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[doomedandstoned]

Italian Doomers WASTE CULT Share Big Opener to Forthcoming LP ‘Blame’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

From Bologna, Italy comes the mighty WASTE CULT. The ancient city is the home of doom-stoner bands like Three Eyes Left, Hyperwülff, Holy Giant, Slow Order, and State of Non Return -- a number of which have been highlighted in these pages and on The Doomed & Stoned Show in past years.

Waste Cult, a four-member doom crew, are poised to release their first full-length record, 'Blame' (2025) this summer via UK label Aesthetic Death Records. This follows an excellent self-titled EP debut in 2022.

There's something stately about the architecture of the songs, no doubt inspired by the legacy of Italian architecture (or at least the psychological impact of those elegant arches, columns, and spires). At the same time, there's an early morning misty melancholy that pervades, not quite as sad as Pallbearer, yet capturing a kind of wistful wishfulness.

The band's latest single is "Ad Astra," (which Doomed & Stoned brings you today), and it opens the record with a fiery spirit, charging forward with melodic guitar, rumbling bass, sturdy chords, and stalwart rhythm. The vocals are earnest, reaching for lofty places, looking to soar, capturing a longing to live beyond regret, aspiring for a life of greater meaning.

The drumming is a big highlight of the album for me, as well -- peppy with an off-beat feel, keeping their feet dancing without ever tripping up (something you'll pick up on immediately with the track that follows, the whimsically titled "Delirium Of Manners").

The band gives us a bit of background on the new record:

It was written in the very first creative period after the release of the previous work (the self-titled EP) and marked the beginning of the shift towards a style that is both powerful and introspective. 'Blame' is meant to be a sum of all different influences from hardcore punk classics, to classic doom, to post metal, with a more defined identity, after a few years experimenting in the practice room.

You can get Blame by Waste Cult on June 6th here or here. Stick it on a playlist with Candlemass, Marche Funèbre, Endonomos, and that first album by Age of Taurus.

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Waste Cult’s debut full-length album, 'Blame' (2025), will be released on June 6th, 2025, via Aesthetic Death.

Emerging from Bologna’s underground scene, Waste Cult was formed in late 2021 by musicians with roots in punk and thrash metal, yet a desire to explore a darker, doom-laden sound.

'Blame' is the culmination of this journey—a raw, introspective work that merges classic doom influences with modern post-metal atmospheres. Following their self-released 2022 EP, this album solidifies their identity, delivering immersive and emotionally charged soundscapes.

Waste Cult started in Bologna, Italy in late 2021, with all members having experience with other punk/thrash metal projects, including Rake-Off, Hyle, Siege Stompers, Call The Cops…

The aim for Waste Cult has been to create different sounds and atmospheres to those other projects - exploring a slower doomier approach to their sound. In mid 2022 they self-released an eponymous 4-track EP on tape, and on the back of that started playing shows across Italy.

The first full length - 'Blame' - is the characterisation of all their different influences, with a more defined identity - taking inspiration from the doom classics to the more modern post-metal sounds. This reality took shape after years experimenting in the practice room, with 'Blame' bearing witness to a more introspective and personal approach within both the music and lyrics.

Aesthetic Death has always been a fan of stoner doom sounds and, like many, was schooled on the likes of Kyuss, Monster Magnet and Black Sabbath. Yet, Aesthetic Death has rarely had opportunity to work on any release with bands from these lands of sound.

When first listening to Waste Cult it instantly resonated. Albums can become a soundtrack to a period of our lives, as an immersive escape alongside all the positive or negative things happening.

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André Drage’s ‘Wolves’ Takes Us to Feverish, Blissful, Unexpected Realms

~Doomed & Stoned~

By Billy Goate

Cover art by Stein Are Kjærås Dahl

André Drage seems to take joy in blurring the lines of reality on 'Wolves' (2025), but in the best possible way. A funky blend of jazz, prog, and psychedelia, this belongs in the realms of '70's legends King Crimson and Frank Zappa, but soars into a destination all its own. This slick Norwegian collaboration brings together drummer André Drage, trippy guitarist Viktor Bomstad, violinist Jørgen Krøger Mathisen, a boss bassist in Petter Asbjørnsen, and the keyboard wizardry of Vegard Lian Bjerkan.

From the climbing riff that hooks you on opener "Potent Elixirs" (and the Clutch-funky vibe that follows), you know you're in for something completely out of this world, with instruments spontaneously going solo for as long as they damn want to.

Every track on Wolves is an anomaly, a creature of its own oddity and mesmerising stripe. Compelling your ear to listen is a buzzing rhythm transporting you through each song's evolution.

Along the way we capture moments frantic ("Fire"), chill ("Nesodden"), caffeinated (dig that bass on "Tigerboy"), pleasantly strange (the disorienting keys at 2:30 on "Wind in their Sails"), and ecstatic ("Brainsoup"). I could see this as a bewildering alternative soundtrack to David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch, or simply a companion to the William S. Burroughs' novel itself.

There are albums that help us process our emotions by lyricizing about something we can relate to or generating a particular mood. This album simply transports you to a new plane of existence, far above worries and sanity.

Get André Drage’s Wolves on Drage Records. Out the 25th of April, this Friday (pre-order here).

Give ear...

André Drage · Wolves

SOME BUZZ

With the fires still burning around the release of Journeyman this month, acclaimed drummer and composer, André Drage, is thrilled to announce his second record in as many months.

Compared to the lush electronic and instrumental waves of Journeyman, his next album Wolves showcases an entirely new and ferocious approach to his trademark sound. Packed with complex, experimental, and intensely rhythmic rock like that found in the highly influential music of King Crimson and Frank Zappa, it also travels through the dustier crates of prog rock history. Fans of late ’60s and ’70s outliers will find plenty to love from the heavy acid grooves of Amon Düül II to the intricate, jazz infused guitar work and shifting time signatures of The Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Featuring André Drage on drums, violinist Jørgen Krøger Mathisen, guitarist Viktor Bomstad, bass player Petter Asbjørnsen and Vegard Lian Bjerkan on keys, Wolves is like a long-lost album from the vaults of Vertigo or Deram. A true progressive gem hewn from the minds of unmistakably raw and rising talents.

“It’s essentially a fusion record inspired by both newer heavy metal music, jazz-rock and bands from around the world,” explains Drage. “There’s some inspiration from Mahavishnu Orchestra, Gong, and Soft Machine in there and even bands like Meshuggah too. My hope is that the music released can appeal to music lovers in different camps who want something fresh but strangely familiar at the same time.”

Perhaps best known in the European metal underground for his work with Norwegian trio, Draken, Drage’s new imprint hopes to redefine genre boundaries and inspire new listeners. With a commitment to showcasing a diverse range of musical styles, Drage Records was announced in late 2024 and detailed in this interview with It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine.

