The Fierce And The Dead - Regional Theatre (Album Review)

Release Date: September 11th 2026. Record Label: SPM Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Regional Theatre - Tracklist

Loungeside

The 1234

Shake Hands & Exit

Somehow

Hey Nightmare

Superbia

Dream Sequence

Thrash

Hypernormalisation

Signal Bleed

Members

Kevin Feazey: Vocals, Bass, Production

Tom Hunt: Keys, Vocals, Percussion

Matt Stevens: Guitar

Steve Cleaton: Guitar

Stuart Marshall: Drums 

Review

Alternative/Stoner/Prog Metallers The Fierce And The Dead return with their fifth full length album Regional Theatre which takes a different direction compared to their acclaimed 2023 album News From The Invincible World. The record is compounded by a heavy Shoegaze effect which gives the band a whole new level of creativity to go with their already well-known and highly established experimental sound. 

The Fierce And The Dead use their musical influences wisely with sounds reminiscent of the likes of QOTSA, Mastodon, Slowdive, HUM, HELMET, At The Drive-In, Faith No More and Sonic Youth. I would even add MELVINS and BORIS to that impressive list as how the band create different QUIET vs LOUD musical dynamics with the powerful strands of Post-Rock and Shoegaze transforming into a battering ram of Doom/Stoner Metal dimensions.

Regional Theatre does have a theatrical or cinematic aspect to the whole story where the music drastically changes with each individual track. The heartfelt poppier / stadium rock friendly aspects soon give way to a more damaging Grunge, Heavy Psych and Prog Metal dynamic. The Fierce And The Dead are very hard to categorize here and they do remind me of the amazing band CLOAKROOM. As both bands have similar styles of delivering HEAVY MUSIC though multiple different lenses of the ROCK / METAL spectrum.

There’s a wonderful Eighties Rock sound that feels inspired by The Smiths and The Cure but with a subtle Sludgy Rock sound still being heard in the distance. Then the band changed musical direction for an abstract Punk Rock and Grunge sound on the amazing tracks of Somehow and Hey Nightmare being my favourite two tracks on the album.

Regional Theatre is perhaps one the hardest albums I’ve reviewed this year but that’s a great thing as the whole musical journey keeps you on your toes with it’s outlandish and surreal vision fully coming to life on the standout tracks of Loungeside, The 1234, Somehow, Hey Nightmare, Superbia, Hypernormalisation and Signal Bleed. I know that’s almost the entire album listed there but I love those tracks the same as each other.

The melodies are wonderfully subversive and superbly confusing at the same time with a jangled approach still allowing The Fierce And The Dead to show you what FAITH NO MORE, MASTODON and AT THE DRIVE-IN would sound like if they enter the Stoner Rock/Metal underground scene with a dash of TOOL and KING CRIMSON just to fuck things up even further but in a good way. 

The lyrics are slightly fantastical but are the perfect gateway and introduction for casual listeners to find a way into The Fierce And The Dead’s wonderfully inventive world. There’s a great use of SONIC experimentation which brings a fresh perspective to the band’s entire musical output. 

Regional Theatre is an absolute masterclass of warped and passionate heavy music which manages to project almost every genre possible but still being mostly part of the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. Yeah, The Fierce And The Dead are in a league of their own which will no doubt push them onto greater, bigger and better things once more.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to The Fierce And The Dead for the promo.

Regional Theatre is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via SPM Records.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Heavy Prog Rockers MR.BISON share new single "Bright Shadow" from upcoming new album "The Garden of Forgotten Dreams" out September 25th on Heavy Psych Sounds

Italian heavy prog goldsmiths MR.BISON present their haunting new single "Bright Shadow", taken from their upcoming studio album "The Garden of Forgotten Dreams" to be issued this September 25th on Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

Watch new video "Bright Shadow" below + listen to the single on all streaming services

"A haunting and dreamlike song about lost memories, unrealized possibilities, and the echoes of the past. Set within a mysterious garden of light and shadow, it explores regret, longing, and the fragile boundary between dreams and reality...”

The Garden: a magical place where lost dreams don't fade, but grow like silent flowers. Each petal holds an unfulfilled wish, each scent a memory left behind. In this garden, those who enter rediscover parts of themselves they thought lost and understand that nothing should be forgotten if it has touched their heart.

Sprawling psychedelia collides with prog precision on MR.BISON's new album "The Garden of Forgotten Dreams", all propelled by swirling melodic scales that ascend into the stratosphere and dynamics that breathe with volcanic intensity. This sixth studio album is undoubtedly their most epic and immersive album yet, one that will win over fans of Elder, King Buffalo, Weedpecker, Naxatras.

About the main album theme, the band comments: "The garden is the image that recurs most frequently throughout the album. We chose it as a metaphor for a refuge, a place where we can nurture our natural inclinations, let them grow and blossom, and where we can also keep our shadows and lights hidden. Where our secrets, our most authentic truths, our aspirations and our dreams, can therefore remain guarded until we are ready to reveal them to those who can contain and appreciate them." Check out the album's debut single Cosmic Tide!

MR.BISON "The Garden of Forgotten Dreams" - Out September 25th on Heavy Psych Sounds

TRACKLIST:

1. Cosmic Tide
2. The Garden of Forgotten Dreams
3. Bright Shadow
4. Astray
5. Turn to Stone
6. The Sunrise
7. River Moan
8. Old Hue

MR BISON is a rock band that melds heavy psychedelic sounds with progressive elements and evocative soundscapes. Formed in a small coastal town in Tuscany, Italy, the band has reinvented their sound over the course of four albums from stoner rock to heavy psychedelic and progressive sounds, firmly establishing themselves in 2018 with the acclaimed Holy Oak and the great concept album Seaward in the 2020, which suddenly brought them touring around Europe and US many times, attending the best festivals on the scene. The foursome released Echoes From the Universe in February 2024 via Heavy Psych Sounds, reaching many international Best Albums lists — including a top spot on the prestigious Doom Charts — and followed by touring across Europe, the US West Coast Tour and the UK and numerous festival appearances.

Their new concept album The Garden of Forgotten Dreams was produced and recorded by guitarist Matteo Barsacchi, mixed by Richard Behrens (Elder, Kadavar) at Big Snuff Studio in Berlin, and mastered by Carl Saff in Chicago and Adam Ayan (Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam) in Portland. The band has already been confirmed to play Stoned From The Underground, Blackdoor Fest and other summer festivals, and will be touring Europe and the UK again in the fall of 2026.

MR.BISON is

Matteo Barsacchi - Guitar / Synth
Matteo Sciocchetto - Voice / Bass
Davide Salvadori - Guitar / Synth
Lorenzo Salvadori - Drums

MR.BISON links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Din Of Celestial Birds - Takeoffs & Landings (Album Review)

 

Release Date: August 07th 2026. Record Label: Various. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Takeoffs & Landings - Tracklist

1.Takeoffs & Landings [3:11]

2. Marmoris [5:21]

3. From This Summit We Can See The Heavens & Stars [5:33]

4. When Suddenly... [5:48]

5. You Are My Temple [5:42]

6. Migratory Patterns [3:58]

7. I Hope That Road Leads You Somewhere Beautiful, Somewhere You Belong [4:13]

8. Second Star To The Right, And Straight On 'Til Morning [6:41]

Lineup

Andie Gill - Guitar / Synths

Chris Core - Guitar

Tom Hazlehurst - Guitar

Matt Benatan - Bass / Synths

Vince Knight-Schrijver - Drums

Review

Instrumental Post-Rock/Post-Metal collective Din Of Celestial Birds follow up their acclaimed debut album The Night Is For Dreamers with their more expansive and bolder second album Takeoffs & Landings. Taking a more Alt Rock and Cinematic Rock approach to their music which allows the band to add new levels of emotional intensity to their music. This new creative approach allows the band to be closer to the likes of Pelican and Russian Circles whilst thinking outside the box with subtle Psych Rock melodies being quite forward thinking especially within the highly intricate synths that dominate the quieter Ambient moments.

Takeoffs & Landings starts quite emotional and superbly uplifting within the excellent opening tracks Takeoffs & Landings, Marmoris and From This Summit We Can See The Heavens & Stars. The sound is quite progressive with a lush spaced out energy appearing from the glorious synths but Din Of Celestial Birds always deploy an aggressive Post-Metal sound that brings a ferocious Atmospheric Sludge based energy to the record. The music is brilliantly fast and unapologetically intense which makes up some of the album's standout moments.

Din Of Celestial Birds spend a great amount of time developing the “Cinematic” score that’s the underlying power of this record which allows the band to move into many different arenas of Instrumental Rock with an unexpected Shoegaze delivery appearing when you least expect this. The powerful Post-Metal instrumental grooves do have that vibrant “underground” energy which transforms into something with wider commercial appeal and that’s no bad thing at all.

Din Of Celestial Birds aim for their biggest and heaviest sounds possible on tracks such as From This Summit We Can See The Heavens & Stars, When Suddenly, You Are My Temple, I Hope That Road Leads You Somewhere Beautiful, Somewhere You Belong and Second Star To The Right, And Straight On 'Til Morning.

There’s also a wicked Electronic score that can be heard within the background of the record which once again taps into the haunting blend of Cinematic Post-Rock or even “Soundtrack” based material. Whatever, you want to call this, bloody intense, emotionally charged, grounded and brilliantly real by a group of amazingly talented musicians. 

Takeoffs & Landings is a highly adventurous and superbly real album which can be quite challenging to listen to at times but it’s emotional rewards are HUGE with Din Of Celestial Birds proving why they’re fastly becoming one of the most promising and celebrated Post-Rock/Post-Metal bands the UK scene currently has right now.

These guys are simply unstoppable on this release where you feel genuinely part of the action. This is a type of an album that you never want to end and with first rate production values heard throughout then this is the complete package for devoted followers of the Post-Rock/Post-Metal scene can simply do without. 

Awesome. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Frenchie PR Trail for the promo.

Takeoffs & Landings Four is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl from the links below:

BIG SCARY MONSTERS (UK/EU) // A THOUSAND ARMS (US) // TOMATO (CHINA)

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

The Wyldewood Green - Tales of The Wyldewood Green (Album Review)

Release Date: August 07th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Tales of The Wyldewood Green - Tracklist

1.Spires

2.The Mindsplitter 03:11

3.Carnaby Nights 02:18

4.Smith & Strange

5.Souvenirs

6.Maldedo

7.Tangerine Whiskey

8.The Queenmaker

9.Rude Britannia

10.Cadoi

11.Murder In The Electric Cathedral

Lineup

Marco Scarsone: Hammond A-100, Mini Farfisa, piano, guitar, bass, tambourine, maracas and shakers

Jonathan Yang: Drums

Mike Davis: Congas and bongos

Review

Tales Of The Wyldewood Green is the debut album of Heavy Psych Instrumental Rockers The Wyldewood Green and it’s one of the freakiest, psychedelic and far-out records I’ve had the pleasure to listen to this year. This record fully explores the legendary sounds of the Sixties and Seventies Rock scene where the band play music built upon the rhythms of Surf Rock, Heavy Psych, Funk, Punk Rock, Garage Rock, Blues Rock, Classic Rock, Proto-Rock and shades of Stoner Rock.

The Wyldewood Green music is driven by a funk driven Hammond and Organ instrumental score which allows the other areas of Heavy Psych to perfectly drift into your subconscious where the mood even transforms into pure JAZZ ROCK and LIZARD LOUNGE music. Though, the real musical weapon of choice that The Wyldewood Green band explores is classic movie soundtracks. As this record has a classic hipster sound with the jazzy beats and cool intricate psychedelic melodies that wouldn’t go amiss from a Sixties Heist Movie or even a kitschy rom-com. Though, the record does show it’s more dangerous side by employing a Classic Hard Rock style inspired by the likes of The Who, Deep Purple, The Doors and The Byrds. 

With some distorted Stoner-ish guitars appearing along the way, it’s good to see The Wyldewood Green are still keen to add small snippets of modern Stoner Rock soundwaves which gives Tales Of The Wyldewood Green a heightened sense of trippy realism. The album may not be for everyone but if you’re in the mood for some great Heavy Psychedelic beats and sounds that will leave your mind feeling the effects of one of the most glorious LCD trips you’ll ever take without the need for taking that powerful hallucinogenic drug.

The songs are brilliantly written with their own highly individual identity which adds a dreamlike effect on the later stages of the record with The Wyldewood Green even deploying into calmer and soulful Post-Rock swagger. The songwriting is on another level even for an instrumental record as this album does do something different with the whole Instrumental Rock template.

Standout tracks on the album are: Spires, The Mindsplitter, Carnaby Nights, Maldedo, Tangerine Whiskey, The Queenmaker and Murder In The Electric Cathedral. These are the tracks that I found the most engaging on a personal level and which impressed how daringly heavy the record becomes despite this being quite a laid back album for the most part.

Tales Of The Wyldewood Green is an absolute revelation from start to finish with the band creating and playing sounds that shouldn’t really work so well. However, here we are with a debut album that has a great MAVERICK attitude where you can really say that The Wyldewood are true originals which their debut album proves time and time again.

Words by Steve Howe

Tales Of The Wyldewood Green is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Hollow Drifter - Colours In Time (EP Review)

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

Colours In Time - Tracklist

1.Morning Fog 02:27

2.Seasons, Ages, Legends... 14:01

3.Cradlesong 01:48

Review

Colours In Time is the latest EP from Psych/Prog/Stoner Rockers Hollow Drifter which continues their emotionally charged journey into Seventies Psych Rock with flourishes of Cosmic and Spaced Out excursions. This EP has a more modern quality compared to their previous releases with a lush sounding Post-Stoner and Post-Doom quality appearing mostly within the shorter tracks which instantly draws you in especially with the excellent opening track of Morning Fog. This track feels like a subdued version of ELDER and KING BUFFALO with Hollow Drifter adding a haunting Folk-ish quality before the song suddenly fades out.

The centerpiece of Colours In Time has to be the outstanding fourteen minutes epic second track Seasons, Ages, Legends… which starts cautiously slowly but with a highly energetic Post-Rock confidence. The song is very stripped back with semi-acoustic optics allowing the band to build up a stirring psychedelic atmosphere with small amounts of Stoner and Space Rock passages to emerge behind the scenes. Hollow Drifter experiments with subtle storytelling vibes within the lyrics. T

he Seventies Rock melodies transform into a great mix Ambient Post-Rock, Proto-Rock and Post-Stoner grooves. The song is utterly captivating where I may have enjoyed some heavier themes to develop which Hollow Drifter have delivered on previous records but the second half is amazingly inventive especially when the Proto-Rock surroundings fully emerge along the way.

The final song Cradlesong is an Ambient and Psychedelic number with small intricate Stoner guitars being played against a simple delivery of classic sounds that allow Colours In Time to end naturally.

This isn’t the heaviest thing that Hollow Drifter have recorded but it’s a charming and superbly pleasant record that shows a different side to the band which they use to their own great advantage. I wish the EP was on slightly longer but it’s better leaving the audience wanting more and that’s what Hollow Drifter prove with this great record.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Solothurn - High Priestess (EP Review)

Release Date: July 24th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

High Priestess - Tracklist

High Priestess

Burning Decay

Hollow

Members

Ryan Adair - Vocals 

Dee Cleland - Rhythm Guitars 

Jamie Wright - Lead Guitars 

Ross Hunter - Bass 

Marty Elley - Drums 

Review

Grunge/Alt Metallers Solothurn latest EP - High Priestess  - continues the great work they achieved with their previous single Hollow that was released last year. This time round Solothurn brings a heavier Progressive attitude to their music with some great melodies inspired by the Nineties Grunge, Alt-Metal and Stoner Metal scenes. The music is quite melodic with a hard hitting attitude with some intricate Psychedelic passages coming out to play which you can instantly feel within the excellent opening title track.

If you’re a fan of Alice In Chains, Deftones, Soundgarden, TOOL and Mastodon then Solothurn conjures similar sounds of those amazing bands whilst putting their own creative ideas into the mix. THe EP lasts twenty minutes with Solothurn moving their music into the Alternative Metal arena with each passing moment. There are small echoes of Doom Rock and Stoner Metal grooves appearing along the way but it’s mostly of that classic Grunge and Alt Metal dynamic that has the most lasting impact. The lyrics are superb which adds real emotional weight to the whole record.

The vocals from lead vocalist Ryan Adair are spectacular which he taps right into the Post-Metal and Prog Metal dynamic which works superbly well within the Grunge aesthetic which goes for a gloom and doom outlook on the other two tracks of Burning Decay and Hollow. The final track of Hollow was released last year but this version has been slightly revised which gives it extra weight from beginning to end. 

High Priestess is an outstanding EP that allows Solothurn to make a real name for themselves with a record that delivers on all fronts with some great musical instrumental passages that leave you wanting more. I loved the transformation from Solothurn when they venture into more extreme levels of Heavy Metal. I hope they use that style of music greatly within their next release as they pull that off with great style and adds a more menacing presence to their music. 

Check this out when you can.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Teiger - Bloodwork (Single Review)

Release Date: June 26th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Bloodwork - Tracklist

Bloodwork

Members

Talie Rose Eigeland: vocals, guitar, piano, percussion

Phillip Eldridge-Smith: bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals, Moog

Jon Steele: drums, percussion

Review

Bloodwork is the latest single from Atmospheric Heavy Rock collective Teiger who released their widely acclaimed debut album back in 2023. Teiger traverses within the heavier and darker side of Desert Rock with the band touching upon areas of Prog Rock, Psych, Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Grunge and Alt-Rock themes. The band have quite a dreamy melodic sound for the most part but don't let that side of their music fool you. As they know when to transform into a heavier creative unit where their heavy volumes know no bounds.

Bloodwork sees the band explore a more emotionally charged sound with a subtle sideline in Nineties Alt Rock influences shining through such as Portishead. However, there’s more to Teiger's sound which is brilliantly centered on Talie Rose England’s spellbinding vocals which have influences ranging from Beth Gibbons, Dorthia Cottrell and I even get where the Grace Slick comparisons come from. This lady has amazing vocal range and it allows Teiger to have a deeper aggressive sound when the need calls for it.

Teiger's members are excellent musicians with the members playing multiple different instruments on this track alone. The band have also called upon the amazing talents of Jo Quall on cello which adds a subtle Post-Doom and Shoegaze sound towards the later stages of the track. There is a hidden seductive energy that instantly draws the listener in with dreamy psychedelics that shows a darker style of Desert Rock that you don’t experience much these days. 

If you dig the likes of Portishead, Yawning Man, SOM, Slow Crush and Windhand then Teiger will blow you away with this stunning track that makes me quite excited to hear their upcoming second album.

Words by Steve Howe

Links 

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Heavy Psych-Prog Rockers MR.BISON to release new album "The Garden of Forgotten Dreams" on Heavy Psych Sounds this fall; first track streaming!

Italian heavy psychedelic and progressive rock goldsmiths MR BISON announce the release of their new studio album "The Garden of Forgotten Dreams" this September 25th on Heavy Psych Sounds Records, and present the first single "Cosmic Tide" today.

The Garden: a magical place where lost dreams don't fade, but grow like silent flowers. Each petal holds an unfulfilled wish, each scent a memory left behind. In this garden, those who enter rediscover parts of themselves they thought lost and understand that nothing should be forgotten if it has touched their heart.

About the album theme, the band comments: "The garden is the image that recurs most frequently throughout the album. We chose it as a metaphor for a refuge, a place where we can nurture our natural inclinations, let them grow and blossom, and where we can also keep our shadows and lights hidden. Where our secrets, our most authentic truths, our aspirations and our dreams, can therefore remain guarded until we are ready to reveal them to those who can contain and appreciate them."

Stream new MR BISON single "Cosmic Tide" below:

About this first track, they add: “A dreamy cosmic journey through stars, waves, and infinite space. Blending celestial imagery with themes of freedom, belonging, and self-discovery, the song invites the listener to drift beyond reality and embrace the endless rhythm of the universe. This track represents this new album's sonic range, sailing between progressive rides, psychedelia and 70's acoustic parts.”

The album will be issued on September 25th, with LP and CD preorders available now through Heavy Psych Sounds Records.


MR BISON "The Garden of Forgotten Dreams"
Out September 25th on Heavy Psych Sounds

TRACKLIST:

1. Cosmic Tide
2. The Garden of Forgotten Dreams
3. Bright Shadow
4. Astray
5. Turn to Stone
6. The Sunrise
7. River Moan
8. Old Hue

MR BISON is a rock band that melds heavy psychedelic sounds with progressive elements and evocative soundscapes. Formed in a small coastal town in Tuscany, Italy, the band has reinvented their sound over the course of four albums from stoner rock to heavy psychedelic and progressive sounds, firmly establishing themselves in 2018 with the acclaimed Holy Oak and the great concept album Seaward in the 2020, which suddenly brought them touring around Europe and US many times, attending the best festivals on the scene. The foursome released Echoes From the Universe in February 2024 via Heavy Psych Sounds, reaching many international Best Albums lists — including a top spot on the prestigious Doom Charts — and followed by touring across Europe, the US West Coast Tour and the UK and numerous festival appearances.

Their new concept album The Garden of Forgotten Dreams was produced and recorded by guitarist Matteo Barsacchi, mixed by Richard Behrens (Elder, Kadavar) at Big Snuff Studio in Berlin, and mastered by Carl Saff in Chicago and Adam Ayan (Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam) in Portland. The band has already been confirmed to play Stoned From The Underground, Blackdoor Fest and other summer festivals, and will be touring Europe and the UK again in the fall of 2026.

MR.BISON is

Matteo Barsacchi - Guitar / Synth
Matteo Sciocchetto - Voice / Bass
Davide Salvadori - Guitar / Synth
Lorenzo Salvadori - Drums

MR.BISON links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Druidess - Trip Meadow (Album Review)

Release Date: June 26th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Meadow - Tracklisting

1.The Hermit of Druid's Temple

2.Trip Meadow

3.Knightingales 

4.Mandragora

5.Descended from Giants

6.A Witches' Sabbath

7.The Forest Witch's Daughter

Members

Daniel Downing - Guitars, Saxophone

Shonagh Brown - Vocals / Bass

James Hill - Keyboards

Sam Armstrong - Drums

Review

Druidess have already built a fearsome and well deserved reputation supporting the likes of Castle Rat, Slomatics, Dopethrone, Margarita Witch Cult, Josiah and Saint Karloff over the years. They released their debut EP Hermits and Mandrakes back in 2024 which I rated quite highly. Fast forward to 2026 and Druidess have completely reworked their debut EP which makes up the crux of their album. However, this is no mere cash grab with Druidess re-working almost every aspect into a completely different sound with a clearer creative vision and heavier grooves being applied for the album.

Trip Meadow which only expands their heavy blend of Psychedelic, Doom and Stoner Metal. Druidess play areas of Blues Rock, Occult Rock, Proto-Metal and Prog Rock into their music with a slight Sludge Rock undercurrent coming from the excellent guitars supplied by Daniel Downing.

Front and centre of all the action is the highly talented and extremely versatile lead vocalist Shonagh Brown who brings a classic style of Doom Rock merged with a soulful Blues Rock attitude. The vocals are at the forefront of the record for the majority of the record with the rest of Druidess building an epic Doomed Out platform for Shonagh to perform on. The band play closely to the likes of Black Sabbath, Windhand, Hippie Death Cult, The Doors, Green Lung and Monolord. 

Druidess aren’t afraid to go for an OVER THE TOP sound that allows other great instrumental sounds to appear such as Organs, Keyboards and Saxophone. I’ve said before but I’m not the biggest fan of Saxophones being included within Doom and Stoner Metal music. but Daniel Downing puts in a great performance which even I admired leaving me wanting to hear more.

Trip Meadow can be quite TRIPPY and SPACE ROCK heavy where Druidess leave their “Retro Rock” surroundings for a heavier modern day sound with that gloomy Post-Doom sound holding everything together. Though, the sounds of Seventies Proto-Doom and Hard Rock is never too far behind which allows the record to be so damn original throughout. 

Shonagh also provides Bass which she puts in a commanding and aggressive performance with Sam Armstrong helping out on drumming duties where they combine for a massive rhythm section for Druidess to fully operate from. James Hill on keyboards feels like he’s been fed a steady diet of Seventies Prog Rock and Proto Doom albums with the amount of different directions his keyboards actually move into. 

The lyrics have a great classic theme which fully sells the DOOMED OUT aspect of the record especially on tracks such as The Hermit Of Druid’s Temple, Trip Meadow, Knightingales and Witches Sabbath being the main highlights. With a neverending supply of gloomy sound effects and superbly played organs, Druidess have delivered a record that should easily allow them to receive widespread attention that the mighty Green Lung achieved with their first couple of albums.

Trip Meadow is a quality sounding album that is not afraid to move into the darker depths of Classic Doom and modern day Stoner Metal that will leave you completely satisfied when everything is said and done.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Palmer Turner Overdrive  PR for the promo.

Trip Meadow is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram