Risin Sabotage - Revived (Single Review)

Release Date: May 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Revived - Tracklisting

Revived

Review

Revived is the latest single from Ukrainian Psych Stoner Rockers Risin Sabotage which was meant to be included on their excellent 2017 full length album The Planet Dies. The track has remained unreleased since then but the guys have decided to release int 2026 and it couldn’t fit more perfectly within the Post-Stoner Rock landscape dominated by the likes of ELDER, WEEDPECKER, HOWLING GIANT and KING BUFFALO. Risin Sabotage adds a gloomy Post-Doom sound  to the track with subtle flashes of Grunge and Fuzz before the track moves fully into the Doom Metal stratosphere.

The song is heavily reliant on a distorted and slightly amplified presence that adds a cautionary sound which could even shine a light within the horrible situation going on in the Ukraine. As this song has a haunting socially aware message showing within the lyrics and the emotionally charged vocals add a powerful and cautionary tone to the whole track.

Risin Sabotage have been one of Ukraine's leading Psych/Stoner Rock bands for over the past decade and they’ve demonstrated their true worth to the actual underground scene by powering through troubling times and still releasing great music such as this. This maybe an unreleased track but this has a timeless feel and musical aura that leaves you wanting to hear more. The subtle flashes of Space Rock sounds and Classic Hard Rock grooves that appear at the end adds another layer of quality to the whole experience.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Sealess - Aura (Album Review)

Release Date: May 28th 2026. Record Label: Electric Witch Mountain Recordings. Formats: DD

Aura - Tracklisting

1.Days of Gone 

2.When the Water Breaks

3.The Last Breath of Winter Glow

4.Interiors

5.In Mortality

6.The Road is Promising 

7.Endless Clouds

Members

Kamil Ziółkowski - Everything

Guests:

Johan Bernhardtson (Maha Sohona) vocals and ending guitar solo in "Days of Gone"

Sandra Rutka: vocals in "The Last Breath of Winter Glow"

Review

Sealess is the latest musical project from Kamil Ziółkowski member of the mighty Spaceslug. Kamil already has a few other projects currently going with Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery and O.D.R.A within his impressive roster of creative outputs. Sealess is more closely linked to his Mountain Of Misery output with this project being influenced by the likes of The Cure, OM, HUM, Yawning Man and Russian Circles though that’s not say there’s some deep cosmic Sludge and Stoner based melodies lurking on this record.

Aura is an intriguing mix of different Psychedelic melodies with THE CURE being the dominant influence with an almost Eighties Alt Rock dynamic being used within the first half of the album. This is offset by areas of Ambient Rock, Electronica, Indie Rock and Space Rock sounds which can be described as musical therapy with that subtle “CHILL OUT” melody being put to great use on the superb opening track of Days Of Gone. This does have some epic movements that remind me of HUM in their most reflective and peaceful moments with The Cure effective way of storytelling pushing the song to its natural conclusion. Kamil is helped on this track by Johan Bernhardtson (Maha Sohona) who provides vocals and the ending guitar solo.

Second song When The Water Breaks shows that Kamil has a deep love and affection for the Eighties Electronic and Indie Rock scene with a stylish New Order and The Cure electronic sound pushing the song into surreal dreamlike musical soundscapes. The whole atmosphere is best described as “POST CHILLOUT” music for the Stoner Rock generation with a song that reminds me of the classic The Cure song “BURN” in many ways. You can still feel the “SPACESLUG” creative energy buried within the DNA of the whole SEALESS project. The record itself is quite grounded with Kamil using the “aquatic” themes to full effect. The instrumental sounds are deeply engaging and beautifully emotional.

If you ever wondered how The Cure would sound like if they moved into the Desert Rock / Post Rock movement then Sealess is the perfect answer to that question with Kamil creating haunting musical passages that can be described as “PURE CINEMA” especially when the soundtrack themes of the superb third track The Last Breath Of Winter Glow.

This track can be quite claustrophobic and solitary at times but the hidden depth of Post-Stoner, Alt-Rock and Doomed Out structures make this my favourite track on the whole album. This is one of the best musical tracks I’ve heard from Kamil outside of the SPACESLUG environment and he’s superbly helped by the excellent vocals from Sandra Rutka that adds a brilliant style of Eighties Alt Rock attitude into the mix.

