Louse - Buyer's Remorse (Album Review)

Release Date: August 14th 2026. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Buyer’s Remorse - Tracklist

1.Best Laid Plans 03:44

2.Buyer's Remorse 02:39

3.Rags And Tatters 03:38

4.The Wastepipe Ripper 02:29

5.Comfort 03:43

6.Legal Loophole 03:01

7.Wheel 02:32

8.Meatslide 03:48

9.The Deer Caller 04:24

10.Potato Diet 03:20

Members

The Captain - Vocals

Septic Pete - Guitar

The King of Sting - Guitar

Uncle Brutus - Guitar

Mister P. - Drums

Dieta Di Patate - Slide Bass

Review

Buyer’s Remorse is the sophomore album from Noise/Sludge/Doom/Stoner Rockers LOUSE who call their music SCUM ROCK and they’re a band I haven’t come across before which is quite surprising since they are from my hometown of Newcastle Upon Tyne. The record itself is a Noise Rock offering with LOUSE adding filthy and highly mean strands of Sludge, Doom, Alt Rock, Psych and Stoner Rock melodies.

Louse do remind me of their fellow Geordie Noisemakers - PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS - though this record has a more warped and abstract Punk Rock energy which feels inspired by the likes of The Melvins and The Hives in the early stages of the record. There’s a gloomy Garage Rock sound that emerges from the seedy catacombs that have echoes of The Stooges, MC5 and even At The Drive-In being felt on tracks such as Best Laid Plans, Buyer’s Remorse and Rags And Tatters.

The sludgy and stripped back sounds have a grim “Kitchen Sink” effect especially with The Captain’s vocals battling against the epic rhythm section from Mister P on Drums and Dieta Di Patate on Slide Bass. Mister P and Dieta Di Patate have a great understanding amongst each other by building up the filthy rhythms from the ground up with the excellent guitar work played by Septic Pete, The King Of Sting and Uncle Brutus. 

As you can tell by their band names, LOUSE don’t take themselves too seriously and have a ton of fun especially with the bleakly charged lyrics which have some extra bite between them. Sometimes the record can go leftfield with disjointed grooves, fractured vocal passages and gloomy experimental noise effects allowing that subtle Noise Rock and Sludge Rock energy to have a killer Punk Rock swagger. 

Other great tracks to check out are: The Wastepipe Ripper, Legal Loophole, Meatslide and The Deer Caller which allows LOUSE to spread their filth ridden and downbeat message to even greater heights with that lo-fi energy allowing screeching guitars to reach massive levels of distorted volume. Buyer’s Remorse is seriously fucked up but you can’t help be swayed and mightly impressed by the sheer filth ridden danger that Louse will put you through. There is some great riffs to fully lose yourself in with that MELVINS influence being put to great use towards the end of the album.

Buyer’s Remorse is perhaps described as a “CULT ODDITY” which manages to fit alongside some of the more impressive Sludge/Noise/Doom Rock bands currently making a name for themselves. I seriously enjoyed this album and it becomes better with each repeated listen. Louse are a great band to discover for yourselves if you like something way more grimy and experimental with that dominant NOISE ROCK theme that will drive you absolutely insane at the same time.

Yeah, Buyer’s Remorse is an absolute slice of RIOTOUS FUN!!!

Superb. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Riot Season Records for the promo.

Buyer’s Remorse is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Riot Season Records.

Links

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Exclusive Album Premiere Of Psych/Alt/Stoner Rockers KYOTE RADIO New Album HABITATS

Kyote Radio is a New Mexico based rock band with roots in the West Texas ghost town of Terlingua, a remote desert outpost where frontman Micah Paredes was born and raised before landing in Austin, where the band was founded in 2013. Paredes leads Kyote Radio on electric guitar and vocals, delivering sharp songwriting backed by a band that features collaborators Nick Smith, Wesley Riddle, Russ Connell, Nick Blossom and Ray Heilman - who anchor the band with a thundering rhythm section and provide listeners with a full dose of heavy riffs and fuzzy guitar solos.

Following the release of their 2018 debut EP, Mouth of the Cave, Kyote Radio teamed up with renowned Austin-based producer, Frenchie Smith, for their first full length LP, Real Crime which was released in 2021. The band has continued to release singles in the years since, including Habitats track “The Crown” featuring Kyle Shutt of The Sword, which was featured as Song of the Day on Austin's KUTX radio. In 2024 Kyote Radio shifted headquarters to Taos, NM where they are set to release their 2nd LP “Habitats” on February 13th, 2026.

Before that we're excited to share this exclusive album premiere of HABITATS thanks to Kyle over at Good Boy PR.

The band have also released a new video for their song BETWEEN THE OCEANS from their superbly heavy new album.

Thanks to Good Boy PR for all of the details.

Habitats is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl.

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Kyote Radio - Habitats (Album Review)

Release Date: February 13th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Habitats - Tracklisting

1.Between the Oceans

2.The Crown ft. Kyle Shutt

3.Shamans

4.Panorama

5.Trenches

6.Last Time

7.Coming Back

8.Fossilized

Members

Drums: Wesley Riddle

Bass: Nick Smith and Nick Blossom

Bass VI: Nick Blossom

Keys: Nick Smith and Micah Paredes

Vocals: Micah Paredes and Nick Smith

Guitar: Micah Paredes

Special Guest Solo: Kyle Shutt

Review

Habitats is the second full length album from Psych/Garage/Indie/Stoner Rockers Kyote Radio who have been quite prolific releasing a string of great singles since 2018 which sadly passed me by. This is my first experience of Kyote Radio and I’m loving their highly original blend of Stoner Rock that’s grounded by a great use of Punk, Alt Rock, Indie, Psych and Grunge melodies.

The sound is quite aggressive and set against a frenzied Fuzz Rock attitude. I checked out their 2021 debut album Real Crime which impressed me even further as they added a real fearless attitude into their music which made that album feel like a greatest hits collection than their debut full length.

Habitats continues a similar formula but is also a different beast altogether by focusing more on the Fuzz, Indie and Psych Rock part of their sound. The whole thing still oozes with classic Stoner Rock charm but Kyote Radio are more expressive with their music and adapt a fine style of Nineties underground rock sensibility into the mix but still having some epic instrumental Desert/Stoner Rock jams with a twinge of Blues Rock heaviness.

This style continues to develop throughout the album on tracks such as Between The Oceans, The Crown and Shaman. All three tracks have a certain Southern Rock and Classic Rock dynamic especially within the heavy guitars. You even have Kyle Shutt from THE SWORD appearing on The Crown which adds a certain DOOM ROCK underground credibility to the whole thing. 

However, this is Kyote Radio’s “RODEO” and they put in a commanding performance throughout the whole album. As they develop other areas of music that relies on distorted feedback and fuzzy reverb when you least expect this which gives Habitats an unflinching and I’m saying this again with a “fearless attitude” holding everything together. The lyrics have a certain "troubladour” and “outlaw rock” energy to them which allows the band to stand out from the musical crowd on tracks such as: Shaman, Panorama, Trenches, Coming Back and Fossilized.

Habitats is a record you don’t really know how it’s going to fully play out at first as Kyote Radio heads off into different musical directions when you first listen to the album. The real beauty of the album is listening to the album over and over again as you’ll miss multiple things during your first experience. After that you begin to notice the little things that Kyote Radio have included within the background that adds an extra layer of Psychedelic energy being heard within time.

Habitats is an absolute masterclass of ROCK & ROLL music that does everything right. These guys should really be more well known within the underground scene and this is the type of record that could easily push them on to bigger and better things.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Habitats is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl.

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Liquid Pennies - Fore (Album Review)

Release Date: July 25th 2025. Record Label: Threat Collection Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Fore - Tracklisting

1.Tapered Scape 04:17

2.Ready Tide 03:19

3.Echolalia 11:15

4.Sight Skewer 04:56

5.Elliptic Triptych 06:56

6.Further Ennui 02:58

7.The Bone 05:45

8.Fore 01:38

Members

Chas Binns - Guitars, Vocals, Synthesizers, Piano, Mellotron, Samples, Drum Machine Sequencing, Shaker, Tape Manipulation, and Engineering

Pierson Whicker - Drums and Sample Pads

Tysonious Mink - Bass, Synthesizer on Sight Skewer/Further Ennui, and Engineering

Guest Musicians

Zoë Turtle - Vocals and Violin on The Bone

Melissa Grady - Cello on The Bone

Gina Castellano - Viola on The Bone

Matt Flynn - Flute on Ready Tide

Review

Fore is the latest album from Psych/Shoegaze/Doom/Stoner Rockers Liquid Pennies who are quite hard to categorize on this album. As they include elements of KrautRock, Post-Punk, Grunge, Electronica, Indie and Folk Rock for a mysterious and highly experimental record. Imagine The Mars Volta jamming with the likes of Baroness, Mastodon, IDLES and Joy Division which may make Fore a hard record to resonate with some parts of the Hard Rock community.

