Things I don’t like about STEREOPHOBIA: Too much spoken word (at least on their latest album) and the fact that they’re unabashedly Post Grunge, a subgenre I really struggle with. Things I appreciate about STEREOPHOBIA: Trio. Unlike most Alt Metal bands there aren’t 17 band members cramming the stage with this band. This is just three guys pulling their weight without any superfluous people roaming around. Impressive. Also, they try. I mean even with all the spoken word, which honestly screams ‘trying too hard,’ they actually seem like they mean what they say and they back it up with some heavy-ass music. So, yeah. STEREOPHOBIA, despite their exactly two faults, is not bad. And to prove it, on August 29, 2025 they drop their sophomore album, Choke on This, via Eclipse Records, a not bad Post Grunge album.  

With an album title like Choke on This I thought I was running straight into an LA Glam band. The album cover—which depicts a family photo with one face scratched out laying aside a razor, some pills, and an old-fashioned pocket watch—quickly disabused me of that perception. Choke on This isn’t referencing a violent sexual act, but rather familial/social angst.

The album comprises 14 (!!) tracks and clocks out at an hour (!!). I guess I could add that as a third thing I like about this band. I mean they could have skimped a 30-minute album and slunk out the back, but instead they marched right in and flung 60 minutes on the table. Committed.

Okay, I did say I’m not a big Post Grunge fan. Regardless, I do have a pick of standout tracks. First, “Twisted Fuck,” a bow to Hardcore. Heaviest, fiercest, and shortest track on the album. Also, the title. What’s not to love about this track? Second, “Maggots” with haunting female vocals and exotic Middle Eastern vibes. Nice juxtaposition. Third, “Plastik Queen” with some interesting musical experimentation and way off-center riffage. Eclectic number, this one.     

I can’t say STEREOPHOBIA has won me over, but they did get me to listen for more than an hour and more than once. Not quite my thing, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its merits. For fans of all those radio-friendly 90’s and 00’s Alt Metal bands, this might be your pill.