Sly & The Family Drone - With Love (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/Vinyl

With Love - Tracklist

1.Psychic Surgery

2.The Guts Of Albion

3.Under The Rainbow

4.In The Oils

5.Snagged On Frowns

6.Cloth Control

Members

James Allsopp – tenor saxophone

Kaz Buckland – drums, electronics

Matt Cargill – electronics, voice, percussion

Ed Dudley – electronics, voice

Will Glaser – drums, electronics

Review

Sly & The Family Drone return with their latest offering With Love and it’s equally weird and brilliantly inventive as their previous records. The band have always been quite hard to fully describe or categorize which is down to the endless amount of sounds they create within their music. The band call themselves a “Neo Jazz Wrecking Crew” and that’s a great way to describe them but that only tells half of the story.

Jazz plays a bit part of Sly & The Family Drone’s musical identity but they play movements of Psych, Folk, Doom, Drone, Sludge, Prog and massive freak-ish beats. The sound is wonderfully tribal and quite cosmic which feels like what a Psych/Jazz album would sound like if it was being conducted by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The record has been quite difficult for me to review as I haven’t listened to the band in a long time and how they add so many different musical instruments into the mix makes it even harder.

However, I’m not complaining as With Love is a hugely enjoyable of fucked up moments which kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s best to describe it as a singular album that’s been broken down into individual segments with each song allowing Sly & The Family Drone to experiment with different musical themes, sounds and eerie emotional templates. Any band that plays their own warped and noise rock version of the classic track Over The Rainbow deserves to be heard.

Most readers may know I’m not the biggest fan of Saxophone based music but it’s gloriously heavy and freakishly powerful throughout this album. The opening tracks of Psychic Surgery and The Guts Of Albion are down beat, gloomy and distorted with Sly & The Family Drone adding glitchy sound effects along the way. The Post-Rock, Drone and Psychedelic soundscapes have a dark hallucinogenic effect which allows the Industrial Rock/Metal and Neo-Jazz surroundings to fully take over. 

With Love can be quite demented with the slow paced music forging new creative openings for the band to overlap with an abstract Space Rock theme on tracks such as The Guts Of Albion, Over The Rainbow, In The Oils and Snagged Out Frowns. There’s some massive KrautRock and Japanese Psychedelic Freakout influences with the band applying that epic Jazzy attitude which becomes even more daring and brilliantly surreal which feels like you’re coming down from the most massive WEEDIAN trip possible. 

Even with the intense experimentation, Sly & The Family Drone still offer a grounded approach to their music which does become quite schizophrenic along the way. These guys have been around for the best part of two decades now and know a thing or two about experimenting with finely tuned SONIC based passages which even have a heavier presence than you initially expect.

The vocals drift into existence only when they’re really needed but it’s still sometimes confusing to listen to at first so expect to have multiple listens to fully understand the story of With Love. I’ve listened to the album about four or five times now and I'm even finding new sounds to fully explore with every listen.

With Love is a great album with first rate production values allowing Sly & The Family Drone showing why they’re one of the finest Progressive bands we have in the UK scene. This won’t be for everyone and is perhaps suited for their established fan base. However, I would recommend you give this record a chance as With Love will surprise the hell out of you.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Johnny Tirade and The Circle of Futures Past - What is at the beginning of eternity, the end of time, the beginning of every end, and the end of every place? (EP Review)

Release Date: August 07th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

What is at the beginning of eternity, the end of time, the beginning of every end, and the end of every place? - Tracklist

1.Hey Man 03:32

2.Lizard Johnny 04:32

3.Memory Hole 16:54

4.American Dream 02:15

5.Tried To Improv Something Cool 04:44

Review

What is at the beginning of eternity, the end of time, the beginning of every end, and the end of every place? is the debut EP from Stoner Metallers Johnny Tirade & The Circle Of Futures Past. The record is a great mix of Stoner, Punk, Psych, Sludge and Doom with a great slice of grimy Industrial Metal. Imagine Monster Magnet jamming with Ministry and that’s where you end up with this cool sounding band. It’s quite a raw sounding record with it’s Punk Rock based vocals that remind me of other classic sounding Hard Rock bands.

The record lasts around thirty two minutes with extended instrumental Stoner jams that have that classic Monster Magnet energy to them. Sometimes the record can be a bit manic the best of times but everything is played with purpose especially on the shorter tracks of Hey Man, Lizard Johnny, American Dream and Tried To Improv Something Cool. You can hear some classic FU MANCHU vibes along the way that’s merged with classic Heavy Metal themes. 

