The full lineup for Heavy Mash Fest 2026 is out, and I’m glad to have The Obelisk back on board co-presenting the all-dayer event at Division Brewing in Arlington, Texas. Stone Machine Electric will top the bill and they’re supported by Red Beard Wall, They Watch Us From the Moon, Sons of Gulliver, Mind Funeral, Bugnog and The Infamists. Some familiar names and some not in there, so I checked out Bugnog‘s 2025 American Dreamed EP, which came out last September and proves to be duly weird, rife with noisy crunch and a well-justified disappointment with the world around it from the Oklahoma-based outfit.
Bass-and-drums duo Sons of Gulliver released their debut album, Tetrahedric Hellscape Cannon, at the end of last month, and because I’m nowhere near as cool as you, I haven’t had the chance to sit with it as yet, but their video for “Red Sun Blues” is suitably desert’ed, though their configuration brings an immediate sense of individuality to desert riffing, since, you know, there’s no guitar. You’ll find that below as well. I hadn’t heard The Infamists either. Big highway vibe, and more than a little twang on “Stab Stab Bang Bang” but their other 2025 single, “Lonestar Woes,” is a classic rocker about being screwed over by the government, which for sure is a thing.
I guess the point is there’s cool stuff to be had whatever your prior level of familiarity with any given act might be. Thanks to Mark Kitchens / Heavy Mash for having The Obelisk on board again. Here’s the full lineup and ticket link:
Heavy Mash 2026 6/6/2026 at 4pm
We’re back at Division Brewing to throw another mash in conjunction with The Obelisk and the Midwest Doom Coalition!
Stone Machine Electric Red Beard Wall They Watch Us from the Moon Sons of Gulliver Mind Funeral Bugnog The Infamists
Stone Machine Electric release their new album, Faces, this Friday, Sept. 26, through Argonauta Records. It is either the fifth or sixth full-length from the Hurst, Texas, veteran weirdos, depending on how you want to count 2014’s Garage Tape (review here), and it follows behind 2020’s The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld (review here) and the longest break between releases of the band’s career. Some of that time owes to the times, obviously, but the former duo of William “Dub” Irvin and Mark Kitchens became a trio, welcoming Erick Paxecko on bass. It’s not the first time since their outset that Irvin (guitar, vocals) and Kitchens (drums, vocals and tape manipulation; also of the experimentalist solo outfit Slow Draw) have branched out the configuration of the band, but there’s little arguing with the results across the six songs and 40 minutes of Faces. Nobody else takes jam-based material quite where Stone Machine Electric do, and Faces will be immediately recognizable to those familiar with their prior work.
That said, from the meditative vibe set by the keyboard/effects and vocals of Om-meets-Sabbath-meets-a-sludgy-end opener “Just Another Wizard” (you know, like Helmet and House of Pain’s “Just Another Victim” with its third eye open) and the encroaching march of “Walls of Hate,” which follows, through the six-minute finale “The Alp” (yes, singular), there are moments where the most surprising aspect of Faces is how straightforward it is. Even “Manic,” which is the longest inclusion at 9:27 and departs before it’s halfway through to a sprawling three-piece jam, returns to the structure from whence it came to bookend. That’s not to say there isn’t quirk to the craft or that the overarching impression of individuality has lessened, just that as “Chroma” takes Led Zeppelin through the wormhole and “Price of it All” pairs funky start-stops with grittier-delivered vocals, it wouldn’t be the first time Stone Machine Electric have fostered some commonality with their fellow Texans Wo Fat, whose Kent Stump is a frequent collaborator. Just by way of context, The Inexplicable Frequencies… was three songs and 45 minutes. That should be a stark enough difference to clue you in to an intentional change in methodology.
