Especially in light of last year’s bill for Down the Hill, which included the classic-prog likes of Gong and Focus, it’s awesome to see this year’s edition featuring UK ’70s-heavy originals Atomic Rooster along with the rest of its first lineup announcement. No way that won’t be a fun set, and the statesmen o’ riff find suitable complement in MaidaVale, who’ve done more to modernize classic boogie than they’ve ever gotten credit for, presumably because they’re women.

From there, it continues to vary. Pothamus are heavy as a punch to the sternum, while Black Flower and on down from there in the text below, everybody has their own stylistic trajectory. I don’t know Belgium’s Aufhebung well, which is to say at all, though this isn’t the first time their name has appeared on this site (I looked), but I just put on their 2021 album Chasms and it’s killer and crushing, so thanks for the nudge on that one, Down the Hill. Not sure how I would’ve heard it except seeing their name in something like this, though the world has its ways.

Tickets are on sale now for Down the Hill 2026, and I’ve never been, but neither have I, in the five years I’ve covered the festival’s lineups, seen anything that would make me not want to be there. So, here’s this from socials. I’m not pretending it’s brand new news or that I’m at all competent in any way at keeping up with anyone’s anything ever. Thanks for understanding:

Down the Hill 2026

WOW! Already 20% SOLD in the first weekend, and still a big load of bands to announce! Here is our poster, so you get an idea where we are going this year.

Thank you so much for your trust! We won’t let you down 😉. Still 12 names to announce, keep your eyes open on our socials and website in the next few months.

Get ready for another incredible musical journey this year. Here are the first bands joining our stages:

• Atomic Rooster – Legendary British prog-rock pioneers featuring that iconic, heavy Hammond organ sound.

• MaidaVale – Heavy psychedelic rock from Sweden that pulls you into a hypnotic, fuzzy groove.

• Pothamus – Mesmerizing post-metal and sludge; a deep, atmospheric wall of sound.

• Black Flower – A vibrant, cosmic blend of Ethio-jazz, afrobeat, and oriental psychedelica.

• GROS COEUR – Belgian psych-rock from Liège that is as melodic as it is danceable.

• Aufhebung – Raw, experimental noise and industrial textures that push every boundary.

• WASTE – Energetic and uncompromising; the absolute cutting edge of modern noise-punk.

• The Moondig – Local favorites delivering the perfect mix of psychedelic and reverb-soaked vibes.

Much more to be announced!

Don’t miss out! Grab your tickets on our website from Januari 2, 17h!

www.downthehill.be/tickets

http://www.downthehill.be/
https://www.instagram.com/downthehillfestival/
https://www.facebook.com/DownTheHillFestival/

Atomic Rooster, “Devil’s Answer” live in the UK, 08.10.23

Aufhebung, Chasms (2021)

The sadly-usual caveats that apply to everything circa 2021 — announcements, life, etc. — are of course in play here. Is DoomFarmFest 2021 going to happen? Well, I’m no viral expert — and that should probably be the end of the sentence, but it’s not — but it seems to me the fact that it’s in a barn, which is presumably a pretty well ventilated area, plus the fact that it’s in a kind of remote locale, means that you’ve got a likelier chance than something in a major urban center that’s perhaps about to come under lockdown scrutiny again. That doesn’t mean DoomFarmFest will, or can, or should be anything less than diligent in observing any and all local, national, international and — let’s face it — reasonable restrictions, I’m just saying we don’t know what those might be by the time the end of next month comes. Or next week, for that matter.

And anyway, if you’re getting either your information or your opinions on such things from my ass, shame on you.

But as I’ve said once or twice at this point, I’m choosing to err on the side of positivity. If that makes dumb in the face of cynicism-as-intelligence, then fine. I’ll be dumb.

Here’s event info:

Welcome to DoomfarmFest 2021! 27-29 August

https://www.facebook.com/events/182841223860374/

2 days packed with concerts from dusk till dawn. Come join the harvest of the DOOMFARM in the wastelands of Brandenburg. The stage is in a huge barn on a ancient farm outside of Putlitz, Brandenburg.

After a season of enjoying riffs with our online events on DoomFarmTV, the time of harvest has come to the farm of doom. 12 bands bringing you doom, psychedelic, black metal funeral doom, post-metal, stoner, sludge, bloodthirsty metal, dope doom bong metal, that will be a feast to your ears.

Fuzzy fields and distorted cows roam stoned through the meadows. After months of silence, our Post quarantined needy ears will rejoice to the drone of heavy riffs and growls through the night.

BANDS OF THE HARVEST:
++ EARTHBONG (Kiel, Germany)
++ CONFUSION MASTER (Rostock, Germany)
++ DEADLY MOUSSAKA (Berlin, Germany)
++ AUFHEBUNG (Brussels, Belgium)
++ PIECE (Berlin, Germany)
++ LARES (Berlin, Germany)
++ TEARS OF FIRE ((Berlin, Germany)
++ HOMECOMING (Paris, France)
++ CANNABINEROS (Berlin, Germany)
++ HEXKEY (Berlin, Germany)
++ HONEY BADGER (Berlin, Germany)

More bands to be announced!

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/doomfarmfest-2021-tickets-163882455837

Free camping & shower. Food and bar will be there! We will be following all current and local hygiene requirements. To ensure the health of our crew and guests Everyone MUST bring a Negative test result or proof of vaccination, or convalescence. Stay doomed! Stay healthy!

See you there!

https://www.facebook.com/events/182841223860374/
https://www.facebook.com/electricsabbathshows/
https://www.instagram.com/doomfarmfest/

Earthbong, Bong Rites (2020)

Once upon a whenever it was, I said of Swedish doomers Malsten‘s 2020 debut album, The Haunting of Silvåkra Mill, “I’d watch this band do a live stream playing this record front-to-back. Just saying.” Well, turns out that very opportunity will present itself as the band will take part in Electric Sabbath‘s virtual DoomFarmFest 3, which as you might guess is the third ‘online festival’ — of 2021, no less — to come from the booking concern. Malsten are one of two Swedish-native acts, the other is the sludgier Kråkslott, and because why the hell wouldn’t it, the lineup goes from Bulgaria’s Obsidian Sea to New Zealand’s Nameless Grave to Paraguay’ Mudum and the multinational Inkarnation, as well as several others throughout continental Europe.

And indeed, Malsten will perform the entirety of The Haunting of Silvåkra Mill live. They hit me up to tell me so themselves, so I know it’s true. No clue what anyone else is doing, but the streaming event is set for May 8. I have no idea how long it’s running, but there are nine bands involved, so it might just be your evening spoken for. If it was in-person, it would be two days’ worth, but if it was in-person, you probably wouldn’t have a band from New Zealand playing, so take what you can get.

Info follows here as per the PR wire, and

Electric Sabbath presents DoomFarmFest Online Edition #3 of 2021

9 bands from all over the globe, bringing that heavy riffage to your screen.
Join us once again as we indulge in some dirty distorted riffs to ease our isolated earlobes.

Follow us on Electric Sabbath and hit that like button!

Subscribe to DoomfarmTV and check out all our shows!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJSG0FqXobVUxvNw3vRqjQg

https://www.facebook.com/events/2858767067668919/

DoomFarm Artwork by @hawkwind_hopi aka Hazard Hope
Teaser Production: Electric Sabbath
Music: Chasms by Aufhebung

FLOWERS OF TREASON:
+++ NAMELESS GRAVE (New Zealand)
+++ KRÅKSLOTT (Sweden)
+++ HOMECOMING (France)
+++ OBSIDIAN SEA (Bulgaria)
+++ AUFHEBUNG (Belgium)
+++ RAINBOW BRIDGE (Italy)
+++ INKARNATION (Syria/Brazil/Spain/Holland)
+++ MALSTEN (Sweden)
+++ MUDUM (Paraguay)

08.05.2021 – 21:00 (CET)

+ TURN ON + TUNE IN + DOOM OUT +

https://www.facebook.com/events/2858767067668919/
https://www.facebook.com/electricsabbathshows/

DoomfarmFest 3 Teaser

Malsten, The Haunting of Silvåkra Mill (2020)