Early Moods - Ready For The Grave Early Moods

Elements of the past, present, and future coalesce within the spell cast by Early Moods. The Los Angeles band channel the sludge-born spirits of seminal doom metal and beckon them to attack even faster with a jolt of NWOBHM guitar-craft and a twist of thrash attitude. The quintet—Alberto Alcaraz [vocals, keys], Oscar Hernandez [guitar], Eddie Andrade [guitar], Elix Felciano [bass], and Chris Flores [drums]—transfix with otherworldly transmissions of cosmic and catchy heaviness.

After years of meticulously shaping a signature style, they clearly and confidently perfect their vision on 2026’s Ready For The Grave [RidingEasy Records].

“Our sound is more honed,” notes Elix. “We’ve found our identity. I think it takes a couple of albums for most bands. This record isn’t too far removed from what we’ve done in the past, but the songwriting has certainly matured. You can hear the chemistry. You can feel the mood changes in specific songs and all of the dynamics. It’s really alive.”

Originally formed by Alberto and Eddie, the musicians unlocked an uncanny balance between heavy and hypnotic on the self-titled Early Moods in 2022. The sound further crystallized on A Sinner’s Past [2024]. Along the way, they incited the applause of Angry Metal Guy, The Obelisk, and more. Hitting the road, the group shared stages with the likes of High On Fire, Candlemass, Pentagram, Coven, Lucifer, Pagan Altar, and more in addition to joining the bill of Desertfest.

During 2026, they recorded Ready For The Grave at Cyan Sound Studio with producer Toshi Kasai [Melvins, Tool]. He invariably inspired them to level up.

“It was our first time working with a producer who gave us a little extra input to the music,” recalls Elix. “We thought a lot of the songs were complete, but he brought another perspective to what we were doing. He understood the direction we wanted to take and what songwriting means to us. It was invaluable.”

Right out of the gate, the album catches your attention. A head-nodding rhythm underlines punchy riffing and dramatic drum fills during the opener and lead single Ready For The Grave. The crunch of power chords complements the twists and turns of the refrain’s lament, “Dark forces calling out my name. Forever ready for the grave.” The fuzz and fire bleed into the stunning call-and-response of dueling solos.

“It has a doom vibe, but it’s got a faster pace,” he continues. “You can hear the influence of Budgie and Dehumanizer. We all agreed it was a great way to introduce the record. It’s about getting put into a grave.’

On Inquisition, the hulking beat holds the groove in its airtight grip. Palm-muting creeps and crawls along the edges of this core rhythm, increasing tension. Feedback resounds, percussion reverberates, and the words resonate, “Who’s to say my gods aren’t real? You choose to bear the cross, which means nothing…It’s time to burn in hell.”

“It’s a different vibe from ‘Ready For The Grave’,” he continues. “At the time, a lot of the ICE stuff was happening, so this was our version of ‘Run To The Hills’. Settlers are coming in and taking over.”

Then, there’s Ashes of the Damned. Nearing the eight-minute mark, it unfolds as a dyed-in-the-wool doom epic accelerated by a thick bassline and hummable guitar. It spirals towards the embrace of a melodic bridge before picking back up with another conjuration of poetically executed elite riff-ery.

“It was one of the last songs written, and it ended up as the closer,” he continues. “It just came together in the studio, and we felt like it was so killer that it had to be the outro.”

Ultimately, Early Moods deliver a body of work befitting of their energy on stage. It’s powerful enough you’ll feel like they’re in the room with you.

“I want this record to reflect how you would hear us live,” Elix leaves off. “Sometimes the show is a very different experience, but this album is the closest we’ve gotten to the live experience. We’ve gotten that energy onto a record and made it massive and dynamic. This is what we’ve always wanted Early Moods to be.”