Showing posts with label Occult Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Occult Rock. Show all posts

Thursday, 17 September 2026

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Doom/Stoner Metallers TERRA BLACK Stunning New Album MIRAGE


Following their acclaimed debut and recent signing to Bonebag Records, Gothenburg occult rock collective Terra Black return with their new album, Mirage.

Written and recorded over the course of three years, Mirage is Terra Black's most ambitious and immersive work to date. Travelling from roots buried deep beneath the earth, through the ruins of forgotten civilizations and into the silence of space, the album explores shifting states of existence where reality, memory and illusion become increasingly difficult to separate.

Recorded live by the band in Gothenburg, Mirage captures the raw immediacy of Terra Black's performances. Rather than polishing away imperfections, the band embraced natural room ambience and microphone bleed, allowing the recording to retain an honest, organic character that mirrors the weight and intensity of the music itself.

Drawing from atmospheric doom, occult rock and stoner traditions, Terra Black combines towering riffs with haunting vocals, powerful choral arrangements and primal darkness. Inspired by nature, mythology, ancient beliefs and the mysterious corners of human imagination, the album moves effortlessly between the familiar and the unknowable. Like the illusion from which it takes its name, the album constantly shifts perspective, inviting listeners ever deeper into its enigmatic world.

Since forming in 2020, Terra Black have steadily built a reputation for immersive songwriting and commanding live performances. With Mirage, the band expands both its sonic scope and artistic vision, delivering its most confident and fully realised work to date.

We're truly excited to premiere their outstanding new album in full thanks to the amazing folks over at Sheltered Life PR.


Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the details.

Mirage is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Bonebag Records.

Links


Bandcamp | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Apple Music

An Interview With Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metallers TERRA BLACK


Doom/Stoner Metallers TERRA BLACK release their spellbinding new album this Friday and we're excited to host the exclusive album premiere which you can listen to in full from this link.

The record is a great mix of Psych, Doom, Stoner, and Cosmic based sounds that's quite different to their acclaimed debut album All Descend. This record allows TERRA BLACK to move their music into great Spaced Out heights whilst keeping an epic Occult Rock groove that has massive amounts of distorted psychedelic momentum to truly standout from the crowd.

I caught up with the band to discuss the evolution of their music and the making of the new album.

Hi folks. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today?

We’re great, thank you for having us.

For those not in the know, can you give us a brief history of how the band came together and where you are today?

The band was formed in 2020 by Ezgi, Denice, and Sophie. We released our first single in early 2021, shortly after Isak joined the band. We spent the following years playing live, mostly around our hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden, and later released a second single.

After that, we reached a point where we felt the need to take full control of our music and the way it was recorded. So, instead of handing the process over to someone else, we started setting up microphones, getting our gear together, and figuring it out ourselves. That process eventually became our first full length album, All Descend.

We’ve also had some great gigs along the way, including appearances at metal festivals such as Gefle Metal Festival and House of Metal. It was at House of Metal in Umeå where we met Max Malmer from Bone Bag Records, the record label we’re now signed to.

How would you describe your own sound?

The short version is stoner/doom. However, we find it hard putting our music into one specific label, since what is Terra Black is the mix of crushing, bass-heavy doom riffs with clean, delicate vocals, creating an eerie contrast. The lyrics can move from grotesque and unsettling to poetic and beautiful, and that tension between heaviness, fragility, darkness, and beauty is a big part of what makes it feel like Terra Black.


Your new album is Mirage and we’re premiering (premiere link) it today at Outlaws of the Sun. What can people expect from the album, particularly as it’s quite different from your previous album?

Heaviness without aggression, drone riffs and mystique. But it also depends on the listeners’ state of mind. We think you can expect to be immersed in something quite interesting if you’re open to it and get a different experience depending on the surroundings. Our new album consists of songs that, of course, can be enjoyed separately, but it’s constructed in a way to really draw you in and keep you on a journey throughout the album.

There is a strong sense of atmosphere and a kind of journey running through it too, with heavy cosmic interludes alongside your occult, doom, psych and stoner rock passages. Can you tell us more about the concept behind the album and how that developed?

The concept with something of a timeline or a journey gradually became clear while writing the songs and getting a sense of the overall mood. Compared to our debut album, All Descend, this new one felt a lot darker and less philosophical, rather down to earth and quite visceral.

The Gathering was set to be the opening track pretty much right away, and that’s where the journey starts. It is inspired by the old Norse blót, a ritual offering meant to reach the forces beyond the human world. The serpent connects different realms: life and death, above and below, the known and the unknown. It also reflects the darkness within us: fear, mortality and everything beyond our control. The song is about confronting these things rather than escaping them. The blót becomes a surrender to fate and to the ancient forces beneath existence.

Although it can also be interpreted as something destructive springing into existence, that causes the world to suffer and eventually kills everything that we see as life. But is there something else, outside the limits of physical existence, waiting to be discovered?

While the theme of the album is obviously apocalyptic, not made less clear with tracks like Maze and Ruins, it really is about the personal experience and what it does to the listener. We wanted to make something immersive that awakens something real, whether it’s fear, hope or an existential crisis.


Was this a hard album to write and record for?

We wrote and recorded the songs during a period of about three years, so the album was certainly a slow burner. This approach gave us a lot of time to listen to the mixes, think about the album as a whole and really work together without any pressure or deadline (our Google Drive folder for the album is named “Album 2024”, didn’t really work out too well).

To us, this was probably an essential component in creating something more complex with a thematic thread and not “just” a collection of songs. So, the brief answer would be yes; we would even go so far as to say that the recording style influenced what songs we wrote.

Recording live, in our opinion, gives the songs so much more life, even if it means accepting a few unfixable mishaps. Doing it in such a small space will introduce a lot of microphone bleed and, in our case, some quite nasty boominess. Even so, the tracks came out balanced, we think, but foremost, it has that live feel to it. The vocals were added in post, though. There are a few cases of guitar dubbing, but the production was kept as sparse as possible, not to take anything away from that live session.

What is the creative process within the band? Do you write the music together, or do certain people within the band take the lead?

The way we create music hasn’t changed. We’re a considerate group with different musical backgrounds and sometimes different preferences, but we always tend to find a good middle ground through open discussion. It’s certainly a collective effort and it will continue like that.

We really do like contrasts and, in a way, contradictions. Some lyrics could be seen as almost disgusting (looking at you, Spawn of Lyssa) and others much more poetic and beautiful. We don’t really think about the balance between these elements when writing songs; rather, the riff gets a pass if it “feels Terra Black”, and that’s a bit hard to pinpoint.

Looking at Mirage alongside All Descend, how do you feel your sound has developed, and do you have a sense of where Terra Black might go next?

The sound has gotten a lot darker, heavier and quite a bit more sinister. It does feel like we’ve found our musical space with Mirage, although All Descend was a clear step towards this place. Something so practical as better gear has also made a huge difference. Being able to blast the room with (literally) glass-shattering guitar tones does influence how you perceive the music.

It’s hard to say where we’re heading, but judging by the new songs starting to form, it won’t stray far from what you hear on Mirage. With Terra Black, we hope we’re heading towards a place where music could be an even bigger part of our lives, since that’s what we live for.

Words by Steve Howe and TERRA BLACK

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the promo.

Mirage is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Bonebag Records.

Links


Bandcamp | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Apple Music



Monday, 14 September 2026

Terra Black - Mirage (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Bonebag Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Mirage - Tracklist

1.The Gathering

2.Guayota 

3.Pareidolia

4.Thorn

5.Maze

6.In Stone 

7.Ruins 

8.In stars


Members


Ezgi – Lead Vocals and Guitars

Isak – Guitars

Denice – Bass

Sophie – Drums


Review


Psychedelic Doomsters Terra Black return with their sophomore album Mirage which takes a slightly different step compared to their acclaimed 2023 debut album All Descend. As Terra Black move slightly further from the spooky Occult Doom sound they conjured up so magnificently on their debut album which has been replaced by a thicker, denser and heavier COSMIC based attitude.


This gives their sound a trippier and psychedelic energy which is noticeable from the very start with a grounded Shoegaze and Sludge Rock melody developing with stunning vocals to match. However, there’s still that highly accomplished Occult Doom sound that made Terra Black such a great band to look out for that manages to stay consistently relevant with punishing levels of distorted FUZZ appearing behind the scenes. The lyrics have a winning DOOM & GLOOM attitude to them with the music matching the likes of MONOLORD and ELECTRIC WIZARD with that intense slow-to-mid pace.


Terra Black developed a thicker, heavier and denser style of Doomed Out Metal with a sublime Psychedelic Stoner Metal attitude forming on different parts of the album. The vocals from Ezgi are utterly captivating and deliver the right level of pure innocence and demonic based passion which feels like they’re being delivered by two different entities. This gives Mirage a bewitching atmospheric and seductive quality within the grounded moments of the album but the whole thing fully excels when the band play into their new found COSMIC DOOM surroundings. 


The music becomes noticeably thicker and brimming with amplified capabilities especially on tracks Guayota, Pareidolia, In Stone and Ruins. The whole sound is full of violent Fuzzed Out landscapes where Terra Black put their AMPS all the way upto dangerous levels and let their music do the talking. The harsh screams linger in the background before exploding into an emotional style that brings the Occult Doom world closer to the fringes of modern day Heavy Psych and Spaced Out Doom closer than ever before.


Terra Black have written some intriguing lyrics to match the music and with the band part of the massive Swedish underground metal scene then you know what to expect when that scene’s legendary sound develops into something more tribal and ritualistic. There’s some dizzying soundscapes and vocal chants that taps right into the Seventies Occult Rock scene but with dazzling Drone Metal overtones. 


Mirage is quite a forward thinking album as it’s fuelled by elements of Heavy Psych, Occult Rock. Doom Metal, Shoegaze, Stoner Metal and Space Rock which gives it such a nomadic and solitary existence at times. The whole thing is superbly real and refreshingly original with certain sections of the album transforming into a meditative style of Grunge, Post-Rock and Shoegaze that gives this record a completely different tone on the second half of the album.


The Ambient themes are exquisite and have a certain romantic elegance to them but that soon gives way to that modern day destructive grooves and soulful melodies that take no prisoners especially within the excellent rhythm section that allows Terra Black to branch out into different areas of music. 


Mirage is a magnificent beast of an album. As this is a record that knows when to become a true force of nature that destroys everything in Terra Black’s wake but it also knows when to show it’s caring, tender and emotionally engaging side as well. When both these worlds collide then there’s no stopping TERRA BLACK delivering one of the most satisfying COSMIC DOOMED OUT experiences you’ll have this year.


WOW!!!


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the promo.

Mirage is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Bonebag Records.

Links


Bandcamp | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Apple Music


Tuesday, 21 July 2026

Gothenburg Occult Rockers TERRA BLACK Announce New Album and ‘IN STONE’ Single


Terra Black on Bandcamp | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | Apple Music

Following their acclaimed debut and recent signing to Bonebag Records, Gothenburg occult rock collective Terra Black return with their haunting new single, ‘In Stone’, the first offering from their forthcoming album, Mirage, due for release on 18th September.

Steeped in ancient mystery and crushing atmosphere, ‘In Stone’ explores the unsettling pull of forgotten worlds and the unseen forces that continue to shape the present. The song evokes the feeling of being trapped within something timeless – a world that should have ended long ago yet still refuses to release its grip.

"'In Stone' is about the ominous threat of the hidden and otherworldly,” explains the band. “It’s being stuck in something ancient, like you're part of a world that already ended a long time ago, but it's still not finished with you. Old worlds, old beliefs, and everything beneath the surface that refuses to disappear. Forever merged in stone."

Written and recorded over the course of three years, Mirage is Terra Black's most ambitious and immersive work to date. Travelling from roots buried deep beneath the earth, through the ruins of forgotten civilizations and into the silence of space, the album explores shifting states of existence where reality, memory and illusion become increasingly difficult to separate.

Recorded live by the band in Gothenburg, Mirage captures the raw immediacy of Terra Black's performances. Rather than polishing away imperfections, the band embraced natural room ambience and microphone bleed, allowing the recording to retain an honest, organic character that mirrors the weight and intensity of the music itself.

Drawing from atmospheric doom, occult rock and stoner traditions, Terra Black combines towering riffs with haunting vocals, powerful choral arrangements and primal darkness. Inspired by nature, mythology, ancient beliefs and the mysterious corners of human imagination, the album moves effortlessly between the familiar and the unknowable. Like the illusion from which it takes its name, the album constantly shifts perspective, inviting listeners ever deeper into its enigmatic world.

Compared to their previous work, Mirage presents a heavier, darker and more visceral sonic landscape, where ancient forces, forgotten civilizations and cosmic vastness collide.

Since forming in 2020, Terra Black have steadily built a reputation for immersive songwriting and commanding live performances. With Mirage, the band expands both its sonic scope and artistic vision, delivering its most confident and fully realised work to date.

Mirage, the brand-new album by Terra Black will be released via Bonebag Records on 18th September | Pre-order


Album: Mirage
Artist: Terra Black
Label: Bonebag Records
Format: LP/Digital/CD
Release Date: 18/09/2026




Bonebag Records on Web | Facebook | Instagram | Web



Thanks to Sheltered Life PR for the details.

Friday, 26 June 2026

Wailin Storms - The Arsonist (Album Review)

Release Date: July 10th 2026. Record Label: Season Of Mist. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Arsonist - Tracklisting

1. Dead End (4:48)

2. Heart of Mine (5:13)

3. You Never Answered (4:53)

4. The Arsonist (4:52)

5. Never Rest (4:59)

6. Saved (4:24)

7. Patient Night (3:22)

8. The Wind (6:01)

9. It's All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be (6:30)


Members


Justin Storms - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Ben Melton - Lead guitar, backup vocals, Rhodes organ, piano

Steve Stanczyk - Bass

Mark Oates - Drums


Review


Wailin Storms return with their fifth album The Arsonist that once again features their potent mix of Doom, Gothic, Southern Rock, Alt Rock and Americana that’s doused in a heavy dose of Blues Rock that’s held together by a Swamp Rock narrative. There’s always been an air of mystery behind Wailin Storms records which taps into the darkest corners of the Doom Rock and Southern Rock scenes. Lead vocalist / rhythm guitarist Justin Storms is the main creative force here with his grounded and gothic lyrics being one of the main highlights of the record.


There are shades of Nick Cave, Jeff Buckley, Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains and even DANZIG which shows the broad musical landscape the band have projected within their impressive discography. The Arsonist is quite subdued and is alarmingly heavy when the need arises but it’s a different kind of HEAVY ROCK with a stripped back style being semi-acoustic in places which develops very early on tracks such as Dead End, Heart Of Mine and You Never Answered. These songs are cautiously slow and bleakly pessimistic at the best times but the thundering melodies and post-doom surroundings allows Wailin Storms to portray a mellow and blues rock environment which never lets a ray of sunshine or uplifting grooves to appear. 


The Arsonist can be too unforgiving for its own good but it shows you the depths of Occult Rock and Gothic Doom that the band are willing to thrust upon the listener. There’s some great use of psychedelic instrumental passages and drone rock appearing within the later stages of the record with an aggressive sideline of moody Grunge melodies. The other members of the band Ben Melton (Lead guitar, backup vocals, Rhodes organ, piano), Steve Stanczyk (Bass) and Mark Oates (Drums) all play to their musical strengths by putting in phenomenal performances throughout. This record sounds and feels like a real team effort even when Justin’s vocals and majestic persona takes centre stage for large parts of the record.


Another great aspect of the record is the stripped back production values that have a lovely analogue feeling which gives the whole thing a crisp, clean and moody atmosphere from beginning to end. This allows the Post-Punk themes of the record to fully shine through on the second half of the album, even impressing me the most. 


Other great tracks on The Arsonist include: The Arsonist, Never Rest, Saved, The Wind and It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used To Be. There’s a haunting romantic aspect that does start to form here which feels like there’s a massive EARTH influence appearing when you least expect it but the bleak and sometimes nihilistic lyrics allows Wailin Storms to form their own definitive musical legacy. 


The band are five albums into their career at this point and are really starting to gain a reputation as one of America’s best Gothic Rock bands currently out there as they explore different musical themes that’s so brilliantly original and emotionally striking with each passing record. The Arsonist is a towering achievement that’s deeply unflinching vision with Wailin Storms leaving you emotionally satisfied with an intense and gut wrenching musical experience. There’s no other way I can describe this album and that’s where I’m going to end this review.


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Season Of Mist ffor the promo.


The Arsonist is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist.


Links 


Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram


Saturday, 2 May 2026

Bird - Mondo Occvlto (Album Review)

Release Date: 04th March  2026. Record Label: Olde Magick Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Mondo Occvlto - Tracklisting

1.Fright 04:43

2.Yehudit 04:51

3.The Fall Of The House Of Horus 05:28

4.Sebeth 06:13

5.Queen Of The Mountain 05:39

6.The Saint 04:20


Members


Simone Pennucci - lead vocals and guitars;

Pietro La Tegola  - backing vocals, bass, synthesizers, and theremin

Johnny the Snake - drums


Review


Mondo Occvlto is the latest album from Psych Stoner Rockers Bird who are formed from the ashes and musical legacy of Italian cult rockers Whiskeycold Winter. This time round they explore their musical horizon to play a mixture of Psych, Prog, Doom, Stoner and Folk Rock which is lovingly wrapped up in Seventies Hard Rock aesthetics. On their latest record, the band play a riffier and free-flowing sound compared to their previous records. There’s some epic levels of amplifier distortion and screeching guitars played against an out of control THERMIN and SYNTHS combo for certain sections of the album.


For the most part Bird are quite happy playing closer to the classic style of SABBATHIAN heavy metal with brief trips in to Eighties Heavy Metal excess which allows Simone Pennucci on lead vocals to fully embrace that “WILD MAN OF ROCK” persona that he pulls of brilliantly on the album. Sure, it’s outlandish and way over the top but it works for the context of this album. 


Johnny The Snake on drums is a pure enigma at times. One moment he’s calm as hell and the next he’s playing like a madman which gives a whole unexpected frantic energy to the album. However, the real MVP has to be Pietro La Tegola who provides backing vocals, bass, synths and theremin. Though, together as a collective unit, Bird are brilliantly impressive which allows them to have an unpredictable quality to them on how they play their music. 


Mondo Occvlto is pure rock and roll theatre with Bird tapping into that classic style of Proto-Doom and Occult Metal on tracks such as Fright, The Fall Of The House Of Horus, Sebeth and Queen Of The Mountain. However, the album does have some real emotionally charged moments where the mood becomes quite reflective when Bird plays a cooler style of Classic Hard Rock with areas of modern day Psychedelic movements appearing.


Overall, Bird has delivered an album that’s quite different and eerily familiar at the same time. The record may take a few listens to get the multitude of different sounds and flavours that Bird has committed to record but it’s a journey worth taking over and over again. 


Excellent and Highly Recommended.


Words by Steve Howe


Links 


Facebook | BandCamp


Saturday, 7 March 2026

FANGUS - Emerald Dreams (Album Review)

Release Date: March 13th 2026. Record Label: From The Urn Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Emerald Dream - Tracklisting

I - Howling Hammer

II - Pyre Of Love

III - Psychoïd Telepath

IV - Quest For Fire

V - Emerald Dream

VI - Time Gambler

VII - Shapeshifter

VIII - Stardust Regulator


Members


Alex Bigras - Guitars

Snake St-Louis - Drums

Vick Trigger - Bass

Chub - Synths/Organ/Backing Vocals

Jim Laflamme - Lead Vocals/Tambourine


Review


FANGUS debut album Emerald Dream is an intoxicating mix of Psych, Acid Rock, Doom Rock, Proto-Metal, Occult Rock, Blues Rock and Stoner Rock. The album is quite wild and wickedly vivid with how FANGUS blend different genre conventions with an outlandish premise that pushes the boundaries of Heavy Psychedelic music.


The music is mostly sourced from the legendary sounds of the Sixties and Seventies scenes with the band never venturing into modern day themes. This makes the album quite a cool sounding and hip leaning slice of RETRO ROCK with a great attitude to match.


The record starts off spectacularly heavy and fast paced through the opening tracks of Howling Hammer, Pyre Of Love and Psychoïd Telepath which relies quite heavily on the extraordinary talents of Chub who provides an amazing array of Synths, Organs and sublime backing vocals along the way. His performance was what instantly drew me in at first though the rest of the band are amazing musicians as well with all them putting in first rate performances. Though, it took me a few listens to actually listen to each individual performance on certain sections of the album.


The lead vocals from Jim Laflamme feels like he was brought up on a steady diet of The Doors, Black Sabbath, Led Zepp, Alice Cooper, MC5 and The Who with his vocals having a slightly grizzled Classic Rock and Heavy Rock feel. The album does lean into early Seventies Proto-Doom metal records with a sudden outburst of Heavy Psych and Garage Rock making the album sound quite heavier and vindictive at times. The Occult Doom themes become the most interesting aspect on the later stages with FANGUS feel like they’re developing a soundtrack for a lost classic horror movie that’s being discovered for the very first time.


Everything is bloody OVER THE TOP and insanely dramatic but you can’t deny how beautifully melodic and insanely addictive the album is at the same time. The record moves to more demented areas of Occult Rock with some amazing FREAK-OUT instrumental passages courtesy of some wonderful guitars laid down by Alex Brigas. 


There’s also a slightly Ritual and Tribal aspect to Emerald Dreams that starts to break through on tracks such as Quest For Fire, Emerald Dreams, Shapeshifter and Stardust Regulator where the album does have a minor Space Rock aspect starting to form which allows the album to become ever more unpredictable.


The production values are outstanding which allows FANGUS to transport not only themselves but also the listener to another forbidden dimension told through the power of music.


Emerald Dreams doesn’t feel like a debut album. This feels like a greatest hits collection with FANGUS providing their best musical output for a new legion of followers to discover for the very first time in the present day. That’s the best way I can describe Emerald Dreams and I’m have no doubt that FANGUS will start to build quite a loyal cult following within the underground scene thanks to this superb album. 


Words by Steve Howe


Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.


Emerald Dreams  is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via From The Urn Records.


Links 


Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Saturday, 8 November 2025

Saint Omen - Mysteries Of Rebirth (Album Review)

Release Date: November 05th 2025. Record Label: The Cult Of Saint Omen. Formats: DD

Mysteries Of Rebirth - Tracklisting


1.Invocation Of Rebirth [Intro] 01:00

2.Hell Money 05:00

3.Devil Eyes 04:30

4.Bone Shakin' Mama 04:15

5.Those Who Harm 04:20

6.Smokeless Fire 05:34

7.Satan Man 03:00

8.Mysteries Of Rebirth 02:21

9.Undead 04:14

10.Levitation Communion 01:13


Member


Geroni J. Saint-Hilaire - Everything


Review


Occult/Doom/Stoner Rockers Saint Omen second album Mysteries Of Rebirth is a stripped back and gloomy affair that captures the seedier and sinister tone of the Occult Rock scene. There’s amplified FUZZ and the GLOOMY acid drenched amplified sounds feels like they’ve been ripped from the seediest streets of New York imaginable which is where the band are actually from. There is a sense of dread and hopefulness with Saint Omen feeling inspired by classic 70’s Horror Movies and particularly the soundtracks by the legendary GOBLIN and John Carpenter movies.


However, there’s an aggressive HIP and STONER based sound developing behind the scenes with Saint Omen paying homage to the likes of Electric Wizard, Uncle Acid and Black Sabbath but with their own street level sound. The record doesn’t play out the way you think with Saint Omen not afraid to merge different amplified elements of distorted melodies, twisted lyrics and surreal vocal arrangements which comes into life on the excellent tracks Hell Money and Devil Eyes. 


The music itself is dominated by slow-to-mid played passages with different types of musical instruments being thrown in for good measure with the sludgy guitars and creepy synths being my favourite part that’s all played to surreal perfection by the solo mastermind of Saint Omen - Geroni J. Saint-Hilaire. The music becomes slightly more over the top with Bone Shakin’ Mama that sees a Lou Reed / Iggy Pop influence coming through within the vocals and some classic Eighties HEAVY METAL guitar shredding with the edgy lyrics make this perhaps the most subversive and standout track on the album.


Saint Omen captures the “SHOCK ROCK” aspect of his music down to a fine art which sees the record become even more groove centric and the Occult Rock themes fully taking charge on the later parts of the record. The production values are great for the most part but there’s a few rough sounding moments but maybe that’s the point to capture a raw sounding and quite abrasive record on tracks such as Those Who Harm, Smokeless Fire and Undead.


Saint Omen injects a violent and dark energy into the Occult Rock/Metal sound which is quite daring in places especially when the music becomes slightly more theatrical but with that burst of Stoner Rock energy to keep everything grounded.


Mysteries Of Rebirth is a superbly observed slice of Occult Doom and Psychedelic Stoner Rock that has a batch of great songs to chill your bones with. The record only lasts for around thirty five minutes so it’s an action-packed record that allows Saint Omen to embrace the “CULT” lifestyle that the Doom/Stoner Metal underground scene desperately needs right now!!!


Words by Steve Howe


Links


Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | LinkTree


Saturday, 19 July 2025

Dee Calhoun - Angry Old Man (Album Review)

Release Date: July 18th 2025. Record Label: Black Doomba Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Angry Old Man - Tracklisting

1.A Last Cold Kiss 05:04 video

2.Angry Old Man 05:56

3.Voodoo Queen 05:04

4.A Piece From The Shoulder 05:44

5.Rise Up To March 04:15

6.Give Up The Ghost 04:20

7.VVitch (A Chant) 05:24

8.K*ll A M*ther F*cker 05:18

9.The Damned Human Race 08:27


Members


Dee Calhoun - Everything


Review


Dee Calhoun is back with his latest solo album Angry Old Man and for the uninitiated, Dee is considered a bit of a legend within the underground Doom Metal scene thanks to his stints with the legendary band IRON MAN and the excellent Spiral Grave. Dee Calhoun has been focusing upon his solo records for quite some time now blending Americana, Country, Doom, Blues, Stoner and Southern Rock but all told in a highly fashionable Acoustic Rock way.


Dee is also an acclaimed writer over the last few years and he’s got real talent and credibility with how he writes his lyrics that deal with some pretty dark themes even when they branch over into Horror and Fantasy though this record is mostly based on his own observations with the world.


Angry Old Man is quite an in-depth and highly involving record with Dee Calhoun once again used stripped back musical techniques to generate a gloomy and down-trodden atmosphere which some of the most well known figures of the underground scene have used for their own solo material such as WINO and Steve Von Till.


The AMERICANA and DOOMED OUT COUNTRY BLUES is a big aspect on how this album fully moves along at a cracking slow-to-mid pace. The whole record oozes gloomy atmosphere with Dee being quite political throughout but he does offer some superb wry and humorous sly commentary on certain parts of the album.


The music is quite abstract with ghostly sounds and twangy guitars reminding me of Johnny Cash at the best of times especially on tracks such as A Last Cold Kiss, Angry Old Man, Voodoo Queen, Rise Up To The March and K*ll A M*therF*cker. You can detect echoes of other vocalists that have perhaps shaped Dee’s musical knowledge but it’s his forthright confessional style that shows you what a damn fine storyteller Dee has ultimately become. 


Some parts of the album do become DOOM-FOLK obsessed in places but the solitary Americana and Roots based sound keeps things grounded. You can even detect a sense of MONSTER MAGNET gloomy rhymes in certain instrumental melodies that has a slight passing resemblance to the opening intro of SPACE LORD but that could be just me looking way too much into things.


The political message of Angry Old Man runs deep especially with today’s political climate and fucked up turmoil going on in the world and Dee Calhoun becomes more rebellious on the later stages of the record with Dee perhaps taking political cues from Neil Young is no bad thing at all. 


Angry Old Man is another forthright, bleak and outstanding release from Dee Calhoun who is perhaps in the best creative form of his life at the moment and that’s saying something especially with the career that Dee has lived through and ultimately achieved. 


Words by Steve Howe


Links


Facebook | BandCamp