The first sounds from the new HIGH ON FIRE album ‘Electric Messiah’ (2018) are rumbling right now over at NPR. Check out their Lemmy-inspired title track here.

In a recent press release, frontman Matt Pike related this interesting anecdote:

I had a dream about Lemmy. When Lemmy was still alive, I always got compared to Lemmy, so I had this dream where he got pissed at me. He gave me a bunch of shit, basically, and was hazing me. Not that he didn’t approve of me, but, like, I was being hazed. The song is me telling the world that I could never fill Lemmy’s shoes because Lemmy’s Lemmy. I wanted to pay homage to him in a great way. And it turned out to be such a good title that the guys said we should call the album 'Electric Messiah.’

We’re definitely looking forward to it! Converge’s Kurt Ballou produced the new LP, which consists of nine tracks that continue to explore the mythological realms of Pike’s imagination. Electric Messiah releases October 7th via eOne Music and you can pre-order the digital album here.

Um…Well, this is definitely one way to get everyone to pretty much go ape shit.

Remember that big SLEEP album we we’ve been talking about forever? And some doubting Thomases among us were thinking it was going the way of Tool? You know, forever in limbo? Well, this news just dropped and it ain’t April 1st, so I’m pretty sure it’s on the level. And I just pinched myself, so I know I’m not dreaming.

On Friday, April 20th, Sleep will release their first new album since Dopesmoker cratered the landscape almost two solid decades ago. The album is titled ‘The Sciences’ (2018) and it will be released on Third Man Records. In full. Yep.

Tracklist:

1. The Sciences
2. Marijuanaut’s Theme
3. Sonic Titan
4. Antarcticans Thawed
5. Giza Butler
6. The Botanist

Didn’t see any physical release info on their record label’s site yet, but I imagine we’ll learn more on 4/20.

iTunes, on the other hand, already has The Sciences locked, loaded, and ready to go here. I haven’t done this many 30-second song previews since I was a freshman in college!

Now is the time to freak the fuck out.

UPDATE I:

The Sciences is now streaming Spotify and available for download on Google Play, as well. Fingers crossed for a Bandcamp download in the weeks ahead!

UPDATE II:

Andy Beresky from the stoner-doom band Black Pyramid made an insightful observation about the viral marketing tactic employed in dropping The Sciences on 4/20 via Jack White’s label, Third Man Records.

The new Sleep album is the most important and will perhaps be the most influential record of the digital era. Mark my words, this surprise strategy with no traditional promotion or marketing, deliberate misinformation and chaos, and deliberately pressing such a scarce amount of physical copies so that it immediately sells out and drives up digital sales, is going to be a mile marker in how we think about marketing and promotion.

This changes everything. It is as innovative as when KISS and the Grateful Dead innovated merchandising in the 60’s and 70’s, and it will be just as influential. Not every big release will follow this blueprint, and Jack White is making soooooooo much money off digital sales right now that people are going to totally rethink how they monetize digital sales.

The music itself? It’s okay, it’s actually not terrible, sounds like Sleep, but that’s completely besides the point. It’s all about the viral hype that this blitzkrieg digital marketing strategy has created. Freakin’ brilliant. Well played, Jack White, well played….

Indeed, the Jack White connection explains so much, in retrospect – why a general press release didn’t go out via the usual PR people to music bloggers, or even to the fans directly via Sleep’s Facebook page. Instead, only the biggest online music news outlets were informed. As far as I know, that may have even happened virally, too, with a choice Jack White webzine like Pitchfork being notified and the other mags stumbling over each other to be the second and third to get the word out.

Insofar as the digital distribution is concerned, I now get why Bandcamp was left out of the equation and iTunes and Google Play were utilized, instead – all revenue streams that can be controlled by Third Man Records, for a smooth rollout and no loose ends. Just a theory, anyway.

UPDATE III:

By now you know that the first vestiges of vinyl for The Sciences came and went rather quickly, selling out within hours from the Third Man Records store. If you missed out or were discouraged by the prices (and shocked by the poachers trying to resell them for twice as much on eBay), keep in mind that these were an early, special-edition run. Word is, there will be more physical releases of the new Sleep record – enough to make all of us vinyl collectors happy (and more than likely at much more affordable prices.

