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Read any review of an album or EP by Austria’s Witchrider and you can almost guarantee that somewhere in that review a reference to Queens of the Stone Age will crop up and no doubt we at Desert Psychlist will be doing the same during the course of our review of the band s latest EP “Metamorph“. The reason for that is not because Witchrider have specifically set out to capture a similar musical vibe to Josh Homme’s band of ragamuffins it is just that the two bands mine similar musical fields. Like QOTSA Witchrider are not afraid to step outside of the riff over a riff over another riff blueprint followed by so many bands in this scene and are willing to experiment with elements that are a little more accessible and dare we say it radio friendly while still being able to remain true to their fuzz rock roots. This approach has remained consistent throughout the bands existence, from their self titled debut EP  “Witchrider” through 2014’s “Unmountable Stairs” to 2020’s “Electric Storm” Witchrider have never having fallen into the trap of trying to get by on the strength of just a good guitar refrain, these guys put as much thought into their melodies, their lyrics and their dynamics as they do the tones of their fuzz pedals and on their latest EP, “Metamorph” (Fuzzorama Records) they manage take that approach to a whole other level. 

Read any review of an album or EP by Austria’s Witchrider and you can almost guarantee that somewhere in that review a reference to Queens of the Stone Age will crop up and no doubt we at Desert Psychlist will be doing the same during the course of our review of the band s latest EP “Metamorph“. The reason for that is not because Witchrider have specifically set out to capture a similar musical vibe to Josh Homme’s band of ragamuffins it is just that the two bands mine similar musical fields. Like QOTSA Witchrider are not afraid to step outside of the riff over a riff over another riff blueprint followed by so many bands in this scene and are willing to experiment with elements that are a little more accessible and dare we say it radio friendly while still being able to remain true to their fuzz rock roots. This approach has remained consistent throughout the bands existence, from their self titled debut EP  “Witchrider” through 2014’s “Unmountable Stairs” to 2020’s “Electric Storm” Witchrider have never having fallen into the trap of trying to get by on the strength of just a good guitar refrain, these guys put as much thought into their melodies, their lyrics and their dynamics as they do the tones of their fuzz pedals and on their latest EP, “Metamorph” (Fuzzorama Records) they manage take that approach to a whole other level. 

“Now tell me the positions of your guns and armoured forces”

The debut single from South Tyneside’s Fist, this darkly amusing track depicts a military interrogation from the point of view of a stymied torturer who, despite his best efforts, can only obtain his captive’s Name, Rank & Serial Number. It’s a fantastically vibrant and catchy track. In particular, Keith Satchfield (who sadly passed away in early 2025) deserves a medal for his infectious, rhythmic vocals and inventive lyrics. Fist’s recording career ended up all too brief but in that short run they released some of the best tracks of the whole NWOBHM era. On Name, Rank & Serial Number, Fist managed the rare feat of being classic and definitive while also being startlingly original.

OK Grownman usually supplies the metal posts and I supply the stoner rock, but tonight I’m posting some choice metal from 12 years ago.  It came up on my shuffle, and I remembered how sick this album was, and in particular this tune: 

Los Buscadores del Movimiento Perpetuo (LBDMP) are from Buenos Aires.  

They are currently:

OK Grownman usually supplies the metal posts and I supply the stoner rock, but tonight I’m posting some choice metal from 12 years ago.  It came up on my shuffle, and I remembered how sick this album was, and in particular this tune: 

Los Buscadores del Movimiento Perpetuo (LBDMP) are from Buenos Aires.  

They are currently:

Psythøn, Jacob Sennese, David Johnson and Andy Georgiev, hail from Chicago, Illinois and have just released their debut album “Baptized in Bong Water“, a must have release for those who like their grooves both heavy and acidic.

First out of the bag comes “Scorched Earth“, the song starts in a wave of dissonant guitar noise then is joined by the drums and bass in a groove that is constantly switching back and forth between thrash-like stridency and doomic lethargy beneath a vocal that chronicles man’s/earth’s demise in harsh maniacal tones. “Quetzal Hostilis” follows and finds the band alternating between a low’n’slow stoner doom groove and one of a more mid tempo proto doomic meter around vocals that are a mixture of clean harsh and guttural, what really catches the ear though is the searing guitar solos which cut through the murky miasma of different dooms like a hot knife through butter. Third number “Crack (H)orse” is quite the departure from what has gone before, there is a funk element to be found here and it’s the fucked up twisted sort of funkiness that 70’s funksters Parliament/Funkadelic would sometimes toy with in their live shows, the vocals here are a relatively clean mixture of lead singing and shared harmonies but speckled with moments of punkish aggression. “Glass Highway/Baptized in Bong Water/Breath Of Life“, would seem, on the face of it, to be three different songs seamlessly stitched together, the first song a funky heavy psych and acid doom workout, the second a sludgy metallic driving song and the third a trippy tiptoe through the tulips, albeit tulips that are withered and dying. Final song, “Barbarian” changes direction so many times it is hard to keep track, one minute its funky and bluesy, next minute its crushing and sludgy and the next its walking a fine line between languid and chaotic, at all times though it is totally mesmerising.

Psythøn, Jacob Sennese, David Johnson and Andy Georgiev, hail from Chicago, Illinois and have just released their debut album “Baptized in Bong Water“, a must have release for those who like their grooves both heavy and acidic.

First out of the bag comes “Scorched Earth“, the song starts in a wave of dissonant guitar noise then is joined by the drums and bass in a groove that is constantly switching back and forth between thrash-like stridency and doomic lethargy beneath a vocal that chronicles man’s/earth’s demise in harsh maniacal tones. “Quetzal Hostilis” follows and finds the band alternating between a low’n’slow stoner doom groove and one of a more mid tempo proto doomic meter around vocals that are a mixture of clean harsh and guttural, what really catches the ear though is the searing guitar solos which cut through the murky miasma of different dooms like a hot knife through butter. Third number “Crack (H)orse” is quite the departure from what has gone before, there is a funk element to be found here and it’s the fucked up twisted sort of funkiness that 70’s funksters Parliament/Funkadelic would sometimes toy with in their live shows, the vocals here are a relatively clean mixture of lead singing and shared harmonies but speckled with moments of punkish aggression. “Glass Highway/Baptized in Bong Water/Breath Of Life“, would seem, on the face of it, to be three different songs seamlessly stitched together, the first song a funky heavy psych and acid doom workout, the second a sludgy metallic driving song and the third a trippy tiptoe through the tulips, albeit tulips that are withered and dying. Final song, “Barbarian” changes direction so many times it is hard to keep track, one minute its funky and bluesy, next minute its crushing and sludgy and the next its walking a fine line between languid and chaotic, at all times though it is totally mesmerising.

I was totally blown away this week by the announcement of a stunning Dandy Boy Records showcase to welcome me on what will be my first visit to the Bay Area.

Yes, after following the scene for some five years and covering it here for the last two and a bit, my wife Julia and I are finally going to experience it firsthand. I couldn’t be more excited.

I’m meant to be taking a summer break from all things heavymetalkids.uk but I couldn’t resist the chance to highlight some of my previous posts relating to the line up that DBR have announced for Friday 19th September at Little Hill Lounge.

above me – s/t

Expanding on his former band Blue Ocean’s experimental shoegaze soundscapes, Rick Altieri’s solo debut incorporates drum machines, synths and electronic music techniques into its heady dreampop brew. Read more here.

Rhymies – I Dream Watching

From the pulsating urgency of the title track’s soaring chorus through to The Hesperian (Again)’s sweepingly atmospheric climax there is a purity to Lauren Matsui’s rhythmic explorations that is both spellbinding and highly addictive. Read more here.

Ryann Gonsalves – A sense of Bay Area belonging…

Finally, you can check out last summer’s interview with Torrey/Aluminum frontperson Ryann Gonsalves here. Truly one of my favourite blog projects to date.

You can expect more news relating to our forthcoming trip over the coming weeks. In the meantime be sure to give the artists above your fullest time and attention. Bay Area underground forever.

Canada’s Altar of the Fuzz, Trey Graham (guitar); Caine Albright (bass/vocals) and Isaac McConkey (drums) are a relatively young band in terms of existence but in their short time together they have managed to put out a considerable output. Since their 2022  inception the band have managed to release three full length albums, “V” (2023), “Buffalo Haze” (2024) and “Their Skies Were Lost Gods” (2024), as well as a number of well received EP’s and singles. Altar of the Fuzz have become chiefly known for jamming instrumental grooves of a spacious and heavy persuasion but their latest EP “Colossal Sunn Engulfed Earth” sees the band also experimenting with some vocal flavouring.

“Colossal” opens Altar of the Fuzz’s latest musical endeavour and it could not be a better named opus, not only does it span a whopping eleven minutes and three seconds but it also sounds COLOSSAL. The guitar work here is a Gilmour-esque merging of searing drawn out notes, crunching riffage and spacious ringing arpeggios that is is backed by a superbly delivered mix of growly and liquid bass work and a truly impressive blend of thunderous and shimmering percussion. The song takes you on a journey in a way that all good instrumentals should, the music swelling to enormous heights one moment then flattening out to become a trickle the next, atmosphere is a must in music of this nature and this track is drenched in the stuff. Next up is “Sunn“, musically this song comes across like a coming together of Elder, Pink Floyd and OM with the OM part of the equation mostly being found in the “weedian” like nature of its vocals which are delivered in a mantra like throaty gargle. The brief but intriguing “Engulfed” has a distant and otherworldly feel, the sort  of musical piece that could easily work as the soundtrack to a space horror movie, something in the vein of  “Event Horizon” or “Pandorum“. For the albums penultimate number, “Earth“, Altar of the Fuzz basically take Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave” riff and give it a space rock makeover and maaaan do they make a good job of it, if this had been played at Ozzy’s final gig it would have brought the roof down. The final song of the album “Ton 618” blends sampled space themed narrative and swirling bluesy guitar over spacious musical backdrops before fading out on a wave of hazy cosmic jive.  

© 2025 Frazer Jones

Canada’s Altar of the Fuzz, Trey Graham (guitar); Caine Albright (bass/vocals) and Isaac McConkey (drums) are a relatively young band in terms of existence but in their short time together they have managed to put out a considerable output. Since their 2022  inception the band have managed to release three full length albums, “V” (2023), “Buffalo Haze” (2024) and “Their Skies Were Lost Gods” (2024), as well as a number of well received EP’s and singles. Altar of the Fuzz have become chiefly known for jamming instrumental grooves of a spacious and heavy persuasion but their latest EP “Colossal Sunn Engulfed Earth” sees the band also experimenting with some vocal flavouring.

“Colossal” opens Altar of the Fuzz’s latest musical endeavour and it could not be a better named opus, not only does it span a whopping eleven minutes and three seconds but it also sounds COLOSSAL. The guitar work here is a Gilmour-esque merging of searing drawn out notes, crunching riffage and spacious ringing arpeggios that is is backed by a superbly delivered mix of growly and liquid bass work and a truly impressive blend of thunderous and shimmering percussion. The song takes you on a journey in a way that all good instrumentals should, the music swelling to enormous heights one moment then flattening out to become a trickle the next, atmosphere is a must in music of this nature and this track is drenched in the stuff. Next up is “Sunn“, musically this song comes across like a coming together of Elder, Pink Floyd and OM with the OM part of the equation mostly being found in the “weedian” like nature of its vocals which are delivered in a mantra like throaty gargle. The brief but intriguing “Engulfed” has a distant and otherworldly feel, the sort  of musical piece that could easily work as the soundtrack to a space horror movie, something in the vein of  “Event Horizon” or “Pandorum“. For the albums penultimate number, “Earth“, Altar of the Fuzz basically take Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave” riff and give it a space rock makeover and maaaan do they make a good job of it, if this had been played at Ozzy’s final gig it would have brought the roof down. The final song of the album “Ton 618” blends sampled space themed narrative and swirling bluesy guitar over spacious musical backdrops before fading out on a wave of hazy cosmic jive.  

© 2025 Frazer Jones