The record is absolutely stunning with different musical momentums being played at any one time with a deep reliance on Electronica, Indie and Dance Rock beats. Though, Liquid Pennies still manage to inject a Doom/Stoner Rock energy within the whole cascade of Progressive themes holding everything together. There’s also a wealth of different musical instruments being played and multiple guest musicians appearing on the record which gives Fore quite a meditative and transcendental quality especially within the sullen Post-Rock moments though Liquid Pennies will catch people off guard when the heavy Doomed Out sounds appear merging with that trippy Electronica score.

The opening two tracks of Tapered Scape and Ready Tide sets the scene with a lysergic energy being projected throughout the multiple different creative feeds and musical styles that Liquid Pennies play with vivid energy. Perhaps closely aligned to PInk Floyd and The Mars Volta for certain musical passages. The sound is highly original and quite exclusive thanks to the band’s own superb making. There are small amounts of aggressive Hard Rock bursting through the seams but the band keep those moments at bay for good reasons which we’ll experience with the next track Echolalia which is the standout track on the album.

Third track Echolalia is where Liquid Pennies “LET THE INMATES TAKE OVER THE ASYLUM” with plentiful of frenzied Doom/Stoner Rock instrumental passages running amok to the beautiful sounds the band created within the opening two tracks. This time round the ELECTRONICA sound is replaced by a thunderous Psychedelic and Spaced Out environment with a subtle DOOM-POP flow. The instrumental work is MONUMENTAL in places with a frenzied and wide assortment of different grooves being played in every direction. 

The next two tracks of SIght Skewer and Elliptic Triptych keep up with the glitchy and trippy methods of Electronica and Stoner Rock that have a certain flair of Baroness and Talking Heads to it all. The sound is considered Pop, Folk, Psych and Sludge Rock that sees Liquid Pennies once again creating truly original music of their own making that has a certain “STADIUM ROCK” flair running throughout. With hazy Dance Rock beats and Post-Rock grooves emerging from the ice-cold Electro beats of Elliptic Triptych with aggressive vocals that allows the music to be more experimental once more.

The final three tracks of the record - Further Ennui, The Bone and Fore - sees Liquid Pennies undergo a musical transformation once again with some edgy Drone/Post-Rock beats being played within Further Ennui which is also quite therapeutic at the same time. The Bone and Fore sees a left-field creative energy being delivered with some fantastic instrumental guest appearances from Zoë Turtle (Vocals and Violin) ,Melissa Grady (Cello) and Gina Castellano (Viola) on the other standout track The Bone. 

Fore is one of the most refreshing, highly original and downright strange Rock albums I’ve had the pleasure to listen to this year. Liquid Pennies feels like they’re rewriting the rules of Stoner Rock music with Fore which may propel them to bigger and greater things within the Hard Rock scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Liquid Pennies for the promo.

Fore is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl from Threat Collection Records and from the band's website.

Links

Linktree | BandCamp

Monolord’s MIKA HAKKI Returns with his Sophomore Album on MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS | New Video Out Now

Mika Häkki on Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Best known to those above and below the underground as one third of the most sonically devastating bands in recent memory, Mørker is the second solo album from Swedish bassist Mika Häkki.

Aided and abetted once more by fellow countrymen and peddler of all things heavy, Majestic Mountain Records, much like his 2022 debut Vemod his follow-up is another uncompromising labour of love for the Monolord man. Where his previous album touched upon aspects of classic country and singer/songwriter-centred material, Mørker takes a confident step into the unknown and finds Hakki painting a broader range of styles with a defter and more masterly stroke. From dreamy progressive pop to raw tripped-out proto-punk, hidden within these compositions are hints and hammer blows from the back catalogues of The Stooges, Pink Floyd and even the Americana thrum of Neil Young.

As Hakki himself explains, “Mørker continues the same path which my previous album started. Looking back, looking in and forward, trying to embrace the darkness while finding your place in it. In the darkest of times, you must look into the core to pick apart the strains and see what makes it tick.”

