“For nearly two decades, Desert Storm has stood at the cornerstone of England’s fuzz-drenched underground. One can imagine my surprise, then, to find that I claim the first review of their catalog here. The group’s maturation has been a process of trial and error, evolving from smoky, blues-soaked stoner and southern rock roots into a heftier, sludgy, doom-infused form. Despite the unevenness of the Oxford outfit’s earlier efforts—Forked Tongues and Horizontal Life—Desert Storm’s more recent output (specifically Sentinels and Omens) found that sweet spot where sludge, doom, and stoner rock collide.” Sand, storms, sludge.
Boss Keloid
Beastwars – The Ship // The Sea Review
“Kiwi stalwarts specializing in thick, atmospheric sludge-doom goodness, Beastwars boast a strong track record, remaining a dependable force within their field. Sharing loose stylistic similarities with acts such as early Leviathan-era Mastodon, High on Fire, Crowbar, and Boss Keloid, Beastwars continue blazing their own battered trail. Displaying resilience and determination to navigate various personal and career challenges, Beastwars march onwards with sixth album, The Ship // The Sea.” Beastwar is beasthell.
Gigafauna – Eye to Windward Review
“Established in 2015, Swedish progressive sludge quartet Gigafauna toiled in obscurity, releasing a couple of albums and marching bravely forward into a heavily contested field. This is the first time they’ve graced our little corner of the blogosphere, reaching out to us via our contact form, pushing their third record Eye to Windward. Equipped with a gorgeous cover by the largely unsung Moonroot Art, what otherworldly creatures lie before me in Gigafauna’s Eye to Windward?” Frequent wind.
Moose Cult – Book of the Machines Review
“UK progressive heavy/doom metal troupe Moose Cult should sound familiar to fans of the blog. Featuring members of Bull Elephant, Conglaciation, Monsterworks, The Anchoret, and Thūn, Moose Cult constitute a new installment in the Eat Lead and Die canon of artists that we’ve covered over the last decade. This project focuses on generalized environmental issues and human folly, justifying somewhat the band’s self-assigned moniker of “Envirometal.”” Bulls, and Monsters and Moose, oh my!
Bull Elephant – The Long War Review
“Bull Elephant are a wild bunch, and their particular approach to metal reflects that wildness in full measure. A bonkers combination of death metal, doom metal, stoner metal, prog, heavy metal, and the occasional dalliance with thrash, Bull Elephant’s sound offers much in the way of variation and permutation.” Now with extra Nazis!
Stuck in the Filter – May’s Angry Misses
May Day is upon us, in July! Join us as we demonstrate what focused spring/early summer Filter cleaning can accomplish when you have motivated technicians.
O.R.k. – Screamnasium Review
“These guys create exciting and vital music that cannot be compared to that of Porcupine Tree. There’s a spontaneity here that is rivaled only by Boss Keloid – in fact, that’s a great comparison. O.R.k. may not be as heavy, but the quirkiness and unique delivery is there in spades, and Screamnasium is no exception.” Fewer quills, more thrills.
Saunders’, Huck N’ Roll’s and Cherd’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
Saunders, Huck and Cherd deliver their weighty Top Ten(ish) lists and try to get along in the process.
Record(s) o’ the Month – June 2021
It’s time for the Record(s) o’ the Month. I shall gird my loins with acerbic comments about your parentage and take to the comment section!
Have at ye!
Boss Keloid – Family the Smiling Thrush Review
“There is no sneaking up on us from the bushes this time around; not after the critical success of Melted on the Inch. No, Wigan’s greatest export, Boss Keloid, are going to have to win us over by producing a pretty mean album with all eyes upon them. Their unique brand of hipster prog-stoner-doom was a clinic in quirky obfuscation several years ago, taking many of us by storm. Heck, Melted… was my Number Five album in 2018. Typically the novelty can wear thin between releases, but it seems as though the anticipation for Family the Smiling Thrush has been steadily growing. Can the lads deliver?” Thrush the Magic Dragon, why do you cry?




















