Posted in Whathaveyou on December 7th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
I know what you’re thinking, and before you start, just indulge me. Yes, it’s another post with another festival lineup. And yeah, I’m about to tell that with Gnod and Mars Red Sky and Slomatics, Ecstatic Vision, 1782, Vinnum Sabbathi and all the rest on Astral Festival VIII, it’s a pretty killer assemblage. I know you’ve heard it a lot lately. I get it.
Here’s the thing. Human memory is fickle, but I recall vividly a couple years ago when you, me, nobody, had any fucking clue if this kind of thing would ever be able to happen again. So you know what? I actually feel pretty god damned good about being so onslaughted with festival lineup announcements that I’ve run out of shit to say about them other than, “Hey cool fest bruh, would go if I could,” which is pretty much where I’m at here. A bunch of bands getting together for a two-dayer in a place? Great. There’s about zero chance I’ll be there to see it, but I would much, much rather live in a world where it’s happening than the one where it wasn’t.
That’s my two cents. Here’s the lineup set for April 29-30 in Bristol, UK:
We still have a few more surprises lined up. Grab weekend or day ticket now!!
As always huge thank you for your support. It goes without saying there is no festival without you. Tickets are very limited so act fast!
Saturday April 29 Th Gnod Vinnum Sabbathi Phoenician Drive Slomatics Terror Cosmico Ivan the Tolerable and His Elastic Band Black Ends El Universo Dan Johnson
Sunday April 30 Th Mars Red Sky 1782 Wyatt E. Ecstatic Vision Chew Dusty Mush Sum of R Bonnacons of Doom Margarita Witch Cult Solar Corona
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 announce over 40 bands for 2023
Friday 5th May – Sunday 7th May 2023 | Weekend Tickets on sale now
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
Day Three of the Spring 2022 Quarterly Review — commence! As you well know because I’m quite certain you’re the type of person to sit around and think about these things and I’m in no way the only human who gives enough of a crap to notice, today we hit the halfway point of this particular QR, not in the middle, but at the end, as today will culminate with review number 30 of the total 60 to come by the end of the day next Monday. Is it cheating to get a full weekend to do the last installment? Depends entirely on the weekend. In any case, starting tomorrow we go downhill, numerically, not in terms of the quality of what’s covered.
Until then.
Quarterly Review #21-30:
Ruby the Hatchet, Live at Earthquaker
While on tour with Kadavar in late-2019, New Jersey heavy psych rockers Ruby the Hatchet swung through Earthquaker Devices in Ohio and put these three songs to tape. In addition to being the band’s first release for Magnetic Eye Records, the EP serves these years after the fact as a still-foreshadowing glimpse at their next full-length, the follow-up to 2017’s Planetary Space Child (review here), which but for plague probably would be on its third pressing by now. At least it would be if the rolling riffs and organ shimmer of “1,000 Years” and the bluesier what-I’ll-just-assume-is-an-homage-to-the-band-of-the-same-name “Primitive Man” are anything to go by. Paired with Ruby the Hatchet‘s take on Uriah Heep‘s “Easy Livin’,” the new songs herald the awaited album in a way that seems to justify their having been kept in-pocket for just the right moment. I’m glad that moment is now, and I also kind of feel like Ruby the Hatchet need to start recording more shows and putting out their own soundboard bootlegs. This is clearly mixed, pro-mastered and all that, but still. They make every second of these 14 minutes count.
Anonymous Belgian outfit Wyatt E. return five years after their debut with āl bēlūti dārû, comprising two tracks of all-in Mesopotamian-themed drone ritualizing. The robed outfit top 18 minutes with “Mušhuššu” and “Šarru Rabu” both, and their intention toward immersing the audience in a whole-side experience isn’t misplaced as their arrangements branch beyond genre typicality in service of the Middle Easternism around which much of what they do is based. More than cinematically wrought, the two pieces here are striking in moving from the crescendos of their respective builds into richly conjured explorations, the former of saz and other instruments, the latter of percussion and voice. Likewise, with two drumkits, they want nothing for rhythmic urgency, despite the open structures of the actual material. One wonders at the Orientalism on display throughout as potentially a kind of minstrelsy, particularly with the hooded unknown figures casting themselves as decidedly ‘other’ from a European mainstream, but the same anonymity guards against the notion since it’s unclear just who these people are. I’m not sure I’m all the way on board, but they effectively convey spectacle without losing artistic presence. And if you spend the rest of your day reading about the Akkadian Empire, I’m sure worse things have happened.
My impression of Canterbury, UK, doomers Famyne‘s 2016 self-titled debut (review here) were of a band burgeoning in atmosphere anchored by strong songwriting and melodic vocals with periodic likeness to Alice in Chains and The Wounded Kings. Arriving through Svart Records, the eight-song/45-minute II: The Ground Below doesn’t do much to detract from that core impression, but the ambient “A Submarine” and the mean chug in the back half of the later “The Ai” take them to new places and demonstrate the individualization of genre tropes underway in their sound. “Once More” taps a more NWOBHM style, while “Babylon” touches on Candlemassian grandiosity, and “Gone” fluidly begins to transition from the crush of opening duo “Defeated” and “Solid Earth” before “A Submarine” takes hold, which is only further evidence they know what they’re doing.
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Humanotone, A Flourishing Fall in a Grain of Sand
Evidently a number of years in the making from front-to-back, Humanotone‘s second full-length, A Flourishing Fall in a Grain of Sand, finds the solo-project spearheaded by Jorge Cisternas Monsalves, aka Jorge Cist, working once more completely on his own save for some saxophone on 12-minute closer “Even Though.” Given the lush, progressive, and thoughtful execution of progressive heavy rock the Chile-based Cist manifests throughout cuts like “Light Antilogies” and “Ephemeral” prior — taking lessons from Elder‘s Dead Roots Stirring and applying them well for his own purposes — it wouldn’t have been surprising if he picked up the sax himself, frankly. He proves visionary throughout the proceedings one way or the other, and atop a bed of his own drumming is able to cast deep landscapes of keys and guitar and bass in “A Flourishing Fall” and a build and payoff in “Scrolls for the Blind” before the 3:45 “Beyond the Machine” goes straightforward in a way that feels like a gift ahead of the closer, while still retaining its proggy vibe vocally, melodically and rhythmically. There’s been some word-of-mouth hype around this one. Not unwarranted.
Big on vibe, crunches when it wants, spaces out with broader jams, takes its time, flows as it will but still hits with an impact — yeah, there’s no shortage of things to like about Madmess‘ Hassle Records-issued second full-length, Rebirth. If you, yourself, have been born-again semi-instrumentalist psych-prog, then no doubt you’ll relate to the careening and twisting path that the five mostly-extended tracks take, unfolding with a focus on liquefied echo on “Albatross” before the companioning “Mind Collapse” introduces the vocals that will show up again on closer “Stargazer” (not a Rainbow cover). Between those two, the title-cut and “Shapeshifter” back-to-back build on some of the mellower stretches prior at least before locking into their own heavier parts, but by then you’re long since hypnotized anyway, and the drift that serves to transition into “Stargazer” is only pushing further out as it goes. I’m not sure who in the Portugese trio (if anyone) is the vocalist, but the voice suits the songs well, even if they’re plainly comfortable going without, and reasonably so.
Mostly instrumental, the aptly-titled EP II — the second short release from Utrecht, the Netherlands, trombone-inclusive experimentalist doomers Eaters of the Soil — runs four tracks and 35 minutes and, early on, uses spoken samples from this or that serial killer about putting plastic bags over women’s heads to suffocate them. Through “V – Point of Capture” and even into “VI – Untouched, Unspoken To” (the Roman numeral numbering system continued from their pandemic-minded 2021 first EP), a somewhat slowed down version of whoever it is goes on about killing women and this and that. The second half of the release with “VII – Burrowing, Feasting” and “VIII – Subcurrent,” are both dark enough to be considered affected by the same atmosphere — “VI – Untouched, Unspoken To” has a bit of float to it, so it’s not all grim — churning, meandering and freaking out in at-least-partially improv-jazz style, but Eaters of the Soil cast a grim vision of humanity and that impression stays resonant even as “VIII – Subcurrent” lumbers into its wash of a finish. Is extreme jazz a thing? Turns out maybe.
With its just-slightly-off-beat drum loop, “Light” seems to build into a wash until even the song can’t take anymore and needs to drop out. It’s not the first take on NYOS‘ second offering for Pelagic Records, Celebration — that would be the improvised opener “First Take” — but it and the serene hum that emerges in the subsequent “Something Good” and even the shimming almost steel-drum sounds of “Tucano” demonstrate the Finland-based instrumentalist duo’s stated intentions toward dance music. The later “Gold Vulcan,” the first single, gets into some noisier fare as if to remind that guitarist Tom Brooke (also recording) and drummer Tuomas Kainulainen are coming from a harder-hitting place, but in the also-improv “Cloudberry” just before and particularly the willfully gorgeous “Rosario” (Dawson?) after, the intentions are gentler and more welcoming, and that continues into the final drone stretch and far, far back drumming that consumes most of closer “Surface” before it ultimately explodes in resonant light, reinforcing the notion of joy inherent in the album’s title, feeling like a grand finale to an aural fireworks display.
Making their debut on Heavy Psych Sounds with Impending Doom, Sweden’s Endtime are not shy about their influence from horror cinema. Their sound blends sludge and classic doom together such that opener “Harbinger of Disease” comes through like Mike IX Williams of Eyehategod stepping in to front Cathedral, and his harsh wails echo out a tolling (for thee, make no mistake) bell to foretell the harsh terrors soon to unfold. “ICBM” kills quick and lets its church organ mourn later, and the centerpiece “They Live” (a classic) adjusts the balance such that the cinematic, post-Uncle Acid vibe comes to the front still with the barking vocals overtop; a blend I can’t think of anyone else pulling off as well as Endtime do. The longer “Cities on Fire with the Burning Flesh of Men” follows and is more purely about the crunch at least until the sitar shows up — a nice curve to throw — ahead of its severe closing section, and closer “Living Graves” wraps the 28-minute LP by pushing the organ forward again and dissolving into a wash of noise before the feed seems to cut out like channel 11 just stopped broadcasting in the middle of the night. Hey man, I was watching that. Not quite revolutionary, but onto something. Impending, if you will.
By my count, Bloodshot Buffalo — the solo-project of Santa Rosa, California’s Sheafer McOmber — has put out no fewer than four full-lengths since 2019. Accordingly, the two-song Light EP is most likely a stopgap en route to the next one, but “Light” and “Don’t Follow Me” make an enticing sampler of the band’s wares all the same, digging into an energetic heavy progressive rock like a less-low-end-focused Forming the Void in the title-track as McOmber carefully weaves in a multi-layered guitar solo panning channels from one to the other and “Don’t Follow Me” reaffirms the groove on which that happens while sorting out its own languid flow. The shorter of the two, “Don’t Follow Me” doesn’t feature the same kind of midsection break as “Light” itself, and once it heads out, it doesn’t come back, unlike “Light,” which returns to the hook at the finish. Some structural play as enticement to dig further into the Bloodshot Buffalo catalog while waiting for the seemingly inevitable next thing. This being my first exposure to McOmber‘s work, I hope to do exactly that.
Swedish now-duo Oh Hiroshima present their fourth album, Myriad, as a collection of weighted, spacious and emotive contemplations. Their heavy post-rock is stylized to be patient and broad-reaching, and in pieces like “All Things Pass” and “Veil of Certainty” early on, they find a niche for themselves between harder-hitting atmospheric material marked out by droning horn arrangements and more straight-ahead melodic verses, the ambience open enough to pull the focus away from underlying structures. It’s an immersive-if-somewhat-familiar modern take, but the two-piece of guitarist/bassist/vocalist Jakob Hemström and drummer Oskar Nilsson stem into moodier vibes on “Tundra” and closer “Hidden Chamber” takes a less effects-centered, more organic-sounding approach, emphasizing the strings for its build while staying earthbound in the drums, bass and guitars beneath. Some will pass Myriad up entirely, others will worship its depth. Either way, the pair seem like they’ll keep moving forward in their well-crafted, considered approach.
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 19th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Comprised of two extended tracks, the new Wyatt E. full-length, āl bēlūti dārû, will be out on March 18 as their first offering — and I do mean ‘offering’ — through Stolen Body Records. Between them and their soon-to-be-tourmates Messa, that’s probably two of the bands most poised to make an impression throughout the European heavy underground this Spring. I don’t know who brought them together, but it’s got ‘future-main-stage’ energy all over it, and the mystique/mystical vibes throughout āl bēlūti dārû expand on the ritualized explorations of drone and volume laid forth by the likes of Om and Earth and Zaum, and, wouldn’t you know it, they speak Akkadian. It’s always, always, always a good idea to study languages. One never knows when one might end up in ancient Mesopotamia needing to order a sandwich.
You’re gonna hear a lot of hype on this. In all sincerity, I’ve got the record on right now, today, as I’m typing, and it’s the sort of thing for which headphones were made. At the end of 2022, there are going to be a bunch of people who are all about this band who, this month, had never heard them before. I’m new to the bandwagon too, for what it’s worth. The good news is no one gives a shit about that kind of thing anymore and music is a celebration for time out of time for all time.
Thus, dig in:
WYATT E. to release new album “āl bēlūti dārû” on March 18th through Stolen Body Records; full European tour announced.
Belgium-based oriental doom and drone experimentalists WYATT E. sign to UK powerhouse Stolen Body Records for the release of their anticipated new album “āl bēlūti dārû” this March 18th. The band also announced an extensive European tour with Messa, including two sets at Roadburn Festival. The journey has begun…
Blending droning soundscapes with Middle Eastern instrumentation, Wyatt E. writes the soundtrack of a Pilgrimage to Neo-Babylonian Empire. A journey in the past which leads to ancient Gods, forgotten cities and lost civilizations. In 2015, their debut EP Mount Sinai/Aswan caught the eye of Shalosh Cult, an Israel- based label that released their critically acclaimed debut album Exile to Beyn Neharot in 2017.
Since then, the band went from a band that wanted to remain anonymous to a highly revered live act in Europe and Israel: Desertfest Antwerp, Stoned from the Underground, Smoke over Warsaw, Tales of Doom Basel, Bristol Psych Fest, Red Smoke Festival, Under the Doom Lisbon, Mount Of Artan, Dour Festival, Electric Meadow…
Sealing the Wyatt E.’s long-awaited return, their new album “āl bēlūti dārû” (“The Eternal City” in Akkadian language) features two 19-minute tracks recorded in their Karl-EhmannStrasse studio, then mixed by doom godfather Billy Anderson (Sleep, Om, Melvins) and mastered by Justin Weis at Trakworx. Artowrk was designed by Belgian artist ammoammo. It will be issued on three different limited edition vinyl, black vinyl, CD digipack and digital on March 18th, 2022, with preorder available now via Stolen Body Records and Bandcamp.
The composition of the album results of a challenging use of techniques and instruments never used by the band before: Saxophones, Saz, unusual use of voices, effects and percussions. 2 drum kits have been tracked simultaneously during most of the album to create some sort of messy vibration coming from a huge crowd. A-side “Mušḫuššu” (Name of Marduk’s sacred animal) is a well-balanced track driven by a bass groove & featuring Y. Tönnes on the saxophone, ending up in a traditional acoustic outro. B-side “Šarru Rabu” (“The Great King”) is a military march and shows the band at its best in terms of slowly building up layers to a climax and starting all over again until the final sonic explosion.
Wyatt E. will present the album in its entirety at Roadburn Festival 2022, where they will also perform a special collaborative set with Five The Hierophant and MC Slice.
WYATT E. on tour with Messa: 18.03 Botanique, Bruxelles – BE 19.04 Le Michelet, Nantes – FR 20.04 Glazart, Paris – FR 21.04 Roadburn Festival – NL 22.04 Roadburn Festival (w/ Five The Hierophant and MC Slice) – NL 23.04 TBA, Braunschweig – DE 24.04 Spillestede Stengade, Copenhagen – DK 25.04 Urban Spree, Berlin – DE 26.04 Drizzly Grizzly, Gdank – PL 27.04 Hygrozagadka, Warsaw – PL 28.04 Paon, Krakow – PL 29.04 Bandhaus, Leipzig – DE 30.04 Dudefest, Karlsruhe – DE 01.05 Hirschenek, Basel – CH
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 16th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
I guess we could go on and on about badass festival lineups — and in a way, it feels very, very good to even think that’s true — but you’ll pardon me if I sort of bow under the spectacle here and just say I’m glad Warhorse are getting another chance to go to Roadburn after 2020 falling apart, and that Tau and the Drones of Praise will play. The latter not the least because it gives me an excuse to revisit their set from earlier this year at Roadburn Redux in putting this post together. I hope they play right before the devastating LLNN, but either way, it’s great that along with the huger acts like Lingua Ignota, Emma Ruth Rundle, Russian Circles, and so on, Roadburn remains committed to forward-thinking artists of such various stripes. See also Oslo Tapes playing the Pelagic showcase with Årabrot headlining.
I don’t know if I’ll get to go to Roadburn next year. The fest would be well within its rights to nix the Weirdo Canyon Dispatch ‘zine after so long and adverse circumstances, and it’s not like they need my review or photos badly enough to warrant having me there, but whatever happens, I love this festival, support its growth and direction, and I always will for as long as it goes. No one knows at this point what April 2022 is going to look like. I’m happy to proceed into the fest’s last announcement of 2021 with some sense of optimism, even if I need to force that a bit.
From the PR wire:
New additions to Roadburn 2022 including second Artist In Residence and label showcase
Roadburn has today announced another 17 artists for the 2022 edition of the festival, which will take place between April 21-24 in Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Artistic Director, Walter Hoeijmakers, comments:
“With our last announcement before the end of 2021, we are super proud to have Pelagic involved again in Roadburn after their virtual Redux showcase earlier this year. And we know SLIFT will broaden our psychedelic horizons with three shows as artist-in-residence. Further, we offer this announcement in hope that 2022 will see a full return to international touring for festivals and club shows and we can all be together and celebrate in April. We wish you the happiest of seasons and hope you’re looking forward to Roadburn Festival 2022 as much as we are. Thank you for your continued support, faith and trust.”
French psych trio, SLIFT, have been announced as the second Artist in Residence for the 2022 edition (joining Full of Hell who were announced earlier this year). The band will perform three times over the course of the festival, including a collaborative performance with pioneering French musician, Etienne Jaumet (Zombie Zombie).
Pelagic Records will host a label showcase at the festival highlighting the diverse array of talent found on their roster. The showcase will climax with three interconnected performances courtesy of Lustmord, Lustmord and Karin Park performing cuts from their collaborative album, Alter, and finishing off with Årabrot. The showcase will also feature Year Of No Light, LLNN performing Unmaker, new signings Bruit≤, Oslo Tapes and a solo set from Karin Park.
Psych-heads rejoice – Die Wilde Jagd will perform at Roadburn, following two awe inspiring live performances at Roadburn Redux earlier this year. TAU & the Drones of Praise will also reprise their Redux appearance and make their way to Tilburg for an in-person performance.
Hangman’s Chair will complement their already-announced album set with a collaboration with Regarde Les Hommes Tomber. Originally commissioned by Red Bull and performed only once to date; the two bands have written additional material to extend the performance further into the reaches of their collective imaginations.
Originally scheduled to perform in 2020 Warhorse will finally perform at Roadburn 2022. Huntsmen will kick off their first trip to Europe with a special performance at Roadburn where they’ll play their 2018 album, American Scrap, in full.
London’s Five The Hierophant will make their Roadburn debut, as well as performing a collaborative piece with Wyatt E. and MC Slice titled Atonia.
These artists are added to a line up that already features Ulver, Lingua Ignota, Liturgy, Emma Ruth Rundle, Russian Circles, 40 Watt Sun, Backwash and many more. Click here to view the full line up and below to read more on these newly announced artists.
ÅRABROT ATONIA: A COLLABORATION BETWEEN WYATT E., FIVE THE HIEROPHANT & MC SLICE BRUIT ≤, DIE WILDE JAGD FIVE THE HIEROPHANT HANGMAN’S CHAIR X REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER HUNTSMEN KARIN PARK LLNN LUSTMORD OSLO TAPES SLIFT (ARTIST IN RESIDENCE) TAU & THE DRONES OF PRAISE URAL UMBO WARHORSE YEAR OF NO LIGHT ZETRA
Weekend tickets, and Friday and Saturday day tickets are sold out. Thursday and Sunday day tickets remain in limited numbers. Tickets and accommodation options are available to view viaticketmaster.nl
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 30th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
A lot to dig into here, and I suppose that’s not really a surprise when it comes to Roadburn announcements. Likewise, not a shock to see Emma Ruth Rundle and Lingua Ignota here, as both are album-of-the-year candidates among the underground critical literati and Rundle was supposed to curate 2020’s fest. Cool to see Messa make a return as well, and that new Mizmor is sitting on my desktop waiting to be dug into. The new 40 Watt Sun will make some resonant listening live, as it does on record, and I’m curious to dig into Hangman’s Chair, as my impression of them is they sound like Type O Negative but from Paris, which I guess is nothing to complain about. Jammers Kungens Män will be a joy for all who behold them, and Kanaan‘s heavy turn on their new album will bring Roadburn back to its stoner rock roots — if indeed that’s what they play — in a way that no one yet on the bill will do.
Oh, and Smote. If you haven’t checked out Drommon (review here), do that.
Like I said, a lot to dig into. That’s not even all of it, so don’t let me keep you:
New additions to Roadburn 2022
The second group of artists to be added to the Roadburn 2022 line up has today been announced.
Artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers, comments:
“Roadburn 2022 will be a festival of hope; a celebration of underground music by Roadburn alumni and young and upcoming bands alike. It feels so great to offer them a platform and it’s equally great to offer our community their much missed home away from home. Despite the difficult circumstances with live music we remain optimistic and move forward with caution. It’s not easy but we’re really hopeful to be able to welcome you to Roadburn 2022. The idea of celebrating together makes everything worthwhile.”
Lingua Ignota will return to Roadburn in 2022, following two explosive performances at the 2019 edition of the festival. Having released SINNER GET READY earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim, the return to Roadburn is well timed to showcase her new material.
Emma Ruth Rundle will take to the main stage to present her groundbreaking new album, Engine of Hell. Due to be our curator in 2020, we’re delighted to welcome Emma back to Roadburn and to have her step into an even bigger spotlight this time around.
Following on from the recent announcement of a new album, Perfect Light, 40 Watt Sun will also perform on the main stage in April. Mizmor will return to perform Cairn in full, as was originally intended as part of Rundle’s curated event, which due to the pandemic didn’t come to fruition.
After performing alongside Dylan Carlson and as part of Zonal in previous years, The Bug will return – this time with MCs Flowdan and Logan to accompany him. Milena Eva & Thomas Sciarone’s curated event gains a new name: Sordide will be performing their most recent album Les idées blanches in full.
A rejuvenated Sum Of R will perform their upcoming new album, Lahbryce, in full on the main stage. Messa’s recently announced album, Close, will be performed, as will A Loner – the new album from Hangman’s Chair.
Cloud Rat will perform two sets, including a special Do Not Let Me Off The Cliff electronic-based performance. Uniform will perform their album Shame in full. HEALTH, Kælan Mikla and KANGA will provide some end-of-the-world dance party vibes. Meanwhile, Smote will perform their new album, Drommon in full.
Also announced is Fågelle, Kanaan, Kollaps, Kungens Män, Pinkish Black, and Wyatt E.
These names join previously announced artists including Ulver, Sólstafir, Alcest, Backxwash, Russian Circles, artist in residence – Full of Hell and many others. Roadburn Festival will take place between April 21-24 in Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Tickets for Roadburn 2022 are on sale now. Friday and Saturday day tickets are sold out. Thursday and Sunday day tickets, 3-day and 4-day tickets remain in limited numbers. Tickets and accommodation options are available to view viaticketmaster.nl.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 6th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
What do you even say at this point about Desertfest Belgium 2018? “Uh, it’s in Antwerp and we should go?” I’m at something of a loss. The festival has gradually put together one of the most solid lineups I think I’ve ever seen, with High on Fire, Amenra and now Orange Goblin headlining, and performances from the likes of YOB, Enslaved, Crowbar, Elder, My Sleeping Karma, Wo Fat, Acid King and Dead Meadow— any of whom, if you told me they were headlining, I’d be like, “Wow that’s awesome and totally deserved.” Plus there are a bunch of bands down on the bottom of the poster I don’t know, which I also love and another whole bunch in between who also kick ass, so yeah, you mean you’ve got Naxatras, Castle, Child, The Skull and Sasquatch all kicking around the same place on the same weekend? Who the hell wouldn’t want to be there?
Madness. Sheer madness. Witness:
Let’s start with the final headliner for our festival. A true mainstay of the stoner circuit, Orange Goblin have spent the last few years since ‘Back From The Abyss’ (2014) touring the world and harvesting souls. The result of this tireless work ethic? ‘The Wolf Bites Back’ released late spring of 2018, considered to be one of the best albums in their career. They’ve truly earned their place at the throne, and DF Belgium will receive them as true kings of the stoner community.
Of course, the same could be said of My Sleeping Karma, another band that has built its reputation by shutting up (literally) and playing the music, night after night after night for years and years. Their 2017 concert album ‘Mela Ananda’ proved once again that a sweaty stage is the best place to experience them, so we’ll gladly provide it.
We fill out the holes in our schedule with a couple of inspired leftfield choices. How about some heady Greek post-rock with traditional folk influences? Villagers of Ioannina City (V.I.C. in short) is a truly undefinable band that will sure surprise quite a few of our fellow Festers. The same can be said of Jozef Van Wissem – are you ready for some heavy experimental drones… on a medieval lute? Jozef will redefine your notions of what is psychedelic music.
Back to more traditional territory, Earth Ship from Berlin will hit you hard with some serious monolithic doom. With Kraków (No) and Domkraft (Sw), we bring you a couple of esteemed riff peddlers from the North.
And what more fitting end to this final announcement, than to round off with a trio of fine Belgian brews for you to taste and savour? Lethvm, WYATT E. and Goddog are three exponents of the local scene that we want you to discover.
