New releases last four weeks: Post Rock/Experimental

Review: Pioneering Japanese psychedelic rock Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (AMT) were formed in 1995. Their relentless output has spawned various offshoots over the years, such as Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic Inferno and Acid Mothers Temple SWR, synthesising and alien cosmo-grammar in sound, one that perhaps only the most acid-casualtied tongues can interpret or speak. Now present through Rolling Heads comes their latest album for 2025: Holy Black Mountain Side comprises three psychedelic pieces, reticulating a series of recording sessions held down between 2021 and 2023, at one point reinterpreting a traditional folk song, and throughout enlisting guest bass from Taigen Kawabe of Bo Ningen. Each record comes wrapped in unique artwork by lead improvisor Kashiwagi Ten, adding an extra layer of veiled mystery to each: no two records are visually alike.

Review: Les Rallizes Denudes' live recording from Yaneura, September 1980, brings their raw, avant-garde sound into sharp focus. The CD format captures every detail of the distorted guitars, hypnotic basslines, and feedback-soaked atmospheres that defined their performances. Tracks such as 'Enter the Mirror' stretch into lengthy, chaotic soundscapes, blending haunting vocals with relentless, repetitive rhythms. The balance of noise and melody is uncompromising, creating a listening experience that feels as challenging as it is immersive. A rare opportunity to delve into the intensity of the band's live presence.

Review: Coinciding with the "post-psych, pre-shoegaze" ingenues Loop's retrospective album, Twelves, on triple LP, this new CD version from Reactor offers a digital alternative for those proto-gaze indie heads seeking a clearer and cleaner sonic experience. Spanning the band's output in chronological order, this comprehensive set captures the evolution of Loop's hypnotic, fuzz-drenched sound, from the early '16 Dreams' demo and debut single, through 'Spinning', 'Collision', 'Black Sun' and 'Arclite', to rare contributions to Nick Drake and Neil Young tribute albums, and even a Godflesh cover from their Clawfist split. As it is with the vinyl version, The World In Your Eyes is a completist deep dive into Loop's essential non-album material.

Review: Epic alert! New York industrial gods Swans' latest single is a 19-minute behemoth that unfurls like an overwhelming emotional landscape. Gira's gravelly voice takes centre stage, enveloped by the steady churn of droning guitars and atmospheric textures that build to a blistering intensity. 'The Healers' and 'I Am A Tower' highlight the band's mastery of long-form tension, each section holding, stretching, and twisting in a way that feels like a momentary release, only to be swallowed by the next wave. It's a slow, deliberate unfolding of sound that's both hypnotic and punishing. This isn't music for the passive listener; it's exhausting yet utterly immersive, teasing out tension and reflection in equal measure. If you didn't know already, consider yoursefl warned.

Review: Southend's These New Puritans have a rare ability to create goosebump-inducing music. A big part of is is Jack Barnett's voice, which is truly up there with the likes of Thom Yorke and Hayden Thorpe's in terms of being able to tug at the heartstrings and create grandiose spellbinding atmospheres. Plus, the arrangements that accompany it are of elite level and taste. This new album is their fifth studio album since forming in 2006 and offers plenty in the way of diversity. 'A Season In Hell' is a wild mix of industrial, organ music, trip-hop and choir sounds. Elsewhere, 'Bells' is less intense and let's the atmosphere form gradually and luxuriously. If you want a record to properly blow your socks off, let it be this.