Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree - In Between Strides (Album Review)

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

In Between Strides - Tracklist

1. Departure

2. Respite

3. Clutching at Straws

4. Elisa

5. Return, Precipice

Members

Simon Weinrich – guitar, vocals, Rhodes piano

Marc Dreher – drums, vocals, Rhodes piano

Lucas Dreher – guitar

Christopher Popowitsch – bass

Review

Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree return with their exquisite fourth album In Between Strides which will surely establish them once and for all as one of the most refreshing and essential modern day Psychedelic Doom/Post-Metal outfits the scene currently has right now. The band perhaps rely on a refreshing style of Ambient Metal unlike ever before with this release which allows them to construct the perfect musical gateway in delivering their sublime Post-Rock vs Post-Metal based structures. 

Though, the band still build those Post-Metal foundations on a solid level of Psychedelic Doom Metal with moody Stoner Rock based measures which comes superbly well within the opening tracks of Departure and Respite. Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree construct an epic cinematic narrative with their lyrical content and the haunting vocals that appear with a dedicated Alternative melody allowing the band to deliver sludgier instrumental sounds.

Some of the songs are quite fractured which reminds me of Pelican and Russian Circles in places but it’s the winning meditative energy that brings everything back together. With a free-flowing creativity matched only by the likes of ELDER and YOB, there’s always something unique, heavy and emotionally rewarding being played within every track.

In Between Strides allows Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree to experiment with areas of Drone Rock, Shoegaze and Prog Rock which arrives on different parts of the album. The band even experimented with haunting piano melodies with both Simon Weinrich and Marc Dreher playing superb instrumental pieces on the Rhodes Piano. 

The second track Respite is more of a Jazzy Post-Rock interlude which showcases a more caring and tender side of the band which is beautifully played and layered with small movements of Psych Rock and Spaced Out sounds. There’s a small glimmer of Drone appearing within the closing stages which allows the band to add a brief sense of gloom and hopefulness into the mix.

Third track Clutching At Straws sees the band return to that heavy Doomgaze world with echoes of Psychedelic Doom being the main focus with distorted sludgy rhythms developing into a modern Post-Metal sound. This is layered with choppy instances of Sludge and Drone with a harsh backdrop of Stoner Metal which is the heaviest part of the album and perhaps the band’s career to date. Everything feels like it is being destroyed before being rebuilt in a more peaceful and hopeful image when the uplifting Ambient Post-Rock melodies appear within the final moments. 

The final two tracks of Elisa and Return, Precipice is a great combination of cinematic based surroundings which sees Bees Made Honey in The Vein Tree to further explore different areas of Doomed Out Heaviness with Elisa really hitting some hard-hitting emotionally charged movements. The vocals are excellent once more but it’s the progressive themes and technical sounds that capture the imagination especially from Marc Dreher (Drums) and Christopher Popowitsch (Bass) as they form a great understanding with that epic rhythm section.

This allows Lucas Dreher (Guitar) and Simon Weinrich (Guitar) to create world-expanding Cosmic based guitar passages which becomes more Space Rock dominated though still holding the band’s core instrumental sound. The vocals do become more depressing, bleak and ultimately destructive within the final track of Return, Precipice with music even transforming into a heavier blend of Blackened Post-Metal but with that sublime Post-Doom momentum still being heard within the background.

This is another album of the year from Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree, as In Between Strides is the band’s heaviest, aggressive and most unique sounding record yet. The music is wonderfully precise, beautifully sweet and equally as destructive the next. The whole journey feels like one grand musical adventure which instantly draws you in with its sweeping romantic Doomed Out measures that will leave you in a tranquil state of being.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to All Noir and Magnetic Eye Records for the details.

In Between Strides is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records.

