OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH - Die Underground (Album Review)

Release Date: March 28th 2025. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Die Underground - Tracklisting

1.Die Underground 05:49 

2.No Lord 10:28

3.Oversleep 04:56

4.Fallen Woman 14:07

Members:

Jasso : Guitar/ Vocals

Luna : Bass

Backhaus + TJ : Twin Drums

Review

DIe Underground is the new album from Psychedelic Freaksters OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH and it’s my first exposure to their hyper violent style of Fuzz, Doom, Sludge, Noise, Stoner, Psych, Garage and Punk Rock carnage that awaits you on this album. Taking elements of Japanese Freakout music and joining this with intense slabs of Garage Rock is quite a highly inventive idea though the added levels of Speed Metal is quite something to behold. Parts Motorhead, MC5, Acid Mothers Temple, Mainliner and The Stooges is there to fully experience but as the classic saying from The Matrix goes:

“Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.”

That saying is the best way to describe Die Underground as it’s brilliantly unique, violent and all over the place with the massive amounts of epic feedback and drug induced Speed Rock/Metal grooves that surrounds the entire album which starts forming on the excellent title track Die Underground before exploding into a volcanic mass eruption of experimental passages within the second standout track No Lord. 

The vocals are buried under a ton of distorted dirt, grime and noise which has quite a deep wave of paranoia to them. OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH brings an experimental and art-rock style of music which feels inspired by the 1960’s and 1970’s Rock Scene and these guys will perhaps feel out of place to the normal Stoner Rock mainstream. Though, I expect nothing less from the amazing Riot Season Records who are releasing this album and they are the KINGS of bringing brilliantly weird and extraordinary bands to my attention who don’t fit the standard underground sound. OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH is no exception with the final two tracks Oversleep and Fallen Woman allowing the band to close the album off in freakish and violently aggressive fashion which leaves you wanting to hear more before the dying seconds of the album. 

Overall, Die Underground is an absolute joy if you dig the experimental and crazed nature of the whole album as there’s a ton of violent grooves waiting to be discovered under the masses of psychedelic terror that OVER-GAIN OPTIMAL DEATH conjures up out of thin air.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Die Underground is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Riot Season Records.

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Cage The Ox - Descender (Single Review)

Release Date: April 04th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Descender - Tracklisting

Descender

Review

Cage The Ox are a Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal band from the Highlands Of Scotland and are inspired by the sounds of MONOLORD, BONGZILLA, WEEDEATER and SLEEP. You can add a ton of other epic sounding LOW & SLOW based bands who deal in playing long drawn out FUZZ based grooves. Their new single Descender is quite bleak with it’s harsh vocals and post-metal based atmospherics and psychedelic imagery Cage The Ox conjure up within the song’s six minutes run time.

There is a stripped back LESS IS MORE sound that develops within the violent movements Cage The Ox slowly design and develop within the whole song though they still manage to find time to play classic Sludge/Stoner Metal instrumental solos along the way. There’s even moments of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal guitar shredding appearing within the final moments of the track which allows Cage The Ox to play other areas of Rock and Metal whilst still retaining their Sludge/Stoner Metal credentials that I’m hoping the band will develop even further on future releases.

Descender is a great way for Cage The Ox to introduce themselves. They’re not the finished article yet by any means but they have my full undivided attention with this great slice of fucked up heaviness which should cause some unpleasant moments of down-tuned aggression for folks brave enough to listen to the track.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

LinkTree

L.o.W. - Burning The Cradle (EP Review)

Release Date: April 01st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Burning The Cradle - Tracklisting

1.Intro 01:37

2.Whoreland 05:54

3.Heart of Hell 04:12

4.3:6/Ass 03:26

5.Crawling 06:27

6.Burning the Cradle 07:05

Members

Michał Szczeciński - Bass
Witold Smykowski - Drums
Marek Trybusz - Guitars
Adam - Vocals

Review

Burning The Cradle is the new EP from Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metallers L.o.W. who come from the Polish underground scene and that scene has provided a ton of great bands over the years. L.o.W. have been around since 2015. and have released some decent releases before Burning The Cradle which is perhaps their most impressive to date. Their overall sound is still quite raw and unrelenting with Adam’s harsh vocals leading the way though there are some grounded clean vocals that offer a bleak reality check which come into full focus on the second track Whoreland.

The instrumental sounds provided by Michal (Bass), Witold (Drums) and Marek (Guitars) all offer highly determined and brutally aggressive sounds with their music drifting between the seedier cracks of the Doom, Sludge and Stoner based grooves. L.o.W. With a menacing Southern Metal, Groove and Post-Metal appetite forming within Whoreland that still allows the band to develop a sprightly style of riff based momentum on the later stages of the track without losing their bombastic SEEDY attitude.

L.o.W. are inspired by the likes of BONGZILLA, WEEDEATER, Electric Wizard and SLEEP but you could also add EYEHATEGOD, DOWN and NEUROSIS for when the EP’s mood becomes slightly darker and daring with a sense of catharsis within the lyrics of tracks such as Whoreland, Heart Of Hell, Crawling and Burning The Cradle. The later of the stages employs a subtle 1990’s aura of Grunge and classic Stoner Metal attitude which is perhaps the standout moments of the EP though L.o.W. never waiver with their raw-sounding and stripped back sound.

Burning The Cradle is not the best sounding EP but it makes up for this lack of polish with a ton of epic sounding grooves that have the right amount of menacing intent and ferocious melody behind them. L.o.W. have delivered the goods with Burning The Cradle and it should keep long time devotees of the grimy WEEDIAN happy for quite some time.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Ungraven - Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks (Album Review)

Release Date: April 18th 2025. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks - Tracklisting

1.Nothing Is Less Than Zero

2.Hollows Made Home

Members:

Jon Davis (guitars)

David Perry (synth / organ / keys / vocals)

Review

Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks is the debut album from Psych/Doom/Drone Metallers Ungraven which features Jon Davis from the mighty CONAN and ex-Conan Member David Perry joining forces for a sombre and brutally surreal experience in to the world of Psychedelic Drone soundscapes. Ungraven feels like a creative extension from CONAN with Jon and David creating sounds that have been used sparingly on previous CONAN records though this time round this is a more Psychedelic and Spaced Out sound. Using influences such as Tangerine Dream, Goblin, John Carpenter and Circle that dares to cross over into the Blackened Drone soulless abyss.

The powerful synths, organs and keys from David Perry feel like they could have arrived from a recently discovered lost horror movie as his work oozes atmosphere and is quite astonishing into the multiple levels of frenzied heaviness that appear within both tracks that make up the album. Jon’s sprawling and multi-layered guitars add a level of screeching heaviness with frenzied sludge based movements transforming into fuzzed out nightmarish hallucinations which have moments of pure Droned Out BLISS to them. 

David’s highly experimental vocals are quite vivid with the digitized and electronic effects that accompany them with Ungraven exploring a cinematic based odyssey which evokes memories of classic soundtracks such as ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK at times. The two tracks of Nothing Is Less Than Zero and Hollows Made Home both last over twenty one minutes each so be prepared for a long drawn out experience which is quite ethereal and progressive at the same time.

Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks is the perfect companion piece to CONAN’S upcoming and outstanding new album Violence Dimension with that record touching upon similar themes as this great album itself though very sparingly. 

This is not the easiest album to listen to with Ungraven having an eerie and blackened presence within their creative powers but everything is played beautifully and when the riffs do ultimately appear, they are long drawn out moments of pure Droned Out Metal perfection for me. As this is the type of Drone based album I love where I always lose myself in the moment and let the music take me upon a soulful journey of psychedelic heaviness.

Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks ranks as one of the very best Drone Metal releases from the underground scene I've heard within the last ten years or so.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from Friday April 18th 2025.

Links

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VAPE WARLÖK - Debut Album '...And His Skull Shall Make My Bong' Coming 4/20!

Hurling straight at you from their wholly tongue-impaled cheek comes ...And His Skull Shall Make My Bong, the debut full-length from Southern California's Vape Warlök.

If a bongwater-soaked battle vest covered in poorly-sewn-on Sleep patches and mildew became sentient and formed a band, it would be Vape Warlök. Comprising members of Unida, Circle of Sighs, and High Priestess, these denizens of the dour doom dumpster aspire to make music that is raw, primitive, and heavier than thou.

The upcoming album was written and recorded in 2023-2024 at Thee Culveric Catacombs (Culver City, CA), Suspirium Art Space (DTLA), and Downtown Rehearsal (DTLA). The trio shared an official video earlier this year for the album-opening track "Satan's Succubus."

Tracklist:

01. Satan's Succubus
02. ...And His Skull Shall Make My Bong
03. Meth Slave
04. Satanalingus: The Devil's Tongue
05. Bongmaster General

That first single alone thoroughly indicates that Vape Warlök slathers their knuckle-dragging stoner-doom in a thick husk of filthy slime that won't wash off no matter how hard you try. It's just plain gross, and that's how they like it.

...And His Skull Shall Make My Bong will be available in digital and physical format on April 20th, 2025, including limited edition vinyl via Pillars of Creation.

Pre-order now at the Vape Warlök Bandcamp:

https://vapewarlok.bandcamp.com/album/and-his-skull-shall-make-my-bong

Vape Warlök - "SATAN'S SUCCUBUS" - Official Video https://youtu.be/HY9tqXKbeig

Vape Warlök is:

The Count - Guitars, Vox, Synths
The Baron - Drums, Samples
The Duchess - Bass, Vox

"Brutal and brilliant filthy. Bongzilla meets THOU." - Steve H., Outlaws Of The Sun

"Vape Warlök are superlatively heavy, and obviously the call not to take …And His Skull Shall Make My Bong too seriously is resonant from the skullbong blacklight poster artwork on through the murky psychedelia of the “Satan’s Succubus” video and the grueling chicanery that ensues from the opener onward. At the same time, Vape Warlök aren’t so easy to discount as being just-fuckery. That there would be an awareness of their place in the genre isn’t a surprise — they’re veteran players, just with fun nicknames." - The Obelisk

"Ridiculous, filthy, ignorant riffs... A lumbering drug march through molasses. Love it." - Darryl Shepard

https://vapewarlok.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/vapewarlok/
https://www.youtube.com/@vapewarlok8343
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0awt1BklLLUydCXkK0qxIS
https://music.amazon.co.uk/artists/B0B281VDJ4/vape-warl%C3%B6k

Thanks to Mettle Media PR for all of the details.

Tumble - Lost In Light (EP Review)

Release Date: May 02nd 2025. Record Label: Echodelick Records (US) and Stickman Records (EU). Formats: DD/Vinyl

Lost In Light - Tracklisting

1.Laid By Fear

2.The Less I Know 

3.Dead By Rumour

4.Sullen Slaves

5.Wings Of Gold 

Members:

Liam Deak: Guitar & Vocals

Tarun Dawar: Bass

Will Adams: Drums & Percussion

Review

The Toronto based Tumble are about to drop their E.P ‘Lost in Light’ on May 2nd partnering with Echodelick Records and Stickman Records, delivering a throwback of 70’s minimalism and raw hard rock tendencies. The trio embraces the more organic approach of less frill, more thrill, with the recordings being captured live in studio with Ian Blurton at the helm of production. This not only gives ‘Lost in Light’ that retro feel with stripped-down methods but also a more genuine representation of three dudes and their instruments in a live atmosphere. 

‘Lost in Light’ is not just a throwback because of production, as Tumble provides proto-metal and psych-blues licks across the five tracks in a blistering fashion reminiscent of a long lost 70’s record rescued from a dusty crate bin. The heavy bass driven and rhythm focused ‘Laid By Fear’ starts us off with a dreamy vocal over top. The vocals split in two on the chorus with harmonies and the bottom third provides plenty of variations and guitar prowess for us that adore the ‘glory days’ of rock ‘n’ roll. Next up is ‘The Less I Know’, a guitar swaggering track that boasts and boosts the blues factor up a notch especially on the lead parts. Relatable lyrics state, “The more I live, the less I know”, us too Tumble, us too. The track ‘Dead by Rumour’ not only has a 70’s feel but also a charming garage rock aspect to it, with a loose devil-may-care attitude Tumble lure you in with the hooks and grooves. 

‘Sullen Slaves’ may be the favorite of ‘Lost in Light’ with its proto-metal riffing and verses that evoke a Blue Öyster Cult quality with its vocal melody. Then there’s the amazing guitar work on the solo while the bass and drums thunder alongside in a stampede of energy. Number five ‘Wings of Gold’ closes us out and you can see why it was chosen as the first single as it is a thorough introduction to the band and their sound. It’s also thoroughly catchy, with a chorus that is unforgettable. As on the last track Tumble goes into a ‘jam’ towards the end, and a groove laden tempo backs the lead guitar as it shreds bluesy-psychedelic delights. 

Tumble have certainly laid down a rocking E.P. with ‘Lost in Light’, their intriguing sound of 70’s rock, proto-metal, and psych is potent and encouraging. It’s great to hear bands embracing the past not only as inspiration for their music but also in passion, technique, and procedure. However, there’s a sneaky suspicion that this is just the framework for bigger and better things, as Tumble will most likely have even more to offer us in the future. Keep your eyes peeled. 

Words by Jon McGough

Thanks to C Squared Music for the promo.

Lost in Light will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Echodelick Records (US) and Stickman Records (EU) from Friday 02nd May 2025.

Links

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Mountain Of Misery - Shades Of The Ashes (Album Review)

Release Date: April 04th 2025. Record Label: Electric Witch Mountain Recordings. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Shades Of The Ashes - Tracklisting

Thornado

Follow The Sun

Mystify

Speed Kig

From Fall To Rise

Interlude

Lightness At The End

Blow

Members:

Kamil Ziółkowski - Everything

Review

Shades Of The Ashes is the new album from Psych Stoner Metal collective Mountain Of Misery and this is the band or creative project that is helmed by Kamil Ziółkowski from the mighty SPACESLUG. This is Mountain Of Misery’s third full length album with Kamil operating with a heavier sound compared to the previous albums released under this guise. The sound combines different elements of Post-Rock, Sludge Rock, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal with a distorted atmosphere being used more prominently with the music also having an aggressive and jagged appeal which lasts throughout the whole album.

The Scorched DESERT ROCK vibe is undeniable with Mountain Of Misery using levels of Drone and Distortion that results in a heavy atmospheric sound which closely resembles SPACESLUG at times but with Kamil writing some uplifting lyrics and being more experimental with his intense melodies. The opening batch of tracks Thornado, Follow The Sun and Mystify are some of the heaviest and progressive sounds that Mountain Of Misery have delivered but with a thrilling modern Post-Doom and Post-Stoner landscape with a delicate APOCALYPTIC FUZZ movement being quite forceful and superbly powerful at the same time.

The level of detail that Kamil applies to the record is astonishing especially when the different styles of Psych, Space and Cosmic passages that elevate the record onto greater meditative heights. Kamil’s vocals are exquisite yet again and fans of SPACESLUG will recognize them right away. There’s a sense of urgency to the vocals which gives the record an unpredictable energy especially when matched against the Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves that never feel out of place.

Shades Of The Ashes is quite vivid but with a soulful outlook especially on tracks Follow The Sun, Speed Kig,  From Fall To Rise and Blow. Kamil has tapped into the arena of CINEMATIC based music which allows him greater creativity and flexibility that he may not fully experience with SPACESLUG.

I love the deft sonic experimentation that Kamil has created and played with the different instruments that appear on this record. With some wonderful free-flowing AMBIENT and POST-ROCK movements, Mountain Of Misery has the “LOUD vs QUIET” dynamics nailed down to a fine art. This does feel like one of the best albums that SPACESLUG have never released but still allowing Kamil the opportunity to explore a different side to his musical persona which can be brilliantly HEAVY but with a subtle Sludge Rock vibe keeping everything grounded. 

Shades Of The Ashes is my favourite Mountain Of Misery record to date and if you’re a fan of SPACESLUG and the other projects that Kamil is a part of then be prepared to be blown away. As this is another must have record from Mountain Of Misery who is fast becoming one of my favourite bands/solo projects to emerge from the underground scene. 

Add this to your record collection now. You won’t be sorry.

 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mountain Of Misery for the promo.

Shades Of The Ashes will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Electric Witch Mountain Recordings from Friday 04th April 2025.

Credits

Recorded at Electric Witch Mountain Recordings by Kamil Ziółkowski (January/February 2025) MIxed and Mastered by Haldor Grunberg (Satanic Audio) Produced by Kamil Ziółkowski & Haldor Grunberg All music and lyrics by Mountain Of Misery Cover artwork by Łukasz Puzdrowski LP Layout by Artur Rolik LP version in 2 colors (splatter and solid) available at Bandcamp site. mountainofmisery.bandcamp.com

Links

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