US / THEM

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Üga Büga share 1st single from upcoming album, "sludge metal w/ a side of BBQ sauce" -- Invisible Oranges

“A saucy slab of proggy sludge metal with a side of barbecue sauce.” — Invisible Oranges

Charlottesville, VA trio Üga Büga share the lead single from their forthcoming sophomore full length LP Valley of The Wolf today. An early listen and review launched previously via Invisible Oranges HERE. The single is now available on all DSPs HERE.

Hailing from Virginia, Üga Büga fuses influences like Mastodon, Soundgarden, High on Fire, and The Mars Volta into a genre-bending force of rock and heavy metal. Their forceful sound is matched by fantastical lyrics of post-apocalyptic hog men, sinister wizards, and dual-wielding warriors tearing through landscapes on motorcycles—evoking scenes similar to the worlds of TMNT, Dragon Ball, and other classic comics and cartoons. Riding high after their 2024 debut album, Year of the Hog, landed on the Doom Charts, ÜGA BÜGA is set to unleash their next chapter, Valley of the Wolf.

ÜGA BÜGA has built a reputation as a sonic outlier through relentless performances across the eastern US. Their high-energy shows have earned them opportunities to open for national touring acts like Nothingmore, Darkest Hour, Castle Rat, King Buffalo, and many more, as well as festival plays such as Does It Doom's Seismic Summer Fest and Doomed and Stoned Fest. Fans and peers have tried to use countless labels to describe their sound, the consensus always comes down to two words: unique and heavy. Their growing presence has led to incredible opportunities—most recently, an international tour in Japan.

Formed in mid-2021, ÜGA BÜGA experimented with various lineups and styles before solidifying their current lineup in November 2022, featuring singer/guitarist Calloway Jones, bassist Niko Cvetanovich, and drummer Jimmy Czywczynski. This lineup infused their own diverse styles into a collection of songs written by Calloway Jones, reshaping them into a cohesive and undeniably heavier sound—one that would define their debut album, Year of the Hog. Now, the band writes collaboratively, with each member’s contributions playing a crucial role in shaping their evolving sound.

Valley of The Wolf will be available on June 5th, 2026. Pre-orders are available HERE.

ÜGA BÜGA - LIVE 2026:

02/19 Roanoke, VA - Spot on Kirk

02/20 Winston Salem, NC - The Den

02/21 Waynesboro, - The Foundry

02/22 Atlanta, GA - TBA

02/23 Louisville, KY - Mag Bar

02/25 Asheville, NC - Sly Grog Lounge

02/26 Nashville, TN - The End

02/28 Raleigh, NC - Cannonball Music Hall

03/11 Harrisonburg, VA - The Golden Pony

03/22 Norfolk, VA - Norva

Artist: Üga Büga

Album: Valley of The Wolf

Label: self-released

Release Date: June 5, 2026

01. Divine Slaughter

02. Earthsuckers

03. Valley of The Wolf

04. Ghost in the Diamond Cage

05. Mötorhog

06. Nail That Binds

07. The Sand Witch

08. Divination

09. Descent

10. Revolting Powe

On the Web:

ugabugaband.com

instagram.com/ugabugaband

facebook.com/ugabugaband

Friday, January 23, 2026

BRONCO FORTE share new single from forthcoming debut album (All Hail The Yeti, Batillus members)

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

"They paint their sandy vistas with lush, yet crisp guitar work and catchy clean vocals against a backdrop of muscular, laid-back drums." -- Toilet Ov Hell

“A clear-eyed reminder of what heavy rock was built on: driving riffs, unforgettable melodies, and songs that actually stick… It feels less like a nostalgic exercise than a necessary course correction.” — Metal Injection

Los Angeles quartet Bronco Forte share a new single from their forthcoming full length album Lightning Scars today. The track, "Obvious Alias" premiered earlier via Toilet Ov Hell HERE. "Obvious Alias" and the previous single are available to hear/share on all DSPs HERE.

Bronco Forte recently released a beautifully crafted D&D themed video for the lead single "Lightning Scar", produced by Zograscope Studios and featuring actor John Ennis (Better Call Saul, Mr. Show) in a very creative production design. An early preview launched via Metal Injection HERE. The "Lightning Scar" video is now also available to watch & share on YouTube 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.

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

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Belonging share "The Dog" video via Decibel Magazine from forthcoming split album 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

"Explores love, loss and catharsis through punk, sludge, and psych-infused energy." -- Metal Injection

“Features plenty of melancholy and the kind of quiet-loud interplay that Baroness did so well circa Yellow & Green… These guys kick up a helluva thick sound and find an impressive balance between soothing and crushing.” — Decibel Magazine

Portland, OR trio Belonging share a video for the title track from their forthcoming split LP The Dog with hometown compatriots Inny today. The video for "The Dog" premiered earlier via Decibel Magazine HERE. It is now available to watch/share on YouTube HERE.

Metal Injection recently hosted new single "Hellkite" HERE. "Hellkite" is 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.

BELONGING - LIVE 2026:

02/19 - Portland, OR - Alleyway Cafe & Bar

02/20 - Seattle, WA - The Kraken Bar & Lounge

02/21 - Bellingham, WA - The Shakedown

02/22 - Tacoma, WA - Slice of Life