Mandy Manala - Mandy Manala Argonauta Records / Octopus Rising – 2025 Rock, Hard, Stoner, Metal Rated: *****
From violet to mauve, with a faint splatter of scarlet running through, like that earliest of sunrises on the longest day of the year. There is something absolutely special about this new star that is about to appear. Lead by the wonderful vocalist Christa Nedergård, they are called Mandy Manala and will be releasing their debut self-titled album via Argonauta Records / Octopus Rising on May 23rd. There is magic in everything that Mandy Manala does. They’ve taken the vintage and retro vibes and added so much modern power to it that it becomes this high energy, high flying ever forward propellant. With members of ELD, Lords of Chernobyl, Rock Fuel and MotörCünt, this might seem logical, since they all had that fuel, nuclear or otherwise and motoring momentum. Even the space punk of ELD is a grounded and ever forward affair. Mandy Manala takes it up a notch, shoving movement in every nook and cranny of their creation and in doing so creating something that might turn into a movement itself. For with this debut album they’ve seemed to already have captured that essence of rock ‘n roll; they’ve created their own world. And that world is something other people will probably and hopefully are relieved and pleased to be a part of. For nine tracks and forty-seven minutes long the Ostrobothnia, Finland born five piece drags you, pulls you, shoves you and directs you towards a glorious state of euphoria. Stillborn reverbs its way into that starting riff, and with the addition of the drums becomes this monstrous trucker, electrifying and still carrying a bit of mystique that seems to drift along many of the tracks. In part thanks to the vocals of Christa Nedergård, the way she lets them hang and surge like an ocean. You can hear there is power there, but she refrains from using them immediately. But there are definite options for grandiose gestures, opera-like even, gothic in its sensibilities. On that follow up track, From Whence You Came it sees her going full force. A sweet rocking scoot boogie that implores so much from the seventies and yet sounds completely from this time. More power in the vocals, more power in the riffage. But more power, massive bass work and delicious drum is to follow with The Machine. Thundering and stomping, sweating and swaying, a metal roll that keeps on rolling, but sounds softer to the ears, thanks once again to those magnificent vocals. That opt for confessional and catchy when Black Sheep rolls around, highly dynamic, tasty bridges, soaring choruses, and a minor touch up by those male second vocals. Hit potential written al over it. As does following May Queen, out as single and video. It is another dynamic and riveting track, alluring and enticing, whisking you away on a trip through the ages. Metal, hardrock and some minor gothic atmosphere, a great solo full stop in service of the track, takes this track to a higher kind of level. Four more tracks follow, with closing nine minute long battleship, When We Rode Out To War. Overture opening, continues rolling, displaying all of their storytelling strengths, constantly building, but showing restraint and not exploding our showing us the actual war, and only becoming that marauding cavalry galloping of to war… Are you ready for it? For Mandy Manala?
And we are absolutely honored to bring you all the FULL ALBUM PREMIERE for Mandy Manala - Mandy Manala on Wednesday the 21st of May! Two days before it releases on Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records. Check out the video below or the three singles out on bandcamp and visit Stoner HiVe on Wednesday the 21st of May for the FULLMandy ManalaALBUM!
Pearl Handled Revolver - Tales You Lose Self-released - 2025 Psychedelic, Progressive, Stoner Rated:
British Progressive Rock band PEARL HANDLED REVOLVER dip deep into the well of creativity on their 5th album, "Tales You Lose". Opening with a 10-min opus, "Black Rock" slowly breathes into life with mellow drums, pensive vocals and atmospheric keys before the bass and wah-wah drop in and an off-kilter cadence ensues with proggy overtures. "Heart of Gold" starts gently with a rhodes/vocal prelude before settling into a slow rhythm groove. "Gilding the Lily" picks up the pace with some nice hammond stabs and a strident riff. "Lightning" has a mid-tempo mellow Jazz feel to it, whilst "Courageous" kicks off with wah-wah guitar before developing into another throbbing, atmospheric piece. The tempo then ramps up with a strident rhythm and some killer Hammond. More mellow Jazzy vibes from "Hammer", which has an almost Arthur Brown-like quality to it. Final track, "Junkies" is another opus to end with: A tour-de-force of all that has gone before, highlighting the groove and understanding they have for the genre and material. A well-crafted album deserving of a good ear!
We’ve been hooked on the new Finnish rock sensation Mandy Manala ever since the promo landed. Their self-titled album is so well executed it boggles the mind. Imploring all these vintage and retro vibes but turning that into a highly modern hardrock and metal affair, without ever losing that beautiful atmosphere. The album will be out on Octopus Rising / Argonauta RecordsMay 23rd, with a FULL ALBUM PREMIERE going live on Stoner HiVe on May 21st! But you can check out the video for May Queen below. Wild stuff!
PR Wire:
Mandy Manala Sign With Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records; Debut Single And Video "May Queen" Out Now
Prepare to Enter the Dark, Enigmatic World of Finland’s Rising Heavy Rock Phenomenon.
Argonauta Records and Octopus Rising are thrilled to announce the signing of Mandy Manala, a five-piece, female-fronted heavy rock powerhouse hailing from Vaasa, Finland. Combining an electrifying blend of stoner rock, gothic undertones and diverse influences, Mandy Manala is set to redefine the boundaries of modern rock with their captivating debut album, recorded at the renowned Wolfthrone Studios.
To kick off this new chapter, Mandy Manala have released their debut single and music video, "May Queen", offering a glimpse into their haunting yet irresistibly catchy sound. The video, brimming with dark imagery and powerful performances, sets the stage for the band’s unique storytelling and artistic vision. Watch the official video here: https://youtu.be/vMXNeGBxxmM.
Mandy Manala isn’t just a band; it’s an experience. Formed in 2021 by seasoned musicians from the Finnish rock scene—including members of ELD, Lords of Chernobyl, Rock Fuel, and MotörCünt—this group has quickly become a must-watch act. Drawing inspiration from iconic acts such as Fleetwood Mac, Alice Cooper, Ghost and Black Sabbath, Mandy Manala combines dark, grim atmospheres with irresistibly catchy hooks and choruses, delivered through the commanding and emotive voice of lead vocalist Christa Nedergård.
The band’s nine-track debut album, meticulously crafted since its inception, is a manifest to their dedication to artistry. Every riff, every lyric and every note reflects the passion and experience of musicians with over 20 years in the industry. Complementing the album, Mandy Manala has been hard at work on a series of cinematic music videos and striking visuals that will immerse fans in the enigmatic lore they are building around the band’s persona.
Meet the Band:
Christa Nedergård – Vocals Jonas Snickars – Drums Joel Vienonen – Guitar David Granfors – Guitar Kenneth Norrlin – Bass
Mandy Manala has emerged as a beacon of creativity and collaboration, earning its unofficial reputation as a local supergroup. With their unique sound and storytelling approach, they are set to carve out their place on the global stage.
The debut album is slated for release later this year and Mandy Manala is poised to captivate audiences worldwide. "May Queen," the first single, is just the beginning—an anthemic introduction to their dark and cinematic universe.
Morning! We’ve got some time off approaching fast. And working hard to get all that rent paying stuff done as well as some promises we made for Stoner HiVe. So, besides those updates, not that many might appear this week. Cause on Thursday we leave for Sonic Whip Festival in Nijmegen! Can’t wait! Have you seen the line-up? Wowzah! The week past was filled with work as well but we still managed to do some HiVe stuff, I mean that Quick Fire Friday alone had eight good songs or more in it! But then we also managed to mention that wild new Gaupa single and the one by Kadavar. We put up a some words about the new Mountain of Misery, Paralyzed, Conan and Magic Pie. We were honored to receive that wonderful gift from Argonauta Records and we were also honored to be part of the Breakfast with Komatsu. And we finally put up a few words about that croissant filled morning… So, here’s to the new week! May it be good and merry for you all and for those attending Sonic Whip! Hope to see you all there!
Tables littered with bottles of dubious quality whisky, tequila and rum... Empty beers everywhere and huge piles of Columbian marching powder. An incredible amount of weird objects, shattered half written bathroom tiles, broken guitars and an amp sending out a death hum as coils of smoke waft towards the ceiling. We’re here, with a bunch of journalists to have A Breakfast For Champions with the good ol’ boys from Komatsu and the producer that got roped in, to produce this new sludge metal banquet that will fill every heavy rock loving belly...
No no no... It's just your fantasy, rock ‘n roll romanticism and wistful old legendary tales taking over your imagination. What actually went down, is of an entirely different nature. Cause instead of Devil’s dandruff and beer, there were croissants, rolls, boiled eggs and all sorts of other condiments spread out over the table. Coffee abundant and to celebrate the coming release of the Komatsu lovechild, a smidge of champagne to mix into a mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice or to drink pure, like the hardcore professional rock ‘n roll journalists we obviously all are…
Across the studio they had hastily decorated picknick tables and set out the breakfast, to regale us with stories about the recording process, the album and the different songs. Journalists were spread out between the Komatsu three and producer Pieter Kloos. The producer who took it upon himself to make the introduction statement. He had secretly been involved with more projects than anticipated in the past months and Komatsu wasn’t even among the planned ones, he explained. “They came to me after a different option had fallen through. I had already recorded, nay captured, the tracks for that other party, and sent all that had been captured, to the other team. But for whatever reason they weren’t able to do anything Komatsu worthy with what we set up. An immensely frustrating period of bad communication followed. It should have been easy for them, cause I delivered everything in such a way that they could take it in any logical direction they thought it should go. After hearing their vision of what we delivered, I was flabbergasted at what was returned. And so were the boys. And when the Komatsu three asked if I could just do it, it felt only natural to say yes…”
Natural… The operative word for the entire A Breakfast For Champions project. Cause after second guitarist Matthijs Bodt decided to leave Komatsu, it only felt natural for the three remaining members to try to do this sludge rock thing as a trio. Sure they thought about a fourth member, but quickly enough they decided to go forth, conquering the globe as power trio. Always comprised out of four members, the sound quickly became this all leveling, all-encompassing sludge fuzz feast. But with only three members, every instrument, every part of the composition, got more air and oxygen to breathe, it could take up its natural place in the order of sludgy things. Drummer Jos Roosen was suddenly able to take his drum parts in a different direction. More dynamics, more room, more silence even. “I could suddenly hear myself and what the other guys were playing at certain moments.” As bass player Martijn Mansvelders added: “Some of it was a complete surprise. Hearing parts I never realized were there. We always rehearsed in a certain way and with full volume, the Komatsu sound becomes its own entity. Big, huge and eighteen ton heavy. But now, there were details…” Jos adds: "Everything became more balanced. And as the recording went on, I felt ever more confident of where my ability was going. Of my contributions to the sound, the songs and the way it seemed to push everything in the right direction. It became balanced in every sense of the word, the three of us, turning into the perfect team. And that's also so much due to the guidance of Pieter. He gave us the perfect room and sound to groove within."
When asked to think back to the days in the studio and what the first word is that comes to mind. They all yell in synch: “kut!” Fucked, annoying, horrible. But then Mo Truijens, vocalist, guitarist comes clean. “We were all in a slump, searching for our room within the new three piece Komatsu, but even so, we needed the recording process. Cause outside of that, everything was even worse, all three of us were going through such a difficult period that we started the recording process like ghosts. It pulled us, all three of us, through a difficult time. And as we forged ahead with the new tracks, slowly but surely, all of our spirits were lifted. We knew we were on to something, that we were on the right track. We hammered it out and hammered our frustrations away, it became therapeutic for us all.”
Martijn adds: "A gigantic haze. Thinking back about the recording process, I still can't believe we made it through. It was hard to get going, we even worried if this was the wrong time to start such an undertaking. But after everything, we talked with each other, looked each other in the eye and knew it was the only thing we could do. Forge ahead! And now, as we started rehearsing for the release show, we even have to really figure some parts out, because we can't remember how we did them during the recording process. It's like being a Komatsu cover band..."
On the right track or not. They did invite more help. Was Mo in such a slump that he could not write lyrics and had to get the best poet in the world, Ronny Dijksterhuis, to join in? “Haha, no it was more something I wanted to try. We only sent him a title and direction of the song. He then came up with some beautiful lines, a few of which I incorporated into the What Lies Underneath track.” Ronny Dijksterhuis. Wait, what?Ronny is here. What the fuck? Ronny is here. He’s stuffing a croissant in his mouth! But he also writes for Stoner HiVe! And he is about to have his own release party, on May 18th for his poetry collection ‘Hoe Glas Bevriest’ (How Glass Freezes) in Turnhout, Belgium. Errr…
Back to Komatsu, cause even though every fan around the globe has already been feasting their ears on the new album A Breakfast For Champions album since it was digitally released through Heavy Psych Sounds on April 11th. The official release date is May 16th, and the party will be at Effenaar, Eindhoven. And a party it will be! For even though the album is riddled with more serious undertones, there is and always will be room for humor with the Komatsu boys. Not taking it all so seriously. As most fans know, one-off merch, like those bathroom tiles, weird little give aways, videos featuring artists like Nick Oliveri, Eddie Glass, Peter van Elderen Ryan Colde, Mike Pygmie and some ten more that state Komatsu sucks... But serious as well, as Mo says: “Savage, our second single and video, is dedicated to Tom Davies from Nebula. We toured with them and he was such a wonderful man and character. We became great friends and it’s another one of those difficult things we had to deal with. Losing a loved one, continuing on. Losing yourself in a way. I guess the entire album feels a bit darker..."
Martijn adds: "It's not necessarily black, but our situation, the world situation, it all leads to a darker outlook on things. You have to let it out to be able to let new stuff in. And that inevitably leads to good stuff. How proud we all are of what we accomplished. How proud Pieter was of us. Sure he dug what we did before, but his exuberance and excitement had never been that visible before. But this time, he smiled from ear to ear, saying that this was seven leagues ahead of what we did before."
And all Pieter did, as he stated himself, was capture what the three played. He got to set up the right mic, the right way, in his nerdy kind of way and then let the three of them sludge away. Not doubling guitars, not doing extra basslines. Almost no overdubs at all. Just capturing Komatsu in their purest form. Wobbles, little mistakes and all... Turning A Breakfast For Champions into a highly personal document for themselves and the best rock album the three amigo's have made...
And tomorrow morning… So we beat on… You, those few that read the words just now, will wake up… Head on over to the Komatsu or Heavy Psych Sounds bandcamp page. And have yourself your very own A Breakfast For Champions …
And next Friday... May 16th! All those lucky ones that are able to attend the release show at Altstadt, Eindhoven, will not only be treated to the aural A Breakfast For Champions; they will also be able to taste it! And not just because the sludge will be dripping down from the ceiling... But because Brewery 'Het Verhaal van De Vos' (The Story of The Fox) has decided to honor the band with a very own beer called A Breakfast For Champions.
A whisky infused, ten and half percent, black like tar, but incredibly tasty beer!
And then you come home to find a package that looks like a brick of Columbian marching powder in front of your house...
And you wonder how this made it through customs...
But then you turn it over and open it...
Wowzah! What an incredibly wonderful gift from the one and only Gero from Argonauta Records... Thank you so much amigo! For this wonderful gift and all the great music you release! Will be spinning all of them in a row immediately!
Whenever we do a Quick Fire Friday, we just want to continue doing them. Shoot from the hip! Write a sentence or two and let you lovely freaks out there, take it from there… So, because it’s Friday once again, we are here once again. No six shooter! But an eight speedy rock salvo! And we know, we should do more… For there is so much great music out there, and we cannot ever do it all justice. So we came up with a way to shoot out a quick blurb and hope it will entice you to listen to the single or the entire discography! So here it is… Another Stoner HiVe’s Quick Fire Friday! And it burns hot like molten lava!
Lammping – Never Never
To start this Quick Fire Friday off we have something different for ya. Off center! Weird in a not very heavy kind of way. Which means: Lammping! We said it before, we will continue to say it, the Lammping boys have this Beta Band thing going on that’s just lovely. Never Never, with its hiphop streak, its head wobble and that bop and bounce psych will surely make you smile. And long for those warm crate digging days…
To follow that weird start, we go with something heavy, but not needing any smidge of help of a little blog like Stoner HiVe cause they are a freaking big name! But hey, I got a soft spot for Garbage! And I hope you do too! Check out the new Get Out My Face AKA Bad Kitty, damn good stuff!
And now for your regular broadcasting Stoner HiVe service! PEMOD! Gritty stoner doom straight out of Myslenice, Poland. And Meduza does not just sport that gritty and smokey stoner doom, it also sport cello and a whole lot of ominous undertones. Recorded live in Prague, the video shows them giving themselves wholly to that serpentine under current…
Goat Riders came out in 2023! A wild and truly amazing album. And soon, the Italian three named King Potenaz will be releasing a new four track called Arcane Desert Rituals Vol.1 through Majestic Mountain Records. Lead single, Rivers Of Death is a doom march rife with the occult and slithering with creepiness. As warm as a freshly dug grave, the fuzz is ever present and so is the feeling of death, lurking around the corner…
Did you hear? The Midnight toker is back! And with a devious grin! A Satan’s Grin! That’s right Midnight Whiskey Massacre released another three track EP, back in March! Filled with that dirty motoring doom sound, that that man behind this project has quickly become known for. Proto touched, punk spirited and with a whole lot of filthy fuzz! Grab a bottle and get drunk with this Midnight madman!
Out on Pillars of Creation since April 20th, ofcourse… It’s Vape Warlök and their And His Skull Shall Make My Bong release. A full five track album, demonic and infernal, vocals that make you shiver and doom sludge to make you shake. Inhaling all those bong fumes and exhaling nothing but nastiness and atmospheric ditties as extremely low hanging clouds of green florescent evil becomes the pervasive tone… All through…
Demons My Friends are back! And signed to Ripple Music! And out today is their new single and video The Isolate. When a full album will appear is unclear at this point, but the grungy and doom touched, yet hauntingly melodic The Isolate makes you hope it will arrive soon! And if you need more Demons My Friends after hearing The Isolate you can always grab back to their Demons Seem To Gather album… And hey, if you go HERE, there might still be a code or two alive!
More light hearted now… Pizzazz is the second single of Scott Evil’s debut album Big Dipper which will be out on 5th June 2025 via Spinda Records and Backpack Records. Garage indie, pop punk, danceable, a bit of emo, glittering and wholesome. The kind of music that makes you want to go out and smile at the world passing by, knowing its still there. The good people, the good vibes and the sun. And yes, I wouldn’t mind a pizza right about now… O’ and go check out Circles on their bandcamp site…
Magic Pie – Maestro Karisma Records – 2025 Rock, Prog, Symphonic, Metal, Folk, Jazz Rated: ****
We’re lucky, we’re the ones that know about the Heavy Underground. We’re lucky! We’ve got the best music. The best bands. And shit, the best labels! There are many, and they all do their best in bringing great music to our ear. Take Norwegian label Karisma Records for instance, doing own thing, specializing in bringing rock, folk rock and especially progressive rock mostly from Norway to all of your speakers. Tusmørke, Oak, Wizrd, Agusa, Airbag and many more great bands. And then there is the old guard: Magic Pie! Symphonic progressive rock, formed in 2001, by guitarist Kim Stenberg, and about to release their sixth studio album Maestro. Six years in the making, the first with new drummer Martin Utby, this almost fifty minute long magnum opus, starts with Opus Imperfectus Pt.1 The Missing Chord and ends it with Opus Imperfectus Pt.2 Maestro. Two songs that seem to straddle the five tracks in between, almost turning those into a simple dalliance for the Maestro in question. A slower, smoke vibing, atmospheric song called By The Smokers Pole. A raucous, energized hard rocking, blues based, sporting absolute wild guitar work, Name It To Tame It follows. Kiddo, atmospheric and subtle, but producing a serious message for the younger generation. Someone Else’s Wannabe is therefor the natural follow-up to that message but brings the power back into prog. Lucious key work and incredibly catchy, that delivers an exchange between keys and strings later on in the song that’s to beautiful not to have on repeat. Everyday Hero has another one of those duels, starts out almost Tool like, brings you the modern prog in pristine version and turns into this very hooky track. And then we come to the ending track that turned the start into a grandiose finish. And where it opened much more varied, metallic and modern prog and symphonic. This time the track goes into a more seventies styled prog area, storytelling, symphonic and evocative, which does go into more Dream Theater territory as well once the guitar is allowed to explode. Magic Pie remain true to their craft, their sound and their ability to produce beautiful symphonic prog in all shapes and sizes. True Maestro’s!
