The full lineup for Heavy Mash Fest 2026 is out, and I’m glad to have The Obelisk back on board co-presenting the all-dayer event at Division Brewing in Arlington, Texas. Stone Machine Electric will top the bill and they’re supported by Red Beard Wall, They Watch Us From the Moon, Sons of Gulliver, Mind Funeral, Bugnog and The Infamists. Some familiar names and some not in there, so I checked out Bugnog‘s 2025 American Dreamed EP, which came out last September and proves to be duly weird, rife with noisy crunch and a well-justified disappointment with the world around it from the Oklahoma-based outfit.
Bass-and-drums duo Sons of Gulliver released their debut album, Tetrahedric Hellscape Cannon, at the end of last month, and because I’m nowhere near as cool as you, I haven’t had the chance to sit with it as yet, but their video for “Red Sun Blues” is suitably desert’ed, though their configuration brings an immediate sense of individuality to desert riffing, since, you know, there’s no guitar. You’ll find that below as well. I hadn’t heard The Infamists either. Big highway vibe, and more than a little twang on “Stab Stab Bang Bang” but their other 2025 single, “Lonestar Woes,” is a classic rocker about being screwed over by the government, which for sure is a thing.
I guess the point is there’s cool stuff to be had whatever your prior level of familiarity with any given act might be. Thanks to Mark Kitchens / Heavy Mash for having The Obelisk on board again. Here’s the full lineup and ticket link:
Heavy Mash 2026 6/6/2026 at 4pm
We’re back at Division Brewing to throw another mash in conjunction with The Obelisk and the Midwest Doom Coalition!
Stone Machine Electric Red Beard Wall They Watch Us from the Moon Sons of Gulliver Mind Funeral Bugnog The Infamists
Swedish spaceplungers Yuri Gagarin are the latest addition to Jam in the Psych Castle, the new festival co-presented by this site (and a bunch of others) taking place this September in Pusztazámor, Hungary. They join a broad lineup of international acts, from Poland’s Spaceslug and assorted Italian outfits like MR.BISON and Giöbia to homegrowns like The Qualitons, Band in the Pit and Azutmaga, plus a jam session overseen by Psychedelic Source Records, which in my mind kind of underscores the vibe of the whole thing. I doubt I’ll be there to see it, but to be sure I’d go in a second.
Tickets are on sale now, early-bird style, and can be found at the link below. Yuri Gagarin‘s latest LP, 2020’s The Outskirts of Reality (review here), streams at the bottom of the post. Info came from the ticket page and from social media:
A small and exclusive two-day music gathering featuring hand-picked kraut, psychedelic, stoner, and doom bands, contrasted with the enchanted aristocratic vibes of Old Oak Castle in Pusztazámor, Hungary.
We highly encourage bands to jam!
Most groups arrive with special sets or improvised sessions, creating a l’art pour l’art atmosphere.
We believe art is a way to understand human cognition, and that music – the oldest art form of all – can teach us to recognize our hard-wired emotional nature through shared experiences. Therefore, we invite you to join our journey on the first weekend of autumn!
The event lasts until 2:00 AM on both nights, after which all guests must leave the venue. Accommodation options are very limited in the village. If you are coming from outside the country, feel free to reach out to us! We will try to help you find a place to stay. We will operate shuttle buses to downtown Budapest. You have to buy your ticket separetly HERE:https://www.tixa.hu/bus-of-the-psych-castle-20260904
From Desertfest Berlin to Freak Valley, with Obsidian Dust, Grand Paris Sludge, Esbjerg Fuzztival and club shows between, you’ll pardon me if I think of Fuzz Sagrado‘s inaugural tour of anywhere as more than just that, since it’s also the return to the European circuit of the now-Brazil-based Christian Peters, formerly of Samsara Blues Experiment.
Together with his assembled Fuzz Sagrado lineup, which itself also operates as the band Black Box Massacre, Peters will present songs from throughout his career at these shows, and he’s been both specific and intentional all the way about saying, yes, Samsara Blues Experiment material is fair game, in addition to what he’s been doing these last few years as he’s made his way creatively back toward a kind of progressive, heavy psychedelic rock.
I was already hoping to get to Freak Valley, but I’ll say that’s only more the case knowing Fuzz Sagrado will take part there. The Obelisk is co-presenting the tour, and I’m honored for that — thank you to Peters and Sound of Liberation — but it doesn’t necessarily mean I know when Pt. 2 will be, though my guess is Fall fest season. In any case, this will be a chance to see something for the first time, and as I was lucky enough to see Peters‘ former outfit on several occasions, I look forward to finding out what Fuzz Sagrado will bring with them when they begin to hit stages.
From the PR wire:
FUZZ SAGRADO – European Tour 2026 Pt.1
14.05.2026 Berlin, Desertfest 15.05.2026 Jena, KuBa 17.05.2026 Brussels, Obsidian Dust 18.05.2026 Lille, Cafe Bulle 19.05.2026 Düsseldorf, Pitcher 20.05.2026 Köln, Kantine 21.05.2026 Stuttgart, Goldmark’s 23.05.2026 Savigny le Temple, Grand Paris Sludge 24.05.2026 Nijmegen, De Onderbroek 27.05.2026 Leipzig, PxLxKxL@kh89 29.05.2026 Esbjerg, Fuzztival 30.05.2026 Flensburg, Kühlhaus 01.06.2026 Oldenburg, MTS records 03.06.2026 Münster, Rare Guitar 04.06.2026 Rotterdam, Baroeg 06.06.2026 Netphen, Freak Valley + more to come in 2026!
Chris Peters:
“This is incredibly exciting, and it’s taken about two years to get to this point. As most of you know, I’ve been living in Brazil for the last five years and had some interesting experiences there. After leaving Samsara, I thought about quitting and didn’t want to play in a band anymore, but life had other plans. At 45, I’m still too young to retire. So, in 2024 I tried my luck with a Brazilian band; we played to 600 people in São Paulo, but Brazil is a tough country.
Since around 2022, I’ve had the idea of starting a new band project with new songs, but also personal highlights from 25+ years as a musician and songwriter. There are tracks like Southern Sunset, Orchid Annie, Center of the Sun etc. Who else could sing or play these very personal songs? And no, I won’t forget them! There wasn’t a proper tour for the last Samsara album, and in a way, we re-connect to that with this new group.
It wasn’t my plan to continue with other musicians under the name Samsara Blues Experiment, even though – from a business perspective* – all would have been easier and, in some ways, probably the logical next step. Things have become even more difficult in recent years, and I’d rather focus on the positive aspects. I honor my journey and the people I’ve met along the way, but in my opinion this new band is already playing on a different musical level, literally: A New Dimension!”
*Musicians have to pay their bills too ;) Know what I mean?
Many thanks:
Matte @soundofliberation, for making this tour possible. We’ve come a long way since our first small gigs together. Wolf @worldinsound, thank you for everything! Who’d have thought that when I bought that Dragonwyck CD, ages ago! Jeff @echodelick, thank you for being the first label to believe in this new project. Kai @kozmikartifactz, thank you for taking the risk of releasing the first Fuzz Sagrado-album on vinyl, although it’s no typical stoner album at all ;) Steffen, Charlie, and Raphael @blackboxmassacre for dedicating time and efforts to this project. We’re in this together! Thanks also to Holger @rockhard + Mike @eclipsedrockmagazin + Theee Obelisk @jjkoczan for helping to spread the word! Poster image by @stevenyoyada
Jam in the Psych Castle won’t be the first music festival hosted at the Öreg Tölgy Kastély-Fogadó, an estate-turned-event-space in Pusztazámor, Hungary. Earlier this year, the grounds hosted a punk and hardcore barbecue that went on for two days, so yes, don’t break a window because the place has weddings in — don’t break a window anyway; don’t be a dick — but there is experience on-site for running sound, lights, and all that other festival-type stuff. The partnership between Para Hobo and Psychedelic Source Records — which will also host a jam session the second day — has put together a lineup that runs a gamut through European heavy psych, with Speck and Obsidian Sea, MR.BISON, the proggy Daliborovo Granje and Poland’s Weedpecker in the headlining spot. By next September, they’ll likely have spent much of 2026 on the road for their impending album, V, due in February.
I’ll make no bones about my interest in Hungary. I’m of Hungarian origin and have been taking language lessons with an eye toward acquiring citizenship through my ancestry. My family and I spent four weeks in Budapest last year and I’ve been trying to figure out how to get back since. I’m proud to have The Obelisk’s logo (especially the metal one!) in good company on the poster above, and while I doubt I’ll be there to see it next year, I hope to be able to watch Jam in the Psych Castle grow in the years to come, as well as to be a part of it physically eventually.
Please keep in mind that this is a small gathering at a very special venue. Our capacity is limited to only 500 people per day. You should buy your ticket as soon as possible if you want to participate!
Shows: Weedpecker / POL Daliborovo Granje / HR Karkara / FR The Qualitons / HUN (special set) Mr. Bison / IT Roadkillsoda / RO Giöbia / IT Speck / AT Supernaughty / IT Obsidian Sea / BG Da Captain Trips / IT Psychedelic Source Records / HUN (with special guests) Band in the Pit / HUN Endre / HUN Azutmaga / HUN Alas! / HUN Deley / HUN (Sound System special)
Both Colour Haze and My Sleeping Karma were both featured on the bill of Desertfest Belgium 2025 this past weekend. Not their first time sharing space, by any means, but another example of the small world the underground becomes over time. That they’d tour together — also I think not their first time doing so — isn’t a huge surprise either. The relationship goes back to probably before My Sleeping Karma existed, and when My Sleeping Karma started out, their first albums were issued through Stefan Koglek of Colour Haze‘s now-mostly-inactive label, Elektrohasch Schallplatten. Meanwhile, Matte Vandeven of My Sleeping Karma happened to found a little booking company called Sound of Liberation, which of course has booked Colour Haze in Europe for 20 of that band’s total 30 years.
Colour Haze were out earlier this year celebrating passing that three-decade mark, and My Sleeping Karma have been taking stages all year across Europe as part of their return to the stage after losing drummer Steffen Weigand to cancer in 2023. This tour — which, your eyes don’t deceive you; it is co-presented by The Obelisk; can somebody save me a physical poster if any are printed? — will see them out for much of next April and into May, ahead of the Desertfests in Berlin, London and Oslo in which Sound of Liberation always plays a central role.
I was fortunate enough to see My Sleeping Karma for the first time (frickin’ finally) at Freak Valley Festival (review here) and if all goes according to my evil plans, I’ll see them again next summer in Croatia. It was spiritual and emotional, in addition to being sonically rad. I don’t believe in ‘blessed,’ but I do believe I’m blessed to have seen Colour Haze as much as I have over the years. Maybe I’ll get lucky again next year at some point, if not on this run. The two together on stage, however, is nothing short of magic in my mind.
Thanks to SOL and the bands for having me on board as a co-presenter. Here’s the poster and the tour announcement, to make it official:
⚡️MY SLEEPING KARMA + COLOUR HAZE ⚡️
Together, the two German psychedelic rock institutions MY SLEEPING KARMA and COLOUR HAZE celebrate 50 years of heavy underground road life.
To honor this special moment, both bands will play extended headline sets, performing brand new songs each night.
Tour Dates 2026: 17.04. Karlsruhe, Substage 18.04. Wien, Arena 19.04. Kraków, Hype Park 20.04 Warszawa, Hydrozagadka 21.04. Leipzig, Werk 2 22.04. Nijmegen, Doornroosje 23.04. Köln, Kantine 24.04. Hamburg, Markthalle 25.04. Berlin, Festsaal Kreuzberg 26.04. Bielefeld, Forum 27.04. Sint-Niklaas, De Casino 28.04. Paris, La Machine Du Moulin Rouge 29.04. Tübingen, Sudhaus 30.04. Aarau, Kiff 01.05. Milano, Circolo Magnolia 02.05. München, Backstage
I was thrilled when Italy’s Argonauta Records asked if this site wanted to have a hand in presenting the first Magick Sun, Mystic Moon covers comp in 2023, and so the second was a no-brainer to sign on to as well. The focus this time out seems like a conversation between generations — whether that’s communing with the 1960s or 1990s, etc. — as is perhaps inevitable for this kind of thing. If you need further enticement, it’s free.
That’s pretty much all you need to know, since it means there’s zero risk in checking it out, save that of hearing something you might enjoy from among the 17 inclusions. Sounds vary, loyalism to the originals varies, and that’s exactly what you want from it. I didn’t really have a hand in putting it together, so I’m not gonna say I’m proud or anything like that, but I am glad to collaborate with Argonauta once again and if there’s Vol. III, I’d probably get on board for that too. Just saying.
The PR wire had word of the release:
Argonauta Records Releases ‘Magick Sun, Mystic Moon Vol. II’: A New Free Bandcamp-Exclusive Covers Compilation Celebrating the Roots of Heavy Music
Argonauta Records proudly presents Magick Sun, Mystic Moon Volume II, the second chapter of its acclaimed covers compilation series. Featuring 17 diverse and passionate reinterpretations, this exclusive digital release co-presented by THE OBELISK is now available for free via Bandcamp only, with all donations reinvested into boosting visibility and free credit circulation to help spread the word across the globe:
Once again, the Italian underground powerhouse curates a kaleidoscopic selection of tributes that span genres and generations: from The Beatles, David Bowie, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix to Tool, Radiohead, ZZ Top, and Nine Inch Nails. As with Volume I, the artists involved reflect the deep and eclectic spirit of the Argonauta roster: unified not by genre, but by vision, intensity, and reverence for music that shaped them.
Among the participating bands are returning favorites and fresh faces alike, including Almost Honest (who appear twice with Beatles covers), the volcanic Godzilla Was Too Drunk to Destroy Tokyo, psych heavies Rainbow Bridge, heavy doom bringers Mourn the Light, avant-rock explorers Folwark, and the crushing force of Columbarium, among many more. The result is a journey through doom, psych, sludge, alt-rock, classic heavy rock and beyond, all infused with love and grit.
“We launched this series with the intention of celebrating the music that brought us all here,” says label founder Gero Lucisano. “Volume II keeps the same spirit alive: it’s totally free, and every donation helps us push these great bands even further out into the world. These songs are a tribute to the past, but also a reminder that the heavy underground is as vital as ever.”
Adding to the uniqueness of the project, the cover artwork is an entirely hand-drawn original illustration, capturing the retro-psych and mystical spirit of the compilation, a perfect visual match to the eclectic soundscape within.
More than a simple collection of covers, Magick Sun, Mystic Moon Vol. II is a community-driven, artist-powered homage to the soundtracks of our lives. It’s about rediscovery, transformation, and the joy of honoring your heroes with your own voice.
Stream/download for FREE now and if you feel like supporting, every euro goes back into making the underground louder.
Tracklist – Magick Sun Mystic Moon Vol. 2:
Almost Honest – Wait (The Beatles) – 04:11 Sons of Ghidorah – Putting Out the Fire (David Bowie) – 06:14 The Dead Flowers Graves – Dig Up Her Bones (The Misfits) – 02:36 Godzilla Was Too Drunk To Destroy Tokyo – Godzilla (Blue Öyster Cult) – 03:02 Moonin Down – Shakin’ All Over (The Who) – 03:11 Pia Isa – Burn the Witch (Radiohead) – 04:29 Blu Mamuth – Warszawa (David Bowie) – 04:09 Sbarco – Getting Away With It (James) – 04:03 Columbarium – Memoriam (Memoriam) – 02:48 Mourn The Light – Headless Cross (Black Sabbath) – 06:08 Godzilla in the Kitchen – Schism (Tool) – 06:59 Zombie Eater – El Diablo (ZZ Top) – 03:47 Ciminero – Night of the Vampire (Roky Erickson) – 04:11 Hell Valley High – Send Me a Postcard (Shocking Blue) – 03:17 Folwark – Pilgrimage (Nine Inch Nails) – 05:09 Mandy Manala – Black Sheep (Gin Wigmore) – 04:03 Rainbow Bridge – Hear My Train A Comin’ (Jimi Hendrix) – 07:38 Almost Honest – And Your Bird Can Sing (The Beatles) – 02:58
I’ve been fortunate enough to have The Obelisk among the slew of included presenters for Calgary’s The Electric Highway festival, and I’m glad to be able to continue the thread in 2025. The site’s logo is down there on the poster, keeping company both good and plentiful, but if you’re drawn to the lineup itself rather than the ‘sponsors,’ that’s only reasonable. Bison will headline alongside Castle — two righteous Canadian exports, the latter with a new album out this past Fall — and Fever Dog wlil make the trip from California while Buffalo Bud Buster, The Getmines, Blacksmith and Brewer and La Chinga return, and others, including two Calgary locals to start each night, make first appearances.
It’s a rad mix and, again, thanks to The Electric Highway for letting The Obelisk have anything to do with it whatsoever. I’ll do an oldschool hip-hop shoutout to Billy Goate and Steve Howe. Woop woop and such.
Details as per the PR wire:
The Electric Highway Festival (Calgary, AB) Announces 2025 Lineup w/ BISON, CASTLE, LA CHINGA, BUFFALO BUD BUSTER and more!
The Electric Highway Festival is excited to announce the full lineup for the 2025 edition of the Festival being held in Calgary, AB on April 4 & 5 at Dickens (1000 9 Ave SW).
Canadian veteran sludge metal band BISON headlines the whole festival while doom metal band CASTLE headlines Friday night. They will be joined by Southern California band FEVER DOG, and various Western Canadian bands including LA CHINGA, BUFFALO BUD BUSTER, THE GETMINES, 88 MILE TRIP, and more. The Final Full Line Up by Day: Friday, April 4, 2025 Castle (San Francisco/ Vancouver) Buffalo Bud Buster (Calgary) Blacksmith and Brewer (Vancouver)) CHÛNK (Vancouver) Hydracat (Edmonton) The Astral Prophets (Calgary) BUNS (Calgary) Doors 5pm – Show 6pm Saturday, April 5, 2025 Bison (Vancouver) La Chinga (Vancouver) Fever Dog (Southern California) The Getmines (Vancouver) 88 Mile Trip (Vancouver) Lover (Calgary) GEOFF (Calgary) Doors 5pm – Show 6pm
Advance 2-day passes are available for $75. Advance single-day tickets are $40 for Friday and $45 for Saturday
The Electric Highway Festival hosts various genres that range from Desert Rock, Stoner Metal, Doom, Sludge, Trippy Psychedelic, Surf Rock, Acid Rock, Noise Rock, Fuzz Rock, Space Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Psych, Heavy Blues, Southern Rock, Fuzzy Punk, Sludgy Hardcore bands and variations of any of the previously mentioned styles. The festival includes a vendor area with interesting goods for attendees to take home with them.
Previous editions of the festival featured one of the event’s past favorites Californian headliners Sasquatch, Juno Award-winning Canadian band ANCIIENTS, Vancouver’s La Chinga, Space Queen, Dead Quiet, and more, Gnarwhal from Yellowknife, NWT, Calgary’s Gone Cosmic, Hombre, Flashback among many more, and a whole host of other great bands.
Hey, here’s a tour I haven’t posted about in… days? But, you know, sometimes shows get added to a thing, then sometimes more shows get added to that same thing, and here we are. When last we left US jaunt from Bordeaux’s Mars Red Sky in the company of Nashville’s Howling Giant, the groups had added a stretch of Dec. 5-15 to the in-progress September stint. The span of dates is the same as of now, but the shows taking place over that time have begun to fill in. Asheville, Toronto and Youngstown are new here at least, so hey, if you live in one of those places, good for you. I see an open date where a New Jersey show could be handily slotted, but more likely they’ll split that drive from Philadelphia to North Carolina, because that’s a hike.
Also notable, Baltimore’s Black Lung will jump on board for the first four nights, in their hometown as well as Brooklyn, Boston and Philly. Mars Red Sky, Howling Giant, Black Lung is a pretty sick show. I can’t and won’t tell you how to live your life, but that doesn’t seem to me to be a terrible way to do it, again, if that’s where in the world you happen to be at the time.
Crucialfest tomorrow, though, and a bunch more to go — also Ripplefest, because it’s also been like three minutes since I talked about that, on the 21st — before they get there, as the post from Mars Red Sky‘s socials reminds:
USA TOUR / NEW DATES
A quick update on the US tour with all the confirmed dates in December! Still with our dear Howling Giant and also with BLACK LUNG for a few gigs. Cheers!
FALL (remaining) 09.13 SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Crucialfest 09.14 LAS VEGAS, NV – Sinwave Vegas 09.15 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Bottom of the Hill 09.16 SACRAMENTO, CA – Cafe Colonial 09.17 LOS ANGELES, CA – El Cid on Sunset 09.19 ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Launchpad 09.20 EL PASO, TX – Rosewood 09.21 AUSTIN, TX – RippleFest Texas
WINTER 12.05 BALTIMORE, MD – Metro Baltimore * 12.06 BROOKLYN, NY – TV Eye NYC * 12.07 CAMBRIDGE/BOSTON, MA – Middle East * 12.08 PHILADELPHIA, PA – MilkBoy * 12.10 ASHEVILLE, NC – Eulogy 12.11 LOUISVILLE, KY – Portal Louisville 12.12 DETROIT, MI – Sanctuary Detroit 12.13 YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Westside Bowl 12.14 TORONTO, ON 🇨🇦 Monarch Tavern 12.15 MONTREAL, QC 🇨🇦 Foufounes Electriques * with BLACK LUNG
MARS RED SKY are: Julien Pras : guitar, vocals Jimmy Kinast : bass, vocals Mathieu “Matgaz” Gazeau : drums, vocals
