Prophets Of Thwaites - Tharlab (Single Review)

Release Date: August 01st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Tharlab - Tracklisting

Tharlab

Members

Cosmo Wassenaar -- Drums

Ferry Vermeeren - Bass

Esma Larabi - Guitar & Vocals

Review

Tharlab is the latest single from Doom/Stoner Rockers Prophets Of Thwaites who have been building up a steady collection of haunting tracks since the start of 2025. With their intriguing mix of Doom, Stoner, Grunge, Post-Rock, Shoegaze and Psychedelic elements the band draw upon influences such as WINDHAND, HUM, YOB and FRAYLE. The music is quite slow-moving to begin with before exploring a LOUD WALL OF PSYCHEDELIC NOISE before the song is over. 

However, Prophets Of Thwaites offer moments of and multi-layered Post-Rock/Post-Metal harmonies which is centred around Esma Larabi’s haunting vocals and quietly pitched guitars. 

Cosmo Wassenaar on Drums and Ferry Vermeeren on Bass provide excellent and understated support with an intense backline where they provide a muscular and aggressive presence when the heavy Gloomy FUZZ instances of ATMOSPHERIC DOOM appear. The song taps into the epic form of storytelling with this track lasting over eight minutes with moments of sullen Blues Rock with jazzy interludes of quiet momentum which allows Esma’s vocals to fully shine through.

Tharlab is quite a clever and superbly constructed track with Prophets Of Thwaites masterfully combining the “LIGHT vs DARK” moments of Doomgaze and Stoner Metal with destructive melodies leading the way before everything is said and done.

Prophets Of Thwaites are perhaps playing the long game in releasing their debut release but they do sure have the talent to make themselves known within the underground scene. Check this out when you can as you’ll be surprised at what you’ll hear with the great tracks that Prophets Of Thwaites have released so far.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

INSOMNIAC - Om Moksha Ritam (Album Review)

Release Date: September 05th 2025. Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Om Moksha Ritam - Tracklisting

1. Meditation

2. Mountain

3. Snow and Ice

4. Forest

5. Sea

6. Desert

7. Awakening

Members

Alex Avedissian - Guitar

Van Bassman - Vocals

Juan Garcia - Bass

Mike Morris - Guitar, Vocals

Amos Rifkin - Percussion, Vocals

Review

Om Moksha Ritam is the debut album from Post-Doom/Psych/Ambient/Stoner Metal Collective INSOMNIAC who are made up of members of Zoroaster, Deceased and Avedissian Pickups. The record lies heavily into the actual band name with INSOMNIAC or lack of sleeping being the main creative theme for the album or from the actual words of the band themselves:

“You’ve got it all wrong. The Insomniac isn’t unable to sleep, the Insomniac chooses to evade sleep. We all fall down at some point, but between the waking world and our dreams exists the surreal." 

This record is a journey into the meditative or transcendental side of Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal with flashes of Americana, Shoegaze, Sludge and Prog Rock with INSOMNIAC blazing a creative path of their own making. 

Take the opening song of Meditation where the band feel like their channelling the likes of LOU REED, KING BUFFALO, PELICAN, KYUSS and YAWNING MAN with a backdrop of scorched Desert Rock sounds that has gone through a NUCLEAR DESTRUCTIVE makeover with sludgy guitars keeping the grounded reality from escaping the musical masses. The vocals from Van Bassman are simply trippy with a Prophet like quality to them telling folks about the end of the world whilst keeping with a pure Psych Stoner Rock energy.

Second song Mountain sees INSOMNIAC awaken slightly for a heavier an straight forward style of Doom/Stoner Rock which has a slight KYUSS / FU MANCHU drive appearing before the riff-centric energy of early-era QOTSA before the murky Post-Doom heaviness of the excellent guitars from Alex Avedissian and Mike Morris keep the mood slightly aggressive but supremely melodic.

The surroundings of Post-Post and Meditative Metal soon appear with intense melodic guitars and stunning work from INSOMNIAC’s epic rhythm section of Amos Rifkin (Drums) and Juan Garcia (Bass) sees the record move into modern day Prog Sludge territory. The whole song becomes quite thrilling and therapeutic within the final stages reminding of ZOROASTER, BARONESS and MASTODON in equal measure but it’s INSOMNIAC’s willingness to keep themselves within the Psychedelic realms that makes this song a breath of fresh air.

