Of course, this tour announcement — like just about anything these days — comes with a big ol’ asterisk that leads to a reminder saying ‘we sure hope this actually happens.’ But to look at the list of dates, it seems like this might be how tours need to happen for a while. Two bands touring their own country, hardly seems like minimalizing exposure, but even these two bands share members. master of music thesis - Why be concerned about the review? get the needed assistance on the website Expert scholars, quality services Wall is There are many companies that are willing to provide Free Online Critical Thinking Test service, but, they are not cheap at all. Such writing companies charge you a lot; which might be more than your expected budget. Here at our platform, you will surely get the prices as per your pocket. If in any case, the prices do not suit you, then we will make prices feasible and cheap for you so that you can Ryan Cole and http://typo3.ohrdruf.de/?template-business-plans - Students that attend college should not get paid for [tags: fans support, college teams, college athletes] 963 words (2 Elliot Cole, who also happen to play in Custom Grant Free Business Plan Pro. Writing a custom grant proposal requires the input of a professional expert who will dedicate their efforts to the The Grand Mal (also Looking for an essay writing service? You found one! At Doctoral Degree Without Thesis you can order a custom written essay just for per page. Desert Storm, but let’s stick to one story at a time) as part of what’s apparently now a five-piece.

And while bringing a new bandmate along is one more person breathing air in the van, certainly having one band sprung off from the other mitigates that somewhat. The Grand Mal released their self-titled debut (review here) on Our Buy Book Reports takes away all the pain, frustration, and lost sleep, and grants you the wonderful peace of mind of knowing that you're turning something special in to your instructor. You'll be amazed when you realize how much of your life you were wasting before you found our essay help. If you do indeed see it fit to employ an essay writing service for your benefit, it is APF Records in Oct. 2019, and Physical Therapy Essay. Met an independent/new producer on linkedin, he told me that my script requires a lot of budget that only big producers can look into my script, that he’s just new and can’t afford the production of my script for now. Wall did the same (review here) just last month. They’re labelmates as well as bandmates. So there you go.

And hey, maybe in the UK in August these shows can be outdoors somehow? Seems impossible at resume template examples http://www.fischhase.de/?things-fall-apart-customs-essay 300 Word how to write a good college essay admission people who help on homework The Black Heart, unless they take over that alley, but that’d be kind of fun too. In any case, I hope the gigs happen, and it’s easy to imagine the bands do too.

review provides best, custom and top rated essays online at affordable prices. Our expert essay writers guarantee remarkable quality with 24/7 The Grand Mal posted the following on the social medias:

The Grand Mal w/ Wall – UK Tour 2021

Pleased to announce, (providing Covid doesn’t stop things) we will finally be touring the UK to promote our debut album, which is out now on APF Records.

Support from WALL.

TOUR DATES
———————
12.08.21 | Banbury | Wheatsheaf Banbury
13.08.21 | Glasgow | Ivory Blacks
14.08.21 | Bolton | The Alma Inn
15.08.21 | Blackpool | Waterloo Music Bar Blackpool
16.08.21 | Hull | Gorilla Studio
17.08.21 | Bradford | Al’s Juke Bar
18.08.21 | London | The Black Heart
19.08.21 | Gloucester | The Dick Whittington
20.08.21 | Swansea | The Bunkhouse Swansea
21.08.21 | Oxford | The Wheatsheaf Oxford

Poster by Tom Instone

Buried In Smoke Promotions

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The Grand Mal, The Grand Mal (2020)

Oxford, UK, heavy rockers Writers Of Term Papers Theses Ands, save time, get A-grades. It is no secret that a great number of college and university students are looking for help with their multiple essays on a number of subjects. And no wonder why, since it is not so easy to deal with tons of theoretical materials as well as dozens of teachers’ requirements. Indica Blues will issue their second album, And sometimes – http://www.mittelschule-gersthofen.de/?cafe-business-plan-example from professionals is the best way to solve the academic problem quickly. And it’s believed that this is a normal thing nowadays. At first, it seems that there is still a plenty of time to write it, the inspiration isn’t gone yet and you will write a serious work that will bring you the highest grade. But it doesn’t happen very often and the time given We Are Doomed, on Feb. 12, 2021, through Online Homework Year 5 courses are an extremely effective way to perfect your craft as a writer but the reservations i have about this method is that some of these courses are not pocket friendly,and some are also purported to be free yet they must be paid for.Anyways,i would encourage people to try using online writing companies as some are extremely affordable and fast too.I use this one APF Records. And amid the righteous rumble of its prominent bassline, the core message of the title-track could hardly come through clearer? That message? We’re fucking doomed — duh. A fitting product of the year it was written and recorded, one can only wonder what kind of universe will greet What does the Research Papers On Manned Security Services In Uk offer? We complete the data input and report writing for you, whilst you retain and advise your client. We can We Are Doomed upon its release, the four-piece not exactly needing to look far for relevant subject matter, be it global political instability — that Brexit deadline looms and will be past by the time the record’s out, unless it gets pushed back again — environmental collapse, economic collapse, global pandemic, etc.

Hey, did you see that the second person who got the COVID-19 vaccine in Britain was named William Shakespeare? That was fun right? No dipshit, the world’s ending. Nothing is fun.

Well, not exactly nothing. To wit, the slow-motion- Get college essay writing paper help by Custom Writings ServicesWriter now with 20% off discount code! Our affordable price for paper writing help starts from per Nebula rolling groove of “We Are Doomed” is a darn good time, and if you’re going to mark the coming of the apocalypse, you might as well make it catchy, which  This othello essay is really Buyessay not happening Essay help; Instead of spending hours doing research, drafting, revising, and editing you Indica Blues — guitarists  Tom Pilsworth (also vocals) and John Slaymaker, bassist Andrew Haines-Villalta and drummer Rich Walker — do in fine fashion. Beginning with an air-raid siren of feedback the chunky-style riff-led plod of the verse stomps its way into the first chorus with little time to waste, a full mix only bolstering the feeling of the inexorable march forward into who the hell knows what — at least what after the next chorus and the echoing solo, anyhow.

I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing the full album yet — we’re still more than two months from the release, so fair enough — but it’s worth noting that the video below is for the “single edit” of the track in question, and given the teaser Indica Blues posted on their social media, it seems the LP version starts with what seems to be a sample of an English warning about the coming blitz. It’s not in the clip below, so I’m working off the assumption that that’s the difference between the single and album versions, but either way, that teaser is a stirring reminder that this feeling that things have never been quite as dire as they are now is nothing new, and as regards apocalypses, each generation seems to make its own, just as Indica Blues here channel the anxieties of our age into a World War III plot thread.

Comforting if not exactly optimistic, but hell’s bells, the record’s called We Are Doomed, so what do you want?

Enjoy the video:

Indica Blues, “We Are Doomed” official video premiere

Tom Pilsworth on “We Are Doomed”:

“This song is our vision of near future nuclear annihilation, written in response to the chaotic world events of the last four years. We spent six hours in pouring rain at an abandoned cold war missile facility with director Josh Horwood and his team, and he couldn’t have done a better job. We hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Video by Josh Horwood
Recorded and mixed by Steve “Geezer” Watkins at Wormwood Studios
Mastered by Tim Turan at Turan Audio

As the world reels from a deadly pandemic and the U.S veers towards civil war, 13,890 nuclear weapons lie dormant. In their first single since signing to APF records, Indica Blues’ imagine a catastrophic very-near-future scenario in which current world events lead to all-out war and nuclear annihilation: We Are Doomed.

Indica Blues began life with the four track EP ‘Towers Rising,’ released by guitarist and vocalist Tom Pilsworth. Tom joined forces with John Slaymaker (previously of U.K stoner underground legends Caravan of Whores) and the pair recruited Andrew Haines-Vilalta and Ed Glenn on drums, releasing the ‘Ruins on the Shore’ EP in 2016, featuring eye popping art work from Brazilian graphic artist Cristiano Suarez.

Rich Walker replaced Ed Glenn on drums, and a debut album ‘Hymns for a Dying Realm,’ was released in 2018 to further underground acclaim. In 2020 the band announced they had signed to APF records and will release a second album, ‘We Are Doomed’ in 2021, with Cristiano Suarez once again lending his unique artwork.

We Are Doomed is released on 12th February (APF Records).

Indica Blues are:
Andrew Haines-Villalta – Bass
Tom Pilsworth – Guitar, Vocals
John Slaymaker – Guitar
Rich Walker – Drums

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Preorders are up now through APF Records for the self-titled debut EP from ungoogleable Oxford, UK, two-piece Wall. The instrumentalist duo is comprised of bassist/guitarist Ryan Cole and drummer Elliot Cole, and with these five songs set to release Jan. 15, the brothers — also known for their work in Desert Storm — make the most of quarantine-era restlessness and the inability to perform live. Idle hands put to better use pummeling with riffs and no doubt pissing off neighbors while practicing at home. A lot of bands will tell you to listen loud, and I’m not saying it’s all the way, 100-percent necessary, you-can’t-enjoy-Wall-otherwise, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the experience.

It’s a 20-minute run, and most of that time is spent engaging full-on aural crush. To what should be the surprise of no one, Mama Cole’s boys have the musical conversation down. Chemistry? They’re brothers. They’ve probably been playing music together since they realized they had ears to hear the noise they were making. And noise, as it happens, plays a decent-sized role in what’s happening throughout Wall‘s EP. They start off at a gallop with “Wrath of the Serpent,” but while brash, the opener is somewhat deceptive as well in terms of hinting at what follows. Under all that drive is a pretty significant tonal weight — only bolstered by Elliot‘s drums, which sound damn near perfect for this kind of style; kudos to engineer Jimmy Hetherington at Shonk Studios for going above and beyond both in terms of capturing the sounds and recording during the plague — and that’s what comes to the fore on “Sonic Mass.”

There’s still some speed as Wall dig deeper into the proceedings, but “Sonic Mass” is more about the impact than shove as it builds up from its intro and proceeds on its turning course. The bass isn’t happenstance here though layered in by Ryan along with the guitar, and centerpiece “Obsidian” demonstrates that most plainly of all. It is the slowest of the four original inclusions on the offering, and even as the guitar brings out a few lead lines calling to mind some of Forming the Void‘s combo of rolling groove and Middle Eastern guitar inflection, there’s a current of low end beneath that comes out all the more in the subsequent chug and unfurled mega-nod. At 5:39, “Obsidian” is the longest piece on Wall, and it could easily be longer, fading as it does riding out that massive groove. Its doing so brings about the more rocking twist in the plot that is “Legion,” cowbell and all. Departing some of the early-Mastodon plod of the proceedings thus far, “Legion” still moves with plenty of force behind it, but is put to more of a classic-heavy vibe, and its Sabbathian stops in the first half ahead of the heads-down Karma to Burn shove in the second could hardly be more appropriate as a lead-in for the closing cover of “Electric Funeral.”

Stuck in your house during quarantine? I don’t Wall are the only ones who’ve sought comfort in something of a falling back to the root of it all, and if “Electric Funeral” isn’t that, I don’t know what is. The mega-classic is vocalist by Dave Oglesby of The Grand Mal, in which the Coles also feature, and while it’s plenty loyal, neither is it lacking in persona of its own. It’s a friggin’ Black Sabbath cover, tracked by family in a time of global crisis. I’m sorry, but if you don’t get where they’re coming from here, you might be sociopath.

Once again, the release date is Jan. 15, and all the preorder-type info is below if you’re the sort to handle things ahead of time. In the player that follows, you’ll find the premiere of “Electric Funeral” as well as more PR wire info and some comment from the band.

Enjoy:

Wall, “Electric Funeral” official track premiere

APF is delighted to present the debut, eponymous EP by Wall. It will be released on 15th January 2021. First single Wrath of the Serpent was released digitally on all platforms on 26th October.

Pre-order links:
https://apfrecords.co.uk/bands/wall
https://wallbandrocks.bandcamp.com

Elliot and Ryan Cole have been stalwarts of the international stoner doom scene since they formed Desert Storm a decade ago in their home town of Oxford, releasing five albums with that band and touring Europe like dogs ever since. They are two parts of the quintet which is The Grand Mal, also signed to APF Records, whose self-titled debut was released in 2019.

Their latest project Wall was conceived during lockdown. Frustrated at not being able to tour, and stuck at home together, Elliot and Ryan found themselves seeking a substantially creative way to kill the boredom. Over the course of a few weeks Ryan wrote the riffs whilst Elliot sat next to him slapping his hands on his knees to create the grooves. As soon as it was safe to do so, they entered Shonk Studios in Oxford with engineer Jimmy Hetherington and laid down the intoxicating mix of riff and groove with which we now present you.

Wall is a five track EP chock full of Iommi-worshipping instrumental sludge doom. The homage to Black Sabbath is manifest in an electrifying cover of Electric Funeral, featuring vocals by The Grand Mal’s Dave-O. The duo’s sludge roots are present and correct, particularly on the raging fourth track Legion, and there’s a nod to both their other band Desert Storm and Karma To Burn (with whom the lads have toured) on the mighty Obsidian.

Ryan Cole says of the EP:

‘We’re pretty happy with how the EP turned out. We went into the studio with 4 tracks and decided to do a Black Sabbath cover as well. We had never jammed them properly, as it was all written unplugged at home. Wall was initially started as a covid lockdown project, but we’re up for touring and writing more for sure…we’ll what happens!’

Wall is:
Ryan Cole – guitar / bass
Elliot Cole – drums
Dave Oglesby – vocals on Electric Funeral

Wall on Thee Facebooks

Wall on Instagram

Wall on Bandcamp

APF Records on Thee Facebooks

APF Records on Instagram

APF Records on Bandcamp

APF Records website

A band playing a release show might not ordinarily be news, but this is 2020. Note that The Brothers Keg‘s celebration of their debut album, Folklore, Myths & Legends (review here), is taking place at London’s famed The Black Heart venue, and that it’s limited capacity, small-group seating only. 45 people get to go. I’ve been lucky enough to be in that upstairs room at The Black Heart where they do shows, and it’s by no means big, but I’d guess it holds about 150 when they’re crammed in, so 45 I guess is about right for these days. The show is put on by Desertscene — also known for Desertfest — and will feature The Grand Mal as well.

I don’t know how The Black Heart will work it with the bar downstairs and upstairs, and stuff like that, but I assume there will be copious mask-age involved, and maybe even some of those plastic faceshields. If you’re in that part of the world and thinking about going — having recently attended a live performance myself, it was spiritually refreshing in the extreme — maybe you just want to go all out and get a welding mask. Whatever it takes. I also just read about the UK locking down on social gatherings of more than like six people starting next Monday, so I don’t even know how that will affect this. Could be REALLY limited capacity, I guess. Like two people in the crowd, which would make it like heavy rock shows in the early ’00s.

But the show’s sold out its 45 spaces, by the way, as one might expect. Good luck, you intrepid pavers of the way. I hope the gig happens.

Desertscene posted the following:

***DESERTSCENE – THE BROTHERS KEG – NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT*** FOR 2020!

We’re very excited to be teaming up with our friends at The Black Heart to dip our toes back into the world of non-virtual, actually in a room with other human beings, live music events. Next Thursday we will be bringing you a limited capacity, socially distanced album release show from The Brothers Keg, with support from The Grand Mal. The current capacity for this show is 45 people and seated tickets will be available in groups of 2, 3 or 4 only – with some tasty Stone & Wood Brewing + ticket combos to boot.

More details about the social distance guidelines & on-the-day protocols can be found via the event page or ourblackheart.com. We really hope you’ll join us in trying to kickstart our scene back into action!

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1040600833040567/

The Brothers Keg are:
Tom Hobson – Guitar/Vocals
Paul Rosser – Bass/Vocals
Tom Fyfe – Drums

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The Brothers Keg, “Moorsmen” official video

London heavy rockers The Brothers Keg will release their debut album, Folklore, Myths & Legends, through APF Records on Sept. 18. The album follows behind a well received 2017 demo of similar title, Folklore, Myths & Legends of The Brothers Keg (review here), and runs a gamut from the brash rock of “No Earthly Form” and largesse of “Introducing the Brothers Keg” to the prog-style ambience and narration of “…From the Records of Arthur Shnee” and “The Ice Melteth” and “From the Battle of Castle Keg” to the wink at The Beatles‘ “Within You Without You” in the 12-minute space-doomer “Brahman,” with the brazen sludgy shouts in the culminating “Castle Keg” and the spare guitar and aptly-titled spoke “Epilogue” at the end for good measure.

With the nine-minute “Moorsmen” at the outset, it is something of a dizzying back and forth array, but what it works out to is each ‘song’ song is followed by a companion interlude, with the exception of “Introducing the Brothers Keg” and “Brahman” in the album’s midsection, and “Moorsmen” begins with an introductory sample/spoken part as well, so clearly the storyline is a major factor in what The Brothers Keg are bringing to their first record. It’s an ambitious 43 minutes presented across the nine total tracks by bassist/vocalist Paul Rosser, guitarist/vocalist Tom Hobson and drummer Tom Fyfe (the latter two also of Stubb), and while the sound of the album has raw aspects — the shouts, the crackly speech, the pop of the snare drum — that does not take away from the atmosphere the three-piece are able to conjure. It is fitting that “Moorsmen” should be the first audio to make its way to public ears from Folklore, Myths & Legends, since it functions much as a closer otherwise might in terms of summarizing the proceedings that follow, from its angular and sludgy earlier riffs all the way to its spacious and headspinning solo later on.

Ultimately, with “Moorsmen,” The Brothers Keg charge into the story the telling of which consumes the rest of the album, but rest assured, it well earns each of its nine minutes. The video is suitably over the top and features not only elements of the plotline, but also a bit of lightning coming off Rosser, Hobson and Fyfe for good measure. That too is only appropriate as throughout their debut, The Brothers Keg make their enjoyment of what they’re doing as up front as their riffs. It’s a willfully peculiar record, but has a certain charm for that, and it’s clear that The Brothers Keg were going all-in on the recording and bringing their ideas to life. You can dig as deep into it as you like, or you can just enjoy the grooves and the figurative (and literal, in the case of the video) lightning. It’s really up to the listener, but the record works either way.

I’m happy of course to host the premiere of the “Moorsmen” video, which you’ll find below, followed by APF‘s announcement of the record and a choice quote from Hobson, the all-over-the-place-all-over-the-top nature of which sums up the record more beautifully than I ever could.

Please enjoy:

The Brothers Keg, “Moorsmen” official video premiere

Sometimes, heavy isn’t purely about brutal riffs and gut-wrenching, despair-invoking themes; often, heaviness shines through when it’s filtered through jam-invoking psychedelic tightness. The Brothers Keg fall into that latter side of heavy, and in their few short years have become one of the finest examples of it in the whole of the UK.

Made up of the rhythm section of psych / stoner scene mainstays STUBB – with Tom Fyfe on drums and Tom Hobson switching out his bass for guitar / vocal duties – as well as Paul Rosser, who completes the trio on bass / vocals, The Brothers Keg have been kicking up an avalanche of the finest elements of stoner-doom as well as grunged-out psychedelia since their formation in London in 2018.

Now we are finally able to unleash The Brothers Keg’s debut album “Folklore, Myths and Legends of The Brothers Keg” upon you. Recorded at Bear Bites Horse Studio in London (Green Lung, Terminal Cheesecake, Opium Lord and many others), producer Wayne Adams has expertly extracted the esoteric essence of the project, and the spirit of the KEG flows freely in full force. The album, as the title suggests, follows the origin story of ‘The Brothers Keg’ – three ancient folk characters which the band is named after.

Tom Hobson: “We imagined the record as akin to a fantasy film soundtrack, with cinematic voiceovers and a nod to sci-fi classics. Expect heavy riffing psyched-out sci-fi doomageddon. HP Lovecraft meets Queen’s Flash Gordon listening to Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds at the wrong speed smoking a medieval spliff dipped in poppers.”

Tracklisting
1. Moorsmen
2. …From the Records of Arthur Shnee
3. No Earthly Form
4. The Ice Melteth
5. Introducing the Brothers Keg
6. Brahman
7. From the Battle of Castle Keg
8. Castle Keg
9. Epilogue

The Brothers Keg are:
Tom Hobson – Guitar/Vocals
Paul Rosser – Bass/Vocals
Tom Fyfe – Drums

The Brothers Keg on Thee Facebooks

The Brothers Keg on Instagram

The Brothers Keg on Bandcamp

APF Records on Thee Facebooks

APF Records on Instagram

APF Records on Bandcamp

APF Records website

The first Indica Blues full-length, Hymns for a Dying Realm, bleeds its affinity for doom through riff after riff, whether it’s the classic charge of “Knight’s Return” or the lumbering of “Scum River” or the searing at the end of “Psychedelic Haze,” and to expect anything less of We Are Doomed, which will be the Oxford, UK, four-piece’s follow-up to that debut, just seems silly. Particularly as the new record is being issued through APF Records, whose presence in the well-populated underground of the United Kingdom has only grown in recent years, with a consistency of quality maintained across a swath of styles. I could go on here, but you know the story. And if you don’t, the record’s streaming down below.

We Are Doomed — a sentiment it’s getting increasingly difficult to argue against — will be out this winter with APF‘s stamp of approval behind it.

The label’s announcement follows here:

** Indica Blues sign to APF Records **

We’re no stranger to the heaviest and grooviest tones Oxford has to offer at APF Records – see Desert Storm and The Grand Mal – which is why we’re all the more eager to get better acquainted as we welcome the city’s heavy-psych doomsters Indica Blues to the APF family.

Formed in Oxford in 2014, Indica Blues are a monolithic trip. On their previous releases – 2016’s Ruins On The Shore EP and debut full-length, 2018’s Hymns for a Dying Realm – a real love for the entire stoner-doom pantheon, from Kyuss to Electric Wizard, shines through, along with, unsurprisingly, a healthy respect for the blues. Deservedly, those early releases earned both praise from respected outlets of the scene as well as tasty support slots with some of our favourite acts around; notably Elder, Samsara Blues Experiment and Mars Red Sky.

But that is just the beginning.

APF are beyond stoked to be releasing Indica Blues’ upcoming sophomore full-length, currently expected to drop around the winter of 2020/21 – and let us tell you now, it’s huge. Recorded by Steve “Geezer” Watkins at Woodworm Studios and mastered by Tim Turan at Turan Audio, it delivers on the promise of being their most massive sounding release to date, with chunkier riffs, groovier hooks, wider ranging vocal stylings and more ethereal melodic deviations than have come before. So be sure to check out yet another member of the growing “Roxford” revolution and get the Indica Blues today.

Indica Blues are:
Andrew Haines-Villata – Bass
Tom Pilsworth – Vocals, Guitar
John Slaymaker – Guitar
Rich Walker – Drums

http://www.facebook.com/Indicabluesuk
https://indicablues.bandcamp.com/
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https://www.instagram.com/apfrecords/
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https://apfrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.apfrecords.co.uk/

Indica Blues, Hymns for a Dying Realm (2018)

The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Ryan Cole of Desert Storm (Oxford, England)

—

How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

It’s proving very difficult and has affected us as a band like most others it seems. Our new album Omens is out May 1st and was also supposed to be the first date of our three-week UK/European tour to promote it, which included a slot at London’s Desertfest. All shows are cancelled and we’re working hard to reschedule the tour for October. The two shows in Netherlands will now be in January 2021.

I also feel that our PR could be slightly affected too, magazine’s like Kerrang! Have postponed their issues for three months, and I’d be surprised if more don’t follow. I do of course completely understand why they have taken those steps and measures, and Claire [Bernadet] at Purple Sage PR is working as hard as she can to secure reviews/features, etc., which we appreciate. The Covid-19 is crippling a lot of businesses, economies as well as people’s lives… but it is what it is. It’s very difficult as an underground band that has put in a lot of time, money and effort.

Luckily the five of us in the band are in good health as things stand, and we’ll just have to hope we can pick things back up again when it all blows over.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

In UK it’s all a bit odd… Many people have been furloughed and are isolating, but there are lot that are not taking it seriously, not complying with rules and advice. I think we’d benefit by more draconian measures and enforce a stricter lockdown. Hopefully the sooner that happens, the sooner we’ll be past the peak and see a fall in cases. I still think things won’t revert back to normal until August/September, but only time will tell.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

Yeah it’s really bad. Some people have lost jobs, or had to deal with pay cuts. A lot of bands are out of pocket and promoters/festivals have cancelled many events/festivals. We are so lucky to have a great NHS here in UK though. Doctors and nurses that are working around the clock to help people. It’s also nice to see people volunteering and helping more vulnerable people like the sick and elderly. It’s bizarre to be alive during a pandemic like this. It feels something out of a movie like 12 Monkeys or Stephen King’s The Stand!

It’s strange how our new video for the track “Black Bile” depicts the Black Plague… another pandemic. Strange timing…

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

We’d just like people to know that we are working hard to be on the road again soon, and if people want to help us, they can check out our new music on YouTube, Spotify or Bandcamp and pre-order the album, which would be greatly appreciated in these tough times. It would also help support our label APF Records. One thing about isolation which is a positive, is that it gives people the opportunity to explore more music.

www.facebook.com/desertstormuk
www.desertstorm.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/desertstormuk
www.youtube.com/desertstormuk
www.desertstormband.com
www.desertstorm.bigcartel.com

The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Graham Bywater of Possessor (London, United Kingdom)

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How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

Hi, we are all doing Ok thanks! All things considered. Nathan (Perrier, drums) has temporarily set up shop with his family in the Isle of Wight, but took his drums with him as he’s a wise chap. This has helped us greatly as we have a new album to release this year so we’ve still been able to rehearse via dictaphone messages on WhatsApp and video recordings. It’s actually proved to be a lot of fun as the other two of us are still in London. I’ve been taking Nathan’s drum tracks and recording along to them. We’ve hammered out some solid demos and a few entertaining covers to keep us amused and inspired. We’ve done a hefty little cover of ‘Paper Plane’ by Status Quo. Maybe one day we will share it.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

It’s pretty intense and unsettling. We can’t leave the house unless it’s to buy grocery’s or collect prescriptions and essentials. Minimal exercise is not really agreeing with me as I walk everywhere I go and need the fresh air.

The pubs and swimming baths closing was the final nail in the coffin for me.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

Absolutely. It’s 110% screwed up everyone’s plans. We had two big shows coming up (Riffolution Festival and Desertfest) which both had to be postponed. It’s really heartbreaking as there is so much work put into these things to make them run smoothly for artists, labels and promoters so I feel bad for everyone involved. We’d been waiting to play Desertfest for a while so that one was a particular disappointment. We have other festival shows booked for later in the year but it’s hard to know if we should be excited or expect the worst.

That’s my main issue with the pandemic, it’s impossible to know how long this is likely to last, or what the outcome may be. I know a lot of folk are really missing playing live and even simply rehearsing. This is going to really make or break a lot of stuff. And that’s a little scary.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

Well for anyone’s who’s a fan of either Possessor or any of the other Killer bands on the wonderful APF Records, we want everyone to know that we have a new album completely written and if things pan out in our favour we will be stepping back into Bear Bites Horse Studios with our buddy Wayne Adams to record it late June. But as with everything, this is completely up in the air right now.

Musically, expect the best Possessor record yet with some new gnarly twists and turns. You’ll also get a little more Neil Peart worship than usual. But all in all, expect full on horror metal to warp your party brains and help you remember the good times.

Everyone needs to try and stay focussed and positive as hard as that may be. We also need to support each other in whatever way we can and not forget what makes us happy.

Personally I’m keeping super isolated beside a quick walk round the block each day to help me keep my mental health in check. I’ve had the chance to catch up on a ton of films which I always find quite therapeutic.

I feel blessed that even though this isn’t ideal I get to spend every moment of every day with my wife and two little ones at our humble flat in South London.

I can’t complain.

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