MOUTH OF CRONUS ~ COMMUNION OF ASHES ... review

Dallas, Texas trio Mouth of Cronus, Clay Davis on vocals and guitar, Dave Slaughter on drums, and David Long on bass, describe themselves as "the brain-damaged love child of The Melvins and Mastodon." Whether their new three-song EP, "Communion of Ashes," supports that claim is up for debate. To us, Mouth of Cronus' sound leans more toward Mastodon than it does The Melvins, which, given Desert Psychlist's preference for the former, can only be counted as a win. In the end, though, it's all a matter of opinion ....so what's yours?

The EP opens with "Crown of Crows", the song begins dark and ominous with droning effects and feedback supported by solid tight drumming and low rumbling bass but how a song begins is not always the best indicator of how a song might proceed and after the appearance of a dark and reverberating chord voicing this song proceeds to get forceful and heavy. Vocals here are just as forceful as the music surrounding them, clean powerful gritty tones that often threaten to spill over into harshness but never quite do. Musically these guys are totally on the ball with fiery riffs and intricate solos firing off in all directions over a backdrop of finger blistering bass and furious drumming. Following track "Food for the Moon" is a whole different ball game, for this opus Mouth of Cronus don their technicolour dream coats and mix into their amalgamations of prog and stoner metal elements that border on psychedelic and doomic with the emphasis heavily in favour of the former. We are of course not speaking wishy washy tip-toe through the tulips type of psych here, no this is a blustering metallic take on psych that would cause any sun loving tulips to shrink back down to their roots. Final number "Hail Phaeton" is a rip roaring metallic romp that boasts more twist and turns than a Formula One racetrack, the vocals here are superb as is the musicianship surrounding them, boy these guys can really PLAY! 

Mouth of Cronus' "Communion of Ashes" contains just three songs but they pack so much into those three songs that you come away feeling like you've just sat through a full album. The musicianship is incredible, the vocals top-notch and the arrangements and lyrical content masterful, a really titan of an EP from its start to its finish.
Check it out ....

© 2025 Frazer Jones

ARBITER ~ TOWARDS THE BURNING MOON ... review

Desert Psychlist described Arbiter's debut full length release "Ambrosia", in a blurb on the albums Bandcamp page, as a "mind blowing mix of prog-metal, heavy psych and space that occasionally wanders into left of field and quirky territories", a description we stand by still and one that could just as easily be applied to the bands latest album "Towards the Burning Moon" only this time preceded by the words "an even more...". Arbiter, Caleb Blackwell (guitar/vocals); Robert John Garcia (bass/synthesizer), and Jonah Gonzalez (drums), are a band with sound like no-one else, a band who play music that always seem to teeter on the edge of chaos but never quite tips over, something you'll discover for yourselves when giving "Towards the Burning Moon" a spin.

Things begin with "Light The Torches!," a brief instrumental filled with droning feedback and sampled narrative, the piece setting the stage for the first track proper, "Black Lotus" a shape-shifting tome made up of grooves that merge heavy psych with proggish doom and elements of Middle Eastern exoticism, the results of which are decorated in "weedian" flavoured vocalisation. The next track, "The Deep Heavy" opens with a seductive bass motif, sparse yet effective guitar textures, and delicate drumming, only to explode into a throbbing mix of prog and stoner metal featuring vocals that transition from clean and phased to throaty and harsh beneath which an undercurrent of synthesized madness and refrain-driven mayhem holds sway.. For "Atop the Anthill," Arbiter incorporate quirky rhythms and off kilter riffs, reminiscent of Belgium's Gnome, to create an offbeat groove complemented by a swaying, playful vocal melody. "Form" introduces a new wave/punk vibe, while "Oh Spirit! Oh Mother!" showcases Arbiter's knack for pulling victory from the jaws of chaos with a song that constantly leaps between folkish prog languidity and metallic core-like cacophony. "Faustian Hymn" dials things back with lilting nursery rhyme-like melodies delivered over a backdrop of lightly picked guitar arpeggios and synth generated brass effects, Desert Psychlist will be surprised if we are not the only ones getting a "Wicker Man/ Midsommar" vibe from this number. Title track "Towards the Burning Moon" is probably the albums most accessible and straight forward song, its lilting clean vocal melodies are underscored by tight solid drumming and booming bass over which crunching power chords, searing lead and swirling keyboard textures combine to create a groove not too far removed from something you might find gracing a Green Lung album. For the albums final number, "Venus in Dido", Arbiter take that same straight down the line rock approach they opted for on the previous  track but this time mix things up by splicing that straight-forwardness with elements of both metallic and neo prog as well as some of those off-piste and quirky essences explored elsewhere on this wonderfully schizophrenic album.

Arbiter's "Towards the Burning Moon" is an album that defies all conventional norms, an album packed with music that ranges from the exuberant and extravagant to the chaotic and angular. Listening to "Towards the Burning Moon" is like being taken to the top of a tall building and asked to admire a familiar view, only to suddenly find yourself being dangled out of said same window and asked to look at that same view from an entirely new perspective... a crazy, scary yet at the same time exhilarating experience.

Check it out .... 

© 2025 Frazer Jones

PIECE ~ RAMBLER'S AXE .... review

If you can feel a deep rumbling through your walls and floors it could be an earthquake but just as easily it could be that someone in your immediate vicinity is spinning "Rambler's Axe" (This Charming Man Records), the new release from German sludge/doom/stoner metal titans PIECE. If its the former find yourself a sturdy and safe place to shelter, if it's the latter do exactly the same thing..... both are powerful forces of nature.

Desert Psychlist may not know who wrote the liner notes describing PIECE's latest opus as "thick like lava, black like ebony, angular and rough like the chin of Conan the Barbarian," but they certainly are deserving of a hefty bonus. In just one sentence, the writer of those words has perfectly captured what it is listeners should expect when "Rambler's Axe" erupts from their speakers and proceeds to turn their brains to mush. From the opening track "Heria," with its sampled narrative and ominous, throbbing blackened grooves overlaid with low guttural vocals, to the closing song "Serpentfolk Tyel", PIECE rarely give their audience a moment to catch their breath with listeners being bombarded with an unrelenting assault of gravelly vocalizations, thunderous riffage, and war drum-like rhythms. Tracks like "Demigod," "Bastard Sword", "Spheres" title song "Rambler's Axe" and "Owl Eyes" all groan and creak beneath the weight of their own intensity, yet, these songs are far from ponderous or heavy-handed; there is musicality here, and if you listen closely, also melody. As an album PIECE's "Rambler's Axe" is both heavy and intense but offsets that heaviness and intensity with unexpected "where did that come from" moments, those moments not so much beacons of light in waves of oppressing darkness but more serving as a subtle greying at the edges of that darkness.

If you like your metal to conjure up images of hordes of animal skin clad warriors brandishing medieval weaponry while charging across fields already littered with the remnants of the dead and dying then PIECE's "Rambler's Axe" is going to meet all your needs, if on the other hand you simply want to hear metal that is loud, heavy and intense then "Rambler's Axe" also delivers in that department.

Check it out .....    

© 2025 Frazer Jones

SUPERNAUGHTY ~ APOCALYPSO .... review

Italy's SuperNaughty, Filippo Del Bimbo (guitar), Alessio Franceschi (drums), Angelo Fagni (vocals), and Luca Raffoni (bass), may not be the heaviest or most original band out there, but they do have a knack for crafting memorable riffs and melodies. While "accessible" is an often frowned-upon term in the world of "underground" rock, it perfectly describes SuperNaughty. Despite their crunching riffs and hard-driven rhythms Supernaughty deliver an undeniable array of toe-tapping tunes, tunes that can be found aplenty on the bands new album, "Apocalypso" (Ripple Music).

SuperNaughty's third album opens its account with "Poseidon" a song that perfectly highlights the "accessible" qualities of SuperNaughty's sonic attack, riffs here are more fizzyand fuzzy than they are crunchy, the songs groove is industrious and tight but also bouncy and the songs vocal melodies are pitched clean and punkishly melodic, the sort of song that you could imagine gracing a rock radio playlist but also being the catalyst for stage diving and circular pits in a live environment. The following "Black Witch Mountain" does boast a little more grit and growl when compared to its predecessor, especially in rhythmic department, but again is graced with vocals that possess an easy on the ear fluidity, albeit with a bit more added grittiness this time out. The superbly titled "Amsterdamned" is an excellent blend of  desert and hard rock featuring a great vocal melody underscored by booming bass lines and busy on point drumming over and around which absolutely delicious lead guitar work is layered. Next two tracks "Weird Science" and "Queen of Babylon" are faultless examples of SuperNaughty's ability to combine musical muscle with melody, the former featuring chugging refrains and thundering rhythmic patterns supporting a gritty upbeat vocal, the latter a blues tinted groove machine overlaid with vocals in possession of a slightly more relaxed dynamic. "In(O)culation" combines gritty circular refrains and recurring motifs and searing guitar solos with hell for leather drumming beneath a dynamically forceful vocal while penultimate number "King Again"  finds the band layering wearied vocal tones over a mid tempo throbbing groove that also incorporates a slightly faster middle-section decorated in searing eastern flavoured guitar texturing. SuperNaughty sign out with title track "Apocalypso" a powerhouse groove monster that pulses, throbs and gallops in equal measure beneath yet another clean and flowing vocal, a raucous and rocking finale to a highly enjoyable album.

 There will be those who will think that Desert Psychlist describing SuperNaughty's music as "accessible" in the first part of this review is our way of saying that the bands music has a mainstream or commercial leaning but that is just not accurate. By calling SuperNaughty's "Apocalypso" "accessible" what we are really trying to say is that it is an album which will appeal not just to a select few of fuzz loving devotees but also to those from all walks of the rock and metal spectrum.

Check it out .....   

© 2025 Frazer Jones

SCUMBACK ~ PERFECT BLUE ..... review

 

Perusing Desert Psychlist's unending wave of emails can be in turns informative, infuriating and gladdening and it was the last of those emotions we felt when we scrolled down to find that Russian groovsters Scumback had gifted us a download of their latest album "Perfect Blue" via Bandcamp. Some may remember us waxing lyrical on these pages over the bands second album "Sons of a Witch", a collection of short sharp and caustic tunes that took their cues from the likes of Eyehategod, Buzzov-en, and Crowbar as much as they did from southern rock royalty like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet. Those who have already bought into Scumback's blend of of hardcore, groove and southern rock /metal will be cock-a-hoop to discover that while "Perfect Blue" sees Scumback progressing musically as a band it also does not stray too far from the bands original blueprint while those new to the band will discover an outfit with the ability to both swing and brutalize in equal measure.

Oh maaan how do you go about describing an opening number as impactful as "Murdertown", this is a tune that leaves you feeling like you have been run over by a truck, a partly groove, partly thrash, partly industrial, partly nu-metal riff fest decorated with vocals that are constantly shifting between stoner rock like throatiness and sludgy metallic harshness., if this tune does not compel you to take a deep dive into the rest of the album then nothing will. If you have somehow managed to get up off the floor and dust yourself down then ready yourself to be knocked right back down again by "The Absolute", this song wraps scattergun riffage and blackened rhythms beneath vocals that alternate between full on snarliness and melodic gruffness around which ear-catching motifs and searing solos are constantly swooping and swirling. There are in total 14 tracks to be found on "Perfect Blue" so please do not expect us to go in depth on each, instead we will from here on in highlight a few that we think demand attention. The first of those is the chugging stoner(ish) "Fade Away" a song that stands out thanks to its slightly more southern rock flavoured vocal inflections and its attention grabbing little hooks and catches. The next worthy of mention is the southern flavoured lament "By The River" its acoustic guitars and down-home vocal tones giving it an almost "campfire" feel. Another we think should be further investigated is the excellent "Tears of God" which, to our ears, channels a little Mississippi Bones/Clutch type swagger in its sonic attack. The truth though is that no matter where you place the needle on "Perfect Blue", be it the full on hardcore of "25 Hours" or the lilting and Skynyrd like ballad "Wasted Paradise", you are going to strike gold! 

Scumback describe what they do on "Perfect Blue" as being "hardcore with touch of Lynyrd Skynyrd" and that is in a nutshell exactly what it is, an amalgamation of southern rock, groove metal, doom and sludge condensed down into small easy to swallow bites, one of the best albums of its genre you could possibly hope to hear.

Check it out ....

   

© 2025 Frazer Jones

CROP ~ S.S.R.I. ..... review

Desert Psychlist has to hold our hands up and admit to not being aware of the existence of CROP, Marc Phillips (vocals); Zach Hunter (guitar); Braun Dabney (bass), and Andrew Beauvier (drums), until the bands latest album "S.S.R.I." landed on our desk a few days ago. How this band got by us is still a mystery, especially since they tick all the musical boxes we love like caustic riffage, thunderous sludgy grooves and forceful gritty vocals but we've found them now and we are not about to let anything they put out in the future get by us again. 

CROP's "S.S.R.I." is far from an easy listening experience, listeners should brace themselves mentally and physically before taking this monster on. Even "Flatline," the album's brief, droning instrumental intro, feels like an assault on the senses. If "Flatline" doesn’t have you fleeing in auditory distress, the next track, "Formaldehyde," most certainly will, the song bursts out of the traps with such snarling ferocity it'll have you taking a step back. Here we find Phillips screaming of "betrayal" over a backdrop of gnarled, noisy metal that could be described as sludgy but feels so much nastier. It has to be said that there are brief moments of respite to be found here, like when the groove shifts into more psychedelic rock territories where we find Phillips delivering his vocals slightly more subdued (if that's the right word), but those passages aside the vibe here is mostly full on and feral  Next comes "Goddamn," a doom-laden behemoth with gritty, caustic vocals wrapped in thick reverberating riffage driven by growling basslines and thunderous drums, if you're not standing awestruck and soundlessly mouthing its title when this one finally rolls around to its close then you just haven’t been listening properly.. Fourth number "10-56" sees guitarist Hunter, bassist Dabney and drummer Beauvier jamming a deliciously raucous sludgy stoner metal groove, interrupted by a brief lysergic interlude,  over which Phillips tells us he's "sick and tired of being sick and tired" in a voice that seems constantly on the verge of cracking. Every rock or metal band hailing from the southern states of America has to have at least one torch-like song in their locker and "Alone" is CROP's, although in CROP's case it is more a burning brand than an actual torch. Phillip's vocal here is his best so far, gritty and gruff but full of emotion, emotion that is also reflected in Hunter's superb guitar contributions which weave swirling lead and crunching chords around some truly outstanding bass and drum work from Dabney and Beauvier. The instrumental "Breathe" follows and although only just over one minute long comes across like something Ennio Morricone might have penned for a Sergio Leone movie... had that movie been a western horror set in the depths of space. Doom is the primary force behind final song "Break" but its a doom like no other doom that has came before it or is likely to follow, this is doom served up with side orders of southern hardcore and stoner-metal with dark thrumming riffage and thunderous rhythms bookending a fleeting but compelling section of dank ambience topped off with vocals that go from slurred and sneery to angsty and harsh, a song that is loud, mostly gnarly and utterly brilliant throughout! 

Their are times while listening to CROP's "S.S.R.I." when you think that things could not  possibly get any more forceful or gnarly... and then they DO! There are also times on this album where the band wrap you up in warm blankets of unexpected languid ambience, although admittedly those moments are few and far between. "S.S.R.I." is a super heavy if a decidedly schizophrenic release that should come with its own health warning, music this loud, this intense, this dangerous cannot be good for you, but then don't they say that about all the best things in life.

Check it out .... 
 

© 2025 Frazer Jones

THE BIG RIP ~ OLYMPUS MONS ... review

 

Norway's The Big Rip, featuring Danny Valle Johannessen (vocals), Eivind Dalevoll (guitar), Ole Jørgen Kjørholt (guitar), Mats Bredesen (bass), and Simen Lunde (drums), defy easy categorization, their sound being a dynamic mix of progressive/post-metal, and heavy rock decorated with powerfully melodic vocals that possess a soulful edginess. Some have already compared Big Rip's sound to that of bands like Elder, Witchcraft, and King Buffalo and although Desert Psychlist does not disagree with these comparisons we tend to think their music leans somewhat a little closer to that of UK's Sergeant Thunderhoof in that its prog elements come from a more classic rock angle.. The band have just recently released their second EP, "Olympus Mons," the follow up to their well-received debut EP "Order of the Goatlord.", a release we believe is a must-hear for ALL fans of expansive, spacious and rocking prog/post-metal.

Opening song "Behold, This Mountain" sets the tone for the rest of the EP, a song that starts from fairly humble beginnings and slowly swells  in intensity and volume to become something just as majestic and imposing as the edifice mentioned in its title with lilting eastern flavoured motifs sharing space with heavy reverberating riffage around powerfully delivered vocals that possess a crooned soulful quality. Next up is "KAKTUS", this song boasts a slightly more strident and stoner(ish) groove to its predecessor but proves no less impactful for that. The guitar work of Dalevoll and Kjørholt is exemplary here, a fine blend of crunch and shimmer that is supported by an equally fine mix of power and restraint from the rhythm section of Bredesen and Lunde while Johannessen's vocals are just other level in power depth and timbre. Third number "Kraken Mare" begins life prog-lite and slightly folkish with Johannessen crooning soulfully over deftly delivered ringing guitar arpeggios but then shifts into something more akin to a classic rock torch song when the bass and drums join the party, this is the song that triggered Desert Psychlist's earlier Sergeant Thunderhoof comparison due to it having much the same anthemic qualities that "The Hoof" exhibited on their last two studio albums. Lastly we have title track "Olympus Mons" and like this EP's opening track "Behold, This Mountain" this track, an instrumental, boasts a majestic and expansive feel with exquisite guitar interplay supported by a deliciously seductive backdrop of liquid bass and sympathetically pitched drumming, a beautifully structured piece of music that's only failing is its brevity. 

  The Big Rip's "Olympus Mons" is a phenomenal EP from what is a frankly quite phenomenal band. If there has to be a criticism levelled at this extraordinarily well crafted and superbly structured collection of music it would be that at only four songs the listener is left feeling a little short-changed, that said "Olympus Mons" is still a release one would fully expect to make many peoples end of the year "best of" lists, it is that good!

Check it out ..... 

© 2025 Frazer Jones

WITCHRIDER ~ METAMORPH .... review

Read any review of an album or EP by Austria's Witchrider and you can almost guarantee that somewhere in that review a reference to Queens of the Stone Age will crop up and no doubt we at Desert Psychlist will be doing the same during the course of our review of the band s latest EP "Metamorph". The reason for that is not because Witchrider have specifically set out to capture a similar musical vibe to Josh Homme's band of ragamuffins it is just that the two bands mine similar musical fields. Like QOTSA Witchrider are not afraid to step outside of the riff over a riff over another riff blueprint followed by so many bands in this scene and are willing to experiment with elements that are a little more accessible and dare we say it radio friendly while still being able to remain true to their fuzz rock roots. This approach has remained consistent throughout the bands existence, from their self titled debut EP  "Witchrider" through 2014's "Unmountable Stairs" to 2020's "Electric Storm" Witchrider have never having fallen into the trap of trying to get by on the strength of just a good guitar refrain, these guys put as much thought into their melodies, their lyrics and their dynamics as they do the tones of their fuzz pedals and on their latest EP, "Metamorph" (Fuzzorama Records) they manage take that approach to a whole other level. 

"Used To Be A King" opens "Metamorph" and although you can immediately recognise the song as being a Witchrider composition there are subtle differences to be found, the songs overall sound is a little more rounded, the guitar tones a touch more crunchier and caustic and the vocals a touch crisper. The song admittedly does wear its QOTSA influences on its sleeve but then it has been five years since the bands last release and its totally understandable that the band would want to give their fans a reminder of where the bands roots still lay. Second number "Sound of the Presidents" is an intriguing mix of bluesiness and alternative rockiness with vocals that lean towards wearied and melancholic, there is also an element of doominosity at play here which adds nicely to the songs overall wistful feel. "Hold My Mind" follows and although musically a little bit more upbeat than its predecessor, with great drumming and deft bass work supporting swooning guitar textures and a superb vocal melody, the song nonetheless shares a similar downbeat outlook on the world lyrically. Witchrider return to QOTSA territory for the stoner-ish and slightly grungy "Safe to Say" then catapult into alternative waters for the absolutely superb "Wake Me Up" a song that also carries in its musical undercarriage a little post-punkishness. Final number "Alive (Extended)" is a slightly laid back tome with a mix of acoustic and electric guitars underscored by liquid bass and subtle drumming that reminds Desert Psychlist, in places, of Stone Temple Pilots at their more languid and off-centred.

It is SO good to have Witchrider back in the saddle and firing on all cylinders again, especially with an EP of  the quality "Metamorph" exhibits. If you are looking for music that is a little bit grungy and stoner(ish) and that mixes QOTSA like quirkiness with Foo Fighters like accessibility then these are the guys you should be listening to.

Check 'em out.....

© 2025 Frazer Jones

PSYTHØN ~ BAPTIZED IN BONG WATER ..... review

 

Psythøn, Jacob Sennese, David Johnson and Andy Georgiev, hail from Chicago, Illinois and have just released their debut album "Baptized in Bong Water", a must have release for those who like their grooves both heavy and acidic.

First out of the bag comes "Scorched Earth", the song starts in a wave of dissonant guitar noise then is joined by the drums and bass in a groove that is constantly switching back and forth between thrash-like stridency and doomic lethargy beneath a vocal that chronicles man's/earth's demise in harsh maniacal tones. "Quetzal Hostilis" follows and finds the band alternating between a low'n'slow stoner doom groove and one of a more mid tempo proto doomic meter around vocals that are a mixture of clean harsh and guttural, what really catches the ear though is the searing guitar solos which cut through the murky miasma of different dooms like a hot knife through butter. Third number "Crack (H)orse" is quite the departure from what has gone before, there is a funk element to be found here and it's the fucked up twisted sort of funkiness that 70's funksters Parliament/Funkadelic would sometimes toy with in their live shows, the vocals here are a relatively clean mixture of lead singing and shared harmonies but speckled with moments of punkish aggression. "Glass Highway/Baptized in Bong Water/Breath Of Life", would seem, on the face of it, to be three different songs seamlessly stitched together, the first song a funky heavy psych and acid doom workout, the second a sludgy metallic driving song and the third a trippy tiptoe through the tulips, albeit tulips that are withered and dying. Final song, "Barbarian" changes direction so many times it is hard to keep track, one minute its funky and bluesy, next minute its crushing and sludgy and the next its walking a fine line between languid and chaotic, at all times though it is totally mesmerising.

Psythøn make a noise on "Baptized in Bong Water" that is blend of sludgy doom and extremely weighty psych, it is not always a pretty noise and it is not always a particularly disciplined noise but damn is it an exciting one.

Check it out ... 

© 2025 Frazer Jones

ALTAR OF THE FUZZ ~ COLOSSAL SUNN ENGULFED EARTH .... review

 

Canada's Altar of the Fuzz, Trey Graham (guitar); Caine Albright (bass/vocals) and Isaac McConkey (drums) are a relatively young band in terms of existence but in their short time together they have managed to put out a considerable output. Since their 2022  inception the band have managed to release three full length albums, "V" (2023), "Buffalo Haze" (2024) and "Their Skies Were Lost Gods" (2024), as well as a number of well received EP's and singles. Altar of the Fuzz have become chiefly known for jamming instrumental grooves of a spacious and heavy persuasion but their latest EP "Colossal Sunn Engulfed Earth" sees the band also experimenting with some vocal flavouring.

"Colossal" opens Altar of the Fuzz's latest musical endeavour and it could not be a better named opus, not only does it span a whopping eleven minutes and three seconds but it also sounds COLOSSAL. The guitar work here is a Gilmour-esque merging of searing drawn out notes, crunching riffage and spacious ringing arpeggios that is is backed by a superbly delivered mix of growly and liquid bass work and a truly impressive blend of thunderous and shimmering percussion. The song takes you on a journey in a way that all good instrumentals should, the music swelling to enormous heights one moment then flattening out to become a trickle the next, atmosphere is a must in music of this nature and this track is drenched in the stuff. Next up is "Sunn", musically this song comes across like a coming together of Elder, Pink Floyd and OM with the OM part of the equation mostly being found in the "weedian" like nature of its vocals which are delivered in a mantra like throaty gargle. The brief but intriguing "Engulfed" has a distant and otherworldly feel, the sort  of musical piece that could easily work as the soundtrack to a space horror movie, something in the vein of  "Event Horizon" or "Pandorum". For the albums penultimate number, "Earth", Altar of the Fuzz basically take Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave" riff and give it a space rock makeover and maaaan do they make a good job of it, if this had been played at Ozzy's final gig it would have brought the roof down. The final song of the album "Ton 618" blends sampled space themed narrative and swirling bluesy guitar over spacious musical backdrops before fading out on a wave of hazy cosmic jive.  

Altar of the Fuzz's "Colossal Engulfed Sunn Earth" is everything you could possibly ask for from music pitched at the more cosmic end of the metal spectrum, a collection of spacious, heavy and atmospheric tunes that'll take your mind to places your body could never hope to visit. 

Check it out .....

© 2025 Frazer Jones

BORRACHO ~ OUROBOROS ..... review

We at Desert Psychlist were a little surprised when it was announced that Borracho, Steve Fisher (guitar/vocals); Tim Martin (bass,/'backing vocals) and Mario Trubiano (drums), were releasing a new album, to us it only seemed like five minutes ago we were lauding praise on their previous release "Blurring The Lines of Reality", however we soon realised that the reason we still thought of their last album as fairly recent was because it has been a staple on our playlist at Stonerking Towers ever since its release two years ago. This is the beauty of Borracho, they make albums that do not date and stay ever fresh in the memory, we've said it before and we'll say it again...these guys don't make bad albums. New album "Ouroboros" (Ripple Music) is no different, this is an album that will blow your mind on day one and will be continuing to blow your mind many years down the line.

Borracho come out of the starting gate ripped and ready to rumble with opening number "Vegas Baby" the song kicking off with chugging riffage interspersed with cool ear-catching guitar motifs and fills, the songs groove really starting to spark when the drums join in but then ferociously catching fire when the vocals enter, Fisher waxing lyrical on the draws and dangers to be found in America's gambling capital. Next we have "Succubus", things here start a little dissonant and swirly only then to proceed to get a little jagged and off-centred as the song progresses, there is nothing straightforward to be found here Martin's bass lines are a mix of spacious and growly, Trubiano's drumming often borders on tribal and Fisher's guitar work is a mixture of slurred power chords and dark off centred lead work, the vocals, an exquisite mix of throaty lead and grainy harmonies, are powerfully delivered and also share a similar element of slurriness. "Lord of Suffering" like its predecessor begins left of centre but then settles down into a groove that can only be described as throbbing and LOUD, vocally the song is a trade off of lead singing and backing shouts, musically the song is smorgasbord of thundering bass and guitar riffage driven by Bonham-esque drumming. Fourth song "Vale of Tears" sees Borracho mixing into their unique blending of riff heavy rock'n'roll and distortion drenched stonerized metal smatterings of bluesiness, shades of doominosity and essences of heavy psych while "Machine is the Master" finds the band going full tilt metallic but metallic with just a hint of alt-rock colouring. "Freakshow", meanwhile, finds Borracho in a playful mood with vocals delivered in the style of a fairground barker over a backdrop of gnarled groove that carries Clutch-like musical similarities, the vocals and lyrical content maybe playful here but the music kicks serious ass! Borracho bring "Ouroboros" to a close with "Broken Man" a song that blends together elements of stoner rock with elements of its close musical cousin southern metal and inserts into that blend swirling keyboard textures and off-the -grid lead work, a feisty finish to a damn feisty album.

 Being consistent and pleasing your fans while also trying to progress musically is no easy task but Borracho seem to have found  a way to balance the needs of their fanbase with their own need to progress musically. Each Borracho album released is a level up on the previous one and when you consider that each and every one of the bands albums is essential listening then that is some feat. "Ouroboros" is the bands best album to date but if they don't suddenly decide to call it a day and they carry on improving the way they have been up until this point you can guarantee it won't be their best album ever!

Check 'em out ....

© 2025 Frazer Jones

VVARP ~ POWER HELD IN STONE.... review

We at Desert Psychlist are very partial to doom of a more sedate and atmospheric nature, strident up-tempo grooves of course have a place in our hearts and we have much music lining our shelves at Stonerking Towers that meet that criteria but what really gets our blood pumping are grooves that lurch toward the finishing line rather than race to get there. Even better for us is if those grooves have an almost spiritual/ritualistic air about them and Australia's VVARP, Claudia Sullivan (bass/vocals); John Bollen (guitar/vocals/keyboards) and Scott McLatchie (drums), make music that fits that mould perfectly. The band first came to Desert Psychlist's attention via their 2020 release "First Levitations" a release we described on their Bandcamp page as "thundering riffs counterbalanced by floating monastic vocals", while calling it in our full review "a must for fans of Windhand, Dead Sacraments and Chile's Heráldica de Mandra". The band return this year with "Power Held In Stone" (DHU Records), an engrossing and atmospheric tome they describe as "an imagined soundtrack for a folk horror film that exists only in our collective imagination".

Unaccompanied Gregorian-like harmonies announce the start of opening track "Druid Warfare" and are soon joined by bass, drums and guitar in a thrumming distortion drenched doomic groove that offsets its repetitive nature with subtle swells in volume and intensity, a trick that draws the listeners focus more towards the vocals than the music itself, the music in this case seemingly serving as more of a framework for the vocals with those vocals possessing an almost medieval quality. Swelling keyboards accompanied by droning guitar textures herald the arrival of "A Path Through The Veil", here the music and the vocals stand on an equal footing, bone shaking bass and pummelling percussion laying down a platform of dank groove for lilting dual harmonies and searing lead work to be launched from. Third track "Equinox Portal" sees VVARP  musically shifting up a gear into proto-doomic territory yet vocally still staying in that monastic occult-like pocket that has become the bands default setting, oh and keep an ear out for swirling Celtic flavoured guitar solo that proceeds the songs droning keyboard outro. VVARP go into full stoner-doomic mode for the pulverising "Iron Cloak" with guitar amps dialled to eleven and drums set to thunderous, the vocals sit a little deeper in the mix here but that does not detract from their impact, in fact the song benefits greatly from allowing the instrumentation to be pushed a little more to the fore. The stoner-doomic dynamics explored on the previous song remain in place for final number "Stone Silhouette" the vocal harmonies here are again floaty and monastic but the musical feel is one of intensity and heaviness, well that is apart from the songs deliciously dank and somewhat lysergic middle section where the vocals once again find themselves the full focus of attention.

Doom with a floating ethereal quality is what VVARP bring to the altar with "Power Held In Stone", songs full of intensity and heaviness offset with elements that at times border on folkish and otherworldly.

Check it out .... 

© 2025 Frazer Jones

RED MESS ~ HI-TECH STARVATION .... review

Red Mess, Thiago Franzim (guitar), Douglas Labigalini (drums) and Lucas Klepa (bass/vocals), started their musical journey in Londrina, Brazil but after what the band describe as "a decade of messing around" decided to relocate to Europe, the trio finally settling on Berlin, Germany as the base for their operations. A few of you out there will already be familiar with the band thanks to the EP's "Crimson" (2014), "Drowning In Red" (2015) and "Phantom Limb" (2022) as well as their full length releases "Into The Mess" (2017) and "Breathtaker" (2022), the latter of which we reviewed on these very pages. For those not up to speed with the band however Red Mess jam a blend of rock styles that has led the band to describe themselves as "not your regular alternative grunge psychedelic progressive sludge post-punk hardcore groove garage crimson crooked stoner rock band". This month (August 2025) sees Red Mess releasing their third full length album "Hi Tech Starvation" (Noisolution) a collection of tunes from a band who have a history of delivering ass-kicking groove'n'roll of real quality

"Huntress" kicks things off, a fuzz heavy opus that's part grungy metal and part off-centred desert rock with those grungy elements leaning more towards Alice In Chains than they do Soundgarden and the desert rock part of the deal coming more from a Queens of the Stone Age angle than a Kyuss one. Vocals over this song are delivered in clean and slightly cracked tones that although are not especially powerful are nonetheless both impressive and effective. Following number "Inexistant Colours" finds Red Mess for the most part operating in Nirvana-esque loud/quiet/loud territory around a similarly up and down vocal but then sees the band shifting into a more traditional rock groove for the songs final quarter, this section of the song enhanced with searing bluesy lead work. "Ransomware" is a song that straddles territory somewhere between punk rock and its close cousin hardcore, the vocals here a touch more visceral and raw, the guitar tones a touch more waspish and the rhythms a tad less pummelling, well that is up until just around the five minute mark when out of the blue things take a stoner-doomic turn and we are presented with thick slabs of dank riffage and pounding percussion supporting monastic flavoured vocal incantations. Next song "Intravenous" is an unusual but engaging blend of heavy psych and stoner/desert rock salted with totally unexpected elements of Oasis flavoured Brit-pop in its vocal inflections while its follow up "Xenon", an instrumental, is full on Kyuss worship. Penultimate tune "Kind Villain" is deliciously rowdy and rocking, this also carries a little Oasis styling in the vocal department. Final song, "Uncanny Valley" is a shapeshifting behemoth with grooves that constantly sway between stoner-metallic and grungy beneath vocals that one minute boast a throaty stoner-ish dynamic and the next are being delivered in a buoyant rap-like meter, as closing numbers go this is a MONSTER!

Banging from its opening note to its last Red Mess' "Hi-Tech Starvation" is a delightfully eclectic blend of raucousness, restraint and accessibility, an album that will delight "grungers" and "metalheads" alike...as well as all those who fall in-between. 

Check it out .... 

© 2025 Frazer Jones

FLORIST ~ ADRIFT .... review

 

Some may remember back in 2023 Desert Psychlist getting a little excited about "Contact" the debut release of Floridian groovsters Florist, an enthralling blend of stonerized metal and space rock that we described as being "music to skateboard through wormholes to". Well we are about to get excited all over again because Florist, Frankie Consoli (vocals/guitar,/sitar); Kevin Roy (bass); Mike Amador (drums) and Jer Dillow (theremin, synthesizers, percussion),  have just dropped their second album "Adrift" (Threat Collection Records), a release that takes those ideas explored on previous album "Contact" to the next level.

Florist kick off their second album with "432Hz" a thoroughly engaging instrumental that splices together eastern motifs and Hawkwind-esque whooshes and swirls over a groove that for large parts of its existence boasts an otherworldly reggae-ish feel but does in its last quarter wade through heavier waters. Next up is "Another Moon" and here we find Florist jamming a mix of stoner-ish and heavy psych grooves beneath clean easy on the ear vocal melodies, the space like whoops and whirls this band are so fond of utilizing still all very much in place but this time applied with a modicum of subtlety. "Out Of Space" follows and is classic space rock straight out of the Hawkwind for dummies manual, in other words hard driven rhythms supporting fairly simple chord progressions over which clipped clean and slightly punkish vocal melodies do battle with electronic synthesised weirdness, it is quite frankly SUPERB!  "Grow" kicks off slightly quirky and off-centred accompanied by an equally quirky vocal melody but then starts pulling into its spacious grooviness elements of the blues and classic rock, the band even sounding a little Deep Purple-ish in the songs closing stages, albeit a Deep Purple with Hawkwind's Michael 'DikMik' Davies on the keys. Last but one comes "Adrift (Part A)" a tome that finds the band sounding like a cross between Nashville's Howling Giant and 60's psychedelic cult legends Spirit, it is followed by "Adrift (Part B)" a song which sees the band donning black robes matched with lurid legwear to bring us an instrumental opus that is parts proto-doom and parts acidic rock and is totally on-point in both departments. 

Those out there holding a flaming torch aloft for the early space rock of Hawkwind and first album era UFO while also harbouring a deep love of 90's desert rock and mid 70's proto-metal will love what Florist bring to the table with "Adrift".

 Looks like its time to fire up the old "orgone accumulator" and jump aboard the "silver machine" because there are some new "psychedelic warlords" in town.

Check 'em out .....

© 2025 Frazer Jones