There are a few acts down toward the bottom here that I’ve never heard before, and I like that a lot. Always up for a challenging round of googling, I looked up Monica and found who I’m assuming are the right band, from Belgrade, Serbia. The release I put below came out last Fall — it’s a three-songer and is raw as nails until it spaces way out before you realize it. Cool vibe. How on earth I might go about finding D. is a mystery, but this isn’t my first day on the internet so I’ll get there.

More to the point, Bear Stone Festival looks so god damned good. A Place to Bury Strangers are gonna wreck up the place, to be sure, and whatever’s left will be Monolord‘s to flatten. I am very, very much hoping to be in the crowd for this one — remember hat, remember water, remember… the alamo — and if you see me by that riverside, please be sure to say hey. I gotta get that flight confirmed. Too much daydreaming, but can you blame me?

From the PR wire:

Bear Stone Festival 2025: Second Lineup Announcement

The long awaited second lineup announcement for Bear Stone Festival 2025 is finally here!

Below you will find brand new 16 bands which brings the total number of bands that have been announced so far to 33. We still have 8 more surprises for you that we’ll announce as we get closer to the festival.

Tickets available at bearstonefestival.com or through our ticketing shop: https://eventix.shop/yr63t398

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS

A Place To Bury Strangers, led by Oliver Ackermann, has been pushing sonic boundaries for nearly two decades, fusing Post-Punk, Noise-Rock, Shoegaze, and Psychedelia into an electrifying and unpredictable experience.

With a refreshed lineup featuring John and Sandra Fedowitz and their own label, Dedstrange, the band continues to evolve, delivering their most dynamic and melodically daring work yet. With their latest album, “Synthesizer” (2024), the band continues to explore different fusions on a wide array of genres confirming once again their legendary status in the underground scene.

MONOLORD

Swedish trio Monolord have carved out a dominant place in the Doom Metal scene with their crushingly heavy riffs, hypnotic grooves, and haunting melodies. Since their 2014 debut “Empress Rising”, they have continued to push the boundaries of modern doom, blending psychedelic textures with bone-rattling low-end.

With a reputation for thunderous live performances and critically acclaimed releases like “No Comfort” (2019) and “Your Time to Shine” (2021), Monolord remains a powerhouse of immersive, slow-burning heaviness.

BRANT BJORK TRIO

Brant Bjork Trio is the latest project led by the legendary Brant Bjork, a pioneer of Desert Rock and a founding member of Kyuss and Fu Manchu. Joined by musicians Mario Lalli and Mike Amster, the trio delivers a raw, groove-heavy blend of Stoner Rock, Funk, and Psychedelic sounds. Known for their dynamic live performances and Brant’s signature laid-back vibe, the trio continues to push the boundaries of the Desert Rock genre.

MAIDAVALE

Swedish Psych Rock band MaidaVale captivates audiences for over a decade with their spirited energy and eclectic blend of Neo-Psychedelia, Krautrock, and influences from Post-Punk, Funkadelia, and North African Blues. Their acclaimed debut album “Tales of the Wicked West” (2016) established them on major European rock stages, while their sophomore release “Madness is Too Pure” (2018) solidified their place in the Psych Rock scene with its bold, experimental sound. MaidaVale continues to push boundaries with their latest album “Sun Dog” earning recognition as one of Europe’s most innovative Psych Rock acts.

CIŚNIENIE

Founded in 2017, Ciśnienie (Polish for “pressure”) combines Post-Rock, orchestral music, and Jazz to create intense, mind-bending musical climaxes. Drawing inspiration from Swans, Fire! Orchestra, Mogwai, Arvo Pärt, and H.M. Górecki, their sound blends baritone sax, violin, and piano with distorted bass and frantic drumming, producing dynamic soundscapes ranging from Ambient Psychedelia to rhythm-driven walls of sound. Having performed over 100 concerts across Europe, the band released their latest live-recorded album, “Zwierzakom” in late 2023.

WEDGE

Wedge, a Berlin-based trio, has been a driving force in the European underground Rock scene since 2014, blending Classic Rock, Kraut Rock, 60’s Garage, and Heavy Psychedelia into their high-energy “Fuzz ‘N’ Roll” sound. Known for their dynamic live performances, they’ve played over 350 shows across Europe, gaining a solid reputation and critical acclaim for albums like “Killing Tongue” (2018) and “Like No Tomorrow” (2021).

ACID ROW

Acid Row is a Prague-based Stoner Rock trio known for fusing Punk energy with elements of Doom Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Noise Rock, and ’90s Grunge. Since their formation in 2012, they have undergone several lineup changes but have stayed true to their rebellious spirit. Inspired by the haunting Blues roots of legends like Robert Johnson, Acid Row carries the torch of Rock and Heavy Metal legacies with raw intensity.

EARTH TONGUE

Earth Tongue is a New Zealand-based duo consisting of guitarist/vocalist Gussie Larkin and drummer/vocalist Ezra Simons, known for their raw, fuzz-drenched sound and unconventional song structures. Drawing inspiration from early Psychedelic Rock and Heavy Garage, their music blends heavy riffs, dual vocal harmonies, and a DIY aesthetic that captures the spirit of 70’s Sci-Fi. With captivating live performances and releases like their debut album “Floating Being” (2019), Earth Tongue has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting acts in the underground Psych scene.

SAUTRUS

Sautrus, formed in 2010 in northern Poland, is a Heavy Psychedelic Rock band known for their unique blend of Psychedelic, Stoner Rock, and ritualistic trance, evoking the sound of the 1970’s. With six releases to their name, including the upcoming album “Lazarus Dilemma” (2024), they have performed at numerous festivals and shared stages with iconic acts like Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash.

WOLVES OF SATURN

Wolves Of Saturn from Dresden, Germany, are a Desert Rock band known for their immersive sound, featuring fuzz-laden guitars and an array of effects like Plasma Coil and Wahs. Their debut LP, “The Deserts Echo and the Peyote Delusion”, born during the pandemic in a WWII bunker, was released on April 01, 2023 and captures the essence of their unique creative process, blending themes of isolation and freedom into a mesmerising sonic journey.

IAH

IAH is an Instrumental Rock band formed in 2016 in Córdoba, Argentina, consisting of guitarist Mauricio Condon, bassist Juan Pablo Lucco Borlera, and drummer José Landín. Blending atmospheric Post-Rock with the heavy, hypnotic riffs of Post-Metal, their versatile sound defies genre categorization, and they have released five studio albums, including their latest, “V” (2023).

THE FLUKES OF SENDINGTON

All the way from Byron Bay, Australia, The Flukes of Sendington deliver a visceral and cathartic blend of Garage Rock, Funk, Psych, and Indie sounds. Formed in 2024, the band quickly gained momentum with a successful DIY European tour, captivating audiences at festivals like Vierdaagsefeesten Nijmegen and Munich Summer Sessions. With their debut album set for release in 2025 and another tour on the horizon, The Flukes of Sendington are a rising force of unforgettable energy.

FROM ANOTHER MOTHER

Blending Prog Rock, Punk Fusion, and Post-Hardcore, this energetic trio creates total madness at their gigs, blurring the line between audience and band in a whirlwind of controlled chaos. With over 200 live shows and a month-long Balkan tour in 2023, they’ve been spreading love and joy across Europe for more than a decade. Their discography includes two EPs and two albums: “Bratebra”, “Epileptir”, “ATATOA” (Kapitän Platte), and “Zest” (Jeboton).

UMOR

Umor emerges from the depths with low tunings, diminished keys, and a sound steeped in sonic doom, crafting a haunting blend of heavy, atmospheric music. Their music resonates like an apocalyptic hymn, weaving verses of despair, salvation, and inevitable darkness into crushing soundscapes. Umor invites listeners into their realm, where The Sound becomes a cleansing force, vibrating through the core and slowing the beat to an otherworldly stillness.

D.

D. is a three-piece band from Zagreb formed in 2022. Their music blends influences from various eras and genres, ranging from 1950’s Jazz to modern acts like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Their energetic live performances are characterized by spontaneous jam sessions, creating a vibrant and immersive atmosphere.