Links

https://beesmadehoneyintheveintree.com
www.facebook.com/beesmadehoneyintheveintree
www.instagram.com/beesmadehoneyintheveintree

Boss Keloid release new single 'Landslide' and announce new album on Church Road Records

Boss Keloid seemingly achieves the impossible with each album they create, upholding familiarity in their sound whilst never remaining static. They are forever growing new limbs on their tree of creativity. Even after a decade in the game, this tree remains evergreen as these UK prog-rock mainstays find new and exciting ways to catch the listener’s intrigue. This is never more present than on their forthcoming LP ‘Float & Aperture’, poised to greet you like a good friend who's ready to lead you on a new adventure of sonic wonder.

Before undertaking this latest project, the band sought to find ways to unlock new methods of creativity, finding the best path was through collaboration.

“We wanted to challenge ourselves and each other more than ever during the writing process for this album, and developed a completely new way of working together as a result. Our writing process was more collaborative, experimental, and challenging than ever. We encouraged each other to tap into our musical and personal influences, as well as life experiences to generate ideas. We wanted more focus and enjoyment around the interplay and dynamics between melody and rhythm, and a better clarity and balance between our instruments and parts. We couldn't be happier with the result, and believe this is our strongest work to date” - Boss Keloid

Like the band's previous work, the lyrical content of each song on the album is drawn from personal experiences, difficulties, and life lessons. Vocalist Alex Hurst works to shape and describe these stories in a way which can be interpreted on a personal level by anyone, and hopefully align with their own lives. He sums up the overall theme of the album as follows:

"Embracing life, rolling with the punches and the waves of beauty, and not being afraid to channel and express those experiences through art, music, love, anger and wisdom. Experience tells a story if you don’t mind sharing it."

Boss Keloid has an impeccable release history, having already given flight to five critically acclaimed albums over the course of their career. Their last album ‘Family The Smiling Thrush’ made it into Metal Hammer’s top releases of 2021 and had Dom Lawson from Blabbermouth proclaiming “If it's a modern classic you want, look no further”. This sentiment is also shared for their live performances. Truly at home on the stage, the band ascends to even greater levels than their recorded output, delivering incredibly powerful and life-affirming performances.

The long and short of it is, where Boss Keloid goes, greatness follows and there’s no exception with this latest outing. This is another amazing chapter in the career of a band with an already glowing and rich history. Long standing fans will have their hunger satisfied, and for those joining the ride here, get ready to have your minds blown by ‘Float & Aperture’. Set for release on October 23rd via Church Road Records.

The band kick starts this next chapter with the lead single 'Landslide'. Out today and streaming everywhere! Digital, vinyl and CD pre-orders for the new album are also live.

Stream on DSPs HERE.
Watch the visualiser HERE.
Pre-order the record HERE.

"This song has many meanings throughout its lyrical content. The main story is about learning to accept that we are all our own worst enemy, and that when you realise this, life does get easier" - Boss Keloid

Track listing

1 - Breeze
2 - Pedestal
3 - Landslide
4 - Weight
5 - Aros
6 - Accord
7 - Sanguine

Members

Ste Arands - Drums and Percussion
Paul Swarbrick - Guitars
Alex Hurst - Vocals and Guitars
Liam Pendlebury-Green - Bass

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | LinkTree

Thanks to Since Always Press for the details.

Vulture Neck - Vulture Neck (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Vulture Neck - Tracklist

1. Höst (2:46)

2. Rat Riders (7:03)

3. Phantom Carriage (5:16)

4. Raining Fire, Raining Stones (3:44)

5. Bright Lights Descending (5:53)

6. Hand Of A Drowning Man (5:55)

7. Abyss Made Of Stone (7:06)

Members

Östen Jäderberg - drums

Magnus Öhrn - vocals and bass

Martin Sällström - vocals and guitar

Elin and Hanna Jäderberg - backing vocals on Bright Lights Descending

Review

Vulture Neck’s debut self-titled album continues with the rebellious Power-Trio attitude they brought on their acclaimed 2023 debut EP but on a more grander scale as they have more time to play with. This allows Vulture Neck to create heavier levels of sludgy surroundings which sees a Stoner Rock attitude develop with areas of Doom, Sludge, Psych sounds to converge on a mountain top of classic hard rock themes. 

