Hailing from Osaka, BlackLab has earned a reputation throughout the heavy underground, releasing In a Bizarre Dream on UK label New Heavy Sounds last year and playing Desertfest London, in one of their first ever shows outside of Japan. While there, they took time to record three live session videos.

Says the band:

“This live session was put into our itinerary in London by our label. It was done the day before Desertfest, so it worked great as a warm-up for the show. We recorded three tracks: ‘Weed Dream’ from the 2nd album 'Abyss’ and 'Lost’/'Dark Clouds’ from the 3rd album 'In A Bizarre Dream.’  We did it at Reservoir Studio right near Finsbury Park. Most studios in Japan are in dull buildings, but it was a very nice place converted from a traditional English house. So we were thrilled to be able to perform in such a wonderful environment. It was a great start to our musical experience in London.”

“Weed Dream” features grungy doom-punk riffs, a fiery beat, and a freaky story, with a stormy mood throughout. Its fierce spirit is palpable. Doomed & Stoned debuted the studio version of the song in these pages and reviewed it here.

Give ear…

FOLLOW THE BAND

GET THEIR MUSIC

There’s something about the music of RED CLOUD that just makes me smile. I’ve heard practically all of these songs performed live and witnessed the toe tapping and head bobbing at shows. Red Cloud’s The Ruby Armada, Volume Two has an irresistible throwback alternative rock sensibility, wrapped in a cocoon of warm fuzz, grungy beats, and thoughtful melodic textures.

“No Left Turn” begins with a riff that stops you in your tracks – wherever you’re going, whatever you’re doing – and compels you to listen. Where it leads you is all part of the fun. On the one hand, it takes you down gnarled, pock-marked road with doom in the air, but waiting round the bend are these happy-go-lucky verses that trot Quixotically down the path oblivious to the danger.

Frontman Aaron Williams says: “The lyrics feature borrowed and twisted prose from Robert Frost 'The Road Not Taken’ as well as a traditional folk song 'Am I a Soldier of the Cross’ (which I gleaned while reading Little House on the Prairie to my kids!) All rolled up into an epic stoner pop anthem.”

Before dreams of colonizing space grabbed humanity’s collective imagination, it was the mysteries of the earth’s insides that had us wondering. Red Cloud lifts their title straight from the classic Jules Verne novel of 1864: “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

The space age did nothing to lesson our fascination for all things underground. My dad’s generation had blockbuster movies like Unknown World (1951), The Mole People (1956), Battle Beneath the Earth (1964), and Crack in the World (1965), while Generation X had Land of the Lost (1973-1977) and countless cartoons like InHumanoids (1986) exploring the caverns of the deep. Millennials, meanwhile were treated to a slew of movies at the turn of the century like The Core (2003), including many attempts to bring the novel plausible to a more jaded and technologically-rich audience.

Red Cloud’s treatment of the subject matter is mysterious and enchanting, with an unsettled mood that once again hints there could be danger lurking around every corner. “Lyrics here reflect upon the human race’s impact and its dire effect on our Mother Earth (Soon no more the way you’re living),” William says.

“Cut and Run” has got the rainy-day comfort of something that I’d hear on college radio in the '90s. The verses and chorus are easy on the ears, and a tad bittersweet.

“This one is introspective and focuses on the need to make a quick and sometimes hard choices in life,” Williams explains. “I wrote this one when I was looking at my patterns and dependence with alcohol and the need to purge things from my life. At the end of the day, you see trees as the fog lifts: (In a haze a broken daze no more We can see what it’s about).” The sentiment here is right in line with “Free Falling,” only Red Cloud says: “I wanna blaze.”

“MTNS” has a groove metal start with plenty of chug, a hearty tempo, and searing guitar licks. The chorus is bright and sincere:

Things Change, They Stay the Same
With the Mountains in our way
I don’t know but, I’ve been told
The Mountains they will move away

According to the band, the song is “a massive redux on a track called Mountains from our previous release Ursa Minor. We felt that we brought new energy to the track and it shows! Lyrics are about realization that our struggles are not in vain and that the obstacles of life we be conquered.”

The EP concludes with “Viva! Cascadia!” with a sprinting rhythm and smoking hot desert rock engine. Red Cloud says, “This is our anthem to the Pacific Northwest! The lyrics are about disapproval with the government’s way of protecting the upper class and ruling elite. We chant Viva! Cascadia! with the youth of the PNW in hopes that one day we can self-govern and be an independent nation, free from the United Snakes of Amerikkka!”

The Ruby Armada, Volume Two is out now and if you dig it, definitely check out the first volume (reviewed here). The record was tracked and produced by the band and mixed by Mario Quintero of Spotlights. Stick it on a playlist with Alice in Chains, Tom Petty, Kyuss, and Elder.

Give ear…

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

Hailing from Spokane, Washington, KADABRA is a band we’ve featured several times on The Doomed & Stoned Show, most notably with the release of 2021’s Ultra – heralded for its fuzzy, hazy throwback sound.

Formed in the pandemic’s darkest days, Garrett Zanol (guitar/vocals), Ian Nelson (bass) and Chase Howard (drums) return now for their second major release on Heavy Psych Sounds, ‘Umbra’ (2023).

Out October 6th, we’re about to partake of the album’s latest single, “High Priestess.” The song begins with busy basswork, striking a desert rock stride. Drums and cymbals accent the 3am deserted highway vibe, then guitar joins in the rhythm grind. Vocals are haunting, yet have a strange, even magnetic appeal, and the organ touches makes the whole act magical.

Frontman Garrett Zanol had this to say about “High Priestess”:

In a sense, this song describes the inevitable thought during early fatherhood of, will I be enough? Will I do it right? Should I run away? Will I do the same thing my father did to me? Will the mother of my child raise her alone like my mother raised me if my addictions consume me?

Ultimately it’s terrifying to be a parent, and I wrote these words in the hypothetical sense that I was a failure, to ground me to the fact that I am indeed the exact opposite. It’s a weird method of reassurance and confidence to myself, but that’s kind of the way my brain works.

Look for Kadabra’s Umbra to drop month after next on Heavy Psych Sounds (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Danava, and Dead Meadow!

Give ear…

If you want to know where rock ‘n’ roll is alive and thriving today, it’s with barnstorming acts like HOLY DEATH TRIO. The music of this Austin, Texas band just makes me feel good, and their live shows have legendary kinetic energy.

This week, Holy Death Trio is unveiling a brand new single, with badass single art to match. The beat is rumbling and the guitar tone wicked, with lyrics that wanna kick some ass, too (“Will you take me to heaven or hell?”).

The band had this to say about “Death Rider”:

This song represents a turning point in our careers as songwriters. We intended to push past our comfort zone and create songs that truly resonate with the theme of Holy Death. By fusing together the dark-side and light like a yin and yang in rock 'n’ roll, “Death Rider” offers just a taste of what’s to come on the next full-length album.

The single drops Tuesday, August 8th and Doomed & Stoned readers get to hear it first!

Give ear…

SCREAMING MAD DEE has been a staple of the heavy underground for decades, whether with the late, great Iron Man, Spiral Grave, or going solo. Last month, we reviewed his new album, ‘Old Scratch Comes to Appalachia’ (2023) and praised it for having “bluesy acoustic tunes that are doomy with just the right amount of darkness.” Stated plainly, it’s got a whole lot of heart. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a voice more honest and soulful in this scene today.

Today, we reveal the music video for “Pulse,” which falls midway through the album and is a response to the shocking Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016 that killed 49 and wounded 53. Shocking, but all too soon forgotten in an era of mass violence that continues to defy our reason and senses.

Reached for comment, Dee had this to say about the track and music video:

“Closing minds that open wounds in the name of a counterfeit god…” A song for those who are persecuted and even murdered simply because of who they love. We will NOT let hate win.

Art, and particularly music, helps us to process tragedies like this one, and perhaps even to shine a light of personal introspection. Old Scratch Comes to Appalachia is out now on c/o Argonauta Records (get it here).

Give ear…

Get ready to rock as FUZZ EVIL, the dynamic band hailing from the borderlands of Arizona, prepares to drop their much awaited second single, “My Own Blood,” on August 4th. The track serves as a tantalizing teaser for their upcoming record, aptly titled “New Blood,” which is set to hit the airwaves on September 8th.

Following the success of their first single release, “Heavy Glow,” the band continues to push the boundaries of their genre, blending stoner rock, electronica, and hints of grunge and punk, creating their unique and interesting signature sound.

My Own Blood" is a dirty bass heavy and fuzz-laden anthem that packs a punch with its catchy vocals and hooks. Fuzz Evil has unleashed a head-banging masterpiece, crafting an experience that grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go. The potent combination of gritty basslines and fuzz tones, brought to life by Wayne and Joey Rudell’s masterful execution, hits listeners like a bolt of electricity.

With layers of roaring fuzz, “My Own Blood” takes on a life of its own, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those who hear it. Fuzz Evil’s talent for crafting unforgettable hooks and melodies is on full display, drawing fans into their musical universe with every note.

The band’s bold exploration into other genres shines through, infusing the track with an unyielding rebellious spirit. Fuzz Evil has once again defied expectations, fearlessly blending their signature sound with electronica, grunge, and punk’s unbridled intensity, resulting in a sound that is both driving and enthralling.

“My Own Blood” is a testament to Fuzz Evil’s relentless pursuit of musical innovation, and it serves as a tantalizing glimpse into the sonic journey that awaits listeners on their upcoming album, “New Blood.” With each release, Fuzz Evil proves they are a force to be reckoned with, pushing boundaries and setting the stage for a new era of electrifying rock music.

Prepare to be swept away by the dirty bass fuzz, mesmerized by the soaring vocals, and hooked by the infectious melodies of “My Own Blood.” Stay tuned as Fuzz Evil’s trailblazing path continues, with “New Blood” primed to captivate and inspire music lovers worldwide.

“My Own Blood” is set to rock the airwaves on August 4th, paving the way for the full album release of ‘New Blood’ (2023) on September 8th (pre-order here). Brace yourself for the sonic onslaught, and join Fuzz Evil on their journey to redefine the boundaries of rock music.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Fuzz Evil is an electrifying fuzz rock band hailing from the deserts of Arizona. Formed by brothers Wayne and Joey Rudell, Fuzz Evil has been captivating audiences with their explosive live performances and hard-hitting studio recordings.

Drawing inspiration from the vast Arizona landscapes, the band infuses their music with a unique blend of raw energy and desert rock soul. With two successful albums already under their belt, Fuzz Evil is poised to conquer the world of rock music once more with the release of their third album, 'New Blood’ (2023).

The single “My Own Blood” will be released on all major digital platforms on August 4th, setting the stage for the arrival of 'New Blood’ — out September 8th. Fuzz Evil invites all fans, both new and old, to join them on this exhilarating musical odyssey.

I knew from the moment I heard the opening track from ‘Return Without Any Memory’ (2023) that I wanted SONIC MOON to be featured in these pages, for the Aarhus 5-piece are a special band.

The colors are all right for their album cover, as opening track “The Waters” really does conjure those unearthly yellows, blues, and reds. It’s a song that meets somewhere at the junction of Soundgarden, Greenleaf, and Mars Red Sky. The drums mark a desert rock pace and the song rolls steady, with jaded roadhouse vocals and dark Pentagramesque riffing.

There’s something lonely, but comforting about the songs on the album. These are dark, otherworldly tracks with downtuned grunge tone and warmly bittersweet vocals, gliding calmly along in a vessel of fuzz down the shuddering waters of Styx. I took it all in while the moon was shining bright in my backyard and it was an ultra-cool experience, particularly during “Head Under The River.”

Reached for comment, the band had this to say about the new LP:

It took us some years and a few EPs to reach a point where we were satisfied enough with our material to put it on a full-length album. It’s something we looked towards from the very beginning, it just took a while to get there!

Almost every song starts with one of us bringing a riff or a loosely based idea to rehearsal, and from there we work the rest out as a group. So it’s a very collaborative process.

The new album was self-recorded at our rehearsal space in February 2022. We recorded everything live, except the vocals. We had very limited time to record, so we actually ended up recording the instrumental parts in a single day.

Sonic Moon’s debut album Return Without Any Memory is one of the clear standouts of 2023, a record I’ll be revisiting often. Get it Friday, August 4th, through the band and Olde Magick Records (pre-order vinyl here). Stick it on a playlist with Witchcraft, King Buffalo, Dunbarrow, and Magmakammer.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Sonic Moon is the sound of Kevin Starrs meeting Josh Homme on an acid trip in the dark Scandinavian winter. It is heavy guitar-riffs, drowned in fuzz and delay, carried through by a swaying drum- and bass-section, complimented by a raw and melodic vocal. The lyrics consume the remaining light, and touches subjects like nihilism, sorrow and anger.

After spending the better part of two years unfolding their contrasting and riff-based take on psychedelic stoner rock, Sonic Moon release their 7-track self-recorded debut album Return Without Any Memory on August 4th, 2023 on Olde Magick Records.

The first single Give It Time was released on May 12 and premiered by the stoner rock blog the Sleeping Shaman. Additionally, the music video was released on the 666MrDoom’s Youtube channel focusing on doom, stoner and psychedelic rock and metal.

Return Without Any Memory’s dark and heavy groove introduces the band’s shared feeling of encapsulated loneliness, anger and frustration, all contained within the refined sound produced by the intensive care, effort and soul that the band fueled the album with.

Return Without Any Memory will be available on vinyl in two editions: ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Cloudy Splatter’ on Bandcamp. The album is recorded by Sonic Moon, mixed and mastered by Haldor Grunberg at Satanic Audio, and the artwork is designed by Mirkow Gastow.

I’ve had a few months to soak in the new album by RISIN SABOTAGE, which we premiered back in June (reviewed here). There is something wonderfully eclectic about the band’s sound, which weaves together strains of acid, jazz, funk, and stoner metal. Beyond that, there is a surreal, overcast quality to the music that makes it well suited to times such as these.

In the video that follows, Victor Panchishko (guitar), Valery Skorzhenko (bass), and Igor Nediuzhyi (drums) fully convince us of their new material, with an infectious verve that carries us through seven of the ten tracks on Macabre, captured live & loud in the great outdoors.

“We played our album Macabre on a salt lake in Odessa,” says the band. “On this day, Russia shelled the city very heavily, and destroyed the historical Spaso-Preobrazhensky cathedral. We will carry our music till the end, and help our army with our music. Support Ukraine and never forget!”

Give ear…

DOOMED & STONED IN FRANCE (Vol. 2)

Just in time for Doomed & Stoned’s 10th Anniversary, it’s a new volume in our ground-breaking compilation series, taking a deep-dive into stoner-doom scenes in the US and around the world. 43 bands, 43 tracks encompassing a wealth of musical strains from the heavy underground, curated by Steph Le Saux of Barabbas.

Download your free copy and check out the entire series at doomedandstoned.bandcamp.com.

AN INTRODUCTION

Sorry if you were not aware yet, but France is not only the country of culture, champagne, tasty gastronomy, social rights and impetuosity (I made it short, you can complete the list…hahaha), for quite some years now it’s also a growing source of heavy and doomy sounds!

I hope, Volume 1 already proved to most of your ears this new solid trait ! Now I tried to push this volume 2 even further in terms of quality, diversity and with some nice surprises for the occasion (like a special comeback, songs in avant-premiere).

From doom/death to harsh sludge, while not forgetting stonerized or psychedelized stuff and naturally more traditional Doom spheres, you’ll get here a pretty dense and diversified inventory of the underground scene I’m succumbing for.

Now enjoy your journey in our tortured yet beautiful soundscapes and please SUPPORT our bands!

– Steph Le Saux

THE DOOMED & STONED SHOW (S9E8)

We tread on to mighty episode 8 for a look at the June 2023 rankings from DoomCharts.com – a packed episode that features commentary from Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned), John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution), and Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect) – plus tons of new music, including Queens of the Stone Age, Witchskull, and Church of Misery.

This month, Doomed & Stoned celebrates 10 years! If you dig the blog or the show, consider becoming a regular monthly supporter: patreon.com/doomedandstoned. Don’t forget to show the bands some love by clicking the hot-linked names and grabbing their albums!

The Doomed & Stoned Show is now streaming on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, and more!

PLAYLIST:

INTRO (00:00)
1. Wytch Hazel (no. 19) - “The Fire’s Control” (00:31)

HOST SEGMENT I (04:21) - June Doom Charts
2. Rival Sons (no. 22) - “Nobody Wants To Die” (31:05)
3. The Gray Goo (no. 29) - “Pipe Hitter” (34:49)
4. Rainbows Are Free (no. 16) - “Sonic Demon” (39:20)

HOST SEGMENT II (44:34)
5. Lore (no. 39) - “The City of Suicide” (59:06)
6. Outer Head (no. 28) - “Astral Traveler” (1:03:09)
7. Slow Wake (no. 15) - “In Waves” (1:07:33)

HOST SEGMENT III (1:18:52)
8. Queens of the Stone Age (no. 10) - “Paper Machete” (1:44:49)
9. Lamassu (no. 9) - “Washed Away” (1:48:12)
10. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (no. 8) - “Converge” (1:54:42)

HOST SEGMENT IV (2:00:59)
11. Snakemother (no. 7) - “Gold Shields” (2:19:00)
12. Dead Quiet (no. 6) - “Murder City” (2:22:22)
13. Witchskull (no. 5) - “The Serving Ritual” (2:29:47)

HOST SEGMENT V (2:33:49)
14. High Priest (no. 4) - “Down In The Dark” (3:08:06)
15. Black Rainbows (no. 3) - “Til the Outerspace” (3:12:52)
16. Church of Misery (no. 2) - “Beltway Sniper” (3:16:23)
17. Saint Karloff (no. 1) - “Bone Cave Escape” (3:25:07)

OUTRO (3:31:32)
18. King Howl (no. 33) - “From The Cradle” (3:32:41) [BONUS]
19. Bongzilla (no. 21) - “Dab City” (3:35:08) [BONUS]
20. From The Ages (no. 25) - “Tenebrous” (3:46:59) [BONUS]

CREDITS:
Theme Song: Dylan Tucker
Thumbnail: Lamassu’s ‘Made of Dust’ (2023)
Incidental Music: Copper Age & Crypt Witch

This weekend, it’s OHIO DOOMED AND STONED FESTIVAL!

This will be the third festival we’ve held in Ohio, this time at Westside Bowl in Youngstown. A stacked line-up that you’re unlikely to find at any other two-day event of this kind, all focused on the heavy underground with an emphasis on doom metal and stoner rock!

We welcome a host of favorites in the scene, both from The Buckeye State and beyond. We’re especially thrilled to have Brimstone Coven return, as they played the first ever Doomed & Stoned Festival in Indianapolis in 2016. Many others have been covered in these pages and on The Doomed & Stoned Show.

Event details are right here.

Tickets are available from westsidebowl.com.

Get started soaking in the musical talent on our Ohio Doomed & Stoned playlist on Spotify!

With an introduction made by “Gone”, a recently released single talking about the sensitive and urgent human question of “freeing oneself from everything that is a prison of oneself, such as fears and insecurities,” the eponymous debut album by the Brazilian stoner-doom band MUDNESS is strong and thought-provoking.

The trio, whose most recent formation features Renan Casarin (guitar and vocals), Fernando Dal Bó (bass), and Pedro Silvano (drums), is one of the most promising names in the Brazilian stoner and doom metal scene of recent times. The album, recorded at Célula Showcase studios (Florianópolis) in December 2022, is produced, captured, mixed, and mastered by Leandro Lazzarotto.

Released July 21st by the label Abraxas, the album ‘Mudness’ (2023) contains seven tracks that address primordial and crucial themes of human existence, such as our fragility, degradation, and the dark times we live in.

The band Mudness had the opportunity to carry out exchanges and exchanges of valuable experiences throughout its nearly four years of existence, participating in events and sharing the stage with names such as Fuzzly (MT), Projeto Trator (SP), Muñoz (GO), Leticia Soma (ARG), and Petit Mort (ARG/BRA), acquiring valuable ground and consolidating their own influences and references, which come from bands like Monolord, Electric Wizard and Windhand.

Check out Mudness below!

Hailing from the hotbed of Phoenix, Arizona, comes the ferocious, rumbling four-piece MOSARA. Their new single, “Amena” follows on the heels of the band’s 2022 LP, Only The Dead Know Our Secrets, dropped last summer.

Describing their style as atavistic doom, the band says “Amena” is “equal parts primal and nuanced…imbued with an intensity that lies just under the surface of a powerful wall of sound.” It’s meaning is obscure, probably Arabic for honest, trustworthy.

As the piece opens, drums punch out a wide gait, signaling the approach of some dreadful horde just over the hills. Guitars crack and buzz like pissed off swarms of hornets. Vocals announce a doom once prophesied in ages past, now imminent.

Mosara’s new single officially releases July 26th (get it here). Stick it on a playlist with North, 10,000 Years, Grin, and Dirge.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Mosara is a Phoenix, Arizona-based doom band, originally formed and active in the early 2000s. In late 2018, the band was reformed by Tony Gallegos, the founding vocalist and guitarist. The new lineup includes guitarist Nikos Mixas from Twingiant, bassist Christopher Burns from Hex Volt, and drummer John Quin from Authority Zero. Mosara’s music combines elements of doom, stoner metal, prog metal, and atmospheric sludge.

In the fall of 2020, Mosara began recording their first full-length album. The self-titled effort was recorded and mixed without the use of any recording software, resulting in the raw and authentic sound of the finished product. The album was released in May 2021 through Transylvanian Recordings and received praise from several genre-specific outlets. Mosara’s unique style of “atavistic doom” was praised as the element that distinguishes them from other bands in the subgenre.

Mosara followed up their self-titled debut in the summer of 2022. Only The Dead Know Our Secrets, their second studio album, garnered high praise from doom and sludge media sites such as Invisible Oranges, Doomed and Stoned, and Veil of Sound. Mosara’s latest single, “Amena,” is set to be released this July as a teaser for their upcoming third full-length, which will begin pre-production this fall.

The last time we checked in with the Rain City’s doom-stoner-sludge trio SORCIA, they had just released their EP, ‘Death By Design’ (2021). Two years later, a follow-up: 'Lost Season’ (2023).

Opening number, “Miss Ann Thrope,” as it turns out, is a play on words for misanthrope – you know, someone who just doesn’t like people. Lyrics reflect the kind of alienation familiar to anyone who’s tried to take on the world and been chewed up and spit out, left with only frayed nerves and a low level of trust. “Controlling the things I say, I lash out at you. Our toxic love affair, a love that’s true.” The downcast dirge winds and grinds like a menacing serpent. Verses are clean and searching, delivered with a certain humanity that is both relatable and appealing. Meanwhile, the chorus is as mean and grizzly as you could ask for. “She feeds off my anger,” utters vocalist/guitarist Neal De Atley, “She is well fed.”

“An Axe Named Otis” may be a reference to the strange and twisted tale that is 2001’s Frailty, in which Bill Paxton has a revelation from God and begins destroying demons with an axe he finds in a barn. Carved on this implement of destruction is the nickname “Otis.” It’s a harsh, vengeful affair, with a blood-spattered backdrop of leaden doom, evil sludge, and brittle percussion.

“Faded Dune” is a groovy southern stoner romp that could be an homage to Goatsnake. With whisky in hand, you could just melt right into it. “Dusty,” meanwhile, conjures a blurry sunset and features sanguine vocal harmonies from bassist Jessica Brasch. Then the record closes with “Entering the Eighth House,” an astrological reference to Scorpio and Pluto, a place of sex and death.

Sorcia’s Lost Season soaks in dark blues, with melancholy hooks and forthright lyrical contemplation. Look for it this weekend on Desert Records (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Acid King, Dorthia Cottrell, Saint Karloff, Goatsnake, and Legba. And don’t miss the band’s forthcoming western states tour, kicking off July 28th (dates below).

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Seattle stoner/doom trio Sorcia prepare to unleash their highly anticipated sophomore full-length ‘Lost Season’, their heaviest and most eclectic offering to date.

After releasing their debut album just days before the world shut down in March of 2020, things looked bleak for musicians as they were forced to stare into the unknown. During this dark time, Sorcia persevered by pouring themselves into songwriting, accomplishing not only the completion of a challenging EP, but also this brand new full-length they would reflectively come to name ‘Lost Season.’

This album is a continuance of their dynamic and heavy sound, yet showcases a matured evolution in style with a new exploration of influences. Captured by Tad Doyle at Witch Ape Studio in Seattle, WA with original artwork by Mike Hawkins, Sorcia are pleased to be working with Desert Records to release ‘Lost Season’ out into the world on July 21st, 2023.

Sorcia have shared the stage with heavy hitters such as Orange Goblin, Hippie Death Cult, Kadabra, Telekinetic Yeti and many more. With each show, they prove they belong with the best and Lost Season has pushed their limits further.

Magnetic Eye Records has done it again. They’ve pulled together some of the most intriguing and accomplished artists of the heavy underground to pay tribute to a legendary album. The last go-round, it was Alice in Chains that got the redux treatment, and now attention is turned to their Seattle peers, the one and only SOUNDGARDEN.

It’s no secret that Soundgarden has been influential on many of the musicians featured. Indeed, upon this writer, as well. Their 1995 classic Superunknown established the band’s visionary songwriting and instrumentation, and Soundgarden delivered such a virtuosic performance on the album, one wonders how it can be covered at all.

With that said, these are not merely covers, they are loving reinterpretations. In the case of Italian juggernaut Ufomammut, their rendition of “Let Me Drown” is a ghostly allusion to the late Chris Cornell.

“My Wave” has played out as a kind of grab-it-and-go philosophy of life for me for decades now, its lyrics rejecting that urgent fanaticism that makes us all anxious to parent one another. “Hate if you want to hate, pray if you want to pray, don’t come over here [and] piss on my gate, save it just keep it off my wave.” High Priest takes the song and elevates it to a place of mystical glory.

If you loved the original album, this won’t replace it and you may even feel that some of the songs are uncoverable and “Fell on Black Days” is one of them, namely for how personally the lyrics relate to Cornell. On the other hand, sometimes a song is so good that it begs to be loved by another artist. Chosen for this song: Marissa Nadler, an American singer-songwriter who has been widely praised for her Gothic stylings and sanguine sound. Here, it feels as if we really did drown after the opening track and we’re hearing the song sung from the ocean depths.

I was excited to see Chicago Doomed & Stoned Festival alumni Somnuri tackling “Mailman,” as it’s an ideal fit for their temperament. It’s such a seething, lonely song about betrayal and revenge, but I’ve visited it many times in my life. The Brooklyn trio does a fantastic job with it, with vocals that are powerful in their own right and a few menacing touches (the later contrast of clean and dirty vox, for example).

Valley of the Sun takes “Superunknown” for a spin with a certain low-riding desert rock energy and vocals that admirably reach for those famous soaring highs. There are even some Doors-esque organ highlights that seemed perfectly in place, proving how a good song can transcend its original arrangement.

“Head Down” is a song that perfectly captures the apathetic resignation of deep depression. Frayle hone in on the sparseness of the composition with searching guitar riffing and a creepy, haunted vocal performance that brings alive the pernicious voices of doubt and fear (“We see you laugh, we see you dance, we take that away everyday”).

“Black Hole Sun” is another I was skeptical about, but Spotlights have really won me over with their version of it. The contrast of soft singing and strumming guitar and bass was compelling in itself, but the band doubles down on awesome with crackling, fuzzy low-end during the verses and entrancing vocal harmonies. At times, I may prefer this to the original (and that’s partly because I don’t want that great song to be spoiled by over-familiarity)

I really like what Horseburner does with the famous “Spoonman.” Once again, a confident reinterpretation that showcases the band’s strengths, namely gnarly guitar, low-end heft, and earthy, roaring vocals. I was happy to hear the contrasting section of both strumming and dueling strings and some bad-ass drumming.

“Limo Wreck” is a great example of why I think of Soundgarden as doom first, and all other genre distinctions second. It’s a dismal affair and Chris Cornell’s performance is once again inimitable and, frankly, carries this slow ‘n’ low ballad. Thankfully, Witch Mountain was chosen for the job and Kayla Dixon’s knack for dramatic story-telling helps in convincing us.

Beastwars have successfully remolded “The Day I Tried to Live,” one of my least favorite songs on the original album, into something I really enjoyed. It’s unhinged, agitated, and beastly. Howling Giant stole the show on the AIC Redux with their incredible “Rooster” (our Song of the Year in 2020), and Beastwars comes damned closed to doing it with this one. Their performance is really something else, laying on the Soundgarden worship on thick and projecting something monstrously terrific.

Jack Harlon and the Dead Crows do much the same with “Kickstand” turning this quick and dirty song into a dreamy psychedelic space rocker that mines the sound for undiscovered emotion. Another cut that elevates the music into something epic, even ethereal.

The Age of Truth summons a heroic sound, transforming “Fresh Tendrils” with sterling chords and rampaging drums. Meanwhile, Marc Urselli’s SteppenDoom give us an eerie rendition, not as caustic as Thou’s celebrated cover, though the vocal approach is at times quite grizzly. The whole experience is like a warped VHS soundtrack, with spooky whistling sounds as if to suggest the hearing of the wind.

I was so happy to see Dozer on the list, especially after the success of their recent album which has pushed the band forward artistically in many ways. They turn this odd little number into a bonafide stadium rager.

Without doubt, “Like Suicide” is one of the most emotionally honest and tragic songs on the record. If I recall the lore correctly, Chris Cornell said this song was inspired by a bird who had a fatal encounter with a sliding glass door, as if an omen. No one can really match the intensity of the original performance, of course, so Darkher had the idea of turning it into a blurry-eyed and beautifully stoic reflection.

While nothing can replace the genius of the original Superunknown, this collection is nonetheless quite welcome and I’m sure choice cuts will show up on playlists of mine. Now I’m ready to check out the Best of Soundgarden, which follows a similar format, without being glued fastidiously to any one album.

Give ear…