American doom metal band The Obsessed has signed a worldwide deal with Heavy Psych Sounds Records for the release of its new studio album in 2027. "We are very happy to announce The Obsessed signing with the premier hard rock label Heavy Psych Sounds!" frontman Scott "Wino" Weinrich said. "The Obsessed is currently finishing the... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki Is mid-June too early to declare an album of the year? Probably so, but that’s the kind of reaction that Denver doom crew Khemmis elicits with its self-titled fifth full-length. After garnering near-universal praise for its previous LP, 2021’s “Deceiver,” the quartet—vocalist/guitarist Phil Pendergast, vocalist/guitarist Ben Hutcherson, drummer Zach Coleman and bassist... Continue Reading →
Photos by Greg Maki
Denver, Colorado, doom metal band Khemmis will release its self-titled fifth album on June 12, 2026, via Nuclear Blast Records. It will be the band's first album since 2021's "Deceiver." Pre-order the album here, and watch the music video for the first single, "Invocation of the Dreamer," below. “We decided early in the songwriting process... Continue Reading →
Louisiana metal legends Crowbar—led by riff lord and vocalist Kirk Windstein with guitarist Matt Brunson, drummer Tommy Buckley and returning bassist Pat Bruders (Down, ex-Goatwhore)—will join Eyehategod for the second leg of their U.S. co-headline tour in spring 2026. The journey begins March 19 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and runs through April 18 in New Orleans,... Continue Reading →
CASTLE RAT PHOTOS—Review and photos by Greg Maki—For one night, the Ottobar was no longer in Baltimore. With the Rat Queen as our guide, the sold-out crowd was taken into a fantastical realm populated by wizards, dragons, unicorns and other mystical beasts. We had to be wary at all times of the evil Rat Repearess,... Continue Reading →
Photos by Greg Maki
Doom metal icon Scott "Wino" Weinrich—the voice of The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan and Saint Vitus—has shared "Anhedonia," the new single from his fourth solo album, "Create or Die" (Oct. 24, 2025, Ripple Music; pre-order it here). On the new album, Weinrich plugs in and turns up the heat. "Create or Die" trades the stark acoustics of... Continue Reading →
By Greg Maki After inviting us into its world on its debut album, 2024’s “Into the Realm,” fantasy doom metal band Castle Rat—hailing from the very non-fantastical Brooklyn, New York—expands on its lore in spectacular fashion on its sophomore effort, “The Bestiary.” With the first album featuring only seven proper songs and barely topping 30... Continue Reading →
Fantasy doom metal band Castle Rat has shared "Serpent," the third single from its upcoming sophomore album "The Bestiary," due Sept. 19, 2025, via King Volume Records in the United States and Blues Funeral Recordings in the U.K. and Europe. "With ‘Serpent,’ we wanted to explore the iconography of the snake—not just as a symbol of danger or deceit,... Continue Reading →
