THAMMUZ is a Stoner/Psych Metal foursome out of Gelderland in the Netherlands. It is also the alternate spelling for Tammuz, or Dumuzid, the Sumerian god of shepherds and fertility. Just going to leave that one there. Not inferring anything about lonely nights in pastures and sheep. But I digress. THAMMUZ recently released their sophomore full-length album, "Sons of the Occult," on Argonauta Records with whom they also recently signed. THAMMUZ has the sound of an instrumental band who later decided to add vocals. Don't get me wrong, Harm is a great vocalist-he reminds me of Argy from NIGHTSTALKER-it's just that like a lot of Stoner bands, his styling is subdued and takes second stage to the more prominent force of riffs and rhythm.

Thematically, the album does some wandering. From the initial reference to PKD's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (which, in fact, are the actual lyrics to the track) to several songs about assorted murderers. I think the point of the latter is that we are all potential killers, literally and metaphorically. There is at least one more track about aliens, aptly titled "People from the Sky," one instrumental referencing transcendental drugs (at least by title), and a couple of more instrumentals alluding back the band's mythological etymology-"Guayota" and "Dumuzid's Descent." The cover art by Diogo Soares perfectly supplements the album's essence. Pretty much the dream stuff of Stoner Psych, but more on the ancient occult edge than women and cars.

Here's my quick rundown of pick of standout tracks: "Had A Blast," which has a slow first half but then, as they title suggests, escapes the atmosphere-largely fueled by Jurren's tidal wave inducing bass breaks; "People from the Sky," a nasty track that has both groove and grit aplenty; and "Guayota," which I found reminiscent but not derivative of "I am the Mountain" by STONED JESUS. I also really dug "Death Songs" for its hyperdrive blues attack.

I have to admit, I totally missed the THAMMUZ debut, "Into the Great Unknown," in 2020. An oversight I'll soon have to rectify. I guess the year of our plague was keeping me preoccupied. Anyway, we have moved on and THAMMUZ, obviously not being so distracted as the rest of us, has graced us with another megalith artifact. Recommended for Stoner, Psych and even Doom fans.