For The Love of Fantasy

The doom-stoner scene has long had a love affair with album art, much of which could be traced back to the thematic link between song lyrics and the fantasy and science fiction literature (indeed, Book of Wyrms directly alluded to these roots in January with the title of their debut, simply titled ‘Sci-Fi/Fantasy’). The animated features like Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards (1977) and the Rankin/Bass television production The Hobbit from the same year, proved extraordinarily influential to artists of all stripes, whether their instrument of expression was the brush or guitar. And, of course, there was Heavy Metal (1981). Iron Maiden both fascinated and repulsed with their recurring figure of Eddie and Megadeth captivated imaginations with apocalyptic landscapes strewn with the horrific wreckage of what was once mankind.

I think we can agree that a milestone was reached for the doom-stoner genre, however, with the release of Sleep’s Dopesmoker in 1999. Arik Roper depicted neither gore nor violence, yet the landscape felt decidedly post-apocalyptic. More than that, it told a story – one that was certainly complimented by the lyrics of the San Jose band’s seminal work (even inspiring fan fiction in the form of the short-lived Creedsmen Arise, half of would later form Vokonis). Dopesmoker was a turning point for album art, indeed, after which point commissions for album covers and even concert posters multiplied exponentially. We’re talking some high quality strokes to match the intensity of the riffs we were hearing and the quality bud that was perhaps being smoked to max out the experience. This was art you could really get lost in, hearkening back to the dime store novels and Golden Age comic books that have been a part of Western reading for over a century.

In the decade of the 2010′s, one David Paul Seymour would dominate as the most recognized and celebrated artists for bands and fans alike. He was certainly not alone. We must also give props to the art of Skinner (a Mastodon go-to), Rob Leecock (Monster Magnet), John Dyer Baizley (Baroness), David D'Andrea from Samaritan Press (Sleep), Kiryk Drewinski (Liquid Visions), Paolo Girardi (Lycus) Nick Keller (Beastwars), John Santos (Torche), Adrian Baxter (Alunah), Mark McCormick (Witch Mountain), Zé Burnay (Space God Ritual), Pig Hands (Dopelord), Dominic Sohor (High Fighter), Colin Bolger of Dabulga Design, Antoine Defarges of Headbang Design, Goatess Doomwych, and many more. Of special note is Adrien Dexter (featured in the spread above), who has been the Elder album cover artist of choice record after record. Adrien went for a particularly striking color this year that was quite effective in breaking out of the drab palette we’ve become accustomed to (and complemented the music surprisingly well).

Doomed & Stoned

Artist of the Year

Most recently, another artist has taken the art of the album cover to another level altogether – the Portland-based artist Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration. Using oils to pain vast canvases of fantasy, Adam made a huge impression on bands last couple year with his album covers for Ancient Warlocks, Bright Curse, Great Electric Question, Pastor, and R.I.P. His powers of light and dark landscapes hold true to the fantasy genre that precedes him and takes the medium to bold new places. Not surprisingly, his project plate was full in 2017. Adam Burke gets our most approving nod for Artist of the Year! Here are some of his album covers – all of these in 2017, mind you:

ARTIFICIAL BRAIN

‘Infrared Horizon’ (April 2017)

ATTALLA

‘Glacial Rule’ (March 2017)

BASK

‘Ramble Beyond’ (2017)

CLOUD CATCHER

‘Trails of Kosmic Dust’ (March 2017)

DESTROYER OF LIGHT

‘Chamber of Horrors’ (July 2017)

ENTOMBMENT

‘Entombment’ (June 2017)

FIREBREATHER

‘Firebreather’ (February 2017)

GATECREEPER

‘Sonoran Depravation’ (October 2017)

HÄLLAS

‘Excerpts From A Future Past’ (October 2017)

HORRIFIED

‘Allured of the Fallen’ (September 2017)

KOOK

’Kook’ (April 2017)

LOSS

‘Horizonless’ (May 2017)

MOTHERSHIP

‘High Strangeness’ (March 2017)

NECROMANDUS

‘Necromandus’ (July 2017)

PAGAN ALTAR

‘The Room of Shadows’ (August 2017)

RUBY THE HATCHET

‘Planetary Space Child’ (August 2017)

SOLSTAFIR

‘Berdreyminn’ (May 2017)

SPACE WITCH

‘Arcanum’ (June 2017)

SPECTRAL HAZE

‘Turning Electric’ (November 2017)

SUMOKEM

‘The Guardian of Yosemite’ (October 2017)

TCHORNOBOG

‘Tchornobog’ (July 2017)

As is always the case with an Adam Burke cover, there is more than meets the eye…

WAR CLOUD

’War Cloud’ (September 2017)

Adam Burke will be involved in the upcoming animated epic, ‘The Planet of Doom.’ The film is presently in the works, a production of Riff Lodge Animation. It’s plot? “Halvar the Brave seeks vengeance aboard a witch-born chopper, journeying across a psychedelic landscape on a quest to defeat the deadly beast Mördvél for the slaying of his bride.” The saga will play out in 14 chapters, with doom metal bands providing the soundtrack and today’s finest album artists bringing the vision to life. Screenplay by David Paul Seymour and animated directed by Tim Granda.

Here’s one of the many landscapes from the forthcoming animated feature ‘Planet of Doom’ that he’ll be involved in, with a number of others.

Doomed & Stoned

Album Cover of the Year

Alright, as much praise as Doomed & Stoned is heaping on the esteemed Mr. Burke, there’s one album cover that absolutely stole away both heart and imagination this year and that belongs to Bell Witch, who commissioned Polish painter Mariusz Lewandowski to produce this mindfuck of a masterpiece for their Doom Charting record Mirror Reaper.

BELL WITCH

‘Mirror Reaper’ (October 2017)

Here’s the full panorama. The piece is titled ‘Esencja wolności.’ If you had to guess what that means what would you suppose? I translated it as “Essence Freedom” and asked one of our former contributors who lives in Poland for a more accurate one. “The Essence of Freedom,” she responded. “Now it’s correct.” This sheds a whole new light for me on the Bell Witch album, which speaks of the relationship between life, death, and loss (unpacked nicely by Jacob Mazlum in his review here).

While Mariusz may not the first to play with the idea of the interdimensional mirror, scarcely has it been depicted more effectively. In fact, it’s become something of a recurring theme in his oils. I enthusiastically encourage you to dive into this incredible artist’s work.

OTHERS WE LIKED…

ACID WITCH

‘Evil Sound Screamers’ (October 2017)

Artist: Shagrat

ALUNAH

’Solennial’ (March 2017)

Artist: Adrian Baxter

BORRACHO

‘Riffography’ (December 2017)

Artist: Andrea Nakasato

DVNE

‘Asheran’ (July 2017)

Artist: Eli Quinn

DOPELORD

’Children of the Haze’ (2017)

Artist: Pig Hands

ELDER

‘Reflections of a Floating World’ (June 2017)

Artist: Adrian Dexter

FIRE DOWN BELOW

‘Viper Vixen Goddess Saint’ (June 2017)

Artist: Stash Illustration

FULL OF HELL

‘Trumpeting Ecstasy’ (May 2017)

Artist: Mark McCoy

GREENBEARD

’Lödarödböl ’ (July 2017)

Artist: Antoine Defarges

KAYLETH/FAVEQUAID

‘Second Coming of Heavy: Chapter Six’ (July 2017)

Artist: Ghosttown Graphics

KING WEED

‘Smoking Land’ (May 2017)

Artist: Esra Røise

KING ZOG

‘King Zog’ (May 2017)

Artist: Dominic Sohor

MAHARAJA

’Kali Yuga’ (September 2017)

Artist: Adam Eckley

MONOLITH CULT

‘Gospel of Despair’ (November 2017)

Artist: Dan Goldsworthy

MUTOID MAN

‘War Moans’ (June 2017)

Artist: John Santos

NAUTILUS

‘The Wrath of the Sea’ (September 2017)

Artist: Dabulga Design

NORSKA

‘Too Many Winters’ (May 2017)

Artist: Mark McCormick

PALLBEARER

‘Heartless’ (March 2017)

Artist: Chimère Noire

SATURNDUST

‘RLC’ (April 2017)

Artist: Mike Winkelmann (aka Beeple)

SQUALUS

’The Great Fish’ (September 2017)

Artist: Aaron John Gregory

SKUNK

‘Doubleblind’ (April 2017)

Artist: Dmitri Mavra

TELEKINETIC YETI

’Abominable ’ (March 2017)

Artist: Antoine Defarges

THE FLYING EYES

‘Burning of the Season’ (September 2017)

Artist: Kiryk Drewinski

THE SWILL

‘Master of Delusion’ (June 2017)

Artist: Dan MacDonald

THREE EYES LEFT

‘The Cult of Astaroth’ (October 2017)

Artist: SoloMacello

USNEA

‘Portals Into Futility’ (September 2017)

Artist: Orion Landau

VOKONIS

‘The Sunken Djinn’ (June 2017)

Artist: Tessa Najjar

~By Billy Goate~

When it rains, it pours! As the year draws nearer to the sunset, a number of friendly old faces are popping in to show us their wares. Chief among them, PURPLE HILL WITCH.

The Norwegian trio made quite an impression with their self-titled debut almost four years ago and this month released their sophomore record, cheerily titled, ‘Celestial Cemetery’ (2017). I’ve got it piped through my speakers as we speak. The album art alone is intriguing – the work of Kristian Valbo (drummer of Spectral Haze, Black Magic, and Obliteration, among others), who really captures our imagination. It’s a fitting accompaniment to the sad siren song that beckons us into this odd little mountain village. There, we partake in seven strange stories, fairy tales of a sort.

The style of doom is old school, early '80s vintage, with more than a hint of NWOBHM and nods to Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath (all clever references, I might add). I wasn’t entirely smitten by the first Purple Hill Witch album, though I gladly credit it for being a solid spin. However, there’s something about this second album that truly calls me. Perhaps it’s appealing to my depressive side with its haunting, plaintive vocals, which sound like Ozzy on Prozac (or off his medication, if you prefer).

Check out the killer solo in the final minutes of “Menticide,” proving that doom can shred, too! And let me not fail to mention the harmonica! Yes, the harmonica makes an appearance in the last track, “Burnt Offering.” We’ve heard it several times this year, most notably from the band Weed Demon, who use it to great effect in their new album, 'Astrological Passages’ (2017). I dubbed 2016 the “year of the organ,” so perhaps 2017 will prove to be the “year of the harmonica.”

All in all, Celestial Cemetery is an effective album – one I’ll be gladly revisiting as the days grow dimmer. Give ear…

Follow The Band.

Get Their Music.

Polish artist Mariusz Lewandowski has bequeathed us with perhaps the most astounding album cover of the year, in Bell Witch’s ‘Mirror Reaper’ (2017 - Profound Lore Records), out October 20th. You can see more of his work here.

Elder Druid Reveal Album Art,
Plot New Record

By Billy Goate

At the beginning of the year, I excitedly shared my discovery of an upstart five-piece from Ballymena, writing: “Few bands get a visceral reaction out of me, you know the kind that makes a grown man want to embarrass himself by yelling in public spaces - this should put some fire in yer belly. Let me introduce you to your new favorite band, Northern Ireland’s ELDER DRUID.”

Having gotten off to a promising start with their collection of live takes, ‘Attic Sessions’ (2016), Gregg McDowell (vocals), Jake Wallace (guitars), Mikey Scott (guitars), Dale Hughes (bass), and Brien 'Grizz’ Gillen (guitar) are entering the recording studio to lay down tracks for what will be their first proper studio EP. Five tracks exploring the world of magic, fantasy, and the occult from a region of the planet that is steeped with a rich, mystical heritage. The whole shebang – from recording to mixing to mastering – will be entrusted in Belfast to the capable hands of Andy Shields, whom you may know as the guitarist from hardcore punk rock act, Hornets. I think his approach to recording doom metal with a southern sludge twist is going to be nothing short of fascinating.

We can look forward to the launch of 'Magicka’ (2016) on September 23rd, just three weeks from now. The cover art - which suits the personality of the band so well - is the work of the always amazing Alfi Andy, in collaboration with Elder Druid’s Jake Wallace. Oh, and if you’re curious about the song that got me so excited about this young band, check out "The Warlock” below. It’s a beautiful thing.

Follow Elder Druid.

Get their music.

Wolves of Winter seems like a slightly ironic name for a band, seeing as you’re from Phoenix and play desert rock. I’m guessing there’s a story there?

A friend and I were at a show and it got me thinking that it had been quite a while since I had a band together that was playing live. I was writing a lot at the time and I mentioned to my buddy right then and there that we should start a band and he said “Okay, but we have to call it Wolves of Winter!” Just like that. We were a bit drunk. I liked the name immediately so we ended up running with it. Being a fan of Sabbath, I knew stoner but I was never really introduced to the underground scene until that night. He suggested a few bands that he thought I should listen to and I really dug it. It was pretty eye opening. So that night and the next day I was inspired to write and record a demo version of our first song, “Astrothoughts.” Wolves of Winter was born, and the first track was fully written.

How about introducing us to the band members. How did the three of you get together to make music?

The original Wolves line up played a show with Mike’s previous band maybe six months before splitting. At the show Mike told me that he was digging the sound and that he’d love to be involved if the opportunity arose. When I called, he was on board minutes later. His skills are on a different level. After that, we immediately set up a jam with David Weaver who was working with Mike at the time. Dave came highly recommended, not only for his super tight bass sensibility but for his hilarious personality. We all pretty much knew right then and there that this was the lineup that would lead to good things.

Your debut LP was pretty well received amongst my colleagues in the underground blogging community and the digital release seems to have fared really well. You seem to really have put a lot into the record. How long did it take to write?

We never expected such a warm reception from the stoner community. The CD digipak and digital download have done really well for us. When Pandora added the album and when iTunes and Spotify got rolling we were very pleased with the reactions. Big shout to heavy Ripples Distro as well for the support. I believe I wrote the core material of the album in just under four months. We began to refine the music together as a band and took about two years to play a ton of shows, record a demo and then finally lay them down in the studio for our debut record.

A lot of records in the doom-stoner sub-genre tend towards longer, sprawling tracks. Most of yours average about three minutes a piece. What’s the trick to good, tight rock ‘n’ roll writing?

The reality is that I wasn’t really influenced by tracks with repeating instrumentation. I certainly didn’t want us to sound like anyone else or fit into a mold. When I first began playing and writing, my early inspiration stemmed from classic rock and late ‘60s heavy metal. Bands like Zeppelin, Sabbath and Deep Purple. As a kid growing up in the '90s I came to love the grunge and alternative scenes, I think the song structure of bands like Alice in Chains ended up being foundational to my idea of song structure. When I was writing this record I took an approach where I incorporated my newly discovered love for stoner and desert rock and combined it with my influences from the past. It was just making music that made sense to me based on my love for music. I like to think that we bring something fresh to the genre.

Josh, you were very involved with the production, including the mixing of the album. Did you have a very specific vision in mind for the soundscape of the record when you were laying down the tracks?

For quite a while I had clear vision of the overall groove, tonal quality, mix and feel. I kept all of that in mind as we were laying down the instruments and vocals. Patrick Hogg, our engineer is amazingly talented and was very gracious with his time. We worked well together as a team and we definitely couldn’t have done this without his help. We spent months shaping every instrument and perfecting the final mix which definitely took longer than laying down the tracks. Mike and Dave laid down the drums and bass together live in the studio at the same time. All but two tracks were done first take. It’s crazy - the complete rhythm section heard on this album was recorded in one afternoon. There was no click track and no metronome. Everything you hear was played real time. Sometimes when everything is too perfect albums can lose soul. We wanted a more organic sound. A live feel with a studio sound and great production and I really think we accomplished that.

‘Wolves of Winter’ (2016) is getting a vinyl release. That’s exciting! What can you tell us about that and when will it be available for fans to order?

Yes! We are pumped about this! Currently putting the finishing touches on the various editions and details on the pre-sale will be released in the coming weeks. Robert Pilson of NoSlip Records has been very supportive of us ever since we released our first demo a few years back. And when he picked up the studio album earlier this year he contacted us with interest in getting this released on vinyl. NoSlip is really going all out with this release. The LP will be gatefold packaging on 180 gram virgin vinyl with multiple color options. There will be a Die Hard and OBI edition with some cool surprises, a 12x12 insert sheet with lyrics and concert photos and poly lined sleeves. Test presses are in and they sound huge!

Love the album art on the digital release – will that be featured on the vinyl, as well?

The cover art was done by Ghosttown Graphic Art who also created the artwork for Ripple’s Second Coming of Heavy series as well as many others. We could not have been happier with it. The LP will feature the same cover art and we’re also honored to say that the great David Paul Seymour has created all-new original art for the inner gatefold and it looks amazing! I am absolutely stoked with the way it came out. They were able to depict my original concept the way I hoped and I think it really stands out.

Does the band plan on any kind of a tour this fall?

Currently, we’re discussing our plans for later this year into early next year. We are all really excited to get out there so we can see everyone on the road! We get a lot of messages from fans around the U.S and abroad asking us to come to their area which is really humbling. We are itching to tour.

The Wolves of Winter full-length releases November 1st via NoSlip Records on 180 gram wax in four color variants. The release features a gatefold cover with all new original art by David Paul Seymour for the inside opening, poly-lined sleeves, and a 12x12 insert. This release has been mastered for vinyl playback with expanded 88.2kHz/24bit master files not available on CD. “The vinyl is virgin and has not been recycled in any manner.”

• OBI Edition: 12" 180 gram in two opaque colors, black and red (limited to 100)

• Die Hard Edition: 12" 180 gram with cloudy clear base and heavy splatter of transparent purple (limited to 100). Includes an embroidered patch.

• Band Edition: 12" 180 gram in transparent purple (limited to 180)

• Classic Edition: 12" 180 gram in classic black (limited to 120)

Get it here.

Follow Wolves of Winter

There was a golden-era of heavy music. The seventies was a time of infancy for our beloved stoner rock. Heavy riffs were first laid in the late-sixties, but in 1970 hard rock was becoming the norm. Bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and The Who were making the charts. Also, the first burgeoning underground scene was emerging.

By the mid-seventies, the sound was getting faster, louder, and darker. Heavy metal was breaking out onto the scene at large. In the early years of metal, commercial success was very limited, with bands such as Judas Priest, AC/DC, Rush, and Scorpions struggling to break through. There was also some band called Black Sabbath that shocked the world with its first album in 1969 and by the mid-seventies were a legend.

When at last the Feel Good Decade was coming to a close, our heavy scene was struggling to survive the onslaught of disco and glam. There remained a remnant that carried the torch. The aforementioned bands were still around, with a dedicated following but that beloved seventies sound had it glorious moment in the sun, and was to fade into the shadows of the underground for a season as a new decade dawn, giving way to a softer rock and a search new fads in popular music.

I remember the moment I realized with sadness that my beloved heavy music was dying off, when all of a sudden a new style emerged mostly out of England in the early 80’s. This New Wave of Heavy Metal exceeded in heaviness, speed, and aggression more than any prior in the decade. Heavy music was not only saved, but was about to explode and flourish once again.

The next 30+ years saw heavy music branch out and explore innovations that could have scarcely been imagined when I was a teen. For me, having followed heavy music from almost the beginning, I found myself becoming disillusioned for a while. But bands slowly started returning to those seventies roots.

As the 21st century saw the demise of radio and the emergence of new media via the World Wide Web, a retro resurgence was starting to blossom, blooming exponentially so that by 2012, I was confident heavy music would turn full circle and embrace its origins. By the end of 2014, it was obvious this was happening. 2015, was one of the greatest years in music history, to these seasoned ears, and 2016 is shaping up to be even better.

I wanted to document some of the promising young bands representing a new generation of musicians – many of whom were born long after me. Many were raised on the music of the seventies or have feverishly devoured the music of my youth through used record bins and internet file sharing. This compilation represents some of my favorite new bands who are representing that seventies vibe with a new sheen, many showing their musical prowess in blending several styles of heavy music together in seamless fashion. I may sound sacrilegious, but many of these bands are probably better than their peers from the seventies, having benefited from nearly fifty years of musical influence to help perfect their sound.

Most of the bands selected for this compilation are, at the moment, unsigned or committed to small labels for one or two releases. I have every confidence that some, given the quality of their music, will grow into legends themselves, and listeners like you will look back on this era as your time of musical awakening. I hope this compilation helps you to appreciate the historic phenomenon as it continues unfolding before us. Please support these bands and any others you discover in this retro revolution.

-Papa Paul Rote-

Get It

Album art by Zé Burnay​ (soon to be available once again as a four-color t-shirt at doomstoned.bigcartel.com)

High Fighter Slug Back with Bruising New LP!

By Billy Goate (Editor In Chief

Hot DAMN! Mona from HIGH FIGHTER looks smoking hot in this Doomed & Stoned t-shirt!. Today, the Hamburg five revealed artwork for their new record, ‘Scars & Crosses’ (2016 - Svart Records), follow-up to their kick-ass debut, 'The Goat Ritual’ (2014).

Doomed & Stoned was a sponsor of their first European tour with Polish band Sunnata (who also have a new record out that is definitely worth hearing, here) and most recently trod upon the continent again, with stops in the United Kingdom, with the mighty Ahab and Mammoth Storm.

'Scars & Crosses (set to be released June 10th) was recorded live at RAMA Studio in Mannheim by Jens Siefert and mixed/mastered by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business) in Los Angeles. The band collaborated with one of my favorite artists on the album art (as they did with 'The Goat Ritual’): Dominic Sohor from the UK. High Fighter plays Desertfest Berlin next Thursday (4/28).

We look forward to sharing the first sounds from the new record with you in the days ahead….!

Cities of Mars Reveal
Cover Art for Celestial Mistress

This is Nadia, our “current day” heroine, who lands on Mars in 1971 and discovers the ancient civilization. The Third Eye from the August single is a “Nadia-song”, while Cyclopean Ritual is based on more ancient events. The guy behind is, well, not official yet, he is however slowly appearing in the title track. He is about to be brought to life more in detail on upcoming songs.

The title track is a three-piece song, “Celestial Mistress: Worlds Collide/Gardens of Bahb-Elon/Return of the Witch.” The other two songs, “Beneath a Burning Sun” and “Gaze of Leviathan” are also included in the lower part of the poster. “Gaze” takes place right after the events of The “Third Eye,” and just before the events of Celestial. Beneath is another “older” piece that has become a staple of the band’s repertoire.

This is all crystal clear, right? Well, Gothenburg’s CITIES OF MARS are having one hell of a good time blending visual concept art with sci-fi inspired psychedelic, fuzzed-out doom to match

The saga will unfold along two major tracks - one being the events that occur when Nadia lands and finds herself caught up in this mess of a slumbering ancient civilization brought to life, and how she deals with a conspiracy that dates back for millennia. The other track will consist of a medley of songs based on major events throughout the 9000 years (thus far Cyclopean Ritual and Beneath a burning sun).

The artwork (of which you’re seeing just part) by Gothenburg-based illustrator Axel Widén will be a two-piece affair - imagine a 10" gatefold record folded out downwards (also available as a poster).

“Yes, we know it’s geeky as fuck,” bassist Danne Palm told Doomed & Stoned. “But we also love the concept to death, most fun I’ve ever had in a band.”

The producer for Celestial Mistress is Esben Willems of Monolord and Berserk Audio, and the record will be released via Gothenburg-based label Suicide Records later this month! Stay tuned for details…

Explore Cities of Mars

Album Art of the Day

One of my favorite pieces drawn by Tony Roberts of Black Mind’s Eye for the 2013 Bismuth/Undersmile split.

Sunnata Reveal Stunning New Album Art

Our friends from Poland, SUNNATA, have just revealed the album art for their next album! Cool, ain’t it? “This is part of the artwork of our upcoming album,” they write, “made by Jeff of Ascending Storm.”

The record will be almost an hour long with five long tracks! Now that’s what I call an album! Judging from their previous record, the songcraft is going to be stellar. See if you can get any hints from these song titles:

1. Beasts of Prey
2. Zorya
3. Long Gone
4. New Horizon
5. Again and Against

‘Zorya’ is slated to drop in the first part of April, with the first single coming out much sooner!

Can’t wait.

ThrowbackThursday: Goliath

As I’m sifting through the year’s album covers, looking for some of the most visually striking, I’m seeing all kinds of great artists at play. Sometimes, however, a very simple photograph can make a huge statement. Take the 1970 self-titled LP by UK prog stoner-psych rockers GOLIATH, for example. A simple cigarette butt becomes a visual metaphor that somehow says it all.