Nik Havert

Lee Lewis’ “White Flag” will have you surrendering to its groove.

Los Angeles-based musician Lee Lewis presents his new single, “White Flag.” Today’s single marks the first taste of new music from Lewis since his striking reimagining of Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater,” praised by FLOOD as a “stirring, soulful examination of queer Black identity.” “White Flag” is atmospheric, guided by a smooth bassline, and inspired by Bond films. The track is Lewis’ most personal song to date, expressing the built-up resentment when his relationship was reaching its breaking point and finds him declaring “enough is enough.”

“In many ways, ‘White Flag’ serves as the preamble to the slow death of something chaotic and toxic, a moment where self-worth finally begins to outweigh the emotional cat chase,” Lewis reflects. “It marks the point where I start to recognize that love should not cost me myself. In the song the chorus sings ‘I’m waving my white flag.’ It’s me saying, ‘I surrender, you win, I lose, I have to let this go.’ Sonically, it’s my take on Bond music: luxurious, sultry, and powerful. The song sits in the richest part of my voice, allowing it to feel warm, buttery, and intimate. ‘White Flag’ is about surrender, not as defeat, but as self-preservation. It’s the sound of laying down my armor after a battle that took far too much from me.”

Watch Visual for “White Flag” by Lee Lewis

Lee Lewis, raised in the historically Black neighborhood of Ladera Heights, discovered his musical talent early. He trained at the Colburn School of Performing Arts and later at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, studying classical voice.

Transitioning to pop music, Lewis overcame the challenge of adapting from classical precision to expressive, varied textures. His emotional delivery, marked by smooth riffs and runs, have captivated listeners and led to sold out shows in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.

As a rising star during a time when Black artists are reclaiming genres they pioneered, Lewis believes Black musicians should freely occupy both mainstream pop and R&B spaces. “I just want to exist in both worlds. Black artists should be accepted in both.”

Listen to “Maneater” by Lee Lewis

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Rewind Review: Rockabilly Psychosis & The Garage Disease compilation (1989)

I picked this up at a record store in Paris because, frankly, the cover looked nuts and the number of great psychobilly, garage, and trash-rock bands on it is stunning.

Starting with The Trashmen‘s classic “Surfin’ Bird,” you know the rest of the album is going to be bonkers. The Sonics‘ “Psycho” lands somewhere between swing-rock and psychedelic fuzz. Up next, The Novas pay tribute to one of their favorite pro-wrestlers on “The Crusher” (“Do the eye gouge, you turkey necks!”). The song is downright weird, and almost drops into monster-rock territory.

“Scream!” by Ralph Neilsen & The Chancellors is a wild one, as guitars run around the room, apparently chasing hysterical women who spend the next few minutes screaming until they’re hoarse. Speaking of people losing their voice, I don’t know how Legendary Stardust Cowboy (who, according to the liner notes, used to perform standing on peoples’ cars at drive-ins during intermission) doesn’t do it during “Paralyzed.” Following him with the legendary Hasil Adkins‘ “She Said” is appropriate. They would’ve made a great double-bill.

Would it be a “garage disease” compilation without Link Wray or The Meteors? Wray’s cover of Willie Dixon‘s “Hidden Charms” is a forgotten classic by him and will, as usual with his material, make you wonder why people don’t speak of him in the same way they speak of Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton. When The Meteors proclaim “My Daddy Is a Vampire” (a live version, no less), you believe them.

You get to hear one of The Cramps‘ earliest recordings when they’re the backing band for Jimmy Dickinson on “Red Headed Woman.” Link Wray returns, sort of, when The Milkshakes perform a cover of his “Run Chicken Run.” The Meteors then come back into orbit for “Radioactive Kid.”

The live cut of Tav Falco & Panther Burns‘ “Dateless Night” is a super-rare cut and worth the purchase price of the whole disc if you’re a rockabilly collector. The Gun Club‘s “Jack on Fire” is almost post-punk, but they never loose their rockabilly swagger. There’s plenty more of that swagger on The Geezers‘ cover of Johnny Cash‘s “Folsom Prison Blues.” The Sting-Rays‘ “Cat Man” is dangerous and gritty, and the closer, “Just Love Me” by The Guana Batz, wraps this up with wild abandon that will have you wanting to loop the album all over again.

It’s a rare find, but worth the digging.

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Melodi Ghazal shares beautiful “Destinies and Melodies” on her new single.

“Destinies and Melodies” is a cinematic, electro-acoustic pop ballad featuring a cool Madonna-esque bassline and dramatic string sequences. The beat-driven progression gives the song a sense of motion, yet within the interplay of harmony and melody lingers an unresolved tension, a question left open; is there a direction to this movement? Where does it lead? Is the movement itself the destination?

On the track, Melodi Ghazal [Gra-zal] muses: “I’ve been inspired by the red thread connecting the Sufis’ whirling meditation and Britney Spears spinning around herself on Instagram. Maybe we’re all just spinning around ourselves in search of the same thing? This track is a reflection of this movement to me.”

Lyrically, “Destinies and Melodies” explores being in the midst of transformation and the act of learning to lose yourself. It contemplates the feeling of time as vertical rather than linear. “For me, the track is about surrendering, following the melodies that arise when you let go of control,” she elaborates. “This music came into being during a deeply transformative period when much of my life was changing. Forces stronger than my intellect or awareness led me down unfamiliar paths, and all I could do was follow.”

Melodi Ghazal is a Copenhagen-born singer, songwriter, and producer of Iranian descent. Her left-field pop sound blends elements of R&B and folk, marked by a distinctive tonal language and a strong melodic sensibility. In her productions, she fuses electronic and acoustic textures where MIDI strings, subtle daf drum rhythms, and lush guitar layers intertwine. Her music balances melancholy and hope, woven together by her evocative vocals and lyrics that shift seamlessly between English and Persian.

Melodi has quickly established herself as one of Denmark’s most intriguing new voices. A graduate of the acclaimed Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC) in Copenhagen, she studied alongside peers such as Fine, Erika de Casier, and Clarissa Connelly. Her debut EP, released in 2023, was praised as a bold artistic statement and named one of the “15 best releases of the year” by Danish music magazine Soundvenue.

Melodi has since performed at some of Denmark’s most prominent stages, including Roskilde Festival, as well as being a part of the Copenhagen underground scene.

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[Thanks to Andi at Terrorbird Media.]

Review: Hüsker Dü – 1985 – The Miracle Year

Numero Group has done it again.

Just when you think you’ve heard the last word on Hüsker Dü’s back catalogue, Numero Group comes along with 1985 – The Miracle Year. It’s a stunning two-disc set of concert performances from when the band were in their prime. They were touring to promote Zen Arcade and, after this tour, would go on to release two more classics: New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig. They would start recording Candy Apple Grey later that same year.

The first disc is a rare recording of a full show at Minneapolis’ First Avenue club recorded in January 1985. It was slated to be released as an album back then, but it never materialized and the tapes sat for forty years in storage. Thankfully, they emerged and have been remastered and released for all of us.

Hearing this show now instantly makes your jaw drop. Starting off with “New Day Rising,” they stomp the gas and almost never let off it for the whole show. They’re angry and fierce on “It’s Not Funny Anymore” and “Everything Falls Apart.” Even “The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill” has extra doses of punk rage in it.

Other great cuts include “Makes No Sense at All,” “Books About UFOs,” and the blazing “Broken Home Broken Heart.” “Pink Turns to Blue” is a great encore piece, as are “Out on a Limb” (with Grant Hart thudding out a primal beat almost as a challenge to the audience still left standing) and the wild cover songs from the set: “Eight Miles High” (The Byrds), “Helter Skelter” (a perfect song for them to perform as Greg Norton and Bob Mould trade punk rage vocals and screams), “Ticket to Ride” (The Beatles), and “Love Is All Around” (Sonny Curtis).

Disc two is a collection of other live cuts from 1985 and begins with a blistering version of “Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely.” “Hardly Getting Over It” is another good one with sharp guitar work by Mould. “Eiffel Tower High” is a great inclusion, and one you rarely hear. The same goes for “All Work and No Play,” which features great double vocals.

Their cover of Donovan‘s “Sunshine Superman” is always welcome, and the Hoboken crowd goes crazy for it. Several of the final tracks are audience requests, such as “In a Free Land,” the title track to Flip Your Wig, and even an instrumental (“The Wit and the Wisdom”) that nearly burns down the Frankfurt venue.

It all sounds great, and the first disc alone will put you right back into 1985. Bring your earplugs.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Blackwater Holylight – Not Here Not Gone

Not long ago, Blackwater Holylight left their Pacific Northwest stomping grounds, and the gray, rainy days there, for sunny Los Angeles. The band (Eliese Dorsay – drums, Sunny Faris – bass, guitar, vocals, Mikayla Mayhew – guitar, Sarah McKenna – synths) decided they needed not only a change of space, but of perspective, and the resulting album, Not Here Not Gone, reflects the feeling of being between physical and mental spaces.

The title of the opening track, “How Will You Feel,” reflects this as Faris asks us to examine our emotions and physical reactions as we adapt to change (willingly or not). The sound of this song also reflects the blending and shifting of shapes for the band. They meld their Pacific Northwest “gloomgaze” sound with bright southern California synths.

Their love of shoegaze comes through strong on “Involuntary Haze” – which could be a drug reference, but I doubt it. I think it’s about the odd feeling of being confused after you’re thrust into a new situation or place and are overwhelmed by sensory input. They crank up the amps and gravity on “Bodies.”

“Heavy, Why?” was the album’s first single and it’s a good example of BWHL’s blend of shoegaze, metal, psychedelia, and, I’ll say it, dreampop. Faris’ voice could easily carry an entire dreampop album if she wanted, and McKenna’s synths almost add an ELO touch to the song. Mayhew riffs on this practically shove you into a wall.

The instrumental “Giraffe” is a short mix of smoky synths and electro beats to shift your brain and ears into further exploration of the path BWHL have laid out on the album…because along comes “Spades” – a track that will impress all of your metalhead friends and have dudes in battle-vests running for their merch table. It’s one of the best metal tracks of the year…and it’s only January. Dorsay’s drumming on “Void to Be” reminds me of tribal beats designed to change your perception of what’s around you.

“Fade” is another standout. It’s downright gorgeous and is one of the best shoegaze tracks of the year…and it’s only January. “Mourning After” is the kind of song that BWHL do so well: Somewhat gothic, somewhat heavy, somewhat fuzzy, somewhat crushing, somewhat sad, all beautiful. The closer, “Poppyfields,” is pulsating stunner about a friend of the band losing their home in a California wildfire.

BWHL have long been considered a doom band with their heavy riffs and heavy lyrics. The last time I saw them live, at the 2021 Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas, Faris opened the show by saying, “Hi. We’re Blackwater Holylight, and we’re going to play a bunch of sad songs for you.” There is far more to them than doom and gloom, however. There’s always a powerful strength and at least a glimmer of hope on all of their albums. Not Here Not Gone is no exception.

This is in the running for one of the top albums of the year…and it’s only January.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Andi at Terrorbird Media.]

Austin Psych Fest announces 2026 lineup.

Austin Psych Fest 2026 returns May 8–10 with another wide-ranging exploration of psychedelic sound, bringing legendary icons, forward-thinking indie rock, global grooves, and deep-cut psych favorites to the big South Austin backyard at The Far Out Lounge.

Since its inception in 2008, Austin Psych Fest has embraced an expansive definition of psychedelia — not as a single genre, but as a feeling — tracing its roots from 1960s experimentation through modern interpretations shaped by reverb-soaked guitars, hypnotic rhythms, and adventurous songcraft. The 2026 lineup continues that tradition, spanning classic psych, indie rock, soul, cumbia, global psych, and everything in between.

Friday, May 8 opens with an explosive night headlined by THE FLAMING LIPS, masters of technicolor psychedelia whose live shows blur the line between concert, communal experience, and sensory overload. Joining them are dream-pop architects DIIV, indie rock torchbearers MOMMA, Texas shoegazers GLARE, Brazilian psych favorites BOOGARINS, with additional sets from STARCLEANER REUNION and Austin psych staples HOLY WAVE, setting the tone for a weekend of expansive sound.

Saturday, May 9 leans into darker, heavier, and more hypnotic terrain as THE BLACK ANGELS perform their landmark debut album Passover, a cornerstone of modern American psychedelia, for its 20th anniversary. Topping off the bill is garage rock icon TY SEGALL and the lush, cinematic psych pop of MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER. On the international front, Italian brooding psych outfit NEW CANDYS and pan-Arab psych funk innovators AL-QASAR enrich Saturday’s lineup alongside local beloveds GROCERY BAG and ANNABELLE CHAIRLEGS, rounding out one of the weekend’s most adventurous bills.

Sunday, May 10 brings warmth, groove, and global influence to close out the festival, headlined by modern soul luminaries THEE SACRED SOULS, the sun-soaked instrumentals of LA LOM, Latin soul and bolero heat from TRISH TOLEDO, the psych rock soul of NIGHT BEATS, Italian sonic explorers DUMBO GETS MAD, Peruvian chicha revivalists MONEY CHICHA, COMO LAS MOVIES, and a DJ set from ADRIAN QUESADA, tying together the festival’s far-reaching musical journey.

