Stoner/Psych Metal
Sweden

Released 7th of August, 2026

The Vastamland vandals of the vast revisit the stoner cosmos with more tales of stoner travellings.

I find it hard to believe, when I hear new music from this three piece, that they’ve only been around for six years.
That was a lie. With 10,000 YEARS members also being the (at the moment) on hiatus Pike, you know they’ve served their time and done the legwork.
Apparently, this iteration of stoner and doom suits them better as ESOX LUCIFER is their fourth album to date as 10,000 years and for this release, it comes with a twist.

Previous releases have been of a high tier, traditional leaning approach to riff worship and geographic stoner fare. Familiar, filled with fun and an abundance of groove. This time around, ALEX, ERIC and ALVIN have decided that tales of exploration and expansion are not enough. An amount of thought in reaching further musically on ESOX LUCIFER, and the ride is open for all to join them.

The two minute intro of BEASTS OF THE NORTHERN WILD is a space march, boldly offering a blues style cosmic hand as to lead into a new dimension. That dimension comes in PURSUIT SPECIAL, a desert rocking rollick filled to the brim with swagger and trippy leads that follows with the more cranial and thoughtful FLEUR DE SLEDGEHAMMER. Almost post metal in approach, with the verses gravitating the stoner central point.
Obviously, the album isn’t a complete reinvention. CHURCH OF THE RED MUSEUM offers plenty of velocity while, elsewhere, ALIEN TACTICS, TWO MILLION STONES and PARANOIDIUM continue the ethereal meditations of psych metal.

ESOX LUCIFER, as an album, is more an expansion piece than a continuation. Whatever their muse, the band have followed its calling with clear minds and conscience.
It is their artistic bent, the one they needed to make, and many others have taken the “difficult”, laying of the soul material.
Here, it has paid off. Even when the album closes with the familiar 10,000 YEARS strains of the title track, it comes across cleansed and invigorated, as if the itch was scratched.

I hope that ESOX LUCIFER isn’t a one off, there is much to dig into here, and much that can expand their sound, going forward.
A stepping stone, a touchstone, even… this could be where it all comes together for them.

ESOX LUCUFER is out now through Ripple Music and available on streaming sites.

Also available on physical and digital formats on the 10,000 YEARS Bandcamp (HERE).