The next two tracks on the album Interiors and In Morality feel like they could easily be part of the Mountains of Misery project. These tracks contain similar themes and motifs but with Kamil adding that emotionally charged style of Eighties Alt Rock soundscapes and intricate sludgy musical solos along the way.

There’s a small commercial “ROCK / POP”  aspect that shows from time to time which was all the range back in the Eighties. However, that takes nothing away from Aura as Sealess becomes more Post-Rock and Space Rock obsessive in the best possible way. There’s also a sense of Post-Doom delivery appearing within the lyrics and how Kamil delivers some of the vocals for the remainder of the album.

The final two tracks The Road Is Promising and Endless Clouds become part of a heavier progressive journey whilst keeping quite closely with the core creative sounds first heard within the first half of the record. Ambient grooves transform into heavier strands of Psych, Post-Rock and Alt Rock which ends the album on a highly satisfactory and emotionally charged conclusion.

Aura is another great record from Kamil and I so want to hear more from this outstanding project known as SEALESS in the very near future. That maybe some time though, as after speaking to Kamil recently, he’s busy with other things and he’s earned that right to take time with whatever musical project he releases next. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to SEALESS for the promo..

Aura  is available to buy now on Digital Download via Electric Witch Mountain Recordings.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp

Bending Light - Bending Light (Album Review)

Release Date: May 10th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Bending Light - Tracklisting

1.Split Infinity 03:58

2.Strangeland 05:24

3.Kill Joy 04:54

4.The Spaniard 01:26

5.Faded 06:09

6.Salo 06:00

7.Distant Past 03:46

8.Euphrates 06:35

Members

Drums: Jeffrey Ruoss

Bass: Damon Deluca

Vocals / Guitar: Ethan Parr

Guitar: Patrick Hogg

Keys: Jonathon (Coop) Cooper

Review

Bending Light’s debut album is an interesting record with the band feeling like they belong to the same Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal realm as such bands as ELDER, King Buffalo, Howling Giant and Weedpecker. However, Bending Light added a different mix to that equation with the band adding areas of Occult Rock and Doom Metal imagery into their music. There’s a provocative sound that emerges that sees a later of Prog Rock appearing to give Bending Light a soulful style of Seventies Hard Rock that’s merged fully within the modern day surroundings of their main Stoner Metal narrative they create on the whole album.

The record is beautifully insightful and wonderfully melodic with great levels of Post-Stoner passages with some upbeat Post-Rock, Space Rock and Ambient sounds that often play tricks with the listeners imagination on tracks such as Split Infinity, Strangeland and Kill Joy. Bending Light fuses Alt Rock and Grunge sensibilities that gives another aura of superb creativity to their music. The lyrics are quite insightful and the excellent vocals from Ethan Parr are quite sweet-natured and warm-hearted which fully sells that Heavy Psychedelic element that the band fully become part of before the record reaches its natural conclusion. 

Production values are expertly delivered that allows Bending Light to have a commanding presence throughout the album which allows them to move quite convincingly through the whole Doom/Stoner Metal spectrum with an epic sideline of MASSIVE GROOVES dictating the whole action. There is a subtle Sludge Rock atmosphere that develops on tracks such as Kill Joy, Faded, Salo and Euphrates with Bending Light perhaps leaning into the more commercial aspects of Stadium Rock which is one of the main strengths of the album.

I also love the wonderful interplay of the keyboards that Jonathon (Coop) Cooper brings to the band as it’s quite gloomy, eerie and superbly optimistic at times though everyone puts in a first rate musical performance on the album. The music is EPIC and downright CINEMATIC in places especially on the later stages of the record. There is some clever sonic manipulation and distortion at play which fully sells the Occult Rock and Doom Metal aspect of this album 

Bending Light's debut album is an excellent and brilliantly observed record that demands your full attention. This is the type of album that could easily allow Bending Light to aim high for bigger and better things. They have the songs and creative vision to back up their undeniable talent which should see them go a long way within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

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Tusoc - Monolito (Album Review)

Release Date: April 15th 2026. Record Label: Self Released.. Formats: DD

Monolito - Tracklisting

1.Monolito 05:23

2.Alud 05:41

3.Peregrino I. Olvido 03:08

4.Peregrino II. Lamento 02:53

5.Peregrino III. Redencion 03:53

6.(Interludio) 01:28

7.Tu ley 05:25

8.Rebenque 06:32

9.Volver 06:49

10.(Coda) 00:45

Members

Fabián Lugones: Bass

Guillermo Lambrisca: Guitar

Alberto Lugones: Drums

Fernando Morelli: Vocals

Review

Argentinian Post-Rock/Post-Stoner Rock collective Tusoc return with their new album Monolito which further expands their own Stoner Rock ideas compared to their 2023 album Éter. The sound is quite Sludge Rock orientated with Tusoc exploring a thrilling Alt Rock identity with a thunderous rhythm section (Fabián Lugones: Bass and Alberto Lugones: Drums) providing some intense Spaced Out dimensions very early on within the stunning tracks of Alud and the blistering three part epic of Peregrino I. Olvido, Peregrino II. Lamento and Peregrino III. Redencion.