The sound is quite raw sounding with a distinctive Garage Rock / Proto-metal attitude forming within the opening tracks of Host and Rat Riders which sees Vulture Neck bring a determined focus into their music. There are small elements of modern day Swedish Sludge/Stoner Metal forming that remind me of the likes of Dozer, Cities Of Mars and Firebreather. The sludgy sounds become quire progressive with Vulture Neck adding a gloomy atmosphere behind the scenes. 

The vocals are not the most refined but they perfectly match the music that Vulture Neck stunningly creates throughout the record. Shades of Doom & Gloom become more commonplace within the album as Vulture Neck bring an end of the world scenario into their music. The lyrics are quite bleak and get straight to the point on tracks such as Rat Riders, Phantom Carriage, “Raining Fire, Raining Stones” and Bright Lights Descending. 

There’s also some great melodic parts of the record which you only begin to notice on repeated listens with Vulture Neck applying some great musical mechanics within both the “HEAVIER” and “QUIETER” aspects of the album. The warped atmospherics constantly moves to the greyer areas of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal but Vulture Neck always allow themselves and the listener to have some brief uplifting musical passages which allows the record to be transformed into a wicked Classic Hard Rock sound that remind me of Black Sabbath and Budgie at times. 

Vulture Neck always tries something different with each track and for the most part everything comes off superbly well with the record not afraid to take huge risks that allows the album to be refreshingly different and slightly offbeat at the same time. The instrumental parts are epic and superbly cinematic when they’re fully required to but Vulture Neck always have the balls to apply logical Proto-Metal decisions to disrupt the musical flow which leads to some of the most exciting sounds of the album to fully emerge.

One of the main standouts of the album is the Progressive attitude that Vulture Neck apply to their music that shows shades of the legendary RUSH in places and even Mastodon when the band fully transforms into Progressive Sludge Metal monsters. There’s something for everyone to seek out and fully explore with this excellent recorded and produced album. Vulture Neck delivers the goods with a great supply of grounded melodies and hard hitting grooves that will leave you mightily impressed from start to finish.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Vulture Neck is available to buy now on Digital Download

Links:

Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Push.fm

Earthlore - Within The Earth (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Within The Earth- Tracklist

1.Within The Earth 04:55

2.All 04:32

3.Epitaph 01:27

4.Tempest Skies 04:28

5.Blinding Star 07:00

6.Centuries 06:12

7.In Spring 05:12

 

Members

Drew Pelrine: Rhythm Guitar / Vocals / Bass / Synths

Gabe Haydar: Lead Guitar

Troy Welling: Drums

Review

Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers Earthlore’s second album Within The Earth shares some common themes with the likes of Elder, King Buffalo and Howling Giant but they add a Grunge attitude into their music which allows the sound to become more dominated by Sludge Rock and Post-Metal themes. Earthlore has some Mastodon / Baroness levels of heaviness that emerges from behind the scenes that gives the whole album an aggressive Fuzz Rock drive with a sublime creative outlook developing.

The opening two songs Within The Earth and All sees Earthlore combine Spaced Out Synths with their grounded Sludge Rock/Stoner Metal based melodies having quite a distorted area of heaviness with flashes of Ambient Rock making an appearance. The vocals from Drew Pelrine have the hallmarks of being delivered from the classic Grunge era with Earthlore developing a faster and aggressive style of music.

Within The Earth does allow Earthlore to play different  styles of Doomed Out Stoner Metal with each track having their own individual themes especially on All, Terminal Skies, Blinding Star and Centuries. The music feels superbly real despite the constant shift into Cosmic Doom with a grounded logic being applied to Earthlore’s great use of Progressive music throughout the album.

There are some Post-Doom, Post-Stoner and Post-Rock instrumental passages that slows the mood way down but this allows Earthlore to show what great musicians they actually are. Though, the band go all in with their intense progressive attack within the standout tracks of Terminal Skies and Blinding Star that offers some violent Heavy Metal movements and down-tuned sludgy instrumental passages which still remains to be wonderfully melodic from start to finish.

