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#stonerrock — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #stonerrock, aggregated by home.social.

  1. 🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
    📻 Vortex Indie 🎸 (Indie pop, indie rock, classic rock)
    ──────────────
    🎵 Queens Of The Stone Age - I Sat by the Ocean

    ▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
    lesonduvortex.net

    💬 Join us on Discord:
    discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

    #VortexWave #QueensOfTheStoneAge #StonerRock #AlternativeRock #2000s

  2. 🔴 LIVE NOW ON VORTEX
    📻 Vortex Sessions 🎧 (Indie pop, synth-pop, alternative rock)
    ──────────────
    🎵 Queens Of The Stone Age - Easy Street

    ▶️ Écouter / Listen : VorteX [Radio]
    lesonduvortex.net

    💬 Join us on Discord:
    discord.gg/d82hJZBeDE

    #VortexWave #QueensOfTheStoneAge #StonerRock #AlternativeRock #2000s

  3. Pelegrin – The Curse of Nephtar Review By Creeping Ivy

    In the proliferating bustle of the AMG promo bin, citing Elder, King Buffalo, and Slift as comparable artists will absolutely grab my attention. Hence, I seized The Curse of Nephtar, the third album from French psych-rockers Pelegrin, with much excitement. Thus Spoke, however, tempered my enthusiasm with her Mixed review of the band’s previous outing. While Thus enjoyed Ways of Avicenna (2023) for its groovin’ riffs and hooky choruses, she found these to be fleeting moments on an incoherent album.1 In their press sheet, Pelegrin promise that The Curse of Nephtar ups both the catchiness and heaviness factors. Meanwhile, the album’s narrative arc—an allegory about the tragic influence of fossil fuels on the Middle East and the world at large—suggests attention to cohesion.

    The aforementioned acts sonically capture The Curse of Nephtar, though a hint of originality comes through. Here’s the elevator pitch: Pelegrin sounds like Elder, King Buffalo, and Slift collaborating on the Dune soundtrack. The latter two bands stand as especially apt comparables, seeing as Pelegrin is also a power trio. In his role as guitarist, François Roze deals in mixed-mode melodies, metal-adjacent chuggery, and psychedelic solos (“Eons”). Bassist Jason Recoing possesses a rattling tone that initiates grooves (“Sun and Blood”) and builds bridges (“Price to Pay”).2 Rounding out the trio, drummer Antoine Ebel establishes the album’s chill vibe, propelling the heavier riffs with a peppery swagger when needed (“Plenty”). Seasoning Pelegrin’s Middle Eastern tonalities with what they describe as ‘a dash of Arabian spices’ are guest vocals from Halima Joy and sound effects from Mathieu Houeix. Couched in organic, airy production, Pelegrin submits a unique enough entry into the contemporary pantheon of heavy psych rock with The Curse of Nephtar, even if the album isn’t as heavy as the band wants it to be.


    In his role as vocalist, Roze vacillates between vibe-setting and hook-sinking on The Curse of Nephtar. His voice sits in a lower-to-upper middle range, sinking into the musical sand and then surfacing to attack. On standout song “In the Company of Stars,” Roze amplifies tasty psych grooves and key shifts with a catchy chorus, powered by bluesy undertones and riveting high notes. Other verses and choruses on The Curse of Nephtar, however, fail to reach these heights. Sometimes, it sounds like Roze is searching for a stable hook and not quite finding one. Because the music of Pelegrin isn’t overtly proggy, or heavy, or jammy, the vocals need to carry more memorability than they do. Still, Roze’s is not a bad performance by any means—his voice fits the psychedelic aura Pelegrin is going for.

    Like its vocals, The Curse of Nephtar’s narrative generally satisfies while leaving this listener wanting more. That striking black orb on the equally striking album cover is Nephtar itself, ever-so-slowly surfacing from a prehistoric ocean to subdue all living things on earth (humans included). Initiating the narrative, “Eons” overlays voiceovers that collide with the harmonization of the irresistible main riff, conveying a sense of grandeur.3 The shift from the upbeat “In the Company of Stars” to the doomier “Drawn to Nephtar” nicely veers the narrative into sinister terrain. Meanwhile, some songs don’t live up to their narrative station. “Price to Pay” serves sweet melodies, heavy riffs, and proggy tempo shifts, but Roze doesn’t quite convey the unleashing of chaos with his vocals. The same can be said for the epic closer, “Break the Omen”; it deals out delectable riffs and wah-wah solos, but Roze doesn’t vocally bring it home. The Curse of Nephtar clocks in at a somewhat svelte 43 minutes, which is a good and bad thing here. Pelegrin should be applauded for broaching a timely eco-political concept in a timeless, economical manner. Still, a little more time and space would suit this eons-in-the-making narrative.4

    In the end, The Curse of Nephtar counts as a positive step forward for Pelegrin. The band has struggled on past efforts with the meandering temptations of psych rock, but their third album feels more immediate and impactful. Still, it’s hard not to hear Pelegrin’s latest as more potential than payoff, especially in the vocal department. In a year where Elder and Slift5 have released high-quality albums,6 The Curse of Nephtar sits below these stalwarts. But Pelegrin possess the tools for greatness, and I’ll definitely be keeping tabs on them.

    Rating: 3.0/5.0
    DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: Ripple Music
    Websites: Instagram | Facebook
    Releases Worldwide: September 4th, 2026

    #2026 #30 #Elder #FrenchRock #KingBuffalo #Pelegrin #ProgressiveRock #PsychedelicRock #Review #Reviews #RippleMusic #Sep26 #Slift #StonerRock #TheCurseOfNephtar
  4. Songs For The Deaf

    #queensofthestoneage #songsforthedeaf #rock #stonerrock #alternativerock #heavymetal #hardrock #desertrock #alternativemetal #davegrohl #rock #rockmusic #music #musicsky #musiciansky #joshhomme QOTSA release their 3rd album on August 27, 2002 featuring a damn powerhouse lineup -- Dave Grohl on drums, front-man Josh Homme, bassist Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan on vocals. Both the critics and fans loved the album -- a conceptual road trip from Los…

    robinbannks.com/2026/08/27/son

  5. Monolithic riffs, hypnotic grooves, and immersive live visuals—we are hitting the road to take you on a cinematic journey through heavy soundscapes and shadow.

    Mark your calendars and join us live:

    🎬 Sep 19, 2026 – Kino Center, Weißenburg (Cinema Live Show)
    📽️ Sep 26, 2026 – Filmcenter, Dillingen (Cinema Live Show)
    🎙️ Oct 10, 2026 – Kultur im Alten Kino, Bamberg (w/ King Father Baboon)
    🪩 Nov 21, 2026 – Kulturgewächshaus Birkenried, Gundelfingen (w/ Jewelled Moon)
    🏛️ Jan 23, 2027 – Tempel Festival @ Feierwerk (Kranhalle), Munich

    🔗 More details & music: fogdriver.de

    #Concerts #PsychedelicRock #StonerRock #PostRock #InstrumentalRock #HeavyPsych #VisualArts

  6. Voo Voo was ACE! Especially I dug how they smoothly switched genres, sometimes mid-song. But they always sounded themselves.

    At least these genres were included in their show: #jazz, #funk, #reggae, #punk, #eighties #newwave, #stonerrock (with baritone sax in the riff section)… and then there were those mellower songs with that #opera singer… Like… wtf!

    Many other bands would’ve made this sound pretentious gimmickry, but not Voo Voo. It was just… natural.

    And girls danced. Of course they did.

  7. Giöbia // B.L.O. Kantine Berlin (support: Icarus Burns)

    B.L.O. Kantine, Monday, September 7 at 07:00 PM GMT+2

    East Side Delta, Swamp Conspiracy, Lockkunst e.V. & Heavy Psych Sounds present: GIÖBIA

    The neo-psychedelic acid rock band from Milan returns to Berlin with the latest LP “X-AEON”. Support by ICARUS BURNS, visual live performance by SECTOR 7G.

    *********************************

    > Monday, 7 September, 2026

    > B.L.O. Kantine (Kaskelstr 55, 10317 Berlin)

    > Doors 19:00, start 20:00

    > Presale via TixforGigs (until 7 Sept at 4 pm, tix as well at the door): https://www.tixforgigs.com/Event/73819

    *********************************

    GIÖBIA

    The history of the band starts in the mid 2000 in Milan, a path through mesmerizing neo-psychedelia, space rock and acid rock. With the 9th album “X-AEON”, released in fall 2025 via Heavy Psych Sounds records, Giöbia push their signature into uncharted territory. Echoes of the ’70s meet a bold, forward-looking vision, shaping an album that feels timeless. Each track offers a glimpse into a parallel reality, a plunge into a new era brimming with tension and mystery. The band has missed a proper club show for almost 10 years, it is time to welcome them as they deserve!

    https://giobiagiobia.bandcamp.com

    https://youtu.be/_F914AT9bL4

    https://youtu.be/VZCTrMucz4Q

    ICARUS BURNS

    When the riffs hit, they burn. When the melodies soar, they sear. This is Icarus Burns.

    The band's debut S/T album dropped in Feb 2025 to great reception, and with live gigs across various stages across Germany and Europe.

    http://icarusburns.bandcamp.com

    https://youtu.be/IvczVkHngxU

    SECTOR 7G

    The extra boost of the BLUES BUMPS series! By fusing cutting-edge techniques with vintage-inspired visuals, this visual collective pushes concerts way beyond the boundaries of sound.

    https://youtu.be/_9DqQwewj_A

    https://s7g.show

    The event is aka the 2nd warmup for the Berliner Swamp Fest (10-12 Sept at Neue Zukunft): https://www.swampconspiracy.org/10-12-september-2026-berlin-swamp-fest

    berlin.askapunk.de/event/giobi

  8. Free download codes:

    Buzzard (Doom Folk Metal) - Crushing Burden of Despair

    "Both soulful and sarcastic, this bluesy, doomy stomp pulls zero punches with its social commentary."

    getmusic.fm/l/hBaFCC

    #doom #stonerrock #stoner #bluesrock #stonerdoom #protestsongs #music

  9. Last night's gig was #Sólstafir + #OranssiPazuzu + #Kylesa (Hulder opened but the show started too early for my meetings so we skipped them.)

    All were great, but Kylesa's drummer is *amazing*

    youtube.com/watch?v=v61N3EO18xE

    #BlackMetal #StonerRock #Psychedelic

  10. It is time for a sweltering #ThursdayFiveList today, especially when the hosts asks us for the theme #BurningHeat. I ended up giving myself an extra challenge, to keep it all desert rock. So, here we go!

    Truck Fighters - Desert Cruiser musiccloud.io/9HIYa

    Desert Sessions - Dead In Love musiccloud.io/oWIu4

    Queens Of The Stone Age - Feel Good Hit of the Summer musiccloud.io/P1jId

    Kyuss - 100° musiccloud.io/7iZf2

    Eagles Of Death Metal - Flames Go Higher musiccloud.io/nPNwN

    #StonerRock #Stoner #DesertRock

  11. Good memories from Spliff'n'Riff at Neue Zukunft.

    Can't wait until we're playing again! Luckily that's on Friday already, yay!

    22.05.2026
    @ Drugstore (Rockhaus in Lichtenberg)
    Doors: 20:00
    Doom: 21:00

    Photos by Khaled 🖤
    khaledalshannan.wordpress.com/

    #band #concert #PsychDoom #StonerDoom #PsychedelicRock #DoomMetal #PsychedelicDoom #Sludge #StonerRock #HeavyRock

  12. Restless Spirit – Restless Spirit Review By Steel Druhm

    When one thinks of Long Island, stoner doom may not be the first musical variant that comes to mind. Restless Spirit have been out to change that since 2015, dropping several EPs and 3 long players of massive, weighty music with toes in the pools frequented by Mastodon, C.O.C., and The Sword. 2023s Afterimage was a great album crushed beneath a disastrous production that made enjoyment nigh impossible. Now comes their self-titled 4th album and a bit of a course correction. It’s a lighter, more rocking effort with a sense of brightness and wistfulness embedded in the burly, beefy sound. It’s still something entirely well-suited for a biker bar, but what Restless Spirit does is put them in the same ballpark as acts like Clutch, Fireball Ministry, and Freedom Hawk, and just in time for summer sun and outdoor beer drinking. How could that be a bad thing?

    The things I love about Restless Spirit are still here, as opening track “The Burning Need” ably illustrates. It’s slick, bluesy, hard rock in the vein of C.O.C. with big riffs and feedback backing up Paul Alosio’s big, soulful bellows. It’s groovy, crunchy stuff with balls aplenty and a chorus that really pops and sticks in the craw, and you’d be forgiven for thinking this came from some southern crew rather than 3 guys from New York. The goods keep coming on “Hallowed,” which is a bit more spacey and moody, but the hooks are there, and the riffs do most of the talking, as they should. There’s a vintage Monster Magnet vibe in its DNA, and the guitar work is quite agile and interesting, with moments of introspective melancholy effectively stirred into the brew. “Desolations Wake” is a big moment, taking a rocked-out, rowdy approach to entertainingly punchy places with hard-charging guitar work that reminds a lot of Freedom Hawk. It’s got enough machismo to put extra hair on your nethers and make you want to punch a boulder. This one is heading right to my fun in the sun playlist with a bullet.

    Unfortunately, not everything Restless Spirit attempts is a home run, and while nothing here is bad, cuts like “Red in Tooth and Claw” feel a bit more generic and safe. While the nearly 7 minutes of “Time and Distance” pass pretty well thanks to the powerhouse guitar work and forceful vocals, it does feel a bit overlong by the end. The nearly 9-minute closer, “Phantom Pain,” features a 70s psych-rock flavor that reminds me of Wino’s solo material, and the laid-back, emotive guitars pair well with the rougher, heavy riffs. But the length isn’t entirely justified, and by the 6th minute, things start to feel too stretched out. At just over 40 minutes, tracks like these make Restless Spirit feel longer than it really is, despite a good amount of interesting ideas and solid performances across the board. On the good side, the production is vastly better than last time, feeling warm and bright. The guitars have the proper weight, and the drum sound is satisfyingly deep.

    The center of the Restless Spirit universe is Paul Alosio. His riffs and emotive fretboarding provide the foundation for everything, and he’s quite adept at crafting powerful, sinuous leads that grab your attention. Since this kind of music lives and dies by the riffs, he’s the prime mover, and move you he will as he dabbles in 70s rock and borrows from the expected wellsprings like Black Sabbath and Kyuss. He pairs his leads with an effectively rough but melodic vocal approach, and he’s at his best here, delivering with gravitas and soul. Marc Morello backs him up with thick, fat basslines that rumble and quake in all the best ways, while kitman Jon Gusman pounds away with abandon and a keen sense of groove. This is a talented trio, but their mostly good works get partially undermined by occasionally inconsistent writing and a bloat outbreak on the album’s ass-end.

    Restless Spirit is a lesser creature than Afterimage and Blood of the Old Gods, but when it hits the mark, it will leave a deep impression on your ears. It’s worth checking out though, and I’m still a big believer in what the future holds for Restless Spirit. Talent abides, and spirits lurk endlessly, after all. Hail the Isle of Long!

    Rating: 3.0/5.0
    DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: Magnetic Eye
    Websites: restlessspirit.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/restlessspiritny | instagram.com/restlessspirit
    Releases Worldwide: May 8th, 2026

    #2026 #30 #AmericanMetal #CorrosionOfConformity #DoomMetal #FreedomHawk #MagneticEyeRecords #May26 #RestlessSpirit #Review #Reviews #StonerRock
  13. #BandcampFriday always arrives and I'm paralyzed with indecision because I have like 250+ things bookmarked in my wishlist, but I never quite know which things to get.

    I tend to prefer colorful #vinyl editions of things over all else, and not every artist offers that.

    I tend to prefer US based artists, not out of any particular patriotism, but because shipping vinyl overseas is expensive AF.

    Even US based vinyl is getting to be a tough sell though. Even on the low-end it's usually about $23 + $7 shipping. I better really love that album to shell out $30+ for it.

    someone help me pick! 😅

    bandcamp.com/skullvalanche/wis

    It's mostly #Shoegaze #Synthpop #DesertRock #StonerRock #PostRock stuff.

    #music #Bandcamp

  14. #TuneTuesday is today, and it has come to collect! The #RentFreeTracks; songs that live in your consciousness rent free, just lounge around on the couch all day and don’t move out!

    Well, that could be any song for me, especially since there is a small kid living in this household now.

    So, I’ll for songs that at times just pop up in my brain.

    👥 Queens Of The Stone Age
    💿 Songs For The Deaf
    🎶 Go With The Flow
    🔗 song.link/t/7241019

    💬 “I want something good to die for, to make it beautiful to live!”

    #StonerRock #DesertRock

  15. Suncraft – Welcome to the Coven Review

    By Spicie Forrest

    I first became acquainted with stoner rock while attending college and skiing in Salt Lake City. Whether carving the corduroy or taking face shots of bottomless pow, the raucous groove of the style made for a great soundtrack. I’ve largely moved on to heavier and less accessible pastures, but once in a while, something brings me back. This time, it was Suncraft, a five-piece formed in Oslo, Norway in 2017; I couldn’t let a genre tag like “stoner/black/pop” pass by unyoinked. We missed their 2021 debut, Flat Earth Rider, but I’m here to give their sophomore effort, Welcome to the Coven, the proper AMG treatment.

    Suncraft has historically relied on mid-paced stoner rock, but their second LP sees the band move in a different direction. Welcome to the Coven is what happens when Queens of the Stone Age wields The Sword and walks The DOGS. It’s riotous, retro, and downright groovy. With a triple-pronged attack, guitarists Vebørn Rindal Krogstad, Sigurd Grøtan, and Jens Henrik Kverndal let loose a wildly infectious salvo of stoner and garage rock. “Welcome to the Coven” and “Forgotten Goddess” rip across the desert in an old convertible Mustang powered solely by diesel and sativa. “Love’s Underrated” gives garage revival and a little Japandroids, while “Wizards of the Anger Magic” opens on The Beach Boys and pays heavy tribute to The Ramones. Mixed into this strong foundation you’ll also find riffage stained black (“Ragebait”), pop punk angst (“Greed Battalion”), posty and proggy diversions (“High on Silence”), and even a millennial whoop or two. These are disparate elements to bring under one umbrella, but like fellow countrymen Kvelertak, Suncraft pull it off well.

    In a brew stereotypically known for wanton abandon, Welcome to the Coven succeeds through restraint. Post-black and pop punk normally make bridge- or hook-centered appearances, being used as means to build drama and release tension rather than ends in themselves. Drummer Tobias Paulsen utilizes a predominantly upbeat rock style, but he’s got a full toolbox. He deploys d-beats, hooks and fills, blast beats, and tempo changes with precision for maximum emotional impact (“Love’s Underrated,” “Welcome to the Coven”). The same can be said of bassist/singer Rasmus Skage Jensen, whose strings feel elementally nostalgic, both in tone and in their intentionally dynamic grounding of hooks, leads, and rhythmic support. And by keeping a normally tight grip on his vocals, the moments when Jensen lets loose and pushes his pipes to their limit shine all the brighter (“Greed Battalion,” “Forgotten Goddess”). Rather than employing an unchecked, maximalist style, Suncraft’s tempered and deceptively meticulous songcraft elevates Welcome to the Coven far above the sum of its parts.

    Suncraft doesn’t treat the incorporation of these various flourishes as puzzles to be solved. Instead, every element on Welcome to the Coven seems chosen and placed to best support a deliriously and irresistibly fun grand design. This approach and Suncraft’s success with it grant them an inimitable air of sprezzatura.1 Krogstad, Grøtan, and Kverndal spin around each other so naturally, offering inspired counterpoints (“Wizards of the Anger Magic”), tossing in pristine fills (“High on Silence”), and passing leads and solos like a hacky sack (“Love’s Underrated,” “Forgotten Goddess”). I don’t for one second believe that Jensen’s interjectory “fuck it” on “Greed Battalion” or Paulsen’s double bass in “Welcome to the Coven” are off the cuff; this album is far too good for that. But when I hear the killer solo in “Love’s Underrated,” the exceptional back half of “Charlatan Killer,” or the barely controlled chaos that is “Forgotten Goddess,” I can’t help but be awed by the explosive synergy on display here—and the casual effortlessness of it.

    I had high hopes when I picked up Welcome to the Coven, and from the first seconds of “Ragebait” to the final cymbals of “Forgotten Goddess,”2 Suncraft blew me away. The chorus of “Charlatan Killer” was the only exception, being merely good in a sea of great. Each track on Suncraft’s sophomore effort fits together naturally and neatly in a singular, unified vision. Primally familiar like the mythical dog days of summer, Welcome to the Coven is an astoundingly fun ride. By the end of its 40-minute runtime, I’m invariably left craving more. And if that isn’t the mark of a great album, I don’t know what is.

    Rating: 4.0/5.0
    DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: All Good Clean Records
    Websites: Facebook | Instagram
    Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

    #2025 #40 #allGoodCleanRecords #blackMetal #garageRock #japandroids #kvelertak #norwegianMetal #nov25 #popPunk #queensOfTheStoneAge #review #reviews #stonerRock #suncraft #theBeachBoys #theDogs #theRamones #theSword #welcomeToTheCoven

  16. ZEBULON – Come Day of Reckoning
    eternal-terror.com/?p=75098

    RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: zebulondoom.bandcamp.com/album

    The splendid Norwegian doom metal outfit known as Zebulon unleashed this musically dynamic force of nature just a couple of weeks ago, and there is an exciting and emotive edge as well as heaps of gloom to the 6-track effort, which sports the evocative title Come Day of Reckoning, reflecting its […]

    #apollonRecords #comeDayOfReckoning #doomMetal #hardRock #heavyMetal #stonerRock #zebulon

  17. Stuck in the Filter: August 2025’s Angry Misses

    By Kenstrosity

    The heat persists, but now the humidity comes in full force as storm systems wreak havoc upon the coasts. I hide in my cramped closet of an office, lest I be washed out once again by an unsuspecting deluge. However, I still send my minions out into the facility, bound by duty to search for those metallic scraps on which we feast.

    Fortuitously, most all of those imps I sent out came back alive, and with wares! BEHOLD!

    Kenstrosity’s Galactic Gremlin

    Silent Millenia // Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil [August 26th, 2025 – Self-Release]

    Have you ever seen such a delightfully cheesy cover? Probably, but it’s been a while for me. I bought Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil, the second raw symphonic black metal opus from Finnish one-man act Silent Millenia, on the strength of the artwork alone. Little did I know that what lay beyond this crimson veil was some of the most fun melodic black metal this side of Moonlight Sorcery. The same low-fi roughness that personifies Old Nick’s work grounds Silent Millenia’s starbound songwriting as it traverses the universe with an energetic punch reminiscent of Emperor or Stormkeep (“Awaken the Celestial Spell,” “Daemonic Mastery”). To help differentiate Silent Millenia’s sound from that of their peers, a gothic atmosphere ensorcells much of this material to great effect, merging eerie Victorian melodies with galactic adventurism in an unlikely pair (“Enthrone the Spectral”). Swirling synths and sparkling twinkles abound as well, creating blissful moments of interest as frosty tremolos and piercing blasts take full advantage of the false sense of security those entrancing clouds of synthetic instrumentation create (“Benighted Path to Darkness Mysterium,” “Reign in Cosmic Majesty”). Simply put, Celestial Twilight is an unexpected gem of a symphonic black metal record, bursting with killer ideas and infinite levels of raw, unabashed fun. You should hear it!

    Kronos’ Unexpected Unearthments

    Street Sects // Dry Drunk [August 15th, 2025 – Self Release]

    Dry Drunk sticks to your inner surfaces, draining down like cigarette tar along paralyzed cilia to pool in your lungs until the cells themselves foment rebellion. Once it’s in you, you feel paranoid, wretched, and alone. So it’s the proper follow-up to Street Sects’ visionary debut, End Position. Like that record, Dry Drunk plumbs the most mundane and unsavory gutters of America for a cast of protagonists that it dwells in or dispatches with a mixture of pity and disgust, with vocalist Leo Ashline narrating their violent crimes and self-hatred in a mixture of croons, shrieks, and snarls that cook the air before the speakers into the scent of booze and rotten teeth. And like that record, Shaun Ringsmuth (Glassing) dresses the sets with a fractal litter of snaps, squeals, crashes, gunshots, and grinding electronics, caked in tar and collapsing just as soon as it is swept into a structure. And like End Position, Dry Drunk is a masterpiece. The impeccable six-song stretch from “Love Makes You Fat” through “Riding the Clock” ties you to the bumper and drags you along some of the duo’s most creative side-roads, through the simmering, straightjacketed sludge of “Baker Act” to the chopped-up, smirking electronica of “Eject Button.” Swerving between addled, unintelligible agony and unforgettable anthems, Dry Drunk, like End Position before it is nothing less than the life of a junkie scraped together, heated on a spoon, and injected into your head. Once you’ve taken a hit, you will never be quite the same.

    Thus Spoke’s Frightening Fragments

    Defacement // Doomed [August 22nd, 2025 – Self Release]

    There’s music for every vibe.1 The one Defacement fits is an exclusively extreme metal flavor of moody that is only appreciable by genre fans, made tangibly more eerie by their persistent idiosyncratic use of dark ambient interludes amidst the viciously distorted blackened death. Audiences—and reviewers—tend to disparage these electronic segments, but I’ve always felt their crackling presence increases the analog horror of it all, and rather than being a breather from the intensity, they prolong the nausea, the sense of emptiness, and the abject fearfulness of head-based trauma. This latter concept grows more metaphorical still on Doomed, where the violence is inside the mind, purpose-erasing, and emotionally-detaching. The ambience might be the most sadly beautiful so far (“Mournful,” and “Clouded” especially), and the transitions into nightmarish heaviness arguably the most fluid. And the metal is undoubtedly the most ambitious, dynamic, and magnificent of Defacement’s career, combining their most gruesome dissonance (“Portrait”) with their most bizarrely exuberant guitar melodies (“Unexplainable,” “Unrecognised”). Solos drip tangibly with (emotional) resonance (“Unexplainable,” “Absent”) and there’s not a breath or a moment of wasted space. Yes, the band’s heavier side can suffer from a nagging sense of homogeneous mass, but it remains transporting. While I can appreciate why others do not appreciate Defacement, this is the first of their outings I can truthfully say mesmerised me on first listen.

    ClarkKent’s Heated Hymns

    Phantom Fire // Phantom Fire [August 8th, 2025 – Edged Circle Productions]

    While I waded through the murky depths of the August promo sump, Steel implored me to take the eponymous third album from Phantom Fire. “The AMG commentariat love blackened heavy metal,” he said. I disregarded his advice at my peril, and while I ended up enjoying what I grabbed, it turns out this would have been solid too. Featuring members from Enslaved, Kraków. Hellbutcher, and Aeternus, Phantom Fire play old school speed metal that harks back to the likes of Motörhead and Iron Maiden’s Killers. Thanks to healthy doses of bass and production values that allow the instruments to shine, each song is infused with energetic grooves. The music sounds fresh, crisp, and clear, from the booming drums to Eld’s “blackened” snarls. Early tracks “Eternal Void” and “All For None” show off the catchy blend of simple guitar riffs and a hoppin’ bass accompanied by energetic kit work. While placing a somewhat lengthy instrumental track in the middle of a record usually slows it down, “Fatal Attraction” turns out to be a highlight. It tells a tragic love story involving a motorcycle with nothing but instruments, an engine revving, and some police sirens. The second half of Phantom Fire gets a bit on the weirder side, turning to some stoner and psychedelia. There’s a push and pull between the stoner and Motörhead speed stuff on songs like “Malphas” and “Submersible Pt. 2,” and this blend actually works pretty well. It turns out that they aren’t phantom after all—these guys are truly fire.

    Burning Witches // Inquisition [August 22nd, 2025 – Napalm Records]

    With six albums in eight years, Swiss quintet Burning Witches has really been burning rubber. While such prolific output in such a short time frame generally spells trouble, Inquisition is a solid piece of heavy/power metal. Burning Witches dabbles in a mix of speedy power metal and mid-tempo heavy metal, often sounding like ’80s stalwarts Judas Priest and Def Leppard. With Laura Guldemond’s gruff voice, they produce a more weighty, less happy version of power metal than the likes of Fellowship or Frozen Crown. While the songs stick to formulaic structures, tempo shifts from song to song help keep things from growing stale. We see this variety right from the get-go, where “Soul Eater” takes a high-energy approach before moving into the more mellow “Shame.” There’s even a pretty solid ballad, “Release Me,” that grounds the back half of the record. Songs of the sort that Burning Witches write need catchy choruses, and fortunately, they deliver. “High Priestess of the Night” is a particular standout, delivering a knock-out punch in its delivery. It helps that the instrumental parts are well-executed, from crunchy riffs to subdued solos to booming blast beats. Anyone looking for a solid bit of power metal that’s not too heavy on the cheese will find this worth a listen.

    Deathhammer // Crimson Dawn [August 29th, 2025 – Hells Headbangers Records]

    Celebrating 20 years of blackened speed, Deathhammer drop LP number six with the kind of energy that exhausted parents dread to see in their children at bedtime. This is my first foray with the band, and I am in awe of the relentless level of manic energy they keep throughout Crimson Dawn’s 39 minutes. If science could learn how to harness their energy, we’d have an endless source of renewables. The two-piece out of Norway channels classic Slayer on crack and even has moments reminiscent of Painkiller-era Judas Priest. They play non-stop thrash cranked to 11, with persistent blast beats and some dual guitar parts that leave your head spinning from the rapid-fire directions the riffs fire off in. The heart of the mania is singer Sergeant Salsten. His crazed vocals are amazing—snarling, shouting, and shrieking in a way that took me back to the manic pitch Judge Doom could reach in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He sings so fast that on the chorus of “Crimson Dawn,” it sounds like he says “Griffindor,” which had me searching confusedly for the Harry Potter tag. This was probably my favorite song, not just because of the Griffindor thing, but because that chorus is so catchy. Either way, it’s tough to pick a standout track because they all grip you by the throat and don’t let go. Crimson Dawn is a ton of fun and a must listen if you like your music fast.

    Grin Reaper’s Bountiful Blight

    Kallias // Digital Plague [August 14th, 2025 – Self Release]

    Machine gun drumming, spacey synths, Morbid Angel-meets-Meshuggah riffing, Turian-esque barking and Voyager-reminiscent vocal melodies…what the fuck is going on here? The only thing more surprising than someone having the moxie to blend all these things together is how well they work in concert. Kallias doesn’t hold back on sophomore album Digital Plague, and the result is a rocket-fueled blast through forty-four minutes of eclectic, addictive prog. The mishmash of styles keeps the album fresh and unpredictable while never dipping its toes in inconsistent waters, and staccato rhythms propel listeners through eight tracks without losing steam. As with any prog metal worth its salt, Kallias brandishes technical prowess, and their cohesion belies the relatively short time they’ve been putting out music.2 The mix is well-suited to spotlight whoever needs it at a given time, whether the bass is purring (“Exogíini Kyriarchía”), the drums are being annihilated (“Pyrrhic Victory”), or a guitar solo nears Pettrucian wankery (“Phenomenal in Theory”). The end result is three-quarters of an hour filled with myriad influences that fuse into a sound all Kallias’s own, and it’s one I’ve returned to several times since discovering (also, credit to MontDoom for his stunning artwork, which helped initially draw my attention). Check it out—you’ll be sick if you avoid this one like the Plague.

    Luke’s Kaleidoscopic Kicks

    Giant Haze // Cosmic Mother [August 22nd, 2025 – Tonzonen Records]

    Whereas many of my colleagues are bracing themselves for cooler conditions and harsh winters to come, in my neck of the woods, things are warming up. While my own wintry August filter proved scarce, there was one particular summery gem to lift moods with burly riffs and fat stoner grooves. Unheralded German act Giant Haze seemingly emerged out of nowhere during a random Bandcamp deep dive. Debut LP Cosmic Mother channels the good old days of ’90s-inspired desert rock, featuring grungy, doomy vibes via a groovy batch of riff-centric, hard-rocking and uplifting jams, evoking the nostalgic spirit of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Clutch and perhaps even a dash of Danzig. Punching out raucous, groove-soaked hard rockers with skyscraping hooks (“Geographic Gardens Suck,” “King of Tomorrow,” “Panic to Ride”), summery, funk–psych jams (“Sunrise”), and bluesy, punk-infused fireballs (“Crank in Public,” “Shrink Age”) Giant Haze get a lot of things right on this assured debut. The songwriting is deceptively diverse and punchy, bolstered by solid production, tight musicianship, and the swaggering, ever so slightly goofy vocal charms and powerful hooks of frontman Christoph Wollmann. Inevitably, a few rough spots appear, but overall Cosmic Mother showcases oodles of budding potential, an impactful delivery, cheeky sense of humor, and infectious, feel-good songcraft.

    Spicie Forrest’s Foraged Fruit

    Bask // The Turning [August 22nd, 2025 – Season of Mist]

    Last seen in 2019, Bask returns with fourth LP, The Turning, a concept album following The Rider as she and The Traveler traverse the stars. They still peddle the unique blend of stoner rock and Americana Kenstrosity reviewed favorably in 2019, but 2025 sees them looking up for inspiration. The Turning incorporates a distinct cosmic bent (“The Traveler,” “The Turning”) and post-rock structures (“Dig My Heels,” “Unwound”). These augmentations to Bask’s core sound are enhanced by the masterful pedal steel of new official member Jed Willis. Whether floating through the firmament or tilling earthly pastures, Willis creates textures both fresh and intensely nostalgic. The infinite shifting vistas of The Turning’s front half coalesce into singular timeless visions on the back half, supporting its conceptual nature in both content and form. Like a combination of Huntsmen and Somali Yacht Club, Bask weaves riffs and melodies heard across the plains and through the void above with an unguarded authenticity felt in your soul.

