I get big Lowrider vibes off the new Humulus single, the way the crash cymbal feels pulled out as a backdrop behind the guitar, and the momentum punctuated by the kick, that blend of movement with breathy vocals overtop. Not a thing you’re going to hear me complain about, probably ever. “Rise and Fall” is the first song streaming from Humulus‘ new album, Smuggler’s Cave, and to be perfectly honest, I immediately thought of the movie The Goonies when I first saw the title, but I think mostly that’s just me revealing my age. Also the internet decided ‘goon’ means masturbate now, and it definitely didn’t when that film came out.

Humulus‘ last album was 2023’s Flowers of Death (review here), and the Italian outfit — I’m pretty sure they’re still a trio; drummer Massimiliano Boventi is the last remaining founder, guitarist/vocalist Thomas Mascheroni debuted on the most recent record, and Fabio Giacomini debuts here; they’re way less beery/burly than they were when they picked the moniker, and that’s not a complaint either — will travel to the United States for what I believe will be the first time to take part in next January’s Planet Desert Rock Weekend VII in Las Vegas. Maybe the country will even still exist by the time they get here. You never know.

No, I haven’t requested to premiere the record yet. Yes, I will send that email. I’m behind on everything this week. It’s a very distracting apocalypse.

From the PR wire:

Italian stoner psych trio HUMULUS to issue new album “Smuggler’s Cave” on Ripple Music this fall; first track streaming now!

Ripple Music welcomes Italian psychedelic stoner rockers HUMULUS to their roster for the release of their new album “Smuggler’s Cave” this October 9th!

Stream new Humulus single “Rise and Fall” at this location: https://lnkfi.re/humulusrise

Smuggler’s Cave marks HUMULUS’ fifth LP and their second outing with vocalist/guitarist Thomas Mascheroni. Following 2023’s Flowers Of Death, the band spent two years traversing Europe’s stages, and it was in the cracks between tours that the improvisations for this record took root. True to form, the band returned to the rehearsal room for marathon sessions, capturing hours of raw interplay, isolating the sparks and forging new songs from the embers.

On this album, those riffs hit harder and land with greater certainty than before, yet HUMULUS’s sonic hallmark remains intact: a deft pivot from rhythmic, classic stoner crunch into more psychedelic and introspective depths. As always, lyrics arrived after the music, with the title track served as a thread for the rest of the record, leading the listener through mysterious settings, tales of wizards, cemetery dreams, damned souls and the shade of dark forests. A record that’s heavy, haunted and more than ever unapologetically HUMULUS. It will be released on October 9th on LP, CD and digital, with preorders available now from Ripple Music.

New album “Smuggler’s Cave”
Out October 9th on Ripple Music (LP/CD/digital)

—

Humulus is an Italian psych-stoner power trio formed in Brescia, Italy in 2009. Born from the heavy lineage of Kyuss, Karma to Burn and Orange Goblin, they quickly built a reputation across southern Europe with their crushing debut on Go Down Records.

A lineup shift in 2015 flipped the script. New frontman Andrea Bellicini pushed the band into trippier, more dynamic territory through longer songs, richer atmospheres and a sound that outgrew stoner orthodoxy. The years that followed saw Humulus touring non-stop with European festival runs (Freak Valley, Desertfest Belgium, Up In Smoke), and a string of acclaimed LPs that veered from doom-laced riffage to sprawling psychedelic meditation. Another mutation came in late 2022 with the arrival of Thomas Mascheroni, reigniting the band’s chemistry and leading to a fresh creative burst. They hit the road again, sharing stages with heavyweights like Colour Haze and Monkey3, while steadily forging new material.

When founder Giorgio Bonacorsi stepped back in 2026, the remaining core members enlisted Fabio Giacomini to complete the lineup and write their most ambitious work yet, to be released in the fall 2026 on Ripple Music.

Humulus:
Thomas Mascheroni – Guitar and Voice
Massimiliano Boventi – Drums
Fabio Giacomini – Bass

http://www.humulus.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/humulus.band/
https://www.facebook.com/humulusband

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

Humulus, “Rise and Fall”