Anytime I get to post up some art from L.A.-based artist and all-around good guy Sean “Skillit” McEleny, I consider it a good day. The designer of artworks for Fatso Jetson, Dali’s Llama, this very website (note the header) and so many others continues his association with Wisconsin’s Days of the Doomed fest, following up on artwork contributed last year with a badass horizontal design — such is the way of things; an interesting byproduct of what shows up best on Thee Facebooks feeds and profile pictures — for Days of the Doomed IV, which rolls out starting on June 20 with Trouble, Egypt, The Mighty Nimbus and an impressive cast of others.

The poster itself calls to mind Madballs (dating myself) and any number of video game monsters, but notice the mountain druids in the background and things get even weirder and more complex. If you don’t at first see it, look on the bottom right side for where it’s noted that Days of the Doomed IV is honoring the late Jason McCash, who headlined the fest last year with The Gates of Slumber.

Click the image to enlarge for a better look:

Days of the Doomed IV is set for June 20 and 21 at The Metal Grill (formerly The Blue Pig) on Packard Ave. in Cudahy, Wisconsin, and is dedicated this year to the memory of The Gates of Slumber‘s Jason McCash. The lineup and runtimes are as follows:

Friday, June 20th, 2014 – Doors Open At 3:00 PM
3:00 – 4:00 Metal DJ
4:00 – 4:40 Ancient Dreams
5:00 – 5:40 Stasis
6:00 – 6:45 Wasted Theory
7:05 – 7:50 Witchden
8:10 – 9:00 The Mighty Nimbus
9:20 – 10:20 Orodruin
10:40 – 11:40 Blackfinger (featuring former Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner)
12:00 – 1:00 Las Cruces

Saturday, June 21st, 2014 – Doors Open At 11:30 AM
12:00 – 12:40 Flying Medusa
1:00 – 1:40 Moon Curse
2:00 – 2:45 Sanctus Bellum
3:05 – 3:50 Brimstone Coven
4:10 – 4:55 Spillage (featuring Earthen Grave guitarist Tony Spillman)
5:15 – 6:00 Stone Magnum
6:20 – 7:05 Egypt
7:25 – 8:10 Devil To Pay
8:30 – 9:15 Beelzefuzz
9:35 – 10:35 Jex Thoth
10:55 – 11:55 Age Of Taurus
12:15 – 1:30 Trouble

Skillit Art on Thee Facebooks

Skillit Art website

Days of the Doomed IV on Thee Facebooks

The lineup is set, the dates are confirmed and all there is to do for the next two-plus months is wait for Days of the Doomed IV to get here. The thoroughly metallized festival will be headlined this year by Trouble — something that, frankly, seems four years in the making — and brings over its first international act in the form of the UK’s Age of Taurus. Couple that with a reunion from The Mighty Nimbus and the fervent dooming that the likes of Jex Thoth, Orodruin and Beelzefuzz are bound to deliver while Wasted Theory and Egypt rock the place out, and I’d mark this as definitely the biggest incarnation of the fest yet. At very least, it well earns its ’70s-font logo.

A video trailer for the fest has been put together by Kathy Reeves featuring clips of music from a few of the bands — Trouble, Beelzefuzz, Blackfinger etc. — and some choice selections from the archives of classic horror. Find that and the final lineup (with runtimes, in case you have a date) for the fest below, with doomly greetings:

Days of the Doomed IV Video Trailer

With the addition of TROUBLE to Days Of The Doomed Fest IV, the line up has been finalized. The billing is as follows:

Friday, June 20th, 2014 – Doors Open At 3:00 PM
3:00 – 4:00 Metal DJ
4:00 – 4:40 Ancient Dreams
5:00 – 5:40 Stasis
6:00 – 6:45 Wasted Theory
7:05 – 7:50 Witchden
8:10 – 9:00 The Mighty Nimbus
9:20 – 10:20 Orodruin
10:40 – 11:40 Blackfinger (featuring former Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner)
12:00 – 1:00 Las Cruces

Saturday, June 21st, 2014 – Doors Open At 11:30 AM
12:00 – 12:40 Flying Medusa
1:00 – 1:40 Moon Curse
2:00 – 2:45 Sanctus Bellum
3:05 – 3:50 Brimstone Coven
4:10 – 4:55 Spillage (featuring Earthen Grave guitarist Tony Spillman)
5:15 – 6:00 Stone Magnum
6:20 – 7:05 Egypt
7:25 – 8:10 Devil To Pay
8:30 – 9:15 Beelzefuzz
9:35 – 10:35 Jex Thoth
10:55 – 11:55 Age Of Taurus
12:15 – 1:30 Trouble

Ticket, Lodging, and Travel info can be found at www.daysofthedoomed.com. Don’t miss out on the biggest doom fest in the Midwest!

https://www.facebook.com/events/407651189366176/

So after The Skull, and Blackfinger, and Earthen Grave, and Spillage, and In~Graved, and probably one or two other Trouble-member-inclusive acts I’m forgetting along the way over the last few years, Days of the Doomed has decided it’s time to cut to the chase and bring on Trouble itself. Kudos to Mercyful Mike Smith, who’s made it pretty obvious over the duration of his festival that he’s a fan. The Chicago doom legends are the final band to be announced for Days of the Doomed IV — fortunate, because I don’t think there’s any room left on the flyer — and the runtime for the two-day fest, which is set for June 20 and 21 at The Metal Grill in Cudahy, Wisconsin, has been unveiled. Not at all surprisingly, Trouble headline.

Dig:

OK! The final piece of the puzzle is in place, and we are extremely honored to announce that Chicago doom legends TROUBLE have been added to Days Of The Doomed Fest IV, taking place in Milwaukee, WI on June 20th & 21st at The Metal Grill.

Since TROUBLE’s acquisition of new lead vocalist Kyle Thomas (Exhorder/Floodgate), as well as new bassist Rob Hultz (Solace/Godspeed), they have been performing to European crowds in support of their 2013 release “The Distortion Field”. Days Of The Doomed Fest IV will be among the first shows to see the band returning to the U.S. market, and we are stoked to have them taking part!

With the addition of TROUBLE to Days Of The Doomed Fest IV, the line up has been finalized. The billing is as follows:

Friday, June 20th, 2014 – Doors Open At 3:00 PM
3:00 – 4:00 Metal DJ
4:00 – 4:40 Ancient Dreams
5:00 – 5:40 Stasis
6:00 – 6:45 Wasted Theory
7:05 – 7:50 Witchden
8:10 – 9:00 The Mighty Nimbus
9:20 – 10:20 Orodruin
10:40 – 11:40 Blackfinger (featuring former Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner)
12:00 – 1:00 Las Cruces

Saturday, June 21st, 2014 – Doors Open At 11:30 AM
12:00 – 12:40 Flying Medusa
1:00 – 1:40 Moon Curse
2:00 – 2:45 Sanctus Bellum
3:05 – 3:50 Brimstone Coven
4:10 – 4:55 Spillage (featuring Earthen Grave guitarist Tony Spillman)
5:15 – 6:00 Stone Magnum
6:20 – 7:05 Egypt
7:25 – 8:10 Devil To Pay
8:30 – 9:15 Beelzefuzz
9:35 – 10:35 Jex Thoth
10:55 – 11:55 Age Of Taurus
12:15 – 1:30 Trouble

Ticket, Lodging, and Travel info can be found at www.daysofthedoomed.com. Don’t miss out on the biggest doom fest in the Midwest!

Thanks, everyone! See you all in June!

Trouble, “Hunters of Doom” Live in Barcelona, Dec. 2013

Why, it seems like only three posts ago I was noting the impossibility of keeping up with the many recent additions to various festival lineups. And so it was. Nonetheless, we press on, and Days of the Doomed IV have checked in with a couple noteworthy inclusions to their metallic fare, including the full three-band bill for their official pre-show, which includes Indianapolis groovers The Heavy Co. and New York’s Sons of Ghidorah alongside Chicago’s Spyderbone. Not a bad lineup, and with Moon Curse — who stomped a veritable mudhole in the first day of Days of the Doomed III last year — and Milwaukee stoners Flying Medusa added, the fest proper is only getting better.

