Nanotear Booking has put together a considerable and genre-crossing lineup for the 2013 incarnation of its Fall into Darkness fest, to be held from Oct. 10-13 in Portland, Oregon. From snagging the whole bill of the Orange Goblin tour on its way through town and adding local destroyers Lord Dying to the mix to bringing in Nik Turner’s Space Ritual and Trouble-offshoot The Skull to give a classic sensibility, it’s forward-thinking on a couple levels. Taking place at Mississippi Studios and the Star Theater, the final rundown on the schedule looks a bit like this.

Okay, more than a bit:

FALL INTO DARKNESS 2013

Started in 2008, the three-day March Into Darkness music festival showcased a variety of both touring and local bands, each adding their particular stamp of sonic heaviness and emotional depth that has since become Into Darkness trademark. Followed up in October 2008, Halloween weekend 2009, and each October since, the Fall Into Darkness fests have featured bands like YOB, SunnO))), Agalloch, Acid King, Earthless, Saint Vitus, Atriarch, Russian Circles, Red Fang, Wolves in the Throne Room, SubArachnoid Space, Witch Mountain, Black Cobra, and Krallice, all among an ever-growing roster.

Fall Into Darkness 2013 is now upon us. Check out the schedule.

FALL INTO DARKNESS 2013
October 10 – October 13, 2013
Mississippi Studios & Star Theater Portland

Thursday, October 10th
Mississippi Studios

Nik Turner’s Space Ritual
White Manna
Billions & Billions
Hedersleben

8pm doors, 9pm music, 21+, $12 advance
Tickets: https://secure-public.ticketbiscuit.com/MississippiStudios/Ticketing/173962

***

Friday, October 11th
Mississippi Studios

Orange Goblin
Holy Grail
Lord Dying
Lazer/Wulf

8pm doors, 9pm music, 21+, $13 advance
Tickets: https://secure-public.ticketbiscuit.com/MississippiStudios/Ticketing/173963

***

Saturday, October 12th
Star Theater

Agalloch
Behold… The Arctopus
Botanist
Eight Bells

8pm doors, 9pm music, 21+, $12 advance
Tickets: TBA

***

Sunday, October 13th
Mississippi Studios

The Skull
Hammers of Misfortune
Uzala
Mike Scheidt

8pm doors, 9pm music, 21+, $12 advance
Tickets: https://secure-public.ticketbiscuit.com/MississippiStudios/Ticketing/173964

More info & history:
http://knowwave.com/nanotear/fallintodarkness
https://www.facebook.com/events/351248711673423/

SubRosa, Live at Fall into Darkness 2012

Today I’m happy to present the next batch of Roadburn 2012 audio streams. Along with Bongripper (above), you’ll find sets below from Coroner, Devil, Dragged into Sunlight, Hammers of Misfortune, Solstafir and Tombs. Thanks as always to Walter and the Roadburn crew for allowing me to host these streams (it is my extreme pleasure to do so) and to Marcel van de Vondervoort for helming the recordings.

Please enjoy:

Bongripper (Het Patronaat – Saturday, April 14th, 2012)

Coroner

Devil

Dragged into Sunlight

Hammers of Misfortune

Solstafir

Tombs

Read The Obelisk’s coverage of Roadburn 2012 here.

I should say up front that there were way more than just five albums I didn’t hear in 2011. Five is just a convenient number. It’s half of 10, prime, odd, easily multiplied, etc. I could probably do a top 20 if I felt like it, but frankly, I don’t. Much as I (apparently) enjoy making a show of my ignorance, even that thrill has its limits.

Reactions varied to this year’s top 20 list when it went up, which was to be expected, and I appreciated it that people felt strongly enough to point out things I missed or things they felt deserved inclusion. That’s awesome. It gives me more records to hunt down, and well, what the hell is the point of all of this if not that?

Reserving the right to either purchase or not purchase these albums in the future depending on my cash flow, momentary impulse and fluctuations in taste, here’s the list. You should probably note that, since I didn’t hear any of them, the numbers are basically meaningless.

1. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Blood Lust

When this didn’t make the top 20, the response was so immediate and horrified that I actually went and bought the damn thing off eBay. Import price, no less. Seriously, people were pissed. Windows were broken by flying bricks of disgust. Cars were flipped over and set on fire. “Oh my god it’s retro British occult doom how could you not have it on your list?” The hype being as massive as it is, I only hope my contrary nature (read: prickishness) doesn’t get the best of me and actually prevent me from enjoying it when it comes. Either way,  I’ll write on it. Not a full review, but something.

2. Orchid, Capricorn
One of several releases on The Church Within Records that I would’ve preferred to have been able to review (looking at you too, Serpent Venom and Lord Vicar), but I’m only one man, I only have so much money, and I feel bad chasing stuff down when there’s a list of records waiting to be written up. Plus, after a nasty one-liner about their performance at Planet Caravan in 2009 and a meh writeup on their Through the Devil’s Doorway EP, I don’t think I’m even on their radar for people whose opinions they care to hear about a full-length. Fair enough. I’ll probably pick up Capricorn eventually regardless.

3. Tombs, Path of Totality
Years ago, I interviewed Mike Hill for the Aquarian when the former Anodyne guitarist/vocalist was releasing that band’s The First Four Years compilation on his own Black Box Recordings. He was a nice guy, and he talked about starting a new band in Brooklyn that was in a heavier direction. That turned out to be Tombs. And then they signed to Relapse, and then they were really popular. I wasn’t too huge on their first record, and this one just kind of fell through the cracks, but by all accounts it’s fairly amazing. I don’t doubt it.

4. Hammers of Misfortune, 17th Street
While I’m reliving irrelevant memories (see #3 above), at SXSW in 2007, I was at a merch table for a show Weedeater were playing. Maybe it was Om. Or both. Slough Feg were also on the bill, though I’d missed them, and I wound up drunkenly buying everything Hammers of Misfortune had for sale from Sanford Parker, who assured me they kicked ass. I don’t recall ever finding out one way or the other, and neither did I manage to keep up with the band’s 2008 double release, Fields/Church of Broken Glass, but each time they put out a record, I feel like I should get aboard, and this one’s no different.

5. Argus, Boldly Stride the Doomed
I was given a free download of the album, I got the .zip file, and then it sat there. And in the end, I didn’t not review it because I didn’t want to listen — I didn’t review it because I didn’t want to listen, dig the hell out of it and then have to go buy it. That’s the truth. It’s nothing against Pittsburgh trad doomers Argus, whom I’ve seen live and whose sound I dig a lot — I just didn’t want to have to shell out the cash for another record. Would be a different scenario if they were playing a show, and hopefully I’ll run into them over the course of the next year and be able to make fiscal amends for my neglect.

Honorable mention goes to Seven that Spells, The Heavy Eyes and probably six or seven others I can’t think of. You know, I was kind of hoping that doing this feature would make me feel better about missing out on some of this stuff, but nope. I just feel lame and out of touch. Maybe in 2012 I’ll be cool enough to keep up, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

The list keeps growing. At this point, I don’t know how they’re going to pack it all into four days or how I’m going to manage to see half these bands without keeling over from exhaustion. Needless to say, I’ll be practicing my deep-knee rock squats between now and next April in preparation for the madness that awaits in Tilburg. I can almost do three in a row.

Here’s the latest from Roadburn:

Roadburn‘s excited to announce that Hammers of Misfortune have been confirmed for the Thursday Roadburn date, Thursday, April 12, 2012 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

Led by the driven, outspoken John Cobbett (also of Ludicra fame), San Francisco, CA-based progressive metal band Hammers of Misfortune borrow elements from hard rock and folk, doom and thrash, and amalgamates those elements into a sound of their own. Whatever style they borrow from, or whichever tools they decide suit the work, they morph them effortlessly into their own aesthetic. At the end of the day, Hammers of Misfortune are the result of an unflinching artistic vision, and always sound exactly like themselves.

The layered male and female vocals are paired beautifully with the incredibly complex guitar work; the riffs give way to intricate, plaintive solos; the sophisticated keyboards can be nimble and playful or wistful and emotional as their songs dictate. If you’re a Hammers of Misfortune novice, please check out their latest album 17th Street, as it will be on many year-end lists.

We’re also pleased to announce that Urfaust, Sigiriya, hailing from Wales, Lord Vicar, the all-star doom metal band, featuring Kimi “Peter Vicar” Kärki (Orne, ex-Reverend Bizarre) on guitar and Christian “Chritus” Lindersson (ex-Saint Vitus, ex-Count Raven and Terra Firma) on vocals, and Orchid have been added to the lineup for Roadburn Festival 2012 as well.