STONEFIELD

Bent FLIGHTLESS

High-spirited stoner-psych adventures from Down Under

This Australian psych sisterhood have been steadily winning a loyal fanbase since their high school talent show days. In 2010 The band’s radiofriendly jams caught the ear of a Glastonbury talent scout, which led to the band gracing the hallowed John Peel Stage. Nine years on, Stonefield’s fourth album is the sound of a band hitting their creative stride. Cultivating their sound from their parents’ 70s record collection of classic rock standards, the Findlay sisters excel at crafting dreamy poppy melodies, reverb-drenched grungy grooves and soulful vocal harmonies. Tempos shift from driving fuzz to a slower stoned saunter whilst some ethereal proggy Moog synth provides a soothing, droney hypnosis.

FOR FANS OF: Tame Impala, Black Mountain, Dead Meadow slow tempos, as the band hurl in a nasty pace-change that’s more High On Fire than Sleep. Sauin and Bruja add upbeat protodoom swagger to their sludgy riffs and rollicking solos. Capra Nocturnus descends to a murky, Saint Vitus-esque soul-punch before the title track’s melancholic lead work on amidst its blues and bludgeon brings this debut album to fitting conclusion. It’s a promising start, and TP’s liberal borrowing from across doom’s spectrum avoids limiting their sound to the typical slow’n’low tropes.

FOR FANS OF: Electric Wizard, Church of Misery, Saint Vitus German blackhearts subscribe to the Hindu Times

Quite how a black metal band from Germany have managed to create an album that feels genuinely steeped in the atmospheres and musical traditions of ancient Indian spirituality is anyone’s guess. But here we are. Temple Koludra haven’t just pulled off some perfunctory blending of quasi-religious ambience and scowling extremity here: Seven! Sirens!… is plainly a profoundly adventurous and progressive metal album, even before the emergence of traditional Indian instruments midway through sprawling opener Trimurti. Striking a sublime balance between Dimmulike pomp and hazy, Deathspell Omega claustrophobia, immersive epics like Namarupa and the closing White I Trance twist and turn through mutating shadows, veering from blastbeat scree to exquisite restraint in the blink of an eye. Much as Nile made Egyptian vibes so integral to their sound, Temple Koludra have harnessed a moment of inspiration and used it to create something truly spectacular. Wow.

FOR FANS OF: Svartidauði, Nile, Wolves In The Throne Room Former Katatonia guitarist uncovers new shades of gloom

As implied their name of the act responsible, Thenighttimeproject’s music is deep, dark and sombre. What it does not convey fully, however, is the sheer understated beauty of Pale Season. Formed almost a decade ago by Katatonia and October Tide guitarist Fredrik Norrman, the Swedes drew positive reviews for a self-titled debut in 2016, though partly concocted during

Norrman’s Katatonia years. Those links remain, but the addition of vocalist Alexander Backlund, who also produced and played guitar, only enhances the album’s melting pot of postrock, prog, doom-lite and neo-gothic metal influences. With lyrics reconciling the fact “that as we age, we become different people and we must let our experiences shape us” (the words of Backlund), one suspects that this seductive, intoxicating and thoughtful set will only grow with familiarity.

FOR FANS OF: Katatonia, Anathema, Tool

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