No surprise whatsoever to see Desertfest London 2027 going big out of the gate with destroy-on-stage legends the Melvins headlining. The UK flagship edition of the Desertfest brand made their first 2026 announcement in September as well, so they’re right on the mark in terms of continuity, and I’m glad to see the likes of Monolord, Year of the Cobra, Inter Arma, Kanaan, Desert Storm and Modder added to the bill too, along with The Grudge, Omo and Row of Ashes, making for a lineup that’s already both international and cross-generational.

Every year, the Spring Desertfests in London and Berlin provide not only an anchor for tours but a highlight of the entire underground festival circuit, continually meeting and exceeding high expectations and remaining unflinching in their dedication to heavy sounds. I look forward to seeing how the rest of next year’s lineup shakes out, and to daydreaming of a return to Camden Town one of these years.

Whether you’ve ever been or not, if you’re a heavy rock fan, you’re fortunate to live in the Desertfest era.

Here’s what the PR wire has to say:

MELVINS TO HEADLINE DESERTFEST LONDON 2027

PLUS MONOLORD, MANTAR, INTER ARMA, DOPETHRONE AND MORE – PHASE 1 TICKETS ON SALE NOW.

Desertfest London | 21st- 23rd May 2027

Desertfest London is proud to announce the Melvins as the first headliner for their 2027 edition, taking place next May 21st-23rd in the heart of Camden Town. Formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington, the Melvins are a band that need little introduction at this point in their career. As true pioneers in heavy music their status as one of modern music’s most influential bands is undeniable, and their live shows are truly unparalleled. Often imitated, never duplicated, we here at Desertfest London are honoured to have the Melvins take their rightful place as headliner next May 2027.

Masters in molten riffs, Monolord have been carving out their path in the heavy for well over a decade. Beloved by fans and peers alike, they are no strangers to the Desertfest stage – who can forget their packed out unforgettable 2024 Ballroom set? It was a no-brainer to have them return for Desertfest ‘27.

For those craving something ferocious and filthy, Mantar’s heavy hybrid of blackened death-punk grooves will be served up by the German duo to those brave enough to devour it. Festivities continue as Virginia’s dissonant doom disciples Inter Arma celebrate 20 years of unparalleled pummelling haunting music. And they won’t be celebrating alone, as we also honour 20 years of Desert Storm, homegrown heroes of British heavy metal.

Meanwhile, Montreal powertrio Dopethrone will bring a hefty dose of “Canadian Slutch” filth direct to the streets of Camden, and Seattle duo Year of the Cobra return in sonic style to the Desertest stage for the first time in 8 years.

Desertfest London announces:

MELVINS
MONOLORD
MANTAR
INTER ARMA
DOPETHRONE
YEAR OF THE COBRA
DESERT STORM
THE GRUDGE
MODDER
KANAAN
OMO
ROW OF ASHES

Desertfest London takes place in its annual home across multiple venues in Camden Town Fri 21st May – Sunday 23rd May 2027.

Phase 1 tickets are on sale now via
www.desertfest.co.uk // https://link.dice.fm/vae99c6ad802

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

Monolord, “You Bastard” official video

The Keening is part of the SubRosa family tree, being the mostly-solo-project of Rebecca Vernon. Her second album, Devotion, arrives Oct. 16 following SubRosa‘s reunion set at this year’s Fire in the Mountains (aka Gen-X Chases Authenticity All the Way Onto Native Land; I’m just jealous I didn’t get to go), and the rest of the (kinda-former) members of that band also have a new album in the works for their own outfit, The Otolith. I don’t know how much of a future there actually is for SubRosa as SubRosa, then, apart from the odd one-off, but if you heard The Keening‘s Oct. 2024 debut, Little Bird (review here), then you already know Devotion is something to look forward to, especially if you’re someone who believes mood and atmosphere can be as heavy as the loudest and most pummeling riff.

If you’re not such a person, I humbly submit Vernon‘s affecting new single “A Little Bit of Blood” to demonstrate. Video and audio are available at the bottom of this post, and as someone who was fortunate enough to see Vernon perform live as The Keening supporting the first record at Roadburn ’24 (review here), I’ll just say I hope that’s a chance I get again, wherever and however it might happen.

From the PR wire:

THE KEENING, Feat. Rebecca Vernon Of SubRosa, To Release Sophomore Full-Length, Devotion, October 16th On Relapse Records; “A Little Bit Of Blood” Video/Single Now Playing + Preorders Available

Preorder / watch / listen: https://www.relapse.com/pages/the-keening-devotion

Rebecca Vernon (SubRosa), the driving creative force behind THE KEENING, returns with her second album, Devotion, out October 16th via Relapse Records.

Comments Vernon on the video for lead single, “A Little Bit Of Blood,” “Ten Seconds To Comply film company did an incredible job on this music video working within strict parameters, including time. We shot it all over a weekend in Detroit and seeing the skill, organization, vision, and passion they brought to this project – an homage to the movie Only Lovers Left Alive – was really awe-inspiring.”

“A Little Bit Of Blood” was directed, edited, and colored by Ken Whiting and written by Andrew Bonazelli.

THE KEENING’s highly anticipated new album, Devotion, sees Vernon and company releasing one of the year’s most evocative works: a truly compelling mix of slow-burning, ethereal post-rock, folk, goth, and soaring doom.

For Vernon, the writing process for Devotion took place in two starkly different environments. It ranged from the contemplative solitude of a friend’s cabin in a deserted Idaho ski resort to the hectic reality of a 55+ senior living community in Spokane, Washington, where she was staying with her father. The end result is an explosive album underscored by a subtle duality that resonates throughout its most poignant moments, both lyrically and musically.

“The album is dedicated to my dad, who passed away a little over a year ago (May 11th, 2025),” says Vernon. “He was one of my greatest champions and supporters of my music. My sister and I see dragonflies as a symbol of him, so I asked our cover artist, Marald van Haasteren, if he could put a dragonfly in the art. The dragonfly is coming out of the stem of a poppy, so again, to me, it depicts that dichotomy or tension between the dark meaning of devotion (addiction) and its lighter meaning (love).”

Take the single “A Little Bit Of Blood,” for example. Quiet, acoustic guitar strums give way for Vernon’s haunting vocals, before the backing instrumentation explodes into a soaring chorus reminding the listener that sometimes the best paths taken are the most difficult.

Devotion was recorded in April 2022, again at Hallowed Halls in Portland, with Billy Anderson and Nathan Carson featured in their same roles as heard on Little Bird. Once again, Vernon showcases her writing prowess, having a heavy hand on all the instrumentation for Devotion; Vernon played drums, guitar, piano, organ, and hammered dulcimer, and provided most of the vocals on both albums, with a few guest vocalists added to the mix.

Devotion Track Listing:
1. Devotion I – Golden Thread
2. Devotion II – Fitful Sleep
3. Devotion III – The King
4. Devotion IV – O Mother
5. A Little Bit Of Blood
6. Time Travel
7. The Murder Of Anna Brown

https://linktr.ee/thekeening
https://thekeeningmusic.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/thekeeningmusic
https://www.facebook.com/thekeeningmusic

http://www.relapse.com
https://relapserecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/relapserecords
http://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords

The Keening, Devotion (2026)

The Keening, “A Little Bit of Blood” official video

This one’s a no-brainer for me. Like, full-on ‘duh.’ Live Heavy Temple. Yes, sign me up. Due out Oct. 9, less than a month from now, the Philadelphia trio’s Live From the Inner Sanctum is a digital-only release with tape-style art, but whether or not they eventually do a physical pressing of any sort, I’m on board, and if you’ve ever seen them, I can only imagine you are as well. I also love that the first single from the thing is “Key and Bone,” which bassist/vocalist High Priestess Nighthawk reveals in the PR wire info below was the first song she wrote for the band. You might remember it from their Chassit EP (review here) a decade ago.

Stupid increasingly fast passage of decades.

My head hurts. Here’s the press release:

HEAVY TEMPLE announce digital live album “Live from the Inner Sanctum”

HEAVY TEMPLE drop a new heavy-working music video featuring the song ‘Key and Bone (Live)’. This track is taken from the psychedelic heavy rockers’ digital live album “Live from the Inner Sanctum”, which is slated for release on October 9, 2026.

HEAVY TEMPLE comment: “‘Key and Bone’ was the first song that I ever wrote”, frontlady High Priestess Nighthawk writes. “We’ve never updated it to reflect how we play it now, so I thought it was time for a little glow-up. The last two minutes are still one of my favorite parts of the set all these years later, and it’s great fun to hear the song as it exists in its current form.”

Video credit
Edited by Rick Rhody

Tracklist
1. Enter the Heavy Temple
2. Extreme Indifference to Life (Live)
3. Hiraeth (Live)
4. Diving Indiscretion (Live)
5. Key and Bone (Live)
6. The Maiden (Live)
7. A Desert Through the Trees (Live)
8. Return to the Garden of Heathens (Live)
9. Jesus Wept (Live)
10. Psychomanteum (Live)

HEAVY TEMPLE are built to perform. The natural habitat of these American heavy rockers is the stage. They live and breathe playing live. They eat and drink the sweet nectar of stage sweat and backstage grub.

With their digital album “Live from the Inner Sanctum”, HEAVY TEMPLE deliver an authentic, honest, and raw statement about that irresistible impulse that drives them onto the roads of America and Europe to work extra hard every night to delight their audiences.

“Live from the Inner Sanctum” is not faking it at all. Honest mistakes are not electronically polished away, AI holds no sway over humanity here. This album is deliberately truthful and pointedly neither glossy nor sugar-coated. Take HEAVY TEMPLE as they are or leave it.

Live w/ Crystal Spiders
02 OCT 2026 Philadelphia, PA (US) Nikki Lopez
03 OCT 2026 Cheshire, CT (US) Counterweight
04 OCT 2026 Cambridge, MA (US) Middle East
06 OCT 2026 Washington, D.C. (US) Pie Shop
07 OCT 2026 Cleveland, OH (US) No Class
08 OCT 2026 Lexington, KY (US) Al’s Bar
09 OCT 2026 Indianapolis, IN (US) The 808
10 OCT 2026 Grand Rapids, MI (US) Grand Rapids Doom Fest
11 OCT 2026 Chicago, IL (US) Reggies

https://heavytemple.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/heavytemple
https://www.facebook.com/HeavyTemple/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

Heavy Temple, Live From the Inner Sanctum (2026)

Heavy Temple, “Key and Bone” from Live From the Inner Sanctum official video

Congratulations to solo artist Dee Calhoun (formerly of Spiral Grave, Iron Man, and a slew of others) on signing to Combat Records. The legendary metal label was announced as being under new ownership this past January, and they’ve been adding artists to their roster across a range of styles. Calhoun, whose solo work is largely acoustic-based, might seem like an odd fit for an imprint that put out Megadeth, but it makes more sense when you factor in Calhoun‘s actual music, which is definitely, inescapably, righteously metal.

It’s been 10 years since Calhoun released his first solo outing, Rotgut (review here) and he’s worked with labels like Argonauta and Black Doomba along the way, also appearing on this year’s Witching Buzz Records tribute to Sleep (review here). His latest LP, 2025’s Angry Old Man (review here), is streaming at the bottom of this post.

Calhoun posted the following on social media:

Stop the presses: I’m officially part of the Combat Records family!

Somehow, the stars aligned and landed a strummer and slummer on a roster that has included legends like Megadeth, Mercyful Fate, Savatage, Exodus, and many more. I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb, and I plan to own every second of it.

We’re gearing up for my first Combat release in early 2027, with a wave of big announcements rolling out over the next few weeks and months.

A huge, heartfelt shoutout to the incredible team making this happen:

-Robert Dujmusic & Alex Stojak at Combat Records for believing in the noise.

-Christian Lawrence at Mindsnap Music.

-Doug Benson at Commodore Recording Studio for his brilliant mastering.

-The fans across the pond who made enough noise at just the right time to get the right ears listening.

-My wife, April—my rock, my cheerleader, and my love. I couldn’t do any of this without you, darlin’.

Most of all, thank YOU. What started as a happy accident has become my forever home as a solo artist, and I’m beyond grateful to have you in my corner.

We’re just getting started—stay tuned!

https://www.screamingmaddee.com/
https://linktr.ee/screamingmaddee
https://screamingmaddee.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/screamingmaddee/
https://www.facebook.com/screamingmaddee

https://www.combatrecords.net/
https://www.instagram.com/combatrecs/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588438708152

Dee Calhoun, Angry Old Man (2025)

The San Francisco dates and Roadburn Festival next April were previously announced here, but what you see listed below from the PR wire represents the most significant touring Neurosis have undertaken since before the pandemic. The progenitors of post-metal go in support of their 2026 album, An Undying Love for a Burning World (review here), which marks their first outing with Aaron Turner (Sumac, ex-Isis, countless others) alongside Steve Von Till on vocals and guitar. From what I heard about their performance at this year’s Fire in the Mountains, it was an experience bordering on the religious, and honestly one would expect no less.

Heads up major markets, and note they’re playing Converge‘s Saddest Day in Boston as a December fly-in. That’s a hell of a bill as well, and I’ll be curious who ends up opening that L.A. show in January. Guess there’s time to find out:

NEUROSIS Announces New 2026 And 2027 Tour Dates In Support Of First New Album In A Decade, An Undying Love For A Burning World, Out Now On Neurot Recordings

The mighty NEUROSIS continues to book new live performances in support of their mammoth An Undying Love For A Burning World LP, today announcing tour dates through the end of the year and into 2027.

Following the already announced San Francisco shows on October 16th and 17th, NEUROSIS has just announced two shows in Brooklyn on October 30th and 31st, two Chicago shows on November 21st and 22nd, two Portland shows on November 27th and 28th, a Seattle show November 29th, a set at Converge’s Saddest Day in Boston on December 12th, and a Los Angeles performance on January 2nd. They will also make their return to play two sets at Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands in April of 2027.

General ticket sales for the new shows begin this Friday, September 11th at 10am local time. Both San Francisco shows are sold out. Expect to see more NEUROSIS live announcements over the coming months.

NEUROSIS Tour Dates:
10/16/2026 The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA w/ Terry Gross
10/17/2026 The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA w/ Kowloon Walled City
10/30/2026 Warsaw – Brooklyn, NY w/ Uniform
10/31/2026 Warsaw – Brooklyn, NY w/ Primitive Man
11/21/2026 Metro – Chicago, IL w/ Mr. Phylzzz
11/22/2026 Metro – Chicago, IL w/ Primitive Man
11/27/2026 Revolution Hall – Portland, OR w/ special guests TBA, Great Falls
11/28/2026 Revolution Hall – Portland, OR w/ special guests TBA, Trigger Object
11/29/2026 Showbox SODO – Seattle, WA w/ special guests TBA, Great Falls
12/12/2026 Converge’s Saddest Day @ Roadrunner – Boston, MA w/ Converge, Coalesce, more
1/02/2027 The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA w/ Special Guests TBA
4/17/2027 Roadburn Festival – Tilburg, NL w/ Emma Ruth Rundle, more

https://www.neurosis.com
https://neurosis.bandcamp.com/
http://instagram.com/neurosisoakland
https://www.facebook.com/officialneurosis

https://www.neurotrecordings.com
https://neurotrecordings.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/neurotrecordings
https://www.facebook.com/neurotrecordings

Neurosis, An Undying Love for a Burning World (2026)

My favorite part of the PR wire info below comes from the White Hills Bandcamp page, and it’s the part that says “Recorded at various times in various places over some years.” Collected Consciousness, out Oct. 30 through Argonauta, is a revamped take on material that White Hills — the NYC arthouse psych rock duo of Ego Sensation and Dave W. — previously sold on CDR at their merch table for shows. It’s music from some time, made at some time, somewhere. There aren’t a lot of bands who could make being ‘out of time’ feel so appropriate.

My only question is how much of this material the two-piece are actually sitting on, and if a few years from now I might be posting about the vinyl release of Collected Consciousness Vol. 10, but I guess that’s a concern for later. Comprised of two side-long pieces newly remixed and threaded together, this Collected Consciousness is heralded by the 18-minute “Phase Two” streaming now at the bottom of this post. If you decide to dig in — and I hope you do — be ready for the journey. Hydrate, breathe, retain cognizance of your surroundings in time and place, and so on.

Art and info follows:

WHITE HILLS Reveal Full Details of Collected Consciousness: Out October 30 via Argonauta Records

New York’s legendary psychedelic explorers White Hills reveal the full details of their highly anticipated vinyl release, Collected Consciousness, arriving worldwide on October 30, 2026.

A unique journey through the band’s own sonic history, Collected Consciousness takes rare and long out of print material originally issued on tour only CDr releases and transforms it into a completely new listening experience. Rather than simply revisiting archival recordings, White Hills have reassembled alternative mixes into two expansive sonic phases, creating an immersive work designed to be experienced as a whole.

Inspired in part by the visionary studio experiments of legendary German producer Dieter Dierks and his Cosmic Jokers project, Collected Consciousness embraces the spirit of psychedelic improvisation, studio manipulation and radical sonic collage. The result is a release that feels less like an archival document and more like a newly discovered transmission from the White Hills universe.

The album unfolds across two side long compositions:

PHASE ONE​
​PHASE TWO

Recorded at various times in various places over some years. All reimagined and remixed in 2026 at 60b Studios, NYC.

For this exclusive Argonauta Records edition, Collected Consciousness will be presented in a premium 180g colored gatefold vinyl format, strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide.

Collected Consciousness is a chance to finally experience a highly sought after chapter of the White Hills catalog in a definitive physical edition. With its rare source material, expanded presentation and deeply immersive structure, this is an essential release for longtime followers and a compelling entry point for anyone drawn to the outer reaches of psychedelic, experimental and underground rock.

White Hills have spent more than two decades creating music that refuses to remain still. From their cult status within the international psychedelic underground to their appearances on labels including Thrill Jockey, Rocket Recordings and Fuzz Club, the New York duo have consistently pushed their sound into unexpected territories. Their appearance in Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive further cemented their place within contemporary psychedelic culture, while their acclaimed recent releases Beyond This Fiction and Drop Out III have demonstrated that their creative fire remains as intense as ever.

WHITE HILLS:
Dave W. – guitar, vocals, synth
Ego Sensation – drums, bass, vocals

http://www.whitehillsband.com
http://whitehills.bandcamp.com/music
http://www.instagram.com/whitehillsmusic
http://www.facebook.com/WHITEHILLSBand

www.argonautarecords.com
https://argonautarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/
www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

White Hills, Collected Consciousness (2026)

The Nov. 6 release of So What, What? brings Toronto purveyors-o’-chill Lammping to a stage of three-fourths completion for the four-LP cycle they began with last year’s Never Never (review here) and continued earlier in 2026 with Risky (review here), and where both of those were collaborations with performers beyond the two of producer/guitarist/vocalist Mikhail Galkin (aka DJ Alibi) and drummer Jay Anderson (also Comet Control), these 15 tracks seem with a couple noted exceptions just to be the two of them doing the thing, and man, what a vibe it is.

“Criminal Against Nature” is streaming now and its low-key atmosphere should be taken as telling for the personality of the record, mostly if not entirely. That is to say they’re not doing the same thing all the time, but there are titles here like “Green After Green,” “Dancers at Noon,” “Feeling Mean,” and “Listen to the Water” where all I have to do is read the names and I can hear the hook in my head. In that, “Criminal Against Nature” is very much indicative of what Galkin and Anderson are up to this time around, and if the first two in the series were too far off-kilter for you, first of all, maybe try again in a different headspace, but second, So What, What? is something of a return to Lammping‘s core approach, so if you haven’t gotten on board yet, this would be a good time.

From their Bandcamp page:

Toronto’s Lammping is a project built on the idea that music can exist across timelines. Founded by Mikhail Galkin and Jay Anderson, the band’s sound draws equally from heavy psych rock, hip-hop, classic songwriting, and experimental collage, creating records that feel both familiar and impossible to place within a single era or genre.

Their latest album, So What, What?, is the clearest expression of that approach. Built from fragments of memory, influence, and lived experience, the record moves seamlessly between sampled textures, personal storytelling, and adventurous songwriting. References to everything from Soviet-era recordings to golden-age hip-hop sit alongside reflections on family, parenthood, and the uncertainty of the present moment. Yet despite its wide-ranging influences, the album remains firmly rooted in songcraft rather than nostalgia.

Tracklisting:
1. The Set
2. Criminal Against Nature
3. Green After Green
4. Those Silver Skies feat. Marker Starling
5. Luxury Prayer
6. Dancers At Noon
7. I Certify
8. Feeling Mean
9. Blushing In Your Sleep feat. Dorothea Pass
10. Turn Around Boat
11. Ex-Harmony
12. Listen To The Water
13. Wasted Nights
14. Of My Head
15. What Time Is It, Again

https://lammping.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lammping

Lammping, So What, What? (2026)

Cool to see some news about the upcoming Megacelestial album from Richmond, Virginia’s Book of Wyrms, who in March were announced as partnering with Argonauta Records for the release. I went back and looked and there wasn’t a date given in that PR for the arrival of what will be the band’s fourth long-player, but I’ll say that the fact that the latest news from them is that they’ve signed with Evil Noise Recordings to issue the album on tape doesn’t necessarily contradict the prior arrangement. Evil Noise, with a strong focus on cassettes, has partnered with any number of labels over the last however-many years, and nothing in the below conveys exclusivity.

Also still doesn’t convey a date, though. The single “Slime Fever” dropped in June as a herald for the upcoming record, and you’ll find that below, but that’s still the most that’s been revealed from Megacelestial — and certainly not nothing. I don’t know the status of the rest of the album, if it’s done or whathaveyou, if it’ll be out before the end of 2026 or not, but sometimes these things take time, and two weeks can turn into eight months in a friggin’ flash. You never quite know, but still, I count this as progress toward the release, so by all means, dig in:

⚡️BOOK OF WYRMS⚡️

Super stoked to present Book of Wyrms!

Their 4th album «Megacelestial» is coming soon on limited edition cassette on Evil Noise Recordings.

First single «Slime Fever» is out now!

Book of Wyrms is a four-piece heavy metal psych band from Richmond, Virginia with extensive experience jamming in outer space. In 2014 they came together over their mutual adoration of Hawkwind and ZZ Top. See less

Book of Wyrms
Sarah Moore Lindsey vocals and synthesizers
Kyle Lewis guitar
Brian Wiltz drums
Jay Jake Lindsey bass

https://bookofwyrms.bandcamp.com/
https://instagram.com/bookofwyrms
https://www.facebook.com/Bookofwyrms/

https://evilnoiserecordings.bigcartel.com/
https://www.instagram.com/evilnoiserecordings/
https://www.facebook.com/evilnoiserecordings/

www.argonautarecords.com
https://argonautarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/
www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Book of Wyrms, “Slime Fever”