The standout track has to be the epic third track Memory Hole which lasts around seventeen minutes in length. This is where Johnny Tirade & The Circle Of Futures Past go all out and employ every musical and creative trick they have at their disposal for a mind warping STONER METAL odyssey which sees the sludgy and industrial sounds to fully emerge. The sound is also held together by a distorted DOOM METAL vibe which oozes danger from the very start. The LOW & SLOW and FEEDBACK sound effects allows the band to opt for a gloomy stripped back sound.

Though, the thumping bass allows Johnny Tirade & The Circle Of Futures Past to venture back into the Stoner Metal arena with some soundclips of The Riddler (Jim Carrey) from Batman Forever appearing before more hard hitting vocals appear. Then a saxophone appeared out of nowhere which almost took me out of the whole record. I’m not the biggest admirer of Saxophone appearing within Doom/Stoner Metal but it’s not too bad here. That’s my only complaint for a demented and cool sounding track such as this. 

What is at the beginning of eternity, the end of time, the beginning of every end, and the end of every place? Is what the classic Monster Magnet debut record “TAB” would sound like if it was given a modern day schizophrenic Industrial Metal makeover. There’s a ton of warped musical mechanics being applied throughout which blur the lines between fantasy and reality that is perhaps the whole sound that Johnny Tirade & The Circle Of Futures Past are ultimately aiming for.

The record does lose steam before the end but you can’t deny the sheer boldness and brilliant creativity that Johnny Tirade & The Circle Of Futures Past have achieved here. If you’re in the mood for a mind-expanding experience but still hearing some classic Stoner Metal grooves along the way then let Johnny Tirade & The Circle Of Futures Past be your cosmic tour guide whey they will take you into the next fucked up musical dimension that awaits you here.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Red Mar - Our Low Cell (Album Review)

Release Date: April 18th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Our Low Cell - Tracklisting

1.Namokel 17:00

2.Verdant 08:57

3.Solenopsis, Pt. 1 09:23

4.Solenopsis, Pt. 2 08:18

Members:

Miles Lukoszevieze - Vocals, Bass Guitar, Harmonium, Synths

Dylan Clarke - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Reed Organ, Synths

Dominic Temple - Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Piano

Harry Fisher - Viola, Reed Organ, Keyboard, Piano

Acer Smith - Drums, Additional Percussion, Gong, Synths

Review

Out Low Cell is the new album from Experimental/Noise/Post-Rockers Red Mar with the band weaving a complex sounding record which contains a wide range of different musical instrumental experimentation throughout. The record can feel out of place at times with Red Mar playing softly played passages and aggressive Post-Rock after thoughts with a subtle sideline in Noise Rock delivery. The vocals are varied from Miles Lukoszevieze, Dylan Clarke and Dominic Temple appearing at different times. 

The music is very multilayered and unconventional with Ambient beats and Post-Rock Noises combining for quite a challenging listen. Red Mar have an understated creative presence to them with the epic opening track of Namokel going through multiple changes, sounds and sonic delivery with the wide range of different musical instruments appearing. The sound is quite abstract with the distinctive production values and recording techniques applied to the whole album. The second half of Namokel is Drone based with deft touches of Classical Post-Rock with synths and pianos being the main sounds that slowly disappear into the musical wilderness at the end.

There are heavy moments of Post-Rock and Noise Rock waiting to be discovered but Red Mar makes you wait for these moments but it’s a highly rewarding moment when they appear within the excellent second track Verdant. This is a jazzy and schizophrenic affair sometimes inspired by the likes of MELVINS, BORIS and WHORES at times. The vocals have a Punk Rock aesthetic with the experimental glitch based noises reminding me of GONG in places. The Post Rock themes have a playful INDUSTRIAL attitude with Red Mar playing overstretched sounds that transform into different levels of haunting Experimental melodies.

Red Mar experiments quite vividly and offers a provocative environment with the stunning two-part opus that is Solenopsis, Pt. 1 and Solenopsis, Pt. 2. There’s sounds that can be traced back to bands such as PIXIES and SWANS but still very much of their own making. As the Psychedelic moments become inspired by the Psych Rock and Noise Rock movements with a Post-Doom and Industrial Metal sound starting to appear.

The sheer experimentation and technical ability of all the band members is simply exquisite and quite exhilarating to hear at times. The record is still not an easy listen and sometimes follows a non-linear creative structure where you have to piece the individual passages yourselves before it makes actual sense. However, that’s a major strength for the album.