Behold the latest announcements and let your consciousness be at one with them:

It’s official! The Days Of The Doomed Fest IV Pre-Show will be held on Thursday, June 19th at The Metal Grill! Blown away by the killer bands we’ll have priming us up for the weekend! The tripped out groove of Indiana’s The Heavy Company, the stoner/doom riffage of New York’s Sons of Ghidorah, and welcome back the “Dukes Of Debauchery”, Chicago metal heads SPYDERBONE!

So many of you last year asked me, “Where has THIS band been hiding?” that it only took a second to know they must come back again! You want more Milwaukee doom? Please welcome back to Days Of The Doomed Fest IV… MOON CURSE!

Continuing on with the Milwaukee theme, I am stoked to bring you a new act from Brew Town! This semi-instrumental outfit takes its homegrown doom, mixes in equal parts ‘shrooms and THC, and proceeds to take you on a supernatural trip of the best kind! Zip up your space suits, as Days Of The Doomed Fest IV welcomes… FLYING MEDUSA!

http://www.daysofthedoomed.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/407651189366176/
http://mooncurse.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/flyingmedusa414
http://theheavycompany.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SPYDERBONE/103360236379765
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sons-of-Ghidorah/1397740957134113

The Heavy Company, Midwest Electric (2013)

With the additions of Jex Thoth and Egypt to the bill, I think it’s safe to say that Days of the Doomed IV is the biggest edition of the festival yet. Set for June 20-22 at The Metal Grill in Cudahy, Wisconsin, the lineup already boasted the likes of Blackfinger, The Mighty Nimbus, Age of Taurus, Stone Magnum, Orodruin and Devil to Pay, and it seems only to be kicking more ass as it goes along.

A witchy new logo/t-shirt design by Kathy Reeves has been unveiled as well, continuing to expand the Midwestern fest’s aesthetic reach.

Here’s the latest:

OK! You’ve seen it on the DOTD website, and I debuted this earlier on Facebook, and you all seem to dig it! So to answer your question… YES! This will be on a limited run of t-shirts available at Days Of The Doomed Fest IV! All bands will be listed on the back! Many thanks to Kathy Reeves for capturing that vintage occult/horror theme I was going for in our newest logo! Great job! Another announcement in 30 minutes!

There are certain bands that lock you in, taking you on a transcendental journey with each spin of their album. 2013’s “Blood Moon Rise” is one such album, delivering not only a collection of catchy doom ballads, but a flowing tapestry of cursed, psychedelic heavy metal. So it is with great pleasure and honor that I announce a rather rare stateside appearance at Days Of The Doomed Fest IV for… JEX THOTH!

Over the past 4 years, this band has been brought up in more than one conversation, and spoken very highly of! I am stoked that the time is finally right to bring all of you some doomed tunage from the great state of North Dakota! Days Of The Doomed Fest IV welcomes… EGYPT!

https://www.facebook.com/events/407651189366176/
http://www.daysofthedoomed.com
http://egypt1.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/JexThoth

Egypt, Become the Sun (2013)

Tomorrow is the arrival of the New Year, and among the pagan rituals, hangover-dispersal, Readers Poll results-posting and whatever other day-off-style shenanigans one might get up to, it’s also the on-sale date for Days of the Doomed IV tickets. To mark the occasion and the transition from an already-successful 2013 to a bigger 2014 to come, the festival has announced the addition of Ripple Music heavy rockers Devil to Pay to the lineup.

Devil to Pay, who released one of 2013’s best records in the form of their fourth album, Fate is Your Muse (review here), will make the drive north from their Indianapolis home-base to play Days of the Doomed IV alongside Blackfinger, The Mighty Nimbus, Age of Taurus, Wasted Theory and others. Many more bands are still to be announced, but the fourth installment of the metal-heavy doom outing, set for June 20 and 21, seems to be stepping up its game all around.

Announcement, links and Devil to Pay‘s kickass video for “Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife” (which premiered here) follow:

Happy New Year everyone! How about another band announcement For Days Of The Doomed Fest IV? Grab a PBR tallboy and get ready for the jams to kick your ass… from Indianapolis, I give you Ripple Music recording artist and purveyors of all things HEAVY.. Devil To Pay!

Back for its fourth installment June 20th & 21st, 2014! Days Of The Doomed Fest IV promises to bring the heavy! Bands will be announced over the next several months, so stay tuned! Tickets on sale starting 1/1/14 at www.daysofthedoomed.com!

Days of the Doomed fest IV is scheduled for June 20th & 21st, 2014 at The Metal Grill in Cudahy (South Milwaukee), WI. It is the same venue as past fests, but it is under new ownership/management! Stay tuned for more details!

https://www.facebook.com/events/407651189366176/
https://www.facebook.com/deviltopay
http://www.ripple-music.com

Devil to Pay, “Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife” official video

London-based heavyweights Age of Taurus, who formed in 2009 and made their full-length debut earlier in 2013 with Desperate Souls of Tortured Times on Rise Above/Metal Blade, have been announced as the first non-US band to take part in the Days of the Doomed festival. Days of the Doomed IV is set to be held June 20 and 21 at The Metal Grill in Cudahy, Wisconsin (formerly The Blue Pig), and Age of Taurus join the previously announced ranks of Blackfinger, The Mighty Nimbus and Wasted Theory, among others.

Full word from the fest follows here, complete with the band’s take and hinting at other North American dates around the Days of the Doomed appearance. Dig it:

One thing that has always eluded Days Of The Doomed Fest was a little European flavor. Well, that is about to end! You may have seen their album “Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times” on a lot of 2013 “Best Of” lists, and for just reason… it absolutely slays! So with that, it is an absolute honor to announce that Rise Above Records/Metal Blade recording artist Age of Taurus will be making the trip across the pond to join us at Days Of The Doomed Fest IV!!!

Says Age of Taurus:

We’re extremely proud to announce that we’ll be crossing the Atlantic next Summer for the Days of the Doomed Festival in Cudahy, Wisconsin! Set for the weekend of 20th-21st June, the fest is going to be a truly killer weekend of all things heavy!

We’re very grateful to Mercyful Mike for this great opportunity & it’s safe to say that we can’t wait to get over there!

In addition to the fest, we’ll also be playing some other US dates – more info to follow soon.

We’ll see you on the road….

https://www.facebook.com/AgeOfTaurus
http://www.daysofthedoomed.com
https://www.facebook.com/events/407651189366176/

Age of Taurus, “Embrace the Stone”

Apparently at some point between when Days of the Doomed III was held there this year and now, Cudahy, Wisconsin’s The Blue Pig venue was renamed The Metal Grill. It was pretty metal before, at least the two times I’ve been there for prior installments of this fest, but I guess if nothing else, a metal grill fits with the metal radio and a metal deli. All very metal. I’d like to try a turkey sandwich from the metal deli. Somehow I think it would have to include hot peppers.

More pivotal than my lunch order is the fact that Days of the Doomed IV will return the festival to that building, which by any other name is still a cool place to see a show, and that the beginnings of a lineup are coagulating. Looks like nifty stuff, what with Eric Wagner‘s Blackfinger taking part, and the likes of Orodruin and Las Cruces and Sanctus Bellum making return appearances while Delaware’s Wasted Theory head out to bring some East Coast heavy rock to the mix and The Mighty Nimbus make a long-overdue reunion a reality. I saw those dudes with Entombedone time. They were heavy as all anything and should have no trouble standing up to the various metallurgical standards of the weekend.

Days of the Doomed IV is set for June 20-21, 2014, at The Metal Grill in Cudahy, WI. More to come. This for now:

Back for its fourth installment June 20th & 21st, 2014! Days Of The Doomed Fest IV promises to bring the heavy! Bands will be announced over the next several months, so stay tuned! Tickets on sale starting 1/1/14 at www.daysofthedoomed.com!

Just to bring you up to speed! Confirmed: The Mighty Nimbus, Blackfinger, Stasis, Wasted Theory, Las Cruces, Brimstone Coven, Sanctus Bellum, Witchden, and Orodruin have all been confirmed for Days Of The Doomed Fest IV! No more announcements until after X-mas, but there are more great bands to reveal! All killer, no filler!

http://www.daysofthedoomed.com
https://www.facebook.com/events/407651189366176/

Las Cruces, “Behemoth” Live at Days of the Doomed, 2011