Pogreb - Live (Album Review)

Release Date: June 13th 2025. Record Label: Riff Dealers. Formats: DD

Live - Tracklisting

1.Каждый день 11:02

2.Ты нужна мне 09:13

3.Ельни вий 11:38

4.Погреб 14:20

Members

Ilya Kovalsky – vocals/guitar,

Vladislav Strakovsky – guitar

Evgeny Klachkov – bass

Nikita Tatarintsev – drums

Review

Live is the debut album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Pogreb who arrive from Minsk, Belarus and who are given their chance to shine within the underground scene courtesy of great label Riff Dealers Records. As the title suggests, this is a LIVE ALBUM that is spread across four lengthy tracks with the album running around forty five minutes in length. 

If you’ve grown up on a steady diet of riffs provided by the likes of SLEEP, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and BELZEBONG then here’s another superb band to check out. Throw in vast amounts of AMPLIFIER FEEDBACK, Seedy Proto-Doom Metal sounds and a blatant disregard for modern day recording techniques. As this album is raw, loud, mean and nasty as they come. The music is put through a ton of reverb and down-tuned distortion which rarely allows the Psychedelic soundscapes to grow organically. Pogreb feel like they're playing their instruments with a HAMMER and I wouldn’t be surprised if their instruments were completely unusable after this epic live performance.

I have to give credit to the band as they do play superb melodic surroundings along the way which reminds me of SLEEP and COUGH in places especially on the standout tracks of Каждый день, Ельни вий and Погреб. The vocals are quite sparse throughout the album and only appear when they need to appear but Ilya Kovalsky’s style and delivery is what you expect for a raw sounding album such as this. They’re delivered with absolute conviction but with a pure PUNK ROCK energy and PRIMAL essence which could be considered CAVEMAN based but Ilya fully delivers on all fronts.

Pogreb’s record label (Riff Dealers) previously released the stunning and similarly raw live album from Sludge/Stoner Metallers Doūsk where I stated within my review for them - I’m looking forward to hearing a proper “STUDIO” recording from Doūsk in the future but LIVE is one hell of a record that demands your full and undivided attention. The same goes for Pogreb where I would love to hear a proper studio recording of these tracks to hear what they sound like in a studio environment. 

I perhaps prefer Pogreb’s “Live” album to Doūsk as it’s heavier and has more intense and evil sounding grooves that adds a brilliantly morbid style of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION to the mix.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Clouds Taste Satanic - Birmingham 2024 (Album Review)

Release Date: February 07th 2025. Record Label: Kinda Like Music. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Birmingham 2024 - Track Listing:

Collision (Part III)
Reclamation (Paris IV-IX)
Pagan Worship
Out Of The Abyss

Review

Birmingham 2024 is the new live album from acclaimed Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal masters Clouds Taste Satanic and is the first in a series of “Live In Studio” releases the band will be releasing. The first volume was recorded in Birmingham, UK which is considered the holy land and birthplace of HEAVY METAL. The album features no overdubs at all which closely resembles how Clouds Taste Satanic sound LIVE

The record features tracks from their albums 79 A.E., Evil Eye and Your Doom Has Come with each subsequent release hopefully having a different track list. The Birmingham edition is a great way to kick-start the series with Clouds Taste Satanic on heavy and inspired DOOMEDELIC form with their last acclaimed record 79 A.E. being performed within its spectacular glory. The sounds are sparse and full of gloomy determination with the band using the space around them for a deeper, meaningful and progressive sound especially on tracks such as Collision (Part III), Reclamation (Parts IV-IX) and Out Of The Abyss.

Clouds Taste Satanic sounds way more COSMIC and PSYCHEDELIC that I initially anticipated especially for a live record such as this. The music is crushingly heavy and sets Clouds Taste Satanic a breed apart from other instrumental bands within the underground scene. They’re masters at the top of their game and they’ve been like this for a very long time now and the band have earned the right to release a series of live albums instead of releasing new material.

If you haven’t seen Clouds Taste Satanic in concert before then Birmingham 2025 is the next best thing with the band giving their all from start to finish and playing some epic and familiar classic tracks along the way.

Birmingham 2024 is another must have release to add to the already expansive Clouds Taste Satanic collection and it’s only going to get bigger. So buckle up for an exciting ride where the atmosphere is raw, aggressive and moody as hell.

