Posted in Whathaveyou on April 8th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Since last October, London’s Troy the Band have been eeking out collaborative singles, and the purpose is revealed as the July 3 release of their second album, (Des), following on from 2024’s Cataclysm (review here) and last year’s split with Cower (review here). “Journey’s End,” which bridges between a satisfying doomgaze roll, post-metallic sludge shouts and enough atmosphere to tie those two things together, is the fifth song from the record to stream, so if you find yourself listening to it and wanting more, there’s more to be had. Just imagine blastbeats and throatrippers immediately following and you’ll be good to go.
Their first album was on Bonebag and I’m not sure if this is or not, but talk about a band making the most out of a situation where they lost their singer. And it seems like they’ve got a new singer as well, so I guess everything works out for the best and weirdest.
In a spirit of looking forward to more, here’s this from the PR wire:
TROY THE BAND Announce New Single ‘JOURNEY’S END’ and Details of Sophomore Album (DES)
Featuring vocals from Peter Holland (Elephant Tree), Kay Elizabeth (Black Orchids), and Caine Hemmingway (Believe in Nothing), London’s heavy collective push noise and doom-gaze into thrilling new territories…
London-based experimental heavy outfit Troy The Band return with their powerful new single ‘Journey’s End’, the fifth track from their highly anticipated second album (des), set for full release this July.
Blending doom, shoegaze, noise rock and metal into an ever-shifting sonic identity, the band continue to push into bold new territory. ‘Journey’s End’ exemplifies this evolution. Musically expansive and deeply collaborative, featuring guest vocals from Peter Holland (Elephant Tree), Kay Elizabeth (Black Orchids), and Caine Hemmingway (Believe in Nothing).
“I’ve been friends with both Pete and Kay for a few years and knew I wanted them involved from the start,” explains bassist Sean Durbin. “We were even more excited when they proposed doing the track as a duet.”
As the track developed, the band leaned into its darker edges. “The extended breakdown descends into an uncomfortable place,” he continues. “It didn’t make sense to use clean vocals, but it also felt too long to stay instrumental. Since Caine was already involved, we asked him to add something ‘disgusting’ and he delivered. He pushed it into a darker space.”
With three distinct vocal performances woven into one track, ‘Journey’s End’ highlights both the band’s adventurous songwriting and the community within the UK’s underground heavy scene.
The single follows ‘Porous’, ‘Nothing’, ‘The Moment’, and ‘Adoration of Ill Luck’, each offering a different glimpse into (des), a nine-track album being unveiled one track per month ahead of its full release this summer.
Originally conceived as a traditional follow-up to their 2024 debut Cataclysm (Bonebag Records), (des) took on a new identity after the band parted ways with their original vocalist. Rather than delay, Troy The Band embraced collaboration, inviting vocalists from across the UK heavy scene.
Recorded with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studio in Haggerston, the album features contributors from Elephant Tree, Believe in Nothing, Black Groove, Codex Serafini, Black Orchids, Dead Witches, Tayne, and Black Shape, and marks drummer Jack Revans’ first full-length as a permanent member.
“We’re really proud of this record,” says Durbin. “It’s an evolution of Cataclysm that feels more uniquely us. We hadn’t planned to use different vocalists on every track, but it’s been an incredibly enriching experience. The record is better for it.”
The band have also confirmed Ana-Maria Terr Bordei as their new permanent vocalist. “We’re so happy Ana has joined us,” Durbin adds. “Her voice is unique, she’s incredibly creative, and we’ve already written nearly an album’s worth of new material together.”
With (des) continuing to unfold in the coming months, ‘Journey’s End’ stands as one of Troy The Band’s clearest statements yet. Fusing intensity, experimentation, and collaboration into a singular vision. ‘Journey’s End’ is out Friday (27/3), with (des) arriving in full on 3rd July 2026.
Tracklisting: 1. Porous (Featuring Soozi Chameleone) 2. Journey’s End (Featuring Peter Holland, Kay Elizabeth, and Caine Hemmingway) 3. Nothing (Featuring Jake Packham) 4. Denial (Featuring Soozi Chameleone and Tayne) 5. Requiem 6. The Moment (Featuring Caine Hemmingway) 7. Memory Glowing (Featuring Peter Holland and Kay Elizabeth) 8. Adoration of ill Luck (Featuring Ana-Maria Terr Bordei) 9. Choke (Featuring Caine Hemmingway, David Burdis, Jake Packham, and Ryan Denham)
Troy the Band: Sean Durbin – Bass Sean Burn – Guitar Jack Revans – Drums Ana-Maria Terr Bordei – Vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 25th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Listening to new single “Adoration of Ill Luck,” it’s not hard to hear why London’s Troy the Band might want to make it permanent with Ana-Maria Terr Bordei on vocals. Bordei is a guest performer on the new track, which comes from the band’s impending second LP, (des), reportedly due this summer, and the formerly-a-trio have announced that they’re now a four-piece with Bordei as their singer. The chemistry between Bordei and the rest of the group is palpable — it’s a fit — and the vocal performance in “Adoration of Ill Luck” is dynamic in moving from melody to more aggressive shouting.
I’m curious if Bordei is on the whole album, or if (des) will come out representing a version of the band that doesn’t really exist anymore. This is apparently the fourth single from the record — they’re being released one-per-month; no idea how many songs on the LP — and it doesn’t yet have a concrete release date that I’ve found, so I guess they’re eager to get it out either way. We’ll see, I guess.
The PR wire sent the following:
TROY THE BAND Announce New Single and Vocalist, Ahead of the Release of their Frenzied Genre-Warping Album
Featuring guest vocals from new and now permanent vocalist, Ana-Maria Terr, Bordei, London’s heavy collective push noise and doom-gaze into thrilling new territories…
(des), their follow-up to 2024’s Cataclysm, will be officially released this Summer
This month, London-based noise experimentalists Troy The Band share their new single ‘Adoration of Ill Luck’ – the fourth track from their hugely anticipated sophomore album, (des), and first with new vocalist, Ana-Maria Terr Bordei.
“We’re so happy that Ana has joined us permanently,” explains bassist Sean Durbin. “There was such a great vibe recording with her and since rehearsing together last December we have nearly an album’s worth of new material. We can’t wait to get back on the live circuit with her. Her voice is so unique, and she is super creative vocally. We’re excited to see where we go next musically.”
Following on from previous singles; ‘Porous’, ‘Nothing’ and ‘The Moment’, their latest single provides another bold creative shift. A strutting monolith of a track that leans on a sunken bass and intense, bone crushing groove, saved from utter desolation by Bordei’s strife affirming vocals.
After parting ways with their original vocalist shortly after entering the studio, the band re-imagined (des) as a collaborative project celebrating London’s vibrant underground heavy-music community. Featuring contributions from members of Elephant Tree, Believe in Nothing, Black Groove, Black Orchids, and more, their new material showcases the band’s ever-expanding sonic palette.
Recorded at Bear Bites Horse Studio in Haggerston with producer Wayne Adams (Gum Takes Tooth, Petbrick, Terminal Cheesecake), the sessions also cemented long-time live drummer Jack Revans as a permanent member, reinforcing the band’s evolution while maintaining the distinct identity forged on Cataclysm.
With plans to release one track per month leading up to a full physical edition this summer, Troy The Band are gearing up for their most ambitious year yet. For now, listeners can stream and share ‘Adoration of Ill Luck’ (featuring Ana-Maria Terr Bordei), with more news on (des) to follow soon.
Troy the Band: Sean Durbin – Bass Sean Burn – Guitar Jack Revans – Drums Ana-Maria Terr Bordei – Vocals
This is day four of the Summer 2025 Quarterly Review, and though I might pay for it later, say right around late-September when I’m doing the Fall one, I think I’m going to keep it to five days. Mostly that’s about not pressing my luck. This has been an exceedingly easy QR to get through, a breeze compared to some — one downer day is all it takes and I feel like I never have my groove again, but that hasn’t happened here — and I’m content to take the win and move on, as opposed to pushing for an extra day or two next week.
So this is the penultimate day, and we’ll finish tomorrow. I hope you’ve enjoyed the Quarterly Review nearly as much as I have. Not one day has passed without me adding at least one release to my year-end list(s), which is a pretty killer thing to realize as I type it. Let’s see how today goes.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
Muto Tapes, Side Effects
One of apparently five singles that Mexico City’s Muto Tapes will release over the course of 2025 — year’s half-over, they’d better hurry up — “Side Effects” runs four riffy minutes of thickened, aggressive chug-metal, calling to mind Sepultura in its spit-out guttural vocals, but creating a denser mass of distortion and leaving in trade the thrashy, sometimes bloody, roots. Past the halfway point in the song, circa 2:30 into the total 4:05, the tempo drops and the guitar/drum duo bask in some of the minimal spaces their configuration lets them occupy, saving a fair round of shove for the finish after setting it up with due foreboding guitar creep. Not sure if Muto Tapes are building toward an EP or LP or what, or just releasing singles because not everything needs to be a package to sell, but they bring a blend of heft and intensity that immediately distinguishes them in the heavy underground, and they look to be developing their sound on their own terms. Guitarist/vocalist/bassist Jorge S. and drummer Roy B. have been meting out punishment in this manner since 2023, so we’re just beginning to see where it’s all headed.
It hasn’t been that long since Turkey Vulture released their Oct. 2024 EP, On the List, or maybe I just blinked out for a few months. The Connecticut duo of Jessie May (guitar, bass, vocals) and Jim Clegg (drums, backing vocals) have long-enough since carved their niche in doom and punk rock, and “Dead to Me” and “Jill the Ripper (Heavy Take)” — the two of them running about four and a half minutes, combined — continues the thread. They don’t list the recording info, so I don’t know if these two songs were done at the same time as the EP or not, but “Jill the Ripper (Heavy Take),” as the title describes, is a louder and punkier take on the closing “Jill the Ripper” from that also-short release. “Dead to Me,” meanwhile, seems to be about not going to shows anymore, presumably because you have a kid, and the changing nature of friendships as a result of that. Turkey Vulture have a whole series of songs about these life-stages; just six years on from their debut, they’ve done a lot of growing.
Philippines heavy psych wanderers Polymerase are back two years after their two-part Dreams and Realities I & II full-length cycle with the mood-altering 78 minutes of Mindspace, seemingly named for the two things on which the material has the greatest effect. Pairing extended, jammier pieces with, well, shorter, jammier pieces, songs like “Divine Reefer” (12:08) can touch on Sleep while “Space Child” (7:10) is anything but grounded in its repetitions and evident outbound plotted trajectory. There’s more to Mindspace than mellow-out stoner idolatry, though, as the bassy rumble underwriting the harsher shouts of “Interplanetary Echoes” (13:08) demonstrates, taking some of the sludgier moments paired with heavygaze in “Crows and Doves” (11:57) and using them to call out to the expanse of the band’s own making. Closer “Downward Spiral” (12:22) functions similarly at the conclusion, calling to mind modern practitioners like Rezn while feeling empowered through their individual processes. I don’t know how much is actually improv, but Mindspace is way open, and that’s how it should be.
Something of a specialty item, perhaps. Fade Into You is a two-tracker split 12″ with London outfits Troy the Band and Cower taking its name from the Mazzy Star song, which both bands cover. Like, they do the same song. And much to their credit, they do it differently. Troy the Band, who early last year released their debut album, Cataclysm (review here), on Bonebag Records, take a heavygaze viewpoint on the 1993 single, fleshing out the moody atmosphere with echoing effects and hard-landing, immersive roll. Cower, whose second full-length, Celestial Devastation (review here), also came out last year, reimagine it as Nick Cave or latter-day Wovenhand, holding to the emotional crux of the original with ethereal drones and new age-y keyboard. A stopgap? Probably, but an interesting project just the same, and the song, of course, stands up to the manipulation.
What would seem to be the debut offering from Tijuana-based post-metal four-piece Jaspe, Grietas runs just 23 minutes at three songs, but carries a full-length’s sense of breadth in doing so. Shades of Amenra persist in the quiet/spoken stretch of “Rios de Polvo II” (11:52), where the lumber that begins opener “Litorales” (9:46) crushes as might a modern Isis before departing into the inevitable stretch of pretty guitar, Russian Circles-esque, but with more plunge in the low frequencies, and the arriving guttural growl of vocals is genre-transgressive in a way that satisfies wholly. Separating the larger pieces is the two-minute droner “Rios de Polvo I,” obviously aligned to the second part that follows, which adds to both the tension and atmosphere of this resoundingly impressive post-doom showcase and highlights the potential that’s so prevalent in Jaspe‘s sound. I’ll take an album of this for sure. Just say when.
Two songs, 20 minutes. Yung Druid, in continued collaboration with Totem Cat Records, offer Wooden Lungs, comprised of the 11-minute “Wooden Lung” and the nine-minute “Space Cowboy.” Both songs owe some debt in swagger to Led Zeppelin, but “Wooden Lung,” in the vocal arrangement and steady nod, reminds more of Iota‘s 2024 return, Pentasomnia, in its fluid progression and grunge-style harmonies. Not a complaint. Also not complaining about the uptick in fuzz for “Space Cowboy,” which still manages to move despite the primordial pool of tone in which it seems to soak. A riff for riffers, that one. Originally based in London around the time of their 2019 self-titled debut (discussed here), the band have moved between the Spain, Australia and New Zealand. It can be difficult for a band who were all together in the rehearsal space to transition to working remotely, but if Wooden Lungs is their proof of concept, they can make a go of it.
Issued through Rise Above Records imprint Popclaw (see also Bobbie Dazzle and Scott Hepple and the Sun Band), The Crystal Teardrop‘s debut long-player, …Is Forming, sounds remarkably ‘formed,’ if you want to think of it in those terms, as regards aesthetic. Taking a heaping dose of influence from ’60s garage and daring toward Beatlesism on the sweetly bouncing “Borrowed Time” or the Help-toned “Two Hearts,” the band present a retroist face but hold back from IYKYK-style gatekeeping via pop songwriting and the sweep of the later “Turn You Down,” which is a ruffled-hair rush ahead of the similarly shoving “Stealing Suggestions” and the perhaps inevitable psychedelic delve of the closing pair “Nine Times Nine.” and “…Is Forming,” the latter of which has enough backward guitar to meet whatever your quota might be before it unfurls darker instrumental heavy proto-prog like it’s something the band just invented. Rise Above is ready for the garage rock revolution, ready to foster a new generation of artists, but as ever, the question is whether or not the world at large can keep up. …Is Forming argues fervently in favor of trying.
The adventures of Alaska’s Leo Scheben and his Doom Lab continue, declaring a genre in Desert Caravan Doom and then immediately setting about defying its parameters with an encompassing, continually on-its-own-wavelength craft, increasingly clear production, and varied intent across the 12-song/43-minute long-player, with creeps like raw East Coast hardcore in “What’s Your Angle?” before the jazzy puns take further hold in “Feeling Minor and Diminished,” pieces like “Fives” and “Desert Hailstorm” tapping into some Stinking Lizaveta-type intensity while the sweetly alt-rocking “At Dusk” and the “Gimmie One Drop (Dub)” and “Desert Caravan Improvisation” — with a new live drummer, reportedly — add to the fabric of Doom Lab‘s ongoing explorations in style and expression. Desert Caravan Doom isn’t as dark, on average, as some of Doom Lab‘s output, and that comparative lightness of mood lets it swing all the more, but Scheben‘s never just been/done one thing, and Desert Caravan Doom holds to this dynamic as well.
