This week, The Sonic Sofa is featuring the heavy new album by Realm Drifter. The four-piece stoner-doom band from Fort Worth, TX have amped up their game with their debut, self-titled album. It features a slow and heavy metal sound, with plenty of groovy riffs, a thick, gnarly bass tone, edgy melodic vocals, and a bluesy heavy drum sound. The five song album clocks in at a beefy 44 minutes, and features artwork by, Cameron Hinojosa, a freelance graphic designer who primarily focuses on the independent music community. I hope the wizard figure on the album cover is toasting up some magical s’mores, because that sounds delicious. But seriously, the stripped down color palette and the fantasy art really compliment the dark mood and feel of the record.

1. Fire For Wolves 5:33
2. With No Name 9:58
3. Feeding Shadows 8:37
4. Sound of an Owl 12:10
5. Realm Drifter 7:51

The album opens with Fire for Wolves. Featuring a beefy bass tone and bluesy drum pattern, we’re also treated to melodic vocals with a touch of Neil Fallon’s edge, some high-reaching guitar solos, and a slow and heavy closing riff that brings echoes of Sabbath. With No Name clocks in at nearly 10 minutes and starts off with a nice psych intro that blossoms into a huge, gnarly riff. Listen for some tasty wah-pedal guitar leads and don’t miss that heavy stoner rock pattern that closes out the last quarter of the song. Feeding Shadows opens with an awesome bass line and features plenty of groovy riffs and a headbanger chorus. This track also gave me some Elder vibes from their early, heavier work. Sound of an Owl is the longest track on the album, clocking in at over 12 minutes, and spotlights plenty of slow and dark riffage, as does the dynamically ranged closer, Realm Drifter, which completes the classic trifecta of Band Name, Album Name, Song Name.

Independently released before the band signed with Gravitoyd Heavy Music, the album is making waves in the stoner rock community, including a review on Doomed Nation and a spot on the podcast, Hour of the Riff. Look for the album on Bandcamp where you can stream and download the digital album for $7. The band is also active on social media.