


If you miss the early days of MONSTER MAGNET when they had intense New Jersey destructive sound running through their veins that they may have lost over the years then you really need to check out SHOVELHEAD right now. As these guys are seriously becoming better musicians and more an essential band in their later years.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Mettle Media PR for the details.

Links




Tuesday, 8 September 2026

Hazemind - Inner Sanctum (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Inner Sanctum - Tracklist

1.Burning Fuel 06:06

2.Mountain 07:35

3.Hellfire 06:40

4.Welcome To The Void 04:44

5.Broken Ropes 04:51

6.Interruption 00:42

7.When The Leader Speaks 07:04

8.The Shell (Part 1: On The Edge) 05:47

9.The Shell (Part 2: Into The Madness) 03:20


Members


Mathieu Pelletier - Bass

René "Bits" Hosson - Drums

Elliot Cadieux - Guitars

Jonathan Lachapelle - Vocals


Review


Inner Sanctum is the debut album from Stoner Metallers Hazemind which is a classic mix of aggressive melodies and subtle fuzz rock attitude. There’s a great Doom Rock aspect that appears from the very start with Hazemind creating fast-paced sounds with an excellent backdrop of Stoner Rock/Metal mechanics that is easily fused to some classic Heavy Rock and Desert Rock themes.


Jonathan Lachapelle’s vocals have a great throwback quality to them with them filled with vibes from the Nineties Grunge, Psych and Stoner Metal scenes. The rest of the band apply a great level of Psychedelic and Progressive based passages which should have fans of bands such as Howling Giant, KYUSS, FU MANCHU and Truckfighters on the edge of their seats. There is a trippy and psychedelic vibe which becomes more dominant from the excellent second track Mountain with some subtle musical change over to a heavier level of Doomed Out Rock. 


There’s some mighty fine interplay between the Grungier aspects that comes across superbly well from the epic guitars played by Elliot Cadieux. Though, he’s supported brilliantly by the storming rhythm section of Mathieu Pelletier (Bass) and René "Bits" Hosson (Drums) who perhaps have a subtle HEAVY METAL attitude for the way they deliver their music.


Certain sections of the record are quite intense with that Scorched Desert Rock attitude forming on the tracks Mountain, Hellfire, Welcome To The Void, and When The Leader Speaks. As the lyrics have a highly confident atmospheric nature to them. Hazemind approaches their “destructive” and "atmospheric" melodies with real cold hearted efficiency which gives their music a more deceiving style of pure raw heaviness. 


Inner Sanctum does have that raw and stripped back sound mostly heard within the sublime production values that gives Hazemind a heavier presence within the later stages of the album. This is a debut packed full of great tunes which allows Hazemind to fully announce their arrival within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene and perhaps make a name for themselves in no time at all.


If you want an album that stays true to the classic essence of Stoner Rock/Metal and have some brief excursions into other areas of Heavy Rock then Hazemind are the band for you!!!


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Links


Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram


Monday, 7 September 2026

HIJSS - HIJSS (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

HIJSS - Tracklist


1.Drain of Thoughts

2.Vicious Cycle

3.Parasite

4.Underwater

5.Dopamine

6.S.W.A.N.

7.Fatal Attraction

8.Outro


Members


Lois Lane - Guitar / Vocals / Electronics

Maurice - Drums

Pan - Bass / Synth


Review


Psych/Space Rock/KrautRock collective HIJSS return with their sophomore self-titled record and continue the great work the band achieved with their acclaimed 2024 debut album Stuck On Common Ground. This time round HIJSS conjured up a more surreal Electro Rock tinged offering compared to their last album. The Space Rock dynamics once again opens the door to other musical areas appearing such as Grunge, Shoegaze, Punk and Blues Rock with a band that are fully cooking on gas with a wild assortment of outrageous grooves and stunning Spaced Out melodies.


Lead vocalist Lois Lane definitely taps into his Post-Punk persona which takes small creative cues from the likes of Monster Magnet, TORCHE and FU MANCHU throughout the album. The sludgy sounds have an aggressive rhythm and boisterous warm-hearted nature to them which you can instantly feel through the stunning opening tracks of Drain Of Thought and Vicious Cycle. The sound is fast paced and wonderfully efficient especially when HIJSS play a faster style of Sludge/Stoner Rock that still has a grounded Punk Rock approach. The Psychedelic and Space Rock beats have a glorious level of infectious COSMIC surroundings that have some destructive lyrics appearing. 


The WEEDIAN themes arrive quite quickly and HIJSS lay that attitude brilliantly thick on the excellent second track Vicious Cycle which reminds me of Dave Wnydorf in his prime. Spiky lyrics which are merged with KrautRock and Post-Punk philosophies which run riot throughout the album. The screeching Electronic beats once again add a warped rhythm with overlapping instrumental passages that’s got some epic synths appearing along the way.


When the stunning and warped tracks Parasite and Underwater appear then HIJSS are simply unstoppable creating music that blends Science Fiction folklore and grounded sensibilities with the music once again being superbly effective whilst being quite hard to describe. There’s a small instance of Industrial beats appearing which allows that KRAUTROCK sound transforming into a gloomier style of Noise, Grunge and Stoner Metal with maximum levels of distorted volumes holding everything together.

Though, HIJSS apply instances of brilliantly played “semi-acoustic” passages which gives this record a gloomier energy with some of the freakiest and trippiest COSMIC grooves forming that leave you in such a cool hallucinogenic state. HIJSS have achieved and created such great things within the first half of the album you begin to wonder how they will top this?

I’m happy to report - Quite Easily!!! - As they keep going on performing and creating more outlandish and heavy distorted “COSMIC GRUNGE” songs that really show how HIJSS have their own original style of music whilst allowing the listener to be transported into their massive sounding world. Songs such as Dopemine and S.W.A.N. are the heaviest, loudest and weirdest songs on the record with the trippy synths and Post-Punk vocals adding a wave of intense movements which are refreshingly “HIP” with HIJSS having a completely FEARLESS attitude appearing within their music.


The final two tracks of Fatal Attraction of OUTRO once again blurs the boundaries between Time and Space with HIJSS applying heavy modern day themes for a mind expanding experience.  HIJSS are always continuing to re-invent themselves through every individual track which makes the album highly unpredictable.


HIJSS are absolute masters of their own Space Rock / Cosmic Grunge domain which leaves you in a complete trance for an album that is bold, hypnotic, mind blowing and brilliantly original within its own right. This is an essential record that everyone needs to fully experience and add to their record collections quickly as possible.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

HIJSS self-titled album is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.


Links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram



Mechwar - Love Comes With A Knife (Single Review)

Release Date: September 01st 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Love Comes With A Knife - Tracklist

Love Comes With A Knife


Review


Love Comes With A Knife is the latest single from Sludge/Stoner Metallers Mechwar which continues the great work laid down on their 2025 debut release Hope // Mercy. The time round there’s a violent stripped back atmosphere which has some harsh vocals to match. The violent Post-Doom, Grunge and Noise Rock surroundings is powered by an aggressive bass line which feels like the real motorised engine that Mechwar builds everything around.


Perhaps not as riff heavy that you initially expect but a multitude of different progressive sounding melodies that is quite grimy but superbly melodic within its own unique. Mechwar are playing a less polished style of Sludge and Stoner Metal that’s packed full of menacing intent with the slow paced drumming adding a massive wall of sound into the track. With some cool Psychedelic and Amplifier trickery being added along the way, Mechwar employs a wealth of different LOW & SLOW and DISTORTED grooves which can be quite spaced out in the quieter moments.


Mechwar channels the likes of MELVINS, MONOLORD, SLEEP and SUNN 0))) on this track but still retain their own unique musical identity within the epic eleven and a half minutes runtime with ruthless precision. The raw sounding production values are quite abstract but serves the band amazingly well with the filthy and grimy attitude sealing the whole deal that makes Love Comes With A Knife such a thrilling experience. 


Words by Steve Howe


Links


BandCamp


Thursday, 3 September 2026

Introduce Yourselves: FOREST HORSE


What Is the Name of Your Band?

Forest Horse

What Is the genre of music you play?

Stoner, doom, sludge


Can you give a brief history of the band of how it came together and where it is today?

Forest Horse is a solo project peddling sludgy, psychedelic doom from the swamps of West Michigan. It began in 2022 with the release of Keep Awake, which draped layers of doom and noise over a sprawling post-rock frame. Four years later, forged by personal upheavals and an ever-darkening world, Botany exchanges the shoegaze tendencies of the past for heavy, fuzzed-out riffs and dirty blues passages that examine strange flora, extraterrestrial murmurings, fruitless resistance, and inevitable decay.

What can people expect from your music?

Fuzzy, sludgy noise that you can groove to. Some screaming about plants and aliens.


What is the best release that folks should check out from your band?

Botany – out everywhere on October 28, 2026.

Where can people find you on Social Media?

https://foresthorse.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/foresthorsemusic

Thanks to Forest Horse for the details.