It would be a tragic understatement for anyone to make the obvious claim that psychedelic rock and doom metal have found quite a union in recent times. With all sorts of different bands coming out of the woodwork to show us what they can do, there’s nothing that can quite compare to a properly done piece that takes into consideration much of what such a combination can bring to the table in the proper proportions. As such, there are always tons of new bands coming around that try their hand at it with varying degrees of success with acts like Holystone a perfect representation of that fact.

While there’s always splendor to be had in seeing both doom and psychedelic rock brought together into a single cohesive package that has loads to offer across so many different efforts and bands, to witness both sounds brought to the table in their own separate capacities is a blend that not many can deliver in a meaningful performance that doesn’t feel disjoint, jumbled, or clunky in any manner whatsoever. As such, to see an act come around and manage to do it all well while still allowing room for so much more, Holystone has really done a tremendous job with everything that they’ve summoned to make “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” a beast that is not to be trifled with nor underestimated. Whether the riffs or the psychedelia or the raw heaviness or all of it ebbing and flowing between themselves that get you transfixed into the dense realm that Holystone carefully crafts throughout the eight tracks that all flow beautifully into one another to make this album far more than some semblance of heaviness and otherworldly visions vying for dominance. Rather, Holystone puts forth a real spectacle of an album that immediately sets the band apart from many of the wanna-be names throughout the scene and establishes them as one of those that have a clear understanding of what this scene can still accomplish.

Even after decades of the sound oftentimes feeling as though the sound can cave in on itself at times, bands like Holystone and works like “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” are what keep us coming back for more every time. Holystone is still a new name by damn near every stretch, but it’s every move that they make throughout this performance that their future status as masters of the craft is given an immense boost in the right direction.

LISTEN to “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Holystone on Facebook here.