Our Low Cell can only be described as “PURE ART” with the band creating something brilliantly bold and downright original which you don’t experience as much within the Post-Rock and Noise Rock fields.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Slowenya - The Wild Inevitable (Album Review)

Release Date: April 17th 2024. Record Label: Karhuvaltio Records. Formats: CD/DD

The Wild Inevitable - Tracklisting

The Perfect Undesirable (3:48)

Angel Raised Wolves (6:23)

Classic Romantic Dramatic (5:26)

Terminal Eclipse Of The Heart (4:32)

Horizontal Loops (3:35)

Adjacent (5:57)

The Heat Burns The Grief (4:45)

Members

 

Jan Trygg - vocals, guitars, synths

Timo Niskala - drums, ambients, synths

Tapani Levanto - bass

Review

Alternative/Doom/Sludge Rockers Slowneya return with their new album The Wild Inevitable and it’s a major leap forward for the band compared to their previous albums with 2021’s Somer and 2022’s Meadow. This album has a deep emotional connection to other areas of music such as Post Punk, Electronica, Psych Rock and Rock. 

Their industrially charged take on Alt Metal, Doom Metal and Sludge Metal is still intact with The Wild Inevitable but there’s a more experimental sound starting to emerge with influences as diverse as NIN, Deftones, Neurosis, Killing Joke, Godflesh, Depeche Mode and SWANS appearing through the cracks of their catchy instrumental movements.

Slowenya are wonderfully diverse with the music being firmly rooted in the 1980’s Alt Rock and Post Punk scenes with a vicious Doom/Sludge Metal appetite allowing the band to deliver a highly original blend of Post-Doom grooves that does feel quite surreal. The surrealistic edge appears mostly through the lyrics and Jan’s vocals which remind me of Dave Gahan all the way through the album. There’s some brutally harsh vocals that come into play on the excellent third track Classic Romantic Dramatic courtesy of Jori Saloranta which propels the album into pure SWANS nightmarish territory.

However, the two opening tracks of The Perfect Undesirable and Angel Raised Wolves sees Slowenya generate Psychedelic and Ambient textures within their familiar style of Doom/Sludge Rock which has a haunting Post-Rock and Shoegaze quality. This style of music becomes more dominant and abstract on the later stages of the album which sees Slowenya weave different heavier sounds into the overall creative themes of the album.

Slowenya do play epic instrumental passages that are beautifully reminiscent of the 1980’s New Wave scene but there’s a sense of distorted heaviness within the record even when the quieter moments fully take effect. The record’s more heartfelt moments appear within tracks such as Terminal Eclipse Of The Heart, Adjacent and The Heat Burns The Grief. 

The beautifully eccentric fifth track Horizontal Loops is full of intense loops, noise effects and industrial guitars which sees Jan’s vocals become quite hopeful before the music changes into a destructive mix of Post-Metal, Noise Rock and Atmospheric Doom with added HARSH soundscapes to put a different flow into the album.

The Wild Inevitable is quite a vivid and deceptive album with Slowenya delivering a uniquely different sounding Doom/Sludge Metal album that even I didn’t expect. The record takes many creative risks that ultimately pay off with huge rewards waiting for the listener if they last the journey.

The record only lasts forty minutes but feels longer thanks to the different styles of music they create on this album alone. The production is quite frantic but ultimately sounds superb with Slowenya playing a ton of heavy experimental grooves from start to finish.

Slowenya are building an exciting reputation for themselves with each passing release and The Wild Inevitable being no exception. This is their most technically impressive and outstanding record to date. The Wild Inevitable has the potential to be considered as a future “Album Of The Year” contender before the year is out. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Slowenya for the promo.

The Wild Inevitable will be available to buy from Karhuvaltio Records from Wednesday April 17th 2024.

Links

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Mast Year - Knife (Album Review)

Release Date: April 07th 2023. Record Label: Grimoire Records. Formats: CD/DD

Knife: Tracklisting

Fuk Boi

Null

Weeping Tongues

Knife

Dark Web

In Tandem

Urizen

Loser

The Womb

Golden Winter

Members

Noel Mueller - Guitar

Darin Tambascio - Bass

Ben Price - Drums

Eric Rhodes - Vocals

Review

Knife is the debut release from Noise Rock/Post-Hardcore/Industrial/Metallers Mast Year. The album is quite a violent affair with harsh Noise Rock environments leading the creative charge. The band plays at a breakneck speed with a hard attitude to match. Perhaps not the easiest album to listen to at first but Mast Year adds abrasive vocals to the mix which gives the band a more underground feel.

Opening song Fuk Boi is an interesting choice of different styles with the band adding subtle Psych Noise Rock passages to the highly experimental Industrial and Sludgy atmospherics that can be quite LO-FI in places. The song may not be to everyone's tastes but Mast Year can lay down some cool warped noises when the song decides what it finally wants to be.

Second song Null lasts for around a minute or so and it's full of screeching guitars, glitches and Ambient Noises. More Drone Punk with a despairing Doom edge that does have a warped sense of dynamic sound and twisted fun even despite the short running time.

Third song Weeping Tongue is a more interesting style with Mast Year operating with a Post-Punk/Gothic style that has a certain 1970's and 1980's charm to it. However, Mast Year brings a more violent Noise Rock and down-tuned energy to the track with the harsh vocals being quite intense in places. The instrumental work is frantic but full of dynamically powerful Post-Hardcore grooves. I can detect a slight early-era At The Drive-In sound on this track but still allowing Mast Year to deliver their uncompromising blend of music.

Fourth track Knife is another catchy slice of Distorted Punk with a twisted Metallic edge. The music is chaotic and all over the place with the raw-sounding bass being quite the most powerful instrument on this track alone. The song can be quite abrasive with its Sludge Metal sounds that will appeal to fans of The Melvins. Distortion and Experimentation is key here with Mast Year starting to impress that little bit further.

Fifth song Dark Web offers a solitary and bleak style of Experimental Rock with elements of Drone, Psych and Sonic based sounds. It's more of an instrumental interlude but it's quite a dark offering from the band where you feel not a lot actually happens but you'll be surprised by the creative journey the band take upon this song.

The second half of the album sees Mast Year stick to their creative ideals for more tales of Despair and Bleak sounds that brings back memories of Converge and Kowloon Walled City especially on tracks such as In Tandem, Loser and Golden Winter. There's a multitude of different instrumental styles on this part of the album where the Noise Rock and Post-Hardcore sounds collide for heavy outbursts of violent Metallic based music.

Knife is not the easiest album to listen to but I appreciate the dark creative vision Mast Year have used for this album. The songs all have a sense of purpose and there are elements of Doom and Sludgy environments to entice listeners with.

Overall, Knife is an electrifying and intense listen which I will only admire more greatly over time. It's one of those types of albums that has "CULT APPEAL'' and perhaps build a decent sized audience within the Metal Underground scene in the years to come.

Words by Steve Howe.

Thanks to Mast Year and Earsplit PR for the promo.

Knife available to buy on CD/DD via Grimoire Records from April 07th 2023.

Links

 Facebook | BandCamp

Bruxa Maria - Build Yourself A Shrine And Pray (Album Review)

Release Date: January 27th 2023. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Build Yourself A Shrine And Pray: Tracklisting

Build Yourself A Shrine And Pray

God Gun Scruples

Totalitarian Pissing

Dance Like Vasilli

Blind Side

Run Pilgrim

Hospital Visit

True Say

Members

Paul Antony - Drums

Dave Cochrane - Bass

Robbie Judkins - Synth/Noise

Gill Dread - Vocals/Guitars

Review

Bruxa Maria are one of those bands I've heard of but never sadly listened to. With the band releasing their new album via one of the UK's best cult underground labels (Riot Season Records) then I decided to check the band out. And wasn't I majorly surprised by their exquisite and rather noisy new album Build Yourself A Shrine A Pray. 

Bruxa Maria (for the uninitiated) play a mixture of different sounds that blends Noise Rock, Psych Rock, Punk Rock, Grunge, Alternative Rock and Industrial Rock. The warped use of psychedelia is what instantly grabs you on the opening title track with Bruxa Maria drawing influences from bands such as At The Drive-In, FUCKED UP and The Melvins. The music is quite distracting and unsettling in places with Bruxa Maria playing an aggressive slice of "Kitchen Drama'' based theatrics and gloomy distorted Punk Rock sounds. The mood is one of moody atmospherics and experimental avant-garde ideas that still allows the band to lay down some wicked extended guitars. The vocals appear right towards the end and even though quite brief, Bruxa Maria end the song in convincing fashion.

Second song God Gun Scruples opens with an in-your-face noise rock guitar attack which soon moves into Prog Rock/Garage Rock/Sonic Drone territory. There's a 70's based energy within the vocals and lyrics which the band have written for this song. However, throw in some modern day experimental noises and glitches then Bruxa Maria quickly create their own exciting style of music that has a "Pulls No Punches, Take No Prisoners" approach with a furious Sludge Rock undergroove slowly appearing. 

Third song Totalitarian Pissing could easily be a song for the crazed modern times we're currently living in. Staying with the experimental vibes of the opening two tracks, Bruxa Maria offer startling insight with their intense vocals and insightful lyrics. The Hardcore Punk angle is played mostly for unsettling effect that allows the other heavy rock/metal sounds merge as one sound that transforms into an onslaught of chaotic and aggressive 90's based Sludge, Grunge and Noise Rock. The vocals from lead vocalist Gill Dread are beautifully intense and even sweet at times but when Gill screams that's when all hell breaks loose with the music following the same way.

Bruxa Maria may not drastically change their overall sound or creative path for the remainder of the album but that doesn't stop them creating more Hardcore Punk Angst and Aggressive Violent Energy that shows the band not only throwing the rule-book out of the window but also creating their own musical manifesto for people to understand for a long time to come.

Standout tracks on the album: Dance Like Vasilli, Blind Side, Run Pilgrim and True Say. 

Check out the sweet sounding Sludgy within the early stages of Blind Side pop moments that remind me of TORCHE in places. Add the glorious and bittersweet vocals from Gill Dread then this all becomes perhaps my favourite song of the album. It showcases that Bruxa Maria can have fun with their music but still providing uncompromising slabs of furious Noise Rock with a twinge of Psych Doom appearing.. 

Bruxa Maria are a rare breed. As the band have created their own "definitive" sound for future bands to try to emulate and follow. 

There's three bonus tracks on the album which I sadly didn't get the chance to listen to. However, that being said, Build Yourself A Shrine And Pray remains a beautifully weird and exhausting release but one that also offers a lot of catchy grooves and riffs along the way. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Riot Season Records for the promo.

Build Yourself A Shrine And Pray is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Riot Season Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

CHÄIRWALK - dr​ü​ber (Album Review)

Date Released: October 22nd 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

dr​ü​ber: Tracklisting

 

1.Alles also Nichts 05:07

2.Abgelebt 01:45

3.Lecker los 04:14

4.Ugly nicht 03:34

5.Ich wie Du 02:07

6.Hasspaket 03:09

7.Suse 03:27

8.Der Fakt 04:08

9.Ins Leere 06:33

Review

dr​ü​ber is the new album by Aggressive Sludge/Punk/Prog Rockers CHÄIRWALK and it’s quite an action packed angry affair with the German band showcasing some fine streetwise PUNK GRIT within their melodic and edgy sounds. This is the band’s 5th album and my first taste of the band's style of music. The vocals can be upbeat, buoyant, moody, heartfelt and aggressive throughout the album.

I can’t really comment on the lyrical content as all the songs are sung in German and my German is piss-poor to say the least but I can tell there’s a deep social conscience to them on the album. The songs are quite catchy with CHÄIRWALK treading a fine line between Fast Paced Punk Rock and the heavier Sludgy grooves that appear on the album. The instrumental work is super tight and offers a DIY/PUNK approach which CHÄIRWALK delivers with menacing relish.

The band do feel inspired by NIN in places and perhaps more closely to the With Teeth era of that legendary band especially with the vocals and fantastic bass lines that appear throughout the album. Though, the whole unit of CHÄIRWALK put in fantastic individual performances on the record. 

dr​ü​ber is a great collection of songs that merge Prog Rock sensibilities with the added bonus of Industrial, Grunge and Sludge grooves with CHÄIRWALK’s undeniable Aggressive Charisma leading the way especially on tracks such as: Alles also Nichts, Lecker los, Ugly nicht and Ins Leere

The album maybe too niche for some but if you last the course then you’ll find dr​ü​ber quite an adventurous and exciting album that ultimately leaves you wanting to hear more.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

chaeirwalk.com
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YouTube
open.spotify.com

Band To Check Out - THOT. Details Of Upcoming Live Session Included

THOT are a Post-Rock/Post-Punk band from Brussels, Belgium and they have been playing their own blend of highly original style of gloomy music since 2010. I've been a fan for long time and over that time the band have played darker styles of Industrial based Post-Rock which have moved further into Post-Punk elements over the years.

The band have released a string of fantastic sounding releases over the years such as this year's Meanderes, Obscured By The Wind, FLEUVE and multiple others which you can check out on their impressive BandCamp Page.

I have featured the band multiple times on the blog over the years and maybe known to some of you. If you're looking for a darker take on the standard Post-Rock surroundings but one that elevates to darker pastures then THOT are worth checking out.

Maybe not the usual stuff I normally promote here but these guys are definitely worth your time

THOT have an upcoming online streaming session where the band will play 3 songs from their new EP Meandres in a very narrative way, using a different video setup for each song.

The screening will be followed by online Q&A session/chat with the band.

You can find more about this session from their official website

patreon.com
thotmusic.eu
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