More artists will be announced soon.

Tickets are on sale now, with 3-Day Passes and Single-Day Tickets available, along with a limited number of Early Bird options while supplies last.

3 DAY PASSES and SINGLE DAY TICKETS available HERE.
Early Bird Tickets have sold out – Tier 1 Passes & Tickets available now!

FRI MAY 8
THE FLAMING LIPS
DIIV • MOMMA • GLARE • BOOGARINS
HOLY WAVE • STARCLEANER REUNION

SAT MAY 9
THE BLACK ANGELS PERFORM PASSOVER
MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER • TY SEGALL
NEW CANDYS • AL QASAR • GROCERY BAG
ANNABELLE CHAIRLEGS • STRANGE LOT

SUN MAY 10
THEE SACRED SOULS
LA LOM • TRISH TOLEDO • NIGHT BEATS
DUMBO GETS MAD • MONEY CHICHA
COMO LAS MOVIES • DJ ADRIAN QUESADA

WITH ADDITIONAL ACTS + NIGHT SHOWS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

VISUALS + VIDEO + ART INSTALLATIONS FROM:
TV EYE • MAD ALCHEMY DRIP//CUTS
SHELUSHY • ATTIC SPACE • SLIM REAPER • BILLGAZER
CHURCH OF THE ETERNAL SUN • FEVER DREAM
EL TALLER DE PIYAMAS • COSMIC DOMMY

AUSTIN PSYCH FEST will be held May 8-10, 2026. The Spring event precedes the renowned LEVITATION in the Fall, and marks the 5th year of APF’s return to Austin, with an intimate setting and two stage lineup at South Austin’s The Far Out Lounge.

Austin Psych Fest began in 2008, as a DIY event and quickly expanded over the years into an international destination for the underground music scene. The event was rechristened LEVITATION, in a nod to the Austin’s psychedelic rock godfathers The 13th Floor Elevators. Austin Psych Fest returned in April 2023 celebrating its 15 year anniversary with a 3 day throwback to the original multi-stage, single venue format – bringing an intimate gathering on the Spring side of the calendar, and LEVITATION in the Fall. APF honors the city’s 1960s psychedelic rock heritage and channels it into the here and now – drawing indie rock icons, experimental rock and tripped-out sounds to an appropriately laid-back South Austin setting.

Since Austin Psych Fest’s inception, organizers have sought to create a thriving center for the independent music scene locally and internationally, in the original home of psychedelic rock: Austin, Texas.

For updates and additional information, keep up with Levitation on Instagram H ERE.

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[Thanks to Bailey at Another Side.]

Bory’s new single is “Living Proof” that rock is still here.

At the start of January, Bory announced his sophomore LP Never Turns To Night, which will be released on the new Toronto label Bleak Enterprise on March 6th. The project of Portland-based songwriter Brenden Ramirez, the album is the follow up to his 2023 debut LP Who’s A Good Boy, which earned comparisons to Elliott Smith, Big Star, The Shins and Tony Molina from outlets like Stereogum, Uproxx, and Pitchfork, who said that the album “surges with quiet confidence and an open heart.”

Bory has shared two singles from the record so far, “We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Get To It” and “By The Lake” which have seen praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Paste, Line of Best Fit, Stereogum and BrooklynVegan, and today they are sharing a new track called “Living Proof.”

LISTEN TO “LIVING PROOF”

“Living Proof” captures Bory’s rare ability to deliver emotional heft in the context of bright, mile-a-minute songwriting. A song about feeling inspired by a friend’s resilience in a difficult situation, “Living Proof” elevates its sentiment with a barrage of ear worms that never obscure its emotive impact. There’s never a dull moment in this arresting track, yet it conjures a feeling that lingers.

Ramirez says of the track:
This song is about a couple of really strong and resilient people in my life who were really going through it. It made me grapple with the side of me that immediately wants to be like “Why am I complaining? My problems are insignificant compared to them,” and instead just try to appreciate and be inspired by them, rather than find yet another way to put myself down.

PREORDER NEVER TURNS TO NIGHT HERE

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[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]

RY-GUY releases “Dunja” ahead of his next EP due March 27, 2026.

RY-GUY is a South London-based artist whose music sits at the intersection of soul, psychedelia and art-pop, shaped by a deep sense of heritage and a commitment to telling stories often left unheard. Born in London to a West Indian/Caribbean family with roots in Guyana and Barbados, RY-GUY is highly influenced by the soundsystem culture of his Guyanese / Caribbean heritage as well as art movements like Impressionism and Surrealism and treats songwriting as both personal expression and cultural document.

Today RY-GUY announces new EP ‘like a river’, set for release March 27th and shares the first single from the record, “Dunja” (pronounced “DOON-yah”).

“Dunja” features a driving, guitar-led sound and an unforgettable chorus replete with 60s style backing vocals – then takes a complete left turn, building up to a crashing crescendo, before then veering off into a space rock coda for its final 60 seconds. The result is an epic single that feels like three songs in one and further confirms RY-GUY as one of the most unique indie artists currently around.

Recorded at the legendary RAK Studios in London by Adele Phillips (Speedy Wunderground) and mixed by George Murphy (The Specials, Hotel Lux, Major Lazer), RY-GUY speaks about the idea behind “Dunja”.

“A powerful anthem for ethnic women navigating the challenges of a Western world, this song speaks to their resilience in overcoming male oppression, violence, and the patriarchy. It’s a celebration of strength, defiance, and the pursuit of freedom in the face of adversity.”

Listen to “Dunja” here: https://youtu.be/Nm1EImHLfXE

Classically trained on piano from a young age in South London, RY-GUY’s early immersion in artists such as Otis Redding and Al Green laid a soulful foundation, while a formative encounter with Jimi Hendrix opened up a more expansive, boundary-less approach to composition. After years of writing and recording demos on a 4-track recorder, RY-GUY emerged as a project driven by the desire to release the kinds of musical narratives he felt were missing from the contemporary landscape.

RY-GUY’s work often centres marginalised perspectives through abstract lyricism and textured soundscapes. His upcoming EP ‘Like A River’ was conceived as an honest, self-contained artwork – one that balances a direct pop sensibility with enough sonic grit and ambiguity for listeners to lose themselves within it. Themes of strength, defiance and self-affirmed freedom run throughout the record, portraying life candidly and in the present tense. The project’s DIY ethos extends beyond the music itself, encompassing self-shot artwork, deliberately chosen track titles, and a visual world that reinforces the EP’s emotional core.

Written primarily on piano (with “Dunja”, originating on guitar), the EP was recorded across Salvation Studios, Speedy Wunderground and RAK, with Speedy Wunderground becoming a creative home during the process. RY-GUY co-produced the record with Adele Phillips, with additional guidance from long-time mentor Sir Robin Millar CBE. Mixing and mastering were handled by George Murphy and Dyre Gormsen of Eastcote Studios, while contributions from live band members and collaborators added further depth.

Closing track “Oil In My Hair” stands as the emotional and thematic heart of the EP, a moment of resolution that encapsulates its pursuit of freedom and self-belief, blending psychedelia, soul and art-pop into a final statement of quiet triumph.

Live, RY-GUY has graced headline shows at The Shacklewell Arms and The Windmill in London, as well as playing outside his home city at venues such as Yes in Manchester and Supersonic in Paris and is set to play a run of UK tour dates later this year.

See RY-GUY live:
21 March 2026 // Coventry, Just Dropped In
28 March 2026 // Liverpool, Jacaranda
31 March 2026 // London, Shacklewell Arms
23 May 2026 // Southampton, Wanderlust Festival

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Frankie at Stereo Sanctity.]

Lauren Auder shares “Praxis” from her upcoming album due this spring.

Today, the London-based composer, producer, and singer Lauren Auder is announcing her sophomore album Whole World As Vigil. The album will be out March 27th via untitled (recs) and to mark the announce she is sharing the incandescent new single “praxis”.

Auder’s baroquely orchestrated pop songs fuse classical, post-rock and experimental elements with contemporary reflections of generational discontent and personal turmoil, resulting in vivid musical portraits which have established her as one of pop’s most singular voices. Auder released her long-awaited debut album ‘the infinite spine’ in 2023 to critical acclaim, which documented how the weight of the world can transform you, following a remarkable run of 3 EPs, 2021’s 5 Songs For The Dysphoric, 2020’s two caves in, and 2018’s Who Carry’s You as well as a myriad of nuanced, poignant singles and collaborations with Vegyn, Celeste, Clams Casino, Caroline Polachek, Boris, Danny L Harle and Wendy & Lisa.

Lauren has also composed music for Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton campaigns, and modelled for Marni, Gucci, Celine, Alexander McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester and Ganni, cementing herself as an auteur across the worlds of music and fashion. Lauren has toured with Deafheaven, Amen Dunes, Christine & The Queens, Celeste and WU LYF.

Rooted in the idea of movement as survival, “praxis” channels momentum into sound, spiralling upwards into an exhilarating, revelatory chorus. Lyrically and musically, the song turns on itself: “every step I take keeps the world on its axis” is mirrored by cyclical strings and an oscillating instrumental palette that feels in constant motion.

Speaking about the single, Lauren says: “‘praxis’ is built around a sample of a power drill cutting through metal, its seemingly perpetual motion and unstoppable movement felt apt to parallel with an important part of my own philosophy, that keeping yourself moving forward, is enough to live for. Musically I was inspired by Steve Reich, Kate Bush and Bruce Springsteen, trying to bring all these worlds together in a way that felt uniquely me.”

Where 2023’s debut the infinite spine traced Auder’s journey toward self-understanding, Whole World as Vigil turns outward. Inspired by a romantic relationship, the album captures not only the electrifying sheen of being in love, but the introspection it demands. Stripping back her process, Auder largely wrote and produced the record on laptops with long-time collaborators dviance and Alex Parish between Paris and London. Most tracks began as acapella voice notes recorded on walks through the city before any instrumentation took shape.

There’s a physicality that has always been deeply embedded in Auder’s music, and this visceral emotion is in every corner of the new record: the tracks feel bigger, the production more bombastic and the overarching sentiment filled with greater urgency than ever. Booming 808s nod to Auder’s roots in rap and beat-making, while her instinct for sonic collage pushes each song into new terrain. Ultimately, the collusion of all these sonic experimentations have resulted in the record that sounds the most unmistakably like Auder herself, a culmination of years of experimentation, now distilled into something boldly assured. Rather than a reinvention, Whole World As Vigil extends her ongoing archive of self: a body of work that grows richer in conversation with its own history.

“Vigil” in French, Auder’s second language, refers to a guard or a watcher, and this bilingual connotation places even greater emphasis on the album’s title. What will we do when we know the world is watching? Auder wrote many of Whole World As Vigil’s lyrics as theses to live by. “praxis,” as both concept and track, embodies the act of turning belief into action. More than just succumbing to desire, it’s a manifestation that what we deserve is possible. “yes,” one of the purest love songs on the album, most directly gives way to this ecstasy in steadfast declarations, but Whole World As Vigil ultimately imagines what we can do once that’s embraced.

Lauren will celebrate the release of the album by playing a headline London show at Chat’s Palace on 26th March, tickets here.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]

Rewind Review: Acid King – III (2005)

Acid King‘s third album, III, starts out with a a low growl from Lori S.‘s guitar and then then roars like a motorcycle tearing out of a haunted gas station at 3am just before the burning Molotov cocktails you left behind blow up the place to bury the curse on the place for another hundred years.

And that’s just the first track (“2 Wheel Nation”).

Guy Pinhas‘ bass on “Heavy Load” is pretty much the backhoe dropping a couple tons of broken concrete into the hole where the haunted gas station had been. The first song is a salute to bikers, and the second is a salute to truckers – both of whom see things most of us never see on dark roads during long nights. “Bad Vision” is a tale of malevolent spirits just on the other side of the void and has thunderous drumming from Joey Osbourne.

“War of the Mind” is the colossal centerpiece of III, clocking in at nearly twelve minutes as Lori S. calls for people to cast off their mental and physical shackles. It rumbles inside your body and the heavy, deep chords (along with Osbourne’s growling drum fills) give you the strength to get up when you’re feeling the weight of the world on you.

“Into the Ground” seems to be another tribute to late night desert driving (“Four wheels keep on turning into the ground.”), but in some sort of Mad Max-style world where its survival of the fittest or the smartest. Lori S.’s solo on this one is a standout. “On to Everafter” takes on one of the favorite subjects of doom / stoner metal – death (“Here comes the knife. Comes to me closer, faster than life…Leaves close the sight, covers me over, closer to light.”). The song, somehow, takes on a heavier, sludgier feel than previous tracks. I don’t know how Acid King do it.

The album ends with “Sunshine and Sorrow,” in which Lori S. sings about going into a haze to escape the dread of facing another day that masks sadness in beauty (“What’s in a day? Sunshine and sorrow. Haze leads the way.”). It’s difficult to determine which of the three are hitting it harder on the final track. Lori S.’s guitar sounds like a burning jet engine at points, while Osbourne is crushing everything around him and Pinhas is trying to split the Earth with his bass riffs.

This album came out a little over twenty years ago and it still lands harder than most metal albums out today.

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