The Dead-End Alley Band - Storms (2017)

So this album has been out for a few months now but with a North American CD release just days away and vinyl coming out of Europe next month this feels like a gift that keeps on giving! Storms is the third studio album from Peruvian mystics The Dead-End Alley Band and it summons doomy psychedelic rock straight to your speakers in order to swamp your ears with heavy hazy tunes and fill your head with sticky smoke. The first track "Red Woman" stands as the gatekeeper swirling with doom and darkness and leaves you with the sensation that a phantom is watching you as it weaves its way through an unnatural fog. But as you move deeper into the album each track gets warmer and more wild as the eerie tone starts to dissipate and the band divulges into fuzzy jams. I can't decide what I love more - the haunting organ that will both chill your soul and evoke the acid-inspired spirit of the late 60s or the buzzing guitar which is equally vintage with constant uncontrollable licks and leads bursting all over the place. Doesn't matter in the end though - everything comes together to make a single miasma brimming with murky rock 'n' roll. Breathe it in deep, recommended for sure! -Brandon
 

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Oakbreaker - S/T (2017)

Groovy southern-style sludge coming out of Germany - Oakbreaker is throwing down some heavy shit whether you're on board or not! On the cover of their self-titled debut is a man wielding an axe in the dark near a cracked and broken tree. This captures the essential elements of what you're going to hear - powerful rhythmic chopping that will leave you wading through a flurry of splintered debris. But down underneath the sludge-heavy axe swings are some down-home bluesy foundations that keep twisting their way through the tunes. Scatter in some hardcore touches to give it a mean edge and just drop of doom that bubbles up in spots and you've got one nasty batch of songs ready to take you down. Even though the band is a whole continent away, Oakbreaker has a certain NOLA charm and would fit right in with the scene. It all rolls up into a good package and listening to it makes my neck sore imagining how hard you could bang your head - this one's worth a listen! -Brandon

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Angus Black - S/T (2017)

Fuzzed up and stalking the streets of Finland is Angus Black - a trio of devilish rogues playing stoner doom with psychedelic and occult touches. Earlier this year they introduced themselves to the world with their first release, a live EP titled "Live from the cellar". Now they've committed their tunes to a full-length self-titled studio album and it's ready to cast a shadow on your mind and fill your head with gloom. Angus Black have a definite Uncle Acid feel - the vocals, guitar tone, and general occult vibe all contribute to that - but instead of delving into 70s rock influences the band has doubled down on the stoner doom sound. It's got a long streak of melancholy running through it but the songs are still played with a kind of upbeat swagger so it creates a heavy, downtrodden rock 'n' roll that still feels driven. But for me, the track that stands out the most here is one of the slowest and most dejected: "I'm Yours". It's a 12 minute tale of lament and submission that manages to express this detached passion like a lost soul was flayed and laid bare before your eyes. Angus Black has the good stuff so make sure you're listening! -Brandon

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Dumblegore - Misanthropic Ritual (2017)

There is a dungeon somewhere in the city of Vitória da Conquista, Brazil where the duo known as Dumblegore lurks. From within their murky lair they conjure sounds both dark and dense and they've recently compiled their wicked tunes into an album titled "Misanthropic Ritual". This is thick, musky doom featuring vague hints of gothic rock and fronted by vocals with a black metal rasp - when it all comes together it creates an atmosphere like a disfigured Transylvanian horror. There are plenty of heavy riffs stomping through the decrepit stone corridors of Dumblegore's domain but the synth is just as much of a powerhouse here, taking on a ton of different roles. Whether it's bellowing like a massive blasting organ, providing gentle, eerie touches, or carrying a haunting melody meant to make your hair stand on end the synth manages to stand out as soon as it creeps into the picture. Even with all the terrifying tones and ghastly atmosphere, Misanthropic Ritual is still catchy at points with songs like "There's Nothing Left To Feel" and "Mr. Correct (Hate Everyone)". Mix in a couple of covers from GG Allin and Weedeater just for fun and this becomes a trip to the crypt you don't want to miss! -Brandon

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Wiccans - Bad Habit (2017)

Holy FUCK do I love this. With a pentagram etched into the dirt Wiccans rise out of the city of Detroit with their new album "Bad Habit" - 8 tracks of earthy, occult stoner doom that will ensnare your soul and put you under a powerful spell. The guys and gals in Wiccans have definitely captured some kind of magic and whether it's a "bad habit" or not, it's all I want to hear right now. At its base Bat Habit has got some highly addictive stoner doom riffs that get stuck in your head almost immediately and a matching rhythm that practically forces you to move to its dreary dirge. But then it's loaded up with all kinds of extra instrumentation like chimes, hand drums, and tons of flute to give the album a natural feel. The band is fronted by dual female vocalists who sing simultaneously with tales magic, witches, demons, and ancient ceremonies in a way that evokes a sense of ritual. The first track "Street Weed" starts with a didgeridoo before the dual lead vocals start to chant "O god with the horns come back!" to the beat of a drum and tambourine. Then it all falls into this trippy stoner doom riff that feels wicked and warm all at once with more chanted lyrics that run across the song before closing on wild effects and a flute solo. I'm already in love and that was just the opening! The riffs and pagan vocals just continue from there drawing you deeper all the time. There's a ton of occult stoner sounds filling these tracks, but you'll get glimpses into other worlds as well with some eastern-inspired hippie twang on "Magic Red Drops" and AC/DC-esque rock on "Lone Witch". As a bonus, you'll also be treated to a few "Little Gnome Facts" that have been scattered throughout the album, where a weird computer will teach you all the things you didn't know that you wanted to learn about gnomes! Not only is the music amazing, but this shit is educational too! Bad Habit is flat out awesome. It gives me a similar vibe to Blood Ceremony's self-titled release, with the riffs, female vocals, flute, the occult themes, and the way the music just grips me and won't let go. I can't recommend this one enough, so do yourself a favor and listen to it already! -Brandon

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Void Tripper - Volume I EP (2017)

Over the last few years it seems like some of my favorite new underground metal acts have come from South America - Mephistofeles (Argentina), The Evil (Brazil), Nightpröwler (Ecuador), and others come to mind. Now comes Void Tripper out of Brazil, a stoner/doom mud bomb bursting with their first demo/EP "Volume I". There's no question that this is Sabbath worship in the first degree but goddamn if they aren't nailing it! There's plenty of meat on the bone here with a nice chunky sound and some big ass bass rumbling with an infectious groove that'll get heads bobbing and bodies swaying. It has some psychedelic leanings as the guitar goes wild with wah and the tracks inspire images of a slow spiral through the cosmos. But scattered throughout are touches of sludge (especially in the vocal style) that creep in to beef up the tunes, introducing a little rage and spicy flavor into the traditional Sabbath-inspired mix. Yeah, there's a lot of bands riding the Black Sabbath train lately, but these guys really pull it off - here's hoping for more! -Brandon
 

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Arbor Ira - Weltenfresser (2017)

 

According to the Metal Archives "Arbor Ira" is Latin for "Wrath of Trees" and their songs are about nature striking back! ... But a lot of the lyrics are in German, so I can neither confirm nor deny that. What I can say is that the band's latest album "Weltenfresser" (or "world eaters" in English) is a phenomenal force of Peaceville-inspired gothic death/doom, no matter what language you speak! This album definitely has a My Dying Bride thing going on with songs that groan in a sorrowful tone then burst out loud and low all while being backed by a small, dedicated string section to give things a dramatic flair. The first track "Des Poeten Klage" will ease you into the sound by mixing doom with a driven thunder before the second track "Enslaved/Funeral Belt" explodes and exposes their full on death roots. Every track sounds like it's in mourning, but each goes in a different direction combining churning melancholy, gentle reflective passages, booming force, and miserable howling wrath in different amounts. As a whole it becomes a singular entity of heavy metal that swirls with agony and heartbreak - don't overlook this one! -Brandon

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