Joined by Klas-Henrik Hörngren on keys, Krister Selander on bass and drummer Kristoffer Ragnstam, who also produced the album alongside Hakki at LÜXFÄLLAN Studios, Mørker by Mika Häkki will be released worldwide via Majestic Mountain Records on 11th April 2025. As premiered on The Obelisk recently, stream and share his new single ‘Take this Light Away’ 

TRACK LISTING:

1. Take This Light Away [Listen]
2. When You're Old
3. Time Stood Still
4. Couch Anthem
5. Makes No Sense
6. Another Reason to Stay
7. Weighted Daze

Artist: Mika Häkki
Album: Mørker
Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Formats: Digital
Release Date: 11/04/2025

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for all of the details.

Filthy Hippies - Share The Pill (Album Review)

Release Date: July 05th 2024. Record Label: Mongrel Records. Formats: DD

Share The Pill - Track Listing:

1. We All Fall Down

2. Dual

3. Walk In The Sun

4. Good Time

5. Candy Floss

6. Stolen From Heaven

7. Share The Pill

8. Catch Me If You Can

9. Catatonic

10. Dreaming Of Water

11. You’ll Forgive Me (When I’m Clean)

12. Dead Flowers

Line Up:

Andrew Paine - Vox,Bass,Keys

Mandy Backstrom - Vox,Bass

Tim Ball - Guitar

Ca'Lee Quick - Guitar

Chealsey Leukes – Drums

Review

Share The Pill is the new album from South African Psych/Noise/Shoegaze/Stoner Rockers Filthy Hippies though the record has a deep Indie Rock that aligns them more closely to bands from the 1980’s and 1990’s Alt Rock scene. The record is quite adventurous with Filthy Hippies exploring a surreal and jazzy Psychedelic sound which is quite experimental but always warm-hearted.

Filthy Hippies aren’t afraid with some Classic Pop sounds along the way but there’s a ton of heavy shoegaze guitars that can be quite dynamic and powerful. Share The Pill can only be described as a hallucinogenic trip with layers of sonic tapestry where I can see the Phil Spector influence the PR blurb that accompanied the album coming shining through.

There’s cues to bands such as A Place To Bury Strangers, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Slowdive and even HUM. The record could be too melancholic for some for the first four tracks of We All Fall Down, Duel, Walk In The Sun and Good Time as Filthy Hippies operate too closely within the Indie/Pop creative template at times but it’s beautiful to hear. However, they do show some gritty determination when the heavier Alt Rock grooves appear which adds a layer of distortion that you don’t expect. 

Fifth track Candy Floss is one of the standout tracks where the music shifts dramatically with elements of Shoegaze, Noise Rock, Post-Rock and sullen Stoner Rock attitudes. The vocals from Andrew Paine are excellent and where you can hear influences from the 1980’s Alt Rock scene and the band resemble bands such as REM and The Pixies at times. Perhaps the perfect reason  why I became a fan of this great band in the first place.

Sixth track Stolen From Heaven is a Post-Rock driven number with a slow-paced Shoegaze attitude which has moments of Distorted Pop noises with a Prog Rock attitude becoming quite Jazzy and Psychedelic on the later stages of the track. The dual vocals from Andrew and Mandy work superbly well together and leave you wanting to hear more before the song fades into the distance.

The second half of the album is equally as strong and beautifully dynamic as the first with Filthy Hippies once again experimenting with their Shoegaze focused sound with heartfelt lyrics to match. The Electronica aspect is more dominant here in places but the band manage to keep the “ROCK” aspect of their music fully intact even when the experimental “POPPIER” creative themes take centre stage.

Other great songs to check out are: Share The Pill, Catch Me If You Can, You’ll Forgive Me (When I’m Clean) and Dead Flowers.

Share The Pill won’t be for everyone as Filthy Hippie’s experimental approach is one of the main strengths of this album and allows the band to have a fearless attitude that provides some emotionally charged and highly original sounds throughout the record. 

This is an exquisite release from one of South Africa’s best kept musical secrets. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Plug Music Agency for the promo.

Share The Pill is available to buy from all good digital stockists now.

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SUNWISE - Crime Gardens (Album Review)

Release Date: May 03rd 2024. Record Label: Half Empty Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Crime Gardens: Tracklisting

1.Graveyard of the Nation 05:52

2.The Smallest City 04:33

3.Frenetic 03:34

4.Jumps 05:19

5.Bonus Wolf 04:47

6.Fell Down A Ravine 04:35

7.Frenetic (A Dream) 03:48

8.Lacewings 05:30

9.Endling 08:54

Band Members

J. Blucas - guitars, vocals, synths, samples, malaise

N. Yeager - bass, vocals, chicken philly

C. Kolasa - guitars, backing vocals, dogs

J. Eisenberg - drums, river

Review

Crime Gardens is the new album from Doom/Post-Hardcore/Shoegaze collective SUNWISE who have a sludgy undercurrent to their music with aspects of Slowcore and Space Rock to allow the band to have a cool sounding 90’s Alt Rock/Metal feel. Perhaps taking cues from bands such as HUM, Failure and Cloakroom with the vocals being more Indie Rock based which all comes into great effect on the excellent opening track Graveyard Of The Nation.

SUNWISE are quite a melodic bunch with the band focusing upon tone, melody, composition and aggression in equal measure. There’s a sense of lo-fi surrealism to their lyrics that are often quite moody and prompted by real life which remind me of bands such as EELS in certain aspects especially on tracks such as The Smallest City and Frenetic. 

The music is never what you expect and the heavy Doomgaze grooves appear out of nowhere and then suddenly disappear into a wall of Indie/Alt-Rock haze which can be reminiscent of TORCHE and FLOOR with how the music becomes highly volatile with the pounding sludgy instrumental movements. Areas of Psychedelic Rock transforms suddenly into Sonic Distortion with a modern rock score on the later stages of the album.

SUNWISE aren’t your typical “DOOMGAZE” band as they weave so many different creative themes and elements into their music where I can see the band being adored by the Indie Rock and Doomgaze scenes in equal measure. Crime Gardens is a multi-layered and fascinating experience with SUNWISE delivering music that’s beautifully poetic and most importantly has a real dimension to it all.

The avalanche of crunching guitars becomes more commonplace on tracks such as Jumps, Bonus Wolf, Lacewings and the brilliant final track of Endling. With moments that have a subtle Post-Rock energy matched against the superb Post-Punk vocals that never outstay their welcome. 

Crime Gardens is an album that offers a beautifully constructed and realized vision of the world which you rarely encounter these days. SUNWISE have delivered the goods with Crime Gardens and if you want to experience something different from the usual Doomgaze/Shoegaze sound then this album will open your mind to a whole new world of music to lose yourself in.

Words by Steve Howe

Crime Gardens is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Half Empty Records.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Goodbye Meteor - We Could Have Been Radiant (Album Review)

Release Date: February 09th 2024. Record Label: Dunk Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

We Could Have Been Radiant - Tracklisting

1.This Is Not Here 06:15

2.No Signal 06:06

3.Destructuration 07:34

4.What We Are Here For 12:08

5.We Could Have Been Radiant 09:23

6.Phosphenes 01:26

Review

We Could Have Been Radiant is the debut full length from Post-Rock collective Goodbye Meteor whose style of music is building up Ambient Post-Rock Textures and adding Ambient Chill Out sounds before venturing into a heavier layer of Cinematic Rock. The album isn’t what you expect with Goodbye Meteor perhaps using a more long drawn out delivery within the extended Progressive moments that appear on the album.

There’s moments of Shoegaze and Indie Rock within the record especially on the early album tracks such as This Is Not Here and No Signal. I was expecting outbursts of Aggressive Post-Metal mentality from Goodbye Meteor but they stay within the confinements of modern-day Post-Rock. Truth be told the album is perhaps better for this style of music. As the record remains constantly upbeat throughout though there’s multiple moments of sombre Post-Rock attitude which brings a sense of world-building Ambient themes on tracks such as Destructuration and What Are We Here For.

Listening to the album after multiple times you do begin to realise that Goodbye Meteor have their own blend of aggressive Post-Rock energy on the later stages of the album with progressive leaning guitars and subtle Psychedelic effects that can be quite experimental and distorted in places.

The final tracks of the record (What We Are Here For and We Could Have Been Radiant) sees Goodbye Meteor opt for a more reflective style of Post-Rock delivery which bands such as Russian Circles are well known for. The songs are both deliberately slow with the band using their time effectively drifting into the vastness and deep warmth their music generates within the long drawn out instrumental passages. 

I can see why the famed label Dunk!Records signed Goodbye Meteor to their roster. As Goodbye Meteor create some of the most heartwarming style of Post-Rock music you’ll likely to hear in a very long time whilst playing some truly standout and aggressive based movements that only align the listener to the band’s creative cause.

We Could Have Been Radiant is an extraordinary album which showcases how Goodbye Meteor are one of the most original bands to come from the Post-Rock scene in quite some time.

Words by Steve Howe

We Could Have Been Radiant is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Dunk!Records.

Links

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