BARREN WOMB & HYLKO – new split single

On March 20, 2026, Nordic noise-rock duo Barren Womb return with new music as part of a split single with Japanese stoner rock trio HYLKO.

Barren Womb’s contribution, “The Perils of Self-Improvement,” is a mid-tempo stomper delivering grim news for the supposed wisdom of self-help culture. Built around a jangly guitar loop, the track gradually gathers force through pounding drums and impassioned screams before exploding into a massive melodic chorus, complete with the band’s trademark tag-team vocal delivery.

Photo: Raymond Eide

The song was recorded during the sessions for Chemical Tardigrade, Barren Womb’s acclaimed 2024 album, and intentionally held back for this split, a small but potent offering for both longtime fans and new listeners.

For over fifteen years, Barren Womb,Timo Silvola (drums/vocals) and Tony Gonzalez (guitar/vocals), have been a feral force within the international heavy underground. Often described as “easy listening for the hard of hearing,” the duo blend primitive punk energy, grinding repetition, and explosive quiet-loud dynamics into a chaotic yet strangely addictive racket.

Across five albums, numerous singles and EPs, and hundreds of shows across Europe and North America, the band have built a reputation as one of Norway’s most relentless live acts, sharing stages with Conan, Entombed A.D., Nomeansno, Slomosa, and Voivod, and appearing at festivals including SXSW, Øya, Deserfest Oslo, Tallinn Music Week, and Høstsabbat.

Photo: Yuma Kikui

On the other side of the split, Tokyo-based trio HYLKO deliver “Green Spa (Cold Region Version)”, a groove-heavy stoner psych track built around a deep five-string bass riff and inspired by a journey to a hot spring in search of truth.

Featuring Nori Shio (bass), TofuckG (drums), and Moock (vocals/djembe), HYLKO create a surprisingly massive sound using only bass, drums, and tribal percussion. Produced and recorded by Yukito Okazaki (Eternal Elysium) at Studio Zen, the track blends fuzzed-out stoner rock, jazz-tinged rhythms, and hypnotic psychedelic textures, proof that sometimes less really is more.

The result is a split release that pairs Norwegian noise-rock abrasion with Japanese stoner-psych experimentation, bringing together two bands that thrive on doing things their own way.

Meanwhile, Barren Womb have announced a new run of shows across Norway, the UK, and Japan. Check out the full itinerary below.

Norway
20.03 – Trondheim, Moskus
21.03 – Oslo, Vaterland

United Kingdom
26.03 – Nottingham, Billy Bootleggers
27.03 – London, Endeavour
28.03 – Bristol, The Old England
29.03 – Brighton, Pink Moon
30.03 – Exeter, The Cavern
31.03 – Canterbury, Lady Luck
01.04 – Glasgow, Bloc+
02.04 – Manchester, Manchester Punk Festival (warm-up)
03.04 – Dundee, Art Antics
04.04 – Bolton, The Alma Inn
05.04 – Gateshead, The Black Bull

Japan
15.04 – Fukuoka, Yojigen
16.04 – Hiroshima, HUG
17.04 – Kagawa, Toonice
18.04 – Kobe, Makeshift
19.04 – Kyoto, Socrates
20.04 – Osaka, Hokage
23.04 – Nagoya, Huck Finn
24.04 – Tokyo, Nakano Moon Step
25.04 – Yokohama, El Puente
26.04 – Tokyo, Ruby Room

06.06 – Arnemoen Gard Festival (NO)

Links:
Barren Womb
Website: http://barrenwomb.org
Facebook: https://facebook.com/barrenwomb
Youtube: https://youtube.com/barrenwombtube

Hylko
Bandcamp: https://hylko.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HYLKOstoner

Fucking North Pole Records
Fucking North Pole Records: https://facebook.com/FNPRecords