VESSEL OF LIGHT Release New Video For Foxy Lady

Slightly more than two years ago, Vessel Of Light had released three album in two years and the band were performing East Coast shows. Then Corona hit. Vessel Of Light used this time to release their fourth album in three years (Last Ride on California's Nomad Eel Records). 

The band also recorded the Jimi Hendrix cover Foxy Lady.

Foxy Lady got airtime on Sirius/XM, but the band were forced to cancel their much anticipated appearance at The Maryland Doom Fest.

Guitarist Dan Lorenzo said, "I was extremely disappointed VOL couldn't play the Maryland Doom Fest, but (vocalist) Nathan (Opposition) was in the middle of moving from Cleveland to Austin. I had never written so much music before and it's frustrating to me when the music just sits there."

Lorenzo didn't stop and his VOL bandmates Jimmy Schulman and Ron Lipnicki joined him along with Dangerous Toys vocalist Jason McMaster to record and release Cassius King Field Trip. 

Lorenzo kept writing and in addition to working on the 2nd Cassius King formed Patriarchs In Black with former Type O Negative/current Danzig drummer Johnny Kelly.

Lorenzo continued, "I was finalizing my guitar parts at JROD Productions in Pomona, NY recently when JROD showed me a video of his band Return To Darkness that this dude Craig Cefola had made for him. I was blown away and reached out to Craig to make a video for Patriarchs In Black. While I'm waiting to show the world that, I had Craig make a video for Vessel Of Light Foxy Lady. Foxy Lady isn't available digitally-it was only released as a 7" single on vinyl on Nomad Eel."

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The Long Hunt - Threshold Wanderer (Album Review)

 

Release Date: April 1st 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Threshold Wanderer - Tracklisting

1.Prelude 01:46 

2.The Tower 05:24 

3.The Golden Bough 06:15 

4.Night Falls on Black Wings 12:33 

5.Crossing the River 04:10 

6.Procession of Dust 12:11 

Members

Trevor Richards: Guitar

Allison Kacmar Richards: Bass

Mark Lyons: Drums

Review

Threshold Wanderer is the new album from Pittsburgh Doom And Gloom Instrumentalists The Long Hunt. The band have released two other releases before this one and this is my first experience with the band so I can’t comment how this one ranks against their previous efforts. With that being said, The Long Hunt have released an outstanding album with Threshold Wanderer. The album conjures six tracks that transcends the Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal structure with echoes of Americana Post-Doom and Hazy Psychedelic Stoner Metal allowing the band playing well executed styles of slow paced and fast paced grooves. 

There is an epic music video that accompanies this album as well which you want a more visual and “out there” experience. As this album is quite a dark and complex album hitting upon themes such as nature, life, death and rebirth.

The Long Hunt open the album up with Prelude, a very cool offering acoustic guitars and cold-hearted psychedelic atmospherics. 

Second track The Tower offers a very strange sound with echoes of Post-Rock, Post-Doom, Prog Rock and even Classic Rock before the band reach their creative destination around the half-way stage of the song. This allows The Long Hunt to “open” up their gloomy Americana sound by playing heavier and meatier slices of groove based Doom/Stoner Metal. The song becomes a more interesting experience towards the end of the song with some YOB-esque flourishes appearing. One of the albums more thrilling and delicate compositions that are held here.

Third track The Golden Bough brings a fresh “Classic Rock” and “Blues Rock” perspective that I didn’t expect at all. Quite funky and wonderfully surreal at the same time. This song has such an “easy-going” quality that the song fits superbly with both areas of Classic Hard Rock and Modern Day Doom/Stoner Metal sound the band use for this song. 

Fourth song Night Falls On Black Wings is the standout and heaviest track here with The Long Hunt simply going for the Doom/Stoner Metal jugular. The song has the right balance of slow-paced grooves and the faster aggressive Stoned Out riffs. Flirting with elements of Ambient Post-Rock sounds and Post-Stoner flair bring a fine level of distorted melodies along the way. The song lasts almost thirteen minutes and The Long Hunt play some of the finest parts of the album on both of the albums lengthiest tracks.

The final two songs Crossing The River and Procession Of Dust allows The Long Hunt to end the album on a high with more epic sounds of Doom/Stoner Metal spliced with Classic Rock, Psych Rock, Post-Rock and Prog Rock leaving you wanting more. Procession Of Dust is the other longer track contained on this album and is another mesmerising track that ultimately leaves you wanting to hear more from this album.

As I stated earlier in the review, Threshold Wanderer is an outstanding album that oozes style, charm and originality with a fine amount of heavy hitting grooves that build up for a soulful and almost out-of-body experience. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mettle Media PR for the promo.

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Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking is really proud to present a new band signing with SOMNUS THRONE

Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking is really proud to present a new band signing with SOMNUS THRONE

SOMNUS THRONE is Heavy Psych Doom from California -

We are so stoked to announce that the heavy psych doom riffers Somnus Throne has signed a worldwide deal with Heavy Psych Sounds for their new album !!!

PRESALE + first track premiere from APRIL 6th

SAYS THE BAND:

"Heavy Psych Sounds was our first choice. They're doing so much all over right now, it's huge. We mostly sent it to them as a joke but I guess the riff gods were looking down on us or something because they got back to us quick and we're stoked to hear that! The doom must flow."

BIOGRAPHY

Somnus Throne is a three-piece formed way back in 2016 in a cacophony of underground heavy music shows, leaking warehouse ceilings, and perpetual sedation of one kind or another. While their members have haunted many a '5 dollar-at-the-door, Monday through Friday no rent crash-pad, repurposed crack-house turned venues' from New Orleans to Portland, they are based in Los Angeles, California. They mostly flew under the radar until the release of their first album "Self Titled" on Burning World Records (of Roadburn Festival fame) in 2020.

Their current roster boasts one Matt Davis on drums, Ansel Bretz on bass, and Evan on guitar/vox. Various music critics who each can't seem to understand their origins at least agree that Somnus Throne is a 3-piece band that plays doom, heavy psych, stoner and grunge akin to Dead Meadow, Acid King, Electric Wizard, Sleep, Black Rainbows, OM, Dopelord and Vokonis with a healthy dose of Black Sabbath (as always).

SOMNUS THRONE is

Evan – vocals/guitars
Ansel Bretz – bass
Matt Davis – drums

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for all of the press details.

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Samavayo - Payan (Album Review)

Release Date: March 25th 2022. Record Label: Noisoltion. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Payan - Tracklisting

1.Afghan Sky feat. Nick DiSalvo 05:49

2.Shot Shot Shot Shot feat. Tommi Holappa 07:04

3.Payan feat. Igor Sydorenko 07:01

4.Transcend! Exceed! 03:59

5.Prophecy 08:52

6.Talagh 05:05

7.The Mission feat. Willi Paschen 05:09

Members

Andreas Voland (Bass, Vocals, Organ)

Behrang Alavi (Vocals, Guitar)

Stephan Voland (Drums, Vocals, Percussion)

Review

Payan is the new album from prolific German Psych Stoner Rockers Samavayo and the band show new waves of Fuzzed Up Psychedelic Creativity on their seventh record. The band brought a few of their famous pals along for the ride of the majority of the tracks. Samavayo bring a more Seventies Psych Rock and Space Rock attitude to this album and it’s definitely more spaced out than I originally anticipated.

Opening track Afghan Sky features a guest appearance from ELDER head honcho Nick DiSalvo and it’s mix of Desert Fuzz with a boisterous sludgy and seedy Psychedelic grooves with awesome added bonus of  Classic Stoner Metal vocals showcasing Samavayo are still hungry after all this time playing their blend of highly anthemic music. The song is quite rebellious and has quite a powerful Space Rock afterthought especially when the Psychedelic Freakouts appear. You can hear influences from bands such as KYUSS, Thin Lizzy and Queen on this track. 

Second song Shot Shot Shot Shot teams the band up with Tommi Holappa from legendary Swedish Stoners DOZER and GREENLEAF. A stirring mix of Swedish Spaced Out Stoner Metal and Classic Desert Rock/Stoner Metal that still manages blast all the way upto the COSMOS with a mighty fine Prog Metal outlook as well. Throw in flashy Classic Hard Rock guitar solos and Samavayo conjures up one of the standout tracks on the album.

Third song Payan sees Samavayo join forces with Stoned Jesus main-man Igor Sydorenko and the results are equally as good as the opening two tracks with this perhaps being the best track on the entire album. Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath and Soundgarden are perhaps the strongest musical influences that I can hear on this track with Samavayo still playing their usual first rate Psych Stoner Metal delivery. The song does take some time for Samavayo to find their creative ground but I loved the more nuanced style of music on this track. Add a haunting Middle Eastern element and Payan is the song with the most interesting things to say.

The following three songs Transcend! Exceed!, Prophecy and Talagh sees Samavayo branch out on their own with this being the real “Samavayo” finally starting to appear with their usual first rate take on modern day Psych Stoner Metal with Prophecy and Talagh being the real highlights here. As these are the songs where Samavayo feel they go back to their  musical “roots”.

The final song The Mission features a team-up with Will Paschen (Coogan’s Bluff) and is the most straight-forward and action packed of the collaborative pieces of this album. The song is quite direct and offers a slightly skewed Punk Rock off-take of AIC inspired vocals and blistering Stoner Rock grooves.

Payan is one of the strongest releases that Samavayo have released in some time. Potentially it could even be considered one of their best releases to date.

Overall, Payan is a turbo charged affair with a fantastic modern day aggressive attitude. 

Awesome stuff. End of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to the many folks who sent promos to review. Too many to mention this time I’m afraid.

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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

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ZOM - Fear And Failure (Album Review)

Release Date: March 11th 2022. Record Label: StonerFly Records. Format: DD/Vinyl

Fear And Failure - Tracklisting

1.Washed Away 04:58

2.Long Way Gone 03:33

3.Showtime 04:36

4.Third Life 04:16

5.Running Man 03:55

6.Stone 05:38

7.August 04:26

8.Another Day to Run 03:28

9.Down The Highway 03:17

10.The Plunge 04:50

Members

Gero Von Dehn: Vocals/Guitar

Sam Pesce: Bass

Ben Zerbe: Drums/Percussion

Matthew Tuite: Guitar

Review

Fear And Failure is the new album by Grunge/Stoner Rockers ZOM and arrives four years after their last acclaimed release Nebulos. This album has allowed ZOM to bring a heavier and riffier style of delivery with their music that echoes of bands such as CLUTCH and Soundgarden.

The record has also been mastered by Grunge Legend Jack Endino with Jason Jouer handling the mixed, recording and engineering duties. So the album sounds excellent and with ZOM recording this album during the start of the pandemic. To ZOM’s credit the album remains a super upbeat experience with not many “darker” moments held on this record.

Moving between modern day Psych Stoner Rock and an almost classic Grungy Hard Rock outlook, ZOM explode aggressively at the right time with superior moments of Blues Rock based grooves that you can fully experience on Washed Away, Long Way Gone and Showtime. The vocals have that modern Stoner Rock/Metal feel whilst having an classical 80’s Hard Rock feel.

ZOM do take a few songs to inject a few trippy guitar solos into the mix with Showtime being the first standout track on the album. Showtime has an exciting “CLUTCH” approach that ZOM appear to adapt for the rest of the album but with a grungy swagger that works well with their Psychedelic grooves they lay down for this release.

Other standout tracks are: Third Life, Stone, August, Another Day To Run and Plunge

KUDOS must also goto ZOM for covering NEBULA’s classic track Down The Highway. As most bands tend to go for the more “well known” bands and I’m glad NEBULA were given the respect they fully deserve. ZOM’s cover is an interesting choice and they do their own thing with the song. Sure, it doesn’t stray far from the original but I did enjoy their “more” aggressive take on this track.

Fear And Failure is perhaps not breaking any new creative ground. However, this album is quite a relentless blend of Psych Rock, Grunge and Stoner Rock that leaves you wanting more whilst kicking your ass with huge stadium sounding grooves along the way.

What more could you possibly want….

Words by Steve Howe

You can buy Fear And Failure from StoneFly Records on Vinyl now

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Psychedelic Doomsters Acid Magus Release Redux Version Of Wyrd Syster Single - SHE IS THE NIGHT

Psychedelic doomsters Acid Magus release redux version of Wyrd Syster single.

(Photo Credit - Vivid Portraits) 

Acid Magus released their debut album, Wyrd Syster on the 30th July 2021. Heaving with fuzzy guitars, fat bass lines and thunderous drums, as one has come to be expected from the four-piece. The release was extremely well received within the heavy music scene, garnering widespread attention from media and fans. Doom, Stoner, Punk, Psych, and Classic Rock are all common themes throughout the album. 

The band recently decided to re-record the title track and second single from the album as guitarist Keenan Kinnear explains, “She is the Night was a bit of an afterthought when  completing the album. When we finalized the vocals, we sat back and thought "wow, this is actually quite a powerful track!” The audience response to the song has also been very positive so we decided to give it the spotlight it deserves and re-recorded it from scratch in our newly adopted drop tuning and added a few bits to flesh it out somewhat. Once more, the inimitable Tyrone le Roux-Atterbury contributed an exclusive art piece further detailing the Wyrd Syster” from the original album art…” 

Buy / Stream Wyrd Syster: https://orcd.co/sheisthenight_redux 

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