The last two bands added to Høstsabbat 2023 are Ruff Majik, who put out one of 2023’s best heavy rock records in this Spring’s Elektrik Ram (review here), and perennial top-of-bill features Witchcraft. Together with the likes of Lowrider, Yawning Man, Moonstone, Black Rainbows, LLNN, Bongripper and a mountain of others, these two fill out the 10th anniversary edition of the Oslo-based festival, which in the last decade has grown and expanded its palette even as it has reinforced the intimacy that is so much a part of its appeal. Thinking of that basement in the Kulturkirken Jacob. I don’t know if Ruff Majik will be down there, but if they are, I bet it’s to headline, and if they do, I bet it’ll be a rager. The stuff of which legends are made.

As for Witchcraft, it’s been three years since 2020’s acoustic Black Metal (review here) and nearly 20 since their 2004 self-titled debut (discussed here), but they continue to deliver in the live setting, founder Magnus Pelander one of his generation’s most influential figures in European heavy rock. Surely a welcome addition to any bill, including this one.

This is it for Høstsabbat 2023. I’m sorry to say I won’t be there this year — scheduling conflict — but I wish everyone who is the very best of times, and I’ve got a whole other t-shirt that I bought last year that I’ve been saving. Might be time to break it out as I console myself that weekend in late October.

From socials:

(#128293#)RUFF MAJIK (SA)(#128293#)

Sabbathians!

It´s time for our final band announcement, and Oh Yes!

It sure brings some perfectly timed party spice to our lineup.

Hailing from South Africa, Ruff Majik have brought their high energy rock show to stages across Europe for quite some time, gaining them a massive live reputation as a definite must-see. It´s pure rock n´roll with an almost sassy vibe to it. Joyful and melodic with a feelgood kind of aggression. You will probably end up dancing!

Ruff Majik have been on our wish list for years now, and luckily, some times the stars align, and this time they actually just did. Being able to add Ruff Majik last minute, gives our lineup the perfect balance. It has all the ingredients a 10-year-anniversary should have, and we can not wait to welcome you to church a good month from now.

Speaking of that.

Many of you are asking for the day splits, and we are almost ready to share the schedule with you.

Those who show up at our event at Vaterland tonight will have a sneak peak, and the rest of you will be enlightened this coming Friday.

(#128293#)WITCHCRAFT (SE)(#128293#)

Witchcraft, take one!

Those three words, coming from the mouth of Magnus Pelander in a what seems to be a live studio-session, followed by the instant-classic riffery of the self titled song «Witchcraft», from their equally named album:

That was how Witchcraft introduced themselves to a new horde of doom heads.

That was how Witchcraft managed to conquer a new era of proto-doomers, following the path of former legends such as Pentagram, Witchfinder General, Sir Lord Baltimore and so on.

It was a formative time for many of the bands seen on top of the festival bills today. That obviously counts for Witchcraft as well.

They were the leaders, not the followers.

There is absolutely zero doubt of the impact these guys have had on our scene.

Zero.

Witchcraft however, did not get stuck in the swamp of lo-fi proto-doom for much too long.

Their incredible albums «Legend» and «Nucleus» from 2012 and 2016 marked a transition in sound, steering Witchcraft in a slightly more modern direction, but still keeping all their key elements intact.

The marvelous vocals of Magnus Pelander are always present, as is his top shelf riffs.

These God -given qualities, along with clever arrangements and forward thinking instrumentation, have secured Witchcraft a top slot for years to come.

We are dead proud and psyched to present such a legendary band to our Church of Riffs, honoring our anniversary in the best possible way.

Please welcome Witchcraft 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

[Click play above to stream Superlynx’s 4 10 in its entirety. Album is out tomorrow on Argonauta Records.]

It’s been a productive few years from Oslo’s Superlynx. Their third album, 2021’s Electric Temple (review here), was followed-up by that December’s Solstice EP (review here), and last year, vocalist Pia Isaksen released the first full-length from her solo-project Pia Isa. It was announced this Spring they’d signed to Argonauta Records for their fourth album, the numerically-titled 4 10 and the eight-song/45-minute collection also features the first appearance of guitarist Espen Krøll alongside Isaksen, guitarist Daniel Bakken and drummer Ole Teigen, and it is marked by a languid overarching flow between the tracks, songs like “Sphinx” and “Heavier Than Me” on side A spacious in their presentation with atmosphere high on a list of priorities with sonic heft and melody. There are deeper aspects of grunge underlying some of the riffs, doom to be had throughout, but the real tell of 4 10 is in opener “Cycle.”

It is among the shorter cuts at 4:27 — the longest is presumed side B opener “Nothing to Everything” at 7:42; anagram numbers are fun — and has a mellow heavy crux with a slow, steady roll for which “Heavier Than Me” offers structural reinforcement, fleshing out the sense of mood that begins in “Cycle” and spans the record’s entirety, and is no less encompassing in this than the breadth of echoing reaches of “Into the Sun” in the final moments. Superlynx have always touched on psychedelia, and the additional guitar lets them do so on 4 10 with according flexibility as they reportedly shifted their process toward emphasizing the jams at root in their songwriting.

Indeed, it’s relatively easy to imagine the now-four-piece Superlynx in a rehearsal space, happening on the fluidity of riff that would soon enough become “The Unknown” at the finish of side A or the swaying semi-twang of the penultimate “Under its Spell,” which with a few pulls notes here and there evokes heavy Westernism as well as the garage doom of Uncle Acid and maybe even a bit of Graveyard‘s drawn blues as a near-drone backdrop for Isaksen‘s vocals. It doesn’t sound like an planned progression, something brought in by one of the members for the others to add their parts; it sounds like it came together, together, with all of them in the room. Organic is the word, and “Under its Spell” moves in much the same way, oozing naturally forward as the guitar becomes more prominent, grabs the front portion of the mix for a soulful lead after five minutes in, begins to draw it down from there.

They don’t mirror each other exactly — if I’ve got the vinyl structure right at all, that is — but “The Unknown” capping side A and “Under its Spell” would seem to have more in common than a titular prefix. Each later on its respective side, with “Into the Sun” backing the latter as the closer, and each offers some relative uptick in its delivery, whether it’s the vocals assuming a more intense cadence around three minutes into “The Unknown” or that howling guitar in “Under its Spell.” These little flourishes aren’t a ton on their own, but with the intricacy of melody in “Cycle,” the dual-vocals and sweep in the second half of “Nothing to Everything,” the still-somehow-morose shimmer of “Into the Sun” as it plays out its six and a half minutes, they and others like them add up, and 4 10 derives a facet of its persona as a record from them. Even with their songs rooted in jams, it seems Superlynx are prone to build something from out of them rather than directly port their improv sessions onto a platter — not that there’s anything wrong with that.

“Away,” which is the actual shortest cut at 3:28, precedes the closing duo and has a sudden stop before its held-chug verse begins, and is molten in its flow in kind with much of what surrounds, but arriving between “Nothing to Everything” and “Under its Spell” as it does, it has a secondary function of keeping momentum rolling from one extended piece to the next, and its hairy jangle of guitar is the foundation on which it rests to do so. Lyrics are semi-spoken at first, but “Away” is more than an interlude, and demonstrates how Superlynx are able to tie distinct pieces together in tone and style such that the continuity of 4 10, once laid out, holds through the finish.

In this way, the album is best experienced as a front to back listen, but individual tracks like “Cycle,” “The Unknown” and “Under its Spell” represent well the scope of floating vocals and outstretched guitar, nuanced composition interpreted through brooding psychedelia, weighted tonally in the guitars — remember there are two now! — and emotionally through Isaksen‘s voice, which rests easily in the verses and choruses as the organic approach of the band seems to extend to leaving space for vocals by rote rather than trying to adjust riffs around lyrics later.

That may or may not be how Superlynx actually function, but the complete statement of 4 10 is about who they are as a band, and they portray themselves with a rampant maturity. That’s not a dogwhistle for that they’re somehow staid creatively or they’ve stopped growing — they aren’t and haven’t — but it does mean they know what they’re doing in a way that, when their debut LVX came out in 2016 just three years after they’d formed, wouldn’t have been possible. The growth facilitated in their live work and their experience in the studio and as songwriters, it’s all right in these songs, right unto a little bit of hope in the early going of “Into the Sun” amid the pervasive melancholia, including that process of building upward — from “Nothing to Everything,” as the song puts it — in embracing the open feel of the jam without giving up the core of craft around it.

Whatever else they are, the tracks on 4 10 — there are four in the band now; they’ve been around for 10 years — are, they are the most realized representation to-date of Superlynx‘s methods, and the balance in them of meter and melody, ambience and impact, aren’t to be understated. They have carved out a place for themselves, stylistically, and now set about refining it as their own.

Superlynx on Facebook

Superlynx on Instagram

Superlynx on Bandcamp

Argonauta Records website

Argonauta Records on Facebook

Argonauta Records on Instagram

Argonauta Records on Bandcamp

Groovy single from the new Mooch record, which as I understand it will have its details announced probably 37 seconds after this post goes live — train’s never late! — and those who miss the likes of Stubb or Asteroid will want to dig into that hook on “Crimson,” which is streaming below. The verse is more about space and the chorus fills that, which is familiar enough as formulas go, but the prevailing vibe is mellow heavy and the song has kind of an oldschool vibe. No complaints from me, in any case.

The Montreal three-piece will head out the week after release in order to hand deliver riffs to audiences across Canada. There are a couple weekenders and one-offs they’ll undertake, and I would assume that there’s more to come. On the chance that the album announce does happen right as this is getting posted, I’ll update it accordingly and probably add some side parenthetical here about timing. You know, the standard procedure.

The band posted their dates on social media, as will happen. Couple TBDs in there. Look for this and more exciting content, courtesy of your favorite provider.

Blargh:

We present to you a Fall 2023 Tour of Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick to celebrate the release of their upcoming full length record due October 6th 2023.

Tickets: https://thepointofsale.com/tickets/mooch2023

Oct.12 – Ottawa – Live on Elgin
Oct.13 – Montreal – The Purple Room
Oct.14 – Oshawa – The Atria
Oct.19 – Rimouski – L’Underground
Oct.20 – Québec City – Scanner Bistro
Oct.21 – Trois-Rivières – Taverne Royale
Oct.26 – Hamilton – Doors Taco Joint
Oct.27 – London – Palasad

Nov.2 – Guelph – Silence
Nov.3 – Niagara Falls – Camp Cataract
Nov.4 – Brampton – Tracks Pub
Nov.9 – Fredericton – TBD
Nov.10 – St.John – TBD
Nov.11 – Moncton – Tide and Boar
Nov.17 – Sherbrooke – Le Murdoch

*More dates to come*

MOOCH are:
Ben Cornel – Guitar, Vocals
Alex Segreti – Drums, Backing Vocals
Julian Iac – Bass, Backing Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/moochmusicofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/moochmusicofficial/
https://moochmusicofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1mVwVHtrvo6V2letIqRV7X

Mooch, Hounds (2020)

Mooch, “Crimson” official video

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Rob Garven of Cirith Ungol

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

“It’s not who you are underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.” Quote from the movie Batman Begins.

Describe your first musical memory.

When I as a small child my parents bought me a drum to play with.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

When I look back on the recent years, the memories I have, are burned indelibly into my consciousness. They are filled with endless flights to distant destinations, meeting new friends, and playing at venues that once were only a dream back when we started. One moment however is seared into my mind. We played the “Chaos Descends Festival” out in the forest near Crispendorf, Germany. The festival is named after one of our songs, and set in a scenic rural location that was surreal. A beautiful yet haunting valley, set between two small mountains with a lonely river snaking between them, and small narrow gauge train circling the area. I remember looking out from behind the drums, while pounding out our song “Chaos Descends”, seeing the trees and stars, and hearing the huddled masses humming out the refrain, louder than our amps. I could feel a direct connection to the earth elementals, and all those fevered souls in attendance, rhythmic swaying in frenzied unison, with the pulsing of the molten metal we were laying out before them! The feeling I experienced was beyond description, and will remain as long as I draw breath!

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

The cowbell.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Artistic progression leads to the “Dark Parade”.

How do you define success?

“A Churning Maelstrom of Metal Chaos Descending!”

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

The first hair metal band…The horror…..

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

A perfect “Cirith Ungol” shirt.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

The most essential function of art is its reflection of reality.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Sharing time with those I love.

https://www.facebook.com/cirithungolofficial
https://www.instagram.com/cirithungolband

http://www.metalblade.com
http://www.facebook.com/metalbladerecords
http://www.instagram.com/metalbladerecords

Cirith Ungol, “Velocity (S.E.P.)”

I hadn’t listened (at least consciously; there’s a lot that comes and goes through my ears in a given day) to Bones of Minerva‘s 2022 Embers album, but if there was one band who didn’t actually play the thing about whom I heard a lot at SonicBlast Fest in Portugal last month, it was this Madrid-based four-piece, whose stylistic gamut runs between ambient drone, crushing sludge and teeth-gnashing ‘core of this or that variety. Melodic when they’re not furious, quiet when they’re not loud, the four-piece would seem to have earned that word-of-mouth, and it’s sounding more and more like I’m about to earn paying eight euro for the download. So it goes.

Lesson learned on my part, I guess. Iberian heavy doesn’t screw around. They’ll play France and Germany for the first time next month, and while I know there’s a good deal of tribalism in the Euro heavy underground — nobody talks about it, but each region has its regionalism — the fact that they’ll be out with Svalbard from the UK should help bring soon-to-be-crunched skulls to the room. For the rest of us, if you can get down with volatility, the Embers stream is down there at the bottom of the post, and now you too get to tell someone you heard about this band from word of mouth. Isn’t it amazing how that works.

From the PR wire:

Bones of Minerva Join Svalbard for German and French Tour Dates

Following their UK tour, including a performance at Bristol’s esteemed ArcTanGent festival, Madrid-based post-rock/metal band Bones of Minerva will be joining the British post-metal outfit Svalbard on their upcoming October tour. The Spanish quartet will be supporting Svalbard during their shows in Germany and France, making their debut appearances in both countries.

States Bones of Minerva:
“We just can’t wait to play these shows with Svalbard. They are an incredible band, and we are so grateful and excited to be joining them on the road.”

Bones of Minerva in Germany & France in October:
10/15: Cologne, DE @Helios 37
10/16: Berlin, DE @Urban Spree
10/17: Dresden, DE @Chemiefabrik
10/18: Neunkirchen, DE @Strummsche Reithalle
10/19: Paris, FR @Backstage By The Mill

Since the release of their sophomore album, EMBERS, last year, Bones of Minerva has been on a busy ride. In June 2023, they performed at Azkena Rock in the Basque Country, sharing the stage with legendary acts like Melvins and Iggy Pop. And recently, after completing their August UK tour successfully, they played an intense gig with fellow Spanish grungy noise rockers Rosy Finch. Additionally, they are lined up for a series of other shows across Europe.

Stream/Download the latest album, EMBERS, on your preferred digital platforms HERE: https://linktr.ee/bonesofminerva
Purchase CD/Vinyl/merch HERE (Store): https://bonesofminerva.com/merch
or HERE (Bandcamp): https://bonesofminerva.bandcamp.com/album/embers

Long-time friends Chloé (bass), Eustaquia (vocals), and Ruth (guitar) started Bones of Minerva in 2013, with Nerea joining on drums in early 2018. Like a chimera, their music is a menagerie of sound: the vocalist Eustaquia shifts from hypnotic melodies to savage growls, pairing introspective lyrics with dreamy landscapes whilst Nerea is a powerhouse of crashing progressive rhythms that pairs with the band’s heavy riffs and swirling basslines to brutal effect.

Their debut, Blue Mountains (2017), was initially self-released, with a reissue through Nooirax and La Rubia Producciones the following year. Two years of nonstop activities saw them play festivals like Download Madrid and Resurrection Fest and dates all over Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

In early 2022, the band announced their signing with Spanish label Aloud Music (Toundra, Viva Belgrado) alongside La Rubia Producciones once more to release their second full-length. A new single, “Swamp,” was released soon after as a 7″ to mark the beginning of this new chapter, and on 16 September of the year, their second album, EMBERS, was released in full.

The band opted for a live recording at Metropol Studios (Madrid) with producer Alex Cappa, a process that has seen the band hone their sound and expand into progressive and post-rock territory on tracks like “Merula or Silence.” EMBERS is a journey that takes the listeners through smoke, across forests and swamps, to the very roots of mother earth herself. It is the remnants of fire ready to surge at any moment as a roaring force.

Track Listing:
01. Forest
02. Swamp
03. Cuna
04. Dream
05. Fuego
06. Merula
07. Claws
08. Silence
09. Flood
10. Madre
11. Hands

https://bonesofminerva.com
https://linktr.ee/bonesofminerva
https://www.facebook.com/bonesofminerva
https://www.instagram.com/bonesofminerva

https://linktr.ee/larubiaproducciones
https://www.larubiaproducciones.com

https://aloudmusic.com

Bones of Minerva, Embers (2022)

I have spent a decent portion of this year marveling at the small fortune Melbourne’s Khan would seem to have spent on social media promotion. They haven’t been in my feed every single day, but it’s been regular enough since before they released their Creatures album this past February that I feel way more familiar with the band than I am. Oh, Josh recorded the album? That’s nice.

Much of these months of content-creation has been heralding a European tour to come this Fall. Khan were among the early principals announced for Truckfighters Fuzz Festival #4 back in May, and pretty much since then the tour dates have been coming soon.

I’m not knocking this method of spreading the word about your work, mind you. Money where your mouth is. And it got me to finally listen to the record, which is of course killer enough to make me wish I’d bothered seven months ago. Never too late, though, and if you’re at Desertfest Belgium or wherever, you can succeed where I’ve failed in terms of seeing Khan live, which I now want to do, because I heard the record. Funny how that works.

But it does work. I’m a big believer in PR and all that, but a push like this can do a lot for a band. I can’t imagine I’m the only one who feels like they’ve spent a good amount of time this year keeping up with Khan. Otherwise they probably wouldn’t be touring Europe in the first place.

From socials, of course:

KHAN – EUROPEAN DATES!!

Here it is kids! Behold, the long awaited list of locations, dates and venues!!

We’ve been working really hard for the last 7 months to put this together and are very excited to finally share with you the full list of dates for our second European tour!

We know we’ve already announced the Australian dates and that most of them have already happened, but we wanted to include them because it looks way more impressive on a poster (#129464#)‍♂️ Plus we still have our final show of the Australian leg with Lucid Planet coming up (#129395#)

Please note, there were definitely other cities/countries that we really tried to book shows in but despite our best efforts approaching multiple promoters and venues, we were unable to get dates that worked with the rest of our tour.

Having said that, we do still have a few gaps in the tour schedule, so if you’re a promoter, venue booker or in a band and want to book us or add us to an existing show on one of our free dates, please send us a DM.

Event Details (will be updated with more event links shortly).

Axl Entertainment & Full Contact Safari Records presents:

Oct 7 – Melbourne (AU) – Bergy Bandroom
https://fb.me/e/2V9oUxqQf

Oct 19 – Jena (DE) – KuBa
(Event link coming soon)

Oct 21 – Antwerp (BE) – Desertfest Antwerp 2023
https://fb.me/e/41lLv8ceg

Oct 26 – Berlin (DE) – Urban Spree w/ Swan Valley Heights
(Event link coming soon)

Oct 27 – Ingolstadt (DE) – Fronte 79 Jugendkulturzentrum w/ Swan Valley Heights
https://fb.me/e/14oRwAPla

Oct 28 – Frankfurt (DE) – The Cave w/ Swan Valley Heights
https://fb.me/e/1bSmDc0X3

Oct 31 – Swansea (UK) – The Bunkhouse Swansea
(Event link coming soon)

Nov 1 – Exeter (UK) – Move Live
(Event link coming soon)

Nov 2 – Bristol (UK) – The Gryphon
https://fb.me/e/5GC7Q6mQ8

Nov 4 – London (UK) – The Dev
(Event link coming soon)

Nov 5 – Manchester (UK) – Grand Central – Alt Bar & Live Music Venue – 80 Oxford st Manchester
(Event link coming soon)

Nov 7 – Lippstadt (DE) – Gaststätte Zum Güterbahnhof
https://fb.me/e/2WhgUsqvQ

Nov 8 – Odense (DK) – Frølageret
(Event link coming soon)

Nov 9 – Malmö (SE) – Plan B – malmö
(Event link coming soon)

Nov 10 – Stockholm (SE) – TRUCKIGHTERS FUZZ FESTIVAL #4 – 10/11 Nov 2023 with Valley of the Sun, Skraeckoedlan and more!
https://fb.me/e/10VMKv3zZ

Nov 11 – Oslo (NO) – Revolver
https://fb.me/e/36CHCnQ0q

Khan are:
Josh Bills – Vocals/Guitar/Keys
Mitchell Kerr – Bass
Beau Heffernan – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/khanbandofficial/
http://www.instagram.com/khanbandofficial
http://khanofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/khanofficial

https://www.facebook.com/fullcontactsafarirecords/
https://www.instagram.com/fullcontactsafarirecords/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUMHoOMtZHqXWtBKfzG7TmA
https://www.fullcontactsafarirecords.com/

Khan, Creatures (2023)

Swedish progressive riffers Vokonis will release their new EP, Exist Within Light, through Majestic Mountain Records on Oct. 27. Premiering below, “Houndstooth” is the lead cut from the outing — one of three, it’s joined by “Revengeful” and the title-track — which is intended as a precursor to the band’s already-done fifth full-length, which will be out next year. Three songs to chew on, then. Those who heard the then-trio/now-four-piece’s last album, 2019’s Odyssey (review here) will likely thrill at the Mastodonnery in the midsection of “Revengeful” before the sprint starts anew, or the harsher vocals in the back half of “Houndstooth” — the bite, presumably — and with the breadth of “Exist Within Light” itself, Vokonis assure the creative pursuit that’s led them from their demo days in the middle of the last decade to the realized and expansive unit they are continues unabated.

Guitarist/vocalist Simona Ohlsson hit me up a couple weeks back with word about the releases upcoming, and said she wanted to do an interview. I get asked to do a fair amount of interviews for somebody who’s not that good at it. Nonetheless, the concern was that Ohlsson‘s being trans was something of a delicate discussion, and I guess I’ve posted enough sociopolitical commentary for her to feel confident I’m at very least going to make an effort not to be an asshole. I took it as a compliment that she asked, actually, and so of course said yes. We talked for a while on camera and off about her experiences with her family and friends (positive, mostly) and the heavy underground at large (mixed) and of what got her to a point of understanding that this very fundamental thing she knew about herself for her whole life was wrong, and killing her. Ohlsson speaks frankly in the video about suicidal ideation. If that’s a trigger for you, heads up.

Because these things are impressively coordinated, you’ll note that Oct. 27 is one month from today. Additionally, “Houndstooth” was the first song written as part of this cycle, so we begin at the beginning, and maybe a bit at a new beginning for the band. Their changed configuration as a four-piece, coupled with a new and hard-won perspective from Ohlsson about the possibility of actually existing in light — and not only doing it, but doing it in defiance of dickheads the world over; making a point of doing it — come coupled with familiar crush and, in the case of “Houndstooth,” a consuming pummel that’s wielded with care and grace as it comes charging for your sternum. With the intensity of “Revengeful” in the middle and the still-heavy stretchout with vibes from New Wave and progadelia in “Exist Within Light,” Vokonis are forward-looking as ever musically.

And you know what? While we’re here, let’s just say that goes for the album too. I’m not gonna lie to you and say I haven’t heard it when I have. It’s killer, and aside from the general universe’s need of more visibly queer heavy music — not being sarcastic; I’m tired of pictures of four coded straight white dudes standing in front of a thing — it is most essentially Vokonis‘ own in sound and style. In that, Exist Within Light is an only fitting preface. The interaction between music and Ohlsson‘s experience transitioning are an essential part of the narrative here, to be sure, but if you hear “Houndstooth” below and it doesn’t land, first, try again, and second, maybe check out some of the interview (it’s not short and I don’t care; I’m doing this for posterity not to go viral) and get a sense of where Ohlsson and Vokonis circa ’23 are coming from. By the time you’re done, probably with the sub-five-minute single, you’ll be good to go.

So by all means, get to it. The band posted the single pre-save link and all that futuristic whatnot on socials. Text follows the players with song and interview, respectively.

Enjoy:

Vokonis, “Houndstooth” track premiere

Vokonis Interview with Simona Ohlsson, Sept. 21, 2023

This coming Friday the 29th of September, we will be releasing a new single entitled “Houndstooth”.

Part of our forthcoming three-track EP “Exist Within Light”, which releases October 27th. You’ll be able to have a sneak peek this Wednesday with a premiere thanks to The Obelisk.

You can pre-save the single for Spotify here: https://recordu.lnk.to/Houndstooth

You can also pre-order the EP which will be released in digital format only for now, on Bandcamp here: https://vokonis.bandcamp.com/album/exist-within-light

We have partnered with Majestic Mountain Records for this EP and our upcoming album which will be released in 2024, more information on that to come. MMR shares our ambition for opulence, quality, and unwavering support of the queerness so we are very excited for our collaboration with them.

The new album has already been recorded, mixed, and mastered and we cannot wait for Wednesday’s premiere ahead of Friday’s release of our single “Houndstooth” to begin the journey to new Vokonis material for you all.

Exist Within Light tracklisting:
1. Houndstooth
2. Revengeful
3. Exist Within Light

Written by
Simona Ohlsson
Jonte Johansson
Sven Lindsten
Oscar Johannesson

Recorded by
Simona Ohlsson
Sven Lindsten
Oscar Johannesson

Recorded 2023 in Studio Soundport, produced and mixed by Mikael Andersson. Mastered by Magnus Lindberg. Art by Kyrre Bjurling. Houndstooth pattern by Zenkaro on DeviantArt.

Vokonis are:
Simona Ohlsson – guitar/vocals
Hedvig Modig – noise/guitar/backing vocals
Jonte Johansson – bass/backing vocals
Sven Lindsten – drums

Vokonis on Facebook

Vokonis on Instagram

Vokonis on Bandcamp

Majestic Mountain Records store

Majestic Mountain Records on Instagram

Majestic Mountain Records on Facebook

So this is the kind of thing that, as a nerd generally and an Orange Goblin fan in particular, I should probably be well stoked on. ‘Good band is gonna make a record’ is almost always welcome news even if it means I’m probably on the hook for buying a CD of that record, if one is even made. Orange Goblin are signed to Peaceville now. They’ve bounced around a bit in the last couple years; playing fests and so on since 2022 and bringing in Harry Armstrong on bass, they also released 2020’s digital-first Rough & Ready: Live & Loud (review here) on Dissonance Productions, and you might remember their ninth studio LP, 2018’s The Wolf Bites Back (review here), was on Spinefarm. Pretty funny they show up on Peaceville though some 30 years after starting out in the deathlier Our Haunted Kingdom, influenced by the likes of Paradise Lost and others from the label’s oeuvre.

And generally speaking, I guess I am stoked on the prospect of a new Orange Goblin record. There’s a lot that can happen between now and when it eventually comes out, but I saw the band this past summer — even rode in the van with them back to the hotel where they were staying (I was residing elsewhere) — and they killed with vigor and resonant verve. The Wolf Bites Back was pretty metal. I’ll be interested to hear where album 10 takes them. I’ll try and tamp down the nerdery accordingly.

From socials:

It’s been a while since we posted as we have been busy in the rehearsal room writing and fine tuning new material ahead of the 10th Orange Goblin studio album. We will enter a recording studio in England in November to start laying it down, our first album since 2018’s ‘The Wolf Bites Back’ and first for new label, Peaceville Records. We have 10 new songs pretty much ready to go and are very excited to share these with you, hopefully to be released in the first half of 2024.

Orange Goblin is:
Ben Ward – Vocals
Joe Hoare – Guitar
Harry Armstrong – Bass / Backing vocals
Christopher Turner – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/orangegoblinofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/orangegoblin1/
http://www.orange-goblin.com/

https://facebook.com/burningshed
https://instagram.com/burningshed
http://www.peaceville.com/store

Orange Goblin, Rough & Ready, Live & Loud (2020)