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

$15 presale at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heavy-mash-2026-tickets-1984672422642
$20 at the door.

https://www.instagram.com/heavymashfest
https://www.facebook.com/heavymash/

Stone Machine Electric, Faces (2025)

Bugnod, American Dreamed (2025)

The Infamists, “Lonestar Woes” (2025)

Sons of Gulliver, “Red Sun Blues” official video

I didn’t even get the chance to review the last one yet! Burnt Counters, which is out April 12, is kind of like Slow Draw‘s proper follow-up to 2025’s The People’s Department of Governmental Check and Balances (review here), is not the first release from Mark Kitchens‘ solo-project on 2026. Last month, Kitchens dropped the sub-10-minute Is it Death Metal or Sadness?, which was both a tongue-in-cheek experiment and a hard-hitting look at the way music and the mundane interract.

Burnt Counters seems to be going for something more drone-based and expressive, and fair enough. The palette for Slow Draw has been broad since the project’s outset, so I would still expect plenty persistence of weird, and so much the better.

The PR wire has it like this:

New ambient/noise album from Slow Draw (Mark Kitchens of Stone Machine Electric), “Burnt Counters”, out April 12th; lead single “Roadblock” out March 13th

Ambient soundscapes, lightly steeped in exploratory psych and the meditative drawn-out cadence of drone

Mark Kitchens’ (one third of Stone Machine Electric) long-running solo project Slow Draw deals in patient and often unsettling drone, ambient, and psychedelia. Following 2025’s album The People’s Department of Governmental Checks & Balances and its penchant for heavy, distorted nightmare fuel, Kitchen returns with new album Burnt Counters. Dark and poignant in new ways, “Burnt Counters” carves out a very personal corner of Slow Draw’s discography.

IN THE BAND’S OWN WORDS:

“This recording of this album started in the summer of 2024, after I had the experience of a pulmonary embolism followed by a pneumothorax. Some of these songs are about that and reinforced my thoughts on certain topics. Most of this album was recorded in 2024, but it lagged into 2025 and wrapped up in January of 2026.

“I bounced back and forth on whether to give it a full band sound, or to make it sound how it might if I performed it live by myself. As you’ll hear, I went with the full band sound. It is a studio album, so if and when I play any of these live, it will be a different experience.

“Burnt Counters is a more personal album than others. My father passed away in November 2025, commemorated in Walk in the Woods with Dad. My wife, Lynda, provided lyrics for As I Stare. Roadblock is specifically about my health experiences in 2024. If I had ignored my body, I may not be here now.”

Slow Draw – Burnt Counters
Album out April 12th
Self-released (CD, Digital)
Hurst, Texas

Tracklist:
1. Entrances & Exits (5:18)
2. Crush (4:18)
3. Totems (8:05)
4. As I Stare (2:40)
5. Roadblock (5:03)
6. Escape (6:13)
7. Walk in the Woods with Dad (4:22)
8. Burnt Counters (5:12)

Slow Draw is: Mark Kitchens

https://slowdraw.net/
https://slowdraw.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/slowdrawmusic
https://www.facebook.com/slowdrawband

Slow Draw, Is it Death Metal or Sadness? (2026)

Houston, Texas, heavy rockers Warlung released their fifth album, The Poison Touch, a year ago in Feb. 2025 as their third offering through Heavy Psych Sounds. Sometime between then and now, the four-piece of guitarist/vocalists George Baba and Philip Bennett and the brotherly rhythm section of bassist Chris Tamez and drummer Ethan Tamez recorded the five-song live session premiering below.

…And that’s the story of it. Pretty straightforward, right?