The album is superbly produced and allows Earthlore to create their own great style of Doom/Stoner Metal that’s bursting with epic strands of Psych, Sludge and Space Rock music allowing the listener to become fully part of this outstanding cinematic journey.

Within The Earth is a must have album and is most definitely be a worthwhile addition to anyone’s record collection if you’re a true believer / follower of the Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Godzilla In The Kitchen - Birdsong (Single Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Tonzonen. Format: DD

Birdsong - Tracklist

Birdsong

 

Members

Simon Ulm (vocals, bass)

Eric Patzschke (guitar)

Thiago Presto (drums)

Review

Birdsong is the third song from Godzilla In The Kitchen’s upcoming new album Termination Sequence is a way more dramatic affair compared to the previous singles that have been released. There’s a slight uneasiness from the band going straight into the Heavy Rock arena and perhaps staying within the quieter elements the song brings but the Post-Doom heaviness wins out with the band offering the heaviest track they’ve released in quite some time.

The vocals are quite bombastic and the music moves along with real tight precision as the Space Rock melodies turn into an aggressive Fuzz Rock sound with a soulful Stoner Metal delivery. Their previous track “Empty Cribs” was too closely aligned to TOOL but this is Godzilla In The Kitchen through and through with its heavy mix of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal being quite spaced out within its core Psychedelic surroundings.

Birdsong has a great conventional style of Ambient Rock and Space Rock vibes that develops in the background which allows the band to develop their own style of Heavy Psych music which explores some mighty fine Shoegaze aspects. 

The lyrics are perhaps better suited within the Alt-Metal and Post-Metal but it shows you the type of direction that Godzilla In The Kitchen are heading for their upcoming new album and I’m highly intrigued to hear the whole record now as Birdsong is without doubt the best track that’s been released from the album yet.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Broken Music for all of the details.

Links

https://www.godzillainthekitchen.de
https://linktr.ee/godzillainthekitchen

Rocky's Pride & Joy - A Place Unknown (Single Review)

Release Date: August 27th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

A Place Unknown - Tracklist

A Place Unknown

 

Members

Brenton Wilson (vocals/guitar)

Fraser Ray (guitar)

Dominic Ventra (bass)

Jessi Tilbrook (drums)

Review

A Place Unknown is the latest single from Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers Rocky’s Pride & Joy which is from their upcoming second album. The record is a progressive mix of Doom, Psych, Sludge and Stoner Metal that taps right into the Fuzzed Out Cosmos with intense instrumental grooves that allows lead vocalist Brenton Wilson to dominate the musical landscape with his grizzled and determined vocal performance.

The sudden appearance of Shoegaze and Grunge adds a grounded element which sees Rocky’s Pride & Joy moving between areas of music influenced by the likes of Alice In Chains, Monolord, SLEEP and Mastodon. However, this allows Rocky’s Pride & Joy to create their own haunting style of Post-Doom grooves which moves into an area of Progressive Stoner Metal with Brenton’s vocals adding a heightened sense of Grunge and Post-Metal delivery.

The music then becomes way heavier with broken down pieces of Space Rock forming a sullen and moody atmosphere where the grooves become delivered by riff-driven melodies that are played at a great slow-to-mid pace for the majority of the track. The song has a classic use of FUZZ METAL that’s controlled by Rocky’s Pride & Joy’s great use of Amplifier Distortion and classic guitar shredding that appear within the closing stages of the song.

Rocky’s Pride & Joy are firing on all creative cylinders and if the upcoming album is equally as good as this track then we could be in for something special here. As “A Place Unknown” is seriously worthy of your time and perhaps discover a great new band at the same time.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Fallen Letters - A Familiar Absence (Single Review)

Release Date: July 09th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Released. Format: DD

A Familiar Absence - Tracklist

A Familiar Absence

Members

Vocals / Guitars / Synths – Vishal Naidu

Guitars – Aditya Ramesh

Bass – Abhay

Drums – Mukund

Review

Progressive Metallers Fallen Letters blend Prog, Psych, Post-Metal and Alt-Metal into a myriad of different styles that calls upon the likes of OPETH, KATATONIA and Deftones. The band originate from Bangalore, India but on their latest track A Familiar Absence you would think they’re from the Scandinavian or American Metal scenes. As they have quite a highly polished and superbly realized sound that marries the Extreme Metal and Underground Metal worlds superbly well.

The vocals move between Death Growls and Doom Metal surroundings with a violent undercurrent of Thrash and Death Metal appearing the background. The subtle switch to different areas of rock and metal serves Fallen Letters amazingly well. Their 2025 album Mindfractures has a different sound to this track which perhaps allows the band to be quite grounded and progressive with their music. Their sound is quite abstract with small waves of Prog Rock, Psych Rock and modern day Doom transforming into fast-paced and intense instrumental melodies. 

The majority of music that I’ve experienced from the Indian Heavy Metal underground scene has been limited down to a great mix of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal bands but I was mighty impressed from what I’ve heard from Fallen Letters with their recent album and their latest track A Familiar Absence. It may take a few listens to fully get accustomed to Fallen Letters' way of delivering pounding grooves but it’s a journey worth taking time and time again. 

A Familiar Absence is a great track for the band to introduce themselves with that ultimately leaves you wanting to hear more.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

BEES MADE HONEY IN THE VEIN TREE reveal music video 'Clutching at Straws' taken from new album "In Between Strides"

BEES MADE HONEY IN THE VEIN TREE reveal the music video 'Clutching at Straws' – and it is their very own sizzling song and not a cover of the MARILLION classic. This track has been selected as an advance single from the German shoegaze rockers' upcoming fourth album "In Between Strides", which is scheduled for release on September 18, 2026, via Magnetic Eye Records.

Pre-orders are available HERE

Watch the video for 'Clutching at Straws' here:

BEES MADE HONEY comment: "I wrote the main riffs for 'Clutching at Straws' on acoustic guitar while composing another of my own songs", frontman Simon Weinrich writes. "When we hit a creative slump, I simply suggested playing those riffs during a band rehearsal. Once effects were added, they immediately took on a different energy. Lyrically, this song revolves around a restless and exhausting journey that expresses an inner restlessness and sense of being driven. It's certainly a state of mind that we are all familiar with at times."

Credit - Filmed & produced by Felix Keltsch & Konrad Kobiela

Tracklist:

1. Departure
2. Respite
3. Clutching at Straws
4. Elisa
5. Return, Precipice

When German four-piece BEES MADE HONEY IN THE VEIN TREE began to find their bearings on where to go next from the success of their previous full-length, "Aion" (2023), the core idea for the fourth album, "In Between Strides", was to take a more melodic approach. All else, they would leave to the creative process and somewhat to chance.

Recording one song at a time without knowing what the next would sound like, the track 'Elisa' was the first step forward and became the binding link between the previous and new albums. 'Elisa' came into being as a jam captured on the last day of recording during the "Aion" sessions, which was later heavily condensed and augmented with added instrumentation to create more structure and depth.

BEES MADE HONEY recorded every other song on "In Between Strides" in various settings that were available to them at the time of creation: a cavernous cellar, a concert stage, an indoor balcony, a living room, their rehearsal space, even returning to the studio where their first album "Medicine" was tracked.

Through this spontaneous and shifting approach, BEES MADE HONEY began to move texturally and stylistically from ambient and drone toward shoegaze along with more acoustic elements. According to their original plan, "In Between Strides" stepped into more melodic territory, with each song representing a different aspect of the band's musical vocabulary.

Lyrically, "In Between Strides" portrays a journey of uncertain outcomes, a departure, and a search for something not yet defined. Although this mirrors the experience of BEES MADE HONEY in finding new creative paths and ways of expression, the lyrics paint a broader picture that is not limited to the German's personal experiences or life-circumstances.

