Rome-based, started off more instrumental, now fully locked into a stoner rock framework with vocals, but that description already sounds more stable than the record actually feels.
What they’re doing still sits in stoner rock world, but it’s not the comfortable, nostalgic kind. There’s a rougher edge here, sometimes leaning into grunge weight, sometimes drifting into psych haze, and occasionally just hitting that slightly dirty, almost unstable groove that makes you sit up and pay attention again.
The usual reference points get thrown around, Kyuss, QOTSA, Clutch, The Sword, Dozer, and sure, you can hear fragments of all of that. But the problem (or the strength, depending on how generous you want to be) is that Solar Mantra don’t really settle into any of those lanes long enough to be predictable. It keeps shifting slightly off-axis.
Compared to their debut, this is definitely a heavier and more self-assured record, but also less “safe” in structure. The grooves are thicker, the tone darker, and yet the songs don’t behave straightforwardly. They lock in, stay too long, then suddenly drift or tighten up again without warning. That instability is actually what gives the album its character.
Vocals are interesting in a slightly divisive way; they’re not dominant, not really front-and-center in a classic rock sense. They sit inside the mix, sometimes almost blending into the guitars instead of leading them. That works most of the time, but there are moments where you wish they’d either commit harder or step back completely.
The production deserves credit here. Live recording and analog mixing give the whole thing a slightly compressed, room-bound feel. It’s warm, yes, but also a bit claustrophobic in places, like the band is playing slightly closer together than they maybe should. That actually suits the material, even if it doesn’t always make it comfortable.
What holds the album back from being a real standout is not ideas, but consistency in impact. Some sections hit with real weight and confidence, others feel like they’re just looping until the next shift arrives. It doesn’t collapse, but it doesn’t always fully “ignite” either.
By the end, it feels less like a tightly structured album narrative and more like a record built around a consistent idea that doesn’t always hit with the same weight from section to section. Still, there’s enough identity in how it’s put together to keep it engaging throughout.
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Released by Argonauta Records on May 8th, 2026
Music source for review – Grand Sounds PR
