Psychedelic Depths, Contrasting Soundscapes
Summer of Hate’s anticipated double album Blood & Honey arrives January 30, 2026, via Tee Pee Records, marking a bold expansion of the Portuguese psych-rock collective’s sonic identity. The release comprises two thematic halves that push their blend of noise, shoegaze and global influences into ambitious new terrain (via Apple Music).
Summer of Hate is a six-piece group formed in Espinho, Portugal, led by guitarist and backing vocalist João Martins and vocalist/lyricist Laura Calado, with Fábio Pereira (bass), Pedro Lopes (drums), Ricardo Fonseca (guitar) and Xavier Valente (guitar) completing the lineup. Their sound, rooted in 1960s psychedelic rock and its 1980s revival, melds post-punk energy and noise-drenched textures with traces of Middle Eastern folk and dream-pop elements. The band has toured extensively across the Iberian Peninsula, sharing stages with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Damned and A Place to Bury Strangers, and garnered airplay on alternative stations in Portugal and the United Kingdom (via. shelteredlifepr).
Blood & Honey spans seven tracks across its two conceptual sides. The Blood portion dives into dense, immersive shoegaze, integrating global scales and rhythms such as Sufi music, dabke and raga alongside droning textures and propulsive rhythms. Production here reflects a layered maximalist approach with atmospheric guitars and heavy amplification that aims to translate live energy into the studio mix. The Honey side contrasts this with softer, melodic work influenced by sixties romanticism, jangle pop, Britpop and slowcore tones that foreground clarity and emotional resonance(via. It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine).
Tracks like “El Saif” embody the album’s marriage of gothic psychedelia with Middle Eastern flair and post-punk drive, a combination that commentators describe as a “heady, hypnotic swirl” appealing to fans of Jesus and Mary Chain and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats (via. shelteredlifepr) “Além,” one of the singles, stands out for its raw yet luminous balance, reflecting the band’s Portuguese roots and emotional range (via shelteredlifepr).
The production on Blood & Honey is ambitious and expansive, with different producers shaping each half: Thomas Attar (global influence and textural depth) and Rafael Silva (twenty-first-century rock sensibilities and experimental gear). This dual approach supports the conceptual split and helps maintain distinction between the more ecstatic Blood compositions and the introspective Honey melodies (via It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine).
Early critical reception has been positive. According to advance press buzz shared on social feeds, early reviews score the album highly, with some outlets citing 9/10 and praise in established publications including Rock Hard and Metal Hammer, while The Wire has highlighted its genre-crossing appeal (via Instagram). Additionally, The Obelisk notes the LP’s “epic, anthemic spirit” that captures the band’s essence and redefines their place in contemporary shoegaze and psychedelic rock (via The Obelisk).
Fan anticipation has been strong with pre-release visuals and singles sparking engagement on social platforms, and promotional materials emphasizing the band’s ambitious leap into larger soundscapes (via Instagram).
Overall, Blood & Honey presents a dual narrative in sound and mood, from ecstatic noise and cultural fusion to bittersweet melodic introspection. With layered song structures and production that honors both intensity and clarity, this release positions Summer of Hate at an intriguing crossroads of tradition and innovation (via shelteredlifepr).
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