Bronco Forte share 1st single from upcoming album (All Hail the Yeti, Batillus members)

 

"A feeling of craft that underscores everything they do." -- The Obelisk

Los Angeles quartet Bronco Forte share the lead single from their forthcoming full length debut LP Lightning Scars today. An early listen and review launched previously via The Obelisk HERE. The single is now available on all DSPs HERE.

After so many iterations of heavy, desert-inspired doom rock over past decades, it seems the essence of purely driving riffs, earworm harmonies and strong songwriting that defined a genre has been forsaken. Bronco Forte are a return to the stark blast that made bands like Kyuss, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden legends. 

After years of creative toil and preparation, Los Angeles quartet Bronco Forte is stepping into the spotlight as a fully-formed heavy rock phenomenon, with roots in the classic heavy music of the 1970s, seasoned with a deeply modern sensibility and sonic approach. The songs on their debut full-length album, Lightning Scars, chronicle the uncertain lives of ordinary people in the cities and wildernesses of California and beyond, as the characters they depict strive to maintain their integrity in the face of a rapidly-changing world.

The band’s lyrics balance literary style and kitchen-sink realism. Their riffs are deep and dirty, conjuring up the kinds of swinging grooves that cause involuntary head-nodding. The song structures are clever without being cluttered, and the band’s judicious use of vocal harmonies brings a powerful pop sweetness that cuts like a ray of light through the deep swampy stomp of their songs. It all adds up to a fresh yet familiar take on hard rock for a new era, as they draw inspiration and energy from their musical ancestors while casting aside the weary genre cliches of the past. 

On Lightning Scars, guitarist and vocalist Chris Klepac’s focused songwriting and poignant lyrics meld seamlessly with guitarist Sako Injaian’s (All Hail the Yeti) energetic riffs to create a sonic tapestry that is somehow as catchy as it is heavy. Together, bassist Jen Glomboski (White Forest) and drummer Geoff Summers (Batillus, A Storm of Light) lay down a rhythmic foundation that is as solid and unwavering as the endless expanses of concrete and asphalt that blanket the band’s home of southern California.

Lightning Scars was tracked and mixed by engineer Kevin McCombs (Linkin Park, Story of the Year) at legendary North Hollywood studio The Steakhouse – the same studio where Queens of the Stone Age recorded Era Vulgaris. From there, the band took the audio to heavy rock mastering wizard Nick Townsend (Alice in Chains, Frankie and the Witch Fingers), who cut the resulting album to lacquer on his own personal lathe. Album art from Kevin “fetusK” Bernier (Prosthetic Records, Intronaut) completes the package.

 Lightning Scars will be available on LP, CD and download on April 3rd, 2026. Pre-orders are available HERE. 

BRONCO FORTE - LIVE 2026:

02/27 Los Angeles, CA - Permanent Records Roadhouse

Artist: Bronco Forte

Album: Lightning Scars

Label: self-released 

Release Date: April 3, 2026

01. Emberwalker

02. Cultist Canyon

03. Goat Church

04. Towers

05. Hellascope

06. Scuffed Up

07. Dust Jacket

08. Lightning Scar

09. Obvious Alias

10. Sixteen Lanes

On the Web:

linktr.ee/broncoforte

instagram.com/broncoforte

broncoforte.com

broncoforte.bandcamp.com

Austin duo GRAN MORENO share new single "Las Montañas" from forthcoming full length debut

 

“Gran Moreno continue bridging the gaps between psychedelia and mass audiences… This track operates with two sides of the storytelling coin, one operating with pop sensibility and hooks, while the other toys with smoky psychedelia and bombast.” — Austin Town Hall

“I’m holding a place in my notes for best debut albums of 2026 for El Sol… They have the energy of a young outfit and the self-awareness to know what they’re about in terms of songwriting.” — The Obelisk

"Heavy guitars and a pounding drum beat give way to Black Sabbath-level sinister vocals to make for a song that rages and crashes like the swells of a heavy ocean storm." -- Glide Magazine

Austin duo Gran Moreno share a new single, "Las Montañas" from their forthcoming debut studio album El Sol today exclusively via Glide Magazine HERE and Bandcamp HERE. 

Previous singles from the album are available to hear and share on all DSPs HERE. 

Gran Moreno emerges as one of the most captivating voices in the new wave of psychedelic rock. With a sound rooted in analog warmth and expansive textures, the Austin-based band crafts songs that feel like sonic mirages — equal parts groove, grit, and atmosphere. Their music lives at the intersection of distortion and introspection, where hypnotic riffs, heavy rhythms, and emotionally charged melodies build immersive landscapes that demand to be felt as much as heard.

At the core of Gran Moreno is a deep commitment to storytelling through sound. Their upcoming album is a conceptual two-part release: Side A: El Sol and Side B: La Luna. Each side represents a different emotional plane — El Sol radiates urgency, energy, and clarity, while La Luna leans into shadow, mystery, and reflection. The first release, El Sol, captures the band at full intensity, delivering a vivid, unfiltered introduction to their evolving identity.

On stage, Gran Moreno transforms their sound into a full-body experience. Their live shows blend sonic power with visual depth, pulling audiences into a shared trance that feels both personal and communal. As they continue to shape their universe with bold creativity and a fierce independent spirit, Gran Moreno isn’t just making music — they’re building a world of their own.

El Sol will be available on LP and download on January 16th, 2026. Pre-orders are available HERE. 

Artist: Gran Moreno

Album: El Sol

Label: Self-released

Release Date: January 16, 2026

01. Las Montañas

02. Aztlan

03. Huracan

04. Temple of Fire

05. La Mentira

06. Oaxaca - Please Don't Cry

07. Hikuri

08. California Blues

On The Web:

instagram.com/granmorenomusic

granmoreno.bandcamp.com

BELONGING share "The Dog" single from forthcoming split LP with INNY on Dipterid Records

 

"Eclectic, heavy-but-melodic... sometimes recalls Torche, as well as similar doom leaning acts as Helms Alee and Big Business." -- Treble

"Both raw and hypnotic, and takes in a myriad of punk, screamo, post-hardcore, sludge, doom and psych influences to create an impressive noise." -- Echoes & Dust

Portland, OR trio Belonging share the title track from their forthcoming split LP The Dog with hometown compatriots Inny today. An early listen launched previously via Echoes & Dust HERE. The 2 singles, both titled "The Dog" are now available on all DSPs HERE.

Belonging formed out of the tight-knit DIY scenes of the Upper Midwest, later converging with the heavier and more experimental currents of the Pacific Northwest. The result is a massive, emotionally complex sound, blending the raw urgency of punk and screamo with the heavy, hypnotic energy of sludge, psych, and grunge.

Bryce August, vocalist/guitarist of Belonging on “The Dog”:

“Bukowski called love A Dog From Hell. Yeats wrote that the mythic Irish hero Cú Chulainn, or the Hound of Ulster, “fought with the invulnerable tide.” All three of the songs on this split were written around what happens when all-consuming emotion - passion, obsession, despair - runs into something protean, elemental and immovable like the sea. “The Dog” in particular is about love, loss and how we go on living, keeping our promises to the dead.”

 

Belonging

Belonging’s side of The Dog finds the band honing their dynamic control and emotional volatility into a tightly interlocked suite of songs. The tracks move with heavy momentum—each one digging deeper into themes of disconnection and restraint, then flaring up into moments of cathartic release. But for all the tension and texture, these songs stick—melodies and phrases linger, and the verses and choruses feel built to shout along with. It’s the sound of something fraying at the edges, still pulsing with clarity and conviction—unsettling, resonant, and deeply human.

Inny

On the flip side, Inny is a different animal altogether. Their three tracks snap, coil, and jab with tightly wound precision—built on sharp guitar interplay, shifting rhythms, and vocals that swing from barked commands to flat-eyed defiance. The songs feel forged in basement heat: lean, urgent, and charged with confrontation. Where Belonging creates tension through space and emotional gravity, Inny builds it through friction and speed, turning every riff into a pressure point. It’s bracing, wired music that bites first and doesn’t ask questions.

The Dog split will be available on 12" LP and download via Dipterid Records on February 6th, 2026. Pre-orders are available HERE. 

Artist: Belonging / Inny

Album: The Dog

Label: Dipterid Records 

Release Date: February 6, 2026

01. Belonging - Hellkite

02. Belonging - The Dog

03. Belonging - Dead Reckoning

04. Inny - The Dog

05. Inny - Vessel

06. Inny - Morsel

On the Web:

belongingpdx.bandcamp.com

instagram.com/dipteridrecords

dipteridrecords.bandcamp.com