I have to say, Italy produces some of the finest Stoner and Doom bands of this era. I especially love their Occult Doom bands. It’s like they have some special pact with some arcane entity who grants them special powers in exchange for, I don’t know, sacrifices of a certain type. Just a vibe I get. But anyway, KING POTENAZ releases their second full length album, Arcane Desert Ritual Vol. 1, on June 27, 2025 via Majestic Mountain Records. Four tracks and 40 minutes of some darkly divine shit. Great stuff, this one. 

The first thing that struck me about the band is their clean artwork stuffed full of wonderful occult imagery—plenty of skulls, a flowing stream, a full moon, mountains, a robed and horned woman. Oh, yeah, and all fully encircled by an ouroboros. The second thing that struck me was the complexity of the tracks. Okay, by complexity I mean more than one movement. In almost every one of these tracks there is a sweet spot where all the pretense of slow-brew fuzzy Doom is dropped and shit just gets heavy and groovy as hell.

Best track by far is “Ariadne, The Serpent Witch.” The track starts with an ambient intro of about four and half minutes. That’s when the Doom hammer drops, and everyone puts on their boots of lead. And then in strolls guest vocalist Jana Maista (she provides backing vocals on “Sabbatum Sanctum” as well). Okay cool. Interesting shift. Things kind of drift and get exploratory for a bit. We’re out in that Psych space just testing phrasing and chilling. At the 9:32 point mana drops from the sky and Blackened male guttural vocals sear in. And then at 10:24 the tempo shifts yet again, this time to Stoner Overdrive. From there it’s nothing but perfect Psych riffage and a combo of harsh and angelic vocals. Okay, there’s also a one-minute ambient outro that has some serious folk horror creep to it. If you’re thinking that’s a lot to pack into one track, it is over 13 minutes. But, damn, this is a crazy wild track. Occult Doom gold. 

Backing up a bit, track two, “The Empty Hand Pt. 1” is archetypal Stoner Doom. Infectious riff, bluesy rhythm, trippy vocals. Now I’m waiting for Pt. 2. Opening track, “Rivers of Death,” is also classic Psych Doom reminiscent of compatriots BLACK SPELL or even ELECTRIC WIZARD. Track three, “Sabbatum Sanctum,” is the Doomiest of all the tracks.

All in all, KING POTENAZ, serves up a powerful storm of Psych Doom with Arcane Desert Ritual Vol. 1. I would buy this album just to secure “Ariadne, The Serpent Witch” in my rotation. The other three tracks are an extra bonus. More great Psych Doom coming out of Italy. No one should be surprised; everyone should be thrilled.