Mount Palatine - Wormholy World (Album Review)

Release Date: February 06th 2026. Record Label: Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records). Formats: CD/DD

Wormholy World - Tracklisting

1.The Sands 

2.Whispers of the Holy Land

3.The Dreaming

4.Panther Eyes

5.Ethereal

6.Newborn Sun

Members

Jean the Baron (guitar & vocals)

Count Boogie (bass)

Lord of the Groove (drums)

Review

Heavy Psych/Stoner Metallers Mount Palatine release their sophomore album Wormholy World and to make matters slightly confusing, the guys actually released their debut album Cockroach Conquest back in 2024 under their original name of The Paladin. This time round the band offer a more vibrant, progressive and surreal Psychedelic journey compared to their celebrated debut album. The echoes of that band still remain slightly with Mount Palatine playing areas of Psych Stoner Metal influenced by the likes of Mars Red Sky, Alice In Chains, King Buffalo and ELDER.

Wormholy World allows Mount Palatine to draw upon influences from the likes of YOB, UFOMAMMUT, OM and Mastodon with the music being more mature with explosive melodic themes traversing with heavy sludgier grooves which comes across the epic opening track of The Sands. Cockroach Conquest had a surreal sense of humour running within the main storyline but the band played everything seriously with the lyrics, vocals and instrumental passages offering a more grown-up creative theme. The vocals change from chants, harsh vocals and to a grizzled clean vocal delivery which adds a sense of gritty realism to Mount Palatine. With elements of Grunge, Doom and Space Rock attitude appearing towards the end of the song, this gives Wormholy World a truly cinematic and adventurous environment throughout.

Second song Whispers Of The Holy Land offers Meditative Doom movements and sludgy surroundings for a song that has an abstract Ambient and Post-Rock quality. The song is quite slow at first with the moody instrumental sounds giving time to breathe and expand into a heavier MASTODON-ian vibe with a haunting Cosmic Rock flavour never dominating the musical landscape. The vocals can be quite raw-sounding in places within the reflective parts of the song. Lead vocalist Jean The Baron moves between areas of Grunge, Psych and Stoner Metal dynamics which can be quite considered as SHAMANIC in places. Mount Palatine are quite philosophical with their lyrics that offer an endearing and highly engaging vibe into the record.

Third track The Dreaming sees Mount Palatine move into a chaotic style of Heavy Psych with flashes of distorted Progressive passages and experimental themes which do take time to fully settle down within the thrilling Post-Doom backdrop pushing the album further down the Space Rock vortex. There’s some heavy Ambient and Sonic distortion that can be slightly disjointed and fractured from reality but this is one of the standout tracks of the record. As Mount Palatine chop and change their musical direction with real dramatic flair that allows the PROG METAL flow to fully take control for the rest of the song. 

For the second half of the album, Mount Palatine pays homage to the likes of TOOL, SOUNDGARDEN and LOWFLYINGHAWKS where the record fully sees the band hit their creative and cinematic stride where everything becomes heavier, bolder, grander and more adventurous. The final three tracks of Panther Eyes, Ethereal and Newborn Son easily matches to the genuine of Psychedelic excitement and bombastic heaviness the first half of the album achieved with perhaps even more outlandish melodies and highly intense grooves that leave you wanting more throughout.

Wormholy World perhaps feels like the “real” or “true” debut album from Mount Palatine as this record is on another level compared to their previous album. With better production values and a brilliantly fleshed out vision, this album is an unmissable experience that will leave you breathless. This will easily be considered one of the year’s best albums when the year is finally over.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mount Palatine and Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

Wormholy World is available to buy now on CD/DD via Octopus Rising (Argonauta Records).

Links:

https://mountpalatine.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mountpalatine/
https://www.youtube.com/@mountpalatine
https://mountpalatine.com
https://linktr.ee/mountpalatine

MOUNT PALATINE Announce Full Album Details and New Single with Videoclip

Finnish heavy psych metal trio Mount Palatine reveal full details of their upcoming album Wormholy World, to be released on February 6th 2026 through Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital formats. Preorders will follow soon. Along with the announcement, the band presents their new single and official videoclip Newborn Sun.

“Newborn Sun is the closing song of Wormholy World. This massive hypnotic piece is more than ten minutes long and is living proof of how creativity can strike at the perfect moment. By spring 2024 the recording date for the rhythm tracks was already set, yet one song was still missing. In the middle of a jamming session, the missing piece appeared almost naturally, and two songs took shape. Newborn Sun flowed out nearly in the same form it appears on the album. The lyrics came just as effortlessly with the chorus calling for mantra like channelling. At its core, Newborn Sun proclaims a universal vision of the eternal cycle of life while carrying a deeply personal resonance.”

Founded in Helsinki, Mount Palatine grew from long term musical chemistry and years of playing together. What started as casual jamming in 2020 soon evolved into a powerful creative force driven by improvisation and instinct. The trio features Jean the Baron on guitar and vocals, Count Boogie on bass, and Lord of the Groove on drums. Their sound moves from crushing sludge charged riffs to hypnotic psychedelic atmospheres, from fierce screams to ethereal clean passages. Every song becomes an immersive journey shaped by groove, weight and transcendental moods.

Drawing inspiration from doom, stoner, sludge, progressive metal and psychedelic rock, Mount Palatine create a signature blend that is intense yet fluid, spiritual yet grounded. Operating first under the name The Paladin, they released their debut album Cockroach Crusade in 2024. As their identity grew clearer, the band embraced their new name as a symbol of expansion and artistic rebirth.

Lyrically and thematically, Wormholy World explores cosmic and spiritual domains, reflecting on existence, creation, decay and the mysteries of the universe. Their music resonates on visceral and contemplative levels, inviting listeners to drift between the physical and the infinite. Fans of Elder, Stoned Jesus, Mastodon and Down may find familiar elements, though the band remain unmistakably their own.

The band says:

“Wormholy World is an ultimate trip through destruction and recreation, the chaos of life and the universe itself. Musically, the album builds on the psychedelic heavy jams that define our sound. Through years of ensemble playing we have developed our own style of heavy psych metal, combining doom, stoner, sludge, psychedelic rock and progressive metal. These chaotic trips form a cosmic dance where fragile melodies break under crushing riffs only to reform into triumphant harmony. The vocals shift from ethereal choirs to harsh growls.

Like our debut Cockroach Crusade, the album was born from intense jam sessions. All songs were created and arranged through continuous riffs and live interplay in our own rehearsal space and home studio at Saarni Music. After the main tracks were captured, we added many layers of guitars, synths, effects and vocals until the songs reached their final cosmic form. The final touch came from Mactus the Magemaster at Saarni Music, bringing clarity and life to the recordings. While the debut explored many influences, this album brings a stronger sense of cohesion and focuses clearly on the artistic vision we want to pursue.”

Mount Palatine, with their combination of visionary songwriting, cosmic heaviness and raw energy, are now ready to open the next chapter of their journey and invite listeners into the depths of Wormholy World.

Tracklist

1 The Sands 10:32
2 Whispers of the Holy Land 07:59
3 The Dreaming 08:40
4 Panther Eyes 06:08
5 Ethereal 09:28
6 Newborn Sun 10:38

Links

https://mountpalatine.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mountpalatine/
https://www.youtube.com/@mountpalatine
https://mountpalatine.com
https://linktr.ee/mountpalatine

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion and MOUNT PALATINE for the details.