The synth and keyboard elements play a significant role throughout Liquid Pennies‘ Fore, as “Tapered Scape” and “Ready Tide” demonstrate early on, never mind the 11-minute “Echolalia,” which also has plenty of time for its heavy breakout in the middle third and doomier-until-it-thrashes ending. “Sight Skewer” finds the adventurous Floridian unit evoking nostalgia with fuzz and melody, the drum machine patterning working in contrast to the heavier tones, but feeling by that point very much part of the thing. Presumed side B starter “Elliptic Triptych” brings a bit more functional aggression to the mix, while the three-minute droner “Further Ennui” gives transition to the terrestrial acoustic strum in the pastiche of “The Bone,” which grows broader while remaining melodically intricate, and the closing title-track runs the atmospherics backwards for, well, backwards atmospherics. There’s some influence from All Them Witches at work, but four albums in, Liquid Pennies are onto something special in sound, and one hopes the pursuit continues.
A fascinating debut three-song EP from Portland, Oregon’s Mordbear, released by Dipterid Records as a single-sided 12″ vinyl, comic book included. If that seems elaborate for what’s basically a demo, there’s the rub. “Like the Dead,” “A Mirror with a Sea of Flames” and “The Alchemist” are resoundingly cohesive and sure of their construction. The style is modern stoner with nascent hints of prog leaking through — again, modern — and in the seven minutes of “The Alchemist,” the scope feels broader as they methodically unfurl their riffing. Meanwhile, “Like the Dead” leads off with atmospheric semi-desert heavy, catchy and nodding and slow, and “A Mirror with a Sea of Flames” has more of a rhythmic tumble. When Mordbear lock into a bigger groove in the middle cut, there’s some hint of Monolord to their sound, but ‘their sound’ is hardly a settled issue, so the exploration is welcome even as they seem to have so much nailed down in terms of style.
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 5th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
This is deeply admirable work, especially as a first edition. Sword of Damocles is a new festival taking place Oct. 19, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. An all-dayer, also with a pre-show the night before, so it doesn’t seem impossible they might expand at some point, but you gotta get through the first one first.
To do so, the DIY-style fest has put together a seven-band lineup with six of the included acts — Yuri Gagarin, Wet Cactus, Maha Sohona, Five the Hierophant, The Lunar Effect and Troy the Band — making their Scottish debuts, while the seventh is headliner Mars Red Sky, who’ll perform with special guest Helen Ferguson (aka Queen of the Meadow) who was so much a part of what made their Dawn of the Dusk LP (review here) such a highlight late last year.
An immediate sense of curation, a breadth of styles covered, and a show that Scotland has never seen before, all in one package. The ambition is noteworthy, but even more, it looks like it’s going to be a great time for those who make it out. May it be the first of many to come:
From the centre of Glasgow, SoD is bringing 7 of the best stoner/alt rock bands to your door, Saturday, October 19th.
Featuring an incredible line-up with Mars Red Sky (plus special guest Helen Ferguson of Queen of the Meadow) headlining the Saturday night, accompanied by Yuri Gagarin, Wet Cactus, Maha Sohona, Five The Hierophant, The Lunar Effect, and Troy The Band. Six of whom are performing in Scotland for the very first time, welcome to the Sword of Damocles.
Independently run, underground at heart, Sword of Damocles offers a new experience to the Glasgow music scene.
Featuring an array alternative acts, from stoner rock to avant-garde, we hope to offer a little something to everyone who’s in Glasgow, and is in to all things heavy!
Expect stoner, psych, and desert vibes as these incredible acts come to grace the stage at Glasgow’s iconic Classic Grand.
Mars Red Sky (excl. set) Yuri Gagarin (SCO debut) Wet Cactus (SCO debut – excl. set) Maha Sohona (UK debut) Five The Hierophant (SCO debut) The Lunar Effect (SCO debut) Troy The Band (SCO debut)
Prices: 1x Adult Ticket – £49 + payment fees Ticket price on the door: TBD (Pre-Show: Info coming soon)
Artwork credits: Gravelord Deathworks – Arts & Designs
Friday, Feb. 2, marks the awaited release for Troy the Band‘s first album, Cataclysm, through Swedish imprint Bonebag Records. The six-song/41-minute offering follows behind 2022’s debut EP, The Blissful Unknown (review here), and is weighted and spacious in kind, the London-based four-piece immersed in a sound that’s part heavygaze, but fuzz-grunge and almost universally molten. Opening with its title-track, Cataclysmlumbers with large-snail-creature presence but isn’t so unipolar in its approach as the overarching wash might make it seem, whether it’s the boogie in the second half of “Cataclysm” itself or the crash-laden shove of “IHOD,” on which vocalist Craig Newman is at his most reminiscent of Facelift-era Layne Staley, or “Only Violence” just before which seems to be working under the influence of earlier Mars Red Sky or the Sabbath-via-Sleep stonerized Declaration of Riff in “Flesh Wound,” bolstered by the production of Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse, who you probably already know because he also helmed your album. Or at least mixed it.
Most of the record though resides in the spaces between Dead Meadow‘s languid ethereality and the more grounded ends of modern riff worship. That is to say it’s a current sound but not ready to settle into being one thing or the other and, particularly on this first long-player, that much stronger for the flashes of doom that show up amid the hot pinks and psychedelic yellows in the wah-drenched reaches of “Flesh Wound,” which is also the longest song at 8:53 and a roller that seems to lose none of its impact for all the float surrounding, perhaps best encapsulating the meld of styles Troy the Band are crafting, if not necessarily telling the entire story on its own either in their melodic penchant, the post-punk goth dance party at the start of “The Void” or closer “Fauna” casting its urban-concrete bass tone against a ranging vocal and an outbound final push speaking one way or another to an escapist sensibility maybe also behind the title. They go, have gone, are gone, and when they decide it’s time to vibe on some Earth-y drone repetition, they’re dug no less into that than they are into the expanse in the hook of “Cataclysm” that teaches the listener so much about the album that follows.
And repetition is part of the methodology here, but again, not necessary all of it, as a big part of what ultimately makes Troy the Band an exciting listen — this was true of the EP as well, but is more fleshed out on the longer release, as well as the band being more sonically developed generally — is that the songs are coherent and purposeful but don’t draw from any single source so much as to be readily placed in this or that niche. Yeah, I’ve namedropped a few bands in the course of this review, and I stand by those comparisons — none of them feels outlandish; that riff in “Only Violence” really does sound like second-LP Mars Red Sky, even if it’s been buried in other effects — but that’s just it: Troy the Band have a sound that seems aware of its influences but unwilling to be limited by them. This is something that, inherently, can’t be confirmed by one full-length alone since it’s a measure of a band’s progression over time, but in coming across more like themselves than anyone else in the genre, Troy the Band seem to have a leg up on their own growth. Or maybe I’m just spaced out on that jam halfway through “Flesh Wound.” I don’t know, but it all feels very consuming and light — not like bright colors but like light itself; the mixed wavelengths of raw sunlight — right now, and I think that means it’s working.
The big question is how much Troy the Band will do in a live setting to support it. In 2023, they played both Masters of the Riff II and Desertfest London, and certainly those are by no means the only festivals in the UK, but they’re two good ones to have in your pocket as a band putting out your first LP. But if I mention touring for an act who haven’t been out for months at a time up to this point in their still-perhaps-nascent tenure, it’s not to point out something they haven’t done up to now so much to to highlight their sound as being strong enough in its identity to stand up to the task if they wanted to take it on the road. Plenty of time for such things, though. For now, the spaces conjured and conquered throughout Cataclysm stand as testament to the efforts put in by Troy the Band performance-wise and in terms of composition, but also that potential for what they might accomplish moving on from here.
Cataclysmstreams in full below, followed by more info from the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Cataclysm, the debut full-length album from London-based Doom-gaze four-piece Troy The Band, will be released on Sweden’s Bonebag Records on February 2nd 2024. Since the release of their debut EP, The Blissful Unknown, Troy The Band have become mainstays in the London heavy music scene, with a list of accolades in 2023 that includes appearances at Desertfest London, Masters of the Riff, and Stoomfest, as well as a craft beer collaboration with East London’s Old Street Brewery.
With Cataclysm the band have taken the most unique elements of their debut EP and forged them into an album that blends elements of Stoner-Doom, Post Rock, Shoegaze and Heavy Psych. Cataclysm is dark, heavy, and identifiably their own.
For this album the band went back to work with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse studio in East London. From the band’s point of view, this was a no-brainer: “We knew we wanted to work with Wayne again on this album. He’s great to work with and he had an important hand in shaping the sound of our EP. We knew he would get what we were trying to do with this album, and we really couldn’t be happier with how it has turned out.”
Each track is built from a sturdy foundation of Sean Durbin’s bass riffs which are then overlaid with Sean Burn’s distinctive guitar playing and Craig Newman’s unique and ethereal vocal style, adding layers of harmonic complexity and tension that is a defining feature of their sound.
The album title is derived from the name the band gave the initial demo of the title track, driven by its musically jarring feel rather than its lyrical content. It was then self-consciously adopted as the album title to reflect their aim of causing a musical upheaval in the heavy music scene. We believe it will.
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 26th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
No public audio yet to share around still more than three months ahead of the Feb. 2 release, but heads up on Troy the Band‘s psych-stoner-doom roll on Cataclysm. The London four-piece made their presence known with 2022’s The Blissful Unknown EP (review here), and answer the promise of that short release with six new tracks of dense aural foam, a sound that’s as must post-now as back-when, a psychedelia that’s able to be loaded with weighted grit or float with a Dead Meadowy lightness, but wherever they go, they’re headed farther out. I’m just listening for the first time, but for the first external band signed by Bonebag Records, the Swedish imprint run by members of Cavern Deep, they seem to have hit on a gem.
Lumbering, drifting, shoving in “IHOD” which stands for who knows what and expansive in its approach throughout, Cataclysm will no doubt have preorders and all that as we get closer to its arrival. I’m not sure if I can personally consider a record ‘most anticipated’ when I’ve heard it, but I’ve started my albums-to-look-forward-to-in-2024 list, and Troy the Band‘s first LP is on it either way. So again, heads up.
The PR wire brought word:
Troy The Band – “Cataclysm” out February 2nd
Cataclysm, the debut full-length album from London-based Doom-gaze four-piece Troy The Band, will be released on Sweden’s Bonebag Records on February 2nd 2024. Since the release of their debut EP, The Blissful Unknown, Troy The Band have become mainstays in the London heavy music scene, with a list of accolades in 2023 that includes appearances at Desertfest London, Masters of the Riff, and Stoomfest, as well as a craft beer collaboration with East London’s Old Street Brewery.
With Cataclysm the band have taken the most unique elements of their debut EP and forged them into an album that blends elements of Stoner-Doom, Post Rock, Shoegaze and Heavy Psych. Cataclysm is dark, heavy, and identifiably their own.
For this album the band went back to work with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse studio in East London. From the band’s point of view, this was a no-brainer: “We knew we wanted to work with Wayne again on this album. He’s great to work with and he had an important hand in shaping the sound of our EP. We knew he would get what we were trying to do with this album, and we really couldn’t be happier with how it has turned out.”
Each track is built from a sturdy foundation of Sean Durbin’s bass riffs which are then overlaid with Sean Burn’s distinctive guitar playing and Craig Newman’s unique and ethereal vocal style, adding layers of harmonic complexity and tension that is a defining feature of their sound.
The album title is derived from the name the band gave the initial demo of the title track, driven by its musically jarring feel rather than its lyrical content. It was then self-consciously adopted as the album title to reflect their aim of causing a musical upheaval in the heavy music scene. We believe it will.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 20th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
When the storytellers behind Swedish conceptualist doomers Cavern Deep launched their own label, Bonebag Records — whose first release was the band’s own Part II – Breach (review here) this summer — they made known their intention to develop the imprint as something more than a DIY outlet, and the first act to be signed other than themselves is UK crunch riffers Troy the Band.
The band (Troy) released their debut EP, The Blissful Unknown (review here), in 2022, and if you didn’t catch wind of its swinging, grungy psych, it’s streaming below. It’s cool to think of the band moving forward with their first long-player, them and the label growing together.
Announcement came down the PR wire. I’ll hope to have more on the record closer to the release:
BONEBAG RECORDS SIGNS TROY THE BAND
Cavern Deep’s Bonebag Records signs its first artist. Troy The Band is a London-based four piece boasting a distinctive sonic identity that seamlessly weaves together elements of Stoner-doom, post rock, heavy psych, and shoegaze.
Beginning with their first live shows in early 2022, TTB have established themselves as a mainstay of the UK heavy music scene. In April 2022 they self-released their debut EP, The Blissful Unknown, to critical acclaim. One review dubbed it “a surreal release that captivates from start to finish” and hailed it as “one of the most compelling debut releases to emerge from the UK Doom/Stoner Metal scene in recent memory.”
Bolstered by the resonance of their EP, Troy The Band maintained a regular gigging schedule, sharing stages with heavyweights such as King Buffalo, Unida, and Hippie Death Cult during their 2022 UK tours.
In Spring 2023 the band re-entered the studio with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studios in London to record their debut full-length album.
Continuing their forward momentum as a band, throughout 2023 they have played festivals within their genre, including Desertfest London, Masters of the Riff II, and Stoomfest.
In August 2023 Troy The Band signed a record deal with Sweden’s Bonebag Records who will release their full length debut in December 2023.
Quote from Bonebag Records:
“After hearing Troy The Band for the first time when they promoted their EP, which captivated us with its unique sound, we were absolutely delighted when they submitted their debut album to our label. Troy The Band excels at blending a distinctive sound with classic doom riffs, which our label is thrilled to support. With such an impressive lineup of songs on their forthcoming album, we firmly believe they are poised to take the Heavy Underground by storm.”
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 31st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
This looks utterly doable. You get into London maybe Friday morning, find your way to Hackney and the Oslo venue in time for the start, check out a few killers on Friday, then spend Saturday and Sunday fully immersed in the front-to-back, digging on the variety mostly of London’s own heavy underground, but certainly from some outside as well. I kind of feel like every time Slomatics book a show at this point I end up writing about it one way or the other — they mostly play fests, so it’s almost true — but along the top line here with them is Gnome — as seen on many 2023 lineups — Conan and Esoteric. That’s a strong argument already, but with the likes of Josiah and Desert Storm and Old Horn Tooth further down the bill there’s more to dig into than headliners to be sure. If you haven’t heard Goblinsmoker yet and want a tutorial on UK sludge, they’re glad to offer.
If I had more money than gawd and fewer responsibilities than I do, this would be the kind of thing I’d pop over to hang out at. It’s not about big bands or any kind of pretense or whatever. It’s just a killer assemblage playing out over what’ll be a good weekend for those fortunate enough to see it. Some familiar, some newer acts, just the way it should be. Nothing more to ask.
Tickets are available, and the venue’s right by Hackney Central train station and there’s a Travelodge there and a Tesco down the road, so if you’re looking to set up shop coming in from out of town, it’s doable. Full lineup follows:
We’re back in the ring to take another swing!
London Doom Collective are proud to bring you the best of the underground doom/stoner/sludge with Master of the Riff II
