Stoneburner – Post . Industrial . Occult (Digital/CD Album – COP International)
It’s been over twenty years since Steven Archer (of Ego Likeness) founded Stoneburner. What began as a Tribal/Electro/Industrial project has, over time, evolved into something entirely different. This year’s EP, “C4 Amore”, made that evolution unmistakably clear: Stoneburner has fully embraced an Industrial-Metal path — one clearly inspired by the foundations laid by Ministry.
This new album radiates sheer, unrelenting power — a surge of aggression driven by roaring guitars and pounding, mechanical rhythms that charge forward like a metal train at full speed, sparing nothing and no one. Archer strikes an impressive balance between electronic textures and raw guitar energy, his vocals sounding more visceral and uncompromising than ever before. Occasional female backing vocals add an extra layer of contrast and depth.
Stoneburner has transformed into a formidable sonic force — a beast that has devoured its Tribal origins and risen anew as a brutal, unstoppable bulldozer of sound. Without a doubt, this is a powerful production that stands out clearly — and decisively — from the project’s earlier Tribal phase. (Rating:8).
Listen to “Catch And Kill”:
About Stoneburner
Stoneburner is the solo project of Steven Archer, one half of the duo Ego Likeness. He started it more than twenty years ago as a tribal, electro, and industrial project, and it has since moved toward industrial metal.
COP International signed Stoneburner in 2021, and John Fryer produced its first album for the label. More recent releases include “The Great Filter” EP in 2023, the “Red In Tooth And Claw” book-and-CD set in 2024, and the “C4 Amore” EP in 2025. “Post . Industrial . Occult”, released in 2025 on COP International, is the album reviewed here, and Archer discussed the turn to industrial in a Side-Line interview.
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