From the underground haze of the Scottish Heavy Psych scene, Nëwsün emerges with “Demonpsych,” a hypnotic and uncompromising album that blends the raw weight of Doom with lysergic textures and outsider narrative flair. The trio—Fraser McPhail, Alejandro, and Ali—conjures a sound both grounded in tradition and daring in scope, drawing inspiration from the likes of Sleep, Electric Wizard, Ibliss, and literary touchstones such as Children of Dune and The Book of the New Sun. Opening with the sprawling title-track “Demonpsych,” the band wastes no time establishing their sonic identity. The track unfolds over nearly nine minutes, guided by slow-burning riffs, murky atmospheres, and cryptic vocals. Inspired by the character Alia from Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune, the song captures a descent into inner voices, cultic devotion, and gradual possession. There’s a ritualistic cadence to the pacing—repetitive yet never stagnant, evoking a trance state rather than a structured narrative. It sets the tone both thematically and sonically for what follows. “Dune III” follows with a noticeably more compact format, yet it doesn’t lack impact. Riff-driven and to the point, it acts almost like a fragment of a larger vision—an instrumental detour or sonic vignette. Here, the trio embraces simplicity and texture, allowing each repetition to build pressure before cutting cleanly, leaving the listener slightly disoriented, as if waking from a dream too soon. The third piece, “Heavy Minds,” plunges again into thicker territory, marrying a Heavy Stoner groove with a hazy melodic thread that teases clarity but never quite resolves. There’s a sense of introspection in the pacing and phrasings—its weight isn’t only musical but mental, psychological. This is one of the album’s more direct statements, yet still cloaked in the same hallucinogenic fog that defines the record. With “Dosed Earth,” the band expands the emotional register of the album. The track opens with slow, deliberate movement, allowing space for the instrumentation to breathe. The doom influence is stronger here, not only in tempo but in tone: a brooding undercurrent anchors the piece while subtle flourishes swirl above. There’s tension in the restraint—the impression of something vast held barely under control. It’s perhaps the most cinematic moment of the record, evoking scorched landscapes and collapsing time. One of the most striking pieces is “Alma Maldita,” a track that came to life through total improvisation. Initially conceived as an instrumental, the studio session took a spontaneous turn when Alejandro began reciting words in Spanish over the intro—channeling abstract influences like Artaud and i. Recorded in a single take and left unaltered, the track carries the ghost of its moment of birth: raw, uncertain, and emotionally volatile. Its theatrical strangeness adds a new layer to the album’s personality, and breaks the established structure in a way that feels both disorienting and essential. The closing “1000 Staring Eyes” ties the album together with a final invocation of Heavy riffage and spectral mood. The tension between repetition and progression returns, this time with a sense of ritual closure. There’s a depth to the layering—guitars swirling in loops, bass grinding below, drums opening space rather than merely keeping time. It leaves the listener in that same ambiguous space the record began: a place where identity dissolves and perception stretches beyond the physical. Throughout “Demonpsych,” Nëwsün present not only a cohesive sound but a fully formed aesthetic—a world. Recorded live with minimal overdubs, the production captures the raw energy of a band in motion, avoiding sterility in favor of vitality. It’s a bold choice, and one that pays off in feel and authenticity. The balance between deliberate songwriting and improvisational looseness gives the album life beyond the sum of its parts. “Demonpsych” is not a debut that begs for attention—it casts a spell and waits for you to find it. In an age of surface-level aesthetics and algorithm-fed exposure, Nëwsün take the long road, crafting a sonic language rooted in tradition yet steeped in personal vision. An album like this doesn’t shout—it resonates.
Tracklist
01. Demonpsych (08:53)
02. Dune III (03:48)
03. Heavy Minds (04:59)
04. Dosed Earth (06:31)
05. Alma Maldita (06:45)
06. 1000 Staring Eyes (05:03)
Lineup
Fraser McPhail / Bass
Alejandro Baheña / Drums
Ali Clark / Guitars, Vocals
Stream the full album via PRJ YouTube channel below:
Read our Exclusive Interview with the band here: [Interview] Excluisve interview with Scottish Heavy Psych trio Nëwsün