It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it, before the great American disruptor returned? As Europe’s Spring 2018 festival season continues to take shape — I’ve hardly seen a word about summer outside of a certain hellacious France-based fest held annually each June — Psycho Las Vegas 2018, set once again for the dead heat of August in Nevada’s basically-uninhabitable-were-it-not-for-air-conditioning desert stronghold of decadence, is lashing out early with its first lineup announcements and putting its tickets on sale. Waste not want not in all things, including time.

If they’re early with the first Psycho Las Vegas 2018 announcements, they’re certainly already working at the scale one expects from what’s become the US’ premium heavy festival. High on Fire, Goblin, Witchcraft, a notable underground first-timer import in DVNE, as well as the extremity of Indian, the profile of Zakk Sabbath and the spacious S U R V I V E, otherwise known as the duo behind the soundtrack to Stranger Things. I still haven’t managed to watch the second season. Any good?

Either way, this is just the start for Psycho, as we all know, but it’s a hell of a start, and on looks forward to what they build up as we get closer to next summer. They haven’t failed yet to outdo themselves in scope or scale, and they continue to give the rest of Planet Earth a run for its money in that.

The PR wire brought official word:

PSYCHO LAS VEGAS 2018: Announcing Witchcraft, Goblin, High on Fire + MORE, Tix on Sale

TICKETS ON SALE
FRIDAY 12/15 @ 10AM PST HERE

AUGUST 17-19, 2018
@ HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS

The award winning Psycho Las Vegas has announced its return, along with its first round of bands it plans to host next August 17-19 at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Expectations are high for the fest after last year’s massive, expertly curated selection of artists from around the globe, and if
this first taste of the lineup is any indication, 2018 promises to go above and beyond, setting the desert on fire.

The list of bands they have unleashed to reign havoc as of now are:

The return and reunion of Swedish psychedelic fuzz legends Witchcraft will be playing their first US show since 2009. In line with their reputation for scoring highly coveted sets, Psycho Las Vegas will be only one of two US dates that the band will be performing in 2018. Joining the ranks are Italian purveyors of prog rock, Goblin, most notable for their original scores for Dawn of the Dead & Disturbia; beloved stoned thrashers High On Fire; guitar lord Zakk Sabbath; horror-synth group S U R V I V E, best known for scoring Stranger Things; the reunion of Chicago doom heavyweights Indian; and UK’s prog masters DVNE, who will be performing their first ever US show at this year’s fest.

The first 2500 tickets sold will also include access to the Psycho Las Vegas Pre-fest Pool Party on August 16, which is not only the most notorious pre-party in town, but also includes favorite Psycho alumni.

PSYCHO LAS VEGAS 2018
AUGUST 17-19

WITCHCRAFT
GOBLIN
HIGH ON FIRE
ZAKK SABBATH
S U R V I V E
INDIAN
DVNE
And many, many more to be unleashed…

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psycho-las-vegas-2018-tickets-41041983678
http://www.vivapsycho.com
https://www.facebook.com/psychoLasVegas
https://www.instagram.com/psycholasvegas

DVNE, Asheran (2017)

Edinburgh heavy prog pummelcrafters DVNE issued their Asheran full-length earlier this year and they’re set to hit mainland Europe to support it in October. Keeping company with France’s Crackhouse, the Scottish four-piece will his Germany, France, the Netherlands and territory closer to home as they go, and as you can see on the list of shows below — dutifully and probably incorrectly typed out from the poster by yours truly — there are still a few dates to be filled in, including one that DVNE will look to play on Oct. 28 before they meet up with their tourmates in Toulouse. I don’t necessarily believe in karma, but science and folkloric wisdom alike tell us that good things happen to people who help cool bands find gigs in time of need. That’s just an indisputable fact.

Info on the run and the poster came down the PR wire. Dig it:

Dvne & Crackhouse November Tour

Edinburgh based DVNE has announced European tour dates thoughout October and November in support of their latest album Asheran.

The band will be touring with French post-metal trio Crackhouse (Argonauta Records) from the 27th of October until the 18th of November. Both bands will be performing shows in France, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK.

DVNE & Crackhouse European Tour:
27.10 Tours, ESP, Gentiana, FR*
28.10 TBC**
30.10 Toulouse, Pavillons Sauvages, FR
31.10 Poitiers, Le Zinc, FR
01.11 Rennes, Bar’Hic, FR
02.11 Paris, Olympic Cafe, FR
03.11 Rouen, 3 Pieces, FR
04.11 Lille, Le Biplan, FR
05.11 TBC
06.11 TBC
07.11 TBC
08.11 Amsterdam, The Winston, NL
09.11 Tubigen, DE (TBA)
10.11 Muflingen, QL Tour Raum, DE
11.11 TBC
15.11 Edinburgh, Banshee, UK
16.11 Glasgow, Nice and Sleazy, UK
17.11 Newcastle, UK (TBA)
18.11 Sheffield, The Lughole, UK
*Crackhouse only
**DVNE only

Asheran is out now on 2xLP and digital via Wasted State Records, available HERE.

Asheran is a 60 minute tapestry of music, an epic narrative following the tale of the rise and fall of civilisations, the return of an empire thought millennia lost, and the world-spanning events that unfold as a consequence.

DVNE is:
Victor Vicart – Guitar, Vocals, Keys
Dan Barter – Guitar & Vocals
Dudley Tait – Drums
Allan Paterson – Bass

https://www.facebook.com/DvneUK
https://twitter.com/SongsOfArrakis
https://www.instagram.com/dvne_uk/
https://songs-of-arrakis.bandcamp.com/album/asheran
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wasted-State-Records/111088732018
https://twitter.com/wastedstate
http://www.wastedstate.com/

DVNE, “Thirst” official video

Edinburgh-based four-piece DVNE have been playing shows steadily around the UK since the 2014 release of their last album, Aurora Majesty, so they haven’t been completely absent or anything like that. Their name tends to pop up in all-dayer lineups and things like that. Still, with three years between that record and the forthcoming Asheran, which the band touts as being an hour-long concept piece set to a story about a lost empire (about which you can read more below), the sense I get is that maybe this record took longer to come together than the standard “well, we’ve got eight songs and here they are”-type release might. Call me crazy.

With just over two months to go before the July 28 release through Wasted State Records, there’s no audio unveiled as yet, but you can see the Eli Quinn cover art and the tracklisting here, courtesy of the band’s Bandcamp page, where both Aurora Majesty and the prior Progenitor EP (review here) are streaming. Dig it:

DVNE – Asheran

Asheran is a 60 minute tapestry of music, an epic narrative following the tale of the rise and fall of civilisations, the return of an empire thought millennia lost, and the world-spanning events that unfold as a consequence.

Rich with themes of science fiction, environmental issues, and both dystopic and utopic visions for the future of humanity, listeners can expect the album to bring the pure heaviness vaunted during Aurora Majesty, whilst at the same time being tempered by the combination of more mature progressive, genre-spanning, and often at times melodic song-writing the band are quickly making their hallmark approach.

Releases July 28, 2017.

— I —
The Crimson Path
Viridian Bloom

— II —
Thirst
Descent Of The Asheran

— III —
Sunsets Grace
Rite Of Seven Mournings

— IV —
Edenfall
Scion

Recorded and produced by Graeme Young at Chamber Studios
chamberstudio.co.uk

Mixed and Mastered by Tom Dring at Vagrant Recordings
vagrant-recordings.co.uk

Artwork by Eli Quinn
Facebook.com/eliquinnart

DVNE is:
Victor Vicart – Guitar, Vocals, Keys
Dan Barter – Guitar & Vocals
Dudley Tait – Drums
Allan Paterson – Bass

Jenni Sneddon – Vocals (Edenfall)

Release date: 28 July 2017 by Wasted State Records
wastedstaterecords.bandcamp.com

https://songs-of-arrakis.bandcamp.com/album/asheran
https://www.instagram.com/dvne_uk/
https://twitter.com/SongsOfArrakis
https://www.facebook.com/DvneUK
wastedstaterecords.bandcamp.com

DVNE, Aurora Majesty (2014)

Next month, as the world turns its attention toward the coming onslaught of spring and summer festival season, UK sludgers Kurokuma and DVNE will head out together on a short round of dates to herald new releases. In the case of Kurokuma, it’s a single, a cover of Kraftwerk‘s “Radioactivity,” which I won’t even pretend to be familiar with, and for DVNE, it’s an impending full-length to follow-up on their 2014 two-songer, Aurora Majesty, and the preceding 2013 EP, Progenitor (review here). Bands, obviously, have toured for less reasonable causes.

As a side note, Kurokuma‘s Joe Allen was recently announced as having a new drone project with Jon Davis from Conan called DOS. Info is sparse as yet, but there’s a Thee Facebooks and that’s a place to start. Kurokuma also have a few killer live dates before the tour that you can see in the update below.

Dig it:

Kurokuma and DVNE, two imposing figures in UK sludge join forces for five dates in April this year. The trail starts off with two dates in Scotland before rolling down to England for three shows there.

DVNE will be playing tracks from their upcoming album, Asheran, which will see the light of day this summer – the band’s first release since 2014’s Aurora Majesty.

Kurokuma’s next output is set to be a prodigious cover of Kraftwerk’s “Radioactivity” along with fitting visuals. Kurokuma will also feature heavily in the upcoming documentary on UK doom, The Doom Doc (www.facebook.com/thedoomdoc).

Kurokuma & DVNE UK tour:
Friday 14th April – Musical Vision, Aberdeen (w/ Death Watch)
https://www.facebook.com/events/773008732850857/
Saturday 15th April – Bannerman’s, Edinburgh (w/ Seas, Starry and Somaesthesia)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1427787527292620/
Friday 21st April – Pi Bar, Leicester (w/ Temple of Lies)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1852908281589863/
Saturday 22nd April – Doom Over Dewsbury all-dayer at The Old Turk, Dewsbury (w/ Foetal Juice, Battalions and more)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1314224735336355/
Sunday 23rd April – Stag and Hounds, Bristol (w/ Lacertilia and CTBKM)
https://www.facebook.com/events/651351828358443/

Kurokuma live dates:
Saturday 4th March – Star & Garter, Manchester supporting Slomatics
Friday 17th March – Plug, Sheffield supporting Crowbar
Friday 31st March – Chameleon Arts Cafe, Nottingham supporting Alunah
Saturday 8th April – Ritual Festival, Leeds w/ Ihsahn, Anaal Nathrakh, Bossk, Serpent Venom and more

www.facebook.com/kurokumauk
kurokumauk.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/dvneuk
songs-of-arrakis.bandcamp.com

Kurokuma, Advorsus (2016)

DVNE, Aurora Majesty (2014)