These tracks alone allow Tusoc to align themselves closely to the likes of ELDER and WEEDPECKER with that South American flair being quite jazzy and progressively aware throughout. The excellent vocals from Fernando Morelli feels like they are opening the gateway to another dimension with haunting Post-Rock themes being played within the background. 

Guillermo Lambrisca on guitars creates some stellar Post-Stoner and Post-Doom melodies which remind me of Yawning Man in places especially within the quieter, sombre and most reflective parts of the album. Monolito does become more Prog Rock obsessed with how the vocals and instrumental passages slowly build up. However, Tusoc always conjures up some outstanding Space Rock and free flowing Desert Rock interludes which transports the listener into some unknown far out musical vortex.

Some sections of the album do transform into areas of Grunge, Hard Rock and Alt Rock which Tusoc fully embraces on other tracks such as: Tu ley, Rebenque and Volver. The vocals are in Spanish and I can’t comment on that aspect but that shouldn’t stop you enjoying this great album with Tusoc exploring many different musical avenues you least expect. Monolito isn’t afraid to embrace a heavier Stoner Metal sound towards the end but Tusoc always knows when to bring the mood right back and let the Ambient, Post-Rock and Desert Rock themes do the talking. 

Monolito is an absolute gem to be released from the South American Psych/Stoner Rock scene which shows you a different side you might not experience from the mainstream Stoner Rock/Metal scene. The album can be quite low-key but when Tusoc are firing on all cylinders they truly deliver some outstanding aggressive Stoner Rock/Metal sounds of their own making.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

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Kaleikia - Makali (Album Review)

Release Date: December 25th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Makali - Tracklisting

1.Foxos 02:27

2.Ons 04:58

3.Makali 07:23

4.Klopeiner See 02:46

5.Es Vedrá 06:34

6.Zagreb 06:02

7.Toyama 07:41

Members

Pilar Fdez Yuste: Piano & Celtic Arp.

Manuel Kölmel Rodríguez: Drums.

Pablo Senra: Bass.

Manu Méndez: Guitars.

Review

Experimental Rock collective Kaleikia releases their latest record Makali and it’s a stunning fusion of Post-Rock, Psych, Stoner, Prog and Alt Rock that’s played through the creative lens of Instrumental Rock. The sound is quite operatic and superbly haunting with Kaleikia’s delicate use of orchestral instruments and songwriting dynamic which comes through superbly well within the excellent opening track Foxos. This track gives you a brief glimpse on what to expect throughout the album.

Kaleikia do perhaps operate with a Post-Rock/Jazz Rock perspective for the main part of this record but there’s some wicked Post-Stoner melodies bursting out of the seams that gives Makali its HEAVY creative heartbeat. The sound can be quite STOP/START in places but there’s some deep philosophical movements going within the record and that’s told primarily through the excellent instrumental work by Pilar Fdez Yuste who plays Piano and Celtic Harp. This allows the freedom for other members of the bandManuel Kölmel Rodríguez (Drums), Pablo Senra (Bass) and Manu Méndez (Guitars) to focus on the heavier Stoner Rock melodies that do pack quite the meaningful PUNCH that allows the music to drift over into heavier waters such as Doom and Shoegaze.

Makali can be quite thoughtful and melancholic with its reliance on classical music and ethereal strands of Post-Rock appearing on tracks such as Makali, Es Vedrá, Zagreb and Toyama being some of the most original and heaviest compositions written for the whole album. Kaleikia plays an almost free-form and cinematic style of Post-Stoner Rock which is quite grounded and original at the same time.

The album dares you to let yourself go and just enjoy the beautiful music that Kaleikia has written here. The band takes influences from a wide range of different musical artists which will ultimately surprise you. There’s a lot of haunting musical landscapes and ambient soundscapes that delve into emotionally troubled waters that always ends up in a more hopeful and uplifting place before everything is said and done.

Makali is a deeply engaging record and one that offers a more subversive style of Instrumental Rock you may be currently used to. However, give this record a try and this is a superb listen from start to finish that’s filled with highly original instrumental passages that demand your full attention.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

BandCamp | Instagram

Old Heathens - Celestial Decay (EP Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Celestial Decay - Tracklisting

1.Kepler 186F 05:56

2.Broken Bones 08:34

3.Epitaphs Carved in Light 01:56

4.The Stream 07:17

5.Buried Deep 07:59

Members

Seed - Drums

Gibbo- Bass and backing vocals

Paul - Guitar

Ben - Guitar, Synths and Vocals

 

Review

Celestial Decay is the debut EP from Aussie Doom/Stoner Metallers Old Heathens that brings old-school Doom Metal energy and merges it with that sublime modern day Psychedelic Stoner Metal attitude. This is the best of both worlds that allows Old Heathens to feel inspired by the likes of KYUSS, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Baroness, ELDER and King Buffalo. The use of different sounding Post-Stoner melodies can be quite dramatic in places but offers a thrilling style of Seventies Proto-Metal surroundings which can be quite COSMIC inducing especially within the outstanding opening track Kepler 186F.

That track is named after Kepler-186f is an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Kepler-186 that was discovered in 2014. This is good to see Old Heathens merge Science Fact and Science Fiction into a highly aggressive style of music that sees some MASTODON and BEASTWARS based melodies throughout the EP which comes into focus on the excellent second track of Broken Bones.

Old Heathens start to weave tales of Science Fiction and fantasy with a classic style of Stoner Metal with small outbursts of Prog Sludge Metal with sublime Post-Doom sounds that fans of King Buffalo and Howling Giant will truly appreciate. The vocals from Ben are superbly delivered with an intense clean performance at the best of times which impress the most on Kepler 186F, Broken Bones and The Stream. 

The final two tracks of Broken Bones and The Stream allows Old Heathens to embrace their Post-Doom, Proto-Metal and Psychedelic Stoner Metal roots but also delves into areas of Stadium Rock melodies which are superbly original in places. Production values are superb with Old Heathens demonstrating a keen ear for epic instrumental passages and the odd foray into Eighties HEAVY METAL GUITAR SHREDDING along the way. 

When everything is said and done, Old Heathens have released a superbly entertaining and pulsating debut EP where I could easily see these guys be signed by the likes of Ripple Music, Majestic Mountain Records and Magnetic Eye Records if they keep making great records such as in the future. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

LinkTree | BandCamp

GENTLE BEAST - Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...From Outer Space) (Album Review)

Release Date: March 07th 2025. Record Label: SixteenTimes Music. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...From Outer Space) - Track Listing:

1.Planet Drifter 

2.Voodoo Hoodoo Space Machine

3.Mammoth Roams

4.Witch of the Mountain

5.Lodestone

6.Endless

7.Riding Waves of Karma 

8.Revenge of the Buffalo 

9.The Last Smoke

Members

Timo Dinter - Vocals

Manuel Ciofalo - Guitar

Janek Huschke - Guitar

Tobias Rickli - Bass

Alexander Streit - Drums

Review

Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...From Outer Space) is the new album from Swiss Psych/Stoner Rockers GENTLE BEAST who conjure up a mighty COSMIC GROOVE with this record. Inspired by the likes of FU MANCHU, Truckfighters, Monster Magnet and KYUSS, the band standout with their own sound that is powered with raw Garage Rock intensity which appears within lead vocalist Timo Dinter’s sublime vocals. 

The sound is quite raw and highly unapologetic with a heavy FUZZ ROCK sound that sees GENTLE BEAST more concerned with AMPLIFIER and DESERT ROCK heaviness which is seen throughout the excellent batch of opening tracks of Planet Drifter, Voodoo Hoodoo Space Machine and Mammoth Roams. 

There’s an element of Post-Stoner, Psych Rock and Post-Doom trippy sounds and vocal imagery which is quite familiar to fans of HOWLING GIANT and KING BUFFALO. The album is expertly fantastical where you can tell by the names of the songs and the album itself. That’s one of the albums main strengths with GENTLE BEAST aiming high for FANTASY THEMES but still offering a highly realistic Stoner Rock/Metal sound.

GENTLE BEAST are at their best when they weave melodic Post-Doom sounds and subtle Prog Rock changes to create an uplifting style of monolithic grooves which have a deft Post-Rock vibe to them. Tracks such as Witch Of The Mountain, Lodestone and Endless continues with the musical backdrop of Stoner Rock, Doom, Prog and Space Rock interludes with nonstop and flawless instrumental passages courtesy of Manuel Ciofalo (Guitar), Janek Huschke (Guitar), Tobias Rickli (Bass) and Alexander Streit (Drums) bringing a sense of Psychedelic wonder to the album.

Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...from outer space) is spectacular and thrilling entertainment that plays out like a psychedelic and kaleidoscopic soundtrack to a long forgotten science fiction “B Movie” from the 1960’s and 1970’s. I mean that as a huge compliment and Timo Dinter’s vocals perfectly captures that sentiment with his vocal delivery moving between Hard Rock, Alt Metal and Stoner Rock which have a certain “chameleon” like effect to them.

The final tracks of the album are the heaviest and most far out moments of the record especially with Riding Waves Of Karma and The Last Smoke having enough creative instrumental power to destroy all Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier within this dimension and beyond. 

Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...From Outer Space) is not your standard Stoner Rock album from a narrative view but it scores high by delivering HUGE SOUNDING RIFFS and having quite a serious sound despite the fantastical energy that GENTLE BEAST have created here. This is an undeniably “EPIC” STONER ROCK/METAL album in every sense of the term.

Outstanding. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to The Metallist PR for the promo.

Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier (...From Outer Space) will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via SixteenTimes Music from Friday 07th March 2025.

Links

Facebook
Instagram
Sixteentimes Music

Stoner Rock Band GENTLE BEAST To Release New Album “Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier from Outer Space”

Stoner Rock Band GENTLE BEAST To Release New Album “Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier from Outer Space” on March 7 via Sixteentimes Music; Stream The New Single “Planet Drifter”!

After the recent songs “Revenge of the Buffalo” and “Riding Waves of Karma”, the quintet delivers a new foretaste of what we can expect from the album with the song “Planet Drifter” - stream/download it below!

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/8kdhn9hn
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4eta383p
Apple Music: https://tinyurl.com/532x6t36
Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ywrykywj

Pre-order “Vampire Witch Reptilian Super Soldier from Outer Space” on Bandcamp:

https://bit.ly/3Pt9Zgp

The new album by GENTLE BEAST is a fuzz-fueled odyssey that has something in store for every stoner rock fan. The nine tracks pay tribute to the genre's greatest elements, from driving riffs to doomy bass walls, psychedelic interludes and spherical vocals. Always with a wink, the lyrics about stoned witches, vengeful buffaloes, roaming mammoths and lost space travellers deliberately leave out no stoner rock clichés. Combined with an examination of serious topics such as meritocracy, climate change and conspiracy theories, the record also aims to strike a critical note.

GENTLE BEAST means fuzzy, powerful desert rock riffs paired with spacey melodies. As the name suggests, a love child between mystical gentleness and wild beast. Inspired by genre masters like Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Truckfighters or Red Fang, the five-piece from Basel has dedicated itself to low-tuned guitars, raw vocals, and heavy psychedelic sounds.

The core of the band has always been the rough voice of frontman Timo Dinter and the distorted guitar walls of Manuel 'Cioffi' Ciofalo and Janek Huschke. Tobias Rickli on bass and Chris Wild on the drums have most recently completed the band. To date, they have played over 50 shows, supporting renowned bands such as High Reeper, DUEL, Monkey3 or King Buffalo.

Enclosed you can see the artwork by Manuel Guldimann.

Tracklist:

1. Planet Drifter

2. Voodoo Hoodoo Space Machine

3. Mammoth Roams

4. Witch of the Mountain

5. Lodestone

6. Endless

7. Riding Waves of Karma

8. Revenge of the Buffalo

9. The Last Smoke

The album was recorded by Marc Obrist at Hutch-Sounds. Mixed by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studio. Mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studio. Photos by Yannick Sehn. Logo by Marco Giana.

Photo by Yannick Sehn

GENTLE BEAST is:

Timo Dinter - Vocals
Manuel Ciofalo - Guitar
Janek Huschke - Guitar
Tobias Rickli - Bass
Alexander Streit - Drums

GENTLE BEAST Online:

Facebook
Instagram
Sixteentimes Music

Thanks to The Metallist PR for all of the details.