Stoned Jesus Post New Single “Under the Skin”
I was lucky enough to be in the crowd last weekend at Freak Valley Festival (review here) to see the first time Stoned Jesus played their new single “Under the Skin” live. I even confirmed with guitarist/vocalist Igor Sydorenko afterward that it was ‘the’ skin in the title rather than yours, mine, his/hers/theirs, etc. But the song itself was striking in its aggression and post-metal churn from the stage, and bassist Andrew Riordan has a killer scream. You can see him doing room shouts in the video for “Under the Skin,” and he’s also up on the mic. I think he’s layered into the early verses as well, but there’s a lot going on there, where the call and response later is more stark.
American heavy-heads don’t know what they’re missing with this band.
If you caught last year’s Songs to Sun (review here) — to be followed later this year by Songs to Moon, from which the single comes — it might be fair to think of “Under the Skin” as an expansion on the foray into metal of “Shadowland” from that record. The two cuts certainly worked well back-to-back in that Freak Valley set, anyhow. I’ll hope to have more on Songs to Moon as we get closer to the release. For now, this is fresh off the PR wire:
Stoned Jesus Go Deeper and Darker on New Single “Under the Skin”
Heavy prog trailblazers begin next phase of album trilogy
Stoned Jesus are true trailblazers. While often associated with the stoner crowd, the heavy progressive rockers have experimented with folk, prog, pop and alternative rock amidst familiar doses of doom. Last year, the band entered the first phase of an expansive album trilogy that promises to take them from the sun to the moon and back. Songs to Sun was named one of the best albums of 2025. Now, as frontman Igor Sydorenko and his bandmates prepare to blaze through the European summer festival circuit, they’re cycling into the next phase of their evolution.
Today, Stoned Jesus are releasing a new single. Though packed with the band’s reliable dose of heaviness, the progressive post-metal contained within “Under the Skin” shows them entering the darkest, most daring and deeply moving territory of their 17-year career.
“Our upcoming album trilogy started last year with Songs to Sun, which is a loud and heavy album that’s big on choruses and meaty riffs”, Sydorenko says before turning to Stoned Jesus’ latest single. “‘Under the Skin’ begins our next phase in a somewhat similar fashion, but with a sinister twist. The fans of the very first SJ demo will recognize the influence of post-metal, which resurfaced after our tour last summer with the legendary Cult of Luna. But “Under the Skin” is not a step back. It’s darker, bolder and more introspective than anything the band has done before”.
Watch the music video for “Under the Skin” on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
Stream “Under the Skin”: https://orcd.co/stonedjesusundertheskin
On the surface, “Under the Skin” picks up right where Stoned Jesus left off. The sinking anxiety that swallowed Songs to Sun gives way here to heavy breathing. And while catchy as ever, the song’s weighty riff isn’t the only dark force that’s rattling inside Sydorenko’s head. “I feel it, it’s creeping in”, he strains, backed by bassist Andrew Rodin, who adds some of the harshest vocals the band have ever pressed to wax.
The video for “Under the Skin” was filmed while Stoned Jesus were recording in Cologne, Germany at Goblin Sound Studio with sound engineer Andy Rosczyk (ex-Ultha). Despite the song’s bleary state of mind (“Promises to keep / I will never sleep”), the band never lose their glow. As drummer Yurii Ciel guides them through a proggy middle passage that leads deeper into the shadows, we catch a glimpse not only into their psyche but the shape of what’s to come. “Sky glider, gone wilder / With the setting sun”.
The video for “Under the Skin” was edited by Marco Menestrina.
Catch Stoned Jesus this summer on the European festival circuit.
Stoned Jesus 2026 European Festival Dates
June 4 – Nepthen, Germany @ Freak Valley
June 19 – Clisson, France @ Hellfest
June 27 – Betanzos, Spain @ Fumega Fest
July 3 – Gisors, France @ Kave Fest
July 11 – Trieste, Italy @ StonerKras Fest
August 8 – Rome, Italy @ Roma Stone Fest
August 29 – Teramo, Italy @ Suburbiae Festival
September 25 – London, UK @ StoomFest
Songs to Sun is out now on Season of Mist.
Order: https://orcd.co/stonedjesussongtosun
Production Credits
Producer – Igor Sydorenko
Sound Engineer – Andy Rosczyk
Mixing and Mastering Engineer – Karl Daniel Lidén
Recording Studio
Goblin Sound Studio in Cologne, Germany
Mixing and Mastering Studio
Studio Tri-Lamb, Sweden
Cover Art
Vadym “Karaska” Karasiov
Recording Lineup
Igor Sydorenko – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Andrew Rodin – Bass, Backing Vocals
Yurii Ciel – Drums, Backing Vocals
Live Lineup
Igor Sydorenko – Vocals, Guitar
Andrew Rodin – Bass, Backing Vocals
Ihor Biriuchenko – Drums, Percussion
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