Yo, not for nothing, but you could go see Incantation and Bongripper and Naxatras on the same lineup if you go to Antwerp. Or how about Alunah, Gozu and Suma? Cities of Mars and Stygian Bough? Slomatics and Somali Yacht Club and Polymoon? Sasquatch and Weedpecker? God damn.

If I had cash and time, I — well, I’d do a lot of things — but I’d be at this one. I know sometimes in the grand scheme of things looking at a bunch of names on a poster your eyes can glaze over, but if you can stop that from happening here, it’s worth looking at the stylistic sprawl that’ll take place over the course of the weekend. It is far more in terms of aural landscaping than simply desert, which has been true of the various Desertfest-branded events over the last, I don’t know, six years-plus, but is only emphasized here.

Plus, just about anytime Slomatics do anything it makes me happy. Those guys are great.

From the PR wire:

DF 2022 ANTWERP: WEEDPECKER, WUCAN, SLOMATICS, AND MORE!

This is the final batch of names that completes the DF Antwerp line-up, and we’ve definitely saved up some fine morsels for last. All sizes and shapes is the name of the game, so get hyped and dig in.

For those of you who like their stoner music to truly widen the senses, WEEDPECKER and SOMALI YACHT CLUB definitely fit the bill. Both incorporate many psychedelic influences in their jams, taking you on a killer trip.

On the more brutal side of things, we welcome New York’s death metal pioneers INCANTATION who come to celebrate their ‘Tricennial of Blasphemy’. With SLOMATICS, we present you with the heaviest of heavy in sludge doom. No messing about – just pummelling wall-to-wall riffage.

WUCAN and ROSY FINCH enrich our line-up with two kick-ass women that deal in idiosyncratic and highly original rock. Wucan’s Francis Tobolsky still rocks a flute like nobody’s business, and speaking of unconventional instruments in stoner bands: meet MY DILIGENCE who traded their bass player for a Moog keyboard!

As an unfortunate side-note: we have been mercifully spared of cancellations this year.. until now. We are sad to let you know that MOTHERSHIP will not be appearing at this year’s Desertfest Belgium. Their slot has already been filled in above, but still… it’s a bummer.

But hey! We’re still looking at one seriously sumofagun line-up for three days of delicious fuzztastic wreckage… So if it wasn’t before NOW is the time to secure your tickets. Especially because those Reduced Price Combi Tickets are going fast and be gone before you know it.. Don’t let it happen! Don’t do it! By which we mean: do it!

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 58 Euros
(valid 1 day: 14, 15 or 16/10 – Antwerp)

DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Candlemass and Orange Goblin will headline Deserfest Belgium 2022 in Ghent on Oct. 30. The Swedish doom legends and the kings of Heavy London are the latest announcements for the later Belgian incarnation of Desertfest, which also adds The Devil and the Almighty Blues — who, god damn, are great live — and has kind of quietly become a sonically diverse assemblage of bands from across various subgenres. Granted, neither Monolord, nor Elder, nor Coven, or really any of these bands are new to the festival circuit in Europe, but the Ghent Desertfest feels a little more willing to explore the ether, and I’m not just saying that because they booked Tau and the Drones of Praise, though certainly that doesn’t hurt. And of course, if you’re up for a bit of rock and roll, that will be accommodated as well.

The following came down the PR wire:

DF 2022 GHENT: HEADLINERS! CANDLEMASS and ORANGE GOBLIN, plus THE DEVIL & THE ALMIGHTY BLUES

We have almost completed the line-up for our one-day Ghent extravaganza, and they are all doozies. Headlining the Hallowed Sunday will be literal doom pioneers CANDLEMASS. Severely underrated at the time, they have been restored as true originators, so their place at Desertfest is a sort of homecoming.

Equally legendary are ORANGE GOBLIN, whose immortal discography is only outshined by an epic live reputation. They are simply unable to play a lesser show, which will once again be proven at DF Ghent.

And finally, Norway’s THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES are a Desertfest fan favorite that come to share their blues-infused grooves with us.

To reiterate, that makes for one serious list of acts gathered on just one day:
CANDLEMASS – ORANGE GOBLIN – ELDER – PALLBEARER – ENVY – MONOLORD – COVEN – CELESTE – REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER – THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES – THE DEVIL’S TRADE – WYATT E. – IRIST – STEAK – TAU & THE DRONES OF PRAISE – GGU:LL

And there might be another name added to this holy list! So stay tuned and don’t pass up on this cornucopia of psychedelic goodness! Take it as one measured dose, or combine it with the Antwerp weekend for a Rocktober of epic proportions. The prices remain the same:

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 58 Euros
(valid 1 day: 14, 15 or 16/10 – Antwerp)

DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

GET ALL YOUR COMBI & DAY TICKETS HERE: https://desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Stay tuned for further updates very soon!

