Originally formed in 2012 from a group of touring veterans and seasoned musicians, from the outset, all four members of Texan riff-bearers Thunder Horse have been defined by a friendship, chemistry and constant desire to break ground on something new.

Led by guitarist/vocalist Stephen Bishop, who served many years as a mainstay on the industrial metal scene in Texas as front man for Pitbull Daycare (Cleopatra records, MIA Records), Bishop was aided and abetted by fellow PD founder, confidant and lead guitarist, T.C. Connally. With each’s playing influenced in no small part by some of the most iconic hard rock and heavy metal bands of the late 60s and 70s – Roger Waters, Michael Schenker, Toni Iommi and Robin Trower – together, Thunder Horse’s song writing duties are divvied equally, in line with a passion for all things heavy.

On drums, the exceptionally versatile Jason “Shakes” West holds court and has most recently served as a writer and touring member of the Murderdolls (Slipknot’s Joey Jordison), Wednesday 13, Sebastian Bach, OzzFest Veteran’s Neurotica and Pitbull Daycare, alongside both Bishop and Connally. Leaving bass player Dave Crow, AKA “Uncle Dave”, to complete the charge as West’s backline counterpart; a legendary southwestern journeyman and accomplished 12-string bass player with an unrivalled rockabilly pedigree.

With an eclectic backdrop of influences and styles setting them apart from the pack, the San Antonio-based quartet’s self-titled debut is not only one that is borne out of a love for doom, heavy blues and classic rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s one that heralds an entirely new dawn in the southern sludge metal genre. Slow, low, and steeped in sounds synonymous with the majesty of 70s hard rock and heavy metal, the band is thrilled to announce that Thunder Horse, will see an official worldwide release on vinyl and CD via BC/TX Records on 14th December 2018. Pre-order here – http://thunderhorse.bandcamp.com/album/thunder-horse

Stream and share the new video for ‘Demons Speak’, directed by Kim Anguiano Connally (www.dazevideo77.com) below:

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Following the release of last year’s critically acclaimed Relic, Louisiana’s preeminent prog warlocks, Forming The Void, are thrilled to announce news of their new album Rift, which is due for release this August on Kozmik Artifactz.

Originally formed in 2013 in Lafayette – a place with an impressive reputation for raising underground rock into realms of the unknown – Forming The Void became one of the city’s most talked about bands of 2017. With the release of their third album Relic (voted album of the year on Heavy Planet), their colossal and atmospheric sound summoned the towering hard rock riffs and progressive influence of bands like Mastodon, Baroness and Torche. A distinctive sound that not only marked them out as ‘ones to watch’, but a sound that promptly earned them recognition around the world as ambitious and gifted players, capable of producing, “Crunching stoner riffs with trippy lyrics that speak of mythical winged beasts, secret epiphanies…” (PROG MAGAZINE)

Newly signed to German label Kozmik Artifactz, in preparation for the official release of their fourth studio album Rift this summer, the band will take to the road throughout 2018 for an extensive run of live dates and festival appearances.

The first single lifted from their new album is ‘On We Sail’, an epic and devastating trip into the heart of a Sabbathian darkness, which premièred last week on Decibel Magazine. Courting robed figures in hallowed forests, with the odd case or two of Miller Lite, as guitarist/vocalist James Marshall explains:

“Lyrically it’s about being on a ship and being sucked into a portal that blasts out into space, and in that moment, accepting the path into the unknown and that it might be the end of the road for you. It’s meant be a victorious thing, although it sounds really negative. We were brainstorming video ideas and wanted to go with something beyond a regular performance video and do something light-hearted. We also enlisted some help from our buddy Jai Benoit of Golgothan to play the monster and assist with the vision. This is just another night with Forming the Void and friends. It was fun to spoof the first video and we shot at the same location with some of the same people plus more of our friends. All that together just made it a comedy.”

Rift, the new studio album from Forming The Void will be released on 17th August 2018 on Kozmik Artifactz, www.kozmik-artifactz.com

Stream and share here the new video for ‘On We Sail’ here:

“…a towering, majestic ode to their old Captain Beyond records and Alice In Chains cassettes. It’s a juicy, smoky, doom-rock sandwich laced with crackling neo-grunge and a bucket of slimy green southern-fried sludge.”
CLASSIC ROCK

“Progressive sludge metal that’s dynamic, engaging and doesn’t get too swept up in itself is hard to come by, but Louisiana’s Forming The Void have done a fantastic job on their new effort, Relic.”
METALSUCKS

“Forming the Void stake their claim as the pre-eminent stoner/doom band from the state with their second effort, Relic, a sterling collection of hook-laden riffs and clean vocals…”
METAL INJECTION

“Melding their influences, which range from Mastodon and The Sword, to Soundgarden and YOB, Forming The Void’s riffs summon a sense of adventure.”
CVLT NATION

Formed in Wrocław, Poland in 2015 by guitarist Bartosz Janik and drummer Kamil Ziółkowski, Spaceslug was born a singularity; a rare and unusual discovery found deep amidst a cosmic multiverse of doom, stoner metal and progressive rock.

Completing their line-up shortly after that initial bang with the arrival of Jan Rutka on bass, the trio soon began their journey through space and time; writing, recording and releasing their debut album Lemanis in 2016 on BSFD Records/Oak Island Records to wide acclaim. (

”If Black Sabbath’s ‘Planet Caravan’ had riffs, it would sound like this album,” The Shrieks From Below)

With the album enthusiastically received on terra firma, Spaceslug’s quite frankly supermassive sound served as a flawless introduction. A sound where moments of dark desolation sidled up neatly alongside light and hope, riffs and soar-away vocals, it opened a sonic gateway into the hard rock underground and pathed the way for their devastatingly brilliant follow-up, Time Travel Dilemma. Released just one year after their debut, the album kept the cosmic cannon firing on all cylinders and like their Mountains & Reminiscence EP (released later that same year) their ticket was deservedly stamped and valid beyond the stratosphere.

This July will see the official worldwide release of Eye the Tide, Spaceslug’s third full-length album and the closing entry in their personal trilogy:

“It took us just four months to create our first album, Lemanis, and we wanted it to be more than just a project. We wanted it to be a journey into another dimension,” explains guitarist Bartosz Janik. “With Eye the Tide, we want this third part of the cosmic journey to explore the deepest and darkest parts of that universe. The album itself is more progressive and post-rock than anything we’ve done before as we always want to turn that next corner when it comes to making music.”

Later this year, Spaceslug will also contribute their dark reimagining of Pink Floyd’s ‘Don’t Leave Me Now’ to THE WALL [Redux], Magnetic Eye Records’ end-to-end homage to the iconic Pink Floyd album, featuring heavy music luminaries including The Melvins, Pallbearer, Mark Lanegan, Scott Reeder and Ruby the Hatchet.

Eye the Tide by Spaceslug is released worldwide on 20th July via BSFD Records. Pre-order now at https://spaceslug.bandcamp.com

Stream and share the new video for ‘Obsolith’ with Decibel Magazine HERE or follow the link below:

This June will see the official worldwide release of Hymn of the Cosmic Man, the brand-new studio album from Belgian progressive rock quartet, Fire Down Below.

Following on from last year’s hugely successful rerelease of Viper Vixen Goddess Saint, the Ghent-based foursome are back with yet another exceptional melee of fuzzed-out stoner rock, heavy psych and grunge on Ripple Music, home to some of the finest acts in recent years to emerge from the underground.

On Hymn of the Cosmic Man, Fire Down Below trade the hot desert winds of their debut for the cold desolation of outer space. With a storyline that pitches a single soul against an unnamed threat to mankind, the band express fear, hope, defeat, surrender and courage across seven tracks, making for one truly compelling journey.

“We had this background story that guided us in the songwriting process,” explains bassist Bert Wynsberghe. “Yet we left it somewhat vague so that it wouldn’t limit us and we could still pursue ideas that were more ‘out there’. That really worked for us, we got to explore new sonic territories and we’re excited to see what reactions we might get.”

As a glowing endorsement and belief in their sheer quality, Fire Down Below’s second full-length not only plants a flag into the earth’s crust, it endeavours to propel the band into orbit. Never ones to mess with a winning combination, after the critical acclaim of their debut, Fire Down Below teamed up again with Tim De Gieter at Much Luv Studio in Belgium for recording and mixing, with Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland on mastering duties.

“We were happy to be able to work with Tim again. We’d raised the bar for ourselves for the new album and we were thrilled to see that he had done the same thing for his studio work. And then of course we’re super excited that Ripple Music is releasing this album. To be part of a family with bands such as Wo Fat and Mothership is just beyond anything we had ever considered possible.”

Already, the band has garnered some truly remarkable comparisons with bands like Truckfighters, Red Fang and Soundgarden, and now with Hymn of the Cosmic Man, from the swelling, space swallowing opening of ‘Red Giant’ and ‘Ignition/Space Cruiser’, to the spectacularly progressive closer ‘Adrift In A Sea Of Stars’, we will at last see them step up, take flight and traverse the universe powered by hard rock, stellar riffs and their own, breathtaking volition.

Hymn of the Cosmic Man by Fire Down Below is released worldwide on 8th June via Ripple Music. Stream and share new the new video for ‘Saviour Of Man’ below: