Hear King Buffalo's 'Ether on the Dark Side'
(Speakeasy) King Buffalo have released "Ether on the Dark Side", offering a final preview of their forthcoming album Doomsayer, out Dec. 4. "'Ether' started out as a jam and organically evolved into one of the longer tracks on Doomsayer. Its pacing, atmosphere, and groove have a real John Carpenter soundtrack feel, which is one of my favorite things about the song. It's been going over incredibly well live, and I'm excited for people to finally have the opportunity to spend more time with it and really take it all in," drummer Scott Donaldson shares.
The trio previously released "The Slick and The Dead," a track Consequence said "merges classic desert rock a la Kyuss with Deep Purple-style organ accents and melodic flourishes," and "Vagabond," featuring a video recorded in the band's newly built studio.
"Doomsayer originated in early 2026 out of many hours of jam sessions in our new studio space, playing around and seeing where it took us," explains guitarist/vocalist Sean Roa, who also produced and mixed the album. "We didn't really have an end goal in mind of what we were going for. We were simply exploring ideas and seeing what ended up speaking to us the most. So much has happened, both as a band and in our personal lives since our last record, that ended up becoming the inspiration to many of the lyrics on Doomsayer. I think as a result, this is some of our most upfront, direct and riff-driven work to date. We are incredibly proud of it and can't wait for it to get out into the world."
Four years on from Regenerator, King Buffalo returns with a record shaped by years of international touring and a deepening confidence in their own sound. Recorded in the new studio the band built themselves, Doomsayer finds the trio continuing to reach into the unknown, while bringing a greater sense of focus and intention to their sound. The experience they have gained on the road is evident throughout the album, both in the poise of the material and the confidence of their delivery. Like the pandemic trilogy that preceded it, Doomsayer was made at home, but the band's new surroundings have given them the freedom to continue exploring and finding new ground, with a maturity they have earned one stage at a time.
Album pre-orders are available now via Kingbuffalo.com. While the limited test pressings and deluxe vinyl variant have sold out, both the standard edition (on purple opaque vinyl) and CD are available.
The band is on tour now, playing San Francisco tomorrow. Support includes L.A. Witch (Oct. 29 to Nov. 21, except Los Angeles), Doom Gong (Dec. 3 to 5 and Dec. 18), and Handsome Jack (Dec. 8 to 12).
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