Windhand

Medicine Horse – Medicine Horse Review

Medicine Horse – Medicine Horse Review

“There’s no right way to honor your own ancestry, especially when so much of what you could know about the ‘right way’ has eroded. Such is the plight of many Indigenous or other disprivileged peoples in North America, even in areas like Oklahoma where the concentration of descendants of many Tribal Nations remains high. Medicine Horse hails from these lands choosing to honor themselves and their chosen traditions the way that comes most naturally—heavy fuckin’ metal.” Take your Medicine!

Acid King – Beyond Vision Review

Acid King – Beyond Vision Review

“Nothing moves quickly in the world of San Francisco cult stoner-doom stalwarts Acid King. From expansive, dreamy psych-smattered jam sessions to low and lazy stoner-doom riffs, and groovy plods, through to their sporadic recording output, Acid Kin do shit at their own relaxed pace. And in the realms of kaleidoscopic, thick, heavyset stoner-doom, Acid King do it well and never disappoint.” Acid King can do…anything.

Conan – Evidence of Immortality Review

Conan – Evidence of Immortality Review

Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a heavy brow, leaned into the wood and pushed. Long had they been lashed to the Wheel of Pain, sinews straining to honor their commitment to King Riff. Lo these many years did Conan’s toil yield downtuned sacrifices to the King, great heaving plates of troo doom crashing into each other as the sound of their collision rose to the clouds to challenge the thunder itself. Mighty indeed were Conan’s labors, and yet, as they strained against the Wheel, Conan couldn’t help but wonder: Is this all there is? Is it meant that I should spend my days cranking out an endless chain of plodding tribute? What is to be Conan’s and only Conan’s?” Crom as you are.

Messa – Close Review

Messa – Close Review

“Three albums into their career and few bands are as enigmatic and interesting as Messa. Starting life as a progressive doom act, Messa always played fast and loose with genres and styles, layering doom, sludge, ambient, and cabaret jazz influences in the madman’s lasagna and adroitly blending spices to make something captivating and otherworldly. On third album Close, the ambient elements have faded away but the doom-meets-cabaret-meets-whatever style is still present, with the overall sound ending up more expansive and airy.” Up Close and personal.

Deathbell – A Nocturnal Crossing Review

Deathbell – A Nocturnal Crossing Review

“I’m not going to lie here; when I first saw A Nocturnal Crossing, the second album by French doommakers Deathbell, listed in our promo pick-up software, my brain autocorrected the title into Animal Crossing. From that moment, I wondered to myself what it would be like to have a concept doom album where our hapless main (unnamed) character would strike a deal with The Devil, selling his soul for bells while interacting with damned-but-adorable lost animal souls while trying to cross the River Styx on a dragon boat powered by Blathers the Owl.” Hell bells.

Rat King – Omen Review

Rat King – Omen Review

“Indiana’s Rat King have been skulking around the Midwest since 2016, tweaking their classic stoner doom style and releasing a few singles and EPs, with Omen being their debut full-length. Their promo package namedrops genre greats like Kyuss and Electric Wizard and speaks of an exploration of the darker elements of the human condition while promising haunting, evocative vocals. This is the PR milkshake that brought Steel to the yard.” Rat holes in Sky Valley.

Black Moon Mother – Illusions Under the Sun Review

Black Moon Mother – Illusions Under the Sun Review

“Enter Nashville’s Black Moon Mother, a group that you can imagine listening to in a smoky bar with a whiskey, rather than a dingy club with a moshpit. Playing a combination of dense doom, shoegaze, indie rock and even trip-hop, Illusions Under the Sun is their debut album. While certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, this is a notable debut, forged on the back of a compelling live show and a willingness to bend some of metal’s sacred rules.” Doom mother sex magik.

Tel – Lowlife Review

Tel – Lowlife Review

“I’ll be the first to admit that I know precious little about the technical process of recording an album. The musician side of things is easy enough to grasp, but the technicians who collect, mix, and master the sounds thrown out into the ether may as well be a sect of wizards engaged in super secret wiz biz. Although I don’t understand how they do their jobs—I imagine it involves summoning Akathla, demon of the Low End—I do know that the decisions they make are ultimately aesthetic ones. This means when it comes to production, it’s not so much about if it’s good or bad, but whether or not it works with the music to create an aesthetic you enjoy.” Noise to the grindstone.

Superlynx – New Moon Review

Superlynx – New Moon Review

“Stoner doom can frequently be heard in the House of Cherd. I enjoy it in my rotation, being, as I am, of Doom. Mrs. Cherd, however, takes particular delight in it. Whenever we’re doing housework to one of her playlists, it’s not uncommon for three Windhand songs from different albums to be followed by Bongzilla, then Electric Wizard, all while she promises that there are other genres in there and the next song probably won’t be stoner doom.” Family friendly doom.

Windhand – Eternal Return Review

Windhand – Eternal Return Review

“The Virginia metal scene is quite impressive these days, launching a number of interesting acts into the metal consciousness. One of the bigger tickets is the monolithic stoner doom harnessed by Windhand. Led by the sultry vocals of Dorthia Cottrell, the band crafts monstrously oppressive odes to distortion and weight, taking plenty of inspiration from Saint Vitus and Electric Wizard.” Eternal wind.