Slayyyter’s blaring, serrated, knowingly trashy new LP WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA is one of the best albums of 2026 thus far, and it’s blowing the fuck up. She’s been making culty club-pop for years now, but this is the record that’s finally taking her over the top. Case in point: Slayyyter gave her first-ever televised performance on Tuesday night’s episode of The Tonight Show, and she made the absolute most of it.
More often than not, those artists who truly push the envelope and come up with something new to offer are not to be found at the top of the charts. Even within the underground metal scene, it is more common for those who play it the safest and stick to traditional modes of stylistic expression to rise to the top of the fray.
It is within those gray areas where one established subgenre begins to give way to another that those rare moments of radical innovation become commonplace, like a mythic borderland between rival kingdoms where the inhabitants are various hybrids of both sides. This is where Massachusetts-born stoner/doom quartet Elder has stood for much of their 20-year history.
Following a traditional beginning that resembled the fuzz-steeped stylings of Sleep and Electric Wizard, merging that very same psychedelic approach to heavy rock/metal with a strong progressive rock element that is fairly similar to where Mastodon went in the late 2000s. Their 7th and latest studio album, Through Zero, continues along the same creative trajectory, pushing the boundaries of what constitutes heavy music without warping to another universe in the process.
Ironically enough, while this album largely breaks with the established orthodoxy of emulating Black Sabbath’s pioneering work on Master Of Reality and Vol. 4 respectively, it affirms much of the same creative spirit that made said founding fathers of the stoner/doom style’s catalog so diverse. The free-flowing structure and extended lengths that the lion’s share of the songs on here enjoy run parallel to the extended jams that were a prominent feature of Sabbath’s eponymous 1970 debut album, complete with loosely grounded and technically prominent contributions from drummer Georg Edert and bassist Jack Donovan that resembles that of Ward and Butler in their prime.
On the other hand, the dreamy keyboards and wandering progressive riff work provided by guitarist Mike Risberg and guitarist/vocalist Nick DiSalvo falls much closer to the Sabotage and the wildly experimental stuff that followed until the end of Ozzy Osbourne’s original tenure with Sabbath in the 70s. Throw into the equation a modern production that accentuates a heavy punch rivaled by a dense yet spacey atmosphere and a vocal performance out of DiSalvo that’s smoother and less abrasive than Ozzy’s nasally bellow, and the highly contemplative and occasionally trippy character of Through Zero comes into view.
From one extended excursion through the lofty realm of the human experience to the next, this is an opus that takes its time to set up its point before getting it across, yet not a second is wasted on anything superfluous. The opening foray “Sigil To Ruin” goes on for over 10 minutes yet has a continuing sense of haste within its dream-like atmosphere, matching droning keyboards with an up-tempo rocking drive out of the guitars and rhythm section, and shifts seamlessly between airy light interludes and pummeling heavy grooves.
A similar trend continues within an even faster and bouncier feel on the rich progressive banger “Capture/Release”, which clocks in at just over 8 minutes, and along with the similarly long and animated title offering “Through Zero”, really plays up the progressive rock side of their hybrid approach in a manner that would make Genesis and Yes proud.
The technical showmanship reaches a clear apex on the extended 10-minute epic “Strata”, which all but sounds like the band tracked their parts while floating among the clouds, and the easy atmospheric flow turned punchy rocking crescendo in 8 minutes “Sight Unseen” proves a formidable instrumental take on progressive rock. Basically, the only entry that comes close to being a song in the conventional sense is the closing acoustic ballad “Blighted Age”, and even then, there are plenty of moving parts to keep things interesting.
If nothing else, the example that Elder has established with Through Zero is that breaking the rules doesn’t necessarily entail throwing out the rulebook entirely. There is a very coherent character along for the ride with all of the quirky twists and turns that this post-60s psychedelic bus makes on its journey through inner space, resulting in a series of songs that are generally too long for rock radio but internally consistent and potent enough to capture the imagination of any heavy rocker willing to stick around past the 4-minute mark.
Whether one prefers a sonic punch to the gut via a bottom-heavy groove or the fluid, jazzy noodling that was all the rage during the early to mid 70s, this album manages to do it all without sounding completely retro. At the end of it all is an album that isn’t too far removed from the sound that has allowed the likes of Baroness and Pallbearer to make big names for themselves, and while Elder are by no means newcomers to the scene, this has all the right elements to break through to new horizons in more ways than one.
Release Date: May 22nd, 2026 Record Label: Blues Funeral Recordings Genre: Heavy Psych Rock
Spiritual traditions and myths were carried from generation to generation by enslaved people in the evolution of their spiritual belief system. It manifested itself in clandestine grove meetings, where they performed the mystical ring shout dance and developed the field hollers that later evolved into spirituals, gospel, and blues. Early 20th century blues artists, from Robert Johnson and Lead Belly to Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Muddy Waters, wove superstition, folklore, religion, and the supernatural into their songs. As blues rock bands emerged in the 1960s, they embraced the myth and mystery by reinterpreting existing songs as well as contributing new ones. The following 10 tracks demonstrate how blues rock has long served as a gateway into music’s most haunted and enigmatic corners.
Fleetwood Mac – “Black Magic Woman”
“Black Magic Woman” was written by original Fleetwood Mac founding member and leader Peter Green. It was recorded in 1968 and released in December of the same year on a compilation album titled English Rose. The song became an international hit for Carlos Santana after he recorded and released it on his second studio album Abraxas in 1970. The song was inspired by Green’s girlfriend at the time, whom he called “Magic Mamma,” and the lyrics blur the line between romantic desire and spiritual danger. It tapped into themes of seduction, obsession, and supernatural manipulation, using mystical imagery with a hypnotic minor-key groove as Green’s guitar explodes with stratospheric peals.
Robert Johnson – “Crossroad Blues”
“Cross Road Blues” by Robert Johnson is one of the most mythologized recordings in American music history, based on a manufactured story that has little to do with the song itself. According to legend, Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in Mississippi in exchange for supernatural musical ability. The actual song is about the frustration of hitchhiking in the rural South as nightfall approaches and cars continue to pass by. The song opens with Johnson on his knees, imploring not the devil, but the Lord above to save him. He recorded it in a hotel room in San Antonio in 1936, performing his intricate guitar work and haunting vocals into a single microphone.
Muddy Waters – “Hoochie Choochie Man”
“Hoochie Coochie Man” is another classic blues song written by Willie Dixon and recorded in 1954 by Muddy Waters on the Chess Records label. The band lineup is a who’s who of 1950s blues, with Muddy Waters on guitar and lead vocals. Willie Dixon played double bass, while Little Walter performed on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers played guitar, Otis Spann handled piano duties, and Elgin Edmonds played drums. It is an updated version of a 19th century “sexually provocative dance” that predated the striptease burlesque shows of the 20th century. The song is a ritualistic anthem of sexual bravado and supernatural swagger, with Muddy Waters portrayed as a larger-than-life figure delivering a performance that drips with hoodoo imagery.
Donovan – “Season of the Witch”
Donovan released “Season of the Witch” on his album Sunshine Superman in 1966 during the advent of the counterculture hippie era. The song features a hypnotic groove as it explores myth, paranoia, and the supernatural through shadowy guitar lines and a thumping bass. Donovan’s vocal delivery is detached as he describes strange faces, suspicion, and unseen forces. It was an early contribution to psychedelic blues rock, reflecting the social and cultural anxiety and disorientation unfolding at the time. Future blues-based rock bands like Black Sabbath, Cream, and Led Zeppelin would use similar imagery.
Norman Greenbaum – “Spirit in the Sky”
Norman Greenbaum’s hit song “Spirit in the Sky” appeared on his 1969 solo debut album Spirit in the Sky. It arrived at the height of the psychedelic hippie era, when religious themes were increasingly being expressed in pop culture. Artists ranging from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Santana and Johnny Cash incorporated religious and spiritual imagery into their music. The song is visionary and creates a sound that feels both celebratory and mystical by blending distorted fuzz guitar with handclaps.
The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy For the Devil”
When The Rolling Stones came to America on the heels of The Beatles, they spearheaded the British blues rock invasion. They represented the darker side of rock music and regularly covered American blues standards by artists like Willie Dixon and Jimmy Reed. In 1968, they released their eighth studio album Beggars Banquet, which contained “Sympathy for the Devil” and reinforced their reputation for flirting with the dark side. Not many songs in the blues rock catalog blur the line between myth, history, and menace quite like it does. Sung in the first person, the track presents Lucifer himself guiding listeners through centuries of human violence, from the crucifixion of Christ to the Russian Revolution and the Kennedy assassinations, all set against a hypnotic groove featuring tribal percussion and repeated “woo-woo” chants.
Jimi Hendrix – “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”
“Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” appeared on The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s third and final album, Electric Ladyland, released in 1968. After Jimi Hendrix’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, he was viewed by the counterculture as the archetype of a musical shaman. The song is the ultimate fusion of blues, mysticism, and raw, raging electric guitar, transcending Delta blues imagery and moving into the cosmic realm.
Nirvana – “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”
“Where Did You Sleep Last Night” is a cover of an Lead Belly song originally titled “In the Pines,” which was released in 1946. The song is a traditional American folk tune that originated in Southern Appalachia. Nirvana performed it during their appearance on MTV Unplugged in November 1993, just five months before Kurt Cobain died by suicide. Nirvana delivered a raw, haunted version centered on themes of betrayal, death, and spiritual isolation that reflected Cobain’s dark state of mind at the time.
Larry Norman – “Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus”
“Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus” was released in 1972 on Larry Norman’s fourth solo album Only Visiting This Planet and addressed the disillusionment surrounding the fading hippie dream while offering an alternative. It is one of the rawest collisions of blues rock grit and spiritual confrontation from that era. The song is driven by screaming guitars and pounding piano, while Norman’s raw and urgent vocals create a series of bleak images in need of salvation, including addiction, suicide, and self-destructive behavior. Norman was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001 alongside Elvis Presley.
Black Sabbath – “The Wizard”
“The Wizard” appeared on Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut album, Black Sabbath, which was recorded in 1969 and released in 1970. The song was written by bassist Geezer Butler, who explained in an interview that “The Wizard” was inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings character, Gandalf. From Ozzy Osbourne’s eerie harmonica riff to Tony Iommi’s thick, grinding guitar tone, backed by Bill Ward’s raging drums and Butler’s driving bass lines, the track captures the raw, live chemistry of the band at its best. It is an early example of the way blues rock was being reinterpreted with a harder, heavier sound that would become known as heavy metal.
There’s something slightly bittersweet about reviewing The Final Ride. On one hand, this is a powerful live document from one of hard rock’s most enduring guitar heroes in George Lynch. On the other, it underlines a lingering truth longtime fans may struggle to ignore – for many of us, Lynch Mob was always as much about the voice as the riffs.
That’s no disrespect whatsoever to Gabriel Colon, who delivers a genuinely impressive performance throughout. I can attest to that having seen the band on this very tour when they hit Australia last year. He absolutely nailed it live. He has the range, the attitude and the presence. But provenance matters in bands with legacies this deep, and for me Lynch Mob will always be defined by the vocals of Oni Logan – or, the rather fine Robert Mason.
Still, taken purely as a live album in its own right, The Final Ride has plenty going for it.
The set opens strongly with ‘Lightning Strikes Again’ before rolling into ‘River Of Love,’ one of the definitive tracks from Wicked Sensation, an album that remains a genuine glam metal classic. That debut produced archetypal late-80s hard rock cuts like ‘She’s Evil But She’s Mine’ and ‘For A Million Years’ too, which makes their absence here all the more puzzling. Only ‘River Of Love’ and the title track survive the cull.
The Dokken material is unsurprisingly among the album’s strongest moments. ‘Paris Is Burning’ still crackles with energy, but ‘It’s Not Love’ is absolute perfection — one of the greatest hard rock songs of the era and arguably a top ten track of all time in this reviewer’s book. The closing one-two punch of ‘It’s Not Love’ into ‘Wicked Sensation’ is exactly what fans hoped this farewell release would deliver.
Elsewhere, the setlist choices are occasionally baffling.
‘Hell Child’ gets the nod from Wicked Sensation ahead of genuine classics like ‘She’s Evil But She’s Mine’ and ‘For a Million Years’, while ‘Rain’ feels like an even stranger inclusion given the depth of material available from that record. They’re not bad songs by any means – far from it – but when you’re sacrificing career-defining tracks, the selections feel oddly stubborn.
Likewise, the more recent material struggles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the classics. ‘Caught Up’ from Babylon never truly lifts off in this company, while “Time After Time” sounds polished enough but lacks the spark and memorability of the older material surrounding it. ‘Let The Music Be Your Master’ — representing the oft-maligned Smoke And Mirrors — is another deep cut that hardcore fans may appreciate more than casual listeners.
One thing nobody can question is the musicianship. George Lynch remains an utterly compelling guitarist, still capable of delivering that instantly recognisable tone and fluid phrasing that helped define an era. Gabriel Colon arguably shines brightest on ‘Street Fighting Man,’ even if longtime fans may still hear Robert Mason’s voice in their heads during every chorus.
And perhaps the most telling thing about The Final Ride is what isn’t here. There’s nothing from last year’s supposedly final studio album Dancing With The Devil — a record so under-promoted that not everyone even received it for review. That omission says plenty on its own.
In the end, The Final Ride succeeds less as the definitive final statement of Lynch Mob and more as a reminder of just how incredible the George Lynch catalogue really is. When this album hits its highs, it absolutely soars. And when those final notes of ‘Wicked Sensation’ ring out, the fire still burns.
“The Final Ride” Tracklist:
1. Lightning Strikes Again 2. River Of Love 3. No Good 4. Caught Up 5. Hell Child 6. Let The Music Be Your Master 7. Time After Time 8. Paris Is Burning 9. Rain 10. Street Fighting Man 11. It’s Not Love 12. Wicked Sensation
Line Up:
George Lynch – guitars
Gabriel Colon – vocals
Jaron Gulino – bass
Jimmy D’Anda – drums
Pennsylvania’s The Preps are back with their new EP, Unstoppable, on Fool Records. The Preps have been making melodic hardcore for thirty years and this latest release, their first in over fifteen years is a great addition to their discography. Knocking out six songs in fifteen minutes, Fatlou and crew have put together a record that keeps with that classic hardcore sound, but also pushes them to a new level.
Check out Unstoppable:
Catch the the Preps on tour:
No Rules Tour 2026:
May 29 – McGarvey’s – Altoona, PA
May 30 – The Back Alley – Williamsport, PA
June 4 – Punk Rock BBQ – Saltsburg, PA
June 11 – 27 Club – Asheville, NC
June 12 – Tin Rook – Charleston, SC
June 13 – Franken House – Ellenwood, GA
June 14 – Tilty McFlippers – Martinsburg, WV
July 10 – The Depot – Baltimore, MD
July 11 – Dante’s – Frostburg, MD
July 12 – Tilty McFlippers – Martinsburg, WV
July 17 – Mahoning Drive-in – Tromathon – Lehighton, PA
