Doūsk - Live! (Album Review)

Release Date: May 01st 2025. Record Label: Riff Dealers. Formats: DD

LIVE! - Tracklisting

Sludge Dredd

Whisky Robot Dance

Over9000

Running On The Roof

5

Blueprint

Dark Materials

Members:

Igor Shaminsky – bass guitar

Dmitry Vashkov – drums, synthesizers

Review

Live! is the debut album from Instrumental Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metallers Doūsk who are primarily a Drums and Bass duo who specialize in LOW & SLOW and HEAVILY DISTORTED grooves with a mighty raw and aggressive sound. The album was recorded live On March 21, 2025at at "Reactor" club in Minsk, Belarus. Quite a ballsy and brave move releasing a live album as your debut release but Doūsk’s music speaks for itself with a level of SONIC distortion and manipulation which adds real weight to Igor Shaminsky’s pummelling bass and Dimitry Vashkov’s intense drumming. 

The musical notes are quite long and drawn out in places with the rough sounding production values giving Doūsk a real muscular presence especially in the first few tracks with Sludge Dredd and Whisky Robot Dance setting the scene. Doūsk have a real CHAINSAW style effect to their music with the glitchy noises and sounds that feels like KARMA TO BURN jamming with BONGRIPPER, SUNN 0))) and The Melvins at times. Being a purely instrumental band works to Doūsk’s favour as they focus upon primarily developing a harsh Sludge/Stoner Metal sound with freakish amounts of noise inducing and amplifying heavy surroundings to a highly appreciative audience in attendance. 

Doūsk generates a bleak sounding atmosphere throughout the album with flashes of Proggy Spaced Out Doom on tracks such as Over9000, Running On The Roof and Blueprint. With the lo-fi trappings of the record and some intense moments of screeching instrumental passages, the album can also be highly melodic and progressive on the later stages of the record. Doūsk perhaps rely on too much FEEDBACK and HEAVY REVERB at times but this allows the record to have quite an organic and dangerous industrial based energy which I wouldn’t expect on a LIVE album such as this. However, Doūsk prove what a highly talented band they really are. 

This is the type of album that could see Doūsk obtain a loyal and dedicated cult following within the underground scene. I’m looking forward to hearing a proper “STUDIO” recording from Doūsk in the future but LIVE is one hell of a record that demands your full and undivided attention. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Riff Dealers for the promo.

LIVE! will be available to buy Digitally via Riff Dealers from Thursday May 01st 2025.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Pogreb - Live (Album Review)

Release Date: June 13th 2025. Record Label: Riff Dealers. Formats: DD

Live - Tracklisting

1.Каждый день 11:02

2.Ты нужна мне 09:13

3.Ельни вий 11:38

4.Погреб 14:20

Members

Ilya Kovalsky – vocals/guitar,

Vladislav Strakovsky – guitar

Evgeny Klachkov – bass

Nikita Tatarintsev – drums

Review

Live is the debut album from Doom/Stoner Metallers Pogreb who arrive from Minsk, Belarus and who are given their chance to shine within the underground scene courtesy of great label Riff Dealers Records. As the title suggests, this is a LIVE ALBUM that is spread across four lengthy tracks with the album running around forty five minutes in length. 

If you’ve grown up on a steady diet of riffs provided by the likes of SLEEP, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and BELZEBONG then here’s another superb band to check out. Throw in vast amounts of AMPLIFIER FEEDBACK, Seedy Proto-Doom Metal sounds and a blatant disregard for modern day recording techniques. As this album is raw, loud, mean and nasty as they come. The music is put through a ton of reverb and down-tuned distortion which rarely allows the Psychedelic soundscapes to grow organically. Pogreb feel like they're playing their instruments with a HAMMER and I wouldn’t be surprised if their instruments were completely unusable after this epic live performance.

I have to give credit to the band as they do play superb melodic surroundings along the way which reminds me of SLEEP and COUGH in places especially on the standout tracks of Каждый день, Ельни вий and Погреб. The vocals are quite sparse throughout the album and only appear when they need to appear but Ilya Kovalsky’s style and delivery is what you expect for a raw sounding album such as this. They’re delivered with absolute conviction but with a pure PUNK ROCK energy and PRIMAL essence which could be considered CAVEMAN based but Ilya fully delivers on all fronts.

Pogreb’s record label (Riff Dealers) previously released the stunning and similarly raw live album from Sludge/Stoner Metallers Doūsk where I stated within my review for them - I’m looking forward to hearing a proper “STUDIO” recording from Doūsk in the future but LIVE is one hell of a record that demands your full and undivided attention. The same goes for Pogreb where I would love to hear a proper studio recording of these tracks to hear what they sound like in a studio environment. 

I perhaps prefer Pogreb’s “Live” album to Doūsk as it’s heavier and has more intense and evil sounding grooves that adds a brilliantly morbid style of AMPLIFIER DISTORTION to the mix.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

BandCamp | Instagram

Stoner Doom Titans BELZEBONG to return with new album "The End Is High" on Heavy Psych Sounds; first track "420 Horsemen" streaming!

Poland's Stoner/Doom royalty BELZEBONG have signed to Heavy Psych Sounds Records for the release of their first album in nearly a decade, "The End Is High". Stream an intoxicating first excerpt ahead of its world release on February 20th, 2026.

Stream Belzebong's trippy new track "420 Horsemen"

The skies crack, the world coughs, and the smoke clears only to reveal the end. From the depths of the riff-choked void, Belzebong return with a new sermon for the final days: "The End Is High". Recorded and mixed by Satanic Audio at Sound of Records, this new chapter drags you deeper into your doom — where the incense burns green, and time moves slower than death itself. This is the soundtrack for the final procession. No salvation. No redemption. Bong. Fire. Death.

"On ‘The End Is High’, Belzebong conjure some of their dankest jams yet in full sonic fury (the recording captures it all beautifully). All of them bear the trademark Belzebong songcraft. The band has always had a knack of building on a few catchy ideas, building dire atmosphere around them, and doubling down on slow, powerful grooves," states Doomed & Stoned editors.

BELZEBONG "The End Is High" - Out February 20th on Heavy Psych Sounds (LP/CD/digital)

Poland’s loudest riff dealers Belzebong have been spreading their fuzz-drenched gospel of bong metal since 2008. With no vocals and no compromises, they summon crushing instrumentals soaked in doom, sludge, and psychedelic haze. Their hypnotic live shows and cult-like following have turned them into underground legends, delivering slow, sinister grooves straight from the green abyss.

With acclaimed albums like "Sonic Scapes & Weedy Grooves", "Greenferno" and "Light the Dankness", Belzebong have toured extensively across Europe and the U.S., leaving trails of blown minds and smoke-filled venues in their wake. Belzebong is not just a band: it’s a ritual of riff worship for those who live by the fuzz and die by the bong.

Belzebong upcoming shows

21.11 - Radebeul (Ger) Barnyard Club
22.11 - Jena (Ger) Kuba
23.11 - Prague (Cz) Modrá Vopice
25.11 - Brno (CZ) Kabinet Muz
26.11 - Bratislava (SK) Žalár
27.11 - Vienna (At) Arena
28.11 - Graz (At) Explosiv Club
29.11 - Salzburg (At) Dome Of Rock Festival
30.11 - Munich (Ger) Backstage
02.12 - Frankfurt (Ger) Ponyhof
03.12 - Paris (Fr) Backstage By The Mill
04.12 - Nantes (Fr) Le Ferrailleur
05.12 - Lille (Fr) Bulle Café
06.12 - Utrecht (NL) Db's
07.12 - Eindhoven (NL) Café The Jack
08.12 - Düsseldorf (Ger) Pitcher
10.12 - Münster (Ger) Rare Guitar
11.12 - Hamburg (Ger) Hafenklang
12.12 - Oldenburg (Ger) Cadillac
13.12 - Berlin (Ger) Wild At Heart

Belzebong lineup

Sheepy Dude - Bass
Alky Dude - Guitar
Cheesy Dude - Guitar
Hexy Dude - Drums

Belzebong links

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Heavy Psych Sounds links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

DESERTFEST BERLIN reveals new wave of bands for 2026 adding RED FANG, HÅNDGEMENG, ROTOR & more; Day Splits now available!

Desertfest Berlin turns up the heat once more. After a string of early announcements, the festival now drops another heavy hit of news: Portland’s finest riff dealers RED FANG are back! They will be rolling into Desertfest Berlin 2026 with the full package - massive stoner-rock grooves, hook-loaded sludge anthems, and that unmistakable RED FANG swagger that’s carried them from DIY basements to global festival stages.

Please also welcome: from Oslo, HÅNDGEMENG. These dudes crash in with their explosive fusion of hardcore punk, stoner metal and icy Norwegian chaos – a band that turns every stage into a riot. Berlin’s ROTOR follow with their trademark instrumental powertrip of hypnotic grooves and desert-driven momentum. SKLOSS, Space gaze duo from Austin, Texas. UK desert-rock veterans STEAK with riffs thick as concrete and a catalogue that’s been shaking festival dust worldwide and THE DHARMA CHAIN - Psychedelic daydreamers spinning shimmering, sun-dazed jams that feel like drifting into a parallel universe.

The latest additions crank the line-up to the next level, joining a line-up that already boasts heavy-hitters like RUSSIAN CIRCLES, HERMANO ft. JOHN GARCIA, THE SWORD, KING BUFFALO, ACID KING, TRUCKFIGHTERS, NEBULA, EARTHLESS, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, FUZZ SAGRADO (ex Samsara Blues Expieriment), Thrash Metal powerhouse ZERRE and many more!

From May 14–16, 2026 at Columbiahalle & Columbia-Theater, DESERTFEST BERLIN will turn the German capital into a heavy riff sanctuary, with more names and special suprises to follow. Time to plan, the Day Splits, Tickets and Venue Sleep Over options are now available at: www.desertfest-tickets.de

[Artwork by Kuba Sokolski Illustration]

For More Info Visit:

https://www.desertfest.de
https://desertfest-tickets.de/produkte
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2135415456871801

Thanks to All Noir PR for the details.

Band To Check Out - Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metallers Doūsk

Doūsk is an instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal duo from Bobruisk (Belarus, Eastern Europe) that blends minimalism and crushing heaviness to create an atmospheric stoner-doom sound. Their music is built on hypnotic riffs and monotonous, almost industrial rhythms — pure groove, depth, and a sound that resonates on a subconscious level.

On March 21, 2025, Doūsk recorded a mesmerizing live performance at "Reactor" club in Minsk, capturing the raw energy of their sound and the immersive experience of their show.

You can watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC97Eiiak2M

Dmitry Vashkov, drummer of Doūsk, shares his thoughts on the project and the performance:

"For years, we played in different bands, but only now have we realized what we truly want to create. We took all our accumulated experience and decided to craft something powerful. Our show at 'Reactor' felt like a vortex in time — you exist in the past, stand on stage in the present, and your mind is already in the future. It was an incredible experience!"

A live album featuring this intense performance is set to be released this May via Riff Dealers.

Hooded Menace - Lachyrmose Monuments of Obscuration (Album Review)

Release Date: October 03rd 2025. Record Label: Season Of Mist. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration - Tracklisting

1. Twilight Passages (1:04)

2. Pale Masquerade (7:50)

3. Portrait Without a Face (7:15)

4. Daughters of Lingering Pain (7:25)

5. Lugubrious Dance (7:20)

6. Save a Prayer (6:12)

7. Into Haunted Oblivion (9:47)

Members

Harri Kuokkanen — Vocals

Lasse Pyykkö — Guitar, Bass, Keyboards

Pekka Koskelo — Drums

Review

Hooded Menace continue their journey into the depths of Extreme Meal with their trademark style of Death Metal and Doom Metal combining for a punishing round of CLASSIC HEAVY METAL and pulsating melodies within the seventh full length album Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration. There’s something for everyone with Hooded Menace playing strands of Melodic Death, Psych, Prog, and Groove Metal which sees them perhaps deliver their most commercially appealing record to date but still keeping their legendary status of Death Dealers of the highest order intact.

The seven tracks on offer here allows Hooded Menace to play that intense style of NWOBHM guitars that reminds of bands such as IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA in places but with a unique style of Death Metal keeping everything firmly on the right side of darkness. The technical riff-wizardry is beyond spectacular which appears very early on the record after the superb opening instrumental track of Twilight Passages. After that song disappears, Hooded Menace transform into riff-hungry MONSTERS delivering an excellent blend of Progressive and Theatrical passages on tracks such as Pale Masquerade and Portrait Without A Face.

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration does feel that Hooded Menace are going back to their roots while embracing a more vibrant Post-Doom charge with the flashes of psychedelic surroundings. The vocals are mostly Death Metal based but they’re easy to fully understand with Harri’s own spectacular form and putting in a committed and commanding performance. 

The record works at its best when Hooded Menace lean into a softer and laid-back style of music which allows the more highly technical aspects to be more grounded and quite accomplished which the band have become experts at over the last couple of records they’ve released. Up next is the the tracks of Daughters Of Lingering Pain and Luguburious Dance which sees the Death Metal charge take complete control with the hidden levels of Doom & Gloom conjure up warped melodies once more but with quite an emotional kick. The music moves from classic Eighties Heavy Metal right upto modern day Blackened Death & Roll attitude with thrilling orchestral music being played along the way.

The biggest surprise from the record is the band’s surprising choice of cover with Hooded Menace selecting the DURAN DURAN classic track Save A Prayer. This is wholly different to the original as it’s full on Death/Doom Metal makeover that’s complete with fast-paced technical beatdowns and grinded rhythms though it’s the work of  Lasse Pyykkö (Guitar, Bass, Keyboards) and Pekka Koskelo (Drums) that steal the show here. As they transform a new wave/synth-pop classic into a thunderous Doom/Death Metal anthem. Harri’s vocals add their own unique spin compared to that of the legendary Simon Le Bon.

The final track of Into Haunted Oblivion is classic HOODED MENACE through and through which is the most “old-school” track on the whole album with the band playing an almost ten minutes epic that is one of the standout tracks on the album. This is the type of music that the band made their name with and it’s an epic conclusion to an outstanding record with the heaviest and insanely fast-paced grooves on the whole record. 

Lingering Pain and Luguburious Dance is another huge sounding and essential record from Hooded Menace which sees them firmly establishing their “LEGENDARY” status within the Death/Doom Metal scene and they still have the power to surprise fans of their music once more.

Words by Steve Howe

Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Season Of Mist.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

4 Ciénegas - Cuatro Ciénegas (Album Review)

Release date: 01^st July 2015. Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Cuatro Ciénegas: Tracklisting

1.Hiena 05:51

2.Damselfly 02:15

3.Dobsonfly 04:02

4.Ergot 05:53

5.Salem Trials 04:24

6.Claviceps / 04:09

7./ Cordyceps 03:22

8.E. Skimmer II 02:25

Band Members:

Daniel (Los Dealers) - Drums

Juan Tamayo (Vinnum Sabbathi- Bass

Fausto (Bar de Monjas, Megatones) - Guitar

Gerardo (Bar de Monjas, Vinnum Sabbathi)- Guitar

Review:

4 Ciénegas is a new band from Mexico and features members from some brilliant bands such as Vinnum Sabbathi, Los Dealers and Bar de Monjas. So you know with members from those bands that 4 Ciénegas is going to pure-fucking-awesome. And it is.

If you're a fan of Instrumental Desert/Stoner Rock then you're in luck as 4 Ciénegas have created something special for their debut album - Cuatro Ciénegas. An 8 song opus that runs for 30 minutes. Yeah it's on the short side but it has a ton of great desert/stoner rock riffs for you to experience. It's very trippy as the guys unleash sonic waves of psychedelic riffs. Opening track – Hiena – is loud as hell as the guys play at a fast pace with the trippy noises all coming together for one spaced out ride. Fans of Kyuss, Sleep and Monster Magnet will get a kick out of this.

Second track – Dameslfly – is a heavy-pounding number that will have Truckfighters looking over there shoulder especially with the heavy amount of FUZZ played at loud volumes. Though the best part of the track has to be the drumming by Daniel. Jesus, he's like a man possessed. Most of the heavy noise is created by Daniel's drumming. Sure the other guys do there part as well but it's Daniel's drumming that's the main focus here.

Third track – Dobsonfly – once again unleashes the FUZZ to higher levels of distorted noise. The trippy psychedelics plays a major part on this track as it's one the albums more progressive tracks. 4 Ciénegas add as many different noises and effects as they possibly can. It feels like an extended jam session at times or a competition at which band member can play the loudest. So yeah, it's heavy.....

Fourth track – Ergot opens up with a slow-paced desert rock riff with shades of psychedelic rock being added at different stages. You see a different side to 4 Ciénegas here as they play some deft touches of progressive rock. Though you don't have to wait long for 4 Ciénegas to unleash the thunder once again. As 4 Ciénegas let rip with a barrage of heavy as hell riffs. This is the stand-out track on the album in my opinion. As it sees the band create their own sound at last. Exciting stuff indeed!!!

The 2^nd half of the album follows the same path as the first though with a few heavier riffs being played for good measure. Cuatro Ciénegas is a brilliant debut album that will appeal to all fans of the Fuzz/Desert/Stoner Metal movement. Cuatro Ciénegas is one addictive, loud, noisy and wild as hell ride. Embrace the FUZZ!!!!

Cuatro Ciénegas is available to buy now on BandCamp Buy Now.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp