Ritual King Announce October UK Tour Dates

Posted in Whathaveyou on June 26th, 2026 by JJ Koczan

If you caught Corrosion of Conformity earlier this month in Glasgow, London or Manchester, I hope you got there early enough to see Ritual King — for whom the last of those shows was their first hometown gig in 15 months — opening up the night. The progressive-leaning three-piece released their Futureworks Sessions last year and set about supporting it last Fall with a run that included stops at Tabernas Desert Rock Festival in Spain and Keep it Low in Germany. This Fall’s corresponding stint won’t cover as much geographically, but the UK tour includes Doom Destruction Fest and Ball to the Wall Fest, and seems to see them step into headlining the club shows leading up to those two, so right on. You might recall when they were out last year, it was opening for Nick Oliveri‘s Mondo Generator.

Ball to the Wall Fest, it should be noted, is put on by Ritual King bassist Dan Godwin, and in addition to this own band, the Riffolution-presented festival will host Elephant Tree, Slabdragger, Hundred Year Old Man, Sea Bastard, Vassal, Under and Ironkat for an all-dayer bill on Oct. 31. I assume if you show up in costume, no one will give you any crap for it, not that they’d be likely to anyway. It’s not that kind of scene.

The band posted the tour dates on socials thusly:

ritual king oct tour poster sq

The road beckons this Autumn 🍁🌓🌛

Beyond The Vale weaves its way through the UK in October, taking in eight gatherings over as many nights, from Bournemouth to Edinburgh and back again.

15/10 – Bournemouth – Anvil Rockbar Bournemouth
16/10 – London – Helgi’s
17/10 – Bristol – The Gryphon
18/10 – Plymouth – The Junction
22/10 – Edinburgh – The Hive
23/10 – Nottingham – The Old Salutation Inn
24/10 – Birmingham – The Flapper
31/10 – Manchester – Rebellion Manchester

Tickets & information available here: https://ritualking.com/tour-dates

Poster artwork by the awesome steven_yoyada

RITUAL KING is:
Jordan Leppitt – Lead Vocals & Guitar
Dan Godwin – Bass
Gareth Hodges – Drums & Backing Vocals

https://ritualking.com/
https://ritualking.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ritualkinguk/
https://www.facebook.com/ritualking/

http://www.ripple-music.com/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/

Ritual King, Futureworks Sessions (2025)

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Ritual King Announce Fall Tour Supporting Mondo Generator

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 28th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

ritual king

It’s been a pair summers since I saw Manchester, UK, heavy rockers Ritual King play an early set at Freak Valley Festival 2023 (review here), and in that two-year span, I can’t think of another band I feel so fortunate to have seen for the first time. The blend of progressivism and traditional songwriting, the melodies, the heft and space of the riffing on their 2023 album, The Infinite Mirror (review here) capture craft and personality-shaping at the same time, and most encouragingly of all, they’ve already grown and they seem interested in developing their sound further.

The more shows, the better for that. The tour below sees the band pairing up with Nick Oliveri‘s trio Mondo Generator, who always put on a blistering performance. And know that I’m not being sarcastic given his reputation in some circles when I say that there are things Ritual King can learn from a veteran player, both what to do and what not to do, as they keep moving forward. Those will be good shows. If you haven’t seen Mondo Generator before, you should know that they do songs from throughout Oliveri‘s career, so yes, Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age are on the table, along with Oliveri‘s not-insignificant back catalog of solo works.

Dates were posted on socials thusly:

mondo generator tour

RITUAL KING – Autumn European Tour!

This October we head out across the continent with the mighty Mondo Generator 🤘🤘. An outfit drawn together by former Kyuss & Queens of the Stone Age legend Nick Oliveri! Stoked to be touring with such a legend of the Stoner game 🫡👊🔥.

We’re hitting 7 different locations across Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands 🪬🇪🇸🇮🇹🇩🇪🇳🇱🤘 shows/venues listed below:
04.10.2025 ESP 🇪🇸 – Tabernas, Desert Rock Festival
07.10.2025 IT 🇮🇹- Pordenone, Astro Club
08.10.2025 IT 🇮🇹 – Bologna, Freak Out
09.10.2025 IT 🇮🇹 – Roma, Init
10.10.2025 IT 🇮🇹 – Torino, Blah Blah
11.10.2025 GER 🇩🇪 – Munich, Keep It Low Festival
12.10.2025 NL 🇳🇱 – Den Haag, 100
See you out there✌️🤙🤙

RITUAL KING is:
Jordan Leppitt – Lead Vocals & Guitar
Dan Godwin – Bass
Gareth Hodges – Drums & Backing Vocals

https://ritualking.com/
https://ritualking.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ritualkinguk/
https://www.facebook.com/ritualking/

http://www.ripple-music.com/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/

Ritual King, Futureworks Sessions (2025)

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Keep it Low #11 Adds My Sleeping Karma, Mondo Generator, Psychlona and More

Posted in Whathaveyou on June 12th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

KEEP IT LOW 2025 BANNER

Don’t tell Keep it Low, but I’ve had a secret crush on the Munich-based Fall fest from Sound of Liberation pretty much since its outset. The look has gotten a little different over time, a little more in line now with the likes of Up in Smoke or Desertfest Belgium, but the vibe has always struck me as laid back even on the scale of pro-shop Euro heavyfests, and once again I find myself looking at the poster, seeing the bands getting added — in this case: My Sleeping Karma, Mondo Generator, Psychlona, Ritual King, Kant, Bikini Beach and Thra — and daydreaming of an absconding that’s not to be. Another year, another Keep it Low as my loss.

But it’s a win if you’re headed there, from Graveyard and Bongripper and Colour Haze‘s annual hometown throwdown to Blue Heron and Hidas and whoever’s still to come. You’ve got Conan and Lowrider and Kanaan and High Desert Queen and, well, yeah. Imagine taking two days of your life and dedicating them to the purpose of experiencing this thing. Just for a minute, think about it. Here’s the poster with the full list of names as it stands and the latest short announcement from the festival, which is set for Oct. 10 and 11 at Backstage, again in Munich, which does have its own international airport:

keep it low 2025 poster

KEEP IT LOW 2025 – ⚡️NEW BANDS ANNOUNCED!⚡️

Hey Keepers,

More sonic firepower incoming – 7 new bands are joining the Keep It Low Festival 2025 lineup!

My Sleeping Karma
Mondo Generator
Psychlona
Kant
Ritual King
Bikini Beach
Thra

Prepare for psychedelic journeys, desert grooves, and crushing heaviness! 🔥

Hosted by Sound Of Liberation (Desertfest Berlin, Up In Smoke, Lazy Bones Fest a.o.), Keep It Low will be taking place between 10. – 11. October 2025 at Backstage.

Join the Facebook event for more updates at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1200732624331625

Tickets are on sale at: www.sol-tickets.com

https://www.facebook.com/keepitlowfestival/
https://www.keepitlow.de/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/
http://www.sol-tickets.com

My Sleeping Karma, “Ephedra” live at Desertfest Berlin 2025

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Tabernas Desert Rock Fest 2025: Full Lineup Announced

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 5th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Here’s a daydream for you. Hop on a plane and land somewhere in Spain that’s (quite literally, as I understand it) out of a Sergio Leone film to see three full days of international quality heavy from Mondo Generator and Unida and Nightstalker on down to Xispa and the Wild Pigs. I’m assuming the six tickets that were left when Tabernas Desert Rock Fest 2025 posted its full lineup the other day are long gone by now, or if not, congratulations if you’re one of the last six. I’ve talked to people who’ve been to this one and it looks amazing. Think of an experiential festival, kind of like Duna Jam or Bear Stone, but in an old-style Western setting.

And not to harp on it, but the lineup is really solid. I’m less familiar with Convoy or Scrotem or Baläte near the bottom of the poster, though at least the latter have played before, but with the likes of High Desert Queen, Kal-El, Rotor, Temple Fang, Godsleep, Ritual King and Tankzilla, it’s a cross-generational assemblage limited to 300 tickets and what seems to be an intimate setting that, at very least, is going to look incredible when you share the photos of everyone ripping it up. This is one I’ve been keeping up with for the last few years, and I think it’s easy to see why when you check the bill.

Again, I’m assuming those six tickets are gone, but you never know until you reach out at the email below:

So now here it is, our official confirmed LINE-UP for 2025 edition, with still one surprise ;-) = ENJOY!

