Stoned Jesus Announce New Album 'Songs to Moon' And Release New Song/Video For VELVET

After 15 years of trailblazing across doom metal, grunge, psychedelic and art rock, no height is too steep a climb for Stoned Jesus. The heavy progressive rockers are reaching a new creative peak with their forthcoming album trilogy. Its opening chapter, Songs to Sun, rose atop best of 2025 lists at Doom Charts, Rock Hard, The Obelisk and other critical institutions. 

Now, frontman Igor Sydorenko and his two bandmates are cycling into the darkest, most daring and deeply moving territory of their career with Songs To Moon.

 "We started The Songs trilogy last year with Songs to Sun, which is a loud and heavy album that's big on choruses and meaty riffs" Sydorenko says. 

"While still heavy and catchy, Songs to Moon follows a similar trajectory to Led Zeppelin III, Opeth's Damnation or Jar of Flies by Alice In Chains. The songs are recognizably Stoned Jesus, but they are bolder, more haunting and introspective than anything we've done before". 

Today, Stoned Jesus are announcing Songs to Moon with a '90s-style music video for the album's lead single. While floating endlessly amidst uncertainty, the doomgaze of "Velvet" hits hard with one of the band's biggest hooks. 

"This song answers the question: What if Nirvana was shoegaze?", Sydorenko teases. 

Watch the music video for "Velvet" below:

Recording Lineup:

Igor Sydorenko — Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Andrew Rodin — Bass, Backing Vocals
Yurii Ciel — Drums, Backing Vocals

Guest Musicians:

Renie Fiske (Dungen) - Guitar Solo on "Syzgy"

Live Lineup:

Igor Sydorenko — Vocals, Guitar
Andrew Rodin — Bass, Backing Vocals
Ihor Biriuchenko — Drums, Percussion

Production Credits:

Producer — Igor Sydorenko
Sound Engineer — Andy Rosczyk
Mixing and Mastering Engineer — Karl Daniel Lidén
Recording Studio — Goblin Sound Studio in Cologne, Germany
Mixing and Mastering Studio — StudioTri-Lamb, Sweden

Cover Art:

Vadym "Karaska" Karasiov

Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/stonedjesussongstomoon

Available Formats:

CD Digipak
12” Vinyl Jacket (Black)
12” Vinyl Jacket (Turquoise vinyl)
12” Vinyl Jacket (Blood moon marbled)
12” Vinyl Jacket (Natural transparent, green and purple marbled)

Follow Stoned Jesus:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/stonedjesusband
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/stoned-jesus/396799004
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/23lyMLxYNPS15hpVvFNptR
Instagram: instagram.com/stonedjesusband
Facebook: http://facebook.com/stonedjesusband
Twitter: twitter.com/stonedjesusband
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stonedjesusband
YouTube: youtube.com/c/StonedJesus
Bandcamp: stonedjesus.bandcamp.com

Thanks to Season Of Mist for the details. 

Wailin Storms - The Arsonist (Album Review)

Release Date: July 10th 2026. Record Label: Season Of Mist. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Arsonist - Tracklisting

1. Dead End (4:48)

2. Heart of Mine (5:13)

3. You Never Answered (4:53)

4. The Arsonist (4:52)

5. Never Rest (4:59)

6. Saved (4:24)

7. Patient Night (3:22)

8. The Wind (6:01)

9. It's All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used to Be (6:30)

Members

Justin Storms - Lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Ben Melton - Lead guitar, backup vocals, Rhodes organ, piano

Steve Stanczyk - Bass

Mark Oates - Drums

Review

Wailin Storms return with their fifth album The Arsonist that once again features their potent mix of Doom, Gothic, Southern Rock, Alt Rock and Americana that’s doused in a heavy dose of Blues Rock that’s held together by a Swamp Rock narrative. There’s always been an air of mystery behind Wailin Storms records which taps into the darkest corners of the Doom Rock and Southern Rock scenes. Lead vocalist / rhythm guitarist Justin Storms is the main creative force here with his grounded and gothic lyrics being one of the main highlights of the record.

There are shades of Nick Cave, Jeff Buckley, Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains and even DANZIG which shows the broad musical landscape the band have projected within their impressive discography. The Arsonist is quite subdued and is alarmingly heavy when the need arises but it’s a different kind of HEAVY ROCK with a stripped back style being semi-acoustic in places which develops very early on tracks such as Dead End, Heart Of Mine and You Never Answered. These songs are cautiously slow and bleakly pessimistic at the best times but the thundering melodies and post-doom surroundings allows Wailin Storms to portray a mellow and blues rock environment which never lets a ray of sunshine or uplifting grooves to appear. 

The Arsonist can be too unforgiving for its own good but it shows you the depths of Occult Rock and Gothic Doom that the band are willing to thrust upon the listener. There’s some great use of psychedelic instrumental passages and drone rock appearing within the later stages of the record with an aggressive sideline of moody Grunge melodies. The other members of the band Ben Melton (Lead guitar, backup vocals, Rhodes organ, piano), Steve Stanczyk (Bass) and Mark Oates (Drums) all play to their musical strengths by putting in phenomenal performances throughout. This record sounds and feels like a real team effort even when Justin’s vocals and majestic persona takes centre stage for large parts of the record.

Another great aspect of the record is the stripped back production values that have a lovely analogue feeling which gives the whole thing a crisp, clean and moody atmosphere from beginning to end. This allows the Post-Punk themes of the record to fully shine through on the second half of the album, even impressing me the most. 

Other great tracks on The Arsonist include: The Arsonist, Never Rest, Saved, The Wind and It’s All Dark Now Where Your Eyes Used To Be. There’s a haunting romantic aspect that does start to form here which feels like there’s a massive EARTH influence appearing when you least expect it but the bleak and sometimes nihilistic lyrics allows Wailin Storms to form their own definitive musical legacy. 

The band are five albums into their career at this point and are really starting to gain a reputation as one of America’s best Gothic Rock bands currently out there as they explore different musical themes that’s so brilliantly original and emotionally striking with each passing record. The Arsonist is a towering achievement that’s deeply unflinching vision with Wailin Storms leaving you emotionally satisfied with an intense and gut wrenching musical experience. There’s no other way I can describe this album and that’s where I’m going to end this review.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Season Of Mist ffor the promo.

The Arsonist is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Stoned Jesus - Songs To Sun (Album Review)

Release Date: September 19th 2025. Record Label: Season Of Mist. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Songs To Sun - Tracklisting

1. New Dawn (8:53)

2. Shadowland (4:38) 

3. Lost in the Rain (7:49)

4. Low (4:09) 

5. See You on the Road (5:45)

6. Quicksand (9:52)

Members

Igor Sydorenko - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards

Andrew Rodin - Bass, Backing Vocals

Yurii Ciel - Drums, Backing Vocals

Review.

Stoned Jesus creates a highly melodic blend of Psych, Doom, Stoner Rock, Prog Rock and Grunge on their new album Songs To Sun. The whole album sees Stoned Jesus travel across the whole Heavy Metal landscape where they re-invent and redefine their whole musical legacy with music that’s uplifting, bleak and superbly powerful. 

The record does feel like it’s been shaped by the real life events the band have gone through over the last few years or perhaps even longer. There is a sense of real struggle appearing within the lyrics especially within the closing moments. However, there’s a level of uplifting optimism which sees lead vocalist and creative mastermind Igor Sydorenko adapting his musical persona and performance to one of Post-Rock and Post-Metal surroundings.

 There are flashes of Post-Grunge attitude influenced by Alice In Chains on the excellent opening track New Dawn. The song is cautiously slow with Stoned Jesus biding their time to unleash a torrent of heavy Stoner Rock/Metal melodies which they achieve through determined grit with a sense of human warmth and emotion. Stoned Jesus keeps up with that level of Progressive storytelling within the sublime second track Shadowland which has a gritty slow-to-mid pace with classic Grunge guitars being quite daring especially when the song moves into areas of Prog Rock and Psych Rock sensibilities.

With an eerie level of Ambient Rock developing and slight orchestral movements, Stoned Jesus are absolutely on fire with the stunning backing vocals of Andrew Rodin and Yurii Ciel appearing at the most correct time that allows Songs To Sun become quite experimental. With a haunting Folk presence emerging from the stunning third track Lost In The Rain which has some heavy “OPETH” vibes whilst keeping within Stoned Jesus’s epic Post-Doom creative charge. Heavy instrumental passages and subtle Folk Rock energy pushes the record into the world of Orchestral Rock with a superb “LESS IS MORE” approach that brings another level of bleak heartbreak to the album.

The fourth track Low is full on Doom/Stoner Metal that is boosted by an epic Prog Metal style dictating the whole action which should make MASTODON fans quite happy indeed. The technical beats from Igor, Andrew and Yurii are outstanding with some of the heaviest and catchiest moments appearing on this song alone. This feels like STONED JESUS of yesteryear and the whole record becomes more rewarding and fulfilling for that alone.

The final two songs of See You On The Road and Quicksand are full of Doom/Stoner Metal madness with mighty throwbacks to the era of Nineties Grunge/Stoner Rock scene with Stoned Jesus still allowing themselves the time and freedom to experiment and play with their overall sound. 

Igor’s vocals remind me of Trent Reznor in his prime with a sense of maturity that makes you feel every pounding note being projected at you from all directions. The instrumental passages are heavy, thrilling and sometimes brilliantly unique with Songs To Sun proving why Stoned To Jesus can easily be considered “LEGENDS” of the whole Stoner Rock/Metal movement. 

This is an outstanding record from a band who are simply at THE TOP OF THEIR GAME and who deserve all the plaudits fully coming their way. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Season Of Mist for the promo.

Songs To Sun is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist.

 

Links

LinkTree | BandCamp

BASK - The Turning (Album Review)

Release Date: August 22nd 2025. Record Label: Season Of Mist Records. Formats: CD.DD/Vinyl

The Turning - Tracklisting

1.Chasm

2.In the Heat of the Dying Sun

3.The Traveler 

4.The Cloth

5.Dig My Heels 

6.Unwound

7.Long Lost Light 

8.The Turning

Members

Recording Line-Up:

-Scott Middleton

-Jesse Van Note

-Ray Worth

-Zeb Wright

-Jed Willis

Guest Musicians:

-Clay White - trumpet

-Franklin Keel - cello

-Alex Taub - piano, Hammond b3

Review

The Turning is the eagerly awaited fourth album from Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers BASK which sees the band return after a six year absence with new material. This has been well worth the wait with BASK generating their own style of Progressive leaning Stoner Rock sound that sees their trademark use of Country, Americana, Space Rock and Blues Rock based harmonies being given a heavier Sludge Rock/Metal makeover influenced by the likes of MASTODON and BARONESS.

There’s also a chilling sense of Post-Doom and Post-Metal melodies that develops within the more abrasive and violent sounds that sees BASK venture out for the very first time in some places. Though, the classic early Americana themes that made BASK such a force to be reckoned with are never too far behind. Throw in a subtle mix of Prog Rock, Folk Rock and Cosmic Rock grooves which allows The Turning to be very hard to categorize and define at times.

This is also one of the albums and possibly BASK’s greatest strengths as you’re not sure what to expect with each passing song. Did you ever wonder what Heavy Spaced Out Doom would sound like when merged with Country, Southern Rock and Americana passages. Well, the answer is perfectly captured here on superbly constructed and brilliantly played tracks such as In The Heat Of The Dying Sun, The Traveler, Dig My Heels and Unwound being some of the best material that BASK have written to date.

Their music is constantly evolving but still showing a thrilling and adventurous creative attitude with BASK not afraid to add even more elements of music such as Post-Rock, Ambient Melodies and Shoegaze which is brought to life with their epic use of different instruments throughout the album. The record can be quite ROOTS based with the “TWANGY” instrumental movements but it’s kept within the areas of Sludge/Stoner Metal with BASK never afraid to experiment at the most crucial moment which transfers this record into MONOLITHIC and INTERDIMENSIONAL SPACE GOAT territory. 

With a range of diverse influences such as Mastodon, Baroness, Elder, Hawkwind, All Them Witches and King Buffalo with BASK even forging and creating their unique style of Heavy Psychedelic music of the highest order. What also makes them stand out is how the band brings a classic EVERYMAN level of storytelling into their cinematic adventure. The lyrics are quite hopeful and brilliantly insightful even when the music takes a daring and apocalyptic turn.

The Turning is an emotionally charged record of the highest order with BASK firmly establishing themselves as one of the most unique and original voices within the modern day Psych Stoner Rock/Metal scene. This is a record of REAL QUALITY and can easily be considered one of the best Psychedelic Rock albums of the year.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Season Of Mist for the promo.

The Turning is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist.

Links

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bask/209266263
Bandcamp: https://basknc.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/basknc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baskband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebandbask

Psych Stoner Rock Collective BASK Release Cosmic Cover of The Brian Jonestown Massacre Classic Track Anemone

After a smoking hot tour with their labelmates and fellow North Carolinians Weedeater, Bask are now ready to turn over a different kind of leaf. The Asheville natives will release their fourth album later this year. But first, the band are looking back at one of their influences.

"We've always been inspired by acts like The Brian Jonestown Massacre", says guitarist and vocalist Zeb Wright. "They write songs that feel outside of time and place".

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the documentary that thrust The Brian Jonestown Massacre into the spotlight, today, Bask are releasing a cover of "Anemone". The road to get to this point has been much smoother than it was for the shaggy San Franciscan collective, but the heavy dose of Americana that the band bring to this cult classic shows how far they've come.

Even though they're separated across coastlines and nearly three decades, Bask and The Brian Jonestown Massacre were in a similar headspace heading into their fourth albums. While partially named after the Rolling Stones' guitarist, BJM shifted from spaced-out shoegaze to flower-powered '60s psychedelia on 1996's Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request. Bask's upcoming full-length also ventures into headier pastures, though their cover of that album's sleeper hit "Anemone" is plucked straight from the band's Appalachian roots.

"You should be picking me up / Instead you're dragging me down", Wright repeats in a dazed drawl while twanging on his banjo.

Bask haven't endured nearly the same amount of lineup turnover as their kindred spirits in The Brian Jonestown Massacre. On "Anemone", Drummer Scott Middleton and bassist Jesse Van Note hold down a bottomless groove that's as sludgy and free-flowing as a riverbed. But this cover is the first release since Jed Willis joined as the band's official fifth member. As his pedal steel ripples against Ray Worth's colorfully swirling leads, the band take cosmic country into a whole new dimension.

"'Anemone' is hypnotic in its repetition and perfectly expresses the combination of emotional distress and unbothered cool that to us feels so integral to BJM's sound and songwriting", Bask says. "It's also really fun to play and riff on".

More praise for Bask:

"I've heard the components of Bask's music before: Baroness, U.S. Christmas, Bruce Springsteen, Crazy Horse, Across Tundras and so forth. But I've never heard them together as one unit. If someone were to ask me if it were possible to be heavy without being brutal, I'd refer them to Bask" - Invisible Oranges.

"Such a knack for expressive music is Bask's bread and butter" - Angry Metal Guy

"This is the kind of band you want to see grow. Join the party now" - Heavy Blog is Heavy

"The entire thing rocks your socks off with gripping guitar riffing" - Metal Bite

"... a remarkable demonstration of melodic genius created by a shrewd horde of big-footed giants...behold and bear witness to legends among villagers!" - Outlaws of the Sun

"...undeniably both infection and innovative" - Metal Storm

Lineup:

Jesse Van Note – Bass
Scott Middleton – Drums
Ray Worth – Guitar
Zeb Wright – Guitar/Vocals
Jed Willis - Pedal Steel

Guest Musician:

Kenny Harrington - Tambourine

Recording Studio:

Echo Mountain Spring

Production:

Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Kenny Harrington and Zeb Wright.

Mastered by Joe Hutchinson at Garage Masters in Nashville, TN

Follow Bask:

Official Website: http://www.baskband.com
Bandcamp: https://basknc.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/basknc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baskband/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebandbask
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/44JvnzLiXzAtiMSDJTnFC7
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/bask/209266263

Thanks to Season Of Mist for all of the info.

Anciients - Beyond The Reach Of The Sun (Album Review)

Release Date: August 30th 2024. Record Label: Season Of Mist Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Beyond The Reach Of The Sun: Tracklisting

1.Forbidden Sanctuary

2.Despoiled

3.Is It Your God

4.Melt The Crown 

5.Cloak Of The Vast And Black 

6.Celestial Tyrant

7.Beyond Our Minds

8.The Torch

9.Candescence

10.In The Absence Of Wisdom 0

Members

Kenny Cook - Guitar, Vocals

Brock MacInnes - Guitar

Rory O'Brien - Bass

Mike Hannay - Drums

Keyboards on Tracks 1, 3, 4, 9 and 10 by Justin Hagberg

Synth on tracks 5 and 9 by Jesse Gander

Review

Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal visionaries Anciients return after an eight year absence after they released their landmark second album Voice Of The Void. Their new album Beyond The Reach Of The Sun takes everything that album delivered and turns everything on its head with Anciients becoming fully immersed with their own unique style of Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal which has the added movements of Groove Metal, Prog Rock, Psych Rock, Thrash Metal and Folk Rock tendencies to give this record a truly original feel and sound.

Taking creative cues from bands such as Mastodon and OPETH whilst still creating their own highly original sound. The music is wonderfully progressive and offers a more transcendental style of Psych Metal compared to their previous album. The vocals once again are a mixture of clean vocals, harsh growls and death chants which are all delivered with intense delivery especially the death growls within the epic opening tracks of Forbidden Sanctuary and Despoiled. 

The music moves along at a stunning THUGGISH pace where the Thrash/Death/Groove instrumental beats appear though Anciients surround that aggressive style of music with first rate Psychedelic Stoner Metal and Post-Doom creative energy. Taking heavy savage grooves and re-creating them in their own unique way which moves between the finer moments of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal and Extreme Metal. The songs are quite long and very multi-layered for the most parts with Anciients providing a classic way of storytelling that I haven’t heard since the early days of OPETH when matched against the cynical world-building mysticism of early-era MASTODON.

The real beauty and power of this record is the engaging and non-stop switching of melodies and harsh sonic landscapes which allows Anciients to create their own genre of music at times. Not just Hard Rock or Heavy Metal but music in general with each track telling their own individual story whilst fitting in with the whole creative storytelling of the whole album.

My favourite tracks on the album are: Despoiled, Is It Your God, Cloak Of The Vast And Black, Celestial Tyrant, Candescence and In The Absence Of Wisdom.

These tracks resonated personally with me the most especially within the most soulful, uplifting and challenging vocal melodies from lead vocalist Kenny Cook. The amount of technical ability he provides within his vocals and instrumental ability is an absolute joy to listen to. Though, everyone on this record brings their “A” game to the album. 

Anciients perhaps over-deliver on the SONIC and PSYCHEDELIC movements on the record but that aspect is still another one of my favourite things about the whole album. As Anciients could be playing an outlandish Post-Stoner rhythm or instrumental passage before switching gears and playing an intense burst of Death, Thrash and Groove Metal which left me completely breathless at times.

This album could have easily suffered from a real case of identity crisis with the amount of different musical styles that Anciients play here. However, everything musically speaking feels LOUD, VIBRANT and ORIGINAL that moves along at such a breakneck pace. 

Beyond The Reach Of The Sun is boosted by first rate production values and allows Anciients to beoome one the scenes most shining creative lights within the Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal field. This has all the makings of being another classic album from Anciients and perhaps propel them ever so closely into the grasp of the HEAVY METAL MAINSTREAM.

An absolutely incredible record and one that will become regarded as one of the years must have albums.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Season Of Mist for the promo.

Beyond The Reach Of The Sun will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist Records from Friday 30th September 2024.

ANCIIENTS Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Black Tusk - The Way Forward (Album Review)

Release Date: April 26th 2024. Record Label: Season Of Mist. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Way Forward - Tracklisting

1.Out Of Grasp

2.Brushfire 

3.Harness (The Alchemist)

4.Lessons Through Deception

5.Breath Of Life 

6.Dance On Your Grave

7.Against The Undertow

8.Lift Yourself

9.Ocean Of Obsidian

10.Flee From Dawn

11.The Way Forward

Members

 

Andrew Fidler - Guitar + Vocals

James May - Drums + Vocals

Chris "Scary" Adams - Guitar + Vocals

Derek Lynch - Bass, Vocals and Synths

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metallers Black Tusk have come roaring back to form with their most outstanding record in years with The Way Forward. Their turbo charged style of Punk, Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal which they call Swamp Metal has been at the cornerstone of the scene for almost twenty years now. Their last album T.C.B.T. was made and released after the tragic loss of their brother and band-mate Jonathan Athon which is still a great album felt a bit out of place compared to the rest of the Black Task catalogue.

You don’t experience that feeling with The Way Forward as Black Tusk return to their most PRIMAL and PUNK inspired sound with a catchy Speed Metal style of music buried within their trademark Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves which offers moments of heavy carnage on the bruising opening tracks of Out Of Grasp, Brushfire and Harness (The Alchemist). 

The vocals feel like they’re shared equally between all band members which allows the record to have a constant change of different and aggressive sounding vocals. The Hardcore element is superbly handled throughout with the bone-crunching metallic grooves having a sense of Progressive Metal behind them especially on tracks such as Breath Of Life, Dance On Your Grave, Against The Undertow, Flee From Dawn and The Way Forward.

The Way Forward sees Black Tusk being brutally honest and open with some hard-hitting lyrics spliced throughout the album which matches the bleak sounding music they play on the album. However, there’s a ton of classic Heavy Metal guitar shredding and wicked solos which has that classic Savannah, Georgia blend of metal fusing with other areas of Sludge/Stoner Metal which provided bands such as Baroness and Kylesa. Black Tusk have never gone for a more commercial sound like Baroness have done over the years. They’ve remained a primal force of nature with their music having a quality destructive and nihilistic vibe on certain parts of the album.

You’ll be surprised at the high amount of epic instrumental jams and classic head-banging sounds that Black Tusk have conjured up with this release. Small movements of Psychedelic Rock/Metal even manage to sneak within the Swamp Metal carnage which allows The Way Forward to have a sense of human emotion from start to finish. The clever use of Synths and trippy sound effects shows that Black Tusk are willing to experiment with their own music for the greater good and this allows The Way Forward to perhaps being their atmospheric album yet with some fantastic DRONED OUT textures appearing on the later stages of the record.

The Way Forward is BLACK TUSK doing what they do best and that’s playing a ton of fucked up and fast-paced grooves that destroys everything within its wake. 

Awesome. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Season Of Mist for the promo.

The Way Forward is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist from Friday 26th April 2024.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Somali Yacht Club - The Space (Album Review)

Release Date: April 22nd 2022. Record Label: Season Of Mist Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Space - Tracklisting

Silver

Pulsar

Obscurum

Echo Of Direction

Gold

Momentum

Members

Mezk Erei - Guitar/Vocals

Artur Savluk - Bass

Lesyk Magula - Drums

Review

Things were looking so good and hopeful for Ukrainian Psych/Space/Stoner Rockers Somali Yacht Club who had just signed a new deal with Season Of Mist Records to reissue their back catalogue and release their new album The Space. However, Russia had other plans with their horrible invasion of Ukraine. That hasn't stopped Somali Yacht Club by releasing their 3rd album The Space.

This is a record full of hopeful moments that sees Somali Yacht Club expand their sound with huge sounding areas of Psyched Out Space Rock that sees the band play similar styles of music to bands such as Elephant Tree, Weedpecker and Pallbearer in places. Perhaps their best and most mature offering to date and I could have seen these guys make huge strides on on the live circuit within the Stoner Rock/Metal community if Russia didn't invade their home country.

The album opens with the stunning first track Silver which sees the band offer a more mature blend of songwriting and vocal passages as well. The music has an optimistic gloomy or Post-Doom feel to it that has echoes of Pallbearer but with that Somali Yacht Club swagger still shining through. The grooves are more "Rock" than "Metal" though still showing a fine appetite for all things Doom, Sludge and Stoner sounds lovingly wrapped in Psychedelic Spaced Out Riffs. 

Second song Pulsar has echoes of Synth Driven Psychedelic Post-Rock rhythms before moving onto heavier DOOM based pastures. The music is quite melancholic with uplifting aggressively heavy passages that sees the band fully explore the areas of Post-Rock and Post-Stoner their music fully resides in whilst offering a Progressive Sludgy outlook on certain stages of the song. The song lasts more than nine moments and it's a beautifully structured song that has levels of real intelligence amongst the different styles of music contained on this song.

Third song Obscurum opens once again with echoes of Post-Rock/Post-Stoner vibes before slowly expanding into more heavier sludgy and gloomy atmospherics but held together by a wonderfully uplifting "Psych" score that only elevates the "indie" based vocals to another level. Shades of nineties Alt-Metal keep things relatively grounded but still allowing Somali Yacht Club the opportunity to venture further into their Space Rock world. There are some fantastic guitar solos on this song that do have a certain Post-Metal quality to it all. 

The album moves even further into hopeful Post-Rock/Post-Stoner territory on the second half of the album but with the band still playing slightly heavier distorted grooves and elements on songs such as Echo Of Direction and Momentum. These are two of the other lengthier songs on the album lasting over nine minutes and twelve minutes respectively. 

Somali Yacht Club opt for a more cinematic style of delivery on the second half of the album but it works so well with even more blistering and heavy Psych/Space Rock moments merged with their gloomy Sludge/Stoner instrumental work. The vocals yet again are excellent with a fantastic lead performance from Mezk Erei who puts in a commanding vocal performance from start to finish.

The whole band play their part by making The Space such a joyous, uplifting, thrilling and beautifully heavy sonic experience. The record also has first rate production values and is without doubt perhaps the best that Somali Yacht Club have sounded to date.

Overall, The Space is an exciting and emotionally charged record that allows this to be a genuine Album Of The Year Contender. Don't let this record pass you by. Add this to your collection now.

Words by Steve Howe

The Space is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist Records. 

Links

Facebook | BandCamp