Usually for a fest lineup, I post one band’s player at the bottom of the post. Usually it’s a headliner, sometimes it’s a newer band on purpose, sometimes it’s just someone I check out who I haven’t heard before, etc. There are three players at the bottom of this post, and that’s probably too few. Take it as a sign of the uncommonly packed bill of Majestic Mountain Fest Oslo and the quality both of the work the imprint has been doing and its taste in general. Over the last two years, Majestic Mountain has emerged as a significant contributor to the underground sphere in Europe, especially Northern Europe, with a roster of talent varied in much but united in their ability to connect with their audience. One imagines it will be no different when so many of the label’s acts take the stage at the upcoming three-day festival next month.

This was originally supposed to happen in June, which, hey, sometimes a thing gets pushed back. Cool it’s coming together at all, given the scope of the lineup and the sheer logistics of getting so many schedules to align for three days (plus a pre-show) without the infrastructure of having already done so in the past. That is to say, I expect that if they do another fest like this, it’ll be easier the second time around.

Oh, and if you haven’t actually heard any of those records at the bottom of this post, you’re gonna want to do that.

From social media:

MMR FEST OSLO – OH YES.  It’s ON, folks!

Event page: https://facebook.com/events/s/majestic-mountain-fest-oslo/667812601039777/

The time has come, Majestic Crew- After what seems like an eternity of delays and silence, we are finally able to announce the rescheduled details and final lineup for Majestic Mountain Fest // Oslo 2022.

The festival will take place on December 1-3rd at the (in)famous Blitz Hus.

We will have a killer kick-off party on Wednesday 30th of November at our favourite chill spot Brewgata with a live gig and a rad tap takeover from the mighty Nøgne Ø

We will also have a beautiful appearance from a very special guest, Mika Häkki. More details on that to come!

Visit the event page for ticket links!
There has been a bit of shifting to the lineup due to the new logistics so any previously scheduled bands you do not see on this year’s roster will appear in the next edition.

Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support and excitement for this event.

Despite the challenges presented to us, we keep charging forward. This festival is truly a labour of love and will be one for the books.

We are absolutely psyched to see you all in Oslo next month and can’t wait to celebrate our incredible roster and you, our fantastic fans!

Majestic Mountain Records is psyched to invite you to the first edition of Majestic Fest Oslo 2022!

When & Where:

Pre-Party Gig & Nøgne-Ø Tap Takeover at Brewgata Oslo
30 November

Festival at Blitz, Oslo
1-3 Decmber

After a challenging year of what seemed like endless delays, we are finally able to let loose and run full steam ahead on a three-day riff fest of gargantuan proportions to commence the 1-3 December at Blitz.

PLUS a killer pre-party gig and tap takeover with the mighty Nøgne-Ø on Wednesday the 30th of November at Brewgata!

This is going to be a very special event with the best community vibes and killer performances by Majestic Mountain Records Roster bands.

We’re also proud to welcome a very special guest, Mika Häkki.

Join us in on the last day of November and the first weekend of December for heavy riffs, mega fuzz and all of the good times!

The MMR crew cannot wait to bang our heads and hang with you in Oslo!

Full day schedule coming next week!

Lineup is as follows:

Kal-El (NO)
Grand Cadaver (SE)
Saint Karloff (NO)
Jointhugger (NO)
Wolves in Haze (SE)
Häxmästaren (SE)
Bogwife (DK)
Void Commander (SE)
Laser Dracul (SE)
Tornet (SE)
Slódder (SE)
Signo Rojo (SE)
Masheena (NO)
Goatriders (SE)
DRÖÖG (SE)
Bismarck (NO)
CB3 (SE)
Satanic Overdrive (SE)
Draken (NO)
Domkraft (SE)

http://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com
http://facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords
http://instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords

Kal-El, Dark Majesty (2021)

CB3, Exploration (2022)

Domkraft, Seeds (2021)

It’s a relatively quick run on which Norway’s Kal-El and Denmark’s Bogwife will embark as both make their way around to the Esbjerg Fuzztival on May 14 — and I guess kind of geographically inefficient on the part of Bogwife who will leave Denmark only to wind up back there for the fest. Both acts are signed to Majestic Mountain Records — and Kal-El have already been announced for that label’s first festival to be held in June in Oslo (info here), and I’m kind of assuming Bogwife will join those ranks as well before the fest takes place. Seems only reasonable.

While we’re talking about things they have in common, both bands released strong and well-received albums in 2021. Bogwife‘s A Passage Divine (discussed here) was issued in September, and Kal-El‘s Dark Majesty (review here) was released in August, and as previously been noted, was recently nominated for a Spellmann prize, otherwise known as the Norwegian Grammy. A feather in the cap, in any case.

The tour starts after Kal-El appear at Sonic Whip and runs for eight days with two shows still TBA. If you’re between Rotterdam and Esbjerg and can help out, speak up.

Kal-El announced the dates thusly:

As we do two festivals early May, we gang up with labelmates Bogwife for a few dates in between. Its been a bit on and of with the dates due to restrictions, and we have two spare dates up for grabs. Any takers please contact Lasher Agency to get it sorted.

6/5 – Sonic Whip Festival – Nijmegen, NL (Only KAL-EL)
7/5 – la Zone – Liege, BE
8/5 – Cafe Central – Brussels, BE
10/5 – Bastard Club – Osnabrück, GE
11/5 – Baroeg – Rotterdam, NL
12/5 – TBA (contact Lasher Agency for booking)
13/5 – TBA (contact Lasher Agency for booking)
14/5 – Fuzztival – Esbjerg, DK

This is going to be a very heavy experience, see you out there.

http://kal-el.no
http://kal-el.bandcamp.com
http://facebook.com/kalelproject
http://instagram.com/kalelband

https://www.facebook.com/Bogwife
https://bogwife.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/bogwifeband/

http://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com
http://facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords
http://instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords

Kal-El, Dark Majesty (2021)

Bogwife, A Passage Divine (2021)

By my count there are still eight more acts to be announced for Esbjerg Fuzztival 2022, among them two headliners. That count also doesn’t include the potential three more who would/will join the lineup if/when — because it’s good to be optimistic about these things — the Danish festival reaches 400 tickets sold.

Among the groups added to the already formidable bill — which boasts Bongzilla and Weedpecker and the others below — you’ll note the inclusion of Papir, who are shortly to release their new album, 7, on Stickman Records. The fest posted at one point that it considered Papir the most underrated Danish band going. That’s a pretty fair assessment, the more I think about it. Having been fortunate enough to see them live, their chemistry is something unique even among the crowded sphere of heavy jammers, and while the Danish underground is pretty underrated as a whole — I’d extend that to include the likes of Gas Giant and Baby Woodrose — there’s no question Papir are a special group. Probably don’t need to say this, but I’m looking forward to that album, which is out in January.

The below isn’t from the PR wire, but I kind of assembled it from social media posts making the announcements. Esbjerg Fuzztival keep it short and sweet in revealing acts, which as someone who periodically writes announcements for other fests, I can appreciate.

To wit:

We proudly present… DOPELORD at Fuzztival ’22!

Full festival partout tickets available NOW!
Get yours before December 31st and help us add another night of fuzz and THREE more bands!

Fuzztival proudly presents… PURPLE HILL WITCH!

We proudly present PAPIR, RITUAL KING and BOGWIFE at Fuzztival ’22!

More bands TBA including two headliners!

Partout tickets now available. Day tickets available in 2022.

Remember to buy your tickets ASAP! If we reach 400 by new years eve we’ll add a FREE pre-party Thursday the 12th with THREE additional bands!

https://www.facebook.com/esbjergfuzztival/
https://www.instagram.com/esbjerg_fuzztival/
https://www.fuzztival.com/

Papir, 7 (2022)

Snare snaps and then you’re immediately swallowed by the fuzz of Bogwife‘s new single. If you’re the type to get a headache or worse from flashing lights, you’ll want to listen to “Celestial Dawn” without necessarily watching the video that’s premiering below — that is, I encourage you to hear the track one way or the other, but I’m not trying to hurt anybody by not giving fair warning — which culls together performance footage of the Danish four-piece as they unfurl the first audio from their upcoming LP, A Passage Divine. Set to release on Sept. 17, their second album overall behind last summer’s Halls of Rebirth (on Psychedelic Salad) reunites the band with producer Jacob Bredahl (HateSphere, Allhelluja, many, many more as performer and producer) and will be Bogwife‘s first offering through Majestic Mountain Records.

The consuming riffage becomes the theme of “Celestial Dawn,” tapping into Witchcult-era Electric Wizard while remaining more clearheaded in its vocal melody, nestling into a nodding groove that is smooth, warm and weighted in kind. Whether you watch the video or put it on switch tabs or apps or whatever, the track is easy to dig and I’m happy to premiere it ahead of A Passage Divine starting preorders.

You’ll find it at the bottom of the post, following the announcement from the PR wire:

A Passage Divine, the brand-new album by Bogwife will be officially released on 17th September

Pre-order the album HERE: https://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com/

Formed in 2018 in the city of Aalborg, Bogwife – named after a mythical, swamp dwelling creature from Scandinavian folklore – is a Danish quartet which experiments with elements of doom, stoner rock and psychedelia to create a mesmerising mist of sound which, much like its namesake, casts a spell over everyone it touches.

Their debut album, Halls of Rebirth, released in July of last year was not only well received across the scene in general, which was no small feat given how little opportunity the band had to play live or test their material out in front of fans. Using that spare time to write new material instead, the band pushed ahead and recorded their second full-length – titled, A Passage Divine – with Jacob Bredahl at Dead Rat Studio in the spring of 2021.

“For us, A Passage Divine is a natural continuation of what we began exploring on our last record, both in terms of our musical development and how we write and compose lyrics,” explains the band. “Lyrically, all the songs revolve around the bog and the significance the bog had mythologically in the Iron Age in Europe. Whereas musically, it all just felt ‘right’ instead of us putting pressure on ourselves to achieve a specific goal or structure.”

A Passage Divine, the brand-new album by Bogwife will be officially released on 17th September through Majestic Mountain Records

Track Listing
1. The Approach
2. Restoration
3. Among the Trees
4. Celestial Dawn
5. Descent

Artist: Bogwife
Album: A Passage Divine
Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records
Formats: CD/Digital/Vinyl
Release Date: 17/09/2021

https://www.facebook.com/Bogwife
https://bogwife.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/bogwifeband/
http://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com
http://facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords
http://instagram.com/majesticmountainrecords

Bogwife, “Celestial Dawn” video premiere