Review: Ufomammut Get Weird with Hidden

Italian psychedelic doom metal band Ufomammut are back with their tenth full-length, Hidden, releasing this Friday, May 17 via Neurot Recordings.

While the band have always been known for leaning into the heavy sound of psych rock, some won’t be ready for the heavy tilt they take on this new album. They’re definitely leaning into the louder and more intense side of doom, almost flirting with elements of death metal, though they’re still keeping things as weird as ever. Reaching their 25-year mark as a band as well as their 10th album, this one also feels like a milestone all around in their career.

Ufomammut are also known for their psychedelic imagery and the relationship between the music and the visual, so it’s important to note that on this record, all the graphics, art, and videos are by Malleus Rock Art Lab, the graphic design collaborative the band are a part of, an all made very intentionally to highlight the heaviness and vibe of the music on the record.

The record kicks off with “Crookhead,” which was previously released on ther 2023 EP of the same name. It’s immediately clear from the start that the album is going to be heavier, as the song starts with a riff reminiscent of Weedeater or Acid King. From their, the vibes keep going, as “Kismet” is another extremely heavy banger with more double bass than the band are known for, as well as deeper and heavier vocals.

While the album is short and does flow really well, there are definitely songs that stand out as bangers, despite the overall vibe. “Kismet” is definitely a favorite, one of the heaviest songs on the entire record as well as the catchiest with some super-memorable riffs. “Mausoleum” is another ripper of a track, a little slower, as the name suggests, but one of the best examples of how to make psychedelic heaviness into an art. “Leech” is the song I keep finding myself coming back to time and time again to study how the riffs are constructed and to mire myself into the heavier drums. Things end on a strong, memorable note with “Soulost,” a catchy, High On Fire-esque closer.

There’s nothing this album really does wrong. It still remains true to their psychedelic roots, but with an ear for detail that encompasses the psychedelic artwork that goes with the cover, and with a heavy, renewed sense of energy that fits in better with the modern world. We can’t wait to hear what’s next for the band after this major landmark.

Hidden was recorded at Flat Scenario Studio in Piemonte, Italy, with Lorenzo Stecconi handling the mixing and mastering, and Luca Grossi overseeing vocal tracking. The record will be released on CD, LP, and digital on May 17th, in North America through Neurosis’ Neurot Recordings, the vinyl pressed on a Silver Nugget variant in a gatefold jacket. In Europe, the band’s Supernatural Cat Records will release it, a standard version on 180-gram Marbled Purple And Black variant, and a limited version of 500 copies on 180-gram Crystal Clear variant crafted by hand using photosensitive colors that are activated by sunlight, bringing the concept of the album to life, with multiple bundles and options.

Ufomammut’s Hidden is out May 17 via Neurot Recordings in the U.S. Preorder the album here.