And it is easy to see the intent behind the change. I’m not sure everything can be boiled down to the advent of Paxecko in the group, but I’d suspect not, and no, these aren’t the first straight-ahead songs Stone Machine Electric have written, but they feel focused in a new way and while I don’t have the math to back this up, Faces certainly feels like the most vocally-centered the they have ever been. Considering their history of instrumentalism and general malleability of modus, maybe that’s not saying a ton, but even setting “Just Another Wizard” and the easy-riding swagger of “Price of it All” next to each other demonstrates a range being employed in the songs. So not only is Faces the most refined Stone Machine Electric have sounded to-date, but it keeps the unpredictability of their past work intact — not to mention being something of an unanticipated turn in itself. That you don’t know what’s coming next has been among the band’s strengths for the last 16 years. Somewhat ironically, aside from the participation of Irvin and Kitchens, it is their most reliable aspect.
Given that, I won’t hazard a prediction about where Faces might lead them. Instead, after five years, I’ll just say I’m glad the new album exists in the now. The doomjazz elements may have been put on a relative back-burner — either permanently or not, who knows — but there continues to be no mistaking Stone Machine Electric. The key difference is one of writing, of perhaps taking the parts of jams and assembling them so they function more as traditional songs, but in doing so, Faces feels no less adventurous than anything Stone Machine Electric have done in the past, and they approach their task with characteristic boldness, oddball angling, and depth of arrangement and tone. Their frequencies, their vibe, their affect, whatever you want to call it, remains almost entirely their own.
Please enjoy:
Stone Machine Electric, Faces album premiere
Texas-based power trio Stone Machine Electric are back with Faces, their most immersive and mind-bending album to date, set for release on September 26, 2025 via Argonauta Records.
Formed in 2009 by Mark Kitchens and William “Dub” Irvin, and joined by bassist Erick Paxecko in 2023, the band has spent over a decade crafting sonic landscapes rooted in stoner rock, doom, space and experimental vibes, building a loyal cult following in the US underground. Their previous releases, include the sprawling The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld and the live album Vivere.
Faces captures the full evolution of Stone Machine Electric’s sound: six tracks of introspective heaviness, slow grooves and expansive atmosphere. It’s the sound of a band tapping into the void and bringing back something real, raw and hypnotic.
Tracklist – Faces 1. Just Another Wizard – 07:53 2. Walls of Hate – 06:32 3. Chroma – 05:24 4. Manic – 09:26 5. Price of It All – 04:51 6. The Alp – 06:25
“Faces” will be released on September 26, 2025 on CD, digital and limited edition colored deluxe vinyl (300 copies only) via Argonauta Records.
Stone Machine Electric: Mark Kitchens: Drums, HC-TT, and Vocals William “Dub” Irvin: Guitar and Vocals Erick Paxecko: Bass
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 2nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
The truth is you never really know what’s coming with Stone Machine Electric, so when you put on the new single “Chroma” in the creepy-mask-inclusive video below and find its central riff like something delivered by Helmet via Led Zeppelin‘s “Kashmir,” it’s a surprise, but it invariably was going to be. “Chroma” is markedly structured compared to some of the Hurst, Texas, outfit’s past work — drummer/vocalist Mark Kitchens (also Slow Draw) and guitarist William “Dub” Irvin brought on bassist Erick Paxecko in 2023, so a shift in dynamic makes sense, and it’s not their first song with a verse — but SME are not a haphazard band.
I can’t help but wonder if Faces, which will be the more manageably-titled follow-up to the band’s 2020 album, The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld (review here), will dig into jams elsewhere or if “Chroma” is signaling intent across the board this time out. No matter which way it goes, it’ll be fun to be surprised.
From the PR wire:
Doom Jazz Rockers Stone Machine Electric Reveal First Single And Video From The Upcoming New Album
Step into the void. STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC return with Chroma, the first single and official video from their upcoming new album Faces, set for release on Argonauta Records in early Autumn 2025.
Based in Texas and known for their signature blend of heavy psychedelia and doom-laced improvisation, a sound they call Doom Jazz, the trio delivers a hypnotic and crushing new chapter with Chroma. The track captures their dark, spacious, and deeply atmospheric approach.
Formed in 2009 by Mark Kitchens and William “Dub” Irvin, and completed by bassist Erick Paxecko in 2023, STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC have built a cult following with a string of self-released records, powerful live performances, and features in respected outlets.
“Chroma is a glimpse into the twisted heart of our upcoming album Faces,” say the band. “It captures where we are now: deeper, heavier, more experimental. We’re excited for this first taste to be out in the world.”
The full-length album Faces will be released in early Autumn 2025 via Argonauta Records. More details coming soon.
Stone Machine Electric are: William “Dub” Irvin – Guitar/Vocals Mark Kitchens – Drums/Vocals/Keyboard Erick Paxecko – Bass
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 19th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
In the parlance of probabaly-not-our-times anymore, GTFO. Not that Stone Machine Electric signed to Argonauta — that’s good news and makes a lot of sense, hooray for everybody, hope a new record is coming soon, etc. — but that it’s been five years since Hurst, Texas’ number-one weirdo stone-fusion export last released an album.
Not that The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld (review here) wasn’t long-enough a title to hold the band over for half a decade, it just doesn’t feel like that much time has passed. Maybe part of that is that SME drummer Mark Kitchens has been keeping busy developing the experimentalist solo-project Slow Draw — he’s got a record coming out April 29; news post slated here for tomorrow for it — and maybe I’m just old and that’s how time passes now. I ask you, can’t it be both?
Stone Machine Electric were in the studio last year with Kent Stump at the helm, but I haven’t seen word of a release date or anything yet for what will be their first LP for Argonauta. Always worth keeping an eye on these guys though — they’re always up to some kind of shenanigans or other, usually of the distortion-fueled variety.
From the PR wire:
Psychedelic Stoner Rock Trio STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC Signs With Argonauta Records
Argonauta Records is thrilled to welcome Texas-based stoner rock trio Stone Machine Electric to its ever-growing roster of heavy, boundary-pushing artists! Renowned for their immersive and spacious brand of psychedelic jamming, which they have aptly named Doom Jazz, the band has been crafting their unique sonic identity since 2009.
Formed by Mark Kitchens and William (Dub) Irvin, Stone Machine Electric has been on an evolving journey, solidifying their lineup with the addition of bassist Erick Paxecko in 2023. Over the years, the band has independently released a demo, an EP, and five full-length albums, including their most recent record, The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld, which saw the light via Desert Records. Their dynamic and powerful live presence has also been captured on the album Vivere, released through Off The Record Label.
No strangers to the road, Stone Machine Electric has extensively toured their home state of Texas, making waves in Arizona, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, and sharing the stage with heavyweights like King Buffalo, Mothership, Wo Fat, and Jucifer. They have also left their mark on the Texas festival circuit, performing at End Hip End It, Fuzzed Out Fest, and Heavy Mash.
Now, with a new chapter unfolding, Stone Machine Electric is set to release their upcoming album Faces under the Argonauta Records banner. The band comments:
“We’re excited to work with Gero and Argonauta Records on releasing Faces as the next stop in our journey as Stone Machine Electric! It will be great to be a part of what Argonauta has contributed to the heavy underground and look forward to bringing our style of heavy into the fold of the other great bands that make up what this label is about. We are honored to work with Argonauta, and are looking forward to getting our new music out as far as it can reach.”
Stay tuned for more details on Faces, tour dates, and further announcements from Stone Machine Electric and Argonauta Records!
Stone Machine Electric are: William “Dub” Irvin – Guitar/Vocals Mark Kitchens – Drums/Vocals/Keyboard Erick Paxecko – Bass
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 6th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Stone Machine Electric, for most of their decade-plus tenure, have been the duo of bassist/vocalist Dub and drummer Kitchens (also of Slow Draw). Dub and Kitchens, Kitchens and Dub. Of all the times I screw-up the names in a given band’s lineup — information posted surprisingly infrequently where one might find it — I can generally be sure that if it’s Stone Machine Electric, you got Dub and Kitchens getting up to some heavy psych weirdness. I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in that.
Nonetheless, after four full-lengths — the latest of them being 2020’s The Inexplicable Vibrations of Frequencies Within the Cosmic Netherworld (review here) — William “Dub” Irvin and Mark Kitchens have welcomed bassist Erick Paxecko to the band as the third in a power trio. Adding (more) low end is surely not going to make them any less heavy, and well, if he’s weird enough for Stone Machine Electric to let him be in the band, he’s probably weird enough for you. Will they start calling him “Pax?” So many questions to answer, but the band are letting it be known they’ll record in March, even if they’re not sure yet whether they’ll end up with a full album or not. I love that, by the way.
Kidding aside, this isn’t the first time Stone Machine Electric have brought in a tertiary party to handle bass, as they never shy from trying something new. Best of luck to them and to Paxecko, who one assumes will make his recorded debut on whatever results from the sessions next month, to be helmed by Wo Fat‘s Kent Stump in Stone Machine Electric‘s own version of tradition.
They sent the following down the PR wire:
STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC: Three-piece into the studio!
Texas-based duo Stone Machine Electric, best known for their weird approach in crafting a darkened and spacious vision of psychedelic jamming, are ready to announce they have added that pesky low-end to their lineup and are now a TRIO! I’m sure you weren’t expecting that, or maybe you were already aware due to your social media addiction. Anyway, we wanted to make it official.
Erick Paxecko has been jamming with the band since mid-2023 and has expanded upon the band’s already heavy sound. Erick started playing in Mexico in the early 2000s and toured throughout the northern region. In 2012, he moved to Seattle, WA and played in several bands, including the doom band Mycon. Erick enjoys experimenting with his tone by trying out different pedals and bass rigs to work on getting his sound blended into the mix.
And with that news, we thought it worth mentioning we’ll be hitting the studio this March with Erick at Crystal Clear Sound in Dallas, Texas, with our great friend Kent Stump at the controls. Hope to get a full album’s worth of material laid down and find a way to get it to everyone’s ears.
Stone Machine Electric are: William “Dub” Irvin – Guitar/Vocals Mark Kitchens – Drums/Vocals/Keyboard Erick Paxecko – Bass
The sixth annual Heavy Mash Fest is set for Oct. 7 at its traditional home, Division Brewing in Arlington. The festival is back to one day this year after extending to two in 2022, and in addition to veteran weirdo jammers Stone Machine Electric who’ll close out, Maryland doom’s Spiral Grave will journey west to headline.
You’ll recall The Obelisk is a long-time presenter of Heavy Mash. I dig what Mark Kitchens, who’s also got a new record coming from his experimentalist solo-project Slow Draw and who plays in Stone Machine Electric, has built over the last several years, not to mention the poster art, by Joshua Mathus, reprising the froggy theme of past editions with a righteous sci-fi bent.
The likes of drum-machine riffers Lotus Sutra and doom rockers Buzzürd — whose 2021 album, The Offering, I’d not heard and can be streamed at the bottom of this post — will round out the total-seven-band bill, and if you’re like me and not entirely familiar with all of them, I at this point trust Kitchens‘ curation will at least result in something interesting to hear, even if it doesn’t grab you and become your new favorite album forever. I guess what I’m saying is if you want to chase down any of the names below, it might be a fun endeavor. I’ll do likewise and see what’s to be found.
Continued best wishes to Heavy Mash and to Kitchens. Looks like a cool party, and tickets are dirt cheap:
Heavy Mash 2023 (6th year) will occur on October 7th at Division Brewing in Arlington, Texas. Doors open at 4pm, with music commencing shortly thereafter:
$15 Cover
5pm- Sons of Gulliver 6pm- Lotus Sutra 7pm- The Infamists 8pm- Buzzürd 9pm- FTW 10pm- Spiral Grave 11pm- Stone Machine Electric
Posted in Questionnaire on May 4th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Mark Kitchens of Slow Draw, Stone Machine Electric & Heavy Mash Fest
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I’ve always considered myself a noise maker, maybe even an explorer. Since I was a child, I always enjoyed sounds and music. I like to find things sonically in music or in everyday sounds.
Describe your first musical memory.
I can’t remember exactly, but it seemed to involved looking at catalogs and picking out albums. It may have been the whole Columbia House thing or something like that. I remember picking out 8-tracks since we had that style player back at that time. I think I picked out The Best of the Statler Brothers because I thought it was funny the cover had women on it and thought they were the musicians. I was 6 or so years old at the time.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Seeing Phish in 1998 or so. You’d think I’d remember the year, but I don’t. It was an outdoor concert in Austin, Texas. I ended up leaving my group of friends and got to one side of the soundboard area. I just remember getting lost in the sea of people and just enjoying the music and the back and forth between the crowd and the band. It was a communal type energy, and it was fun and mentally freeing.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Nothing comes to mind. I’ve had people test my beliefs in who they are, which is greatly surprising when you thought you knew them. As far as beliefs is general, I try my best to keep those based on experience or first hand knowledge so when something does get tested, I have an easier time accepting it. I don’t want to hold onto something based on what I want it to be if it is not what it is. I hope that makes sense.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Artistic progression leads to many things. For me, most of the time it seems to lead to a refined or more distinct path or art. On the other hand, I have had it take me back to where I started, and it becomes cyclical.
How do you define success?
Being happy with the result of my art and music. For my music, if it makes me listen to it over and over because I have captured some sort of memory or emotion in it, then I have succeeded.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
My wife’s internal organs. Our children were both C-section babies. On my first born when the nurse took the baby out, they had me follow them. As I walked towards them, I looked back at Lynda, and all I saw was them putting her parts and pieces back in. That was surreal and gross at the same time. [Hard relate to this. It’s medieval. — ed.]
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I’ve started saving dumb little phrases in my phone that I’d like to eventually run into songs. I’m talking 5-10 second long songs. I could see it being an album of about 20-25 songs, and it might top like 5 minutes of play time. I imagine it would sound more like a ton of shitty jingles than anything else. Maybe I could title it “Songs for the Internet” or something stupid like that.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Communication and community. Almost everything can be considered an artform in some fashion, and that brings people together, or at least within the same vicinity. This creates communities and communities that overlap.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Guess there are two things. Looking forward to celebrating 23 years of marriage in the next couple of weeks with the Mrs., and kind of still musical as we’ll be seeing The Cure on our anniversary. That’s her all-time favorite band.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 6th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
For the first time since its inception five years ago, the Heavy Mash Festival held each Fall in Arlington, Texas, will take place over two days. Mountain of Smoke headline Oct. 8 and fest-vets Doomstress headline Oct. 9, and joining them for Heavy Mash 2022 is a righteous cast from in and out of the Lone Star State, including first-timers The Angelus from Dallas, Dee Calhoun from Maryland, Fort Worth’s Novakain, Stone Machine Electric, whose Mark Kitchens organizes the event, Red Beard Wall, Monte Luna, The Infamists and more. Vorvon have played before, ditto for Orthodox Fuzz, but it’s been a few years, and with newcomers like Big Brown Bear and a first appearance from Phoenix’s Hudu Akil, there’s plenty to see.
In years past this site has been involved in presenting the fest and happy to do so. Not so much this year, it seems, but as Heavy Mash looks to expand in terms of reach and lineup, it makes sense to try to reach as many eyes and ears as possible, and well, it’s not like I’m not out here posting about it anyway. All the best to Kitchens and fellow organizer Anton Olson for another successful year and a rager Heavy Mash 2022. Looks like it’s gonna be a party.
So party:
HEAVY MASH 2022 – Oct 8 & 9
Heavy Mash 2022 is set for October 8th and 9th At Division Brewing in Arlington, Texas
Though we’re running a bit late on getting this out, Heavy Mash is back this year and ready to spend a couple of days doing what we love – listening to heavy music and watching these bands do what they do best! This will be the first year we’re letting loose for a 2-day event. Division Brewing and Growl Records will once again host us and the bands, and we hope you’re able to make it out and enjoy!
October 8th Lineup: Mountain of Smoke The Angelus Monte Luna Orthodox Fuzz Red Beard Wall Vorvon Hudu Akil Stone Machine Electric
October 9th Lineup: Doomstress The Infamists Novakain Dee Calhoun Big Brown Bear