More Kadavar! Or better yet, new Kadavar! It's called Scar On My Guitar and is the next and final single and video for their new album I Just Want To Be A Sound which will drop on Clouds Hill, the Friday next week, May 16th! A more classic styled rocker, but still sporting that wider sound, where the bombastic touch turns into the perfect pivot point around which they dance. And the world with them...
XX
PR Wire:
KADAVAR RELEASE NEW SINGLE "SCAR ON MY GUITAR"
TAKEN FROM UPCOMING ALBUM "I JUST WANT TO BE A SOUND" OUT MAY 16 VIA CLOUDS HILL
After making a thunderous return to the U.S. with a standout set at Austin Psych Fest a couple of weeks ago, the rock band Kadavar, have announced their powerful new single, "Scar On My Guitar," out today. The song offers a searing preview of the band’s upcoming album, "I Just Want To Be A Sound"—due out May 16—and serves as a bold declaration of the band's new sonic identity.
“Scar on My Guitar” channels raw emotion and gritty energy into a track that feels both intensely personal and universally resonant. It’s a love letter to reinvention, shedding the past in favor of something unfiltered and fully alive.
"The song is about my guitar and all the scars it carries from touring,” says frontman Lupus Lindemann. “Out of frustration, I once threw it into the drum kit on stage many years ago, and its neck broke. I had it glued back on, and our journey continued. On tour, there's no time — it's always moving forward. On stage, you give it everything: sweat, blood, and tears. And before you even realize what's happening right in front of your eyes, you're already back on the bus, heading to the next city. Ready for the next adventure." The song is the final single release before the album drops—a last glimpse into the band’s bold new direction before the full vision is unveiled. The previously released singles “I Just Want To Be A Sound”, "Hysteria", and “Regeneration” are available for streaming.
Late last month, Kadavar delivered a landmark performance at Austin Psych Fest, marking their first U.S. appearance in several years. The set was electric, with brand-new songs being performed live for the first time. Publications like CultureMap Austin mentioned the band’s set as one of the ’10 Acts That Broke The Mold” at the festival with many calling it one of the best sets to see that weekend.
"I Just Want To Be A Sound" is a manifesto for freedom, transformation, and radical presence—an album that repeatedly reinvents itself. Rock anthems, ballads, pop songs, and epic soundscapes alternate seamlessly and virtuously, creating a record that feels both free and full of momentum.
The tracks have already gained significant traction, landing on top playlists across Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and TIDAL. It’s been featured on Metal Injection’s Top Tracks of the Week, Fresh Noise, New in Rock, Hot New Rock, and more.
"I Just Want To Be A Sound” is more than a song to us—it’s the essence of Kadavar: a relentless yearning for freedom and the unshakable urge to live through music. We poured everything into it—our lives, our spirit, our truth," the band shares in a joint statement.
Now a four-piece led by founders Lupus Lindemann and Tiger Bartelt, joined by guitarist Jascha Kreft and bassist Simon 'Dragon' Bouteloup, Kadavar's declaration "I Just Want To Be A Sound" was inspired by a conversation in 2013. When Lindemann and Bartelt asked Bouteloup why he didn’t have any social media accounts, he simply replied: “I just want to be a sound.” The phrase stuck—and over the band’s 15-year journey, it has become a guiding principle: to be completely absorbed in their music, free from distraction or compromise.
From their early days as credible purveyors of retro-psychedelic stoner rock—embodying the contemporary coolness of Berlin’s hedonistic scene—to becoming globe-trotting sonic adventurers, Kadavar’s evolution has been driven by relentless creativity. With extensive touring and genre-defying performances, their music has become increasingly contemporary, shaped by the experience of the road and their ever-expanding creative vision.
