Rūdus - Rūdus (Album Review)

Release Date: July 21st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Rūdus - Tracklisting

1.Entrance 00:34

2.Atoll 11:38

3.Procession 08:38

4.Wildfire 09:04

5.Exo 05:20 

6.Dirge 02:45

Members

Michael Phillips - Drums & Brass

Ethen Scruggs - Bass

Ryan Weston - Guitar

Review

Psych/Doomgaze/Stoner Metallers Rūdus debut album is a sludgy excursion into the Shoegaze environments of Doom Metal and Stoner Metal. The record is cautiously slow with Rūdus playing an aggressive style of Droned Out surroundings with some haunting vocals and chants appearing within the long drawn out second track of Atoll. Before that Rūdus play a thirty four second track called Entrance where the band play a simply played Ambient, Psych and Drone number with some heavy passages that sneakingly changes into a slow paced style of music within the second track of Atoll.

Second track Atoll feels inspired by the likes of SUNN O))), Pelican and OM but with the bleakness of BONGRIPPER. The vocals / chants give Rūdus an air of mystery to their music with the band having a DEMONIC attitude within how they deliver the vocals. Perhaps a clever way to hide behind the opaque and darkness that Rūdus generates with this epic sounding track. There is a great melodic flow when Rūdus changes from Doomgaze to full on Post-Rock / Post-Metal riffsters where the music becomes slightly faster and way heavier with the sound having a muscular presence towards the final stages of the track. 

Third track Possession opts for a distorted Stonergaze momentum with brief glimpses of Desert Rock and Fuzz melodies which doesn’t shy away from that heavy DOOM & GLOOM creative energy which is the standout part of the whole album. The cautious STOP/START effect returns with Rūdus leaning heavily more on the Psychedelic Rock/Metal aspect of their overall sound. Different sound effects and vocals combine for a trippy and lysergic experience which is quite freakish and soulful at the same time. As before, the heavier and groove based moments appear within the final stages of the track where Rūdus once again transform into Post-Metal beasts of the highest order.

Fourth track Wildfire is dominated by a Grunge and Shoegaze effect with Rūdus feeling more confident within their Droned Out and Stonergaze confinements. The instrumental passages have more melody and depth to them which sees a welcoming Post-Stoner attitude reminding me of KING BUFFALO at their most ethereal and heaviest. Rūdus still stays within their remit of Drone Metal whilst allowing other areas of Doom, Stoner and Sludge sounds to appear. The vocals appear only when they’re needed and have a fuzzy and distant feeling to them. Different areas of Desert Rock and Psych Rock combine for a sublime GLOOMY POST-ROCK sound that transforms into something different with Rūdus bringing the heaviest instrumental passages within the final few moments of the track. There’s some screeching sounds that takes the album to an altogether higher level of noise and volume.

The final two tracks of Exo and Dirge is perhaps the fastest and riff-centric parts of the record with Rūdus tapping into the sound that PELCIAN and RUSSIAN CIRCLE have made themselves well known with but with that epic Doomgaze/Stoner Metal sound giving the album a subtle Post-Metallic drive before everything is said and done.

Rūdus debut album offers a fresh and heavy perspective within the Doomgaze/Stonergaze scene that will surprise you with it’s superb experimental style being heard throughout. This is another great band to check out from the famous Texas underground Doom/Stoner Metal scene. You won’t be sorry!!!

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Swarm - Swarm (EP Review)

Release Date: June 8th 2022. Record Label: 918 Records. Format: CD/DD

Swarm - S/T - Tracklisting

1.Nevermore 07:04

2.There Again 07:10

3.Frail 05:23

4.We Should Know 08:44

Members

Hilja Vedenpää – Vocals

Panu Willman – Guitar, Vocals

Dani Paajanen – Drums

Einari Toiviainen – Guitar

Leo Lehtonen – Bass

Review

Swarm plays a blend of Shoegaze, Grunge, Stoner, Fuzz and Doom with Alt Rock tendencies. That only tells half the story with Swarm actually playing Doomgaze or Stonergaze on this release. Shoegaze and Grunge don't normally go together so well but Swarm is the exception to the rule with their debut self titled release.

The EP features four tracks packed with superb vocal harmonies and musical melodies that venture past the boundaries of Shoegaze into heavier FUZZIER and WEEDIAN based grooves. The Alt Rock/Alt-Metal atmosphere of the release does bring a 90’s feeling to this EP but its the FUZZ ROCK tone that allows Swarm to really impress.

Opening song Nevermore is a song that weaves sounds from multiple different eras and decades of Hard Rock and Metal but employing a modern day based Psych Doom/Stoner Metal/Shoegaze structure. Even when Swarm started playing 60’s and 70’s style Hard Rock riffs into play. You feel you’re listening to a different band. This is a wickedly clever and complex song but one that makes you feel right at home and that’s down to the sublime vocals from Hilja and Panu that appear on the record.

Second song There Again adds a Blues Rock/Soulful vibe with delicate vocals yet again with the gloomy Post-Doom guitars slowly playing in the background. The distorted FUZZY Shoegaze effects brings a heavier sound with Swarm playing a soulful style of Classic Rock at the same time. The song does move further down the Doom/Stoner “Rabbit Hole” with some of the record’s heaviest and standout sounds.

The final two songs Frail and We Should Know allows Swarm to impress folks further with their epic blend of Grungy and FUZZ based guitars. Frail is more a semi acoustic offering and it’s good to see Swarm play a different style of music which is more self assured and perhaps laidback. Though, Swarm still adds traces of Ambient Noises with Psych and Stoner Rock moments appearing when they need to. 

We Should Know is the standout track on the EP with Swarm playing to their strengths with the Alt-Rock vibe being the main focus of the song at the start. However, Swarm soon return to their Doomgaze/Stonergaze sound in a big way with Heavy FUZZ Rock riffs merging with a more adventurous Psych Rock flourish. The song has a thunderous middle section when a Droned Out Doom part appears out of nowhere. The EP becomes more violent with huge waves of Amplifier Distortion before settling down for a quieter style of music. There’s an undercurrent of heavy sludgy grooves matched brilliantly well against the emotionally charged vocals yet again.

Swarm’s self-titled release is stunning and wonderfully creative from start to finish. 

I can sum up this release in one word - OUTSTANDING.

Add this to your record collection. As it’s a serious EPIC release in every sense of the word. 

Words by Steve Howe

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Troy The Band - The Blissful Unknown (EP Review)

 

Release Date: April 08th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: DD

The Blissful Unknown - Tracklisting

I Wage A War

Less Than Nothing

Michael

The Blissful Unknown

Review

The Blissful Unknown is the debut EP from UK Stoner Metallers Troy The Band. Their EP has many similarities with bands such as Mars Red Sky, Acid Magus and Uncle Acid with Troy The Band employing a more "StonerGaze" or "DoomGaze" style of grooves. The music flirts between 80's/90's Shoegaze and modern sounding Psych Doom/Stoner Metal with an extra layer of DISTORTED FUZZ that helps elevate their overall sound to something quite surprising and original in places.

Opening Song I Wage A War offers over three minutes of Mars Red Sky inspired Doom/Stoner Rock with Troy The Band bringing their "StonerGaze" style of music into play. The music is quite aggressive, psychedelic and downright catchy with the Psych based vocals matching the grooves beat for beat. The song is quite progressive and moves solely into the "Doom" atmosphere side of life with gloomy riffs showing a band not afraid to mix things up a bit which you can tell from the lyrics written for the song.

Second song Less Than Nothing is a more Progressive style of song with Troy The Band adapting a Doom Metal flow for the song. The seedy Fuzz/Stoner Metal attitude of the song is what you would expect to hear from the Swedish Doom/Stoner Metal scene not from the UK scene. Echoes of Doomed Out Grooves allows the band to play some fantastic trippy guitar solos within the first few moments of the track. This second half of the song sees Troy The Band adapting a more traditional "Shoegaze" feel whilst still maintaining the "Sabbathian '' template of Doom/Stoner Metal. The lyrics even have an 80s Alternative Rock flow and all positively build up for perhaps the standout track on the EP. The band covers a lot of ground here within the almost eight and half minute runtime of the track.

Third song Michael is another lengthy slice of Distorted Doom/Stoner Metal with perhaps some indications of Sludgy sounds wanting to join the party. The track allows Troy The Band to show off their musical skills with some mighty fine trippy bass solos before moving back into the 80s Alt Rock arena. There's many different areas of music being played on this EP but this track is the best indication of what the band fully deliver. As they play a more slowed down and stripped back style of music here which you can really admire and appreciate. The grooves are quite seedy whilst being ever so more hopeful. The soulful Blues Rock attitude is a very nice touch as well. 

The final song, The Blissful Unknown is another relentless "Shoegaze" style of Doom, Fuzz and Stoner Metal with a more way out approach with the band adding a "Drone" based atmosphere to the EP. The song is slow paced but the Psychedelic Freakouts and Distorted Grooves may take cues from early era Elephant Tree. However, there is that wonderful and eerie vibe from the lyrics and vocals that allows Troy The Band to fully stand on their own creative musical vision. 

The Blissful Unknown is quite a surreal release but one that holds the listeners attention from start to finish. Excellent production values also help Troy The Band to deliver one of the strongest and wonderfully entertaining debut releases from the UK Doom/Stoner Metal scene I've heard in quite some time.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Troy The Band for the promo. 

The Blissful Unknown will be available to buy on DD from April 08th 2022

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp 

LowFlyingHawks - FUYU (Album Review)

Release Date: August 27th 2021. Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

FUYU - Tracklisting

1.Kuro

2.Subatomic Sphere 

3.Monster

4.Midnight

5.Fuyu

6.Darklands

7.Solar Wind

8.Caustic Wing

9.Winter Star

10.Nightrider

Members

EHA – vocals, guitars

AAL – guitars, backing vocals

Dale Crover – drums

Trevor Dunn – bass

Guest musicians

Violins: Martha Domínguez Henkel, Luis Sergio Hernández

Cellos: Luz del Carmen Pastor y Valentín Mirkov

Opera singer: Martha Domínguez Henkel

Review

Doomgaze Rockers LowFlyingHawks return with their 3rd album FUYU and their first release in two years. EHA and AAL are the creative masterminds behind the band but they are joined again by their regular rhythm section with Dale Crover (The Melvins) on Drums and Trevor Dunn (Mr Bungle) on Bass who have appeared on their previous releases. 

FUYU concludes the musical trilogy they started with Kōfuku back in Feb 2016 and it seems Lowfliyinghawks have come full circle with this release as they bring some of that celebrated album’s dark sound to this record and matching it with the proggier sludgy themes of 2017’s Genkaku. FUYU sees LowFlyingHawks have another musical makeover or reinvention of themselves bringing a “StonerGaze” identity to the centre of the album.

The album is always progressive with it’s dark messages and themes that are told through punishing instances of Drone Metal, Stoner Metal, Sludge Metal, Psych Rock and a twisted “Post-Whatever” narrative. The vocals are a mixture of clean vocals, harsh growls, drone chants and eerie distorted twisted vocals that you hear superbly well on the stunning second track - Subatomic Sphere.

FUYU is best to listen to the album as one continuous heavy journey into the darker side of Sludge/Stoner Metal. The music is a mixture of Light and Dark moments. Sometimes I was feeling that certain sections of the record were too “LIGHT” and when will the heavy moments appear. Shame on me for doing that. As I wasn’t listening to or experiencing what LowFlyingHawks were trying to convey with their music. Third song Monster being a prime example. Though with repeated listens I started to understand the song more and more which led to this song becoming one of my favourite parts of the album. There are heavy moments but it’s a more “upbeat” approach from the band and it’s a glorious style of Sludge/Stoner Metal that taps into the euphoric moments of Post-Metal whilst not being that at all.

I didn’t want to do a “song by song” review that I normally do for this album. As it’s a soulful and truly cinematic experience that should be listened to as one whole record split into individual albums. LowFlyingHawks have everything covered under the Sludge/Stoner Metal umbrella whilst bringing different strands of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. It’s primarily a Doomgaze/Stonergaze sound that the band have perfectly crafted over their past 3 releases.

FUYU is not an easy album to listen to and it’s not meant to be. LowFlyingHawks have always released complex sounding records with dark themes and FUYU is no different. FUYU is perhaps their most accessible release but still retaining that classic LFH element for longtime fans to be fully on board with.

The music as usual is first rate from everyone connected with the record and impresses the most when they bring an orchestral theme, flow and sound to the album. The lyrics are grounded and completely heartbreaking but LowFlyingHawks still retain a positive and upbeat message from start to finish. 

The final part of the album with Caustic Wing, Winter Star and Nightrider is the best part of the album and one of the most exciting pieces of music that LowFlyingHawks have recorded. Everything is played LOUD and QUIET with a sound that goes across the whole Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal spectrum with trippy vocals, grooves and riffs that remain heartbreakingly original and sonically progressive

Standout songs: Monster, Midnight, FUYU, Caustic Wing and Nighrider.

FUYU is another masterclass from LowFlyingHawks and I’m hoping this isn’t the end of the journey for LowFlyingHawks as they’re one of my favourite underground bands. I want to hear more from the band but if FUYU is the end of the line then what an album to end their journey with. As this is my favourite album from them and definitely perhaps of the best records I’ve heard this year.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Magnetic Eye Records for the promo.

FUYu will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records from August 27th 2021.

Worldwide: en.merhq.spkr.media/magnetic-eye-records/low-flying-hawks-fuyu.html US/Canada: us.merhq.spkr.media/magnetic-eye-records/low-flying-hawks-fuyu.html

Links:

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