Third track Snow And Ice is a lengthy ten minute opus with INSOMNIAC drawing upon Post-Rock themes, ideas and ice-cold melodies for a song that has a chameleon like effect with the Post-Punk and Gothic Rock tendencies that may take some listeners time to fully get used to.

However, the great use of Psychedelic loops and gloomy feedback loops allows the band to create a haunting and challenging slice of gloomy Americana and Post-Doom heaviness. The vocals are quite unique with a SHAMANIC sound emitting from the speakers. Everything becomes a soothing journey of complex melodies and surreal instrumental and dreamlike soundscapes building up for one intense journey into the unknown.

Fourth song Forest is an Alternative/Shoegaze number with the band changing musical direction yet again but it’s quite a soulful and gloomy offbeat number with the dark undercurrent of the lyrics putting this album into more of the theatre of Sludge Metal. Heavy screeching guitars allows INSOMNIAC to generate some of the most heaviest and aggressive sounds on the album right here. The vocals are sung and placed at the right pitch with them being one of the highlights of the whole record.

The final section of the record allows INSOMNIAC to push back the creative envelope and reinvent themselves once again with a resonating THE VELVET UNDERGROUND influence appearing within tracks Sea, Desert and Awakening whilst exploring heavier musical boundaries with long drawn out instrumental passages and reflective lyrics having quite a profound positive impact.

Well, personally speaking for me especially on Sea and Awakening. I found this style of music beautifully therapeutic and even quite rebellious which is a hard thing to pull for a band’s debut album but INSOMNIAC pull this off with great vision and awareness that makes Om Moksha Ritam one of the most breathtaking and brilliantly surreal pieces of music I’ve heard in a very long time.

Om Moksha Ritam is a record you don’t come across that often and INSOMNIAC deserve credit for delivering a highly unusual but superbly original record to the underground masses.

This record is a loving and fitting tribute to Mike Morris (Guitar/Vocals) who sadly passed away earlier this year. Condolences to Mike's family and friends at this sad time.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Om Moksha Ritam is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Blues Funeral Recordings.

INSOMNIAC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Carrion Sky - As Our Hearts Devour Us (Album Review)

Release Date: August 01st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

As Our Hearts Devour Us - Tracklisting

1.The distance within 08:22

2.I seek protectrion 07:05

3.Watch me drown 08:37

4.Dredge the wound 09:48

5.Lost among ourselves 08:37

Members

Marcin Skarzyński - Bass/Synth/Vox

Paweł Zmarlak - Drums/Synth

Dave Killoran - Guitars

Review

As Our Hearts Devour Us is the debut full length album Carrion Sky which is a musical project featuring ex-members from MAJOR KONG and BLACK TUNDRA. This project is dominated by a harsh Post-Metal landscape with Progressive, Ambient and Drone landscapes holding everything together. Carrion Sky rely quite heavily on dramatic synths which gives the record quite an eerie feeling when the band aren’t playing destructive Post-Metal grooves. 

The record is quite soulful with Carrion Sky inspired by the likes Of Pelican, NEUROSIS, ISIS and SUMAC but with a resonating Shoegaze and Alt Metal energy that also has a Cinematic feeling especially on the excellent second track of I Seek Protection Though, the opening track The Distance Within feels like it’s from a different band with Carrion Sky playing a brutal tour-de-force style of Atmospheric Sludge Metal fuelled by destructive harsh vocals from Marcin Skarzyński that brings a nightmarish approach to this part of the album.

Though, for the most part Carrion Sky pushes their way through an avalanche of different Post-Metal themes and haunting Ambient Drone melodies becoming the main way for the band to dictate their music to. The record is dramatically bleak and opaque with the sullen instrumental passages having a gloomy Experimental quality to them with twinges of Industrial Metal and Electronica emerging. 

Third song Watch Me Drown returns to the Post-Metal vortex of the opening track with Carrion Sky injecting moments of long drawn out Post-Doom and Drone Metal effects. There’s a level of despair being played within the music here which has echoes of Neurosis and Cult Of Luna at times. The sound does become Post-Black Metal at times but it’s a thrilling experience to actually listen to.

Carrion Sky continues to experiment with the themes of Ambient Metal, Drone and Post-Metal for the final two tracks Dredge The Wound and Lost Among Ourselves with a deeply fascinating experimental vibe being displayed throughout both tracks. The vocals are intense yet again but it’s the epic music of Marcin, Pawel and Dave that impresses the most. The guys have really done their homework here by studying the complexities and history of the Post-Metal scene to deliver a record that showcases the best parts of the entire scene and still leave room to put their own highly authoritative stamp along the way.

As Our Hearts Devour Us is a stunning record with Carrion Sky showcasing a more primal and brutal sound to emerge from the highly influential Polish underground scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

SageNESS - Inner Empires (Album Review)

Release Date: August 01st 2025. Record Label: Vista Lagarto Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Inner Empires - Tracklisting

1.Lokomotive 09:32

2.Olimpo 10:12

3.Hazy Dawn 06:39

4.Espejismo 06:32

5.Solve et Coagula 08:45

Members

David: Guitar.

Aitor : Bass.

Fran : Drums

Review

Inner Empires is the fourth full length album from Instrumental Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers SageNESS who continue with their JAM based approach exploring different sonic and cosmic based territories which they’ve been perfecting way back with their acclaimed debut album back in 2017. SageNESS offer a more daring, heavier and gloomier sound with the band tou

ching upon areas of Sludge Rock and Post-Metal on this record. 

SageNESS overall sound is way more daring and experimental that I originally anticipated compared to their previous records with the band drawing upon similar soundscapes used by the likes of PELICAN, RUSSIAN CIRCLES and MONO but keeping within their own dramatic style of creative sense. The music has quite an epic approach with SageNESS using different kinds of Psychedelic loops and freakish COSMIC sounds which builds upto exciting levels of heaviness throughout though you’re given a crash course right away within the superb opening track Lokomotive.

The record draws mostly upon its Space Rock and Progressive Rock themes to outline an excellent creative narrative which has some subdued PINK FLOYD melodies on the more reflective parts of the album which appear on tracks such as Olimpo, Hazy Dawn and Solve et Coagula. The level of musicianship being performed here by David (Guitar), Aitor (Bass) and Fran (Drums) is nothing short of brilliance with SageNESS playing a highly proficient and technical style of Instrumental Rock/Metal that can only be described as “INCREDIBLE” on the more challenging parts of the record.

I admire how SageNESS keeps everything grounded despite the fantastical and science fiction based journey the record takes the listener upon. There’s also the excellent use of Drone, Space Rock, Ambient sounds, feedback loops and Amplifier Distorted passages that appear constantly but only at a minimal level which builds into something more daring on the heavier instrumental soundscapes.

Inner Empires is a superbly constructed record boosted by stunning production values, complex musical melodies and a fully realised storyline that will instantly captivate anyone who listens to this record. The record feels like a grand musical adventure into the far reaches of Space Rock were the listener can easily lose themselves in with the SageNESS being your constant companion into a greater world of neverending musical possibilities.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sageness for the promo.

Inner Empires is available to buy now on CD, Digital Download and Vinyl from Vista Lagarto Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Post-Rock/Post-Metal Collective ELBE Sign with Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records. New Single and Video "Never Again" Out Now!

We are excited to announce that the Czech post-metal band ELBE has officially joined the Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records roster.

Blending elements of post-metal, post-rock, doomgaze and atmospheric intensity, ELBE has built a distinctive and evolving sound. Originally founded as an instrumental project by guitarists Standa Jelinek (Dying Passion) and Martin “Spacosh” Perina (Between the Planets, Martians), the band has since grown into a complete lineup featuring drummer Jan Kylar, bassist Jan Stinka (both also of Dying Passion), and most recently, new vocalist Pavel Hrncir (Silent Stream of Godless Elegy).

To celebrate this new chapter, ELBE has just released a powerful new single and music video titled "Never Again", now available to watch below:

Following their critically praised albums Sudety and Eschatology, which brought them to major festivals such as Brutal Assault and MetalGate Czech Death Fest, and to the stage with bands like The Moth Gatherer and The Chasing Monster, ELBE are now ready to unveil their next evolution.

Their upcoming album, titled "Peculiar", is completed and set for release in early Autumn 2025. More details will be shared soon.

We warmly welcome ELBE to our growing community of passionate and visionary artists.

https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords
https://elbeband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/elbeband/
https://www.instagram.com/elbe_band/

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

THE LAST SOUND REVELATION Sign to Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records; New Single “Large Distances” Out Now

Instrumental Post Metal band The Last Sound Revelation from Rome has officially signed with Octopus Rising, the (un)parallel imprint of Argonauta Records. To celebrate this new chapter, the band has released their new single “Large Distances”, now available on all digital platforms: https://song.link/thelastsoundrevelation

Blending hard rock, progressive metal, blues rock and post-rock, the band delivers intense, emotional instrumental music that draws influences from Pelican, Russian Circles and God Is an Astronaut. Formed in 2005 by bassist Niccolò Sbernadori and guitarist Francesco Salvitti, the lineup now includes drummer Tiziano De Sante and guitarist Valerio “JPeck” Pecoriello, a graduate of Saint Louis College of Music in Rome.

After years of live shows and the release of two records, Far Away…The End and Hidden Voices, the band is now preparing to release their most ambitious album yet, The Proximity Effect, recorded with producer Fabio “Reeks” Recchia at HombreLobo Studios.

Known for their immersive sound and unique visual identity, The Last Sound Revelation explores music as an emotional and symbolic language, aiming to create a deep, transformative listening experience.

Listen to “Large Distances” now and stay tuned for The Proximity Effect.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/TLSRband
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Stone From The Sky - Bakeneko (Album Review)

Release Date: May 30th 2025. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Bakeneko - Tracklisting

1.The Weight Of A Thousand Thoughts 

2.Hic Sunt Dracones 

3.Hungerstein

4.Rond De Sorcière 

5.Foehn

6.Klania

7.Last Breath Before The End

Members

Florent Sicard: Guitars

Dimitri Even: Bass

Clément Laguarrigue: Drums

Review

Bakeneko is the latest offering from Psych/Post-Rock Instrumentalists Stone From The Sky and it’s a deeper, heavier and quite alternative sound compared to their previous records. Leaning further into the Post-Metal stratosphere, the band can give PELICAN and RUSSIAN CIRCLES a run for their money with their blend of Cinematic Post-Rock that soon transforms into a heavier and progressive style of music. Stone From The Sky keeps things grounded with their sense of Stoner Rock optimism which is kept firmly on the melodic side.

According to Wikipedia - Bakeneko is a type of Japanese yōkai, or supernatural entity; more specifically, it is a kaibyō, or supernatural cat. The excellent album cover showcases this fact with vivid psychedelic imagery which matches the music Stone From The Sky conjures up on this release. There’s haunting ambient melodies and progressive sounds merging for a curious and investigative style of music that appears throughout the record which is set up superbly well on the opening tracks of The Weight Of A Thousand Thoughts and Hic Sunt Dracones. 

Both tracks combine a wealth of different Post-Rock and Post-Metal soundscapes with a heavy amount of sludgy guitars adds a screeching level of violence in places which maybe quite surprising to hear from Stone From The Sky’s established fan base. The intricate spaced out themes and minimal sounds is quite distracting at first but allows Bakeneko to have a world-building quality contained within the overall creative themes the band have written for this record.

Other tracks on the album such as Hungerstein, Rond De Sorcière and Foehn explore a more mystical and mythical style of music which elevates the whole record into Post-Doom and Post-Stoner territory. The music is constantly evolving with epic strokes of Cinematic Rock being added which could easily see Bakeneko be easily compared to the recent Oscar winning (and soon to be classic) animated movie “FLOW”. Both projects are set in different mediums, however both subjects of each project are influenced by “CATS”. Maybe, I’m going off track here but both projects offer a wonderful sense of fantastical story that’s firmly grounded in the real world.

Stone From The Sky can be wholly destructive with their Post-Rock environment when they fully switch over to the dark side of “Post-Metal”. There are high amounts of uplifting Post-Rock and Post-Stoner attitude building behind the scenes with waves of Ethereal sounds allowing this to be quite a thought-provoking album at times.

The final two tracks of Klania and Last Breath Before The End allow Stone From The Sky to cover ground and play epic instrumental passages we’ve heard on their previous records but with the Progressive and Post-Metal attitude they’ve forged on Bakeneko. Nothing is as it seems with Stone From The Sky for Bakeneko as they take multiple daring risks with their music that pays off handsomely which allows Bakeneko to be their most mature, standout and breathtaking record to date.

Yeah, I adore this record and with exquisite production values throughout, Bakeneko is an unmissable record. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Vous Connaissez ? PR for the promo.

Bakeneko is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Drifter - Grigori (Album Review)

Release Date: May 23rd 2025. Record Label: Thoughtcrime Records. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD

Grigori - Tracklisting

1.[INTERVAL> Grigori] 02:13

2.Catalyst Tongues 08:43

3.The Tide 07:34

4.Hunger and Haunt 05:05

5.[INTERVAL> Abrezta] 01:46

6.Dead Sea Teeth 08:05

7.The Silence That Follows 07:54

8.The Flood 09:16

9.[INTERVAL> Carenta] 02:46

Members

Brodie Belt - Guitars, Pedalboard, Aux Percussion

Joel Denton - Drums, Percussion

Dean Edington - Bass, Vocals, Junk Rig, Electric Cello

Review

Grigori is the debut full length album from Progressive Sludge/Doom/Post-Metal collective Drifter which takes the best elements of the underground scene where the band superbly craft in their own image which oozes style, melody, dynamics and supreme heaviness throughout. The record starts off slowly with moments of intricate Post-Rock, Noise, Psych and Ambient sounds that undergo a slightly Post-Metal transformation within the opening tracks of [INTERVAL> Grigori] and Catalyst Tongues. 

Drifter takes similar themes and messages from bands such as Mastodon, ISIS, Neurosis, Shrinebuilder, Pelican and Russian Circles whilst still being completely different at the same time. It’s hard to explain until you hear the full album with Drifter performing uplifting and soulful Post-Metal melodies in places but they offset this balance with disturbing and sometimes nihilistic lyrics which comes through Dean Edington’s commanding vocals.

The added use of Post-Rock / Post-Metal interludes that slow the mood and melody right down sees haunting soundclips being added which adds another apocalyptic theme to the mix. Drifter directly taps into the bleak subconsciousness of Progressive Sludge Metal that NEUROSIS created the entire Post-Metal scene with back in the 1990’s with albums such as Through Silver In Blood. 

Drifter add levels of twisted psychedelics which cause a sense of gloomy paranoia which becomes quite aggressive when a distorted level of Post-Doom optics appear. The sudden arrival of tribal sound effects within the outstanding third track The Tide pushes Grigori into a forgotten cinematic style of Post-Metal which reminded me of TOOL and ISIS with its slow-paced and foreboding melodies.

The lyrics once again are quite subversive especially with its “NO HOLDS BARRED” approach with the music forming a destructive Atmospherics Sludge landscape for DRIFTER to unleash HELL ON EARTH with. The music is once again aggressive but with a certain level of Psychedelic melodies giving the record a sense of divine purpose once everything is said and done.

The aquatic themes and destructive way of the whole planet's ecosystem sounds become more apparent as the record moves through sublime tracks such as Hunger And Haunt, Dead Sea Truth, The Silence That Follows and The Flood. Drifter showcase a wide array of haunting complex Post-Rock / Post–Metal rhythms which fully transforms into a heavier, thicker and brutal style of Atmospheric Sludge where the “thuggish” grooves allows Grigori to be quite technically brilliant and forward thinking at the same time.

Drifter have a formidable reputation within their hometown of Lawrence, Kansas where they have performed with Godflesh, Pallbearer, Glassing, John Garcia of Kyuss. Grigori could easily see the band gain wider and prominent recognition within the Heavy Metal scene as this album is an absolute MONSTER that reaches an epic and action packed conclusion with the final moments leaving the listener fully satisfied on all levels possible.

Grigori is a record you need to fully experience right now as this could be a game-changer for the band and has the makings of a future classic in the making.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram