Megaton Communion - Three Of Cups (Album Review)

Release Date: September 11th 2026. Record Label: Black Doomba Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Three Of Cups - Tracklist

1.Evil Speak 03:43 video
2.Echoes in Time 04:52
3.Desert Centipede
4.Three of Cups
5.Depth
6.Embrace
7.The Hollow
8.Goddess
9.River Valley Queen

Members

Derrick – Guitar

Joe – Bass/Vocals

Ken Gosselin – Drums

Review

Desert Rock/Stoner Metallers Megaton Communion return with their second album Three Of Cups which allows the band to add a seedier and grungier style of music. The sound is still very distorted with a classic Nineties Hard Rock attitude that emerges very early on within the sublime opening track of Evil Speak. There is a great style of different influences appearing where you can hear musical vibes from the likes of Soundgarden, KYUSS, FU MANCHU and The Melvins. 

The whole sound has an aggressive layer of Fuzz Metal with some buoyant QOTSA and Truckfighters based Desert Rock swagger. Megaton Communion are in complete control creating their own great blend of gloomy sounds that become quite DOOM based with each passing song being played such as: Echoes Of Time and Desert Centipede. The band excel playing fast-paced music to the more doom rock orientated slow paced numbers which shows a wide range of different styles to appear.

Three Of Cups may be dominantly melodic but Megaton Communion allow themselves the time and freedom to go in a different musical direction where the sludgy instrumental sounds become more abrasive and refreshingly honest. The “DOOM & GLOOM” themes contained within the lyrics has a certain apocalyptical momentum especially towards the second half of the album.

Megaton Communion even added some TOOL-esque beatdowns and musical progressive beats to make this quite a mind expanding record still keeping with the grounded attitude that’s always been a great aspect of the band’s music. Perhaps not as riff heavy as their debut album but there’s more variety of great music that allows each band member to show their great musical skills from start to finish.

The stripped back production of the album is refreshingly clean and superbly real which allows  Megaton Communion to add real human emotion into their music and nothing is over played with Three Of Cups being superbly original in its own right.

Other standout tracks to check out are: Depth, Embrace, Goddess and the mighty final track River Valley Queen.

My final thoughts is that Megaton Communion have delivered a superbly addictive album that pays homage to the classic Nineties Hard Scene but adding a gritty modern day flavour into the mix that is the complete package if you’re a dedicated follower of THE MIGHTY RIFF!!!

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Metal Devastation PR for the promo.

Three Of Cups is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Black Doomba Records.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Dead Sea Apes - Psychic Tension (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Cardinal Fuzz Records / Feeding Tube Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Psychic Tension - Tracklist

1.Damn Your Eyes

2.Psychic Tension 05:57

3.Severance 06:53

4.Ursa Minor

5.Deathless

Members

Brett Savage - Guitars

Jack Toker - Bass, Guitars

Chris Hardman - Drums

Review

Instrumental Rockers Dead Sea Apes have had quite a varied career since their inception back in 2009 as the band traverse multiple different musical genres such as Psych, Krautrock, Drone, Noise, Psych, Post-Rock and even some Doomed Out movements along the way. The band are widely celebrated as one of the most original bands to emerge from the underground scene and the band are gearing up to release their latest album with Psychic Tension. 

Psychic Tension feels like a modern day soundtrack to the fucked up and nightmarish times we currently live in with Dead Sea Apes conjuring gloomy Post-Rock pastured that’s laced with some dark Industrial beats that’s fused with an aggressive Noise Rock energy within the haunting opening track Damn Your Eyes. The sudden shift into heavier Doom and Drone sounds gives the record a cautionary vibe with screeching guitars courtesy of Brett Savage and Jack Toker who also provides bass. 

Instrumental Rock music has never felt so alive with Dead Sea Apes bringing a political energy to the record even without any vocals appearing. These guys are masters of their own craft which they play with vivid imagination the hard hitting opening tracks of Damn Your Eyes and Psychic Tension. The music is played with an intense and precise quality which also allows the band to have a JAZZ based attitude. As the music overlaps into different areas of HEAVY ROCK that allows Chris Hardman on Drums to completely think outside the box and conjure up sounds you didn’t think were possible. His muscular presence allows Brett and Jack to conjure up a musical storm that takes no prisoners.

The record does have a thoughtful side within the quieter Post-Rock and Ambient moments that briefly appear but Dead Sea Apes are mostly about that full on delivery with subtle excursions into Drone and Noise Rock textures. This is a major part of how Dead Sea Apes bring that politically charged atmosphere into their music with a surprising style of Drone Metal emerging from behind the scenes that allows a surprising Atmospheric Sludge environment to fully develop. 

There are some parts of the album that feels like Dead Sea Apes are inspired by the likes of Russian Circles, Pelican, CAN, MONO and even some legendary Seventies Heavy Rock bands which sees a free-flowing style of ROCK and METAL being heard on tracks such as Psychic Tension, Severance and Deathless. 

Dead Sea Apes are always continuously thinking of exciting new ways of injecting that mysterious style of destructive Psych Rock and Space Rock into a more modern setting that feels remarkably offbeat but retaining that vital ingredient of the “ELEMENT OF SURPRISE” that’s made their last few records an absolute joy to listen to.

Despite the experimental creative energy of Psychic Tension, there’s a high amount of instrumental jams, riffs and grooves for long time fans and even casual listeners to fall in love with especially within the standout fourth track of Ursa Minor. This is where Dead Sea Apes get straight down to business playing mind-expanding melodies that maneuver through levels of Noise Rock, Doom, Sludge, Psych, Space Rock, Ambient Rock and Post Rock that’s amplified by a stunning use of Prog Metal just to make things even more violent.

Psychic Tension is one of Dead Sea Apes most essential records in years and feels like the band have reinvented themselves whilst still keeping their core creative principles intact. The record isn’t the most easy going of experiences but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Dead Sea Apes. They’ve been going for the best part of two decades and I hope that continues for a very long time. As this is a record for our fucked up times and I’m pleased we have bands like Dead Sea Apes to tell folks how the world actually is.

This album is nothing short of pure brilliance. Plain and simple.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Shamedia for the promo.

Psychic Tension releases 18th September 2026. Pre-sales will start imminently via Cardinal Fuzz in the UK and Feeding Tube Records in the USA.

Links

Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Facebook

HIJSS - HIJSS (Album Review)

Release Date: September 18th 2026. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

HIJSS - Tracklist

1.Drain of Thoughts

2.Vicious Cycle

3.Parasite

4.Underwater

5.Dopamine

6.S.W.A.N.

7.Fatal Attraction

8.Outro

Members

Lois Lane - Guitar / Vocals / Electronics

Maurice - Drums

Pan - Bass / Synth

Review

Psych/Space Rock/KrautRock collective HIJSS return with their sophomore self-titled record and continue the great work the band achieved with their acclaimed 2024 debut album Stuck On Common Ground. This time round HIJSS conjured up a more surreal Electro Rock tinged offering compared to their last album. The Space Rock dynamics once again opens the door to other musical areas appearing such as Grunge, Shoegaze, Punk and Blues Rock with a band that are fully cooking on gas with a wild assortment of outrageous grooves and stunning Spaced Out melodies.

Lead vocalist Lois Lane definitely taps into his Post-Punk persona which takes small creative cues from the likes of Monster Magnet, TORCHE and FU MANCHU throughout the album. The sludgy sounds have an aggressive rhythm and boisterous warm-hearted nature to them which you can instantly feel through the stunning opening tracks of Drain Of Thought and Vicious Cycle. The sound is fast paced and wonderfully efficient especially when HIJSS play a faster style of Sludge/Stoner Rock that still has a grounded Punk Rock approach. The Psychedelic and Space Rock beats have a glorious level of infectious COSMIC surroundings that have some destructive lyrics appearing. 

The WEEDIAN themes arrive quite quickly and HIJSS lay that attitude brilliantly thick on the excellent second track Vicious Cycle which reminds me of Dave Wnydorf in his prime. Spiky lyrics which are merged with KrautRock and Post-Punk philosophies which run riot throughout the album. The screeching Electronic beats once again add a warped rhythm with overlapping instrumental passages that’s got some epic synths appearing along the way.

When the stunning and warped tracks Parasite and Underwater appear then HIJSS are simply unstoppable creating music that blends Science Fiction folklore and grounded sensibilities with the music once again being superbly effective whilst being quite hard to describe. There’s a small instance of Industrial beats appearing which allows that KRAUTROCK sound transforming into a gloomier style of Noise, Grunge and Stoner Metal with maximum levels of distorted volumes holding everything together.

Though, HIJSS apply instances of brilliantly played “semi-acoustic” passages which gives this record a gloomier energy with some of the freakiest and trippiest COSMIC grooves forming that leave you in such a cool hallucinogenic state. HIJSS have achieved and created such great things within the first half of the album you begin to wonder how they will top this?

I’m happy to report - Quite Easily!!! - As they keep going on performing and creating more outlandish and heavy distorted “COSMIC GRUNGE” songs that really show how HIJSS have their own original style of music whilst allowing the listener to be transported into their massive sounding world. Songs such as Dopemine and S.W.A.N. are the heaviest, loudest and weirdest songs on the record with the trippy synths and Post-Punk vocals adding a wave of intense movements which are refreshingly “HIP” with HIJSS having a completely FEARLESS attitude appearing within their music.

The final two tracks of Fatal Attraction of OUTRO once again blurs the boundaries between Time and Space with HIJSS applying heavy modern day themes for a mind expanding experience.  HIJSS are always continuing to re-invent themselves through every individual track which makes the album highly unpredictable.

HIJSS are absolute masters of their own Space Rock / Cosmic Grunge domain which leaves you in a complete trance for an album that is bold, hypnotic, mind blowing and brilliantly original within its own right. This is an essential record that everyone needs to fully experience and add to their record collections quickly as possible.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

HIJSS self-titled album is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Exclusive Premiere Of Psych/Stoner/Space/Kraut-Rockers HIJSS New Song/Video for DOPAMINE From Upcoming Self Titled Album

From northern Italy's summits, through clouds and airplanes, a wall of sound spirals downhill as hijss marks it's birth. Stimulated by the musical instinct of the band's mastermind Lois Lane (guitar, vocals, electronics), Maurice's (drums) ferocious hits and Pan’s (bass & synth) catchy scales the music does not only scratch the surface but goes deep under your skin. The band puts genres in the background zapping from punk over wave to space and psychedelic rock. The outcome is a melting pot called: kosmo kraut. That means whatever you want it to mean...

Thanks to the amazing folks over at Purple Sage PR and Heavy Psych Sounds we're excited to premiere the new song/video for DOPAMINE from the upcoming new self-titled album due for release on September 18th 2026.

New album "hijss" - Out September 18th on Heavy Psych Sounds

HIJSS links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Earthlore - Within The Earth (Album Review)

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

Within The Earth- Tracklist

1.Within The Earth 04:55

2.All 04:32

3.Epitaph 01:27

4.Tempest Skies 04:28

5.Blinding Star 07:00

6.Centuries 06:12

7.In Spring 05:12

 

Members

Drew Pelrine: Rhythm Guitar / Vocals / Bass / Synths

Gabe Haydar: Lead Guitar

Troy Welling: Drums

Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Good Boy PR for the promo.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Brūte - How To Build A Mountain (EP Review)

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

How To Build A Mountain - Tracklist

1.Peacemule 05:30

2.Stone & Silence 07:09

3.How To Build A Mountain 07:39

Review

How To Build A Mountain is the latest EP from Brūte which sees the band develop a AMPLIFIER DISTORTED style of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal. The level of distortion is one of the main strengths that allows Brūte to develop a great style of riff-driven music that has vast amounts of Grunge, Psych and Fuzz moving in the background. The vocals are quite gruff and matches the seedy grunge atmosphere that’s played throughout the whole EP.

The music seems to be influenced by the likes of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, FU MANCHU, Red Fang, KYUSS and SLEEP which you can hear within the superb opening track Peacemule. The melodies and messy reverb sounds all play a strong part for Brūte to play a mean sound which develops into heavier strands of Desert/Fuzz Rock with an epic Sludge Rock delivery. 

Though, the band really start to impress within the standout second track of Stone & Silence which starts off with a deceiving stripped back delivery with a haunting Grunge mix allowing Brūte to add a brooding Alt-Rock theme into the mix. The song does start off cautiously slow with eerie vocals that have a certain classic Nineties dominant energy to them. Brūte feels more comfortable when playing that great style of sludgy “DOOM & GLOOM” instrumental passages. If you ever wondered what Truckfighters would sound like if they become part of the Doom Metal world then Stone & Silence is the answer to that question. 

Brūte continue to develop their slightly progressive sound to a more destructive environment which fully leads the way into the stunning final title track How To Build A Mountain. Though, the song starts off quite slow paced yet again which allows Brūte more than enough time to build solid foundations of DOOM & GLOOM based rhythms that does push this EP into destructive areas of reverb and fuzzy feedback. 

This is Brūte’s first release in over four years and it’s definitely been worth the wait as this feels like a different band compared to their superb 2022 debut EP. If you want an EP that’s full of distorted grooves that branch off into a violent style of Desert Rock/Metal with all of the trappings of Sludge/Stoner Metal then How To Build A Mountain has all the answers that you’re currently looking for. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Instrumental Stoner Rockers Motorik Road Trip sign to Octopus Rising and unveil new single “Prism Cascade”

Bristol, UK instrumental stoner rock trio Motorik Road Trip join the Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records family, celebrating the signing with the release of their brand-new single and official video “Prism Cascade”.

Formed in 2022, Motorik Road Trip have carved out their own instrumental take on stoner rock, psychedelic rock and doom, combining heavy, groove-driven riffs with hypnotic atmospheres, psychedelic melodies and a strong sense of sonic exploration. By consciously choosing to remain fully instrumental, the Bristol three-piece have created a sound free from lyrical boundaries, allowing their music to travel wherever the riffs take it.

Since their formation, Motorik Road Trip have independently released a series of singles and EPs, including Orange Zilla EP, Hobo Sorcerer / Magic Fang, Arch / Future Primate and Champa Moon / Astral GTX. In January 2025, they released their debut longform album, V, recorded with engineer Ben Scott Turner at Axe & Trap Studios in Somerset, UK. Turner has previously worked with acclaimed acts including Black Helium, Hey Colossus and Part Chimp.

Now signed to Octopus Rising, Motorik Road Trip celebrate the beginning of this new chapter with “Prism Cascade”, a brand-new track accompanied by an official music video.

Watch “Prism Cascade”: 

The single offers the first taste of the band’s evolving sonic universe, bringing together muscular stoner riffs, psychedelic textures and a spacious, hypnotic atmosphere. It also hints at the broader musical territory Motorik Road Trip have been exploring since their debut, where crushing doom passages can meet sparkling psychedelic melodies, eastern-inflected ideas and more progressive forms of instrumental heavy rock.

Their sound draws inspiration from the likes of Monkey3, Karma to Burn, SLIFT and Elder, while maintaining a distinctly British character and an identity of its own.

Motorik Road Trip are:

Jason Tovey – bass
​Ben Garner – guitar
​Nat White – drums

With “Prism Cascade”, Motorik Road Trip open a new chapter alongside Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records, bringing their instrumental blend of stoner, psychedelic rock and doom to a wider audience. More details on the band’s upcoming release will be revealed in due course.

Links

​Facebook​ | Instagram​ | ​BandCamp​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the detials.

KEVIN - It Is What It Is (Album Review)

Release Date: July 24th 2026. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

It is What It Is - Tracklist

1.Wood Grain 07:47

2.Point 03:02

3.Potter's Wheel 06:02

4.Murphy Is Buried 08:49

5.It Is What It Is 06:20

6.Yagura 04:08

Members

Yutaro Umemoto (guitar/vocals) 

Yuichi Umemoto (drums).

Review

Experimental Psych Kraut-Rockers KEVIN release their second album It Is What It Is and it’s quite a vivid collection of tracks that have quite a fractured and disjointed approach to them. The record isn’t the easiest thing to listen to but I was expecting this challenge as the record is being released by the equally weird and amazing record label Riot Season Records. KEVIN bring an aggressive Post-Punk and Noise Rock delivery to their music which is quite different to their 2022 debut album Aftermath since the band are now a duo instead of a dedicated power trio. 

The sound is very lo-fi and quite surreal within the excellent opening track of Wood Grain. This is the type of track I could easily be playing in the background of a David Lynch, Gus Van Sant or Steven Sodenbergh film. The song is definitely it’s own thing with warped instrumental passages that bursts into sudden scenes of intense screeching violent guitars that remind me of The Melvins and BORIS at their most experimental. The vocals can only be described as WTF but they’re brilliantly addictive that draw you into KEVIN’s dark world

The atmosphere is quite hallucinogenic with KEVIN blurring the lines between fantasy and reality with sludgy psychedelics and warped noise rock sounds that are surrounded by that delicious Krautrock delivery and intense experimental vibes. KEVIN apply that same experimental and creative logic to the rest of the album where everything once again becomes freakishly weird and demented with experimental Jazz sounds moving straight back into Krautrock territory on tracks such as: Point, Potter’s Wheel, Murphy Is Buried and Yagura. 

The album does have a sense of isolation as one of its most dominant themes which gives KEVIN a unique and perspective take within the psychedelic movement. The whole record really comes alive when KEVIN play a more straight forward style of conventional Rock and Roll whilst keeping true to their core Experimental sound which allows some areas of Garage Rock and Industrial sounds to emerge from the darkness.

This is a record that has its own dark moral code which allows the music to be quite deliriously seductive and threatening at the same time which you can ultimately feel on the standout track of Murphy Is Buried. The lo-fi production values once again add a menacing attitude which KEVIN run amok with until the dying seconds of the whole album.

It Is What It Is can be considered an offbeat and hip record which manages to be completely original and superbly different in its own right. KEVIN are another great band to discover from the Japanese Rock underground scene.  

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy It Is What It Is on CD/DD/Vinyl now via Riot Season Records

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Moon Destroys - OMNI (Album Review)

Release Date: September 04th 2026. Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings. Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

OMNI - Tracklist

1.Invasion

2.Flowers 

3.My Eyes 

4.Motion Sickness

5.Kingdom

6.After

7.Sowing Stars

8.Missing Wish 

9.Nocturne

10.Lost Hearts

11.She Cried

Members

Juan Montoya - Guitar

Evan Diprima - Drums/Bass/Synth

Zachary Amster - Vocals/Guitar

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metallers Moon Destroys make a welcome return with their powerful new album OMNI which also sees a change behind the scenes with their last vocalist Charlie Suárez being replaced with Zachary Amster from the mighty ABRAMS. OMNI does see a small dramatic shift for Moon Destroys as they explore a more emotional journey with their music which reflects how the music is played throughout and the excellent lyrics that can be quite hard-hitting at times.

You can feel all the members' experiences of performing with the likes of TORCHE, FLOOR, Royal Thunder and Abrams being used to great effect on this record whilst creating their own great distinctive style of music. The band explore areas of Psych, Doom, Sludge, Shoegaze, Alt-Rock, Post-Rock and Stoner Metal with an equally satisfying “DOOM-POP” melodic sound that has a thrilling cinematic energy to it all.

The best part of the record for me is the multi-layered synths played by Evan Diprima and Zachary Amaster which allows Juan Montoya to create some of his best sludgy grooves in years whilst demonstrating why he’s one of the seminal musicians to emerge from the legendary Florida underground Heavy Rock/Heavy Metal scene.

There is a similar tone and shift that was developed for their celebrated debut album She Walks By Moonlight but Moon Destroys add a frenzied Sludge Rock sound that soon disappears into the Alt Rock landscape with a similar strategy that’s been used on the last few Abrams records. The whole Psychedelic energy can be quite dark and gloomy when you least expect this with Moon Destroys shifting from that Doom-Pop vibe to an aggressive metallic appearance which appears through the majority of the tracks.

From the very opening track of invasion that instantly pulls you into a sweet natured distorted environment with highly atmospheric sounds, upbeat melodies and stirring vocals which Moon Destroys keep that massive amplified wall of sound going to the very end. The songs go under small changes of transformation with the lyrics adding deeper levels of personal meaning and growth for the band which they use to their own great advantage. 

The hooks, melodies and swirling ambient grooves become quite daring on tracks such as: Flowers, My Eyes, Kingdom, Sowing Stars, Lost Hearts and the standout track of She Cried. These songs are where Moon Destroys impress the most by combining intelligent lyrics with real grounded appeal whilst playing music that allows each member to impress with their own sublime technical ability. 

OMNI offers quite a darker and fascinating narrative compared to She Walks By Midnight with Moon Destroys perhaps more confident with themselves and developing areas of music that could move them closer to become “breakout” stars of the underground scene. As I stated before, the main standout here for me is the synths which drift you into a different world but with the rest of Moon Destroy developing and playing riffs that keeps everything grounded especially within the haunting final track She Cries. 

OMNI is a beautifully realised record that’s brilliantly produced Moon Destroys definitely showing their “true” potential and showcasing their own great style of Heavy Psych and Doomed Out music for the underground masses to fall in love with.

Amazing. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

OMIN is now available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Blues Funeral Recordings.

MOON DESTROYS links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Heavy Psych/Stoner Rockers Paranoid Reverb reveal new album Red River Black Roots and release second single "0315"

Following the announcement of their signing with Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records and the release of their first new single "Red River", Greek heavy psych / stoner rock outfit Paranoid Reverb now unveil the full details of their second full-length album, Red River Black Roots.

The album will be released on September 18, 2026 via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital. Alongside the album announcement, the band also release their second single, "0315", available now on all major streaming platforms: https://li.sten.to/paranoidreverb_0315​

Following their 2020 debut Billion Drops, Red River Black Roots marks a more deliberate and mature phase for Paranoid Reverb. The album expands their heavy psych / stoner rock foundations through denser rhythmic structures, darker tonal shades and atmospheric layers, while retaining the raw, performance-driven energy of their live sound.

Recorded in April 2025 at Shellac Recording Studios in Thessaloniki and completed the following month at producer Paris Parasidis' studio, the album places dynamics and authenticity at its core. Organic percussion, metallic objects and ambient textures become part of a sound that moves between heavy eruptions and hypnotic passages, creating a distinctly live-oriented feel without sacrificing weight or atmosphere.

Thematically, Red River Black Roots explores pressure, introspection, renewal and the tension between decay and transformation. Its title reflects this journey: the "river" represents a descent into chaos, while the "roots" suggest a return to origin. Together, they form the central metaphor connecting the album's narrative and sonic progression.

With new vocalist Manos Gotsis and a renewed creative direction, Paranoid Reverb enter this new chapter with their most focused and personal work to date.

Red River Black Roots tracklist

Acantha – 06:19
0315 – 04:30
Da Capo – 06:07
F.U. – 05:01
Red River – 04:51
Come Undone – 06:19
QuickSand – 07:15

Red River Black Roots will be released on September 18, 2026 via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records on CD and digital.

For more info:

​https://www.facebook.com/ParanoidReverb​
​https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords​

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.