BEES MADE HONEY IN THE VEIN TREE originate from the Swabian capital and German city of Stuttgart. All four members grew up together, eventually forming the band in 2014. Their musical template of ambient psychedelic doom was established with the debut album "Medicine" in 2017, and their sound has continued to evolve ever since.

With their sophomore full-length "Grandmother" (2019), their sonic scope expanded through lower tunings, densely layered effects, faster passages, and harsher vocals. The Swabians began performing live, both at home and abroad, in front of continuously growing audiences. This development physically manifested in the recording and release of "Harvestmen (live)" in 2022.

BEES MADE HONEY took a leap forward with third full-length "Aion", which was widely praised by audiences and critics alike. This album features spacious, dynamic compositions that move from drifting tranquility to raging power in a constant tidal movement of spaced-out guitars, pounding basslines, and dripping drum fills.

While "Aion" easily transcended BEES MADE HONEY's psychedelic doom label into something deeper and more resonant, "In Between Strides" roams faster and further.

With "In Between Strides", BEES MADE HONEY have turned rage into reflection by developing a more organic and spontaneous approach to their songs, opening up wide spaces and letting the melodies flow freely. This musical honey tastes simply delicious.

Line-up

Simon Weinrich – guitar, vocals, Rhodes piano
Marc Dreher – drums, vocals, Rhodes piano
Lucas Dreher – guitar
Christopher Popowitsch – bass

Guest musicians

Luis Deffner (JAMHED) – piano on 'Elisa'

Recorded by Ralv Milberg at Zentrum Zinsholz, Ostfildern (DE)
Mixed by Ralv Milberg & Simon Weinrich at Milberg Studios, Stuttgart (DE)
Mastered by Ralv Milberg at Milberg Studios, Stuttgart (DE)

Artwork & layout by Christopher Popowitsch

Links

https://beesmadehoneyintheveintree.com
www.facebook.com/beesmadehoneyintheveintree
www.instagram.com/beesmadehoneyintheveintree

Thanks to All Noir and Magnetic Eye Records for the details.

Sly & The Family Drone - With Love (Album Review)

Release Date: August 28th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/Vinyl

With Love - Tracklist

1.Psychic Surgery

2.The Guts Of Albion

3.Under The Rainbow

4.In The Oils

5.Snagged On Frowns

6.Cloth Control

Members

James Allsopp – tenor saxophone

Kaz Buckland – drums, electronics

Matt Cargill – electronics, voice, percussion

Ed Dudley – electronics, voice

Will Glaser – drums, electronics

Review

Sly & The Family Drone return with their latest offering With Love and it’s equally weird and brilliantly inventive as their previous records. The band have always been quite hard to fully describe or categorize which is down to the endless amount of sounds they create within their music. The band call themselves a “Neo Jazz Wrecking Crew” and that’s a great way to describe them but that only tells half of the story.

Jazz plays a bit part of Sly & The Family Drone’s musical identity but they play movements of Psych, Folk, Doom, Drone, Sludge, Prog and massive freak-ish beats. The sound is wonderfully tribal and quite cosmic which feels like what a Psych/Jazz album would sound like if it was being conducted by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The record has been quite difficult for me to review as I haven’t listened to the band in a long time and how they add so many different musical instruments into the mix makes it even harder.

However, I’m not complaining as With Love is a hugely enjoyable of fucked up moments which kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s best to describe it as a singular album that’s been broken down into individual segments with each song allowing Sly & The Family Drone to experiment with different musical themes, sounds and eerie emotional templates. Any band that plays their own warped and noise rock version of the classic track Over The Rainbow deserves to be heard.

Most readers may know I’m not the biggest fan of Saxophone based music but it’s gloriously heavy and freakishly powerful throughout this album. The opening tracks of Psychic Surgery and The Guts Of Albion are down beat, gloomy and distorted with Sly & The Family Drone adding glitchy sound effects along the way. The Post-Rock, Drone and Psychedelic soundscapes have a dark hallucinogenic effect which allows the Industrial Rock/Metal and Neo-Jazz surroundings to fully take over. 

With Love can be quite demented with the slow paced music forging new creative openings for the band to overlap with an abstract Space Rock theme on tracks such as The Guts Of Albion, Over The Rainbow, In The Oils and Snagged Out Frowns. There’s some massive KrautRock and Japanese Psychedelic Freakout influences with the band applying that epic Jazzy attitude which becomes even more daring and brilliantly surreal which feels like you’re coming down from the most massive WEEDIAN trip possible. 

Even with the intense experimentation, Sly & The Family Drone still offer a grounded approach to their music which does become quite schizophrenic along the way. These guys have been around for the best part of two decades now and know a thing or two about experimenting with finely tuned SONIC based passages which even have a heavier presence than you initially expect.

The vocals drift into existence only when they’re really needed but it’s still sometimes confusing to listen to at first so expect to have multiple listens to fully understand the story of With Love. I’ve listened to the album about four or five times now and I'm even finding new sounds to fully explore with every listen.

With Love is a great album with first rate production values allowing Sly & The Family Drone showing why they’re one of the finest Progressive bands we have in the UK scene. This won’t be for everyone and is perhaps suited for their established fan base. However, I would recommend you give this record a chance as With Love will surprise the hell out of you.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Observers - The Emerald (Album Review)

Release Date: August 13th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Emerald - Tracklist

1.The Emerald 04:56

2.The Eye Tree 03:05 

3.Forest of Doom 05:57

4.Asterophora 03:07

5.The Word for Forest is World 01:42

6.Predestination 05:40

7.Boreal World 05:27

8.Voices Within 06:11

9.After Us 01:21

10.The Door (Outtake) 03:21

Members

Martin Kennedy - guitars, synths & soundscapes.

Chris Bohm - drums.

Rich Gray - Bass

Additional musicians: Joao Corceiro, Martin Arroyou, German Maldonado

Review

Instrumental Doom/Post-Metal collective Observers return with their second album The Emerald which continues the great work laid down on their acclaimed debut album The Age Of The Machine Entities. The record is an effortless blend of Doom, Post-Metal, Heavy Metal, Prog Metal, Ambient Metal and Stoner Metal for a journey that has complex cinematic quality throughout. Observers channel “Video Game” narrative for this record but allow the true Heavy Metal dynamics to do their thing with surreal moments of intense Post-Metal quality.

The whole sound aligns more closely to a grounded level compared to the COSMIC surroundings of their debut album. The music is more frantic and action packed with Observers delving into a frenzied style Prog Metal with an intense Heavy Metal presence emerging from the stunning opening tracks of The Emerald, The Eye Tree and Forest Of Doom. Sometimes the mood can be too flashy but it works for the overall story of the album.

The instrumental work is dominated by a great “DOOM & GLOOM” atmosphere with flashes of Ambient Metal allowing Observers to bring in other areas of the ROCK/METAL spectrum. Adding small pockets of Folk Rock and Post-Rock gives a more emotional sound especially within the haunting third track of Forest Of Doom that has elements of OPETH and Animal As Leaders transforming the Post-Metal energy quite suddenly.

The Emerald relies heavily on synths and dramatic soundscapes which expertly builds up the tension but also allows the record to breathe and grow naturally for the story to move onto its highly dramatic conclusion. Observers hit upon every corner of the Doom, Post-Rock and Post-Metal landscape throughout the album with gloomy passages having a deeply emotional core when moving the different time frames of Eighties Heavy Metal and modern day instrumental music.

Other standout tracks on the album to check out are: Asterophora, Predestination, Boreal World and Voices Within which contain the heaviest, gloomiest and epic guitar shredding moments on the entire record.  

Observers have released another standout collection of tracks that does something wholly original and superbly cinematic with the Instrumental Doom Metal scene. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the details.

The Emerald is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram