The only real danger in posting the next three bands to be added to Desertfest Berlin 2025 a couple days late, I suppose, is falling behind. The flagship German edition of the world’s foremost heavyfest brand has three-at-a-time’d it now-three times since Sept. 25, and if they were to continue in this fashion until the full lineup is revealed, well, that’d be fine. I’ll do my best to keep up either way, and I’m all for shaking up the batch-at-once modus generally employed. In this hellish content-driven modernity, the more is apparently the merrier regardless, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Desertfest has been thoughtful in how it’s laid these things out so far.

To wit, this round is Eyehategod, The Devil and the Almighty Blues and Khan. Last announcement was Elephant Tree, Wine Lips and Kant. The first was Elder, Lowrider and Castle Rat. Each one is a mix of up and comers and acts likely to be higher on the bill. That’s the pattern to this point, and of course it could change, or not. Either way, nine bands in, Desertfest Berlin already looks pretty killer. If they put up three more bands before this goes live or it comes over the weekend, so be it.

From social media or wherever these things come from when I find them stoned:

Coming in hot and heavy: OUR NEXT BANDS FOR 🌵DFESERTFEST BERLIN 2025! 🌵

⚡️ EYEHATEGOD ⚡️

Get ready to dive into a world full of mayhem with sludge legends Eyehategod – notorious since 1988. Their music is a raw and unfiltered outcry, with lyrics questioning the system, all tied together with brutal riffs. With over 30 years of stage experience, their live performances are nothing short of intense. Eyehategod is here to guide you straight into the abyss!

⚡️THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES ⚡️

The heaviest of all Norwegian Blues Rock Bands joins Desertfest Berlin again! With a deep love for the old heroes of the blues – hand in hand with rock, metal, country and punk, The Devil and the Almighty Blues is armed with old Gibson guitars and tube amps. Their new take on blues rock is heavy without being metallic, slow without being doomy, bluesy without being boring. It’s slow, heavy, melodic and raw!

⚡️KHAN ⚡️

Khan meld hazy psychedelia and heavy stoner riffs with a penchant for progressive rhythms and almost dirge-like, industrial- scale crescendos. The songs are lyrically evocative, exuding a sense of despondency and melancholy. Vocally, their songs waver from ethereal falsetto and hypnotic crooning to impassioned wailing punctuated by occasional guttural screams.

Riff ‘till we die,
Your Desertfest Crew

—
DESERTFEST BERLIN 2025
23. – 25. May 2025 – Columbia Venues
🎟 www.desertfest-tickets.de

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1840149496511466/

www.desertfest.de
www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin

The Devil and the Almighty Blues, “These Are Old Hands” live at Desertfest Oslo 2024

Damn, Desertfest Berlin. Two announcements in a week’s time and already among the confirmed are Elder, Lowrider and Elephant Tree. This round also brings encouraging upstarts Kant, who’ll soon make their debut on SOL Records, the label wing of European booking concern Sound of Liberation, which of course has a strong hand in the festival as well, and Canada’s Wine Lips, who also made rounds on heavyfests this year. And who’s left from the first two announcements? Castle Rat, who put on a goddamn show. I’m always curious to see how the historically-two-now-three Spring editions of Desertfest intertwine, between Berlin, London and now Oslo, and ’25 is no different. These festivals have come to shape touring routes for entire seasons, and it’s never really until the full lineups are revealed that we get the full picture of what that looks like. I guess I like seeing how the pieces fit together.

If the quick-staggering of announcements is going to continue, I don’t know, but I’ll do my best to keep up as always. Desertfest Berlin is a landmark for attendees and performers alike. It’s already a banger and I don’t even know how low of a fraction of the bill has been made public. If I’m a nerd because I think that’s exciting, fine.

From social media:

As promised, our next three Bands for 🪐DESERTFEST BERLIN 2025 🪐:

⚡️WINE LIPS ⚡️

Since forming in 2015, Wine Lips has built its name as one of the best Canadian garage punk bands going. This years Super Mega Ultra LP is perhaps the best example of how the band can flex its muscles in tight, anthemic bursts as well as stretch out into psych. Make sure, to not miss out on that!

⚡️ELEPHANT TREE⚡️

Elephant Tree is a London-based band known for their captivating blend of stoner rock, doom, and psychedelic sounds. Formed in 2014, they’ve released acclaimed albums like Elephant Tree* and *Habits*, showcasing heavy riffs and introspective lyrics. Known for their electrifying live performances, Elephant Tree delivers an immersive experience that resonates long after the last note fades.

⚡️KANT⚡️

A modern look back at the glory days of heavy psychedelic rock. The interplay between the four Aschaffenburgers of Kant creates the soundtrack to a 70s head cinema. This sound underpins thoughts of sunny drives across the Sunset Strip of the 60s, a Mexican standoff in an abandoned western town or dark rites in a forest shrouded in rain. From 60s surf vibe to 70s heavy rock riffs.

We’ll continue with more band announcements next week! 💫

Cheers,
Your Desertfesters

—
DESERTFEST BERLIN 2025
23. – 25. May 2025 – Columbia Venues
🎟 www.desertfest-tickets.de

LINEUP
ELDER | LOWRIDER | WINE LIPS | ELEPHANT TREE | CASTLE RAT | KANT | MORE TBA

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1840149496511466/

www.desertfest.de
www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin

Elephant Tree, “Try” official video

I’m digging the art designs for next year’s Euro Desertfests. As Berlin and London roll out their first announcements and Oslo confirms Elder — with more to come all around, of course — you can get something of a darker picture than some years past in terms of design, and while I don’t think a normal person sees strange orbs and gritty splatters and thinks to themselves, “Well this looks like a good time, I think I’ll buy a weekend ticket,” it speaks to the community without stonerly pandering and, in the case of Desertfest Berlin 2025’s sphere-shaped feature, feels somehow cosmic. If that’s an object about to slam into the Earth, well, that’s a pretty heavy experience. No doubt the festival will be one too.

Elder, Lowrider and Castle Rat are the first names. Elder‘s tour has been announced — the band quote below is making the rounds, assuring of moving forward even as they celebrate 10 years of a landmark record — and I’ll assume Castle Rat dates are forthcoming. I’m curious whether Lowrider will be at either the Oslo or Berlin Desertfests, but I’m not cool enough to have that kind of insider knowledge, and really anytime you get Lowrider to do a show anywhere, it’s a win. Should they turn out to be Berlin-only, good for Berlin.

Here’s what went out on socials a bit ago, emojis and all:

Desertfreaks,
we proudly present our first 3 confirmed bands for DESERTFEST BERLIN 2025:

⚡️ELDER ⚡️

Lore 10th anniversary show

Some thoughts from Elder: Lore is turning 10 years old. This album marked a point of departure for Elder upon a path which the band is still walking now. For us, this is the record where the band came into its own as a unique voice in the heavy rock underground. As we approach our second decade as a band, we feel it’s appropriate to look back on this landmark for us and acknowledge it properly, which is why we’re doing a tour performing the entire album along with some other tracks from our earlier catalog; we’ll give this era of the band a proper celebration before turning our attention once again toward the future and the next album, currently being written.

⚡️LOWRIDER ⚡️

Their Instagram bio simply states: ‘Rock and/or Roll from Sweden. Apparently guilty of being James Hetfield’s fav band.’ And we have nothing more to add to Lowrider🔥

⚡️CASTLE RAT ⚡️

Castle Rat is a Medieval Fantasy Doom Metal band hailing from Brooklyn, NY, and led by Riley Pinkerton — ‘The Rat Queen’. On her mission to expand and defend ‘The Realm’ from those who seek to destroy it, The Rat Queen is joined by Henry Black — ‘The Count’ and Ronnie Lanzilotta — ‘The Plague Doctor’, and Joshua Strmic — ‘The Druid’. Together, they face the relentless wrath of their arch nemesis: Death Herself — ‘The Rat Reaperess.’

👀Next Band announcement on 28th September!

Cheers,
Your Desertfest Crew

DESERTFEST BERLIN 2025
23. – 25. May 2025 – Columbia Venues
🎟www.desertfest-tickets.de

www.desertfest.de
www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin

Lowrider, “And the Horse You Rode in On” official video