At Stoner HiVe we try to go out of our way to mention those smaller bands, the ones starting out and the ones that are still doing all that ground work. And even though we do write about the big names often enough, we do realize we should write about them some more. Cause whenever the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of that year rolls around and all of your votes start to roll in, those are the ones that are always on the list. Take Conan. Number 19 on the Countdown of 2022 and Number 12 back in 2018. The three other albums probably should have made it as well and I’m suspecting the new Violence Dimension will make it this year. So, why not write a few words about it right now? Cause well, there’s enough violence in our dimension, right now. And that is the idea behind the new Conan album. The three from Liverpool, UK are traveling through the various landscapes filled with aggression, brutality and carnage. Delivering their own takes on all the different themes with furious riffs and bass work that burns it all down to a cinder. Demolishing drums pound away at the ashes as the piercing cries from vocalist, guitarist and founder Jon Davis enflames it all even more. The three are still founder Jon Davis, drummer Johnny King, present since 2017 and on bass since 2023 David Ryley formerly of Ungraven and Fudge Tunnel. And Ryley’s first release makes him sound even more colossal then on his other work and makes the Conan sound have this desperate edge. Turning the violence and aggression into something forlorn and twisted. And there’s a lot of the Conan sound present, doom, sludge, all metal and all the time. Although there is that forty five second long thrashy and punk battering ram called Warpsword. It not only batters down the door, but it also destroys all the furniture inside. And your own insides will get destroyed by that eight track Vortexxion. After having been beaten into submission by the wonderful ten minute long doom trod Ocean Of Boiling Skin, Vortexxion closes the album off with Conan drone. A barbaric take on drone, taking the feedback loop into a noisy reality filled with bleeding ears and melting innards. It’s a violent ending to a wonderful album…
Paralyzed – Rumble & Roar Ripple Music – 2025 Rock, Seventies, Blues, Psych Rated: ****
Their Heavy Road album ended up on Number 12 of the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2022 and we jotted down a few words about that third Paralyzed album right on the date it came out. We’re a few days late now for their new album Rumble & Roar, but at least we are here. And that’s where we want to be, rocking out with the four Germans and hearing them deliver another selection of heavy rocking, seventies inspired, blues based, psych rockers. This time around perhaps not the diesel blues variant, but more the desert inspired blues, surging through every composition that still vibrates at the perfect vintage pitch. And yes, sometimes or even often, we might assume vocalist Michael Binder to be the bastard son of Jim Morrison. But the music has drifted more away from The Doors and into heavier territory. And that is never a bad thing! Signed to the majestic Ripple Music label for this album the four turn their heavy blues into true hard rocking power. A lot of groove and boogie that keeps the energy flowing the right way, up until the middle track The Myth Of Love, serving as the perfect resting point to breathe, admire the guitar work and the scenery created by the Paralyzed four. Rumble & Roar is another thunder rocker and at those moments when the organ is allowed to flourish, punctuate and penetrate, it all becomes irresistible!
Mountain Of Misery – Shades Of The Ashes Electric Witch Mountain Recordings – 2025 Metal, Doom, Psych, Grunge Rated: ****
It had its merits, but I wasn’t immediately sold on that debut release In Roundness by Mountain Of Misery back in 2023. Fear and trepidation might also have been a factor. What would this mean for the amazing Spaceslug? But as we all know, Spaceslug released their damn fine Out Of Water album a year ago and are going relentlessly forward. And so is this other project by Spaceslug drummer and vocalist Kamil Ziółkowski. Mountain Of Misery ’s fourth release is here, and the steady upwards march is real. An eight track grunge toned, psychedelic doom adventure that breathes atmosphere. Inhaling shoegazing moments and exhaling thunderous riffs, drawing endless vistas with charcoal and slowly tattooing its qualities into your heart…
Gaupa is on the verge of releasing six track mini album entitled Fyr. And Ten Of Twelve is the lead single. Promising to deliver all that you love about Gaupa and a whole lot more. Ten Of Twelve is labyrinthian, a wonderous maze to get lost in, to whirl and spin until your head is about to explode...
PR Wire:
GAUPA reveal new single 'Ten of Twelve' & details of forthcoming mini album "Fyr"
Swedish heavy stoner rockers GAUPA drop 'Ten of Twelve' as the first advance single from their forthcoming new mini album "Fyr", meaning either "four", "beacon" or "lighthouse". The release is scheduled for July 4, 2025. Available for pre-order HERE.
"The rooster is the tenth animal in the Chinese zodiac and that's also the meaning of the title", vocalist Emma Näslund reveals. "It's usually connected with perseverance, being on time and alert. The rooster often suggests prosperity and luck in different cultures. I read that somewhere back in the day people thought it was lucky to bring a rooster into the kitchen. I thought that it was a bit fun to play with the idea of a chaotic and unlucky rooster. Someone who just messes things up."
Erik Jerka Sävström adds: "Initially, I wanted a medieval sounding riff, being inspired by our compatriots Hällas", the bass player writes. "When the riff emerged, I truly tried to give it that dreamy Hällas sound, but then I started to play with the changing pattern and it turned out even more complex than originally intended."
Tracklist 1. Lion's Thorn 2. Heavy Lord 3. Ten of Twelve 4. Elastic Sleep 5. Sömnen / Febersvan (Live at Monkey Moon Studios, 2023)
GAUPA return with new mini album "Fyr" and a slimmed down line-up to serve up some of their heaviest material to date. A multi-layered play on words, in the Swedish language "Fyr" can mean 'four', which coincides with this being GAUPA's fourth release. Yet it can also mean 'lighthouse', 'beacon', and 'fire', which for various reasons fit the music and lyrical content as well.
GAUPA have utilized the departure of guitarist Daniel Nygren, who left the band in 2024, to manifest a "big turning point", according to remaining and now sole guitarist David Rosberg. With various changes to their writing process, they also worked in new studios, with a new recording crew, and new visual artists.
New engineer Karl Daniel Lidén has given the tracks on "Fyr" a grittier, more aggressive sound. At the same time, the core elements of the Swedes' musical approach are present: spellbinding intricacy, tripped-out, spacious verses guiding a steady stream of psychedelia, and waves of hard stoner riffs.
Inspired largely by Ursula K. Le Guin's award-winning science fiction novel "The Word for World Is Forest", vocalist Emma Näslund's lyrics contemplate the concept of time as well as the essential question as to what is real, which seeps throughout the songs.
Since the release of their self-titled EP in 2018, GAUPA – which translates as 'lynx' in English – have paved new ground in the stoner and psychedelic scene, building a unique cosmos defined by enchanting lyrical surrealism and mind-altering sounds. In 2020, their debut album "Feberdröm" pushed them into the international spotlight with its outstanding blend of progressive metal, doom, stoner, and folk, steered by the entrancing vocals of Emma Näslund.
Following the arrival of 2022's full-length "Myriad", with the track 'Exoskeleton' reaching over a million streams on Spotify (the EP's 'Febersvan' now has over 4 million), GAUPA went on to deliver unforgettable performances at prestigious festivals including Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Sweden Rock, Mystic, and Desertfest among many others, as well as on tours with underground heavyweights such as UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS, BLOOD CEREMONY, and GRAVEYARD.
Although GAUPA describe "Fyr" as a "patchwork of parts", with each member having an equal part to play, this mini album comes as a solid record that sets a high bar for their future works. For the present, lean back, listen closely, and enjoy this captivating waypoint on the GAUPA journey!
(Based on a text originally written by Liz Scarlett)
The physical release of "Fyr" comes with a bonus track that is not included in the digital version.
Band: Gaupa Album title: Fyr Style: Heavy Stoner Rock Release date: July 4, 2025 Label: Magnetic Eye Records Review impact date: June 2, 2025
Line-up Emma Näslund – vocals Jimmy Hurtig – drums Erik Jerka Sävström – bass David Zol Rosberg – guitars
Guest musician Adrian Dal Cero – bagpipe on 'Lion's Thorn'
Drum recording by György Barocsai at Svenska Grammofonstudion, Göteborg (SE) Bass recording by György Barocsai at Svenska Grammofonstudion, Göteborg (SE) Vocals, guitars & bagpipes recorded by David Zol Rosberg, Emma Näslund & Erik Ståhlberg at Estethuset studios & Emma's shed, Falun (SE) Mixed by Karl Daniel Lidén Mastering by Karl Daniel Lidén
Cover artwork by Kutlayus Layout by David Åhrström
Live 16 MAY 2025 Falun (SE) Tio14, KlubbSlammer 05 JUL 2025 London (UK) Stoomfest 25 JUL 2025 Gangnef (SE) Krökbacken Festival 01 AUG 2025 Beelen (DE) Krach am Bach 17 AUG 2025 Carhaix-Plouguer (FR) Motocultor