WE ONLY HAVE 6 TICKETS LEFT, GET YOURS NOW BY MAIL:

tabernasdesertrockfest@t-online.de

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/fort-bravo/tabernas-desert-rock-fest-2025/1077631823361309/

NICK OLIVERI’s Mondo Generator (USA):
Unida (USA)
Nightstalker (GR)
Kal-El (NOR)
Rotor (DE)
Godsleep (GR)
Ritual King (UK)
High Desert Queen (USA)
Temple Fang (NL)
TankZilla (NL)
Psychogarden (DE)
Convoy (DE)
Baläte (ESP)
Scrotem (DE)
XISPA & THE WILD PIGS (ESP)

https://www.instagram.com/tabernasdesertrockfest/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057087564915

Unida, live in Gothenburg, Sweden, Sept. 19, 2024

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Ritual King to Release The Futureworks Sessions April 4

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 21st, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Ritual king

My feelings on this are absurdly simple. Like, your grandma saying “oh that’s nice, dear”-level cliché. I’ll admit that’s hardly worthy of the statement in progressive heavycraft UK fuzz-wall-constructionists Ritual King made with their 2023 album, The Infinite Mirror (review here), but you see, I’ve also been fortunate enough to watch the Manchester three-piece live — thank you very much, Freak Valley 2023 (review here) — and I know that’s a thing worth preserving.

And live-in-studio is a great way to do it, ideally harnessing stage energy with studio clarity and warmth, so The Futureworks Sessions might just be one of those things that happens when you’re a band and someone says, “Hey sing into this can and we’ll record it,” but as this band continues to grow I think something like this will be even cooler in years to come for capturing this era. Something the band and their fanbase can look back on.

Or, as grandma might put it, “oh that’s nice, dear.”

This one’s DL-only, but I bet if you make enough of a stink you could get it on CD. Just saying. From the PR wire:

Ritual King the Futureworks Sessions

Manchester heavy psych trio RITUAL KING to release “The Futureworks Sessions” live album on Ripple Music this April 4th!

UK heavy psych revelation RITUAL KING announce the release of their first live album “The Futureworks Sessions” on April 4th in collaboration with Ripple Music. Stream the first excerpt with the live sessions for “Flow State” below!

Says the band: “The perfect way to kick things off—this track is all about getting into the zone, locking in, and letting the music take over. The interplay here is something special; listen out for that moment at the where the melody shifts into a folke-esque progression and we all hit the pocket like it was meant to be. It’s Ritual King at our most hypnotic—so get comfortable and let it take you under.”

This electrifying new collection entitled “The Futureworks Sessions” captures the raw energy and dynamic sound that have made the Manchester-based trio renowned within the modern stoner rock scene. Recorded at Futureworks Studios in Manchester, the album showcases a selection of standout tracks from their first two full-length albums, reimagined and brought to life in a live studio setting. “The Futureworks Sessions” is a celebration of Ritual King’s musical journey and marks five years since the release of their self-titled debut album. Blending their signature blend of heavy riffs, soulful melodies, and intricate grooves. The intimate yet powerful recording setting of Futureworks Studios adds an organic depth and authenticity, transporting listeners straight into the room with the band.

With Ripple Music’s unwavering commitment to showcasing the finest in heavy and progressive rock, this release is a testament to Ritual King’s relentless passion and artistry. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the band, “The Futureworks Sessions” offers an unmissable opportunity to experience the magic of Ritual King at their most inspired.

RITUAL KING “The Futureworks Sessions”
Out April 4th, 2025 on Ripple Music (digital only)

TRACKLIST:
1. Flow State
2. Worlds Divide
3. No Compromise
4. Landmass
5. Headspace
6. The Infinite Mirror
7. Valleys

RITUAL KING is:
Jordan Leppitt – Lead Vocals & Guitar
Dan Godwin – Bass
Gareth Hodges – Drums & Backing Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/ritualking/
https://www.instagram.com/ritualkinguk/
https://ritualking.bandcamp.com/
https://ritualking.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Ritual King, The Infinite Mirror (2023)

Ritual King, “Flow State”

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Desertfest Belgium 2024 Announces Initial Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 18th, 2024 by JJ Koczan

Set for the weekend of Oct. 18-20 and (I think?) celebrating the 10th anniversary of the first Desertfest Belgium, which was held in 2014, the 2024 edition of the Antwerp-based Desertfest has made its first lineup announcement, anchored by Fu Manchu and Russian Circles and featuring a host of others ranging in both geography and style. From the fluid textures of REZN and classic melodic prog rock of Mondo Drag to the reunited Scorpion Child, Bongzilla‘s singularly stoned crust and the expansive riffery of Stoned Jesus, whose Mother Dark complement to early-2023’s Father Light (review here) is awaited, it’s a well-rounded bill even before you account for heavy psych rockers Seedy Jeezus and bluesy ’70s traditionalists Child making the trip from Australia, the latter on the heels of Heavy Psych Sounds reissuing their catalog, the expansive sounds of Messa, and so on.

That it looks like a cool time isn’t really a surprise. Desertfest Belgium has developed a character of its own as the flagship Fall Desertfest in Europe, and while I’ve never been, I always look forward to seeing what it brings to the seasonal cohort of heavy festivals. Already we know REZN will be on tour with Russian Circles, as that was announced last week too, but it’s likely more tours will come from Mondo Drag, Ritual King and others below that haven’t been revealed yet if they’re even at this point finalized. In addition to the usual daydreaming-about-travel, I find thinking about these things and imagining tours and who might have new records out by the time October gets here to be a particular kind of nerdy joy.

The announcement, as per social media:

Desertfest Belgium 2024 starter

It’s that time of year again! It’s with great pride and excitement that we announce the first names for DF24! 👁️

Confirmed for Desertfest ANTWERP are:
Fu Manchu Russian Circles Stoned Jesus Bongzilla Scorpion Child MESSA Wolvennest Mondo Drag Seedy Jeezus CHILD REZN Ritual King The Abbey Lethvm RRRags Crouch Kara Delik

Three days of delirium and heavy delight are surely awaiting us all in Antwerp!

https://www.desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

We’ll be back with more names very soon…🤘

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Mondo Drag, Through the Hourglass (2023)

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Quarterly Review: Tortuga, Spidergawd, Morag Tong, Conny Ochs, Ritual King, Oldest Sea, Dim Electrics, Mountain of Misery, Aawks, Kaliyuga Express

Posted in Reviews on November 30th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

The-Obelisk-Quarterly-Review

Generally I think of Thursday as the penultimate day of a given Quarterly Review. This one I was thinking of adding more days to get more stuff in ahead of year-end coverage coming up in December. I don’t know what that would do to my weekend — actually, yes I do — but sometimes it’s worth it. I’m yet undecided. Will let you know tomorrow, or perhaps not. Dork of mystery, I am.

Today is PACKED with cool sounds. If you haven’t found something yet that’s really hit you, it might be your day.

Quarterly Review #31-40:

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Tortuga, Iterations

TORTUGA Iterations

From traditionalist proto-doom and keyboard-inflected prog to psychedelic jamming and the Mountain-style start-stop riff on “Lilith,” Poznań, Poland’s Tortuga follow 2020’s Deities (discussed here) with seven tracks and 45 minutes that come across as simple and barebones in the distortion of the guitar and the light reverb on the vocals, but the doom rock doesn’t carry from “Lilith” into “Laspes,” which has more of a ’60s psych crux, a mellow but not unjoyful meander in its first half turning to a massive lumber in the second, all the more elephantine with a solo overtop. They continue throughout to cross the lines between niches — “Quaus” has some dungeon growls, “Epitaph” slogs emotive like Pallbearer, etc. — and offer finely detailed performances in a sound malleable to suit the purposes of their songs. Polish heavy doesn’t screw around. Well, at least not any more than it wants to. Tortuga‘s creative reach becomes part of the character of the album.

Tortuga on Facebook

Napalm Records website

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Spidergawd, VII

spidergawd vii

I’m sorry, I gotta ask: What’s the point of anything when Spidergawd can put out a record like VII and it’s business as usual? Like, the world doesn’t stop for a collective “holy shit” moment. Even in the heavy underground, never mind general population. These are the kinds of songs that could save lives if properly employed to do so, and for the Norwegian outfit, it’s just what they do. The careening hooks of “Sands of Time” and “The Tower” at the start, the melodies across the span. The energy. I guess this is dad rock? Shit man, I’m a dad. I’m not this cool. Spidergawd have seven records out and I feel like Metallica should’ve been opening for them at stadiums this past summer, but they remain criminally underrated and perhaps use that as flexibility around their pop-heavy foundation to explore new ideas. The last three songs on VII — “Afterburner,” “Your Heritage” and “…And Nothing But the Truth” — are among the strongest and broadest Spidergawd have ever done, and “Dinosaur” and the classic-metal ripper “Bored to Death” give them due preface. One of the best active heavy rock bands, living up to and surpassing their own high standards.

Spidergawd on Facebook

Stickman Records website

Crispin Glover Records website

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Morag Tong, Grieve

Morag Tong Grieve

Rumbling low end and spacious guitar, slow flowing drums and contemplative vocals, and some charred sludge for good measure, mark out the procession of “At First Light” on Morag Tong‘s third album and first for Majestic Mountain Records, the four-song Grieve. Moving from that initial encapsulation through the raw-throat sludge thud of most of “Passages,” they crash out and give over to quiet guitar at about four minutes in and set up the transition to the low-end groove-cool of “A Stem’s Embrace,” a sleepy fluidity hitting its full voluminous crux after three minutes in, crushing from there en route to its noisy finish at just over nine minutes long. That would be the epic finisher of most records, but Morag Tong‘s grievances extend to the 20-minute “No Sun, No Moon,” which at 20 minutes is a full-length’s progression on its own. At very least the entirety of side B, but more than the actual runtime is the theoretical amount of space covered as the four-piece shift from ambient drone through huge plod and resolve the skyless closer with a crushing delve into post-sludge atmospherics. That’s as fitting an end as one could ask for an offering that so brazenly refuses to follow impulses other than its own.

Morag Tong on Facebook

Majestic Mountain Records store

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Conny Ochs, Wahn Und Sinn

Conny Ochs Wahn Und Sinn

The nine-song Wahn Und Sinn carries the distinction of being the first full-length from German singer-songwriter Conny Ochs — also known for his work in Ananda Mida and his collaboration with Wino — to be sung in his own language. As a non-German speaker, I won’t pretend that doesn’t change the listening experience, but that’s the idea. Words and melodies in different languages take on corresponding differences in character, and so in addition to appreciating the strings, pianos, acoustic and electric guitars, and, in the case of “Welle,” a bit of static noise in a relatively brief electronic soundscape, hearing Ochs‘ delivery no less emotive for switching languages on the cinematic “Grimassen,” or the lounge drama of “Ding” earlier on, it’s a new side from a veteran figure whose “experimentalism” — and no, I’m not talking about singing in your own language as experimental, I’m talking about Trialogos there — is backburnered in favor of more traditional, still rampantly melancholy pop arrangements. It sounds like someone who’s decided they can do whatever the hell they feel like their songs should making that a reality. Only an asshole would hold not speaking the language against that.

Conny Ochs on Facebook

Exile on Mainstream website/a>

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Ritual King, The Infinite Mirror

ritual king the infinite mirror

I’m going to write this review as though I’m speaking directly to Ritual King because, well, I am. Hey guys. Congrats on the record. I can hear a ton going on with it. Some of Elder‘s bright atmospherics and rhythmic twists, some more familiar stoner riffage repurposed to suit a song like “Worlds Divide” after “Flow State” calls Truckfighters to mind, the songs progressive and melodic. The way you keep that nod in reserve for “Landmass?” That’s what I’m talking about. Here’s some advice you didn’t ask for: Keep going. I’m sure you have big plans for next year, and that’s great, and one thing leads to the next. You’re gonna have people for the next however long telling you what you need to do. Do what feels right to you, and keep in mind the decisions that led you to where you are, because you’re right there, headed to the heart of this thing you’re discovering. Two records deep there’s still a lot of potential in your sound, but I think you know a track like “Tethered” is a victory on its own, and that as big as “The Infinite Mirror” gets at the end, the real chance it takes is in the earlier vocal melody. You’re a better band than people know. Just keep going. Thanks.

Ritual King on Facebook

Ripple Music website

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Oldest Sea, A Birdsong, A Ghost

oldest sea a birdsong a ghost cropped

Inhabiting the sort of alternately engulfing and minimal spaces generally occupied by the likes of Bell Witch, New Jersey’s Oldest Sea make their full-length debut with A Birdsong, A Ghost and realize a bleakness of mood that is affecting even in its tempo, seeming to slow the world around it to its own crawl. The duo of Samantha Marandola and Andrew Marandola, who brought forth their Strange and Eternal EP (review here) in 2022, find emotive resonance in a death-doom build through the later reaches of “Untracing,” but the subsequent three-minute-piece-for-chorus-and-distorted-drone “Astronomical Twilight” and the similarly barely-there-until-it-very-much-is closer “Metamorphose” mark out either end of the extremes while “The Machines That Made Us Old” echoes Godflesh in its later riffing as Samantha‘s voice works through screams en route to a daringly hopeful drone. Volatile but controlled, it is a debut of note for its patience and vulnerability as well as its deep-impact crash and consuming tone.

Oldest Sea on Facebook

Darkest Records on Bandcamp

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Dim Electrics, Dim Electrics

dim electrics dim electrics

Each track on Dim Electrics‘ self-titled five-songer LP becomes a place to rest for a while. No individual piece is lacking activity, but each cut has room for the listener to get inside and either follow the interweaving aural patterns or zone out as they will. Founded by Mahk Rumbae, the Vienna-based project is meditative in the sense of basking in repetition, but flashes like the organ in the middle of “Saint” or the shimmy that takes hold in 18-minute closer “Dream Reaction” assure it doesn’t reside in one place for too much actual realtime, of which it’s easy to lose track when so much krautgazey flow is at hand. Beginning with ambience, “Ways of Seeing” leads the listener deeper into the aural chasm it seems to have opened, and the swirling echoes around take on a life of their own in the ecosystem of some vision of space rock that’s also happening under the ground — past and future merging as in the mellotron techno of “Memory Cage” — which any fool can tell you is where the good mushrooms grow. Dug-in, immersive, engaging if you let it be; Dim Electrics feels somewhat insular in its mind-expansion, but there’s plenty to go around if you can put yourself in the direction it’s headed.

Dim Electrics on Facebook

Sulatron Records webstore

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Mountain of Misery, In Roundness

Mountain of Misery In Roundness

A newcomer project from Kamil Ziółkowski, also known for his contributions as part of Polish heavy forerunners Spaceslug, the tone-forward approach of Mountain of Misery might be said to be informed by Ziółkowski‘s other project in opener “Not Away” or the penultimate “Climb by the Sundown,” with their languid vocals and slow-rolling tsunami fuzz in the spirit of heavy psych purveyors Colour Haze and even more to the point Sungrazer, but the howling guitar in the crescendo of closer “The Misery” and the all-out assault of “Hang So Low” distinguish the band all around. “The Rain is My Love” sways in the album’s middle, but it’s in “Circle in Roundness” that the 36-minute LP has its most subdued stretch, letting the spaces filled with fuzz elsewhere remain open as the verse builds atop the for-now-drumless expanse. Whatever familiar aspects persist, Mountain of Misery is its own band, and In Roundness is the exciting beginning of a new creative evolution.

Mountain of Misery on Facebook

Electric Witch Mountain Recordings on Facebook

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Aawks, Luna

aawks luna

The featured new single, “The Figure,” finds Barrie, Ontario’s Aawks somewhere between Canadian tonal lords Sons of Otis and the dense heavy psych riffing and melodic vocals of an act like Snail, and if you think I’m about to complain about that, you’ve very clearly never been to this site before. So hi, and welcome. The four-song Luna EP is Aawks‘ second short release of 2023 behind a split with Aiwass (review here), and the trio take on Flock of Seagulls and Pink Floyd for covers of the new wave radio hit “I Ran” and the psychedelic ur-classic “Julia Dream” before a live track, “All is Fine,” rounds out. As someone who’s never seen the band live, the additional crunch falls organic, and brings into relief the diversity Aawks show in and between these four songs, each of which inhabits a place in the emerging whole of the band’s persona. I don’t know if we’ll get there, but sign me up for the Canadian heavy revolution if this is the form it’s going to take.

Aawks on Facebook

Black Throne Productions website

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Kaliyuga Express, Warriors & Masters

Kaliyuga Express Warriors and Masters

The collaborative oeuvre of UK doomsperimental guitarist Mike Vest (Bong, Blown Out, Ozo, 11Paranoias, etc.) grows richer as he joins forces with Finnish trio Nolla to produce Kaliyuga Express‘ Warriors & Masters, which results in three tracks across two sides of far-out cosmic fuzz, shades of classic kraut and space rocks are wrought with jammy intention; the goal seeming to be the going more than the being gone as Vest and company burn through “Nightmare Dimensions” and the shoegazing “Behind the Veil” — the presence of vocals throughout is a distinguishing feature — hums in high and low frequencies in a repetitive inhale of stellar gases on side A while the 18:58 side B showdown “Endless Black Space” misdirects with a minute of cosmic background noise before unfurling itself across an exoplanet’s vision of cool and returning, wait for it, back to the drone from whence it came. Did you know stars are recycled all the time? Did you know that if you drop acid and peel your face off there’s another face underneath? Your third eye is googly. You can hear voices in the drones. Let me know what they tell you.

Kaliyuga Express on Facebook

Riot Season Records store

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Ritual King to Release The Infinite Mirror Nov. 17; New Single Streaming

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 13th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

ritual king

Having been fortunate enough earlier this summer to catch Ritual King playing at Freak Valley Festival (review here) amid the sun-baked German hillsides, I’ve been very much looking forward to learning how the Manchester, UK, three-piece might follow-up their 2020 self-titled debut (review here). And that fest is one of a multitude the trio have hit since the album dropped — Riffolution, Cvltfest, Return of the Riff, Esbjerg Fuzztival, Desertfest London 2022 and I’m sure others as well have seen them feature, and no doubt that after The Infinite Mirror arrives on Nov. 17, that trend will continue. Spring run? More festivals? These things are very real possibilities.

As they did the first time around, Ripple Music will be handling Ritual King‘s sophomore full-length, and the band have put the seven-minute “Landmass” out as the first single. It’s seven minutes long, so not an insubstantial sampling of the five-songer, but what they do with that time is more important than the time itself, and “Landmass” takes shape patiently across a fluid early section and breaks into a shuffle riff not once, but twice before it’s done. Look out for the second time, they kind of sneak it in there, and to me, that represents them well. On the debut, they showed themselves to be clever songwriters, and the way “Landmass” picks up one more time just before it’s over feels like it’s assuring that the case hasn’t changed with The Infinite Mirror.

So, it’s a record I was looking forward to. Now it’s a record I’m looking forward to that has a release date and a lead single. Nice when these things evolve like that.

From the PR wire:

ritual king the infinite mirror

RITUAL KING shares debut single off upcoming new album “The Infinite Mirror”, out November 17th on Ripple Music.

Manchester stoner blues rockers RITUAL KING announce the release of their sophomore full-length “The Infinite Mirror” this November 13th on Ripple Music, and release its infectiously heavy first single “Landmass” on all streaming platforms today!

Stream Ritual King’s new single “Landmass”: https://lnkfi.re/landmass

RITUAL KING “The Infinite Mirror”
Out November 17th on Ripple Music
US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/products?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search=ritual+king
Bandcamp preorder – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-infinite-mirror

From the enigmatic corridors of Manchester’s underground stoner rock scene emerges RITUAL KING’s latest magnum opus, “The Infinite Mirror”. A journey that transcends the traditional boundaries of stoner psych rock, this album is a testament to the band’s continued evolution and their ability to tread new sonic territories. While their signature heavy riffs and intoxicating rhythms are very much present, they’re complemented by expansive, atmospheric passages that transport listeners to otherworldly realms. From the hypnotic realm of “Flow State” to the expansive soundscape of the title track “The Infinite Mirror” the album boasts a sonic palette that’s as diverse as it is mesmerizing.

“The Infinite Mirror” delves deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of introspection, duality, and the eternal search for meaning: it demands to be experienced in its entirety, with each track acting as a fragment of a larger, interconnected whole. Through a masterful balance of heaviness and harmony, it will plunge into darker realms, only to emerge into passages of serene elegance, reflecting the very duality it seeks to explore. With “The Infinite Mirror,” RITUAL KING has not just released an album, but a statement. It’s a declaration of their versatility and their ambition. Prepare to gaze deep within, and discover the endless possibilities that lie beyond the reflection.

It was produced, mixed and engineered by Luke Clarke and mastered by Jim Spenceat Eve Studios, Stockport, UK. The artwork was designed by Ryan T Hancock. It will be released in various vinyl editions, CD and digital on November 17th, with preorders available now from Ripple Music.

Tracklisting:
1. Flow State
2. Words Divide
3. Landmass
4. Tethered
5. The Infinite Mirror

RITUAL KING is:
Jordan Leppitt – Lead Vocals & Guitar
Dan Godwin – Bass
Gareth Hodges – Drums & Backing Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/ritualking/
https://www.instagram.com/ritualkinguk/
https://ritualking.bandcamp.com/
https://ritualking.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Ritual King, The Infinite Mirror (2023)

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