The Sonic Sofa’s New Music Payload for March 2023: Featuring Temptress, Bog Monkey, Skull Servant, and more…

Posted on March 17, 2023 by thesonicsofa

We’re introducing the new “Payload” series, where once a month, The Sonic Sofa jettisons some of the heaviest and coolest releases from the past month straight to your ear holes. The reviews are quick so we can pack in even more jams. Click on links to support the musicians and use the built in song players to check out the bands while you read! Follow us on social media, let us know what you think of the The Sonic Sofa, and scroll to the end of the article for a free sticker!

Temptress release riffy debut album, See

Dallas stoner rock band, Temptress, released their debut album, See, on March 3rd. The Texas trio produces a grungy mix of stoner rock with plenty of chuggy riffs. The album features vocals provided by all band members, making for a diverse male and female mix, as well as some nice harmonies. See is available through Metal Assault Records and on Bandcamp. Check out Temptress if you’re into bands like Wo Fat.

New stoner metal from Bog Monkey

Bog Monkey are back with Hollow, their first full length record following their self-titled EP. Hollow is a riffy blend of stoner metal with aggressive vocals, tons of fuzzy guitar tones, and some awesome extended jams. The Atlanta, GA trio recorded their album at the Jam Room in South Carolina. It’s available on CD and streaming on Bandcamp. Check these guys out if you’re into bands like 10,000 Years.

Abanamat release trippy self titled debut

Abanamat is a Berlin-based four piece heavy-psych band. Their self-titled debut is mostly instrumental, but some tasteful, melodic vocals do come into play on a few of the tracks. Listen for lots of heavy blues jams, detailed heavy-psych audioscapes, and some awesome Middle Eastern influence, especially in the guitar leads. Check this out if you’re a fan of bands like Earthless. The album is on Bandcamp and pre-orders for CD and Vinyl are through Interstellar Smoke Records.

High and Low, groovy new stoner rock album by Eta Lux

Blending elements of stoner rock, doom, and psych, Germany’s Eta Lux produce music cram-packed with huge riffs and groovy stoner rock turnarounds. They’ve got a bluesy swagger, in-your-face vocals, and a cool overall sci-fi vibe. Fans of sci-fi rock like Droids Attack will appreciate these guys. Eta Lux’s new album, High and Low, is available on Bandcamp, on vinyl and streaming.

New music video from Poor Little Things

Poor Little Things has released a music video for their new single, One for the Road. The Australian band is a collaboration of Tina Jackson and Rollerball/The Marlboro Men guitarist, Dave Talon. The track has some brutal, 70’s-style metal riffs and some attitude filled female vocals. Check the music video, which has an awesomely retro Road Rash feel to it, and then go to their Bandcamp page to check out the rest of their releases.

Full-blooded, psychedelic doom from Hail the Void

Hail the Void is a psychedelic doom band from British Columbia, Canada. On their new album, Memento Mori, the band delivers a full-blooded onslaught of huge, slow riffs and tortured vocal melodies. Think Monolord level heaviness with the attitude of 1001 Mods and you’ll get the idea of the level of awesomeness of Memento Mori. The album is availabe on CD and vinyl on Bandcamp through Ripple Music.

Black Helium’s immersive new psych album, Um

London’s Black Helium have pushed the psychedelic boundary once again with the release of their beefy, 46 min EP, UM. The release has five impressively orchestrated compositions, transcending genres by blending space rock, doom, and heavy psych. It has an experimental sound with immersive psych textures. Black Helium is almost like if Black Sabbath and Tame Impala had a baby, and the baby was Elder, but from a different dimension. UM is available on CD and streaming on Bandcamp.

Skull Servant release Astral Apothecary

Psychedelic doom metal trio, Skull Servant, released their three song EP, Astral Apothecary, in March. The Chapel Hill, NC trio pack a witch’s cauldron of raw riffs, fuzzy bass, and occult lyrics into the release, and with track names like “Incantaion, Witch Fight, and Lucifer’s Reefer,” you know you’re in for a fun, wild ride. Check out Skull Servant on Bandcamp.

Anima, the new single by Sueños

Sueños is a psych rock group from Cape Town, South Africa. Anima is the first of a series of tracks that the four piece group have planned for release in 2023. On it, the band delivers a chill blend of flowing psych rock with a retro sound, enhanced by the fact that it was recorded live in the studio. Check this out if you’re into bands like Lewis & the Strange Magics. The group is active on social media.

For a limited time, FOLLOW The Sonic Sofa on Facebook and message us your mailing address to receive an absolutely FREE, high-quality Relaxing Wizard sticker, designed by legendary stoner rock artist, Steven Yoyada!

Album Review: Mystic Vulture by Cleõphüzz

Posted on March 10, 2023 by thesonicsofa

*** SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE FOR A FREE SONIC SOFA STICKER OFFER!! ***

This album review comes with bittersweet news: Cleõphüzz, the five piece desert rock band from Ville Marie, Quebec, unique for their addition of cello in the mix, have announced that they are parting ways, citing problems related to the pandemic. Lucky for us, they were able to rally their forces one last time to release Mystic Vulture, their epic final album.

Mystic Vulture is the group’s second full length, a followup to 2018’s Wizard of Phüzz. The album has everything you could wish for from a stoner rock album, from spacious sounding drums and gnarly riffs, to the huge, spaced-out sound, down to the psychedelic desert scape cover artwork by Tessa Najjar. Going back to that “huge, spaced-out sound,” it’s refreshing to note that this album really ‘breathes,’ with the band taking time to establish psychedelic auras, explore riffs, and really jam. The eight song album clocks in at 47 minutes. It was recorded and mixed by Francois Lachapelle during the pandemic and released in February.

1. THE END 2:32
2. DESERT RIDER 5:54
3. SORTILÈGE 4:15
4. DESPERADO 9:02
5. SARCOPHAGE 3:27
6. WHEN THE SIREN BLOWS 6:49
7. MYSTIC VULTURE 6:32
8. SUNDOWN IN THE AFTERLIFE 8:01

The album is mostly composed of instrumental tracks, which are given cinematic quality by the cello, notably on opener, The End, and closer Sundown in the Afterlife, which features a cool symphonic ending with some beautifully harmonic resolution. The grungy vocals come in to play on the swaggery riffer, Desert Rider. Listen for some Alice in Chains-esque harmonies on Desperado, which also features some heavy guitar progressions and a cool grindy organ.

A great album from psychedelic start to finish, Mystic Vulture can be found on Bandcamp. Digital download is available for $5. There’s no word of a physical release given the band’s current status. The band still maintains an active social media presence. Check out this interview with guitarist, Alex Savourin, for more insight into the band’s creative process, influences, as well as their disbanding. Hopefully they will reunite someday and give us a chance to hear these tracks performed live.

For a limited time, **FOLLOW** The Sonic Sofa on Facebook and **message us your mailing address** to receive an absolutely **FREE**, high-quality **Relaxing Wizard** sticker, designed by legendary stoner rock artist, **Steven Yoyada**!

New EP “Games” by Split Parasite

Posted on January 3, 2023 by thesonicsofa

Split Parasite is an alternative rock band from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The group was formed by guitarist and vocalist, “Ghosty” Sam Baker, and drummer and vocalist, Aaron Bushong, both of The Great Flood Catastrophe fame. Split Parasite produces a catchy mix of progressive, alternative rock, in the vein of bands like Incubus and Deftones. Their debut self-titled EP was released in April, 2022, and is followed by their latest release, Games.

Games dropped in December. It was recorded and mixed by Caleb Lewis of Champion O.I. Records. Caleb also provides additional guitars for the band’s live performances. Vocals were recorded by Ghosty Productions. Bass work was provided by Ryan Hart, also formerly of The Great Flood Catastrophe.

The Weather 3:12
Soft Division 2:55
Games 4:13
The Worst Thing is to Live Without 5:05

The EP clocks in at 15 minutes with four riffy tracks. Opener, The Weather, sets the standard for the EP with a killer guitar sound, progressive drums, and great vocal harmonies with some clever wordplay. Check out the cool 7/4 timing on the verses and that headbanger outro. Soft Division establishes serious groove, accentuated by creative guitar patterns, an incredible low-end bass tone, and some nice synth tones recorded by Bushong. Don’t miss innovative chord progressions and a heavy, Deftones-style changeup on Games. Closing track, The Worst Thing is to Live Without, features some super tasty vocal harmonies and an awesome chorus riff. Listen for a Baker’s nice guitar lead at the end of the track, underscored by Bushong’s tasty shuffle pattern on drums.

Games is a seriously groovy and creative EP from start to finish, and is a great followup to their Self-Titled EP. You can find it on Spotify. The band is active on social media and Youtube. There’s been no announcement of a physical release or future show dates, but hopefully we’ll be hearing more from the group, with fingers crossed for a full-length album.