And so the Fall tourscape continues to unfold. King Buffalo heading abroad again is news, I think. They’re playing RippleFest Texas at the end of September, and between Keep it Low 2023 on Oct. 6-7 and the also-Sound–of–Liberation-affiliated Lazy Bones Festival in Hamburg, for which they were confirmed last week, it looks like they’ll once more spend at least the better part of a month on the road. Good to know these things.

Joining them in this whopper of an announcement is the e’er aggro Mantar, reinvigorated doom legends The Obsessed — who seem to be hitting the touring circuit that much harder with their revamped lineup — the reliably-unhinged Eyehategod, upstart rockers Slomosa, and Humulus, Dirty Sound Magnet, The Moth (who rule and hopefully have a new record coming), Eremit, Lucid Void and masked marauders Iron Walrus. It’s a busy one, but check out the generational blend between the likes of Colour Haze, The Obsessed, Eyehategod and Alabama Thunderpussy and the likes of Slomosa, King Buffalo, and Lucid Void.

Seems to me like we’re in a pretty killer moment of established acts still getting out and releasing quality material (The Obsessed have a new album that hopefully will be out concurrent to this tour) and newer bands on the rise. As the 2020s play out post-pandemic, this may be the shape of the next few years. Let’s learn from the past and support the shit out of the next generation of bands, hmm?

Here’s the latest:

NEW BANDS ADDED TO KEEP IT LOW FESTIVAL 2023

Hey Keepers,

we’re super stoked to present you the latest additions to our Keep It Low line up!

Please welcome to the bill:

MANTAR
The Obsessed
King Buffalo
EYEHATEGOD
Slomosa
Dirty Sound Magnet
Humulus
THE MOTH
Eremit
Lucid Void
IRON WALRUS

FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1511616365992301

Complete line-up:
COLOUR HAZE – MANTAR – THE OBSESSED – KING BUFFALO – EYEHATEGOD – ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY – BELZEBONG – SLOMOSA – THRONEHAMMER – DAILY THOMPSON – DIRTY SOUND MAGNET – HUMULUS – THE MOTH – EREMIT – LUCID VOID – IRON WLARUS

& MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

Weekend tickets are available in our shop.
www.sol-tickets.com

Keep It Low Festival
6. & 7. October 2023
Backstage Munich

https://www.facebook.com/keepitlowfestival/
https://www.keepitlow.de/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/
http://www.sol-tickets.com

King Buffalo, “Firmament” live in St. Louis, MO, Jan. 15, 2023

Based in Seelbach, Germany, the Hoflärm Festival will host its fifth edition this August, as seemingly every weekend of Europe’s Spring and Summer fest season seems to increasingly have something going on somewhere at sometime. A glut of cool events is nothing to complain about for anyone who remembers a couple years back when there was nothing — which, as much as one tries to repress those particular memories, I still do — and the lineup here is right on in terms of vibe with Acid King, Mars Red Sky, Messa and Elephant Tree so far at the top of the bill with Rotor, Swan Valley Heights, Mondo Generator, Grin, Black Lung, Eremit, Madmess, Old Horn Tooth and Kvinna rounding out and a few black boxes on the poster like the rest of the lineup has been redacted for the purposes of protecting classified information.

And I won’t argue with Hoflärm adding another six or seven bands, but, I mean, this is already pretty killer on first blush. You’ll note this takes place over three days, so spreading the 20 bands out over that long, it seems like a pretty laid back kind of deal — at least until Mondo Generator starts ripping into Kyuss tunes, but that’s fun too — and not necessarily as overwhelming as some multi-stage fests in Europe and elsewhere. This is the five-year anniversary of the fest, and to see Acid King and Mars Red Sky alone, it’s already got me daydreaming, so I take that as a win.

Details follow as per Hoflärm‘s socials:

Hoflärm – 5th Anniversary – GO FOR THE RIDE

Join us this year for the 5th stony ride to Hoflärm 2023! We are very happy to announce the first bands of the line-up today! We also announce the start of the presale for 05.02.2023 at 5 pm!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hoflarm-2023-tickets-532032201637

Started in 1993, we are more than proud to welcome Acid King! The band around Lori S. looks back on 30 years of band history and will bring their new Album to Marienthal in August.

Mars Red Sky and Elephant Tree will drive you into the sunset with their all time classics like Strong Reflection or Wither! We’re already feeling the vibe around the yard!

A very special highlight we are looking forward to is Messa. The Italian doom band combines the raw and rough sides of doom with the warm summer evenings of the Hoflärm.

Just last year, stoner legend Nick Oliveri visited us with his band Stöner. Nick liked it and had reason enough to come knocking on our door again in 2023. We are looking forward to Mondo Generator, Mr. Oliveri!

We also have visitors from Berlin again, on the one hand we are happy to welcome Rotor, our tractors are running at Vollast! But on the other hand also Grin! We can’t imagine a Hoflärm without Jan, Sabine and Andre! In 2021 the three played with Earth Ship, in 2022 with Slowshine. This year, however, only Sabine and Jan will be on stage, Andre will mingle with the audience while Grin plays their crushing riffs.

Black Lung and Madmess will bring you through our hot afternoons with their heavy psych rock!

Doom over Marienthal: Eremit and Old Horn Tooth will be blasting the darkest riffs into your ears! Live Slow Die Old!

Last but not least, we are happy to welcome 2 bands that have played at the Hof in the past! Swan Valley Heights and Kvinna! Kvinna was the band that opened the first Hoflärm, who of you was there and can remember?

Stay tuned for even more announcements! We have more Bands, as well another Headliner & Co Headliner to announce!

Event page: https://facebook.com/events/s/hoflarm-2023-5th-anniversary/583432620099196/

https://www.facebook.com/Hofcafe.Hoflaerm
https://instagram.com/hoflaerm/
https://www.hoflaerm.de/

Mars Red Sky, “Strong Reflection” official video

It’s not quite what one would usually think of as a video, but atmospherically speaking, it definitely gets the point across. Also, the point is atmosphere, and it’s one that Berlin’s Neànder — also stylized all-lowercase, neànder, presumably to preserve the humility their tonal onslaught casts aside — make well on “Eremit,” which is the title-track of their upcoming full-length on Through Love Records. Set to release Oct. 9, its titular representative finds the band coursing between atmospheric sludge and doom — so yes, post-metal — with a particular strain of weight in the low end that seems to give all the more breadth to the upper register guitars, creating space enough for sharper lead lines as well as the seeming float of effects.

Coinciding with a solid march set by the drums, not too fast, but more than one might call a plod, the track builds toward its final 90-or-so seconds with increasing tempo and intensity, eventually hitting more extreme territory but handling it with no less a sense of control than the band has maintained all along. I haven’t heard the full album yet, but given what’s going on here, I would expect the combination of refinement and sheer weight to be consistent in progressive fashion. They earn the grey on that cover image.

But the video. Yeah, it’s not quite a video so much as a manipulation of the album cover. It goes into and out of focus in different parts slowly, zooms in and out. Basically it’s a way to feature the song. They’re calling it a visualizer and that’s fine by me. Visualize yourself listening to the track and you’re probably headed in the right direction.

I hear there might be tour dates in the works for the German outfit — must be nice — but in the interim and before the album comes out, you’ll find the a/v and more info below.

Please enjoy:

Neànder, “Eremit” official visualizer

October 9th 2020 will see Berlin- based collective, neànder, return with their brand new, sophomore album “eremit”, only one and a half year after releasing their critically acclaimed debut. With their upcoming magnum opus, neànder continue to evolve their very own blend of heavy music that draws on musical elements of doom, ambient and black metal. A bleak and desolate atmosphere casts its shadow on this record, while the band cuts a dark crystal playing with variations of light and shade.

“We wanted to dig deeper into our own sound. As a result the riffs are slower and heavier than before and the epic parts are way more intense“ said the band earlier. “This album is all about finding your identity. Figure out who you are and then head out for the next chapter“ adds guitarist Jan Korbach. “We wrote our first album over a period of three years, but this one only took 6 months. And this really sticks it all together.“

Today, neànder have premiered a moody visualizer to the crushing album title track, “eremit”. The single is available via several digital platforms here: https://linktr.ee/neandereremit

“We didn’t felt that the new song ‘Eremit’ needed a music video in the classical sense.“ Korbach continues. “Like some band playing in a warehouse (I can say it, because I’ve done this too many times). Like this one can focus 100% on the music. In my mind the visualizer reflects the mood of the song perfectly. A creature from outta space (so to say) – that is not to be named yet – created the 3D animation.”

Album Tracklist:
Purpur (prelude)
Purpur
Eremit
Ora
Clivina
Atlas

Neànder on Thee Facebooks

Neànder on Instagram

Through Love Records on Bandcamp

Through Love Records website