    Dolphin Whisperer’s Disseminating Discharge

    Plasmodulated // An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell [August 1st, 2025 – Personal Records]

    Stinky, sticky, slimy—all adjectives that define the ideal death metal platter. Myk Colby has been trying to chase this perfect balance in a reverb-wonky package with projects like the d-beaten Hot Graves and extra hazy Wharflurch, but vile death metal balance is hard to achieve. However, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell contains a recklessly pinched Demilichian riffage, classic piercing whammy bombs, and spook-minded synth ambience that places Plasmodulated with an odor more pungent than its peers. With an infected ear that festers equally with doom-loaded, Incantation-indebted drags (“Gelatinous Mutation ov Brewed Origin,” “Trapped in the Plasmovoid”) and Voivod-on-jenkem cutaways to foul-throated extravagence (“The Final Fuckening”). An air of intelligent tempo design keeps An Ocean from never feeling trapped in a maze of its own fumes, with Colby’s lush and bubbling synth design seguing tumbles into hammering deathly tremolo runs (“Such Rapid Sphacelation”) and Celtic Frosted riff tumbles (“Drowning in Sputum”) alike, all before swirling about his own tattered, trailing vocal sputters. Steady but slippery, elegant yet effluvial, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell provides the necessary noxious pressure to corrode death metal-loving denizens into pure gloops of stained-denim pit worship. Delivered as labeled, Plasmodulated earns its hazardous declaration. We here at AMG are not liable for any OSHA violations that occur as a result of Plasmodulated consumption on the job, though.

    #2025 #Aeternus #AmericanMetal #Americana #AnOceanOvPutridStinkyVileDisgustingHell #Aug25 #Bask #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BurningWitches #CelestialTwilightBeyondTheCrimsonVeil #CelticFrost #Clutch #CosmicMother #CrimsonDawn #Danzig #DarkAmbient #DeathMetal #Deathhammer #DefLeppard #Defacement #Demilich #DigitalPlague #Doomed #DryDrunk #DutchMetal #EdgedCircleProductions #Emperor #Enslaved #Fellship #FinnishMetal #FrozenCrown #FuManchu #GermanMetal #GiantHaze #Glassing #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #Hellbutcher #HellsHeadbangersRecords #HotGraves #Huntsmen #Incantation #Inquisition #IronMaiden #JudasPriest #Kallias #Kraków #Kyuss #MelodicBlackMetal #Meshuggah #MoonlightSorcery #MorbidAngel #Motörhead #NapalmRecords #NorwegianMetal #OldNick #PersonalRecords #PhantomFire #Plasmodulated #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SilentMillenia #Slayer #Sludge #SludgeMetal #SomaliYachtClub #SpeedMetal #StonerRock #Stormkeep #StreetSects #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #SwissMetal #SymphonicBlackMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheTurning #TonzonenRecords #Turian #Voivod #Voyager #Wharflurch

  18. Das war mal wieder ein wunderbares #SwampFest, mit vielen Perlen aus dem #Sludge #Doom und #DeathMetal – nur in's Kino hab ich's schon wieder nicht geschafft. 😅

    Und hier eines meiner Highlights:
    skraeckoedlan.bandcamp.com/alb

    Viele Grüße aus dem Sumpf!

    #radio27 #music #festival #metal #punk #MetalPunk #DoomMetal #Grindcore #WarMetal #SpeedMetal #BlackMetal #StonerRock #Dungeon #Wave #Art #Graffiti #Cinema #Horror

  19. #NowPlaying something I ran across the other day - Columbus, Ohio's BRIDESMAID is two bass players & a drummer. No vocals. Song titles are weird riffs on peoples' names, and it sounds thunderous and sludgy and catchy and doomy and fucking AWESOME. They have two LPs, the first of which from 2013 is called 'Breakfast at Riffany's 😂 : bridesmaid.bandcamp.com/album/

    and then of course you have 2016's International House of Mancakes: bridesmaid.bandcamp.com/album/

    Play them LOUD

    #riffs #FuzzRock #instrumental #StonerRock #ColumbusOhio #OhioBands #Bridesmaid #sludge @wendigo

  20. Darf ich eure geschätzte Aufmerksamkeit auf dieses wundervolle Kleinstfestival-Juwel lenken?

    Die #SAALEPARTIE
    vom 5.-7.9.2025
    in 99518 Bad Pampa, äh Sulza (Thüringen)

    Mit #LongDistanceCalling
    #UFOMAMMUT
    #GlasgowComaScale
    #Lazar
    #DŸSE
    #NewCandys
    #MadFoxes
    #Kaskadeur
    #MethadoneSkies
    #Zolle
    #DeadMyrick

    In einem Wäldchen mit einem Weidenpavillion #Auerworldpalast. Sehr entspannt und familiär!

    🌐 saalepartie.de

    #PsychedelicRock #PsychRock #HeavyPsych #Doom #ProgRock #Stoner #StonerRock