First, it is so good to see underground heavy festivals — as a whole — double-down on supporting human-made art. This poster art rules and I look forward to seeing more from Desertfest Berlin as well.

But, on to the lineup. As one would anticipate, there’s some overlap with the Desertfest London 2027 announcement earlier this week, as the two flagship entries in the Desertfest sphere always have some acts going from one to the other. I’d keep an eye for Oslo as part of this as well. Here, we see the Melvins and Inter Arma, and that’s it, but more will come, and in the meantime, Desertfest Berlin 2027 of course looks like a banger for more than just the rad poster. Bongripper will make the trip over, as will Mexico’s Vinnum Sabbathi, and it’s cool to see Speck and Pink Fuzz getting a look as well. This is just the start, obviously, but it’s a killer start all the same.

More to come:

DESERTFEST BERLIN Announces First Wave of Bands and Confirms MELVINS, HÄLLAS, BONGRIPPER, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY & Many More!

DESERTFEST BERLIN is coming back heavy as ever in May 2027! After an absolutely packed edition in 2026 with a monstrous lineup and two of three days entirely sold-out, the legendary festival comes back with an equally heavy and versatile first wave of bands: Lead by experimental stoner masters MELVINS the lineup highlights Oli Ackermann’s modern noise-renegades A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, the epic Swedish adventure rockers HÄLLAS, the colossal riff machinery of BONGRIPPER, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY, GNOME and many more including the new heavy garage punk supergroup PRIMITIVE RING and scene-favorite newcomers SPOOKY EYES from Tasmania, playing one of their very first EU shows ever at Desertfest Berlin in 2027!

With 15 years of relentless affords under the belt to push the Berlin, German and European heavy music scene alongside other great festivals, promoters, labels, media outlets and bands to live vibrantly as it does today – with an ecstatic festival atmosphere, a sweet community, cheering crowds in front of stage and amazing young bands sharing stages with absolute legends, it looks like our scene shines brighter than the seemingly dark times around and this is the DESERTFEST BERLIN energy to go for 2027, pushing this unique scene celebration even further at Columbia Venues from May 14th to 16th!

Lineup:
MELVINS / HÄLLAS
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS 
BONGRIPPER / SMOKE BLOW
VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY / GNOME
INTER ARMA / PRIMITIVE RING / CARDIEL
SPOOKY EYES / PINK FUZZ / SPECK / VINNUM SABBATHI
And dozens more to come!

Tickets: Festival Passes are now available at https://www.desertfest.de/

https://www.desertfest.de
https://desertfest-tickets.de/produkte
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin

Vinnum Sabbathi, Intersatelital (2025)

Certainly I could’ve found a more current live clip of YOB to include with this post about the band playing Desertfest Berlin 2026 in an exclusive-for-Germany appearance (they’ll also be at Obsidian Dust in Belgium, also exclusive) — at least something to represent the current lineup of the band with Dave French (Steve Von Till, Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, etc.) on drums — but I didn’t, and the reason is I wanted to talk about the prospect eight years later of the next YOB record.

Up front, I’ll say I have no idea the status of such a thing, if it’s recorded and in the can or not even begun. There’s been word of YOB recording intermittently since 2018’s Our Raw Heart (review here), and the cosmic doomers have had live activity all the while (2020-’21 notwithstanding, of course), but it’s by far the longest stretch they’ve gone without an album release, and you know what? That’s fine.

I know. I should be complaining, griping like the entitled prick I am that 2018 was eight years ago, blah blah. It’s not that I don’t care. But YOB issued landmark after landmark from 2003 onward, and they don’t owe me, you or anybody else anything, and where some bands might take a break from writing or recording and it’s like what the hell, YOB are more likely to be that much stronger for doing so if that’s what they needed. Sometimes you need to live for a while as you sort out what you want to say about life. I don’t begrudge them the years. They’ve been around for more than 25 years. I’m just glad they still exist.

They’re in Australia this week, if you’re looking for more YOB news to coincide with this. Let the rest be sorted when it will, if it will.

From the PR wire:

DESERTFEST BERLIN Announces YOB for 2026

Exclusive Germany Show!

Barely has the dust settled from the latest band wave featuring Greenleaf, Toundra, Causa Sui and Gumm, and Desertfest Berlin is already raising the stakes again. The newest addition is a true heavyweight: YOB will play an exclusive Germany show in 2026!

For over 25 years, the Oregon doom masters have carved a singular path through heavy music – where colossal riffs, sky-bound vocals, and spiritual depth collide. Rooted in doom, stoner, and psychedelic sludge, their sound moves slowly yet hits with overwhelming force, pulling listeners into a transformative live experience.

This latest announcement further raises the bar on a line-up that was already operating at full volume: Red Fang, Russian Circles, Hermano feat. John Garcia, The Sword, King Buffalo, Acid King, Truckfighters, Crippled Black Phoenix, Nebula, Earthless, Rotor, Blackwater Holylight, Zerre, Pelican, High Desert Queen, and many more are set to appear.

Desertfest Berlin 2026 takes place from May 14–16, 2026 at Columbiahalle and Columbia Theater. Tickets and venue sleep-over options are available at:
www.desertfest-tickets.de

✨ARTWORK by Kuba Sokolski Illustration

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

YOB, Our Raw Heart (2018)

Now that I’ve seeen My Sleeping Karma at least once, Causa Sui might be at the top of my bands-to-see bucketlist. Definitely as regards instrumental acts from Europe, and probably overall as well. If I had an actual list, I could use it as reference. This is why I make lists. Because I’m a nerd. Anywho, it would be nice to see Causa Sui some day. And I hope you’re having a great afternoon.

The venerable Danish psych-jazz innovators are joined in the latest round of Desertfest Berlin 2026 adds by Greenleaf — among the finest the heavy rock underground has to offer — as well as Toundra from Spain making something of a comeback and, for a curve, Tennessee hardcore outfit Gumm, who are new to me.

Four bands total, but definitely a quality-over-quantity kind of deal. The full lineup thus far for Desertfest Berlin follows in the poster here, and the info below came from the PR wire:

DESERTFEST BERLIN – NEW BANDS ANNOUNCED

Four new acts join Desertfest Berlin: Toundra, Causa Sui, Greenleaf & Gumm

Tickets: https://desertfest-tickets.de/tickets

The Desertfest Berlin fire keeps spreading, and today we’re excited to welcome four new additions to the lineup. Each of them brings their own take on heavy music, from hypnotic stoner grooves to instrumental power and raw hardcore energy.

Toundra

After a two-year hiatus, Madrid’s instrumental giants Toundra return to the stage. Known for balancing massive riffs with intricate melodies and emotional depth, they are back with the power and precision that have made them one of Europe’s most respected instrumental rock bands.

Causa Sui

Danish psych explorers Causa Sui add their endlessly flowing instrumental soundscapes to the festival. Drawing from krautrock, heavy psych and classic stoner influences, their music feels like a giant wave rolling through decades of amplified history.

Greenleaf

Joining us from Sweden, Greenleaf return as true stoner rock torchbearers. With their unmistakable blend of fuzz-drenched riffs, soulful vocals and desert-blues atmospheres, they continue to shape the sound of modern heavy rock.

Gumm

From Chattanooga, Tennessee, Gumm deliver raw and uncompromising hardcore punk. Fast, direct and relentless, they bring pure intensity straight to the stage.

More bands will follow soon.

We’ll see you in the dust!

✨ARTWORK by Kuba Sokolski Illustration

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

Causa Sui, “The Circus is Back”

Hell yeah, Desertfest Berlin. The 2026 edition of the German flagship event of heavy’s most crucial festival brand will bring over Nebula for oldschool heads, Fomies for newer heads, Fuzz Sagrado for the in-betweens and Blackwater Holylight for the betterment of all humanity and the weekend in general. That’s not everybody in the second lineup announcement from Desertfest Berlin 2026, as Seattle’s Monsterwatch and Mexico City’s Cardiel will also be making the trip, but taken in combination with the first announcement — you can see the names below; golly they’ll make for a lovely assemblage — you can see it’s very much a roster worthy of the tradition they’re upholding. I don’t think underground heavy would be what it is in Europe today without Desertfest Berlin.

The PR wire brought the update:

DESERTFEST BERLIN reveals second wave of bands for 2026, adding NEBULA, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT & more!

The 2026 edition of DESERTFEST BERLIN just turned up the fuzz and drifted deeper into the void, as more mind-bending acts join the already eclectic line-up!

From the sunburned deserts of California, NEBULA bring their fuzz-soaked, interstellar riff rituals – pure cosmic fire. Portland’s BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT summon a dark, dreamlike blend of heavy psych and ethereal melody, where doom meets hypnosis. Sweden’s EF shape vast post-rock landscapes, full of emotion and light, stretching beyond the horizon. Switzerland’s fuzz prophets FOMIES channel raw desert spirit through sun-cracked distortion and groove, while FUZZ SAGRADO (ex Samsara Blues Experiment) deliver hypnotic, groove-driven stoner rock rooted in thick tones and jam-heavy flow. Seattle’s MONSTERWATCH erupt in a storm of grunge and punk fury, reckless and cathartic. And from the streets of Mexico City, CARDIEL will ignite the DESERTFEST BERLIN stage with their skate-punk–meets–psychedelic fuzz revolution – political, wild, and unstoppable.

Today’s new additions crank the line-up to the next level, joining a first wave that already boasts heavy-hitters like RUSSIAN CIRCLES, HERMANO ft. JOHN GARCIA, THE SWORD, KING BUFFALO, ACID KING, TRUCKFIGHTERS, EARTHLESS, and many more!

From May 14–16, 2026 at Columbiahalle & Columbia-Theater, DESERTFEST BERLIN will turn the German capital into a heavy riff sanctuary, with more names and special suprises to follow. Better act quick and get your ticket now at: https://desertfest-tickets.de/produkte

✨ARTWORK by Kuba Sokolski Illustration

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

Nebula, Livewired in Europe (2023)

First of all, this art frigging rules. Kuba Sokolski Illustration is apparently the party responsible for the look of Desertfest Berlin 2026, and I dig it. The colors, the theme, the implication of narrative in becoming part of something bigger than yourself. Oh yeah, and the first band announcements are pretty killer too.

Russian Circles, Hermano, The Sword, Acid King, King Buffalo, Truckfighters, Earthless, Crippled Black Phoenix, Pelican, Mother’s Cake, High Desert Queen, Zerre, and Dope Purple comprise the first cohort to join the lineup, and aside from having me at Acid King and King Buffalo — which, yeah; also Hermano — it’s good to see The Sword will take their reunion to Europe next Spring, and Truckfighters will likely be out supporting their new album, which is due around that time as well.

This won’t be nearly all of it, but it’s plenty and it’s a killer start. As with every year, I look forward to seeing how Desertfest and the European underground circuit will shape up for next Spring. Here’s the announce from social media:

BERLIN, THE DESERT IS CALLING! 🌌

We’re beyond stoked to drop the first wave for Desertfest Berlin 2026 // 14.-16. May 2026 – and it’s a riff-heavy ride straight into the void 🌙

Russian Circles will crush you with their cinematic post-metal soundscapes, while desert rock legends Hermano return with John Garcia at the helm. Texas riff titans The Sword are back to shake the ground, and the mighty Acid King keep the doom thick and smoky. King Buffalo invite you to drift away on cosmic psych grooves, while fuzzlords Truckfighters bring the Swedish desert storm with their first new album in 10 years.

Earthless will melt your mind with endless space jams, and Crippled Black Phoenix deliver apocalyptic rock full of grandeur. Expect instrumental heaviness from Chicago pioneers Pelican, plus wild progressive energy from Mother’s Cake. Adding Texan groove power from High Desert Queen, new wave of würzburgs thrash metal Zerre, and psych-doom freakouts from Taiwan’s Dope Purple – the storm is real.

If this line-up speaks to your soul – better grab your tickets now before they vanish into the haze: www.desertfest.de

DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026
14.-16. MAY 2026
COLUMBIA VENUES, BERLIN

WEEKEND TICKETS: 169€ on www.desertfest-tickets.de

⚡FIRST ANNOUNCEMENTS⚡
RUSSIAN CIRCLES
HERMANO
THE SWORD
ACID KING
KING BUFFALO
TRUCKFIGHTERS
EARTHLESS
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX
PELICAN
MOTHER’S CAKE
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
ZERRE
DOPE PURPLE
AND MANY MORE!

Your Desertfest Berlin Crew!

Join our Facebook Event for all Updates: DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026: https://www.facebook.com/events/2135415456871801/

✨ARTWORK by Kuba Sokolski Illustration

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

Hermano, Live at Hellfest 2025

Someday, Berlin. Feast your discerning eyes on the lineup as it stands for Desertfest Berlin 2025, already broken into day-splits as if to make the sheer glut of names easier to read. Polish exports Belzebong and German sludgers Bloodfang are the latest to join the proceedings, and both will play the first of the three days, which now also include a pre-show the night before the lineup for which is still TBA.

It’s particularly cool to see Elder headlining, as that’s a thing that’s been earned over the last 15-plus years of effort on the band’s part, and with The Hellacopters and Dinosaur Jr., there’s a whole past-meeting-present thing happening across the board that’s likewise rad, but Desertfest celebrating cross-generational heavy isn’t new. You can see it as well in Slomosa‘s placement, as well as Castle Rat‘s, the hype around both acts among the most fervent in today’s underground.

A little something for everyone, plus Stinking Lizaveta and Darsombra on the last day for the most glorious of weirdos among the attending. I guess there’s another lineup announcement to come as they round out the bill — time’s a-wastin’ — but for now here’s the latest from the PR wire:

DESERTFEST BERLIN adds BELZEBONG and BLOODFANG to its eclectic 2025-edition, and announces return of legendary Warm-Up Party!

Desertfest Berlin has added two new band names for its outstanding festival edition in 2025, and confirms Poland’s kings of instrumental stoner doom BELZEBONG, and German sludge, doom, and old-school heavy metal powerhouse BLOODFANG!

They will be joining the perhaps best and most eclectic line-up in the history of Desertfest Berlin, featuring iconic DINOSAUR JR., Swedish rock pioneers THE HELLACOPTERS, prog-and psych-rock masters ELDER (playing their groundbreaking “Lore” album in its entirety!), New Orleans sludge legends EYEHATEGOD, MY SLEEPING KARMA, US doom metallers PALLBEARER, Norwegian “tundra rock” frontrunners SLOMOSA, DOZER, TEMPLE FANG, LOWRIDER, Berlin’s riot grrrls 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN, HIPPIE DEATH CULT and so many more incredible live acts the stoner, rock, doom, sludge, psych and metal scene has to offer.

Desertfest Berlin will take place between May 23 – 25, 2025 at Columbiahalle and Columbia Theater. Get Tickets, Sleep Over possibilities & more infos now at: www.desertfest-tickets.de

Alongside many more upcoming specials during the festival, Desertfest Berlin furthermore announces the return of its legendary Warm-Up Party for May 22nd at Neue Zukunft! The bands who will be warming you up for this year’s Desertfest are still secret, but will be announced in the days ahead. Tickets for the iconic Warm-Up are now available at: www.desertfest-tickets.de

—
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

Belzebong, Live at Ripplefest Texas 2024

Three more names for Desertfest Berlin 2025 and by all the ‘more’ that’s featured on each day of the poster below, I’m guessing it’s not the last round of lineup additions to come before the festival takes place this May. Scott Hepple and the Sun Band are a mystery to me, but they’re booked now for London, Oslo and Berlin Desertfests, as well as Freak Valley and more, so good for them being all over the place. Hippie Death Cult just announced another European tour, and they too are making the Desertfest rounds in multiple cities, while The Mystery Lights so far as I know are Berlin-only but coming from New York to play, so good on them making the trip too.

You can see the full lineup below, with The Hellacopters, Dinosaur Jr. and Elder headlining and the likes of Slomosa, Dozer, Khan, My Sleeping Karma, Lowrider and Elephant Tree, Stinking Lizaveta and Darsombra, Temple Fang, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol previously confirmed. If you haven’t caught wind of this one yet in 2025, the appeal pretty much speaks for itself.

Or at least the PR wire speaks for it:

DESERTFEST BERLIN adds HIPPIE DEATH CULT, THE MYSTERY LIGHTS and SCOTT HEPPLE & THE SUN BAND, who will join DINOSAUR JR., ELDER, THE HELLACOPTERS & many more outstanding live acts in 2025!

Desertfest Berlin has revealed three new names for its outstanding festival edition in 2025, and confirms Portland’s heavy doom and cosmic riff worship at its finest: HIPPIE DEATH CULT, New York’s raw and fuzzy garage-psych act THE MYSTERY LIGHTS and UK-based psychedelic vintage rockers SCOTT HEPPLE & THE SUN BAND!

This May will see Desertfest Berlin undoubtedly run its perhaps best and most eclectic line-up to date, welcoming iconic DINOSAUR JR., Swedish rock pioneers THE HELLACOPTERS, prog-and psych-rock masters ELDER (playing their groundbreaking “Lore” album in its entirety!), New Orleans sludge legends EYEHATEGOD, MY SLEEPING KARMA returning home, US doom metallers PALLBEARER, Norwegian “tundra rock” frontrunners SLOMOSA, DOZER, TEMPLE FANG, LOWRIDER and so many more incredible live acts the stoner, rock, doom, sludge, psych and metal scene has to offer.

Desertfest Berlin will take place between May 23 – 25, 2025 at Columbiahalle and Columbia Theater. While the Early-Bird tickets sold out in within hours, regular passes are available at: www.desertfest-tickets.de

—
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

Hippie Death Cult, “Toxic Annihilator” official video

Business as usual here with Desertfest Berlin 2025 continuing to build a markedly badass lineup for this coming May. Obviously, a band like The Hellacopters need no excuse but have one anyway with an album due at the end of January (new video below), and Slomosa joining the fray isn’t such a shocker since they’re everywhere as they support their second album. Daufødt are new to me and they have at least one member of adventurous Norwegian proggers Kanaan in the lineup, so that’s bound to be interesting, Bismut rule, Green Milk From Planet Orange have a track record of weirding up past Desertfests, and this is the second European show I’ve seen locked in for Austin, Texas’ Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol (the first was Desertfest London; there may be more by now), whose 2024 album, Big Dumb Riffs (review here), remains a stomping, unrepentantly fun manifestation of the intent behind it.

The poster is nothing if not enticing, from Elder and Lowrider and Elephant Tree down to Kant, Khan and Skyjoggers. You don’t need me to tell you to make travel plans, I know, but if you’re looking for daydream fodder, imagine this particular Spring weekend:

DESERTFEST BERLIN announces THE HELLACOPTERS, SLOMOSA, BISMUT & more new names for 2025!

Kicking off into your weekend with a true big bang, Desertfest Berlin has unleashed a batch of new names for their eclectic 2025-edition, confirming Swedens rock icons THE HELLACOPTERS, Norwegian tundra rockers SLOMOSA, BISMUT, GREEN MILK FROM PLANET ORANGE, STORY, DAUFØDT and RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL!

They will be joining previously-announced bands such as prog-and psych-rock overlords ELDER (playing their groundbreaking “Lore” album in its entirety!), New Orleans sludge legends EYEHATEGOD, Swedish stoner rockers LOWRIDER, blues rock favs THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES, Berlins riot grrrls 24/7 DIVA HEAVEN and many more high-class live acts.

Desertfest Berlin will take place between May 23 – 25, 2025 at Columbiahalle and Columbia Theater. While the Early-Bird tickets sold out in within hours, regular passes are available at: www.desertfest-tickets.de

—
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 Hellacopters, “Leave a Mark” official video

Slomosa, “Monomann” live at Bergen Kjøtt, Duper Studios