Words by Steve Howe

Birmingham 2024 will be available to buy now on DD/Vinyl from all good stockists such as Majestic Mountain Records and Kozmik Artifactz

Links

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ST​Ö​NER - Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch (Album Review)

Release Date: October 11th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch - Track Listing:

1.A Million Beers 02:44

2.Evel Never Dies 03:05

3.Gardenia (Kyuss cover) 07:41

4.Green Machine (Kyuss cover) 04:54

5.It Ain't Free 03:00

6.Night Tripper VS No Brainer 06:47

7.Nothin' 04:24

8.Own Yer Blues 05:39

9.Party March 03:15

10.R.A.M.O.N.E.S. 01:39

11.Rad Stays rad 07:12

12.Stand Down 06:09

13.Strawberry Creek 03:22

14.The Older Kids 05:47

15.Tribe/Fly Girl 14:02

Members

Brant Bjork

Nick Oliveri

Ryan Güt

Review

Stoner Rock royalty ST​Ö​NER are back with their first “official” live album as the band did release a live record for their “debut” release Live In The Mojave Desert: Volume 4 back in 2021 which was subsequently released as a proper studio recording called STONERS RULE to critical acclaim across the Stoner Rock community.

Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch sees ST​Ö​NER play their greatest hits along with a couple of KYUSS classics (Gardenia and Green Machine) for great measure across eighty minutes of superbly played Desert/Stoner Rock grooves that proves once again why Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri are legends within the scene. Along with Ryan Güt who is becoming one of the best drummers within the scene today and shows why he’s one of Brant’s most trusted creative partners over the multiple different projects that Brant has released over the last few years. 

Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch has a highly majestic and raw sounding quality which makes you feel part of the audience which allows ST​Ö​NER to play some mighty fine extended instrumental sounds that allows ST​Ö​NER to have multiple “JAMMING SESSIONS” to the delight of the audience in attendance. The highlights of the album are without doubt the KYUSS covers of Gardenia and Green Machine which have lost none of their magic. 

ST​Ö​NER have a killer supply of classic tracks themselves with songs such as: Evel Never Dies, It Ain’t Free,  Night Tripper vs No Brainer, Own Yer Blues,  Rad Stays Rad and the brilliant fourteen minute epic of Tribe/Fly Girl. 

The album is LOUD and brilliantly AGGRESSIVE from the start with its raw and deeply unapologetic production values allowing ST​Ö​NER to release a classic LIVE ALBUM in every sense of the word. This is an absolutely superb and must have LIVE album and is perhaps my favourite LIVE record I’ve heard this year.  

ST​Ö​NER have been on a roll over the last few years and I’m hoping there’s more to come from this great band. Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch features a blistering powerhouse performance from ST​Ö​NER and proves once again why the Stoner Rock world needs bands like them to shake up the creative foundations of the whole scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR the promo.

Hittin' The Bitchin' Switch Gift is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Links

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Troy The Band - Cataclysm (Live From Moor Beer Vaults) (Album Review)

Release Date: October 04th 2024. Record Label: London Doom Collective. Format: Cassette/Digital

Cataclysm (Live From Moor Beer Vaults) - Track Listing:

1.Only Violence (Live) 07:43

2.Cataclysm (Live) 05:14

3.The Void (Live) 05:22

4.Fauna (Live) 05:33

5.I.H.O.D. (Live) 05:03

6.Flesh Wound (Live) 08:09

Members

Sean Durbin - Bass

Sean Burn - Guitar

Craig Newman - Vocals

Jack Revans - Drums

Review

Cataclysm (Live From Moor Beer Vaults) is the new live album from Doom/Stoner Rockers Troy The Band that features the band performing their debut album Cataclysm live at the Moor Beer Vaults in Bermondsey, February 9 2024. Cataclysm was acclaimed within the underground scene when it was released earlier this year and it’s good to see Troy The Band releasing a very raw take of the whole album. 

The live performance is excellent with the album running around thirty seven minutes in length with the actual album running for a couple minutes longer. The sound here is unapologetically LOUD and RAW with the band having a way more DISTORTED and SLUDGIER sound compared to the studio version of these tracks. 

There’s a ton of guitar feedback and amplifier reverb which can be quite deafening to hear at times especially within the opening track Only Violence. I wouldn’t be surprised if Troy The Band blew a lot of FUSES that night or even broke some speakers as they reached some high decibel levels throughout this performance.

If you’re already a fan of Cataclysm (like I am) then you know what to expect musically speaking but it’s great to hear how Troy The Band sound like on stage with this album being a great companion piece to the original album.

My favourite tracks on this version are: Only Violence, Cataclysm and Flesh Wound. As this features Troy The Band playing the heaviest and aggressive sounds of the whole performance. The Psychedelic sound effects that appeared on the original version are presented here superbly well though in a more distorted fashion. This gives Troy The Band a more unpredictable energy to their overall sound.

Cataclysm (Live From Moor Beer Vaults) is another outstanding release from  Troy The Band and proves why they have become one of my favourite upcoming bands from the UK Doom/Stoner Metal scene. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Thunder Horse - Dead Alive In Texas (Album Review)

Release Date: July 05th 2024. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Dead Alive In Texas - Tracklisting

1. Let Them Bleed

2. New Normal

3. Rememberance Demon

4. Demons Speak

5. Song For The Ferryman

6. Monolith

7. Liber Ad Christ Milites Temple

8. Chosen One

9. Ace Of Spades

Members

Stephen Bishop - Vocals / Guitar

Todd "The Bird" Connally - Lead Guitar

Dave " Uncle Dave" Crow - Bass

Johnny Lightening - Drums

Review

Texan Powerhouse Doom/Stoner Metallers Thunder Horse are paying true homage to the legendary bands of the 1970’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scene by delivering their new live album Dead Alive In Texas. Taking a similar approach where bands would release three studio albums before unleashing a classic LIVE album. Thunder Horse have achieved that goal by releasing three critically acclaimed releases and now they’re forging ahead of releasing a great live album of their own.

Dead Alive In Texas sees the band play their vintage blend of Thrash, Doom, Sludge, Stoner based grooves to a highly appreciative audience within Cibolo, Texas. The whole sound of the record is a perfect sounding homage to classic albums such as Thin Lizzy, Peter Frampton, KISS and Led Zepp. The whole tone and atmosphere of Dead Alive In Texas lives and breathes 1970’s Classic Hard Rock attitude even when the song has a modern THRASHIER and STONER based sound. 

Thunder Horse play an assortment of tracks from their three albums with lead vocalist Stephen Bishop in fine form throughout especially on tracks such as: Let Them Bleed, The New Normal,  Demons Speak, Song For The Ferryman, Liber Ad Christ Milites Temple and the barnstorming rendition of the MOTORHEAD classic - Ace Of Spades.

The album is quite outlandish and way over the top especially with how the audience reactions take centre stage when the band are playing HEAVY DOOMED OUT grooves with a Garage Rock/Punk Rock attitude. However, this all works and allows the album to fully sell the illusion of this album being the perfect homage to a true sounding LIVE ALBUM from the 1970’s and not 2024. 

You start to realize how Thunder Horse are “masters of their craft” by the outstanding selection of hits chosen to play for this album. Thunder Horse generates a DEVILISH and OCCULT based vibe within this performance with the intense grooves played by the whole album whilst being quite aggressively modern at the same time. 

Dead Alive In Texas is first rate entertainment which offers a “NO FUCKS GIVEN” unapologetic attitude which the classic LIVE albums of the 1970’s all demonstrated and THUNDER HORSE deserve applause for demonstrating this style of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal still exists whilst offering the listener a great time throughout.

Thunder Horse are proving once again why they’re becoming one of the PREMIER bands from the  Texan Doom/Stoner Metal scene and this record just solidifies that reputation. Ripple Music are releasing this “BAD-ASS” record and you know what to expect with the power of that great label running the show. A truly superb sounding record that blasts the competition out of the water.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Dead Alive In Texas will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from Friday 05th July 2024.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | Twitter

Hebi Katana - Doom N' Bloom 2024 (Album Review)

Release Date: May 28th 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Doom N' Bloom 2024: Tracklisting

1.Intro - Debtor 05:08

2.Pain Should I Take 05:45

3.Struggle with a Lie 05:29

4.No Sorrow 04:46

5.Drum Solo - The Hole 07:04

6.Darkest Priest 05:00

7.Hallelujah Anyway 05:21

8.Intro - Direction for Human Hearts 06:08

9.Darkest Priest 04:58

10.Drum Solo - The Hole 05:42

11.Pennsylvania Blood 04:23

12.Zephyrphobia 01:34

13.Struggle with a Lie 04:09

14.Pain Should I Take 05:21

Members

Nobu: Guitars, Vocals

Laven: Bass, Vocals

Goblin: Drums

Review

Doom N' Bloom 2024 is the first live album from self proclaimed SAMURAI DOOM ROCKERS - Hebi Katana - and it’s made up of two concerts the band performed earlier this year which is explained below:

Side A (Track 1 - 7)

Live at Sengoku-Daitoryo 戦国大統領 Osaka, Japan

April 13 2024

Side B (Track 8 - 14)

Live at Niman-Denatsu 20,000V 二万電圧 Tokyo, Japan

April 12 2024

The concerts were in support of their 2023 acclaimed album “III” and features tracks from that album and tracks from their other great releases. The album is not the best sounding LIVE recording and the volume is perhaps a bit too LOW at times but this record still shows what a great LIVE act that Hebit Katana are becoming within their home country of Japan. 

I’m a huge fan of their music and love their Proto-Doom style of Stoner Metal which has elements of Punk Rock, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal and other fine amounts of 1980’s Hard Rock that gives Hebi Katana’s music a more EXCESSIVE feel compared to other Doom/Stoner Metal bands from the Japanese scene.

Despite the rough production values, you instantly become part of the actual audience with the band's collection of great songs that are delivered with gritty determination especially in the extended instrumental solos that become quite THRASH based within the first half of the album.

Some tracks do appear twice within the album which is understandable being from different set-lists but feel quite different at times and that’s down to the appreciative reactions from the audience especially with Struggle With A Lie and Darkest Priest. 

Hebi Katana are becoming a force to be reckoned with within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene and they’re only going to become bigger and better with future releases. They’re about to embark on a short European Tour visiting France/Italy in July 2024. If you want to see what all the fuss is about with Hebi Katana and you want to hear a superbly entertaining LIVE album which pays respect to the LIVE BOOTLEG albums from the good old days then Doom N’ Bloom 2024 fits that bill perfectly.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

BONGZILLA - Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe (Album Review)

Release Date: March 15th 2024. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe - Tracklisting

1. Sundae Driver (live at Duna Jam)

2. King of Weed (live at Minoga in Poznan, Poland)

3. Free The Weed (live at Minoga in Poznan, Poland)

4. Greenthumb (live at Voodoo in Belfast, Ireland)

5. H.P. Keefmaker (live at Voodoo in Belfast, Ireland)

6. Hippie Stick (live at Minoga in Poznan, Poland)

7. Gestation (live at Duna Jam)

Members

Mike "Muleboy" Makela - vocals & bass

Jeff "Spanky" Schultz - guitar

Mike "Magma" Henry - drums

Review

Legendary Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers BONGZILLA  first live album with Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe which was performed across multiple European locations for a record that oozes their classic WEEDIAN sound with a Punk Rock attitude. The album doesn’t feature their lengthier compositions that’s featured on their last few releases but you’re still treated to a great selection of classic tracks that the band have made their name with over nearly thirty years in the business.

The tracks are mostly from 2021’s Weedsconsin and 2023’s Dab City with a couple of classic tracks such as Greenthumb being added to the set list. Despite this record being played at different locations, the album still feels and sounds like it was recorded from the same performance. There is a rough sounding quality to the record which allows the listener to fully experience the definitive BONGZILLA performance live on stage. The grooves are aggressive and downright nasty in places which is what you expect from this great band. However, there’s some fantastic FUZZED UP and SLUDGY attitude that’s appeared within their collection of Heavy Psych Sounds releases over the last few years.

Mike’s vocals are harsh and abrasive as ever with some wicked moments of humour appearing here and there especially when he name checks another legendary WEEDIAN metal band live on stage. 

Standout tracks to checkout are: Sundae Driver, King Of Weed, Free The Weed and Hippie Stick. These tracks are perhaps where BONGZILLA impress the most with their enthusiastic and unapologetic stage presence where the AMPLIFIERS are electrically charged with some epic FUZZY SLUDGE grooves that only this great band can deliver.

My only complaint is that it’s a tad too short, lasting under forty minutes. I wanted something a bit longer especially with this being BONGZILLA’s first live album. However, Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe delivers a superbly entertaining diversion for dedicated followers of BONGZILLA and the WEEDIAN way of life. 

The album does a wonderful job capturing BONGZILLA at their absolute best and this is another sublime release from Heavy Psych Sounds.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Dabbing (LIVE) Rosin In Europe is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Links

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