Album Review: Mad God – An Age Of Ash (Mongrel Records)

Mad God, the South African traditional/stoner doom metal band, are back with their brand-new album, ‘An Age of Ash’. Out on March 27th, 2026, via Mongrel Records, ‘An Age of Ash’ is a concept record that tells the story of a world in collapse.

A war-torn kingdom, a young woman’s quest for absolution, and a father’s corrupted journey toward redemption. As humanity forgets ancient evils, darker forces rise in the shadows. Corrupt leadership, demonic betrayal and forgotten gods converge as the balance of existence begins to unravel.

Raw, dense, trippy, progressively tinged, daring, and even a little ugly, An Age of Ash is a five-track behemoth that tells an epic story in expressive fashion. An album you can sink into, get weird with, but an album with a surprising amount of groove too. Mad God’s imagination is running wild here and the trio’s chemistry proves to be off the charts.

Opening in fuzzy fashion, the immediate hit of groove that comes from Godforsaken (The Pact) is immediately addictive. Raw, but not rough. Moody, but not depressive. Heavy, but not brutal. Progressive and psychedelic, but not overly complicated and unnecessarily wacked out. It’s one of the more tempered efforts, but hugely impactful none the less.

Left to Rot is where I think the album really starts to expand and the more unpredictable aspects of Mad God’s sound emerge. It’s also where I think story-telling aspects grow in stature and you can really begin to immerse yourself in the album’s concept. It’s a track with layers, going from wild and intense noise to laidback, melody-laden, fuzz-drenched noise effectively.

Smooth as you like, it’s the title track, and a deeper dive into groove-infused stoner territories. Mad God’s ability to twist and turn continues to fascinate, and a latter half switch up is particularly electrifying. Then it’s Chosen, a track that passes the ten-minute mark and delivers a vivid experience that is Mad God at their most experimental. It’s a hypnotic listen, even if leaves you feeling shaken by its disconcerting elements.

Finally, it’s The Price, and again, it’s a hefty effort with a varied set of tempos, odd touches, tons of heavy groove, and more. If you’ve made this far, you’ll have well and truly sunk into the world they’ve created here and be more than comfortable with the vibrancy of their distorted stoner/doom sound. It’s an album that pushes the band up to a whole new level, showcasing their combined musical strength and how creative they can be.

Mad God – An Age of Ash Track Listing:

1. Godforsaken (The Pact)
2. Left to Rot
3. An Age of Ash
4. Chosen
5. The Price

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