Yes, and that’s a strength on the part of the band. The Poison Touch came three years after 2022’s Vulture’s Paradise (review here), and from the unrepentantly-about-vaping “Digital Smoke” shredding out like something on Dehumanizer (I guess I’m thinking “Computer God,” but it’s a march and ripper solo anyhow), to the closer “29th Scroll 6th Verse” — which opens here, including at the outset the sample of Cornelius from Planet of the Apes reading the words of the Lawgiver concerning humans (“Beware the beast Man…” etc.) — and through both the rampant Sabbathy bounce of “Holy Guide” and the more expansive take on “Spell Speaker” with the shared vocals of Bennett and Baba letting them delve into some Uncle Acidic cult melody, delivery is the priority. “Rat Bastard,” later on the LP, soars even as it careens and has hooks and atmosphere in kind, reinforcing the declarative nod of “White Light Seeker,” earlier on, preceding the airy finisher “The Sleeping Prophet.” Warlung are not shy in letting the listener know where they’re coming from, but if you’d hold that against them then you’re missing the point. Grim as the lyrics might be at any given time, they’re celebrating heavy here as much as they’re reminding of the rampant evils in the world today.

Warlung celebrate their 10th anniversary in 2026. They’ll be at Stoner Jam at SXSW in Austin this March and no doubt will have more going on besides. What this video brings to light for me, aside from making me thankful I went back and checked out the record, is that they can do it live too. It’s not just in the studio where that melodic reach happens; they bring that to the stage. I suppose if you’ve seen them before (as I’m sure you have, because you’ve seen everybody), that’s something you already know. For me, I haven’t, so it perhaps feels a bit more like crucial information. They not only can write those songs but play them too.

So yeah, maybe pretty straightforward. But when you can do the thing the way they are, you don’t need to be circuitous. You can go right at people with the songs as an invitation to dig and it’ll work. I put this video on to check it out for a minute and ended up watching the whole thing. “Spell Speaker” might be the highlight, but they close out with a cover of “Lord of This World” and, well, see “celebrating” above. The Poison Touch is of course streaming near the bottom of the post.

Please enjoy:

Warlung, Live at Southwing Audio, Houston, TX video premiere

WARLUNG live recordings at Southwing Audio in Houston, Texas.

TRACKLIST
1. 29th Scroll 6th Verse
2. White Light Seeker
3. Spell Speaker
4. Holy Guide
5. Lord of This World

“We recently had the chance to record a few tracks from our latest record at Southwing Audio, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish. We were so happy to collab with their team to get an awesome Studio quality live sound. Couldn’t be happier with the results!!”

Recorded at Southwing Audio in Houston, TX.

Warlung:
George Baba – guitar/keys/vocals
Philip Bennett – guitar/vocals
Chris Tamez – bass
Ethan Tamez – drums

Warlung, The Poison Touch (2025)

Warlung on Bandcamp

Warlung on Instagram

Warlung on Facebook

Heavy Psych Sounds website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Bandcamp

Heavy Psych Sounds on Instagram

Heavy Psych Sounds on Facebook

Dallas classic-style heavy boogie rockers Smokey Mirror have a new single coming. They also have a new video up for “Invisible Hand.” What you need to know is that the two happenings aren’t really connected. Well, it’s the same band, so I guess it is, but if you’re watching “Invisible Hand” and thinking to yourself, “Well this new song is really cool,” the good news is it comes from the band’s 2023 self-titled debut (review here), so you already have a record to chase down for more, and that’s awesome.

As to why a video now, I don’t really know, but the clip is cinematic — like, it has a plot, and people acting, and scenes — and if it took a while to put it together, I’d believe that. Or maybe they just had the idea and wanted to do something cool. I don’t know. It’s worth remembering there aren’t actually rules about these things, and a good video is its own excuse for being. It’s at the bottom of this post, so enjoy.

Meanwhile, the new 7″ for which they’ll play a release show on March 7 in their hometown with Amplified Heat and others brings two tracks, one original called “Blood and Smoke” and a cover of Lucifer’s Friend‘s “Everybody’s Clown” from that band’s 1971 self-titled LP. “Blood and Smoke” is a ripper, twisty enough to convey modernity while still toned for vintage reference. The organ in “Everybody’s Clown” feels like a suitable complement, and underscores how much where Smokey Mirror are going is informed by what’s at root in their sound. At 12 minutes, they’re pushing the limits of the 7″ format, and that feels good too as a manifestation of their (hopefully) having more to say.

Blood and Smoke b/w Everybody’s Clown is out March 6 (of course that’s Bandcamp Friday), with the show the next night. The info below confirming that comes from social media:

A few months ago we cruised out to @echolabstudios to record a brand new single and a cover of a song we really love. We’re stoked to announce they’ll be dropping on Bandcamp Friday, March 6th, along with a (very) limited run of 7” records. We put a lot of heart and soul into these tracks, can’t wait to share them with y’all. We’ve also got big plans for the release party…

We’re stoked to announce our next show will be at @doublewide_dallas on Saturday, March 7th to celebrate the release of our forthcoming new single! We’ll also be celebrating @bluesciferrising’s birthday! We’ve got an extremely rad bill lined up for y’all featuring @chemicalspell.tx, @vandammeband, and the mighty @amplifiedheat from ATX!

This is the only show we have in the books and we don’t plan on making any other live appearances for a while, so come boogie while ya can!

https://linktr.ee/smokeymirrortx
https://smokeymirrortx.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/smokeymirrortx/
https://www.facebook.com/smokeymirrortx/

Smokey Mirror, “Invisible Hand” official video

Last week, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol announced a full-US run in the company of fellow Austinites and Permanent Teeth Records labelmates American Sharks. The latter are making a return after a five-year break and now have revealed a new album to coincide with the start of that tour in April. Titled Not Dead Yet, the record is introduced via first single “Going Insane,” which you can hear at the bottom of this post. It’s a classic shove, tense in chug and punk-rooted as American Sharks have been all along, with an earworm of a hook that’s in and out in just over three minutes, sharply executed but not indulgent at the cost of efficiency. Like the record from whence it comes, it sounds like American Sharks both are and definitely are not screwing around. That’s a good thing.

The tour dates with Rickshaw Billie‘s are below as well, if you didn’t mark your calendar already. Here’s the single cover art and info courtest of the PR wire:

AMERICAN SHARKS – Not Dead Yet

Pre-orders: https://americansharks.bandcamp.com/album/not-dead-yet

American Sharks is a three-piece band hailing from Austin, TX. Their punk-metal hybrid sound blends pop hooks with blasting-yer-face riffs resulting in something akin to if Weezer went Stoner Rock. Coupled with hook-laden singalong lyrics, American Sharks’ forthcoming 2026 album Not Dead Yet is a, uh, breathtaking return.

The band is joined on the album by special guest guitar soloists: Mike Derks (GWAR), Zach Blair (Rise Against), Kyle Shutt (The Sword), David Sullivan (Red Fang), and Leo Lydon (Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol).

Since the release of their 2013 self-titled debut album, American Sharks has toured extensively supporting the likes of GWAR, Clutch, The Sword, Red Fang, Big Business, Corrosion of Conformity and many others. After touring to support their debut album on The End Records, American Sharks took time off to write and record their self-produced follow up album, 11:11 on BMG. After a 5 year break, American Sharks are back with 9-fast paced, pummeling tracks.

Not Dead Yet will be available on LP, CD and download on April 17th, 2026 via Permanent Teeth.

Tracklisting:
01. I’m Not Dead Yet
02. Flowers For The Dead
03. Going Insane
04. Fuzz War
05. Give Me Blood
06. Band Yet Head
07. The Machine
08. Sunny Sunday
09. They Want Peace

AMERICAN SHARKS – TOUR 2026:
03/12 Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas – Hotel Vegas 15th Anniversary Party
04/16 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater *#
04/17 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge *
04/19 Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern *
04/20 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios *
04/22 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of The Hill *
04/23 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon *
04/25 San Diego, CA – The Casbah *
04/26 Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s *
04/28 Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge *
05/01 Oklahoma City, OK – Resonant Head *#
05/02 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck *#
05/03 Omaha, NE – Reverb *#
05/04 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry *#
05/06 Milwaukee, WI – Falcon Bowl *#
05/07 St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill Duck Room *#
05/08 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle *#
05/09 Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s *#
05/10 Toronto, ON – The Garrison *
05/12 Montreal, QC – Cabaret Foufs *
05/13 Boston, MA – Sonia *
05/15 Brooklyn, NY – TV Eye *
05/17 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
05/18 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery *
05/20 Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre *
05/22 Atlanta, GA – The Earl *
05/23 Nashville, TN – The Blue Room *
* w/ Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol
# w/ Pink Fuzz

https://americansharks.bandcamp.com
https://linktr.ee/americansharks
https://www.instagram.com/americansharks/

American Sharks, Not Dead Yet (2026)

Last year found Austin, Texas, three-piece Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol touring across the US and in Europe to support their righteous 2024 album, Big Dumb Riffs (review here), and in April they’ll launch their next tour of the States (plus Toronto and Montreal) in the company of American Sharks. They’re calling the run ‘Ca$h Grab,’ which I’ll just go ahead and hope will also be the title of their next record, dripping with irony as it is. I have no word on that, mind you — a new album, I mean — but with the momentum these guys have behind them at this point, I can’t help but wonder if they don’t have something in the works. The other possibility, of course, is they’ll take the money from the tour and use it for studio costs, in which case ‘Ca$h Grab’ is a bit more literal.

It’s a universe of infinite possibility, I guess, and a band having or not having a new album is covered by that. I haven’t seen these guys yet and I should’ve by now, so I’m keeping that Brooklyn date on my calendar. That and the rest of the tour info follows below, as seen on the PR wire:

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol announce North American headlining tour in April-May 2026

Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol announce headlining dates across North America today, running through April and May. Artist pre-sale tickets are available on Wednesday, February 11th at 10am local time (password: CASHGRAB.) The band will be joined on the 6 week long tour by Austin punk-metal trio American Sharks, and in the Midwest by Denver “Desertgaze” trio Pink Fuzz. Please see all dates below. Tickets for all shows are available HERE: https://rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.myshopify.com/

BIG DUMB RIFFS is available on digital, LP and cassette, released May 10th, 2024. Order/stream the album on all formats HERE: https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL – US LIVE 2026:
04/16 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater *
04/17 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
04/19 Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
04/20 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
04/22 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of The Hill
04/23 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon
04/25 San Diego, CA – The Casbah
04/26 Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s
04/28 Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge
05/01 Oklahoma City, OK – Resonant Head *
05/02 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck *
05/03 Omaha, NE – Reverb *
05/04 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry *
05/06 Milwaukee, WI – Falcon Bowl *
05/07 St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill Duck Room *
05/08 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle *
05/09 Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s *
05/10 Toronto, ON – The Garrison
05/12 Montreal, QC – Cabaret Foufs
05/13 Boston, MA – Sonia
05/15 Brooklyn, NY – TV Eye
05/17 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
05/18 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
05/20 Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
05/22 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
05/23 Nashville, TN – The Blue Room
All shows with American Sharks
*w/ Pink Fuzz

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol:
Leo Lydon: eight-string guitar/vocals
Aaron Metzdorf: bass
Sean St.Germain: drums

https://www.facebook.com/rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol
https://www.instagram.com/rickshawbillieandtheboys
https://rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.bandcamp.com/
http://www.rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.com/
https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Big Dumb Riffs (2024)

For the perpetually busy High Desert Queen, this Midwestern run alongside fellow Austinites Gran Moreno in April will precede a Spring European tour set to take place in May. It’s 12 shows, which I’d call more than a warmup, but you can see that part of the occasion is a slot at the second Midwest Doom Coalition Stoner Doom Festival, to be held in Lawrence, Kansas, and of course at this point, High Desert Queen just go. They don’t really need an excuse. Their latest album, 2024’s Palm Reader (review here), will turn two years old while they do this tour.

Gran Moreno‘s debut album, El Sol (discussed here), on the other hand, just came out this month. They were recently brought under the wing of Lick of My Spoon Management, headed by High Desert Queen‘s Ryan Garney, and so yes, the pairing makes sense across multiple levels. I would expect more dates to come from both of these outfits, but perhaps that’s a no-brainer so early in the year. Nonetheless, here I stand, sans brain.

From social media:

HIGH DESERT QUEEN & GRAN MORENO: MIDWEST TAKEOVER TOUR!

High Desert Queen is getting back on the road and looking to take their “Texas sized riffs” to the Midwest. The band is ready to chase tornadoes with the quickly rising Gran Moreno. What show will be see you at?

“We are excited to finally announce we will be hitting the road with our good friends from Austin @granmorenomusic who are hot off a debut album release! There will be lots of energy, heavy riffs, and free hugs!” -Ryan of HDQ

Midwest Takeover Tour:
4/09 Little Rock, AK Stickyz
4/10 Nashville, TN The 5 Spot
4/11 Indianapolis, IN The 808
4/12 Chicago, IL Reggies
4/13 Detroit, MI Sanctuary
4/14 Madison, WI Gamma Ray
4/15 Milwaukee, WI X-Ray Arcade
4/16 Davenport, IA Raccoon Motel
4/17 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck (MDC Doom Fest)
4/18 Tulsa, OK Whittier Bar
4/19 Fort Worth, TX The Cicada
4/20 Austin, TX Far Out Lounge

http://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
https://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

granmoreno.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/granmorenomusic

High Desert Queen, Palm Reader (2024)

Gran Moreno, El Sol (2026)

Not to point out the obvious, but if the country went on a general strike, it wouldn’t matter if Temple of Love‘s video was ‘safe for work’ or not. And anyway, maybe you have the kind of job where if someone walks into your office, cube, whatever-nightmare-open-plan-seating-arrangement-I-can’t-fathom and you’ve got “Devil” on with its devil-ladies writhing and feeling themselves up (not arguing), it’s no biggie. Maybe not. One more reason for a general strike, beyond all the many, many others.

Temple of Love — and I don’t know about you, but I do tend to pronounce the last word of their moniker as “lerve” — have tour dates coming up, and the new clip for “Devil” that you can see at the bottom of this post, is out timed to give the tour something of a visual boost. Why more bands don’t do that kind of thing — aside from finances — I have no idea. But it’s a reminder that their 2025 debut album, Songs of Love and Despair (review here), also had an outside-the-box stylistic take, heavying up post-punk and proto-goth, Sisters of Mercy and such vibes, so maybe creative thinking works on multiple levels. So much the better.

They’ve got a hometown date in Austin and them tour picks up Feb. 5 and they’ll do 10 shows — four in Florida alone! — before closing out in Houston on their way home. The PR wire has particulars:

Temple of Love Announces U.S. Tour Dates; Releases New Video “Devil”

Austin Band’s Debut LP, ‘Songs of Love and Despair’, Available Now!

Austin dark wave rock unit, Temple of Love, creates sultry, searing songs rife with the roar and weight of ritual and rebellion. The Texas quartet, which released its debut full-length LP, ‘Songs of Love and Despair’ this past November via The Reptile House, has announced U.S. tour dates in support of the album. The ‘Love and Despair in the Southeast’ tour will launch on January 30 in Austin and hit 11 cities, before wrapping on February 14 in Houston, TX. The just-announced live dates are as follows:

Temple of Love tour dates:

January 30 – Austin, TX @ The Lost Well
February 5 – Lafayette, LA @ Freetown Boom Boom Room
February 6 – Birmingham, AL @ The Firehouse
February 7 – Atlanta, GA @ Boggs Social Club
February 8 – Charleston, SC @ Tin Roof
February 9 – Orlando, FL @ Conduit
February 10 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
February 11 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Bark
February 12 – Pensacola, FL @ The Handlebar
February 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Santos Bar
February 14 – Houston, TX @ 1810 Ojeman

In sync with the tour announcement, Temple of Love releases a music video for its new song, “Devil”, shot and edited with Marcos Morales of Austin’s Dirt City Studios ([adult swim], Inter Arma, Outer Heaven). View Temple of Love’s “Devil” video at this location.

Purchase/save ‘Songs of Love and Despair’ at this location: https://linktr.ee/templeoflovetx

Temple of Love features Suzy Bravo (vocals), Steve Colca (guitars/backing vocals), Joseph Maniscalco (bass) and Patrick Pascucci (drums).

https://linktr.ee/templeoflovetx
https://www.templeoflovetx.com/
https://templeoflove.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/templeoflove_tx
http://www.facebook.com/templeofloveofficialband

Temple of Love, “Devil” official video

Temple of Love, Songs of Love and Despair (2025)