Italian occult doom/stoner metal trio King Potenaz announces new album »Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 2«; first single »Sumerian Nights« out now!
Fasano, Italy based occult doom/stoner metal trio King Potenaz has announced their third full-length album, »Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 2«, which will be released on June 12th, 2026 via Majestic Mountain Records.
Check out the first single and opening track »Sumerian Nights« below!
Tracklist:
01. Sumerian Nights
02. Lord Of The Rust
03. The Nothingness
04. A Crack In The Void (The Empty Hand Pt. 2)
Courtesy of Viral Propaganda PR:
King Potenaz is a stoner doom power trio from Fasano, in southern Italy, formed in 2019 from a series of riff-heavy jam sessions between longtime friends and underground scene veterans Giuseppe Guarini (guitar/vocals), Francesco Pensato (bass), and Piero Schiavone (drums/synths).
After releasing their gritty »Demo 6:66« in 2022, the band gained attention in the underground heavy scene and followed it with their debut full-length »Goat Rider«, released via Argonauta Records in April 2023. The album reached #12 on the Doom Charts and was praised for its fuzz-drenched blend of stoner rock, doom, and psychedelic desert atmospheres.
In 2024, King Potenaz signed with Majestic Mountain Records, marking a new chapter for the band. Their first release with the label, »Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 1«, was critically praised and further defined the band’s sound, a psychedelic ritual shaped through occult imagery and heavy sonic incantations. The album also charted at #3 on the Doom Charts around its release, further solidifying the band’s growing reputation in the underground doom scene. Blending doom, sludge, occult metal, stoner rock, and psychedelia, and drawing inspiration from classic acts such as Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, and Sleep, the album delivered hypnotic grooves, cavernous riffs, and blackened passages drifting through a dense desert haze atmosphere.
Photo by Studio Figure
Now the band returns with »Arcane Desert Rituals Vol. 2«, set to be released on June 12th via Majestic Mountain Records, pushing their sound further into heavier, darker, and more hypnotic territory, expanding their mix of stoner riffs, cavernous doom, and occult psychedelia. The album was recorded at Stefano Manca’s SudestStudio and mixed and mastered by Marc Urselli. Thematically, the record explores worlds ranging from ancient mythical rituals (»Sumerian Nights«) to dark fantasy (»Lord Of The Rust«) and cosmic mysteries (»The Nothingness« and »A Crack In The Void«), further expanding the band’s occult desert universe.
Over the years, the band has also appeared on international compilations and contributed a Ramones cover to Magnetic Eye Records’ Redux series, continuing to build their name within the global underground doom and stoner scene.
King Potenaz is:
Giuseppe Guarini – Vocals/Guitars
Francesco Pensato – Bass
Piero Schiavone – Drums/Synths
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well