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Candlemass, Live in Houston, Texas, April 22, 2022

The lineup for Desertfest Belgium 2022 in Ghent on Oct. 30 is starting to get awfully full for a one day festival. And weird, which of course is a good thing. Desertfest‘s second Belgian edition welcomes cult legends Coven here, most notably — and it’s interesting to note that Jinx Dawson has a “fresh new band” behind her — as well as Steak, Tau and the Drones of Praise, Celeste, Ggu:ll and The Devil’s Trade, so yeah, you could say that the bill is starting to get a little out there. So much the better. You’ve got Elder and Pallbearer up at the top — though I wonder if either is headlining — and Monolord to keep things grounded. Might as well indulge a freaky side too.

If you go, I bet this’ll be a trip. Would love to hear about it sometime:

DF 2022 GHENT: NEW NAMES! COVEN, CELESTE, AND MORE!

After last week’s name dropping avalanche for DF Antwerp, it was high time for us to deliver the goods for the Ghent edition, wouldn’t you agree? So here are some sweet additions to the 30/10 line-up.

COVEN is one of the most revered names in Occult Metal lore. After years of cult status, their legacy finally got the acknowledgement it deserves. Now backed with a fresh new band, legendary singer Jinx Dawson has taken Coven back on the road, and we’re excited to see them play Desertfest Ghent.

Also on the bill will be French post-metal sensation CELESTE, who certainly need no further introduction. Their extreme crushing power is known, loved and feared in equal measure. To further thicken the oppressive atmosphere at De Vooruit venue, we have engaged Dutch doomsters GGU:LL who will present their first new material in 6 years (out later this year on the Ghent label Consouling Sounds). And how about THE DEVIL’S TRADE, aka Hungarian singer-songwriter Dávid Makó and his very personal take on doom folk and Eastern European folklore?

We further welcome London-based rockers STEAK who have certainly turned heads with their adventurous new album ‘Acute Mania’. We’re very excited to see them bring this Floydian opus to our stage. And finally, Shaun Mulrooney’s musical spaceship TAU will be here, along with the mysterious DRONES OF PRAISE who will join him in his neo-folk psychedelic jam-outs.

You know where to find the tickets, and be aware you can get a reduced combi deal for the Antwerp & Ghent festivals combined. Day tickets for Antwerp have also been on sale since last week – so there’s plenty of opportunity to mix and match the festival days to your liking!

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 58 Euros
(valid 1 day: 14, 15 or 16/10 – Antwerp)

DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

GET ALL YOUR COMBI & DAY TICKETS HERE: https://desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Stay tuned for further updates very soon!

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Tau and the Drones of Praise, “It is Right to Give Drones and Praise” official video

Desertfest Belgium, now in its eighth year and second to feature festivals in two cities — Antwerp and Ghent — has put day tickets on sale as of yesterday. Further, the day splits — who plays when — have been announced, so I guess if you only want to see one day’s worth of killer shit, you can do that. Honestly though, unless you have a pressing prior engagement like your own wedding or there’s a family emergency or some such, I’m not sure how you make a conscious decision to not do all three days.

Even if The Brian Jonestown Massacre isn’t your thing, or you’ve never been huge on Red Fang or Wolves in the Throne Room, look down these bills. From Gozu and Samavayo and Josh Graham‘s IIVII the first day, Naxatras and Suma the next (talk about a marriage of opposites) and Bongripper and Polymoon the third, there’s really no way you lose. Pick one? Shit, I’ll take 10.

Ghent is apparently next to be filled out, and of course there will be some crossover for bands who are tour for a couple weeks, but there’s always a bunch of acts reserved for one or the other as well. I don’t know. I like bands playing shows. I like fests. I’d like to go to Belgium one day and make up for that one time I was there only long enough to fuck up ordering coffee in French like the dipshit passthrough tourist I was. Make up for it by probably doing the same thing, that is.

Oh, and they’re not on this poster, but Cities of Mars play on Sunday.

From the PR wire:

DF 2022 ANTWERP: WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, BELZEBONG, AND MORE!

Back once again, with another headbanger. This time we break out the truly deep ‘n’ heavy, from all over Europe and beyond. Please take note: the following bands will be appearing at DF ANTWERP ONLY. News on the Ghent edition to follow in short order.

Making up for last year’s unfortunate cancellation, we’re glad that WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM will make it this year. Let’s burn some black candles to ward off any new pandemic, shall we? We’re also very glad to welcome two doom titans from the east and the north. BELZEBONG from Poland are always a Good Bad-Ass Time with their ripping lowdown instrumentals, and Sweden’s SUMA are keen on celebrating a belated 20th birthday on stage.

In case you were wondering if there will be a no-frills blues rock fix on the bill, wonder no more! THE HEAVY EYES have us covered with their homegrown Delta boogie, while DOMMENGANG will be here to deliver a West Coast vibe.

Greece has been delivering the stoner goods for a long time now, and it is with great pleasure we announce the return of the jam-adelic NAXATRAS and the first-time arrival of HALF GRAMME OF SOMA.

We promised some deep cuts, and we got ’em. Berlin scene mainstays SAMAVAYO will be here, as well as Sweden’s Ripple Records signees CITIES OF MARS. We’re also very excited that POLYMOON will come to dish out a hefty dose of Finnish nu psychedelia.

To round things off, two Belgian bands from extreme ends of the spectrum. On the one end we got the extremely grim sludgers of HISPYN, at the other is the very goofy but equally hard-banging GNOME who despite their diminutive appearance are not to be messed with.

What’s more? This Monday 18/07 at 11:00 AM CET we will announce the day per day lineup for DF ANTWERP. This means that on Monday 18/07 separate one day tickets will go on sale for DF ANTWERP! You have been warned!

Let’s be honest here: things are looking good, and better by the minute. Your hard-earned money will be well spe.. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR TICKET YET!! Ticket prices are still reduced now, go get ’em before we start calling ’em ‘regular’!

MESSAGE OF GENERAL IMPORTANCE: We now welcome the Day Trippers to join the Weekend Trippers, as DAY TICKETS for the Antwerp Edition (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) become available as of NOW, Monday 18 July at 11am. You can find them on our ticketing page at the price of €58 (all-in) per day.

Desertfest insiders know what’s coming next: the DAILY SCHEDULE for both festivals is also visible on our line-up page, and will be complemented with any new acts we announce from now on. This will somewhat facilitate the hard choice to make when picking a day.

But! Let’s not forget that them Reduced Combi tickets are still available, so maybe you don’t have to choose after all. Get the full monty, 3 days of Desertfest Antwerp, or even throw in a day of Desertfest Ghent as a kicker.

We’ll be back soon with another round of new names.. stay tuned!

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)

DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

October feels like a long time away, but so does four o’clock this afternoon, so fair enough for Desertfest Belgium 2022 to make its first lineup announcements for Antwerp (Oct. 14-16) and Ghent (Oct. 30). Am I crazy or should they not add a third one? Maybe Brussels or Liège? Imagine the entire month of October weekends in Belgium, each with its own Desertfest? Not everyone can spend a month touring in a loop around Belgium, but hell, it’s not like they’re short on bands. Do a third, maybe a fourth edition and make it like some kind of October… fest. I bet that’d work. Octoberfest. A totally original idea specifically for this circumstance that I just had right now. You’re welcome.

Looks like the Elder and Pallbearer tour will swing through, and I’ll be interested to see if Gozu are doing any broader touring or are just hitting Antwerp and out — also how that might be timed to their new record currently being tracked — and certainly the Belgium edition of Desertfest is established enough that it’ll probably sell out both these editions without the full lineup announced. Hey guys, if you want me to book DF Liège, just let me know. I’m around.

Meantime, PR wire:

DF 2022 ANTWERP & GHENT: FIRST NAMES! CAVE IN, ELDER, PALLBEARER & MORE

Antwerp tickets: https://desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Ghent tickets: https://desertfest.be/ghent/information/ticketing/

Now that you’ve secured your Early Bird, of course you are dying to find out what’s in store. Or maybe you wanted to wait out this first announcement before shelling over your hard-earned cash?

Whatever may be the case, the wait is over. We are excited to share our first names with you, for both the Antwerp and Ghent edition. A couple of scene stalwarts, as well as some more out-there choices. Here we go!

Confirmed for ANTWERP & GHENT: ELDER and PALLBEARER are two legendary tastes that go very well together. To drive that point home, they will be appearing together at both Desertfest Belgium editions this fall. That’s it, that’s the message – don’t tell us you need to know any more to get your engines revving! But just in case, we’ll throw in IRIST and their unholy mix of metalcore and doom. All of these will be appearing in both Antwerp and Ghent.

Confirmed for ANTWERP ONLY are the illustrious don’t-call-it-post outfit CAVE-IN, and balls-to-the-wall rock band GOZU.

Confirmed for GHENT ONLY we have the Japanese post-screamo legends ENVY, and French apocalyptic doomsayers REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER.

Only one more thing left to say: go get your tickets! Reduced Combi formulas are now available, for the separate events as well as one super-duper joint combi-to-rule-them-all:

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)
DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)
DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

We’ll be back with more names to add, very soon..

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Elder, Live at Desertfest London 2022, April 30