Release Date: April 25th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl.
Cycles - Tracklisting
1.What Comes After 2.Gravity 3.Rosebud 4.Unchained 5.God's Spit 6.Doomsday Clock 7.Cycles
Review
Cycles is the debut full length album from Psych/Cosmic/Stoner Travellers YOJIMBO who build upon the cool themes and ideas on their outstanding 2022 self-titled debut EP. This time round YOJIMBO are adverse in developing Post-Rock and Post-Doom strategies to get their heavy music across to a more progressive level. One of the standout tracks Rosebud is inspired by the legendary Orson Welles classic film Citizen Kane and I never really expected that for a Cosmic/Doom/Stoner Rock album such as this.
The vocals from Sophie Steff have a dynamite Hard Rock presence behind them which is backed up by a flavour of Grunge, Blues and Sludge Rock passages which comes into primal focus on the stunning title track of What Comes After. The track itself is a mighty fine journey into the realms of Prog Rock and Space Rock with YOJIMBO playing extended cosmic jams and sonic landscapes which all collide into a mighty destructive atmosphere.
Shades of Mars Red Sky, Monolord, Windhand and Black Sabbath all appear with YOJIMBO operating with a sense of DOWN_TUNED guitars and FUZZED UP amps which go past the standard VOLUME MARK of ELEVEN. Though, the constant use of Post-Rock and Shoegaze allows the band to try new areas of melody and sludgy sounds through each of the different tracks. Glitchy noises and Sci-Fi themed lyrics just adds to the whole cinematic story of CYCLES on tracks such as Gravity, Rosebud and Unchained.
Cycles does have its fair share of quiet Post-Rock moments and subdued quiet melodies which brings the album to a mellow style of Post-Doom bliss. However, YOJIMBO always thrive on the heavier moments which there is plenty of especially on the later parts of the album with Sophie’s vocals continuously impressing from the offset.
The final batch of tracks sees YOJIMBO become more comfortable with their creative surroundings and once again develop fresh areas of Space Rock heaviness on tracks such as God’s Spit, Doomsday Clock and Cycles. My favourite tracks on the record are the exquisite opening number of What Comes After and the final Cosmic Doom excursion of Cycles. Cycles is purely an instrumental number with the band playing the heaviest, grooviest and standout instrumental passages on the whole album.
Cycles is a stunning and winning album across the board and should allow YOJIMBO to establish a well deserved reputation within the underground Doom/Stoner Metal scene. There’s something for everyone to enjoy from this album with Cycles having a highly rewarding style of Ethereal Doom and pure Stoner Metal aggression.
Words by Steve Howe
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