🎶 Bantoriak
🌎Livorno, Italy
📀 Vol. II
® Argonauta Records
📅 19/06/2026

The Italian rock and metal scene may not dominate any particular subgenre, but it has consistently produced bands that approach their craft with individuality and creativity. BANTORIAK, the project led by Izio Orsini, belongs firmly in that category. Returning eleven years after their debut album, the band presents “Vol. II”, a work that comfortably inhabits the borders between stoner rock, desert rock, and psychedelic music.

“Vol. II” features an impressive roster of guest musicians, each leaving a distinctive mark on the album. Among them are Dome La Muerte, Sergio Ch. (LOS NATAS), Marco Gambicorti (RANCHO BIZZARRO), Valentina Erre, and Filippo Del Bimbo (SUPERNAUGHTY), among others. The foundation of the record lies in stoner and desert rock, radiating warmth and a pleasant sense of lethargy through its heavy riffs and almost hypnotic atmosphere. Yet the listener is never allowed to relax completely, as psychedelic elements are intricately woven into the compositions. Just listen to the guitar work in the latter half of “Liquid Brain” and after the opening section of the paranoid, hallucinatory “Ritualism.” Equally striking are the hard rock guitar passages in “Kairot,” which create a fascinating contrast with the almost ritualistic “La Muerte Del Sitar.”

Vocals are far from the focal point of BANTORIAK’s musical vision. Instead, they function as an additional sonic instrument, with shamanic chants and incantatory passages blending organically into the album’s overall soundscape.

“Vol. II” is anything but an easy listen. It offers no straightforward, catchy choruses or instantly memorable melodies. What it does offer is a spiritual journey that demands both time and the right frame of mind. Whether it evokes wandering through endless desert landscapes or drifting across psychedelic cosmic expanses, the listener must be prepared to absorb its atmosphere and allow it to unfold at its own pace.

Is that easy in an era dominated by fast-food music consumption and the supremacy of singles? Certainly not. BANTORIAK, however, seem entirely unconcerned with such trends—and rightly so.

By remaining faithful to their artistic vision, they have created an album that rewards patience and immersion. “Vol. II” is a compelling release for fans of psychedelic stoner rock and further confirms BANTORIAK as a band willing to follow its own path, regardless of contemporary expectations.

 ★ 7.5/10
✍🏻 Kostas Boudoukos