Exclusive Album Premiere Of Psych/Fuzz/Stoner Metallers HUMULUS Stunning New Album - SMUGGLER'S CAVE

Smuggler’s Cave marks HUMULUS’ fifth LP and their second outing with vocalist/guitarist Thomas Mascheroni. Following 2023's Flowers Of Death, the band spent two years traversing Europe’s stages, and it was in the cracks between tours that the improvisations for this record took root. True to form, the band returned to the rehearsal room for marathon sessions, capturing hours of raw interplay, isolating the sparks and forging new songs from the embers.

The riffs might hit harder than ever before, yet HUMULUS’s sonic hallmark remains intact with a deft pivot from rhythmic, classic stoner crunch into more psychedelic and introspective depths. Leading the listener through mysterious settings, tales of wizards, cemetery dreams, damned souls and the shade of dark forests, this high-voltage new delivery fills the air with electricity and will compel anyone who worships at the altar of Dozer, Truckfighters, Lowrider and Greenleaf. 

Thanks to the amazing folks at Purple Sage PR and Ripple Music, we're excited to premiere the whole album in full below:

The Lowdown

Humulus is an Italian psych-stoner power trio formed in Brescia, Italy in 2009. Born from the heavy lineage of Kyuss, Karma to Burn and Orange Goblin, they quickly built a reputation across southern Europe with their crushing debut on Go Down Records.

A lineup shift in 2015 flipped the script. New frontman Andrea Bellicini pushed the band into trippier, more dynamic territory through longer songs, richer atmospheres and a sound that outgrew stoner orthodoxy. The years that followed saw Humulus touring non-stop with European festival runs (Freak Valley, Desertfest Belgium, Up In Smoke), and a string of acclaimed LPs that veered from doom-laced riffage to sprawling psychedelic meditation. Another mutation came in late 2022 with the arrival of Thomas Mascheroni, reigniting the band’s chemistry and leading to a fresh creative burst. They hit the road again, sharing stages with heavyweights like Colour Haze and Monkey3, while steadily forging new material.

When founder Giorgio Bonacorsi stepped back in 2026, the remaining core members enlisted Fabio Giacomini to complete the lineup and write their most ambitious work yet.

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Smuggler’s Cove is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Humulus links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

STEAK - STEAK (Album Review)

Release Date: October 09th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music / Stickman Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

STEAK - Tracklist

1. Cometh

2. Luxury Junk

3. Dust

4. Two By Two

5. Aether

6. Infinite

7. Knucklehead

8. Short Arms

Members

Chris Haley – Vocals
Reece Tee – Guitar
Dean Deal – Drums
James Cameron – Bass
Tom Cameron – Guitar and Vocals

Review

Psych Stoner Rockers STEAK return with their fourth album which is actually a self titled release this time round and one that arrives four years since their last celebrated effort. This time away has benefited STEAK superbly well both musically and creatively speaking. As they embrace heavier, darker and bolder styles of Doom Rock that you would expect to hear from the likes of ELDER and KING BUFFALO. However, STEAK played with a heavier metallic style with slight expeditions into areas of Grunge, Doomgaze, and Post-Metal within the album.

STEAK have come a long way since their earliest releases which saw the band operate closer to the likes of CLUTCH, KYUSS and ORANGE GOBLIN. That’s not a bad place to be but this album shows how the band have matured over the last fourteen years especially within the opening tracks of Cometh, Luxury Junk and Dust. The storytelling aspect is rooted in Nineties sensibilities with the music moving between different musical timelines of where the Desert/Stoner Metal scene was fully starting to form.

The vocals from Chris Haley and Tom Cameron have a great rhythm to each other with the delicate tones offering a warm hearted nature especially within the subdued moments. Though, the rest of the band are perhaps quite restless at times by focusing upon an aggressive style of Doom, Psych and Cosmic based landscapes which move along at an intense pace.

There is a sense of grounded atmospherics being used here which reminds me of Sergeant Thunderhoof at times with both bands firmly established favourites of the UK’s burgeoning Doom/Stoner Metal scene. STEAK continues to develop waves of different sonic delivery whilst applying some classic fuzzed out movements throughout the album. 

I admire how STEAK obviously stick closely to their musical roots on this record where the listener can expect to hear a classic muscular slice of Stoner Rock/Metal set amongst the dominant Cosmic and Psychedelic sounds that brings the heaviest and most enjoyable sounds on the whole album.

Other great tracks to check out are: Take By Two, Aether, Knucklehead and Short Arms - where STEAK find a cool sludgy rock dimension and gritty Desert Rock attitude which is just the icing on the cake for listeners to wholly appreciate. 

STEAK’s fourth album is a resounding success on every level with this being the bands most technically impressive record to date. The whole record is expertly played and produced from everyone involved and showcases why STEAK are one of the most vastly underrated bands we have within the Stoner Rock/Metal underground scene. However, this is the album that will perhaps change all that for STEAK and propel them onto greater things.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

STEAK is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via- Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe/UK)

Links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Humulus - Smuggler's Cave (Album Review)

Release Date: October 09th 2026. Record Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Smuggler’s Cave - Tracklist

1.Standing in the Sun 

2.Rise and Fall 

3.Pines

4.Smuggler's Cave

5.Cemetery Vision

6.Blue Wizard 

7.Cursed Man

Review

Smuggler’s Cave is the fifth album from Psych Stoner Rockers Humulus with the band moving closer the likes of Lowrider, Dozer, Truckfighters and KYUSS where the band blend the ice-cold Psychedelic Stoner Rock attitude of the Swedish Stoner Metal scene with the gritty energy of the legendary Californian Stoner scene. This is a great mix especially with Humulus originating from Italy. 

The record is a fast-paced mix of different Doom, Desert and Stoner Rock sounds with trippy interludes appearing within the whole album as a great union of Post-Rock and Post-Doom form a winning musical alliance. This seems to spur Humulus to try different things with their music as traces of Grunge and Ambient melodies form when you least expect this.

Humulus starts playing areas of music influenced by the likes of ELDER and KING BUFFALO in the heavier aspects which is quite an exciting creative direction on the first half tracks such as Standing In The Sun, Rise And Fall and Pines. The vocals are delivered superbly throughout as Humulus employ different styles with chants, clean vocals and ethereal tones aligning everything together.

The great use of Psychedelic, Ambient and Space Rock effects adds an aggressive attitude into the whole recording aspect which allows Humulus to start forming strands of Fuzz, Shoegaze and Space Rock which becomes quite adventurous when a thrilling Sludgier direction appears. Even when the record offers a stripped back sound, Humulus never fails in transporting the listener into a more subdued Spaced Out landscape on tracks Smuggler’s Cave, Blue Wizard and Cursed Man. 

The themes become more heartfelt and emotionally haunted with that blissful Post-Rock and Post-Stoner landscape bringing that superb style of uplifting quality into the later stages of the record. The vocals yet again are first rate which have a great storytelling energy to them with Humulus creating a soulful and emotionally charged record that’s not afraid to bring a gritty sense of determined pure raw heaviness to the party. As Humulus rely upon bursts of intense FUZZ and DISTORTED MELODIES within the second half of the album.

Smuggler’s Cove is a superbly entertaining and brilliantly realized album with HUMULUS once again delivering a masterclass of modern day COSMIC and PSYCHEDELIC grooves from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Smuggler’s Cove is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music.

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Danish Doom Metal Quintet SONIC MOON shares new single off upcoming "In Lack Of Clarity" album, out November 6th on Ripple Music.

Denmark-based melodic doom metal merchants SONIC MOON present the second excerpt off their upcoming sophomore full-length "In Lack Of Clarity", to be issued on November 6th on US independent label Ripple Music.

Check out Sonic Moon's new single Beneath You

Denmark's up-and-coming heavy doom merchants Sonic Moon are set to return with their sophomore effort and Ripple Music debut: In Lack of Clarity. The new material pushes toward heavier and darker territory — menacing stoner doom riffs wrapped in hazy psychedelia, cathedral-sized grooves and soaring vocals. Like their 2023 debut album, it was recorded and produced by the band in their own studio, with mixing and mastering by Haldor Grunberg at Satanic Audio (Behemoth, Weedpecker, Dopelord). 

About the album, the band says, "We felt inspired to explore the heavier side of the genre on this album, and it certainly has a doom-feel to it. We spent a lot of time experimenting in the studio and tried out a lot of ideas, making it DIY in our own way. With our combined creativity and, at times, ingenuity we have created an album that resembles us as individuals all while diving head first into the deep end of doom." Don't miss the album's debut single Weightlessness!

SONIC MOON "In Lack Of Clarity" - Out November 6th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Formed in the fall of 2016 in the suburbs of Aarhus, Denmark, Sonic Moon came together around a shared love for heavy, hypnotic rock. The original lineup spent their early days writing in a cold, rundown house, drawing from the likes of Electric Wizard, Kyuss, All Them Witches or Colour Haze. In 2021, new bassist Niclas Fritz Sørensen joined the band, rounding out the current lineup.

After several EPs and a steady run of live shows, the band honed their sound in their own studio and issued their debut full-length Return Without Any Memory in 2023 via Olde Magick Records. The album found its audience in the stoner and doom underground, picking up favorable reviews from major scene tastemakers such as The Obelisk or Doomed & Stoned, while reaching #7 on the monthly Doom Charts and appearing on multiple year-end lists. Described by The Sleeping Shaman as “incredibly difficult to pigeonhole”, the record leaned into fuzz-heavy guitars, slow-burning grooves, and a melancholic, psychedelic atmosphere.

To support the album, Sonic Moon played shows across Denmark with acts like Weedpecker and 1000mods, and took their first trip outside the country in the spring of 2024 for dates in Germany and the Netherlands. Since then, the band has been writing and recording their sophomore effort, In Lack of Clarity, marking their debut release on Ripple Music, the California-based label known for work with The Obsessed, Hermano, Wo Fat, Colour Haze and countless stoner and doom acts of the international scene.

Sonic Moon is

Oliver Lyngkilde - Vocals
Jeppe Rasmussen - Guitar
Emil Damgaard Andersen - Guitar
Niclas Fritz Sørensen - Bass
Emil Gam Klinkby - Drums

Sonic Moon links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Exclusive Song/Video Premiere For GOAT MAJOR's Stunning New Title Track DEATH COMES TWICE From Upcoming New Album

Welsh doom metal trio GOAT MAJOR is set to return with their sophomore full-length "Death Comes Twice" this October 23rd on Ripple Music and unleash the title track from the outstanding new album today! 

Thanks to the cool folks over at Purple Sage PR and Ripple Music we're excited to premiere the new song/video for Death Comes Twice from their upcoming new album of the same name.

Welsh heavy trio Goat Major are set to return with their crushing sophomore album, Death Comes Twice, the follow-up to their 2024 debut Ritual. The songwriting process ignited immediately after the last record, with guitarist Jammie Arnold channeling a relentless flow of riff demos that provided the foundation for Simon Bonwick (drums) and Tom Shortt (vocals/bass) to build upon. They comment, "When the three of us gathered in the jam room, that’s where the true magic happened. We threw ourselves into every riff, every groove, with no detail too small or too grand. This new record reveals a deeper, more melodic side of us, all the while remaining heavy and intense. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed creating it!"

Recording once again with engineer Tom Chaloner in rural Pembrokeshire, the band captured the raw energy of their live chemistry by tracking together in a room without click tracks. The result is a record that delves deeper into melody while maintaining their signature heaviness, augmented by experimental layers of percussion, harmonies, and progressive synthesis soundscapes.

Lyrically, Death Comes Twice navigates the dark narrow passageways of belief, tradition, and existential crisis. Continuing the occult and cosmic themes of their debut, the album shifts between dark fantasy and internal turmoil, exploring themes of persecution under dogmatic rule, the spiritual toll of ancient rituals, and the clash between divine creation and modern technology.

About the new single "Wheels of Gold", the band says: "Wheels of Gold brings imagery of the biblical depictions of angels. Imagining them into our new technological age and asking if they would still serve their elemental ancient god, or revolt and destroy that god in order to serve new artificial machines of creation."

New album "Death Comes Twice" - Out October 23rd on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Emerging from the mystic landscapes of Pembrokeshire, Wales, Goat Major formed in 2020 as a strict DIY power trio. Drawing from the heaviness of Electric Wizard and the raw fury of Motörhead, their sound is a fuzz-drenched, controlled chaos that's both primal and profound. They shattered expectations with their 2024 debut Ritual via Ripple Music, a gothic romp through ancient secrets and dark whispers. Arnold's riffs swing between sludgy weight and punk urgency, Bonwick's drumming is relentless and dynamic, while Shortt's growling bass underpins hauntingly melodic vocals that push atmosphere and ambition without losing their doom-ridden core.

The band tore across the UK, sharing stages with Conan, Thunder Horse and many more, while leaving their doomy mark at Desertfest London and Stoomfest. Their blend of infectious melody and sinister atmosphere struck a deep chord, cementing them as one of the underground's most promising emerging forces. Now in 2026, they reunite with Ripple Music for their eagerly awaited second opus, Death Comes Twice. Digging deeper than Ritual, the new album weaves potent melodies and razor-sharp hooks through themes of death, medieval rituals, religious persecution, and generational hexes. It's a masterclass in inventive darkness—haunting, powerful, and daring you to climb in.

GOAT MAJOR is

Jammie Arnold - guitar
Simon Bonwick - drums
Tom Shortt - bass & vocals

GOAT MAJOR links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

RIPPLE MUSIC links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

US Psychedelic Rock Trio SNAKE MOUNTAIN REVIVAL to issue new album "The Divide" on Ripple Music this October 23rd; stream title track now!

East Coast-based genre-crossing psychedelic trio SNAKE MOUNTAIN REVIVAL announces the release of their sophomore full-length "The Divide" this October 23rd on Ripple Music, and shares the dark and gripping title track on all streaming services today.

Get compelled by new single "The Divide" at this location 

On their forthcoming second album and Ripple Music debut The Divide, the versatile Virginia Beach trio channels a world in chaos into a cathartic and unflinching sonic reckoning, leveraging modern psychedelia, surf rock and folkier elements with a darker edge. Confronting everything from the anger and frustration caused by personal turmoil and a country on fire, SNAKE MOUNTAIN REVIVAL relinquished control to deliver nine sharp, reckless and definitely genre-bending tracks.

As frontman Ryan Chandler puts it, "I mean to provoke. We always have. 'The Divide' isn’t all thorns and rough edges, though. A major juxtaposition in many of these songs intends to remind us what we might be fighting for. When we protect beauty, peace, love and contentment, sometimes we must show our fangs. We show ours with this new album." The Divide will be issued on October 23rd in various vinyl editions as well as on CD and digital, with preorders available soon on Ripple Music.

New album "The Divide" - Out October 23rd on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Formed in coastal Virginia in the summer of 2017, SNAKE MOUNTAIN REVIVAL emerged from a collision of distinct musical pedigrees. Drummer Josh Woodhouse brought the precision of Florida's death metal and progressive scenes, bassist/vocalist Ryan Chandler channeled experimental and psychedelic depths, and now former guitarist Zack Trowbridge rounded out the trio with a foundation in blues, jazz, and surf rock. The chemistry was immediate and their early gigs built entirely on improvised sets accompanied by liquid light shows, quickly became the stuff of local legend. Rather than hide from their influences, Snake Mountain Revival playfully embellish them, crafting a vibrant, forward-looking take on psychedelia that feels both timeless and restless.

Their 2018 self-titled demo EP caught fire in the blogosphere, earning praise on both sides of the Atlantic and establishing the band as a formidable live act. In 2021, they released their debut album Everything Is Sight on Rebel Waves Records, hailed as "a vibrant, vast and unyielding landscape that any set of ears will enjoy conquering" by Distorted Sound Magazine. With a polarizing, high-energy presence and crossover sound, they've shared stages with kindred spirits like Acid Dad, Freedom Hawk, Sammi Lanzetta, and Frankie & the Witch Fingers.

Now, with their sophomore album The Divide, SNAKE MOUNTAIN REVIVAL turns inward and outward at once. Set for a October 23rd, 2026 release on Ripple Music, this new outing promises to catch listeners off guard and compel them into their own peculiar, transcending realm.

SNAKE MOUNTAIN REVIVAL is

Ryan Chandler - Vocals & Bass
George Spellman - Guitar
Josh Woodhouse - Drums

SNAKE MOUNTAIN REVIVAL links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Stoner Fuzz Merchants HUMULUS release new single "Blue Wizard"; new album “Smuggler’s Cave” out October 9th on Ripple Music

North of Italy's stoner rock revelation HUMULUS shares the high-octane third single taken from their new full-length "Smuggler's Cave", due out on October 9th through Californian independent label Ripple Music.

Get fuzzy with new Humulus single Blue Wizard️

Smuggler’s Cave marks HUMULUS’ fifth LP and their second outing with vocalist/guitarist Thomas Mascheroni. Following 2023's Flowers Of Death, the band spent two years traversing Europe’s stages, and it was in the cracks between tours that the improvisations for this record took root. True to form, the band returned to the rehearsal room for marathon sessions, capturing hours of raw interplay, isolating the sparks and forging new songs from the embers.

The riffs might hit harder than ever before, yet HUMULUS’s sonic hallmark remains intact with a deft pivot from rhythmic, classic stoner crunch into more psychedelic and introspective depths. Leading the listener through mysterious settings, tales of wizards, cemetery dreams, damned souls and the shade of dark forests, this high-voltage new delivery fills the air with electricity and will compel anyone who worships at the altar of Dozer, Truckfighters, Lowrider and Greenleaf. Check out the album's latest singles Rise and Fall and Standing in the Sun!

New album "Smuggler's Cave" - Out October 9th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Humulus is an Italian psych-stoner power trio formed in Brescia, Italy in 2009. Born from the heavy lineage of Kyuss, Karma to Burn and Orange Goblin, they quickly built a reputation across southern Europe with their crushing debut on Go Down Records.

A lineup shift in 2015 flipped the script. New frontman Andrea Bellicini pushed the band into trippier, more dynamic territory through longer songs, richer atmospheres and a sound that outgrew stoner orthodoxy. The years that followed saw Humulus touring non-stop with European festival runs (Freak Valley, Desertfest Belgium, Up In Smoke), and a string of acclaimed LPs that veered from doom-laced riffage to sprawling psychedelic meditation. Another mutation came in late 2022 with the arrival of Thomas Mascheroni, reigniting the band’s chemistry and leading to a fresh creative burst. They hit the road again, sharing stages with heavyweights like Colour Haze and Monkey3, while steadily forging new material.

When founder Giorgio Bonacorsi stepped back in 2026, the remaining core members enlisted Fabio Giacomini to complete the lineup and write their most ambitious work yet, to be released in the fall 2026 on Ripple Music.

Humulus links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Danish Doom Metal quintet SONIC MOON returns with new album "In Lack Of Clarity" on Ripple Music this November; stream first single "Weightlessness"!

Danish melodic doom metal merchants SONIC MOON have inked a worldwide deal with US label Ripple Music for the November 6th release of their sophomore full-length "In Lack Of Clarity", with its crushing debut single available now on all streaming platforms!

Stream Sonic Moon's towering new single Weightlessness 

Denmark's up-and-coming heavy doom merchants Sonic Moon are set to return with their sophomore effort and Ripple Music debut: In Lack of Clarity. The new material pushes toward heavier and darker territory — menacing stoner doom riffs wrapped in hazy psychedelia, cathedral-sized grooves and soaring vocals. Like their 2023 debut album, it was recorded and produced by the band in their own studio, with mixing and mastering by Haldor Grunberg at Satanic Audio (Behemoth, Weedpecker, Dopelord). 

"The album emerged from a more personal introspective view. We felt inspired to explore the heavier side of the genre on this album, and it certainly has a doom-feel to it. We spent a lot of time experimenting in the studio and tried out a lot of ideas, making it DIY in our own way. With our combined creativity and, at times, ingenuity we have created an album that resembles us as individuals all while diving head first into the deep end of doom," says Sonic Moon.

SONIC MOON "In Lack Of Clarity" - Out November 6th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Formed in the fall of 2016 in the suburbs of Aarhus, Denmark, Sonic Moon came together around a shared love for heavy, hypnotic rock. The original lineup spent their early days writing in a cold, rundown house, drawing from the likes of Electric Wizard, Kyuss, All Them Witches or Colour Haze. In 2021, new bassist Niclas Fritz Sørensen joined the band, rounding out the current lineup.

After several EPs and a steady run of live shows, the band honed their sound in their own studio and issued their debut full-length Return Without Any Memory in 2023 via Olde Magick Records. The album found its audience in the stoner and doom underground, picking up favorable reviews from major scene tastemakers such as The Obelisk or Doomed & Stoned, while reaching #7 on the monthly Doom Charts and appearing on multiple year-end lists. Described by The Sleeping Shaman as “incredibly difficult to pigeonhole”, the record leaned into fuzz-heavy guitars, slow-burning grooves, and a melancholic, psychedelic atmosphere.

To support the album, Sonic Moon played shows across Denmark with acts like Weedpecker and 1000mods, and took their first trip outside the country in the spring of 2024 for dates in Germany and the Netherlands. Since then, the band has been writing and recording their sophomore effort, In Lack of Clarity, marking their debut release on Ripple Music, the California-based label known for work with The Obsessed, Hermano, Wo Fat, Colour Haze and countless stoner and doom acts of the international scene.

Sonic Moon is

Oliver Lyngkilde - Vocals
Jeppe Rasmussen - Guitar
Emil Damgaard Andersen - Guitar
Niclas Fritz Sørensen - Bass
Emil Gam Klinkby - Drums

Sonic Moon links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

UK Heavy Rock Pillars STEAK share details of upcoming "Steak" album on Ripple Music and Stickman Records; new single "Infinite" available!

UK progressive stoner rock spearhead STEAK reveal all details and preorders for their forthcoming fourth studio album "Steak", to be issued this October 9th on Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe & UK), and release a haunting third single on all streaming platforms today!

Stream new Steak single "Infinite" at this location 

Written and recorded as a five-piece for the first time in the band's career, their upcoming fourth full-length Steak marks another bold evolution for a band that has spent more than a decade pushing at the boundaries of desert rock, psychedelia and progressive heaviness. Combining crushing riffs, cinematic atmosphere and the band's unmistakable melodic edge, the new record sees STEAK moving further into darker and more progressive territories explored on 2022's acclaimed Acute Mania, while further defining a sound unmistakably its own.

One track after another, the UK quintet continues to showcase the depth and diversity of their sound, further building anticipation for what promises to be one of their most ambitious and powerful releases to date. Don't miss their latest singles Luxury Junk and Cometh!

About the new single "Infinite", guitarist and vocalist Tom Cameron says, "Infinite is about getting lost in your own head...where thoughts and fears can grow until they feel bigger and more real than everything around you."

New album "Steak" Out October 9th on Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe/UK)

TRACKLIST:

1. Cometh
2. Luxury Junk
3. Dust
4. Two By Two
5. Aether
6. Infinite
7. Knucklehead
8. Short Arms

Emerging from the shadows of London's underground heavy rock scene, STEAK has spent more than a decade carving out a reputation as one of the UK's most distinctive progressive stoner rock bands. Since forming in 2012, the band has built a loyal international following through relentless touring, acclaimed releases and an ever-evolving sound that fuses desert rock, psychedelia and progressive heaviness.

Following early releases and its debut album Slab City (Napalm Records), STEAK joined Ripple Music for 2017's No God To Save, taking the band across Europe and North America alongside John Garcia (Kyuss), Monster Magnet, Greenleaf and The Atomic Bitchwax, as well as an appearance at SXSW.

In recent years, STEAK has continued to build momentum with appearances at Freak Valley Festival, Resurrection Fest and multiple editions of Desertfest, alongside recent UK and European tours with All Them Witches, Elder and Slomosa. With the new full-length on the horizon, the London quintet continues its upward trajectory with its most ambitious and expansive work to date, setting the stage for their most exciting chapter yet!

STEAK is:

Kippa – vocals
Reece – lead guitar
Tom – guitar & vocals
Cam – bass

Dean – drums

Steak links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Stickman Records links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the detials.

Italian Stoner Rock Trio HUMULUS unleashes new single "Standing in the Sun" new album “Smuggler’s Cave” out this fall on Ripple Music!

Italian Psychedelic Stoner Rockers HUMULUS share the second track taken from their forthcoming new album "Smuggler's Cave", due out this October 9th on Ripple Music.

Stream new Humulus single Standing in the Sun 

Smuggler’s Cave marks HUMULUS’ fifth LP and their second outing with vocalist/guitarist Thomas Mascheroni. Following 2023's Flowers Of Death, the band spent two years traversing Europe’s stages, and it was in the cracks between tours that the improvisations for this record took root. True to form, the band returned to the rehearsal room for marathon sessions, capturing hours of raw interplay, isolating the sparks and forging new songs from the embers.

On this album, those riffs hit harder and land with greater certainty than before, yet HUMULUS’s sonic hallmark remains intact: a deft pivot from rhythmic, classic stoner crunch into more psychedelic and introspective depths. As always, lyrics arrived after the music, with the title track serving as a thread for the rest of the record, leading the listener through mysterious settings, tales of wizards, cemetery dreams, damned souls and the shade of dark forests. A high-voltage delivery that fills the air with electricity and will compel anyone who worships at the altar of Dozer, Truckfighters, Lowrider, Greenleaf. Don't miss the previous single Rise and Fall!

It will be released on October 9th on LP, CD and digital, with preorders available now from Ripple Music.

New album "Smuggler's Cave" - Out October 9th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Humulus is an Italian psych-stoner power trio formed in Brescia, Italy in 2009. Born from the heavy lineage of Kyuss, Karma to Burn and Orange Goblin, they quickly built a reputation across southern Europe with their crushing debut on Go Down Records.

A lineup shift in 2015 flipped the script. New frontman Andrea Bellicini pushed the band into trippier, more dynamic territory through longer songs, richer atmospheres and a sound that outgrew stoner orthodoxy. The years that followed saw Humulus touring non-stop with European festival runs (Freak Valley, Desertfest Belgium, Up In Smoke), and a string of acclaimed LPs that veered from doom-laced riffage to sprawling psychedelic meditation. Another mutation came in late 2022 with the arrival of Thomas Mascheroni, reigniting the band’s chemistry and leading to a fresh creative burst. They hit the road again, sharing stages with heavyweights like Colour Haze and Monkey3, while steadily forging new material.

When founder Giorgio Bonacorsi stepped back in 2026, the remaining core members enlisted Fabio Giacomini to complete the lineup and write their most ambitious work yet, to be released in the fall 2026 on Ripple Music.

Humulus links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

UK Heavy Rock Pillars STEAK to release new self-titled album on Ripple Music and Stickman Records this October 9th; new singles available now!

UK progressive stoner rock spearhead STEAK have announced the release of their fourth studio full-length "Steak" this October 9th, in collaboration with Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe & UK). Stream the first two singles "Cometh" and "Luxury Junk" now!

London-based heavy rock heroes STEAK have recently released their new single Luxury Junk, the latest track from their forthcoming self-titled studio album, due this fall through Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe/UK).

Following the badass, comic-inspired first single Cometh (designed by Schoph and animated by director Samuel Smith), "Luxury Junk" offers another glimpse into the band's next chapter, expanding on STEAK's unmistakable blend of crushing riffs, desert rock grooves and immersive sonic weight. Equal parts hypnotic and hard-hitting, the track explores themes of escapism, excess and emotional detachment, wrapped in a hazy atmosphere that balances raw heaviness with an almost otherworldly sense of longing.

One track after another, the UK quintet continues to showcase the depth and diversity of their upcoming album, further building anticipation for what promises to be one of the band's most ambitious and powerful releases to date.

 
New album "Steak" - Out October 9th on Ripple Music (North America) and Stickman Records (Europe/UK) - Preorder coming soon

Hailing from London, STEAK have established themselves as a key force within the global desert rock and stoner scene. Known for their relentless riffs, hypnotic grooves, and high-energy live performances, the band has built a strong following across Europe and beyond.

Blending elements of classic heavy rock with modern fuzz-drenched intensity, STEAK continue to push their sound into darker and heavier territories while staying rooted in the spirit of the desert rock movement. Self-described as a “shit kickin’ band”, their ethos reflects the raw, no-frills energy that defines both their recordings and their explosive live shows. Earlier this summer, the band joined Nashville heavy rock giants All Them Witches as special guests on selected tour dates, further cementing their reputation as a must-see act within the heavy underground scene.

Steak links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ripple Music links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Stickman Records links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the detials.

10,000 Years - Esox Lucifer (Album Review)

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

Esox Lucifer - Tracklist

1.Beasts Of The Northern Wild

2.Pursuit Special

3.Fleur de Sledgehammer

4.Church Of The Red Museum

5.Alien Tactics 

6.Two Million Stones 

7.Paranoidium 

8.Esox Lucifer

Lineup

Alex Risberg - Bass/Vocals

Erik Palm - Guitars

Alvin Risberg - Drums

Review

Esox Lucifer is the fourth full length album from Doom/Stoner Metallers 10,000 Years where the band have partially swapped the Cosmic surroundings of Space for a grounded and cerebral approach for this record. The heavy Spaced Out themes are still there but 10,000 Years have opted for an intense melodic style of Sludge/Stoner Metal more accustomed to the likes of The Sword, KYLESA, BEASTWARS and Torche. They still pack the almighty aggression of their musical heroes HIGH ON FIRE but it’s good to see 10,000 Years adapt their musical style to a more modern sound which you can hear through the likes of Beasts Of The Northern Wild, Pursuit Special and Fleur de Sledgehammer.

The sludgy surroundings opens the music to violent blasts of Thrash Metal along the way with a highly energetic style of Post-Doom, Ambient Rock and Post-Rock which perhaps makes this the band’s most mature record to date especially musically speaking. The vocals and lyrics have a more reflective energy to them when compared to their previous records. Esox Lucifer throws a few curveballs along the way with 10,000 Years moving into Shoegaze territory which allows lead vocalist Alex Risberg to deliver some startling and emotionally charged vocals along the way.

This record still features the same intense and action packed sounds the band made their names with but this record allows 10,000 Years to constantly evolve onto greater musical heights especially when the Psychedelic and Cosmic passages appear that holds everything together. The soulful Ambient themes become more gloomier on tracks such as Church Of The Red Museum, Alien Tactics and Esox Lucifer. There seems to be an unwavering intent of Progressive Metal energy that becomes more part of the action of the later stages of the record. 

The production values are superbly realized with a sound that’s both crisp and quietly distorted which allows the band to explore different musical sounds they haven’t experienced before. This is still a band who revel in creating Sludge/Stoner Metal mayhem but why not add some standout Psychedelic and Post-Stoner grooves along the way which 10,000 Years pull off with great style and full commitment from start to finish. 

Esox Lucifer is perhaps the next musical and creative evolution from 10,000 Years which should hopefully catapult them onto bigger and greater things from the confinements of the heavy underground scene. They have the songs, talent and creative vision to move onto the next level of their musical careers and this record is a testament to that fact. This is an outstanding record on every singular level. 

10,000 Years have delivered another album of the year contender in their already impressive discography. If this is your first time to their highly destructive world then be prepared for a true masterclass of modern day Sludge/Stoner Metal.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Esox Lucifer is available to buy now via Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram