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.

Sonic Moon - Return Without Any Memory (Album Review)

Release Date: August 04th 2023. Record Label: Olde Magick Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Return Without Any Memory: Tracklisting

The Waters

Tying Up The Noose

Give It Time

Through The Snow

Head Under The River

Distant

Hear Me Now

Members

Oliver, Emil, Niclas, Jeppe and Emil

Review:

Return Without Any Memory is the new album from Psych Desert/Doom/Stoner Rockers Sonic Moon who feel inspired by bands such as Alice In Chains, QOTSA, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats and Soundgarden with the Progressive themes of TOOL on certain parts of the album. Sonic Moon uses a vivid and rich tapestry of different Doom, Stoner and Grunge elements with an outlandish Progressive sound allowing this album to be quite dreamlike with Scorched Desert Grooves with a harsh sense of reality thanks to the Grungier outlook the lyrics have.

Opening song The Waters is a trippy Desert/Grunge/Stoner hybrid song with Sonic Moon using delicate levels of FUZZ with a seedy Grunge aspect that merges into a more distorted style of Stoner grooves. The vocals have that classic 90's Alt-Rock/Alt-Metal delivery with the music becoming more Desert/Stoner/Fuzz based as time moves along. This is a great track to open the album with. As it showcases the main creative style Sonic Moon delivers with this album. The Progressive Rock flourishes brings a more gloomy environment with the sound becoming more Doom based.

Second song Tying Up The Noose is a more SONIC based offering with the song dividing it's time between soaring Stoner Metal sounds and a distorted Progressive theme. Elements of Doomed Out Fuzz with seedy Grunge vibes allows Sonic Moon to deliver one of the standout tracks on the album. The song is at it's best when the soaring vocals aim high with the riffs being a mixture of distorted grooves and even a LOW & SLOW approach being used. There's a fantastic singalong chorus which you can't help joining in. Sonic Moon experimented with a more dominant SONIC DISTORTED sound towards the end of the song which brings areas of Droned based FUZZ to the party that moves into the next exciting track on the album.

Third track Give It Time continues with the heavy Drone Rock sound with the trippy Fuzzed Up Stoner grooves changing into extended Progressive Jams and early-era QOTSA based vocals. The song captures a more Doom based Desert Rock texture with the AMPLIFIER LEVELS of distortion being the main creative key for Sonic Moon to play the heaviest sounds on the album. There's a sense of adventure within Sonic Moon's music that retains an eerie FU MANCHU and Truckfighters vibe but with a Post-Doom outlook. The album is highly melodic and volatile at the same time. This is another one of the album's standout tracks which deserves multiple listens.

Fourth song Through The Snow opts for a Post-Stoner or Post-Rock delivery with the instrumental sounds being quite subdued and not as intense compared to the other tracks on the album. The vocals have a SHAMANIC essence to them with Sonic Moon embracing the lighter and positive themes of the Desert Rock scene. The added use of Trippy Eastern Sounds allows this track to be one of the most uplifting and positive tracks on the album. The song is cautiously slow with the Post-Stoner sounds ending on a hopeful and upbeat note.

The final three tracks of Head Under The River, Distant and Hear Me Now sees Sonic Moon creating a more aggressive style of Post-Whatever based sounds that has a killer 1990's attitude especially with the Desert Rock attitude of Head Under The River with a lush Progressive Stoner attitude that once again merges distorted moments of Fuzz, Grunge and Prog Rock. 

Distant and Hear Me Now sees Sonic Moon return to playing similar music as the opening tracks with perhaps a more Progressive slant but still having a dominant flavour Desert/Stoner Rock sound with a sublime Atmospheric Doomed Out feeling when things do become intentionally heavier.

Return Without Any Memory is a deeply rich, intense, adventurous and extremely bold record that allows Sonic Moon to be one of the most exciting bands I've had the pleasure to listen to this year. This is another Album Of The Year contender which everyone within the Stoner Rock/Metal scene should check out now.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sonic Moon for the promo.

Return Without Any Memory will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Olde Magick Records from August 4th 2023.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram