Review: “Forest Metal” by Stump Grinder

Hailing from the mountains of Santa Cruz California, Stump Grinder are a quintet who claim the sound of “Forest Metal” as their own. As it happens the genre tag they have chosen is also the title of their sophomore extended play, referring to what is loosely speaking a melting pot of Sludge Metal, Hardcore Punk and Doom with a few other seasonings for good measure. The credits suggest it was recorded, mixed and mastered by audio engineer and Give You Nothing guitarist Olav Tabatabai (Barf, Dekira, Machine Head) at Noise Eater Recordings with drummer Matthew Marek exiting stage left to be replaced by Joe Dewey, leaving guitarist Brad Moore, vocalist Carlos Gonzalez and bassist Blake Biaggoti at the heart of the matter.

Rising from the tar pit like a beast from the black depths, the colossal “Monuments” roars into view with the familiar sounds of “Hail Destroyer” era Cancer Bats and early Every Time I Die. That’s in part due to the fierce vocals from Carlos Gonzalez, whose cursed screams and infectious lyrical narratives are fused to fuzzy laden Sludge Metal riffs with a distinctive Metallic Hardcore backbone. He’s got that Southern drawl of a Liam Cormier or Keith Buckley in his repertoire which gives these songs an instant appeal, the bands musicianship being what keeps you engaged. “By the Old Redwood” sounds like an early noughties classic, the buzz saw guitars and heavy hitting rhythms the sound track to a Lumber Jack pushing the corpses of trespassers through a wood-chipper before planting fresh tomato plants to feed on the fertile soil.

Putting bounce in the mosh pit “Lockheed Nights” has an earworm main riff with just a hit of early Clutch inspiration about it, something that is only fuelled by a bluesy lead lick solo in the final moments. “Nothing Ever Ends” has the kind of eerie introduction that sounds like its cut from one of those psychological horror moments in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining before the band hit the ground running with a another scalding vocal performance and intense riffs. As if to prove that the captivating introduction to the previous cut wasn’t a fluke “Mirror Walls” repeats the tick in spellbinding fashion, the band proving themselves to be thoughtfully dedicated to creating intriguing moments as much as fuzzy riffs. This one is like wind chimes on a warm summers day, a warning that witches lurk in the shadows… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Monuments
2. By the Old Redwood
3. Lockheed Nights
4. Nothing Ever Ends
5. Mirror Walls

“Forest Metal” by Stump Grinder is out 3rd April 2026 via Basement Studies Records and is available over at bandcamp