Am I crazy (granted) or are we a little early arriving at the place where Desertfest throws down 20-someodd bands — in this case 28 — added all at once to the lineup? I mean, 28 bands, even for a four-day festival, would be a festival lineup. So Desertfest London 2026 is basically showcasing an entire fest’s worth of fest as just part of its broader lineup, the first announcement for which came out just a little over a month ago. I’m not worried about the promo plan or anything, you understand. They know what they’re doing. But I usually think of this kind of thing coming in winter as a hopeful portent of spring. Here in the backwater US, we haven’t even changed the clocks yet.

But can you blame them for being excited? If I had Hermano, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Solace, Causa Sui, High Desert Queen, Steak, Abrams, Alunah, Moundrag, Bismut and the rest of this cohort — Dandy Brown pulling double-duty between Hermano and Lorquin’s Admiral; nice — locked in, I might splurge too. And hopefully I’ll have more to say on this subject, but Solace‘s booked return to the UK has me convinced their new album will be out by the time they go. Do me a favor and don’t prove me wrong.

There’s a lot to like here, and also just a lot for what’s a relatively straightforward list of names. Read ’em and weep:

OUR SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT IS HERE! We’ve got 28 juicy additions to our 2026 edition and this announcement one is truly one for the DF OGs right here: desert legends HERMANO will headline the Electric Ballroom at Desertfest 2026.

Back to show us all how it’s done, John Garcia and the California cult icons will be playing their first UK show in almost two decades and we know that they’ll receive the homecoming they deserve at Desertfest London.

↠ Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – returning to Desertfest stage for the first time in 8 years.

↠ Danish heavy psych heroes turned instrumental wizards Causa Sui make their Desertfest London debut!

↠ New Jersey stoner-doom veterans Solace playing their first UK show in over a decade.

And that’s not all, folks! We’ve still to announce our final headliner for our second stint at the Roundhouse, but in the meantime we’ve prepared a mighty offering that we know you’ll love in our latest round of artists set for 2026:

HERMANO
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
Causa Sui
Zig Zags
Steak Band
Solace
Deaf Club
Witchsorrow
High Desert Queen
MOUNDRAG
KOMODOR
Alunah
CULT OF OCCULT
Forlorn
LORQUIN’S ADMIRAL
OMO
ALPHAWHORES
Abrams
Bismut
Okay You Win UK
Ironrat
Kannabinõid
MOLTEN SLAG
HASHTRONAUT
ISAK
SUPERNAUGHTT
Teiger
Nomadic Reign

Phase 2 tickets are on sale now: https://link.dice.fm/Desertfest2026

https://www.desertfest.co.uk/
http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon

Hermano, When the Moon Was High (2024)

The end of this month will bring the first-ever Lay Bare Fest, put together at the behest of Lay Bare Recordings, whose varied and international lineup will be showcased at The Black Heart in London. The initial announcement for the all-dayer came through in May, and the lineup has now been finalized, not only with Coltaine and The Answer Lies in the Black Void and Mrs Frighthouse celebrating new album releases, but with new UK-based additions Kulk, Forlorn and Taz Corona.

If the latter name rings familiar, you might recall Corona from her time in Undersmile and the related project Coma Wall. I’m not sure what form her solo work takes, if she has a band with her or is acoustic, plugged-in, etc., but she’ll open the day ahead of Rats and Daggers and Mrs Frighthouse, both divergent and pummeling as they are.

Looks like good fun for the sonically adventurous. The PR wire brought the poster and details, so by all means, have at it:

LAY BARE RECORDINGS to Host First-Ever London Festival; “Lay Bare Fest: Frequencies Across Borders”!

Lay Bare Recordings, an independent label known for its deep love of heavy, heartfelt, and boundary-pushing music, is set to cross the pond for the first time with its own festival. In a powerful cross-border collaboration, Lay Bare Fest: Frequencies Across Borders will take over The Black Heart in London on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

Tickets are on sale now! Get them HERE: https://dice.fm/partner/forlorn/event/7d2xkv-lay-bare-fest-frequencies-across-borders-27th-sep-the-black-heart-london-tickets

Location: The Black Heart, London
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025

Line-up:
Forlorn (UK)
Kulk (UK)
The Answer Lies in the Black Void (HU/ NL)
Coltaine (GER)
Rosy Finch (SP)
Mrs Frighthouse (UK)
Rats and Daggers (NL)
Taz Corona (UK)

Founded in 2013 by Désirée Hanssen in the Netherlands, Lay Bare Recordings has become a trusted home for artists who defy easy categorization. With a catalog of over 67 albums spanning doom, sludge, post-metal, and experimental sounds, the label prides itself on authenticity and community, supporting a DIY culture where passion and dedication come first. Every release is more than just music; it’s a story pressed into wax, meant to be shared and treasured.

This one-day label showcase is a collaborative effort between Lay Bare Recordings, Chaos Theory, and Pride Management. In a fractured post-Brexit landscape, the festival stands as a statement, a call to unite the UK and European underground scenes at a time when collaboration is more crucial and complicated than ever. Lay Bare Fest is about building bridges between people who believe the underground still matters – not just between countries, but between all who support it, from musicians to music lovers, labels, bookers, and photographers. It’s a gathering for the open-minded to connect through music.

Known for amplifying genre-defying creativity, Lay Bare Fest is hosting a lineup that reflects unity over division. Expect genre-defying, boundary-pushing Lay Bare acts like Rosy Finch (SP), Coltaine (GER), Mrs Frighthouse (UK), The Answer Lies in the Black Void (HU/ NL) and Rats and Daggers (NL). And recently added upcoming bands Taz Corona (UK), Forlorn (UK) and Kulk (UK).

Adding to the excitement, the event will feature three exclusive album release shows in the UK for Mrs Frighthouse, The Answer Lies in the Black Void, and Coltaine, who will all be playing their recently released albums for the first time in the country.

Experience the energy. Feel the frequencies. Be part of the Lay Bare Family.

https://laybarerecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laybarerecordings/
https://www.instagram.com/laybarerecordings/
https://laybarerecordings.bandcamp.com/

Mrs Frighthouse, “DIY Exorcism” (2024)

Also collaborators in the less-cumbersomely-named recent outfit Mansur, Thy Catafalque‘s Martina Horváth (based in Hungary) and Bong-Ra‘s Jason Köhnen (also a founder of Celestial Season in the Netherlands) have announced they’re releasing their debut album under the banner of The Answer Lies in the Black Void, titled Forlorn, on Sept. 24 through Burning World Records. At this time, right now, today, there are two songs from the impending offering streaming; the opener “Mina” and its presumed side B counterpart, “Become Undone,” the latter arriving with a video to accompany. The tracks boast different sounds but are united in atmosphere and an underlying sense of extremity, and while I obviously haven’t heard the full album yet, going from the descriptions below, that would seem to be the intention.

Audio and video are down at the bottom, PR wire info follows here:

THE ANSWER LIES IN THE BLACK VOID ANNOUNCE THE DEBUT ALBUM FORLORN

ARRIVING 24TH SEPTEMBER VIA BURNING WORLD RECORDS

The Answer Lies In The Black Void is a collaboration between Martina Horváth (singer for the avant-garde metal project Thy Catafalque) and Jason Köhnen (Celestial Season, Bong-Ra, ex-The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble) born out of their shared passion for doom.

The debut album, Forlorn is an enveloping exploration of the doom genre and the myriad means of expression within it – journeying from a classic old-school sound to something more contemporary, then expanding further into sludge and industrial terrain, also incorporating elements of Martina’s background in Hungarian folk music. The Answer Lies In The Black Void seeks to embrace beauty in darkness and fragility in heaviness.

In their own words, “Forlorn explores the sacred union of the divine feminine and masculine, the light and the dark, the shadows that hide within and the trials of love, lust and loss”

Burning World Records shall be releasing Forlorn on all formats on 24th September.

Forlorn was written and recorded during the pandemic. Mixed and mastered by Daniel Azar Arendarski, and with guest contributions from Tamas Katai of Thy Catafalque and Olly Smit of Celestial Season.

The duo predominantly work together in their music project MANSUR accompanied by Dmitry El Demerdashi (ex-PHURPA) releasing their albums on Denovali Records.

Martina has been part of Thy Catafalque since 2017 and with MANSUR since 2020. Studying Hungarian folk music since the age of five. Participating in traditional folk bands and singing in several choirs including the St. Paul’s Cathedral’s choir in London. Her musical career started with electro/folk band (Zombori), a folk metal band called (Niburta) and her own doom metal band called Nulah.

Jason was a founding member of Celestial Season back in 1992, founding member of The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble (2001) and the Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation. Jason has performed solo as Bong-Ra since 1998 with which a John Peel Session was recorded and two performances at Glastonbury, and founded MANSUR in 2020.

FORLORN TRACK LIST:
1. MINA
2. BARREN
3. RUBICON
4. MOULT
5. FOR NEVERMORE
6. BECOME UNDONE
7. OKKULTAS
8. WHITE DOVE
9. CURSE

Music : Martina Horváth / Jason Köhnen
Production: Jason Köhnen
Mix/Mastering: Daniel Azar Arendarski
Artwork : Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos
Logo : Karmazid

https://www.facebook.com/TheAnswerLiesInTheBlackVoid
https://www.instagram.com/theanswerliesintheblackvoid/
https://theanswerliesintheblackvoid.bandcamp.com/
https://www.burningworldrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/burningworldrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/burningworldrecords/

The Answer Lies in the Black Void, Forlorn (2021)

The Answer Lies in the Black Void, “Become Undone” official video