Wolves by André Drage will get an official worldwide release on Friday 25th April and be preceded by the release of Journeyman on 14th March.

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EARL OF HELL Kick up Dust in Breakthrough Debut LP

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

EARL OF HELL is good medicine. The Scottish band combines the vivacity of rock 'n' roll rhythm with chuggy guitar ferocity for one the most enthralling acts we've heard in quite some time.

We brought you Earl of Hell back during the pandemic, with the music video premiere of "Hang 'em High" from their first outing 'Get Smoked' (2022), which I lauded for its "fat riffs, dramatic flourishes, and some damned impressed pyrotechnics."

Now comes the band's first proper full-length, with 9 tracks 36 minutes of pure heavy bliss. For this jaunt, they worked with producer Alain Johannes who scene hounds will recognize from Queens of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, The Desert Sessions, and his own band Eleven (Earl of Hell did a stormy cover of "Nature Wants To Kill Me" on stage with Alain last summer). He no doubt suggested a few compelling touches here and there that take many a song over the top.

'Earl of Hell' (2025) begins, intriguingly, with a short homage to The Louvin Brothers ballad, "Satan is Real." Its backwoods and folksiness, the swirl of evening insects, and gnarled fuzz makes it a bit unnerving, like we're stumbling into a world where things can get strange and dangerous.

Perhaps a fitting intro, once we hear those damning smashes that tear off the lid off tour de force "The Infernal Dream." The guitar riff is a stoner metal lover's dream: dire and badass. The blended vocal harmonies on the verses that follow are soothing to the ears. They transport me to a blissful state, like being strapped in safely to a rumbling jet that's about to touch off. You feel the growling intensity of the drum, bass, and guitar attack, but feel somehow carried atop it all by the singing.

"Impaler" is a rip roaring bar stormer. One can imagine a devilish hoe down in some God forsaken barn lit about by Jack o' Lanterns. "Brave New Age" feels like it's in a guitar driven mania, but the vocals somehow make us less afraid to take a ride on the huffing, puffing rodeo bull. There are some really chill vocal harmonies here that really stick around in my mind and have me revisiting this song just to get my fix of that "Yeah, yeah, yeah" harmonic progression about a minute in.

Impressive on each song is the power of those downtuned instruments, as in those first fistful of notes on "Calling, Is The Crow" -- especially when they crash emphatically together. It really hits something deep inside the chest, and I can imagine the low-end would rearrange your internal organs live. A flighty guitar riff shows up 50 seconds in and returns before the final chorus, hovering overhead in the upper register like a crow, singing its short little sad song into the atmosphere.

"My Twisted Mind" opens like a Kaiju pulling spitting high tension wires down, wading through the buildings toward the center of town. It's one of those songs that seems larger than life (especially listening with a good headset on).

"Macabre Cadabra" would make a great companion following Helmet's "Exactly What You Wanted," as both have that real nice headbanging groove. The twin guitar action throughout the album has been outstanding and having Dan Mitchell and Lewis Inglis playing either in sync and each doing their own thing (e.g. driving rhythm vs. obsessive spacey shredding) is one of the great spectacles for the ear. The song ends strong and defiant like a heartbeat.

There are simply no fillers on this record. The tracks seem to just keep besting themselves as the B-side spins along. Just when I think Earl of Hell is going to opt for something ordinary and well-trod, they come back to surprise me. "Waiting to Die" brings in more great harmonic vocal touches from lead vocalist Eric Brock and guitarist Lewis Inglis. The drumming of Ryan Wilson and bass work of Dean Gordon shows not an ounce of fear, but absolute resolution without even a hint of stiffness. The chorus, as with so many others on the record, is a big part of my affection for this bittersweet number.

"Bloodlines" is the longest song so far, with most averaging around 4 minutes. This one goes for an epic storytelling riff that builds with more and more conviction as it is repeated, with the first verse arriving toward minute two and then a bittersweet chorus about how we gotta go, gotta know, and accept things that just gotta be. The band brings all its energy to bear around the four minute mark with chugging momentum and sawing riffage, then a shift to reassuring chords and a solo that swims as freely as a salmon upstream. The vocals get more punky before a return to the opening motif and the foot stomping dirge that closes this romping adventure of an album.

Earl of Hell's self-titled full-length debut emerges from the depths on April 25th (get it here). I assure you, this one's gonna get stuck in your craw. Mix it on a playlist with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Håndgemeng, The Watchers, Helmet, and a dash of Nirvana's faster songs.

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Earl Of Hell was born in 2020, just prior to the COVID pandemic which forced the UK into lockdown. They spent the first few months sharing ideas remotely and began rehearsing once restrictions finally eased. With music venues closed, the band spent a year honing their set and wouldn't play their first gig until August 2021 to an allseated audience. This was shortly followed by a sold-out first hometown show in Edinburgh’s legendary Sneaky Pete's.

The band released a succession of singles, ‘Blood Disco’ and ‘Arrhythmia,' while continuing to play around Scotland and Northern England. They finally hit the studio again in 2022 to record and release their debut EP ‘Get Smoked’ on USA label Slightly Fuzzed Records, receiving many positive reviews within the Stoner/Doom community. This was followed by a more extensive run of shows which included their first visit to London and opening for Bongzilla and Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons.

Over the Summer of 2022, Earl Of Hell looked to expand their sound by recruiting a second guitarist and quickly found one in Dan Mitchell. The band dynamic was enhanced as they immediately began writing and performing live as a five piece, opening for touring acts such as Lightning Bolt, Gnome and The Vintage Caravan.

2023 would prove to be the most successful year yet for Earl Of Hell, playing in excess of 30 shows, including a slot at the coveted Desertfest London, a summer tour with Iceland’s Volcanova and opening for bands such as Sasquatch and Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator. On Halloween, they released their fourth single, ‘Impaler,' rounding the year off with headline weekenders in London, the Midlands, and the North of Scotland.

2024 saw Earl Of Hell complete a successful tour with Chilean born multi instrumentalist and producer Alain Johannes, performing as tour support and Alain's own backing band.

Continuing to tour the UK through 2024, the band are currently in the studio working on a follow up to 2022's "Get Smoked" EP. This will be Earl Of Hell's first full length record, which will be co-produced with Alain Johannes and the first recorded music since Dan Mitchell joined the band as second guitarist.

With the album scheduled for release in the spring of 2025, the band also have tours with Brant Bjork, Masters Of Reality and another tour with Alain Johannes.

Earl of Hell by Earl Of Hell

Earl of Hell's self-titled debut bestows a juggernaut of raucous rock'n'roll delivered with relentless punk energy and brimming with enough fuzz to make your walls tremble. Mixed and mastered by Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Desert Sessions, Mark Lanegan), it displays thoughtful yet unapologetically gritty songwriting.

Embodying the spirit of bands like Alice In Chains, Killing Joke and Black Sabbath, this album pays homage to its stoner rock roots while exploring historical and futuristic concepts from Edinburgh’s infamous grave robbers to Planet Earth’s impending doom.

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BRANT BJORK: A Portrait

Photographs by Johnny Hubbard

Get a load of this man...

Well I'm gettin' up when the sun goes down And I shine 'em up and I hit the town Well I trim it clean and I roll it up And then I take it nice and slow...

Jalamanta by Brant Bjork

"Brant Bjork has spent over a quarter-century at the epicenter of Californian desert rock. From cutting his teeth drumming and composing on the legendary Kyuss’ landmark early albums, to propelling the seminal fuzz of Fu Manchu from 1994-2001 while producing other bands, putting together offshoot projects, and over the last 20 years embarking on his solo career as a singer, guitarist and bandleader, founding his own record label and more, his history is a winding narrative of relentless, unflinching creativity. Brant Bjork is a founding pioneer of the Stoner Rock/Desert Rock music scenes."

Once Upon A Time in the Desert by Brant Bjork

Shot at the Portal in Louisville, Kentucky on March 21st, 2025 by Johnny Hubbard (FB | IG)

[doomedandstoned]

The Doomed and Stoned Show Season 11, Episode 2

We didn't wanna let our annual Best Of The Year show slide for 2024, so Billy Goate (Editor, Doomed & Stoned) and John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution) got together to compare notes on their favorite albums of last year. Late as it is, the music is timeless for lovers of heavy groove and downtuned riffage!

Also streaming on Spotify.

BIG BAD BELATED BEST OF '24:

INTRO (theme by Dylan Tucker) (00:00) 1. Huanastone - "If I Had A Head" (00:31)

HOST SEGMENT I: John's Top 10 (1/2) (06:27) 2. Duel (no. 10) - "Pyro" (30:37) 3. Slomosa (no. 9) - "Battling Guns" (34:26) 4. Sergeant Thunderhoof (no. 8) - "Salvation for the Soul" (39:18) 5. Sons of Arrakis (no. 7) - "Blood for Blood" (45:03) 6. 1000mods (no. 6) - "Astral Odor" (50:13)

HOST SEGMENT II: Billy's Top 10 (1/2) (57:07) 7. Blue Heron (no. 10) - "Dinosaur" (1:25:26) 8. Legions of Doom (no. 9) - "Beyond the Shadow of Doubt" (1:30:59) 9. Fostermother (no. 8) - "Echo Manor" (1:36:25) 10. Ruff Majik (no. 7) - "Moth Eater" (1:40:15) 11. Empty Full Space (no. 6) - "Amnesia" (1:45:38)

HOST SEGMENT III: John's Top 10 (2/2) (1:52:42) 12. The Watchers (no. 5) - "Eastward Through the Zodiac" (2:09:57) 13. Sundrifter (no. 4) - "Nuclear Sacrifice" (2:15:24) 14. Lowrider (no. 3) - "And The Horse You Rode in On" (2:20:54) 15. Mr. Bison (no. 2) - "The Child of the Night Sky" (2:23:50) 16. Greenleaf (no. 1) - "Breath. Breathe Out" (2:29:05)

HOST SEGMENT IV - Billy's Top 10 (2/2) (2:34:39) 17. High Reeper (no. 5) - "Broken Upon The Wheel" (2:58:01) 18. Erronaut (no. 4) - "Way Down Below" (3:01:44) 19. Stonekind (no. 3) - "Masters of Man" (3:06:40) 20. DÖ (no. 2) - "Sulfur Incense" (3:14:59) 21. Fu Manchu (no. 1) - "Roads Of The Lowly" (3:20:34)

OUTRO (3:24:17)

Bonus Tracks: 22. Mooch - "Morning Prayer" (3:25:25) 23. Gjenferd - "Restless Nights" (3:30:21) 24. Solar Blooms - "Indifference" (3:35:29) 25. Magick Potion - "Ultraviolet" (3:39:23) 26. Kurokuma - "Death No More" (3:42:44) 27. Acid Mammoth - "Atomic Shaman" (3:49:36)

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GRAVE SPEAKER Gets Low ‘n’ Slow for Second LP ‘Rays of the Emerald Sun’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

From the Bay State of Massachusetts comes a sound muddy and unfettered, and as doomy as those stern ol' Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth back in 1620. This is GRAVE SPEAKER.

The band calls their latest single, "A riff filled march through the fuzzy atmospheres of a world filled with awaiting dangers." And indeed there are dangers lurking all about, some as primitive as those our encroaching ancestors faced, others completely alien to them (and to us) -- from enslaving technology and the brutal grind of shifting economic realities to unnatural chemicals and dehumanizing systems of concrete and plastic.

There is something quite base and earthy about the sound of Grave Speaker in response to this Brave New World, as you'll witness on the title track to their upcoming Electric Valley Records sophomore album, 'Rays of the Emerald Sun' (2025).

The low-end is fat and stout, its rumbling rhythm staggering about like Weedeater on a fresh batch of Uncle Jed's moonshine. The track really throws its weight around, with thick groove, stinging and often surreal guitar licks, and deliriously entrancing vocals that sing the blues into late night, then stumble out into the darkness of the wetlands. It's a strange, warm, and haunting vibe that permeates all six numbers on this record.

Grave Speaker's Rays of the Emerald Sun got some real meat on its bones. Another outstanding release on EVR, emerging May 16th on (appropriately) green splatter black vinyl (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Curse The Sun, Wyndrider, and Lo Pan.

SOME BUZZ

Electric Valley Records is proud to once again work with Grave Speaker, this time for the act’s sophomore LP, Rays of the Emerald Sun, slated for May 16 on two vinyl variants and across digital platforms.

Lurching from the swamps of Massachusetts, Grave Speaker is a one-piece psych-stoner-doom project led by John Steele. Rising from the ashes of High n’ Heavy, the doom unit made its presence known with the self-titled debut in 2023, conjuring a ‘70s aesthetic laced with the raw grit of garage rock and the haze of psychedelia.

Grave Speaker - Rays of the Emerald Sun by Electric Valley Records

Now approaching its second album, Rays of the Emerald Sun, Grave Speaker looks toward the future with a mix of optimism and wonder. Across six tracks, the record delves deeper into psychedelia and the stoner realm, delivering heavier, witch-invoking riffage and vocals oozing with a slow-burning, leaden haze, all while clutching tightly to its ‘70s roots.

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NOMADIC REIGN Drops Explosive New Music Video “Silent Revolt”

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Let's get ready to rumble! From Hertfordshire, England comes a total wrecking ball of a band: NOMADIC REIGN. The five member crew have been at it since 2017, with two full-lengths, two EPs to their name.

Today, the band brings the motherlode with a brand new song, "Silent Revolt." As yet, this is a stand-alone single while the band continues to plot away at material towards another album. The explosive nuclear detonation of the opening frames of the new music video says it all.

The time of reckoning has arrived We are the silent revolt And tonight we are ready to ignite

"It's about the anger of everyday life and wanting to make a difference and finding strength in the unison of friends," says vocalist Damien Rodgers.

Guitarist Sam Farrington adds: "Musically it came together quite quickly with our other guitarist Andy Edwards coming up with a lot of the riffs and myself piecing it together and the lyrics were written quite a bit of time after, so the inspiration musically I guess was nothing the more than everyday anger we all feel on our lives and writing the kind of riffs we all love as a release from that."

Rounding out the roaring horde is bassist Harry Bellano and drummer Andrew Bisgrove, who buttress this doomy, apocalyptic sound. This combined with the growling, no-nonsense vocals with the pounding riffage delivers something that's truly Medieval.

Give ear...

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Mighty Portland Doomers RAVINE Ready for Ripple  Release with New Single

Album art by Ashley O'Kelly (Sleepless Eyes)

Sometimes you just need the right combination of veteran musicians to come together and the magic happens. This is RAVINE, born in 2019. I witnessed their rise from afar during the pandemic and hope to see them live in the months ahead. Based in Portland, the grungy doom act features one of my favorite vocalists from the scene, Paul Dudziak, he of the late great Mammoth Salmon (which I've filmed many times).

In fact, I have met just about everyone in the band in the different acts they come from, all stand up dudes. We got ourselves twin guitar fire power with Nico Schmutz of Robots of the Ancient World and Justin Morgan from SkullDozer, joined by drummer Matt Amott of Wölflaut and Dylan Wills of Brick Bath (the only one not originally from Oregon).

This is exactly what I like! Some good ol fashion vintage Saint Vitus worship and nasty guitar riffs with a Southern sludge flair that settle somewhere in the neighborhood of classic Alice in Chains and Down. In fact, Ravine is about everything you could dream of in gritty, hard charging, down-to-earth doom metal band.

These songs ain't no three-minute wonders, either. We're talking big, meaty ball busters. "Deliver," the new single from the band's upcoming Ripple music premiere, 'Chaos and Catastrophes' (2025), is the shortest of the lot at 7 minutes. Nearly every song is 10 minutes long, which is just the kind of sustenance that a good doom lover thrives upon. Give us that red meat, baby.

I'm gonna make my stand!

Listen to that sinister groove chug along from 3:32 on. It's pure headbanging going if you're at a live show, guaranteed. Paul's vocals have plenty of gravelly oomph which, when combined with the grind of the riffage and steady heave-ho beat, give this track a real muscular feel. The guitars shine as the song moves along, getting weird and psychedelic in a Dave Chandleresque sort of way.

Other tracks sport romping, stomping attack that will take you back to the glory days of the genre ("Conjure"), raving, panicked tear up the place moshing ("Contagion"), bluesy, swampy picking ("Prophecy"), and my favorite number ("Ennui") delivers sweet amp worshipping feedback ala Eyehategod and soul-clutching, plaintive guitar harmonies that lovers of The Skull will adore.

Ravine's Chaos and Catastrophes is a mad, ominous, moving record. Look for it June 20th on Ripple Music (pre-orders available soon right here).

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

The heavy hitting Portland Oregon based 5-piece group Ravine were originally formed in 2018. A collaborative effort between two local guitarist friends in the metal scene Nico Schmutz (Robots of the Ancient World) and Justin Morgan (SkullDozer).

Channeling common sounds and influences from bands such as Down, Corrosion of Conformity and Eyehategod, they started writing riffs together as a way to branch out and start something new outside of their already established bands, with new people, and fresh ideas.

After a handful of song ideas came together, they quickly enlisted Drummer Matt Amott of Wölflaut along with San Diego transplantee Dylan Wills of Brick Bath notoriety on Bass. The band played shows locally and in July 2019 released their debut EP with original singer Daren Ford who left the group in late 2020.

In March 2022 the band recruited Paul Dudziak of Mammoth Salmon for vocal duties and Ravine now believes with their solidified lineup that they are ready to show the world what they are capable of.

Fast forward to January of 2024, Ravine went into Wrong Way Recording and laid down an album of new music which demonstrates their already focused chemistry as a solid Doom meets Hardcore Sludge Metal band, and that these veterans show signs of experience beyond their years as this line up.

The band signed with Ripple Music in 2024 and Chaos and Catastrophes is set for release in June 2025.

Band photo by 1369 Photos

"This band is extremely brutal..." - Jimmy Bower - Eyehategod/Down

"Portland sludge/doom outfit Ravine isn’t just another five-guys-with-beards. These gentlemen are dedicated to a supreme level of heaviness that stands on the shoulders of Endtyme-era Cathedral and YOB’s first demo. New singer Paul Dudziak has developed a wild character voice that’s one part Lee Dorian, one part Tom Warrior, one part Scott Reagers, and one part Killdozer. All together, Ravine are patient enough to play the same riff for minutes in a row without ever lapsing into boredom or forsaking the groove. Too many doom bands have forgotten how to swing like our masters in Sabbath taught us. Ravine remembers that great music has dynamics, and can both pummel and lurch when needed. Chaos and Catastrophes is a full-length album journey into armageddon, with its full clarity and girth captured at Wrong Way Recording.” - Nathan Carson Nanotear Booking, Witch Mountain, The Keening

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Sardinia’s FUZZRIDERS Drop New Single en route to Electric Valley Records debut

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Love me some fuzz. In fact, it may be the best way to start your day, forget the coffee. Cue up a little FUZZRIDERS and sail right into your day, rain or shine, good or ill. The fuzz has got your back.

Another Electric Valley Records release, a label which can practically do no wrong with one irradiated downtuned issue after another, Fuzzriders bring us a long awaited full-length, having played in the Mediterranean island of Sardinia for some 8 years, home also of Loose Sutures, 1782, and other notables in the Italian heavy music scene as of late.

Fuzzriders channel a vintage sound from an era that just got rock right, amped up with modern innovations to the fuzz rock genre and vocals that for me recall vintage Bobby Liebling of Pentagram ("I am a demon" the singer chants at one point in the album). At the same time, the single before us roils with fearsome undertow that makes it more menacing than your standard '70s fare with an injection of jaded grudge. The fierceness of that album cover says it all: this ain't your grandad's stoner rock.

Here is the title track for Fuzzrider's I Like It, coming out on EVR and available soon for pre-order here starting April 16 (release date June 6). US distribution via Glory or Death Records (get it here).

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Electric Valley Records is stoked to announce the release of I Like It, the debut LP of the Italian stoner/fuzz rockers Fuzzriders. Scheduled for June 06, the album will be available on three vinyl variants and across digital platforms.

Fuzzriders took shape in 2017 in craggy, sun-drenched Sardinia, born from an idea by Bonettu and Carrasco. After a few trial runs, they were joined by Willy and Cisko, and together they began writing fast, raw, and punchy tracks, full of fuzzy, heavy sounds. On 01 January 2020, the Cagliari-based group released their self-titled EP, Fuzzriders, marking the beginning of a journey that shows no signs of stopping, with a full-length already in the works, set to take the band to new horizons.

In 2020, after the release of their self-titled EP, Fuzzriders reached out to Electric Valley Records with the intention of starting a collaboration. But, unfortunately, with the world shutting down due to the pandemic, the project was shelved before it could take shape. Now, with their debut album finally ready, Fuzzriders and Electric Valley have reignited the conversation, and this time, it’s become a reality.

Fuzzriders’ debut full-length, I Like It, is a sonic explosion: loud, unruly, and packed with the rhythm of chaos. Each track lands like an unexpected slap, leaving you breathless and on edge for unexpected. This is an album that doesn’t ask for permission, it rather kicks the door in and crashes through your consciousness without warning, leaving you rattled but craving more. Expect beefy, riff-heavy songs riding alongside stoned-out, intoxicated vocals, a groove-ready low end, and unfiltered garage convulsions.

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KOMATSU Unleashes Mighty Album #5: ‘A Breakfast For Champions’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

At this stage of their career, Eindhoven enigma KOMATSU have developed a penchant for some really tight songcraft. For their fifth studio album the trio has honed all their talents to bring us this bulldozer of heft and energy that just will not let up.

Title track "A Breakfast For Champions" is a mash-up of influences with tastes of post-punk, '90s alt rock, prog, and deadly stoner groove. You'll be swept right away in the undertow of that churning riffage come 1:12. The bass breakdown at 3 minutes is raw as hell. Guitar driven pandemonium.

"Savage" begins in the best way possible, with misty aweing voices joined by a tangled, weaving guitar trail that recalls Tool but goes to melodic places quintessential to Komatsu. The rhythm once again pulls you right into the urgent verve of the song.

"The Devil's Cut" slows the pace down to a Spaghetti Western ghost town, but then turns into a real pepper grinder (shades of STP) with screeching guitar harmonies.

"Release The Flies" has one of the most convincing two note dirges I've heard in quite some time. Will definitely be revisiting this one as the year progresses.

"Fatcamp Workout" is big, brash and in your face with buttery bass, mad dash drumming, and bashing guitar. It's almost comical at times, considering the title. Don't worry, dark humor is good -- it's okay to crack a smile.

A voice speaks to me loud and so clear Remember why you are here I ignore

"What Lies Underneath" has an incredible sheen to the vocals with a rocking boat rhythmic sway and lyrics that seem to contemplate the big thoughts a human would dwell on were he cast out to sea: purpose, meaning, and destiny.

"Welcome to the Underworld" returns us to the motorific intensity that makes Komatsu so recognizable and great, with cosmic sounding guitars that soar with emotive force and declamatory vocals that have a certain gritty street realism that I can only relate to The Prodigy.

"Climb the Vines" is a pummeling adventure with all the instruments satisfyingly captured in this recording by Pieter Kloos. Love the climax with the guitars reaching for something transcendent, as it climbs higher and higher seeking to escape this mad jungle hell.

Komatsu's A Breakfast For Champions drops this Friday, April 11th on Heavy Psych Sounds and will be issued on the usual stunning array of vinyl the label is legendary for (get it here).

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

"A Breakfast For Champion" is the follow-up to 2021's "Rose of Jericho" and Komatsu's first outing as a three-piece. As expected with the Eindhoven trio, skulls will be crushed at full force by this sonic sledgehammer. However, the 8-tracker also showcases a more melodic and stripped-down facet from these bearded gentlemen.

To cut it short: becoming a trio hasn't taken anything away from their pulverizing grit and even adds some extra chemistry and breathing space that takes their sound to higher levels!

Komatsu's 5th album is no fluffy pancake! 8 heavy, filling and delicious tracks will blow your mind and boost your immune system. Now as a three-piece band, their sound has opened up to show new layers of fuzz, rhythm and groove.

Lyrics range from deep topics like the universe, rebirth and dystopia to fat camps and female parts. Komatsu is proud to add some extra grease, grit and crunch to your morning oatmeal so you can face anything the world throws at you!

KOMATSU - A Breakfast For Champions by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records

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[doomedandstoned]

Doom Rockers CASTLE talk ELECTRIC HIGHWAY FESTIVAL

Doomed & Stoned is pumped about long-time doom 'n' heavy metal band CASTLE headlining the first night of The Electric Highway Festival this weekend in Calgary, April 4th and 5th. I exchanged words with longtime guitarist Mat Davis, one of the founding members who has been with the band since 2009 to talk about Castle's infectious sound and why live shows always rule!

Evil Remains by Castle

Castle has been rocking it since 2009 and I’ve had a chance to film you a couple times, I always appreciate the riffs and energy you bring to the stage. What are some of the distinctives of the Castle sound?

Hi Billy, thanks, that's hard to pin down but one thing we always try is to bring you on a trip with the song and over the course of an album. Live, we try to bring a lot of energy and as a three piece we're working to fill up the room with a big sound.

How has the Castle sound evolved since you released the first of your six studio albums in 2011?

We're still a riff-driven, classic metal band but there's an immediacy and directness that comes through more now with the writing and playing and that's something we'll continue to hone and get closer to the source.

You just got back from touring overseas with your new album ‘Evil Remains.’ How was that experience?

The Europe tour was amazing, lots of memorable shows and the response from the crowds was great. We're heading back in June to play a few festivals and club shows and we'll be changing up the set list... adding another new song and some older ones too, so very much looking forward to that.

You’ve been performing for pretty damned long. Do you think people's interest in attending live shows has rebounded since COVID?

Yeah I think so! We held off for longer than most bands, we figured it would be a shitshow for a while but I think judging by our recent shows it seems good as far as booking shows and people coming out again, which is awesome.

What excites you about being a headliner for the Electric Highway Festival this year?

We're stoked for one, there's a lot of great bands playing and it's a cool venue, we played there on tour with The Sword back in 2013 I think. It will be great to do our full set and hopefully people have a great time and go nuts.

I find there’s an incredible energy that comes from music festivals. For those on the fence, why should they get their ass off the couch and rock out with y’all?

Well, as mentioned there's lots of great bands and shows like this don't happen every weekend. Plus from what I've heard this is the last Electric Highway Fest so it would be wise not to miss it!

