RIFFTREE - Wonky (EP Review)

Release Date: May 09th 2025. Record Label: No Profit Recordings. Formats: DD

Wonky - Tracklisting

1.Bobby 02:47

2.Drinkypoo 01:43

3.Wonky 03:52

4.Ain't Shook 05:05

5.Bongfucker 04:41

6.It's Too Late (Outro) 00:47

Members

 Zmija Filip - Bass/Vocals Marko Virovac - Drums/Vocals

Review

Wonky is the third EP from Croatian Noise/Doom/Stoner/Sludge Rockers RIFFTREE and they add touches of Psych, Drone and Punk into their intense and action packed sound. They have played alongside the likes of UFOMAMMUT and Psychlona where it’s not hard to see why. RIFFTREE are a highly talented band with a pissed off and highly aggressive sound which is put through the Sludge Metal grinder on their latest EP.

The EP only lasts for about nineteen minutes with RIFFTREE delivering a BASS HEAVY and DISTORTED style of music which reminds me of early-era MELVINS and MOTORHEAD at times. Everything is stripped back with a classic sounding DIY atmosphere with intense Hardcore Punk vocals coming blazing through superbly well on tracks such as Bobby, Drinkypoo and Wonky. The lyrics are outrageous and very much in your face whilst the music is played with serious intent especially when things become more SLUDGE METAL based with a twisted Psychedelic energy appearing along the way.

The second half is more WEEDIAN and DOOM obsessive on tracks such as Ain’t Shook and Bongfucker where you can detect a slight WEEDEATER and BONGZILLA influence with the subtle Psychedelic rhythms and harsh melodies. RIFFTREE play with a NO FUCKS GIVEN energy and with that creative attitude then I’m sure RIFFTREE can go a long way in the scene. They have the backing of the mighty NO PROFIT RECORDINGS for this release and WONKY may get a physical release at a later date. 

 

The production is not the best but it allows RIFFTREE to play to their absolute strengths whilst not being contained by modern day recording and production techniques. This is an absolute blast of violent riffs, thrills and spills with RIFFTREE delivering the goods from the very start.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

The Freak Folk of Mangrovia - Tales Beyond The Firmament (Album Review)

Release Date: June 28th 2024. Record Label: No Profit Recordings. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Tales Beyond The Firmament: Tracklisting

Astral Nomads

Dancing In The Dunes

Cosmic Druids

Unveiling Empyreal Runes

Members

Dina Ivas - Bass

Ivo Juričić - Guitar 

Lena Crnković - Drums

Luka Kiseljak - Guitar/Synthesizer.

Review

I got a download of this album and it has blown my mind. Along the lines of Robot God, Clouds Taste Satanic and other epic, doomy psy space rockers, this album deserves a listen and most likely a purchase.

The opening track Astral Nomads weaves a sonic tapestry reminiscent of some of the best space psy rock acts on the scene, think like Clouds Taste Satanic or early Spaceslug. The music is moody and adventurous. The searing solos dancing around excellent rhythm work from the drum and bass made me feel like the guys on the album cover...dominated by giant mushrooms on a distant planet. The guitar work is stellar. My kind of stuff right here. This proves to be a great start for an album I had no expectations from. 

The second track Dancing In The Dunes found me wandering out of a cave in the middle of the night, the sky illuminated by the Milky Way lighting up the sky. A sense of intrigue and wonder is quickly replaced by the reality of an epic desolate desert dawn, erupting with a killer riff. The guitar tone on this one is really solid. The vocals kick in and they are perfect for the mood of the song. I love instrumentals, but the vocals here add to the song, bringing it up a level. Dance in the Dunes indeed... drips with desert rock goodness. Excellent cut!

Cosmic Druids are my favorite kind. Once again, the band sets a spacy, atmospheric mood. Feeling like high priests descending onto the unprepared masses, the first riff moves in and proceeds to melt faces. This is the space psy rock I love. The driving rhythm moves you like an ionic overdrive pushing a monstrous spaceship out of orbit while the guitar provides the feeling of anticipation of an uncertain future... maneuvering expertly into the last cut.

Unveiling Empyreal Runes feels like the discovery is being made, contact has been achieved! The guitar kicks in with heavy riffage while the bass and drums continue to move the project forward with a looming, impending doom. The absolute drama of the last track will grab you and make you wonder what the hell is happening next. The vocals are really good. Clean. This is what you expect from a good space rock band at the least. This track is awesome! 

Tales From Beyond The Firmament is one of my favorites so far this year! Perfect for a few grams of mushrooms and some really nice weed (or sober as fuck, this album doesnt need that really). Listen to it outside under a moonlit sky with headphones or blast it if your neighbors don't suck. But listen to it. It's excellent!

Words by S Patrick Brooks

Thanks to No Profit Recordings for the promo.

Tales From Beyond The Firmament will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via No Profit Recordings from Friday 28th June 2024.

Links

https://thefreakfolkofmangrovia.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thefreakfolkofmangrovia/

https://www.instagram.com/thefreakfolkofmangrovia/

https://noprofitrecordings.bandcamp.com/

https://noprofitrec.com/

Omega Sun - Roadkill (Album Review)

Release Date: September 08th 2023. Record Label: No Profit Recordings. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Roadkill: Tracklisting

1.The One 05:20

2.Black Dust 08:08

3.Survive 06:32

4.Another You 09:08

5.Early Morning 05:16

6.Doomer 04:40

Members

Igor Kukanja - vocals and bass guitar

Aris Demirović - guitars

Sebastian Vrbnjak - drums

Review:

Doom/Stoner Rockers Omega Sun return with Roadkill which is their first album in six years. I was a huge fan of their debut album and assumed the band had split up. However, here we are with Roadkill which sees Omega Sun operate with a more Grunge based atmosphere which interplays superbly well with their established Doom/Stoner Metal sound.

Omega Sun move between the finer points of 90’s Stoner Metal with a Doom Metal appetite which cuts back to an elevated Grunge presence with Igor’s vocals having twinges of John Garcia and Chris Cornell. The album doesn’t break any new creative ground but Omega Sun play a vibrant disregard for genre rules and conventions that the music has a more Sludgier aesthetic which can be heard within the stunning opening track of The One.

The One has a pulsating bass groove provided by lead vocalist Igar. The guitars feel empowered by the Californian Desert/Stoner Rock scene which is superbly played by Aris and Sebastian’s drums provides a more slow pounding Doom & Gloom rhythm which is quite different to what we heard on their debut album. The later stages of the song sees all band members vying for lead dominance for a wicked extended instrumental jam and fuzzy overtones which moves into more atmospheric stages of rock/metal.

Second song Black Dust is a heavier and bleak sounding Grunge distorted focus where the Desert Rock attitude turns into a more volatile rhythm. The vocals move between the Doom Metal and Stoner Rock platforms with a grizzled outlook from Igor. Perhaps taking the more world-we

ary elements of KYUSS and merging them with the creative themes of Soundgarden and Alice In Chains whilst still allowing Omega Sun to deliver their own intense sound. The song is quite progressive in places with the music being most effective when everything is slowed right down and the FUZZ is played up to the max.

Third song Survive has a more stripped back sound with the music being slightly muted to other tracks on the album. However, this works in the bands favour as there’s a less dominant approach with Omega Sun relying on a more distinctive melodic sound with layers of swirling Psych Rock which allows the rhythm section to really shine through. The guitars by Aris have that “less is more” type of sound but provide the building blocks for the rest of the band to stand upon. Igor’s vocals slowly move away from the Desert/Stoner Rock field to a more heavier style with an excellent Blues Rock delivery being heard in places.

Omega Sun do become more bolder with their creative choices on the second half of the album and mostly with the stunning fourth track Another You which lasts for around nine minutes in length. Imagine a more devilish blend of Blues Rock, Grunge and Hard Rock that slowly become a more warped style of Doom/Stoner Metal. The song does take time to fully get going but when everything is beautifully aligned then Omega Sun are unstoppable here with the flashy Psychedelic guitars and raw sounding production values. 

The record can become more Spaced Out and the vocals even become more Droned Out on the later stages of the album. The final two songs of Early Morning and Doomer once again sees Omega Sun merge Stoner Rock flair with a Fuzz based Doom outlook. The instrumental work is quite overpowering at times with Igor’s vocals reaching high screeching levels especially on Early Morning.

The final song Doomer sees Omega Sun offer a more LOW & SLOW blend of Doomed Out Stoner Rock with an eerie soundclip allowing the creepy bass to play confidently in the background and Igor’s vocals become quite sinister. The music is all about heavy FUZZED out volumes with an aggressive delivery still offering an addictive quality despite the bleak message of the track.

Roadkill may not offer anything new to the Doom/Stoner Metal landscape but Omega Sun are still on FIRE on this release that offers moments of pure excitement when the band play a more gloomier style of music that can be quite unexpectedly deafening in places. 

This is a wickedly entertaining release that should allow Omega Sun to be welcomed into the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene even further with open arms by an appreciative audience.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to No Profit Recordings for the promo.

Roadkill is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via No Profit Recordings

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

KITA - Tyhjiö (Album Review) And Exclusive New Song/New Video Premiere Of Tyhjiö

Release Date: August 11th 2023. Record Label: No Profit Recordings. Formats: CD/DD

Tyhjiö: Tracklisting

1. Kivi Puhuu (The Stone Speaks)

2. Tyhjiö (The Void)

3. Torajyvä (The Ergot)

4. Kärpässilmät (Fly Eyes)

5. Ataraksia (Ataraxia)

Members

Jonne - guitar, vocals, keys, effects

Antti - guitar

Topi - bass, backing vocals 

Aatu - drums, percussion

Review:

Tyhjiö is the debut album from Psychedelic Death/Doom/Sludge Metallers KITA who also bring elements of Thrash, Punk and Prog Metal for their debut album that allows this to be quite an experimental release. Throw in some weird trippy moments of Electronica and even hints of Film Scores which make KITA quite an extraordinary band in their own right. KITA takes creative solitude with bands such as UFOMAMMUT, TOOL and ISIS with the Post-Metal and Progressive Sound of those great bands feeling right at home with the Death Metal charge that the album contains. However, this is mostly a dark and experimental take on Psych Doom/Sludge Metal that is spread across five tracks.

The first track of Kivi Puhuu (The Stone Speaks) is a haunting and ambient based track with KITA exploring the more Progressive realms of Death/Doom Metal with the Sludgy grooves having a more melodic style with buoyant gloomy Psychedelic energy. The vocals are sung in the band's native tongue and allows the band to have a mysterious quality to their music. The song is more Atmospheric based on the later stages of the track with the more thrashy beatdowns becoming part of the creative sonic journey KITA undertaken for this track and the whole album.

Second track Tyhjiö (The Void) offers a more direct style of Thrash/Death Metal with soaring Psychedelic and Sonic sounds becoming more Post-Doom and Post-Rock inspired along the way. The vocals have small amounts of Shamanic chanting before returning to that classic style of Death Metal based Harsh Growls. The Ambient rhythms and Psychedelic grooves become more commonplace with KITA injecting a Tool-esque energy into the album. The track does become more uplifting in places but the violent mood that KITA operates with returns quickly and with violent ferocious energy. Instrumental work is intense and wonderfully varied with KITA playing a multitude of different Metal styles that showcase what a hugely talented band KITA actually are.

Third song Torajyvä (the Ergot) blends TOOL creative mythology with the cosmic dynamics of UFOMAMMUT but with a more Psychedelic and Tribal flourish. Electonica based scores appear periodically and soon leave without a trace with KITA adopting a more Thrash Metal approach with a Progressive Doomed Out sound. The sludgy atmosphere allows KITA to play a more mind-expanding style of gloomy Post-Metal with violent and chaotic vocals matching the unpredictable sound of the music. Thrashy breakdowns and beatdowns are used for dramatic effect but everything works as it should with KITA providing one of the standout tracks on the album.

The final two tracks of the album Kärpässilmät (Fly Eyes) and Ataraksia (Ataraxia) offers nineteen minutes of pure Prog Metal/Sludge Metal dynamic creative energy with the music adding keys into the mix especially on Kärpässilmät (Fly Eyes). This part of the album is perhaps more Death Metal based but there's still a lot of Doom/Sludge Metal gloominess to unpack and decipher on these tracks with KITA embracing a more Cosmic side to their music. The thrashy beatdowns and breakdowns is what allows this album to truly flourish with even a subtle Hard Rock energy appearing. Constantly moving further into a Prog Metal backdrop on Kärpässilmät (Fly Eyes). Vocals remain aggressive and Death Metal based which remains one of the main strengths of the album. This allows KITA to have a truly volatile "FORCE OF NATURE'' essence to their music.

Tyhjiö is a dynamically powerful and unpredictable album that is perhaps more extreme compared to other Psychedelic Doom/Sludge Metal albums currently being released. However, KITA have a truly original sound of their own which could endear them across the multiple underground scenes within the Doom, Sludge and Death Metal communities.

I say embrace the violent chaos of this album and you will pleasantly be surprised by what you hear. As this is a stunning album with sublime production values throughout.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to No Profit Recordings for the promo.

I'm excited to premiere KITA's new song and video for Tyhjiö below from the upcoming album of the same name.

Tyhjiö will be available to buy on CD/DD via No Profit Recordings from August 11th 2023.

KITA Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

No Profit Recordings Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram