Irata – Human

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · August 4, 2026

Irata is a heavy rock band from Greensboro, North Carolina. They incorporate stoner, heavy psych, alternative, and post-hardcore into their prominent bass driven sound. Formed in 2007, the band have released: 2008’s Self Titled, 2015’s Sweet Loris, 2019’s Tower, and their latest, 2026’s Human. Irata also released 2014’s Vultures EP and 2014’s Semjase Split 10″ with Solar Halos. The current lineup consists of Jason Ward on drums, keys, and vocals, Jon Case on bass and vocals, and Owen Burd on vocals, guitar, and keys. Human was released on July 10th via Small Stone Records and contains eight tracks at forty three minutes long.

As the marching snare and drums begin “Altar”, the first track on Human, the bass and guitars join in, creating a nice build up jam session. The high note guitar flourishes has an eerie tone, coloring some atmospheric effects to the rhythm. The vocals are clean and hypnotic at times, as the music transitions from slow and seductive to heavy and monolithic. Irata anchors in the doom and psychedelic waves with “Altar” setting this ship in motion. The six minute opener almost tricks the listener into believing they know what to expect sonically, with Irata. However, once “Confessions” kicks in, what you thought this band was, is only a component of something much more expansive and exciting. The driving rhythms and lead bass attack helps formulate the crushing sound that Irata delivers. There’s a catchy resonance about this song that is pretty accessible for most listeners. The music is hard rock in its foundation but there’s a lot of other elements integrated. I hear some grunge and alternative, progressive rock, metal, and some post-hardcore, indie, and noise rock too. It’s a killer track with a hook-friendly chorus.

The third track called “Seeds” has a bass driving pulse that leads the track along. The heavy accents of riffs and guitar octave squeals are enhancements for the smooth vocals to lead. The music has an unhurried pace with some cool sonically pleasing moments throughout. The next track, “Delirium” has a dark and heavy tone with some great dynamics mixed in. The song is catchy and cathartic and “Mirrors” is another solid rocker, lead by the trebly bass guitar as the rhythmic anchor. The eerie guitars and great vocals underscore the bass, until the full on catchy chorus kicks in.

The next song called “Slipped” is another magnificent track with an almost off-timing upturn. The bass starts off the tune layered with some cool drum fragments that are progressive and Tool-esc. It messes with my head a bit because it’s slightly unbalanced but precise in its execution. The song has an ear worm cadence and hooks that last for days. It’s probably one of my favorite tracks on Human. Then “Goodside” storms along with some intensity, in a post-hardcore/ heavy rock sort of way. Fuzzy and dense riffs with a big and catchy chorus. It’s another song that doesn’t allow the recording to dip in quality or impact. In fact, the second half of Human is just as strong as the first and all eight songs are excellent, quite frankly.

The final number is called “Daystar” and it’s the longest track on Human, clocking in around seven and a half minutes. The song begins mellow with the dominant bass and clean guitars creeping in. It crescendos into a heavier arrangement that fluctuates back and forth. It’s a powerful closer with some heavy psych elements flavored in. Irata is a fantastic band that I have finally got to hear, with this release. I have been hearing their name mentioned many times in the past but for whatever reason, they escaped me until recently. I should have realized that they are fantastic because they are on Small Stone Records. Small Stone doesn’t put out as many records as they used to per year but they are always high quality bangers. Irata has definitely made an impact on me and I will definitely be checking out their back catalogue to further digest their great music. A very positive start to the third quarter with a record that I didn’t expect to be so damn good!