Black Honey Cult – Self Titled

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · May 30, 2025

Black Honey Cult is a garage punk/ psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles, California. The lineup includes Jake Cavaliere on vocals and organ, and Johnny DeVilla on guitars and noise, (who were both members of The Lords Of Altamont). It also consists of Spencer Robinson on bass and vocals, Garey Snider on drums, and Travis Petersen on guitar. The quintet just released their debut Self Titled album on May 2nd 2025, on Heavy Psych Sounds Records. It contains eight tracks around thirty minutes long.

“Operation” opens the album with a cool instrumental jam of garage psych laced with organs and rhythmic melodies. It’s has an interesting retro sound that flows nicely throughout its three plus minute duration. “Golden Dragon” kicks in next with an uptempo rocking and psychedelic floating rhythm. The simple rocking beats are enhanced with space induced sounds of mind drifting tones and echoing vocals. The third track, “Dead In Me” has a cyberpunk sound with swirls of feedback and raunchy rhythms. It’s a catchy tune that brings out the garage rock essence that Black Honey Cult produces. “Black Eyed Soul” continues with the battering of heavy psych induced rock with a stripped down trajectory of sixties acid power pop. These songs have a Velvet Underground vibe and new wave thing going on, which is very cool.

The fifth track entitled “Side Steppin’ City Streets” definitely has a retro punk groove happening with the organ and strumming guitar riffs complimenting the reverb enhancing vocals. “LSD And Me” begins with a sample and executes a distorted tone of guitars and layered keys. The samples are presented throughout the song as the acid jamming carries the music along, blending right into “Take Me Down”. Beginning with the drums and then bass and synth, “Take Me Down” is a hallucination of sounds that reminds me of The Stooges in its repetitive psychotropic effect. The garage style rhythms and mesmerizing singing will leave you in a deep trance. All the songs on this Self Titled album have that mind altering resonance and connection. The reverberating possessions are sonically intoxicating.

The final track is called “Roller Coaster” and it has a hard retro-inclination attached to it. The distorted, yet clean vocals and trippy sounds of atmospheric ambiance are combined with over-driven tones. Swirls of noise rocking frequencies seep through the speakers with psychoactive hysteria. Black Honey Cult has successfully managed to take us back in time when music was pure, with messy undertones of dark sounds and raw melodies. This Self Titled record is an enjoyable listen and an elaborate blend of psychedelic indie music with punk-inspired garage rock.