MONICA

Monica is a band that captures the raw, emotional essence of desert landscapes, blending the sound of a dying engine with moments of unexpected speed and steady rhythm. Their music evokes the melancholic beauty of a desert rainstorm, where moments of dryness are interrupted by a cloud that brings refreshing, lively change. With their unique blend of melancholic and energetic sounds, Monica creates an immersive experience that resonates with both the harshness and serenity of nature’s unpredictable rhythms.

https://www.instagram.com/bearstonefestival
https://www.facebook.com/bearstonefestival
http://www.bearstonefestival.com

Monica, Desert Daze (2024)

Bear Stone Festival 2024 aftermovie

Tomorrow is the release show for the LP edition of Acid Row‘s third album, Poisoned Mind. The Prague-based trio will celebrate the platter’s arrival some three weeks after the digital version hit for stream and download, and they have a video up for the song “Secret of Flying” as well for those of us unable to make the actual in-person party, where Swanmay and Povodí Ohře will accompany. More info and tickets, streaming links and promotional whatnot follow below, because duh.

I won’t say the ethic of putting pole-dancing hotties in videos has aged well — it hasn’t, and that’s not intended as a condemnation of the young women getting their undulation-based cardio in — since the days when Monster Magnet were doing it, but Acid Row are playing to a range of classic ideas between heavy/stoner rock, hard-landing boogie (looking at you, “Do You Love Enough?”) and correspondingly Sabbathian doom, with no lack of self-awareness in “Grandchildren of the Doom” or the subversive political aspects beside the spacious nod of “The Emperor,” so there’s both variety and complexity to be had even apart from what “Secrets of Flying” asks in its lyrics or its later flourish of keys.

Don’t be immediately put off, is what I’m telling you, if the video isn’t your thing or you have the kind of job that frowns on at-workplace titillation as most probably do. They’ve got a whole thing going.

Here’s some of it:

The king is dead, long live the Emperor!

Streaming: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/acidrow/poisoned-mind

The kings of Bohemian stoner rock are disrupting the established order (i.e. chaos) and, accompanied by beautiful dancers, are ushering in an even more Emperor of metal. This could be the metaphorical description of the release of a new album by one of the busiest Czech bands, Acid Row. A tale of destruction full of ambiguities – the third LP titled “Poisoned Mind,” is now digitally available. The band will present the album live on its vinyl release party at Futurum Music Club in Prague on Friday, April 5th.

Most commonly identified as a stoner rock band, Acid Row have been building their position as a driving force in an almost imaginary local stoner scene for 12 years. They affirm their position as possibly one of the busiest live bands in the country. The Acid cult spreads beyond borders and as the band boasts numerous collaborations, including a recent one with one of the most successful Czech rappers, Redzed. The “steamroller” that never stops now brings forth a new full-length album. Its face may surprise some. Gone are the embellished side trips into psychedelia, sprawling structures, and punk energy. The music is more straightforward, heavier, and has more continuous energy. The trio of musicians confirms that they have no intention of stagnating within a nonexistent framework. “We enjoy making elusive music.” However, one can still rely on the depth of the lyrics and their mysterious aura. “Poisoned Mind” thus brings a shift with an altered trajectory.

The album features 8 tracks, whose themes often point towards the destruction of individuals and society. They serve as a probe into the mind of frontman Alex Fonar (vocals, bass), who often plays with ambiguity in his lyrics. Interesting themes emerge, such as the Dust Bowl in Black Blizzard, about the sandstorms in the USA, which were one of the main factors of the 1930s economic crisis. The socio-political The Emperor stands as an ageless theme, once again relevant in today’s world, highlighting the absolutist connection of power, madness, and subsequent isolation. Moreover, the trio has released a video clip for the song Secret of Flying as a vanguard of the album. There, the musicians appear alongside pole-dance artists and slightly ironically discuss the limits associated with the band’s wild nightlife, realistically ending only with the touch of death.

Musically, you’ll experience piercing and catchy “riff onslaughts” by Dominik Klesa (guitars), relentless drumming of Radek Bacík, typical tempo changes, compelling vocals, and dense bass, whose sound sometimes (un)subtly recalls the sound from Black Sabbath’s latest LP, “13.” The fact that the Birmingham legend directly influenced entire generations of stoner/metal bands is well known. Acid Row even directly acknowledges this influence on the album with the track Grandchildren of the Doom, which is a generational continuation of Sabbath’s Children of the Grave. The album’s concept is more metal than their previous albums. Apart from the mentioned Sabbath, it resembles the late work of Judas Priest or darker Electric Wizard.

Amak Golden, who took care of recording, mixing, and mastering, also gave the album its final form. The album is digitally available from midnight on March 15th on streaming platforms. The album launch on vinyl is scheduled as part of the celebratory evening on April 5th at Futurum Music Bar. The event will be supported by performances by Povodí Ohře and the Austrian stoner rockers Swanmay. Tickets are available for pre-sale via goout.net.

Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1TVL3pFpj
Pre-sale: https://goout.net/en/acid-row-album-release%2Bpovodi-ohre%2Bswanmay/sztkpyw/

https://acidrow.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/acidroww
https://www.instagram.com/acidrow/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCepCYroUmgnLs89bm18Nq4Q

Acid Row, “Secret of Flying” official video

Acid Row, Poisoned Mind (2024)

Based in Prague, Acid Row have newly released their Afterglow LP, and next month, the Czechia-based outfit will team up with Linz, Austria’s Swanmay for an 11-date tour starting in Acid Row‘s hometown and moving toward (and through) home-base for Swanmay as they hit stops along the way. Swanmay are looking to issue their second long-player, Frantic Feel, later in 2022 as the follow-up to 2017’s Stoner Circus. As that album is apparently in the can, it wouldn’t be a surprise in the slightest if they threw a couple new songs into the set. Seems only proper.

There are two open slots, and I like to think that we live in a world where I might post a tour with open slots and someone might see that they’re open and say, “hey, I live near wherever they were the night before or are going the night after, and I like cool shows. I think I’ll put one on.” And then do that. And maybe it’s someone who’s put on shows before, and maybe not. Maybe someone tries something new, decides it’s awesome and keeps doing it. Then there’s more places to play for bands, and fewer open slots on tours. And everyone gets paid and fed and, while we’re at it, universal healthcare. That’d be great.

Point is help out if you can. From the PR wire:

SWANMAY & ACID ROW Tour

Swanmay is a Doom inspired Stoner/Grunge trio from Austria, founded in 2014. With amp-walls, aluminum guitars and an arsenal of fuzz pedals they were able to manifest their distinctive heavy stoner sound and play dozens of shows all over Europe as a support for Kadavar, Truckfighters, Brant Bjork, The Atomic Bitchwax, Elder, Ufommamut and many more.

The three Fuzzgeeks have now recorded their second full length album „Frantic Feel” and are more than ready to play live again. LP#2 will be released later in 2022.

If Robert Johnson would have reached the days of electric guitars and amps, he might have considered jamming with Czech stoner lunatics from Acid Row. A three-piece from Prague combining different genres and subgenres related mainly to stoner rock with tendencies and attitude of punk, echoes of doom metal, hazed with elements of psychedelic rock, poignant noise rock or 90’s grunge.

New LP „Afterglow” out now!

13.04.22 PRAGUE (CZ) – cross][club
14.04.22 BRNO (CZ) – Kabinet MÚZ + Slať + Sloth
15.04.22 VIENNA (A) – Kramladen + Honey Giant
16.04.22 BERCHTESGADEN (D) – Kuckucksnest Berchtesgaden + Stoned Agnes
17.04.22 PASSAU (D) – Zauberberg Passau + Cone
18.04.22 SALZBURG (A) – Rockhouse Bar Salzburg
19.04.22 TBA
20.04.22 TBA
21.04.22 WEIMAR (D) – WunderBar Gerberstrasse
22.04.22 LINZ (A) – KAPU + Savanah
23.04.22 GRAZ (A) – club wakuum

https://swanmay.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/Swanmay
https://www.youtube.com/c/SwanmayStoner/videos

https://acidrow.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/acidroww
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCepCYroUmgnLs89bm18Nq4Q

Acid Row, Afterglow (2022)

Swanmay, Stoner Circus (2017)

Prague-based rockers Acid Row are set to issue their second full-length, Afterglow, digitally on Feb. 22. Physical versions will follow next month. One might recall the group’s recent collaboration with Berlin’s Samavayo, and it’s a similar kind of garage-doom malevolence they bring to the 10-minute clip for “No Church on Sunday,” which is the second single to be unveiled from the album.

It is a rawer sound, more reminiscent of early Uncle Acid than later, and the vocals effectively follow the churning riff with a cultish tale worthy of the classic horror accompaniment. In terms of overall aesthetic, Acid Row come across as playing to a style that wouldn’t feel out of place coming from several of the acts on the roster of Heavy Psych Sounds, but one can hear in “No Church on Sunday” as well the efforts being made to put their own spin on the tropes of genre.

There’s plenty to dig into here, but I don’t know how much “No Church on Sunday” speaks to Afterglow on the whole, having not heard the full LP yet. Still, the four-piece (trio above; don’t ask, I don’t know) give a fervent showing in the extended cut, demonstrating not just an awareness of style and self in songwriting, but the ability to hone an atmosphere in the studio setting while maintaining an energetic performance. You would not call it groundbreaking, but you might call it groovy, then drop acid, break into somebody’s house, and more their furniture all around while they’re not home.

Also, am I the only one for whom “No Church on Sunday,” just the title, is a reminder of King Diamond‘s “No Presents for Christmas?” I can’t be. Someone out there has to be with me on this.

I digress. Video is below, followed by more on the album and the credits.

Dig:

Acid Row, “No Church on Sunday” official video

The upcoming album Afterglow is going to be released digitally on 22.2.2022 at 11:11 (CET). The album release party will take place on 11th March at Kasárna Karlín Prague. On the same day, the album will be released also physically on vinyls and CDs.

Stoner-rock band Acid Row from Prague draws the attention again with a second single from an upcoming album Afterglow called No Church on Sunday. Eleven minutes long mantric piece is in words of the musicians the “second rider of the apocalypse” from the promised second studio album. The main basis of the music video is the footage from a movie Vampyr from 1932 directed by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer.

RECORDING, MIXING: Venca Zlo (Rail Way Production)
MASTERING: Amak Golden (Golden Hive Studio)

Film Footage Used from Vampyr (1932) by C. T. Dreyer
Music and Video Inspired by Artwork of Divá Bára

CO-STARRING: Acid Row, Divá Bára
LYRICS: Alex Fonar
EDITING: Alex Fonar, Doomin Kles
ANIMATIONS: Doomin Kles
LIQUID PROJECTIONS: Weird Visuals
CAMERA: Marek Soukup

ACID ROW:
GUITAR, VOCALS, LYRICS: Alexej Fonar
GUITAR: Dominik “Doomin Kles” Klesa
DRUMS: Venca Zlo
BASS: David Hlůžek

Acid Row on Facebook

Acid Row on Instagram

Acid Row on Bandcamp

Acid Row links

Spoiler alert: After he kills you, he’s gonna wear your skin.

That particularly gruesome image serves as one of the final lyrical impressions on “The Serpent,” a remote-collaborative single composed online from riff to demo to completion by Czechia’s Acid Row and Germany’s Samavayo, which tells the story or at least explores the mindset of French serial killer Hotchand Bhawnani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj, whose name is an argument for cut and paste if ever I’ve seen one and whose tourist-murdering/robbing exploits in Thailand were recently made into a BBC/Netflix drama also called The Serpent. I haven’t seen the show, but I can’t imagine it’s half as groovy as the song.

The pairing of Acid Row and Samavayo isn’t happenstance so much as born travel itself — the bands met while Samavayo were on tour — and as their first work written completely virtually together, “The Serpent” hits with a decidedly sure sense of structure and style. There’s something raw about the drums and the artwork feeds a kind of ’60s lysergic vagary — take acid, do murder, etc. — but the tones of the guitars and bass and the vocal melodies pull more from a ’90s alternative aesthetic, bringing about a balance that’s exploratory in its affect while traditionalist in its verse/chorus presentation. Solos trade over international borders, and the hook returns, duly methodical in its escalation.

Of course, when it comes to serial killer thematics in heavy music, one can’t get past however many sentences this is without a mention of Church of Misery, but there’s nothing so directly doom-loyalist happening in “The Serpent” itself. That is, all heavy roads may lead to Sabbath, but Acid Row/Samavayo take their own to get there.

You’ll find the track premiering in the visualizer/video below, followed by more background on its making.

Please enjoy, and watch your skin:

Acid Row & Samavayo, “The Serpent” premiere

SINGLE RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT – THE SERPENT: 15.12. 2021 // Acid Row feat. Samavayo

Acid Row and Samavayo are releasing a feature single about a serial killer

Czech stoner-rock band Acid Row in cooperation with Samavayo from Berlin (Germany) are releasing a feature single The Serpent. A record about a serial killer arose from two different distant places, two countries and both bands participated in the production of it. The Czech unit recorded their parts at Golden Hive Studio in Prague and the German unit at their HQ in Berlin. The single is accompanied with minimalistic “Music Video”, more likely a gentle animation of a moving demonic snake with a human head created by the guitarist from Acid Row, Dominik Klesa.

“This cooperation with Acid Row (CZ) is the first time we wrote a song with another band. Before that we had done cooperations where each band contributed songs to a jointly release. But this time we composed together and the challenge was to do that spaced apart in different countries. We managed well and created a unique piece of Rock music with creative input of both bands! We did that because the project sounded like fun, we knew it’d be a challenge and Acid Row are friends from Brno/Prague, where we had a lot of fun on previous shows!” says the frontman from Samavayo Behrang Alavi about the collaboration.

Members of both bands did the whole songwriting process online. They shared their ideas, created together a demo version of the song, discussed everything from pre-production, production to final release and promo of the song. The theme of the song depicts French serial killer Hotchand Bhawanani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj, who killed around 20 people in an area of South Asia. In media the criminal got a nickname The Serpent. This is also symbolized in artwork made by Daniel Gerhard Holc with the central motif of a dancing snake with a human head of the mentioned killer mixed with slightly psychedelic background which also includes some shots from liquid light show made by a creative group called Weird Visuals from Prague.

“Psychology, especially the psychology of serial killers interests me both personally and also on the level of musical inspiration. Some cases encourage specific imagery, symbolics and so on. Like in case of a serpent. Sobhraj was stealing from their victims their property and identity, which is similar to skin changing of a snake. He was also poisoning their victims very slowly. People have behind their social masks a lot of different animal instincts. What I like to do in some songs is to reveal what’s actually hidden behind those masks.” says Alex Fonar, the frontman from Acid Row, in connection to the topic.

German trio Samavayo plunder European venues and festivals for more than twenty years. Touring f.e. Ukrainian Stoned Jesus or Greenleaf from Sweden brought them to most of the European countries including Czech Republic where they also met with Acid Row on one of their together shows. They also played together at Setalight Festival in Berlin, which is organized by members of Samavayo.

Across border collaboration came to life thanks to support of the proexport office caller SoundCzech under the Ministry of Culture Czech Republic. Mixed and mastered by sound engineer Jens Güttes.

Dominik Klesa (Acid Row): Guitars, Animation-Video
Alex Fonar (Acid Row): Baritone, Vocals
Stephan Voland (Samavayo): Drums
Andreas Voland (Samavayo): Bass and Synthesizer
Behrang Alavi (Samavayo) Guitar, Vocals
Mix/Mastering: Jens Güttes
Artwork: Daniel Gerhard Holc
Recording (Acid Row parts): Golden Hive Studio

Samavayo on Facebook

Samavayo on Instagram

Samavayo on YouTube

Samavayo website

Acid Row on Facebook

Acid Row on Instagram

Acid Row on Bandcamp

Acid Row links