https://www.high-endrolex.com/18

Red Smoke Festival 2024 Makes First Lineup Announcements

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 19th, 2024 by JJ Koczan

When I started this post, Poland’s Red Smoke Festival had just unveiled the first names for its 2024 edition, set for this July 12-14. That was Domkraft, Coogans Bluff, Earth Tongue and Narbo Dacal. You know how it goes, you get caught up with stuff, a couple days go by, and now there’s four more adds in Acid Rooster, Kanaan, Perilymph and Tuskar, so it’s safe to say the event is taking shape at a fairly good clip. I don’t know the announcement schedule or anything like that, but if you’re in Poland or thinking of making the trip, I imagine you also don’t need me to suggest following their socials, etc. Even if you don’t, I believe you are capable.

So does the festival, which admirably dispenses with some of the social-media-era hoopla around these things by making a slogan out of ‘The Less You Know the Better.’ They might be right, or at least there’s a philosophical argument waiting to be made there. Either way, there were YouTube and Facebook links for the bands, but again, I believe in your power to dig and would encourage you to do so. I only took them out because it looked funny on the page and this site does weird things with YouTube hyperlinks. Certainly all parties involved have online presences and audio, which even 30 years later kind of makes the internet feel like a miracle. Not to mention it’s how I know this fest exists in the first place.

Even so, I don’t know much more than this, so I suppose I’m doing alright in that regard:

red smoke 2024 first and second names

First announcements for RSF2024

COOGANS BLUFF – Horns Rock’n’Roll Dance From Germany

Domkraft – Riffs Riffs Riffs Repeat From Sweden With Love

Earth Tongue – Odd But Gold Heavy Psych Fuzz From New Zealand

Narbo Dacal – (Be)Witching Metal From Poland

Acid Rooster – Endless Trippy Kraut Experience from Germany

Kanaan – Blazing Freeform Psychedelic Rock From Norway

Perilymph – Beautiful Psychedelic Sounds From Germany

Tuskar – Heavy Doomed Hammer From UK

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1316543752328569/

Save the date 12-14.07.2024

The Less You Know The Better

https://www.facebook.com/RedSmokeFest
https://instagram.com/redsmokefest
https://redsmokefestival.pl/

Domkraft, Sonic Moons (2023)

Acid Rooster, Flowers and Dead Souls (2023)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Notes From Freak Valley 2023 – Day 1

Posted in Features, Reviews on June 9th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

El Perro (Photo by JJ Koczan)

Freak Valley Festival 2023 – Day 1

Thu. – Before the Show – Shade tent

It’s good to be here. I rode in with Besvärjelsen, as my late flight ended up coinciding with their also landing at Frankfurt. It was nice to meet them. Did a bit of stretching in the parking lot of their hotel and a couple of them joined in. Warrior one, two, stretching the back. Maybe next year I’ll convince Jens, who runs Freak Valley, to let me host doom-yoga. Not gonna count on it.

Stopped off at the hotel to take a shower that I knew I needed but didn’t realize how much until the water hit me. Flight was oof. Not much sleep, delayed takeoff, shake-shake-wobble-wobble turbulence, the whole bit. I decided before we were actually over the ocean that if the plane went down I was tired enough that I’d be at least conceptually alright with it. Started watching the third Hobbit movie at one point. Watched them kill the dragon and left it at that. At the hotel, showered, changed clothes, brushed teeth, drank some water, headed back out.

It was supposed to rain today, still might I guess, but there’s an awful lot of blue sky and sunshine for that. I’m under a tent by the side of the stage anyhow, so whatever, but it wasn’t my plan to be in this spot all night. The cigarette smell would get me after a while, but, outdoors, so that’s it for that. The crowd once again is a dope mix. Oldschool heads, newschool heads, kids, a whole mess of volunteers. First band is on soon and the vibe is already on standby waiting for them to start.

And now I’m reading that Pat Robertson died. Well, this is a special occasion. Shall we make a day of it?

Sorry in advance for the typos:

Tuskar

Tuskar 1 (Photo by JJ Koczan)

Heavy start to the proceedings with UK duo Tuskar, who were not at all held back in terms of heft for not having another two or three dudes in the band. Some shades of Black Cobra in the faster parts as there almost inevitably would be, but they weren’t shy about the sludgier aspects of their sound either, and thus they were able to change up when they needed to, sounding all the more explosive coming out of a midtempo groove locked into a High on Fireish thrashy shove. But thick in tone they were and intermittently aggressive, more so than anyone else playing today, despite the proggy/post-metal explorations happening in the material and the Conan-born barking vocals. If you’re not Om, atmosphere can be hard to come by as a duo, but they laid it on with ferocity, and while some were no doubt surprised at what took place after they dug in, the early crowd showed up. The band said from the stage they didn’t have merch because of Brexit, told people to go online. I popped half a Xanax while I was at the hotel. The nod is doing better by my head right now than the intense parts, but put them together as they are and it’s killer all the way. Would be devastating at The Black Heart.

Astroqueen

Astroqueen 1 (Photo by JJ Koczan)

It started to rain a couple songs into their set, slow at first then picking up. It was supposed to, but it was still a bit of a surprise when it actually happened. Surrounding sky was still at least partially blue — and I wouldn’t call it smoke-free, necessarily, but at least it’s not Canadian wildfires like at home — and Astroqueen were classic-heavy-rockin’ hard enough that I’m not sure they ever noticed. I saw them in December, but their reunion is still pretty fresh. There was some issue with the kick drum and then that was sorted and riffs were had. I’m pretty sure they called 2001’s Into Submission “their last album,” which is hilarious. Most of the crowd just stayed in the rain, but I headed for shelter in tone to hear “Soulburner” riffed out like a direct forebear to Truckfighters, with “Superhuman God” following after, and I stayed until the cigarette smoke got abrasive. For what it’s worth, there was an actual toddler in the tent, and he seemed fine. I’m ready to bet on another Astroqueen record though. You heard it here, probably not actually first.

Besvärjelsen

Besvarjelsen (Photo by JJ Koczan)

There are arguments to be made for each of the acts playing today, but for me personally, Besvärjelsen were the one I was most looking forward to seeing. They’re a band with some pretty stark differences in personality — and here I’ll note that Johan Rockner, who generally handles bass, was absent and they had a fill-in — but across the stage from guitarist Staffan Stensland Vinrot to guitarist Andreas Baier with drummer Erik Bäckwall behind, they each seemed to bring something individual to the expression of the whole in a way that was unexpected but welcome. Eclectic, they were. The vocals of Lea Amling Alazam are a definite focal point and uniting factor, and around those, the band drew pieces of different styles under the heavy umbrella — Baier’s history in more extreme metal also makes more sense seeing him on stage — from doom and psych to heavy post-rock and so on, never quite only one thing at one time. They had a pit going out front for a minute or two there — three bands in, the people are ready to throw down, apparently — but went into “Clouds” from last year’s Atlas (review here) and so put the crowd exactly where they wanted them at least twice. Was psyched already to hear to what they did next in the studio. That is only more the case now, and I feel like I have a better sense of who they are as a group as well. Total win. And they were also awesome, and finished with the massive riff of “I skuggan av ditt mörker” from 2018’s Vallmo (review here), so, bonus.

Komodor

They were putting on a show in a way no one else here yet has been, stage costumes, ’70s strut and all, but nothing about France’s Komodor seemed phony or cheeky in an ironic sense – definitely otherwise cheeky – and they had and used three guitarists on stage, at least one of whom played her last year with Djinn? Might’ve been someone else. In any case, they ripped it up and were energetic, catchy, young, well-mustachioed, and able to pivot in terms of their arrangements with two guitarists, their drummer and their bassist also handling vocals. They drew a good crowd though, and held most of it for the duration. I kind of like it that the conventional wisdom is vintage-style rock is “done.” Makes me want to make buttons that say “Boogie Lives” or some such nonsense. I’ll confess that as they played I started to feel the length of the day, which really began when I went to the airport yesterday, never mind landing this morning, but there was fun to be had and I had it watching Komodor. Hey man, I love boogie, and I hear it’s making a comeback!

El Perro

El Perro 1 (Photo by JJ Koczan)

For a dude who spends as much of his day thinking and talking about riffs as I do, I’m not actually a huge guitar guy. I never learned to play, don’t know gear or theory or scales. But I know damn well that I could watch Parker Griggs play guitar for an entire evening and go to bed afterward feeling like night was well spent. This is a new lineup of El Perro, Griggs, Dorian from Blues Pills, Mucho Drums on… wait for it… Drums. Percussionist and bassist also seemingly picked out for the purpose of this tour and maybe more. The band that put out Hair of El Perro last year blew up, so here’s a new one, and the curated sensibility is palpable. It’s Griggs’ band and he’s pretty clearly chosen specifically people he wants to play with. Radio Moscow might also have been that, but the dynamic is different here, as well as the music, emphasis on funk over blues filtered through heavy rhythms bolstered by percussion. Demon Fuzz, anyone? You ever hear that Mandrill record? Doesn’t matter. Chaos is part of it, always with Griggs. Shit might blow up, amps or otherwise, but the guy has a genuine vision of the music he wants to make and he’s a virtuoso on guitar. It had been a long time. It was a pleasure to see him play again, and I’m glad the wah didn’t catch fire.

Total side note: there are two dudes here in robes. Like, bathrobes. Two! Maybe even three! And at least one of them has a backpatch! They’ve got clothes on underneath, otherwise security might have something to say about it, but when was the last time you went anywhere, let alone a show, and found at least two guys Lebowskiing it up? And they’re not even here together, so far as I can tell. This is a pretty special fest.

Urlaub in Polen

Whatever else they may be, Urlaub in Polen is the reason I know that “urlaub” is the German word for vacation. The long-running krautrock duo, who are actually from Germany, they apparently just vacation in Poland, were about as stark a left turn from El Perro as one might make and still be at the same festival, synth and organ and guitar and drums sounding like a much fuller band. Thinking back to how this day started, Tuskar used the duo configuration to emphasize rawness. Urlaub in Polen — the day’s only other two-piece — were on a different trip. Repetitive rhythms, explorations of melody and heavy impact, quirk galore and groove to match. I’ll admit that my prior experience with the band is limited to having checked them out before coming here, but they’re heavier live than anything I managed to stream, and people were still dancing. Not moshing. Actual dance, to a kind of mostly-organic techno rock. It was cool and a reminder that sometimes Freak Valley throws in a shift in vibe and it works of course because it just does. Cool shit. And I swear it’s not a slight against them that I’m falling asleep sitting up. I’m just very, very tired.

Clutch

Clutch (Photo by JJ Koczan)

Ripper of a start to the set with “Impetus” into “Subtle Hustle,” “Earth Rocker” — hard to believe that record came out a decade ago — and “Firebirds” back to back to back to back. Then the new stuff, “Sunrise on Slaughter Beach,” “We Strive for Excellence.” Not arguing. They didn’t even let the intro song about money that they always play finish before they hit it, and that’s probably fair enough because it was already pushing past their 11:35 start. “Burning Beard.” Fast. “The Regulator.” Groove. I was standing in back by then and kind of teared up feeling grateful for being here. I am so incredibly fortunate. “Ghoul Wrangler.” No, it’s not my first time around the block with Clutch. But to be here, in this place, with these people. As beat tired as I’ve been all day, this has been an incredible start that I expect will be momentum leading into tomorrow and Saturday. Not everyone gets to do what I do. I’m not trying to take over this post and talk about feelings or some shit — we’re here for riffs, damnit! — but I am lucky to be here right now, tonight. “Boss Metal Zone.” It went on like that, Clutch tearing it up, me feeling feelings; a coda on the evening. Maybe it never stops. Maybe that’s the story. Maybe some part of me lives here. “Nosferatu Madre.” Extra groove. I wonder if they’ll put this set out. “D.C. Sound Attack.” I was in the room when Neil Fallon laid down the vocals on this hook. “The Mob Goes Wild.” Indeed. “Electric Worry,” “Noble Savage,” “The Face,” fucking “Spacegrass.” Best set ever.

Thanks for reading. More tomorrow, and more pics after the jump.

Read more »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Høstsabbat 2023 Adds Tuskar to Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 5th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

As they make ready to play Desertfest London this weekend, UK duo Tuskar give something (else) to look forward to in being the latest addition to the lineup for the 10th anniversary of Høstsabbat in Oslo this October. I’m already thinking of this as a set of a kin to Slabdragger or Slomatics in terms of the something-very-heavy-from-the-British-Isles-in-the-church-basement ideal, and that should be just ducky, thanks. The band last year released their Matriarch LP as the follow-up to 2018’s The Tide, Beneath, The Wall (review here), and as noted below, this will be their second excursion to Norway, and I very much hope to be there to see it.

I’m late on this today so there’s no time to waste. Here’s word from the fest:

Tuskar hostsabbat 2023

HØSTSABBAT 2023 – TUSKAR (UK)

This week we are bringing you guys one of the most promising, prolific and uprising two-pieces our entire community has on offer.

Tuskar is pounding their sludge with a self esteem, ease and punchy heaviness rarely seen, and the riffs just keep pulling you further down their rocky abyss. The way they combine melodic and atmospheric passages with primal and absolute destruction is nothing but masterly done.

Tuskar has proven themselves to be the next generation’s sludge duo, picking up the heritage from Eagle Twin, Black Cobra and all the other gold that came out of Georgia and the States earlier in this decade.

Their recent album «MATRIARCH» is a pure bliss from start to finish, and the sense of future success shines through like (the?) Aurora Borealis(?). This band is going somewhere, and we believe it’s somewhere big.

Rumors say they laid completely waste at Brewgata on their first Norwegian visit this winter, and we are thrilled to bring them back and see what their chugg will do to the Church.

Please welcome TUSKAR to Høstsabbat 2023 (#128165#)

TICKETS
https://bit.ly/HS-festivalticket23

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
https://spoti.fi/3tkuMZl

NEWSLETTER
https://bit.ly/HostsabbatNews

https://www.facebook.com/hostsabbat/
https://www.instagram.com/hostsabbat/
http://hostsabbat.no/

Høstsabbat Spotify Playlist

Tags: , , , ,

Desertfest London 2023 Adds More Than 40 Bands; Yes, for Real.

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 2nd, 2022 by JJ Koczan

I mean, what can you say to this other than ‘can I come?’ I’ve known this festival was capable of some real-deal shit over the last decade, but this is absolutely epic, which is a word I do my best to avoid. And they end it by saying there’s more to come. God damn. Really. God damn.

Wow.

Here:

desertfest-london-2023-new-poster-square

Desertfest London announce over 40 bands for 2023

Friday 5th May – Sunday 7th May 2023 | Weekend Tickets on sale now

BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Desertfest London is rounding off the year with an ear-shattering bang, announcing a mammoth 43 artists to their 2023 line-up. Joining the likes of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Graveyard, Kadavar and Church of Misery, the Camden-based festival also welcomes back Corrosion of Conformity as headliners.

Pioneers of a groove-laden sound that is undeniably their own, Corrosion of Conformity have not been back on UK soil since 2018 so expect big, loud and memorable things from their appearance at Desertfest next year. Corrosion of Conformity have been due to play the event since 2020 – making their return one of the most widely requested in the event’s history.

Japan’s own avant-garde maestros of down-tuned psychedelia Boris leap over to London alongside the crushingly loud tones of NOLA’s own Crowbar. One of the most exciting bands in recent memory King Buffalo, make their long-awaited debut plus Desertfest favourites, Weedeater are back after five long years of chugging whiskey lord-knows-where.

The pace moves up a notch with New York City’s noise-rock guru’s Unsane and British punk-legends Discharge, all of whom bring a detour from the slow’n’low sounds the festival is best recognised for. Montreal’s Big | Brave will play the festival for the first time showcasing their experimental and minimalist take on the notion of ‘heavy’, whilst the doors to the Church of The Cosmic Skull are open, as they ask Desertfest revellers to join them in a union unlike any other.

Desertfest also warmly welcomes noise from STAKE, British anti-fascist black metallers Dawn Ray’d and London’s loudest duo Tuskar as well as some of the best recent stoner acts in the form of Telekinetic Yeti, Weedpecker & Great Electric Quest. Elsewhere the weekend will also see Wren, The Necromancers, Dommengang, Samavayo, Morass of Molasses, Sum of R & GNOB offer up unique live performances.

Rounding off this beast of an announcement are Acid Mammoth, Deatchant, Zetra, Trevor’s Head, Our Man in The Bronze Age, Wyatt E., Iron Jinn, Mr Bison, Troy The Band, Oreyeon, Warren Schoenbright, Early Moods, Longheads, Terror Cosmico, Thunder Horse, TONS, Vinnum Sabbathi, Bloodswamp, The Age of Truth, Earl of Hell and Black Groove.

Weekend Tickets for Desertfest London 2023 are on-sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk
with more acts still to be announced.

Day splits and day tickets will be on sale from January.

Full Line-Up for Desertfest London 2023:
UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS | GRAVEYARD | CORROSION OF CONFORMITY | KADAVAR | BORIS | CROWBAR | CHURCH OF MISERY | WEEDEATER | KING BUFFALO | BLOOD CEREMONY | DISCHARGE | SOMALI YACHT CLUB | UNSANE | BIG|BRAVE | INTER ARMA | CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL | VALLEY OF THE SUN | STAKE | MARS RED SKY | SPACESLUG | GRAVE LINES | GAUPA | TUSKAR | TELEKINETIC YETI | WEEDPECKER | DAWN RAY’D | WREN | GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST | THE NECROMANCERS | DOMMENGANG | ECSTATIC VISION | SAMAVAYO | MORASS OF MOLASSES | SUM OF R | HIGH DESERT QUEEN | GNOB | EVEREST QUEEN | ACID MAMMOTH | DEATHCHANT | ZETRA | CELESTIAL SANCTUARY | TREVOR’S HEAD | OUR MAN IN THE BRONZE AGE | WYATT E. | MR BISON | TROY THE BAND | PLAINRIDE | IRON JINN | OREYEON | WARREN SCHOENBRIGHT | EARLY MOODS | LONGHEADS | TERROR COSMICO | THUNDER HORSE | TONS | VINNUM SABBATHI | BLOODSWAMP | VENOMWOLF | THE AGE OF TRUTH | EARL OF HELL | BLACK GROOVE | MARGARITA WITCH CULT

http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://twitter.com/DesertFest
https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Freak Valley Festival 2023 Announce Orange Goblin, Melvins, Hypnos 69, King Buffalo, Seedy Jeezus and More to Play

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 3rd, 2022 by JJ Koczan

A whopping 15 names dropped in the first announcement from Freak Valley Festival‘s 2023 edition, which also happens to be its 10th anniversary. I was fortunate enough to be there for it in 2022 and hope very much to follow suit next year, having fallen in love with the place, the people, the time. It’s a special thing happening between those German hillsides. If you’ve been, you already know. If you haven’t, tickets go on sale next week, and they’ll be gone. If that makes your FOMO kick in a little bit, good, go with it.

Orange Goblin doing Time Travelling Blues is a hoot, and it’s been more than a decade since I last saw Melvins, so probably time to punch my card there — I’ve been down on them the last however many years, but have the utmost confidence they’ll deliver live — and of course the thought of seeing King Buffalo on that stage, and the likes of Pontiak and Seedy Jeezus and Besvärjelsen for the first time (also a bunch of the others) is exciting. But the name that’s really got me here is Hypnos 69, the reunited Belgian Elektrohasch veterans whose albums Timeline Traveller, The Intrigue of Perception (discussed here), The Eclectic Measure and Legacy (review here), should be commonly regarded as classics and will hopefully get another look as a result of their starting to play again. I mean that. They were incredible. I hope they do another record, too.

A little bit of a different format to the writeup, which I wrote, than in past years, but I think it gets the point across. This is going to be incredible. If it’s at all possible for you not to miss it, don’t. Like they say: “no fillers, just killers”:

freak valley festival 2023 first announcement names

Time to start daydreaming about June 2023 and the return of Freak Valley Festival! Come join us for our 10th anniversary and the best FVF yet!

Tickets go on sale next week (Nov. 7 local, Nov. 8 online). We expect once again to be completely sold out, and we hope you agree that the lineup we’ve been putting together is worthy of your great faith in us.

Gather ‘round, fellow freaks, it’s time for the first names of Freak Valley 2023!

If you’re gonna go, go big. We start our season by announcing that the lords of weirdo crunch riffing themselves, the MELVINS, will play FVF for the first time ever! They mark their 40th anniversary in 2023 and remain some of heavy rock’s most lovable oddities. We’re thrilled to have them and know it will be something special.

It will have been seven years since we last hosted ORANGE GOBLIN – far too long – and we’re bringing the London doom ‘n’ roll kingpins over to play a special ‘Time Travelling Freak Valley Blues’ show to celebrate 25 years since their classic 1998 album, Time Travelling Blues!

Two very special returns for us in KING BUFFALO and SEEDY JEEZUS. Since KB last played in 2019, they’ve released three incredibly special albums in their pandemic trilogy and become a household name among heads in the know. We haven’t seen Seedy Jeezus since 2015, but we can’t wait to welcome Mr. Frumpy and company back once again! Hugs and riffs both will happen.

Joining us for the first time are Wino-fronted doom legends THE OBSESSED in their new four-piece incarnation, Appalachian psychedelic craftsmen PONTIAK, French heavy rockers KOMODOR, and the reunited Belgian progressive psych trio HYPNOS 69!

Speaking of reunions, Sweden’s ASTROQUEEN come to Netphen as part of theirs, and their countrymen in the classically bluesy KAMCHATKA, and the ever-vibing BESVÄRJELSEN will further blur the boundaries between genres as they make it sound so easy to do, both also first-timers at FVF.

Berlin’s EARTH SHIP, featuring Jan and Sabine Oberg (also Grin and Slowshine, etc.), are also set to make their first appearance!

PSYENCE – if you don’t know them, take four minutes and get introduced, but be ready to buy the record after: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_RCDiXuoX8 – come to us from the UK, as part of a contingent that thus far includes the sludgier TUSKAR and righteous up and coming riffers RITUAL KING. Expect that contingent to grow before June.

We’re doing our best as always to bring you the greatest and biggest Freak Valley Festival to-date. Who are you most excited for here? Who do you want to see on our stage? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to get your tickets for Freak Valley Festival 2023 while you can!

Freak Valley Festival // No Fillers – Just Killers
June 8-10, 2023

https://www.facebook.com/freakvalley
https://www.instagram.com/freakvalleyfestival/
https://twitter.com/FreakValley
http://www.rockfreaks.de/
http://www.freakvalley.de/

Hypnos 69, “The Great Work” live at Het Depot, Sept. 24, 2022

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Riffolution Festival 2021 Announces Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 9th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

riffolution festival logo

The UK being the hotbed that it has been for heavy acts over the last, say, 50 years, I guess you can do this kind of two-day festival there comprised mostly if not entirely of homegrown outfits and still have it be both a show well worth seeing — think the borders will be open by September? — and the kind of thing where you could easily add another day of bands. I don’t know what social-distancing regulations will be in place in Manchester come end of summer, and to be perfectly honest with you, I don’t care. Elephant Tree and Conan headlining a two-dayer after live music has been on pause for a year and a half? That’s a gig worth watching if the floor’s made of lava, never mind whether or not you’ve been vaccinated.

People gonna be d-r-u-n-k.

I probably don’t need to tell you how refreshing I find it to see a list of logos and band names on a poster, even one with a cartoon butt. Again, I don’t care. I’ll take what I can get at this point.

Friggin’ SigiriyaChubby Thunderous? It’d be like five years’ worth of the UK-based bands I’d love to see all piled onto one bill.

Alas:

riffolution festival 2021 poster

Finally the day has come to release the line-up we’ve been so eager to share with you all.

We know it was a great disappointment not to be able to host shows in 2020, but this is set to be such a monster of a weekend to make up for it.

Special thanks to the support from our partners in Lizard King Promotions / Stonebaked Promotions / The Sophie Festival

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/192423792629484/

Tickets and other goodies can be found here: https://riffolutionpromotions.bigcartel.com/

Here’s our line-up:
Conan / Elephant Tree / Telepathy / OHHMS / Ten Foot Wizard / Desert Storm / Witchrider / Pijn / Tuskar / Under / Ritual King / Cybernetic Witch Cult / Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters / Sigiriya / Lacertilia / Morass Of Molasses / Everest Queen / Duskwood / Deltanaut / Orbital Junction / Mother Vulture / Trevor’s Head / SODEN / Son Of Boar / Pelugion / Torus

https://www.facebook.com/events/192423792629484/
https://www.facebook.com/Riffolution/
https://riffolutionpromotions.bigcartel.com/

Elephant Tree, Live at Buffalo Studio & The Preservation Room

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Crypt of the Riff Vol. 4 Announces Lineup for December in Belfast

Posted in Whathaveyou on June 18th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

crypt of the riff vol 4 banner

Let’s face it: if you’re doing a festival featuring any kind of heavy music, and you make it so far as to do a fourth edition, you’re pretty much obligated to base the poster design around Vol. 4. You gotta do it. I’d imagine that for festivals it’s both a celebration and a rite of passage to get to that point. Crypt of the Riff Vol. 4 in Belfast is set for this December with Tuskar headlining and Elder DruidHornetsGod AloneDuellistsTowers and Gravity Well confirmed. The traditional holding position is Voodoo in Belfast, and as I was in the city recently, I feel like I can say with some assurance that it’s a cool town to host a fest, and of course there’s plenty of Irish heavy to feature, as Plain Living Promotions and Elder Druid — who put the thing together — know fully well. The Obelisk presented the last edition, and if you happen to be in the neighborhood, I’d without hesitation recommend checking it out.

Here’s the info and copious links from the event page on Thee Facebooks:

crypt of the riff vol 4 poster

CRYPT OF THE RIFF VOL. 4

Belfast’s heaviest riff fest returns for Vol. 4 in December.

HEADLINER:

Tuskar (ENG)
A two piece doom/sludge outfit hailing from Milton Keynes, residing in the Surrey Hills. Combining elements of: Doom, Sludge, and Black Metal.

Comprised of vocalist and drummer Tyler Hodges and guitarist Tom Dimmock, Tuskar’s chemistry is unmistakable both live and in the studio. They have grown up playing together in bands and have struck out on their own with material that owes as much to Conan and Sleep as it does bands like Behemoth and Darkthrone.

https://www.facebook.com/TUSKARBAND/
https://tuskar.bandcamp.com/

Elder Druid
https://www.facebook.com/elderdruidband/
https://elderdruid.bandcamp.com

Hornets
https://www.facebook.com/Hornetsband/
https://hornets.bandcamp.com/

God Alone. (IRL)
https://www.facebook.com/godalonecork/
https://godalone.bandcamp.com/

Duellists
https://www.facebook.com/Duellistsband/
https://duellists.bandcamp.com/

Towers
https://www.facebook.com/TowersBelfast/
https://towersbelfast.bandcamp.com/

Gravity Well
https://www.facebook.com/GravityWellBelfast/

Date: Friday 13th December
Venue: Voodoo, Belfast
Time: 7PM
Tickets: £10 + booking fee

Tickets are available via Eventbrite at this link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crypt-of-the-riff-vol-4-tickets-63108010759

They will also be available on the door.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2504270066258014/
https://www.facebook.com/plainlivingpromotions/
https://cryptoftheriff.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VoodooBelfast/

Tuskar, The Tide, Beneath, The Wall (2018)

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

End of the World Festival 2019: Dead Witches, Elephant Tree, Tuskar, Oak & More to Play

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 6th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

end of the world festival logo

At very least, it’ll be the end of your liver. Nestled into the southwest of England in the port town of Plymouth, the third End of the World Festival 2019 is set to feature the formidable likes of Dead Witches, Elephant Tree, Gandalf the Green, Cybernetic Witch Cult, Lacertilia, Oak and a likewise formidable slew of others for a one-dayer that looks like a marathon and will likely feel like one for anyone in attendance over the age of 30. As a one-and-done-type event, it’s a celebration of the UK’s native scene, which is indeed worthy of celebrating, and its lineup showcases not only regional heavy, but a bit of the various forms in which that heavy plays out — some sludge, some rock, some doom, some this, some that. There’s a lot to dig here, so needless to say I’ll be sailing in for it.

Nah, not really, but that would be awesome. Book project! I set sail from Massachusetts’ Plymouth to the real Plymouth for a fest, caught in a storm, stranded on an island, etc. The whole bit.

Ah screw it. Here’s the lineup:

end of the world festival

End Of The World festival in Plymouth is in their third year, showcasing some of the best stoner, psych, doom and sludge metal bands in the UK. This year they’ve expanded to include Dead Witches, featuring the legendary Mark Greening (ex-Electric Wizard). These are exclusive South-West shows for many of these acts; the event typically showcases the South-West scene but has expanded to include Manchester’s Ritual King, Welsh alt-stoner act Heavy on the Ride and London-based blues-doom outfit Oak. In their third outing, they’re stronger than ever and hoping for their best turnout yet.

The event takes place between The Underground and The Junction in Plymouth on 06.07.19.

The bands playing are:

Mother Vulture
Oak
Heavy on the Ride
Victus
Gandalf the Green
Greenhorn
Ritual King
Beggar
Lacertilia
Tuskar
Cybernetic Witch Cult
Elephant Tree
Mother Vulture

Tickets are £15 in advance or £17 OTD

Ticket link: https://cyberneticwitchcult.bigcartel.com/product/end-of-the-world-festival-2019-ticket

https://www.facebook.com/events/2306912209531667/
https://www.facebook.com/endoftheworldfestivalUK

Elephant Tree, “Dawn” live at HRH Doom vs. Stoner 2018

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,