CASTLE "Evil Remains" North America

04/04 Calgary, AB - Electric Highway Fest @ Dickens 16/04 Sacramento, CA - Cafe Colonial 17/04 Los Angeles, CA - Knucklehead 18/04 San Francisco, CA - Kilowatt 19/04 Mt Shasta, CA - Vet's Club 20/04 Portland, OR - High Water Mark 21/04 Seattle, WA - El Corazon 30/04 Toronto, ON - The Garrison 01/05 Detroit, MI - Smalls 02/05 Chicago, IL - Legions Of Metal Fest @ Reggies 03/05 Madison, WI - Gamma Ray Bar 04/05 Pittsburgh, PA - Poetry Lounge 05/05 Brooklyn, NY - The Woodshop 06/05 Boston, MA - Middle East Club 07/05 Montreal, PQ - La Sala Rossa 08/05 London, ON - Palasad 09/05 Hamilton, ON - Doors Pub 10/05 Ottawa, ON - Dominion Tavern

CASTLE "Evil Remains" Europe 2025

29/05 Muskelrock Fest @ Tyrolen, SE 30/05 Hamburg, DE - Bambi Galore 31/05 Desertland Fest @ Pumptrack, Berlin DE 01/06 Prague, CZ - Modra Vopice 02/06 Göppingen, DE - Zille 03/06 Düsseldorf, DE - Pitcher 04/06 Rotterdam, NL - V11 05/06 Heerlen, NL - Nieuwe Nor 06/06 GockelScream Fest - near Dresden DE 07/06 Battle Cry Fest @ Turock, Essen DE

Electric Highway Festival 2025

The Electric Highway Festival takes place on April 4 & 5 at Dickens (1000 9 Ave SW) in Calgary, Alberta. Here's the full line-up:

Friday, April 4, 2025

Castle (San Francisco/Vancouver)

Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary)

Blacksmith and Brewer (Vancouver)

CHÛNK (Vancouver)

Hydracat (Edmonton)

The Astral Prophets (Calgary)

BUNS (Calgary)

Doors 5pm – Show 6pm

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Bison (Vancouver)

La Chinga (Vancouver)

Fever Dog (Southern California)

The Getmines (Vancouver)

88 Mile Trip (Vancouver)

Lover (Calgary)

GEOFF (Calgary)

Doors 5pm – Show 6pm.

Advance 2-day passes are available for $75. Advance single-day tickets are $40 for Friday and $45 for Saturday.

Festival passes and single-day tickets are available at www.theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/.

Stay up to speed with the festival with updates right here.

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[doomedandstoned]

The mighty BISON talks ELECTRIC HIGHWAY FESTIVAL

Their sound is unmatched. Primal fury and pissed guitar driven ire with vocals that scream WAR! I speak of Vancouver sludgers BISON who have been at it since 206. Guitarist/vocalist Dan And took a few moments to chat with Doomed & Stoned about their upcoming appearance at Electric Highway Festival this weekend!

You Are Not The Ocean You Are The Patient by BISON

Tell us your origin story

In the early 2K’s, James was in a band called S.T.R.E.E.T.S., which I had gotten to know from shows in Victoria. When they broke up a mutual friend of ours suggested to James that he and I should play together. James messaged me on MySpace and somehow convinced me to move to Vancouver. We started jamming in August 2006, and that was that.

Bison has been around for almost 20 damn years, what’s changed and what remains a constant in keeping the hard driving energy behind your sound?

We’ve gone through a number of rhythm sections, but James and I have remained constant. I’m the mom, he’s the pop. We’re fuelled by absolute disdain and despair, which are pretty easy to come by these days.

What is it about the Electric Highway Festival that’s got you pumped?

Being back in Calgary with all our old pals is always a great time. Calgary has been our second home since the very beginning. The current stage and sound setup at Dickens also rules.

For newbies to Bison, what can they expect from a live show?

Ringing ears, and a sore back. We’re just 2 old guys and 2 not-so-old guys trying to give it their all and leave it all up on the stage. Complete emotional catharsis while still trying to enjoy themselves.

You’ve had four impressive full-lengths, three of which were released with Metal Blade Records. Do you have new material in the works?

Yea, we’ve been working on some things sporadically over the past few years. We’re all spread out over BC and the Yukon, so it’s tough to get together. We managed to actually get some stuff recorded last summer so we’ll see what happens with that. Stay tuned!

For the devoted metalheads out there, what instruments and gear do you perform with?

My setup has remained pretty constant since we started: a 100W Soldano Avenger into two 4x12 (one Emperor + one Marshall that was re-speakered by Emperor to match). My main guitar is a completely stock ESP - LTD Phoenix 1000 (their version of a Firebird, except 25.5” scale instead of the 24.75” that Gibson usually uses). I also occasionally use a Squire Partscaster Tele or a late 90s cream SG. I had to retire my custom First Act Delgado due to back problems, but it’s still around. Pedals rotate a lot, but for the past few years, I’ve been using an EHX Hot Wax for boost and cut, an EHX Pitchfork, and an MXR Sub Octave Bass Fuzz for a couple of noisy parts here and there. Been through a few different chorus and delays over the years, too, anything from Donner or Joyo to Boss or JHS.

James used a Mesa Mark 4 Long Head (I think?) for years but has been using a Peavey 5150 for a while now. He’s got a Marshall flat 4x12 and a Mesa flat oversized 4x12. He usually uses a First Act custom Lola or a Hamer double-cut (Special?), but also sometimes a Tele or an SG. His pedal setup changes constantly, but usually just a boost for leads and a spacey delay for noise.

Evan has an old Peavey T40 bass that weighs a million pounds in a full Ampeg SVT fridge. He’s got a couple of old, weird dirt pedals, too. And finally Eugene has some drums that sound fucking great. Probably Ludwigs? I can never remember but he bets the hell out of them!

The Electric Highway Festival takes place on April 4 & 5 at Dickens (1000 9 Ave SW) in Calgary, Alberta. Here's the full line-up:

Friday, April 4, 2025

Castle (San Francisco/Vancouver)

Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary)

Blacksmith and Brewer (Vancouver)

CHÛNK (Vancouver)

Hydracat (Edmonton)

The Astral Prophets (Calgary)

BUNS (Calgary)

Doors 5pm – Show 6pm

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Bison (Vancouver)

La Chinga (Vancouver)

Fever Dog (Southern California)

The Getmines (Vancouver)

88 Mile Trip (Vancouver)

Lover (Calgary)

GEOFF (Calgary)

Doors 5pm – Show 6pm.

Advance 2-day passes are available for $75. Advance single-day tickets are $40 for Friday and $45 for Saturday.

Festival passes and single-day tickets are available at www.theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/.

[doomedandstoned]

Raleigh’s CRYSTAL SPIDERS Start Fires with New Music Video “Torche”

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Bouncy, insatiable groove meets biting lyrics in the new single/music video from CRYSTAL SPIDERS. In today's tense and turbulent times, here's some music you can really cut loose to. A romping, heart-pounding beat sets off opening track "Torche," one of seven livewires on the new album 'Metanoia' (2025).

Metanoia alludes to the changes that come about in a person's life with some kind of spiritual 180. "The tracks explore personal and collective change, often through tumultuous experiences that lead to growth and new transformation," says the band.

Today Doomed & Stoned premieres the opening number, "Torche," which the sets the tone for the album "with its visceral depiction of primal struggle, using fire and light as symbols of both conflict and illumination." The primal lyrical force is underscored by the fantastic visceral energy of longtime music video maker Chariot Of Black Moth.

Build a tower out of bone and gristle Rip the nerves right outta the neck Light em up, raze this town Bear down 'til you crack their backs

Brenna Leath's vocals are captured with wildcat ferocity on this recording, produced at Volume 11 Studios by scene legend Mike Dean. The exuberance of this bluesy southern stoner trio, rounded out by Reid Rogers on guitar and Aaron Willis on drums, is simply irresistible. There's some humid, syrupy doom to be had on the album as well, so when you get the album be sure to check out closing track "O.S."

Get ready to raise horns, band your head, and feel good! Metanoia by Crystal Spiders is slated for a Ripple Music release on May 23rd (pre-orders available soon here). Stick it on a playlist with Down, Corrosion of Conformity, Motörhead, and Witch Mountain.

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Known for their alchemical blend of heavy metal and psychedelic soundscapes, Crystal Spiders delves deeper into the abyss, exploring themes of transcendentalism and expansion in a collection of tracks that is both gritty and beautiful. The band originally emerged in 2019 in Raleigh, NC as the brainchild of bassist and vocalist Brenna Leath, who wanted to explore a new creative path after years performing with Lightning Born. Quickly establishing themselves as pioneers of a new breed of heavy rock and stoner doom, their first self-recorded demo secured them a spot on The Obelisk’s yearly ranking of short releases, followed up shortly by a debut album release with Ripple Music.

Good things come in threes - and the third album from heavy stoner rock trio Crystal Spiders is no exception. For METANOIA, bassist Brenna Leath (Lightning Born) is joined by Aaron Willis on drums (The Hell No, Few Good Things) and Reid Rogers on guitar (Cerebus, Knightmare).

NWOBHM fans will be delighted by Rogers' blistering solos and hooks paired alongside Leaths' powerhouse bluesy vocals and Willis' driving drumlines, and southern, stoner, doom, and sludge fans will appreciate the classic production at the skilled hands of producer Mike Dean, of Corrosion of Conformity.

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[doomedandstoned]

The Electric Highway Festival 2025 Returns to Calgary

Doomed & Stoned is proud to rally for the upcoming spring festival in Calgary, Canada: The Electric Highway 2025. The line-up for this April 4/5 event is nothing short of exhilarating.

Kicking things off with the grim rhythmic doom metal band CASTLE on Friday night, who are on the tail end of the Evil Remains Tour, which has taken them to Europe, Canada, and the US.

Robust Canadian sludge attack BISON, long a staple of the scene -- with albums stretching back to 2008 -- headlines the whole festival on Saturday, April 5th.

They will be joined by SoCal rock 'n' roll, out of control band FEVER DOG dishing out ample feel good groove and hard jamming vibes to the stage.

A splattering of Western Canadian bands (of which there are a damn good many) join the roster including LA CHINGA, BUFFALO BUD BUSTER, THE GETMINES, 88 MILE TRIP, CHÛNK, HYDRACAT, THE ASTRAL PROPHETS, BLACKSMITH & BREWER, LOVER, BUNS, and G.E.O.F.F.

There's nothing quite like the live experience. Witnessing the magic of music brought to life on stage. Feeling the impact of that massive low end rumble. There's something visceral about the whole stoner-doom sound in a concert setting that should drive you out of the house for a good show.

The Electric Highway Festival takes place on April 4 & 5 at Dickens (1000 9 Ave SW) in Calgary, Alberta. Here's the full line-up:

Friday, April 4, 2025

Castle (San Francisco/Vancouver)

Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary)

Blacksmith and Brewer (Vancouver)

CHÛNK (Vancouver)

Hydracat (Edmonton)

The Astral Prophets (Calgary)

BUNS (Calgary)

Doors 5pm – Show 6pm

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Bison (Vancouver)

La Chinga (Vancouver)

Fever Dog (Southern California)

The Getmines (Vancouver)

88 Mile Trip (Vancouver)

Lover (Calgary)

GEOFF (Calgary)

Doors 5pm – Show 6pm.

Advance 2-day passes are available for $75. Advance single-day tickets are $40 for Friday and $45 for Saturday.

Festival passes and single-day tickets are available at www.theelectrichighway.ca/festivalstore/.

Stay up to speed with the festival with updates right here.

SOME BUZZ

The Electric Highway Festival hosts various genres that range from Desert Rock, Stoner Metal, Doom, Sludge, Trippy Psychedelic, Surf Rock, Acid Rock, Noise Rock, Fuzz Rock, Space Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Psych, Heavy Blues, Southern Rock, Fuzzy Punk, Sludgy Hardcore bands and variations of any of the previously mentioned styles. The festival includes a vendor area with interesting goods for attendees to take home with them.

Previous editions of the festival featured one of the event’s past favorites Californian headliners Sasquatch, Juno Award-winning Canadian band ANCIIENTS, Vancouver’s La Chinga, Space Queen, Dead Quiet, and more, Gnarwhal from Yellowknife, NWT, Calgary’s Gone Cosmic, Hombre, Flashback among many more, and a whole host of other great bands.

Follow The Electric Highway Festival: Instragram | Facebook

[doomedandstoned]

THOU

Live 'n' Loud

Photographs by Johnny Hubbard

Doomed & Stoned has pure ferocity on display this week, as Baton Rogue sludge pummelers THOU (now in their 20th year) take on Kentucky audiences at the Portal venue in Louisville. Bryan Funck (vocals), Andy Gibbs (guitar), Matthew Thudium (guitar), Mitch Wells (bass), and Tyler Coburn (drums) were snapped earlier this month by the lens of longtime contributor Johnny Hubbard. The doomers have been touring in support of their sixth original full-length album, 'Umbilical' (2024).

"This record is for the radicals, the crackpots, the exiles who have escaped the wasteland of capitulation," says the band. "This record is for the militants and zealots refusing to surrender to comforts, to practicalities, to thirty pieces of silver. And this record is most especially for the weaklings and malingerers, burdened by capricious indulgence, hunched by the deep wounds of compromise, shuffling in limp approximation, desperately reaching back towards integrity and conviction."

At last, as we plunge into the abscess, blighted spirits so bereft. Shameful weeping, voices echo from the bottom of a well. Can you hear the cries of worn out phrases from listless gazes, pretentious lingering in childish phases, the heartless hand and empty gestures, the pitiful searching for hollow pleasures. Lost in a palace of mirrors, staring at infinite reflections gazing back, too near to see the mark of shame. Lost in empty dialectics, the art of building up and tearing down, of discussing all things and accomplishing nothing. Of compromised ideals, friendships abandoned, our works substandard, principles meandering. So speak our names as a warning, as a curse, as a failure. At last, it's time to die. So die.

Umbilical by Thou

Everything you've ever done, everything you've ever said, everything you've ever felt is a dagger on my belt. And I'm going to stab it till you're dead to me. Everything I've ever done, everything I've ever said, everything I've ever felt is a chain around my neck. And you're going to drag it till I'm dead to me. I thought nothing could come between us, two dreamers. But our mistakes are etched in stone till the end of our lives, till the end of time. And we're being crushed beneath the weight.

Umbilical by Thou

When the shrieking eye turns inward to the prison without locks, weakness laid bare. The artifice peeled back. The true face is revealed. To see the walls of limitation, grey skinned and impure, that righteous incoherence. When the shrieking eye turns inward, weakness is laid bare.

Umbilical by Thou

Unclench those fists and release that white knuckled grip, a resolution to fruitless searching, a renouncement of sentimental frailty. Farewell, age’ed stalwarts. Farewell, stagnant corruption. Arise from our deathbed. Return to life and walk away. Life used to be so hard, now everything is easy. Turn back the page with my friend, with my friend from so far away. We've seen how love can grow, now we see how it dies. Peace has finally come upon me, and it leaves me weak. Farewell, age’ed stalwarts. Farewell, ancient corruption. Arise from our deathbed. Return to life and walk away. And I’m not coming back.

Umbilical by Thou

Shot at the Portal in Louisville, Kentucky on February 2nd, 2025 by Johnny Hubbard (FB | IG)

[doomedandstoned]

DOPETHRONE: A Portrait

Photographs by Johnny Hubbard

Montréal sludge wrecking ball DOPETHRONE has been at it for damn near 20 years and with six albums to their reputation and an astounding US tour they show no signs of stopping! Here are some snaps of Vincent Houde (vox, guitar), Micaël Riopel (bass), Shawn Ellingham (drums) wrangling devastating licks and ravaging lyrics at Portal in Kentucky recently. An unforgettable show!

SMOKE!

  DRINK!

      DIE!

HOCHELAGA by DOPETHRONE

Ain't no sunshine when she's...

      GOOOOOOOOONE!!!!

Dark Foil by DOPETHRONE

Shipwrecked Creatures

   Dodging       Light....!

BROKE SABBATH by DOPETHRONE

Shot at the Portal in Louisville, Kentucky on November 27th, 2024 by Johnny Hubbard (FB | IG)

[doomedandstoned]

Doom-Drone Duo UNGRAVEN Summon Conan Levels of Dread For New LP

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Drone is a medium of heavy music that took me a long while to get into. Seeing Sunn O))) perform at Psycho Las Vegas gave me with a migraine headache (admittedly I was a tad dehydrated from the Nevada sun), but I left in deep appreciation for the craft. Years later, I would finally be won over by the UK's Orme and their incredible self-titled debut, which brought me to chills. I realized then the unlimited potential for immense and emotionally moving soundscapes the genre holds in store.

Now comes the combined talents of the legendary Jon Davis (Conan) and David Perry (The Laze, ex-Conan & Dead Void) into the UK doom-drone project UNGRAVEN. While new to many, they pair has been active since 2018, already dropping a split with Slomatics in addition to a live album and two demos. Now comes their Heavy Psych Sounds label debut and the razing 43 minute tour de force 'Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks' (2025).

Two tracks, approximately 20 minutes a piece, comprise the pillars of the new album. The first track "Nothing Is Less Than Zero" (excerpted by The Obelisk one month ago) is majestic and transcendent, with ego-destroying mass and maddening weight. The screeching, growling low-end of Jon Davis' guitar scratches an itch in my brain in a way that's hard to describe but impossible to deny. When the organ joins (and it is a true to life full-scale pipe organ, folks) it is truly wondrous and terrifying. I'm beyond awe-struck by this collaboration.

The second track, "Hollows Made Home," can be unsettling and disorienting, making me think of being lost in the woods with no definite sense of direction, no landmarks to speak of, and surrounded by an overwhelming sense of the coldness and ferocity of nature -- removed entirely from human creature comforts and the salvation of technological connectivity. 11 minutes into the lumbering track the resounding low-end of the synth combines with the rumbling vibration of downtuned strings to create a blackout of consciousness, as one is suddenly overwhelmed in an incredible burden of awareness.

Wordless and atmospheric, the experience becomes all the more powerful when you let the speakers shake your walls. Here is a taste of the album's second track, "Hollows Made Home." Get lost in the full release of Ungraven's powerhouse record on April 18th (pre-order here).

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Ungraven has reincarnated with a new form. Founder, Jon Davis remains with his infamous slabs of guitar terror and is joined by David Perry on synths, organ and piano. The direction has shifted towards a more haunting ambient approach to sonic devastation. Fall untethered into a bleak and expansive soundscape of psychedelic terror, experience a new chapter in Ungraven's tome of tone.

Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks came into existence as a result of Jon’s wishes to take the Ungraven sound somewhere other than a standard ‘rock band’ setup. Moving away from the traditional ‘drums / bass / guitar’ structure has allowed Ungraven to experiment further with both sound and composition. ‘Hollows….’ Is an experiment in sonics and allows both Davis and Perry to perform a sickening sonic duet as their respective instruments carve a universe shaped hole in your consciousness.

Inspired by the duo's past collaborations on Conan tracks such as "Older than Earth" and "Grief Sequence" as well as artists such as Tangerine Dream, Circle, Zombi and Harold Budd. Hollows is a combination of composed and improvised elements, constructed remotely from their bases in England and Denmark. The addition of Perry’s synth, organ and piano to Davis’s slab-like 6 string delivery has produced two epics that are both introspective and pummelling at the same time.

On “Hollows Made Homes In Their Sunken Cheeks”, the duo launches a glacial barrage of heaviness using synths, keys, organ, vocoder and guitar, conjuring images of social decline projected across imagined landscapes of a ruined future.

Its dark and cinematic atmosphere speaks volumes as layers of sound gradually build the tension, diving deeper and heavier into synthesizer realms where restrained forces lurk beneath the surface. Like threatening vessels silently hovering overhead, it teeters on the brink of psychedelic spheres, a haunting progression culminating into nothing but nothingness.

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